Scientific Research and Studies


If cannabis were unknown, and bio-prospectors were suddenly to find it in some remote mountain crevice, its discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise its potential for treating everything from pain to cancer, and marvel at its rich pharmacopoeia - many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body
— The Economist, April 27, 2006


For certain persons, the medical use of marijuana can literally mean the difference between life and death."
— Lymphoma Foundation of America, HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American Medical Students Association, Supreme Court amicus brief, 2004


The American Nurses Association asserts that marijuana/cannabis has a wide margin of safety for use under prescribed supervision, and it is effective for numerous conditions"
— Resolution adopted at the 2003 American Nurses Association House of Delegates


The American Nurses Association asserts that marijuana/cannabis has a wide margin of safety for use under prescribed supervision, and it is effective for numerous conditions"
— Resolution adopted at the 2003 American Nurses Association House of Delegates

It [medical marijuana] should be an option for patients who have it recommended by knowledgeable physicians"
— Jesse L. Steinfeld, M.D., former U.S. Surgeon General


Nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety ... all can be mitigated by marijuana"
— Institute of Medicine, in a 1999 National Academy of Sciences report, Marijuana as Medicine: Assessing the Science Base


Marijuana, it its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known... It would be unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance"
—  Francis L. Young, DEA Cheif Administrative Law Judge, 1988


78% of Americans support making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering."
Gallup Poll, 2005


The National Nurses Society on Addictions urges the federal government to remove marijuana from the Schedule I category immediately, and make it available for physicians to prescribe."
— National Nurses Society on Addictions, 1995


[We] recommend .. allow[ing] [marijuana] prescription where medically appropriate."
National association for Health and Public Safety, 1998

The American Nurses Association supports the rights of patients to have safe access to ... marijuana under appropriate prescriber supervision"
— Position statement adopted by the American Nurses Association in 2004

The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms caused by illnesses like multiple sclerosis, cancer, and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them."
— Jocelyn Elders, M.D., former U.S. Surgeon General, Providence Journal, March 26, 2004


The AAFP accepts the use of medical marijuana under medical supervision and control for specific medical indications."
American Academy of Family Physicians, 1995

When appropriately prescribed and monitored, marijuana/cannabis can provide immeasurable benefits for the health and well-being of our patients"
— American Academy of HIV Medicine, 2003