Most Doctors Agree: Marijuana Should be Legal

A new survey on medical marijuana showed that some of the biggest supporters of the legalization of medicinal cannabis are doctors in the United States. This should come as no surprise, as our Los Angeles medical marijuana lawyers know that the health benefits of marijuana have become abundantly clear as cannabis has been used to treat more conditions. Doctors want to help their patients, and there is little justification for the continuing illegality of a safe and natural method to provide relief from so many ailments.

The surveys showing doctor support make clear yet again that the medical marijuana movement is about improving the health of citizens throughout the United States. Hopefully as more medical professionals make the case for cannabis legalization, the federal government and remaining state holdouts will change the laws to make it easier for sick people to get the drugs that can help them.

Survey Shows Strong Support for Medical Marijuana

A survey of more than 1,500 medical doctors and almost 3,000 consumers found that support for medical marijuana use was actually higher among doctors than among average citizens.

Survey participants were asked if they thought that medical marijuana would be able to help with certain conditions. A total of 69 percent of doctors answered in the affirmative while just 52 percent of consumers thought marijuana could be helpful.

Among the doctors surveyed, 67 percent said that they felt that medical marijuana should be a treatment option that is available to patients. In states where medical marijuana has not yet been legalized, half of the resident doctors said that the law should change. In the 10 states that are currently considering whether to pass a law allowing for medical marijuana, 52 percent of doctors indicated that legalization of medical cannabis would be a positive choice.

Doctors in fields where patients are most in need of medical marijuana tended to be the biggest supporters of legalization in the survey. Oncologists and blood disorder specialists were the professionals most in favor of medical marijuana legalization. Among these two groups, 82 percent of surveyed doctors said that marijuana could provide “real benefits” to patients. CBS News reports that this same 82 percent also affirmed that they thought medical marijuana should be a treatment option that patients could choose to take advantage of.

Consumers were less in favor of widespread legalization than the medical professionals who treat sick people. Just 50 percent of consumers supported nationwide legalization, including 49 percent of people who live in states where there are currently no laws permitting medical marijuana.

Less than half of the consumers surveyed felt that medical marijuana advantages outweighed the risk, with only 44 percent saying the benefits were more important.

When asked about legalizing recreational marijuana, support from both doctors and individuals fell. However, 53 percent of doctors were in favor of legalization even for recreational use. Again, here, the doctors supported legalization in greater numbers than consumers as only 51 percent of consumers agreed.

The fact that doctors are so positive about medical marijuana, and not very negative about recreational marijuana, suggests that it is not health concerns that are the reason why marijuana is still an illegal drug.

More Blog Entries:
Marijuana DUI an Increasing Threat Amid Legalization Efforts, January 1, 2014, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog