More and more physicians are acknowledging the medical benefits of marijuana and are enrolling in the states pharmaceutical cannabis program.
While 80 doctors were on board when the states licensed growers first began supplying medical marijuana to the dispensaries in September 2014, there are now 593, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection, which runs the program.
Still, the psychoactive plants lingering reputation as a dangerous Schedule I drug a stoners escape with no medical benefits frightens state physicians, even though it was reclassified as a Schedule II substance when state lawmakers approved therapeutic cannabis nearly five years ago.
Its fair to say theres a lot more internal dialogue about medical marijuana and its efficacy, said Kenneth Ferrucci, senior vice president of government affairs for the 7,000-member Connecticut State Medical Society.
Fading stigma
A sign of evolution on the issue was the participation of the medical society in a news conference last month in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, which announced plans to research the ways medical cannabis might help terminal patients while reducing the use of opioids.
The research part is pretty consistent with where our policy has been, Ferrucci said.
He noted that many doctors find the federal laws a formidable threat to their livelihoods, if the U.S. Department of Justice wants to crack down. Initial reports from the incoming Trump administration indicate that states will be free to run their own cannabis programs, either recreational or/and medical.
I think that the stigma in general is decreasing, said Jonathan Harris, Consumer Protection commissioner. The acceptance by the medical community is increasing. They had two issues: one how do you dose it? With more innovation in the medicine and delivery systems, less and less of it being smoked as pure flower. The dosage issue is correcting itself. Its happened.
The second piece of opposition is centered around information and research.
The anecdotal information is growing, research from elsewhere is growing and now we have Connecticut research coming on line, which is also helping to lower the stigma and increase the acceptance of the program, said Harris, who last month presided last month over an event to mark a research deal at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.
Dr. Vincent R. Carlesi, who has been on the Board of Physicians that reviews petitions for new afflictions to be added to the program since it began, agrees that momentum is growing in the medical community.
There are some physicians who are skeptical about the program, still, unfortunately and there are others who are advocates but they are also fearful of their licenses, said Carlesi, a pain specialist with offices in Ridgefield and Stamford. They think that certifying a patient for medical cannabis could be detrimental to their practice and their license because its not officially federally accepted. So I think there is a lot of fear still out there on this issue.
Dr. Mitchell Prywes, a Danbury-based pain specialist who is a new member of the doctors panel, believes physcians throughout the state need more education about the medical properties of marijuana, particularly in light of the scourge of opioid abuse.
Education is something I feel very passionate about, Prywes said after the board meeting. Its not just patients who need the education. Physicians need to have the education to understand that it is a medicine and to understand its utility.
He stressed the need for continued forums and workshops so doctors can feel more comfortable in identifying patients who might benefit from cannabis, which more and more often is being used as a gel, strips under the tongues of patients, or an extract that is inhaled as a vapor. Fewer patients are smoking the dried flowers, Harris said.
Brave experiment
Carlesi takes some strength in early reports from the Trump transition team that they will not interfere with state cannabis laws, particularly the highly regulated pharmaceutical model of Connecticut.
This was kind of a brave experiment, very secure, and designed to grow in a measured way, Harris said during last weeks Board of Physicians meeting.
During the meeting, four new debilitating conditions painful side effects of shingles and rheumatoid arthritis; along with fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis – were recommended to Harris for approval.
Harris said he has not heard of potential patients having difficulty finding physicians who participate in the program.
Under the 2012 law creating the states medical marijuana model, detailed information on the program, including the names of doctors and patients, is withheld from the public.
I think that information is out there, and as the pool of physicians grow and doctors who might not want to certifiy patients with debilitating conditions themselves, they know more and more of their colleagues that are doing it, I think that thats rectifying itself, to the extent that there was a problem, Harris said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Use Of Med Pot Evolves As More Doctors Sign On
Author: Ken Dixon
Contact: ctpost
Photo Credit: H John Voorhees III
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