Before the Joint Committee on Public Health
The Massachusetts Medical Society has two policy positions
established regarding the use of marijuana. They are:
Medical Use of Marijuana
"The Massachusetts Medical Society affirms its opposition to
smoking marijuana for recreational purposes.
The Massachusetts Medical Society recognizes the importance
of clinical trials on the medical use of marijuana and its
derivatives. All such trials should be approved by an
Institutional Review Board process."
The MMS's House of Delegates and Committee on Legislation have,
in recent years, reviewed amendments and additions to this policy
and other legislative proposals on this issue. The MMS supported
legislation many years ago supporting clinical trials at the
Department of Public Health. While that legislation has been long
enacted, no clinical trials have been done in Massachusetts.
On December 3, 2011, the MMS House of Delegates voted to support
Report 305, I-11 (C), submitted by the MMS Committee on Public
Health and Committee on Medical Education both of which reviewed
the scientific and clinical status of medical marijuana since the
1999 Institute of Medicine report on the issue, and concluded in
their report that "there is no evidence-based clinical measurement
on which to establish new policy for a change in prescribing
practices" and "that there is insufficient evidence to support the
use of marijuana to treat medical conditions".
The MMS hopes that the Committee on Public Health will consider
our policies and committee report in its response to H 3885.
