Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
You'd normally be hard-pressed to find any doctor who would support patients' use of an illegal drug. But one of the nation's largest physicians groups now not only has come out publicly in support of medicinal marijuana use but also is calling on the federal government to reconsider its restrictive marijuana laws. The American College of Physicians, which boasts nearly 125,000 members, issued a policy statement in February in support of medicinal marijuana use to reverse severe weight loss associated with wasting syndrome and treat nausea associated with medication side effects among HIVers as well as treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients. The organization also urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to ease its restrictions on medicinal marijuana research and to reevaluate the drug's classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, which puts it alongside such hard drugs as heroin and LSD. 'Additional research is needed to clarify marijuana's therapeutic properties and determine standard and optimal doses and routes of delivery,' the group said in its statement. 'Unfortunately, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana, and the debate over legalization.' Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, told Reuters, 'This statement by America's second-largest doctors group demolishes the myth that the medical community doesn't support medical marijuana. The ACP's statement smashes a number of other myths, including the claims that adequate substitutes are available or that marijuana is unsafe for medical use.' The physicians group also advocated for exemptions from criminal prosecution or other negative actions for doctors who prescribe or dispense marijuana for medicinal purposes in accordance with various state laws. And it pushed for protections from criminal penalties for patients who use medicinal marijuana as permitted by their state laws. Currently, 12 states have laws allowing for the use of medicinal marijuana, but the federal government'backed by a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court in 2001'considers growing, distributing, and using pot to be criminal acts. In a move unusual for a Republican presidential adviser, David Murray, the White House office of National Drug Control Policy's chief scientist, essentially supported the American College of Physicians statement by saying, 'The science should be kept open. There should be more research. We should continue to investigate.'
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Dancer. Healer. Survivor. DéShaun Armbrister is all of the above
July 02 2025 8:23 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules to save free access to preventive care, including PrEP
June 27 2025 10:32 AM
1985: the year the AIDS crisis finally broke through the silence
June 26 2025 11:24 AM
Trump admin guts $258 million in funding for HIV vaccine research
June 03 2025 3:47 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
VIDEO: A man living with HIV discusses his journey to fatherhood
June 10 2025 4:58 PM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM