71% of US Doctors Say Cannabis Has Medicinal Value

A supermajority of practicing US doctors believe that cannabis possesses medicinal value, according to new data.

A pair of researchers anonymously surveyed 539 US doctors attending the 2018 American College of Emergency Physicians’ Annual Conference. The conference is the largest gathering of emergency medicine physicians in the country.

The study concluded that “a majority (70.7%) of participants believed that cannabis has medical value.”

The survey’s finding is consistent with that of another recent poll, compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control, which reported that 69% of US clinicians believe that cannabis possesses medical utility. The CDC survey also acknowledged that over 25% of physicians have recommended medical cannabis treatment to their patients.

Commenting on the findings, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Overwhelming majorities of patients and their providers acknowledge that cannabis is medicine. Politicians should not be standing in their way by opposing efforts to permit medical professionals from recommending cannabis to their patients in instances where they believe it is therapeutically appropriate.”