LETTER: Doctors know marijuana is effective

Re: “Doctors should lead the way on medical cannabis” (Our View, Aug. 28)

Medical Society of New Jersey CEO Lawrence Downs alleges that we lack sufficient knowledge about the use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent. This notion is false.

Cannabis possesses an extensive history of human use dating back thousands of years, thus providing us with ample empirical evidence as to the plant’s relative safety and efficacy. The marijuana plant is also one of the most studied biologically active substances of modern times. A search on PubMed, the repository for all peer-reviewed scientific papers, using the term “marijuana” yields 20,000 scientific papers referencing the plant and/or its constituents, nearly half of which have been published just within the past decade.

Among this extensive body of literature are well over 100 randomized controlled studies, involving thousands of subjects, evaluating the safety and efficacy of cannabis or individual cannabinoids. A review published in The Open Neurology Journal concludes, “Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification (for cannabis) is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”

At a minimum, we know enough to allow physicians to recommend it as a potential therapy for their patients. Further, we know enough about the failures of prohibition to cease arresting adults who consume it responsibly.

PAUL ARMENTANO

Deputy Director

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Washington, D.C.