All surveys conducted over the past 10 to 15 years concerning the medicinal use of
cannabis, show over 70% of the American public believe that the medicinal use of cannabis
should be legal if a physician recommends it. The results of the most recent survey reveals that
approximately 80% of adult Americans now share this view. Given these findings it is no surprise
that 12 states in the U.S. have legalized the medicinal use of cannabis. Bill Richardson,
Governor of New Mexico, signed the latest state medicinal cannabis legislation into law in April
2007.
The State of Oregon has a mandatory patient identification program; therefore state
officials know exactly how many physicians in Oregon have recommended cannabis to at least
one of their patients. 2340 physicians in Oregon have recommended the use of cannabis to one
or more of their patients. Over in California, there is a voluntary patient identification card
program. Because the program is voluntary we can only estimate the number of doctors in the
State of California that have recommended cannabis to their patients. Typical estimates range
between 3000 and 5000 physicians.
Many health care organizations recognize the medical utility of cannabis. Well over a
100 health-related entities including The American Public Health Association, The American
Academy of Family Physicians, the American Pain Management Association, the Institute of
Medicine and The American Nurses Association, have officially come out in favor of the medicinal
use of cannabis.
AGR Free Press 