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NCIA Releases Overview of Cannabis Medical Knowledge

Summary intended to educate and guide policymakers and medical professionals

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has released an overview designed to help inform and guide policymakers and medical professionals on the science, history, and uses of medical cannabis and promote policies that facilitate further research and fair, legal access. This publication was developed by scientists and doctors working with NCIA’s Policy Council.

The objective of this report is to provide medical professionals and policymakers with an up-to-date, science-based perspective on the medicine of cannabis in the United States. It includes input from medical doctors, researchers, veterinarians, and policy experts, all committed to the development of a cannabis industry founded on scientific research, patient safety, and equitable access to safe products and clinical oversight. It includes a history of medical cannabis, an overview of the endocannabinoid system and the complex nature of the cannabis plant, and explores clinical uses as well as safety considerations. The paper also highlights the obstacles that currently hinder research, and includes policy recommendations to remove those barriers and promote evidenced-based therapeutic cannabis access and use.

The full paper is available here.

“Despite the well-established medical efficacy of cannabis and the overwhelming public support for regulating the substance, many politicians and doctors still lack a basic understanding of the science of cannabis and continue to oppose sensible reforms,” said Aaron Smith, co-founder and chief executive officer of the National Cannabis Industry Association. “We hope to provide a fundamental and balanced overview of the medical impacts and therapeutic uses of cannabis to the people who so often hold the keys to safe and legal access.”

NCIA intends to disseminate this overview to members of Congress and the Biden administration, as well as key federal agencies and medical organizations.

A recent Pew Research poll showed that 91% of U.S. adults think cannabis should be legal for medical purposes. A Gallup poll from late last year showed a record 68% national support for making cannabis legal for adults.

Cannabis is legal for adults in 17 states as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of CNMI and Guam, and 36 states as well as several territories have comprehensive medical cannabis laws. The substance is legal in some form in 47 states. Dozens of states are considering cannabis policy reform legislation this year.

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Oklahoma Voters Approve Medical Cannabis Initiative

State to become 30th in nation with an effective medical cannabis law

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Tuesday, voters in Oklahoma approved a measure that will make medical cannabis legal in the state with over 56% popular support. The referendum, known as SQ 788, would allow patients to use medical cannabis to treat their conditions with a recommendation from their doctor. The initiative calls on the state to establish rules governing the licensing and regulation of facilities to cultivate, process, and dispense medical cannabis, and allows patients to cultivate limited amounts of medical cannabis at home.

“In spite of a well-financed and misleading opposition campaign, Oklahoma voters proved that medical cannabis is no longer a controversial issue by enacting a sensible law at the ballot box tonight,” said Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). “We applaud Oklahoma for joining the growing list of states that allow patients to legally access the medicine that works for them.”

The passage of SQ 788 marks the first time that a state medical cannabis ballot initiative has been approved by voters in an electoral primary. Observers were skeptical of the initiative passing in an unprecedented election cycle, particularly given strong and well-funded efforts from opponents to the referendum in the months before the vote.

“The passage of this law is not only a great victory for some of the Sooner State’s most vulnerable citizens – it will also create new business opportunities as the state’s underground market for medical cannabis is replaced by licensed businesses with the potential to create thousands of jobs and millions in new tax revenue,” continued Smith. “We are confident that the standards of professionalism and quality care that have become synonymous with the legal medical cannabis industry will be repeated here for the benefit of seriously ill residents throughout the state.”

With the addition of Oklahoma, there are now effective medical cannabis laws in 30 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. A total of 46 states allow for the medical use of cannabis in some form.

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