A new survey places a case study before physicians and asks: recommend medical marijuana or deny it to the patient?
A new and remarkable survey was recently published in the prestigious scientific periodical the New England Journal of Medicine (the Journal) indicating 76% of physicians surveyed would recommend medical marijuana to alleviate the pain of a breast cancer patient.
The survey included 1,446 doctors from 72 different countries. In North America, responses were received from 56 different states and provinces to the hypothetical case study presented in the survey. The study was published in the February issue of the Journal along with a pro/con fact sheet and a question- would you recommend medical marijuana for this patient? The survey results were published in the Journal’s May 30 issue.
The case study is explained in an article from Web M.D.:
The case presented to the doctors was Marilyn, a 68-year-old woman with breast cancer that had spread to her lungs, chest cavity and spine. She was undergoing chemotherapy, and said she had no energy, little appetite and a great deal of pain. She had tried various medications to relieve her pain, including the narcotic medication oxycodone. She lives in a state where the use of medical marijuana is legal, and asks her physician for a prescription.
In an article on ThinkProgress.org, author Sy Mukherjee writes, “In commentary published along with the survey, researchers explained the reasoning that most respondents provided for their support of medicinal cannabis. “Many [respondents] pointed out the known dangers of prescription narcotics, supported patient choice, or described personal experience with patients who benefited from the use of marijuana,” wrote the authors.”
WebMD says: “What many doctors would like to see, according to the survey, is more evidence on the use of marijuana as medicine, so they could make a better-informed decision one way or the other.”
CBS reports that 118 different physicians posted comments on the survey. You can read the survey and the commentary HERE.
Source: The Compassion Chronicles
