11/8/07 - Unanimous Vote by APA Shows Broad Acceptance for Medical Cannabis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a unanimous vote, the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association has approved a strongly worded statement supporting legal protection for patients using medical cannabis with their doctor's recommendation. The APA action paper, which must be approved by the APA Board of Trustees when it meets in December, notes that 12 states now have medical cannabis laws, and states, "The threat of arrest by federal agents, however, still exists. Seriously ill patients living in these states with medical marijuana recommendations from their doctors should not be subjected to the threat of punitive federal prosecution for merely attempting to alleviate the chronic pain, side effects, or symptoms associated with their conditions or resulting from their overall treatment regimens. ... [We] support protection for patients and physicians participating in state approved medical marijuana programs."

This and a second action paper calling on the government to facilitate "well-designed clinical research into the medical utility of marijuana" were adopted Saturday with no dissenting votes by the APA Assembly, which represents the group's 74 district branches and 16 allied professional organizations. "This vote is a landmark, and a proud day for our profession." said Abraham L. Halpern, M.D., professor emeritus of psychiatry at New York Medical College and past president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. "As physicians, we cannot abide our patients being subject to arrest and jail for using a physician-recommended treatment that clearly relieves suffering for many who are not helped by conventional treatments."

With 40,000 members and 16 allied organizations (including the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association for Social Psychiatry, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and the American Association of Emergency Psychiatrists), the American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization for psychiatrists in the United States.

In 2008, Illinois will once again consider legislation to protect seriously ill patients who use cannabis with their doctor's approval. While the bill came only 7 votes short of passing the IL Senate in 2007, this move by the APA will undoubtedly have a profound effect on legislator opinions here and in other states close to passing similar laws, such as Minnesota, Michigan, and New York.