The Honorable Deval Patrick
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Room 280
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Governor Patrick,
On behalf of the physicians of Massachusetts, I want to record our support for the efforts of Commissioner Smith and the staff of the Department of Public Health in drafting proposed regulations on medical marijuana use in Massachusetts. In rafting regulations, the Department has been limited by the specific language of the referendum question. The Massachusetts Medical Society is very concerned that the implementation of this new law be done in a manner that is consistent with good medical practice. The Department has done a comprehensive job in raising the major issues which need to be addressed if Massachusetts is to implement the mandate of the voters in a helpful and responsible manner.
The MMS is pleased that
several issues in particular have been addressed. They include:
- Certification
of patients by only physicians with a Mass. license and a Mass. practice
setting.
- Inclusion
of marijuana certification in the prescription monitoring program.
- The
definition of bona-fide physician-patient relationship, which was developed
with input from the Board of Registration in Medicine, reflects the unique
nature of legitimate discussions and decision making in this new area.
- The
Department has responsibly addressed the area of marijuana use by adolescents
in a manner that reflects established research on potential harm to developing
children.
The regulations are complex
and will receive thorough vetting on April 19th. Listening sessions held by the
Department showed a commitment in time and energy to understand the views of
patients and members of the public who are often outside the mainstream. The regulations will have supporters and
detractors and the rhetoric will be strident to say the least. The DPH is to be commended for its efforts to
date on a tough subject.
Sincerely,
Richard
V. Aghababian, MD, FACEP
President, Massachusetts Medical Society
