https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/364 /medmjsupport.shtml

Medical marijuana continues to pick up support, both among the public at large and among medical professionals. The latest medical profession endorsement of medical marijuana came last month in Connecticut. On October 15, the Connecticut Nurses Association passes a resolution in support of medical marijuana at its annual conference.

The resolution calls for "patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision." It also supports the removal of criminal penalties from medical marijuana users and prescribers, for cannabis to be moved from Schedule 1, and for "the continuance of controlled investigational trials on the therapeutic efficacy of cannabis, including alternate methods of administration." In addition, the resolution calls for education of nurses about marijuana's medical uses and discussion of those uses by health professionals "without the threat of intimidation or penalization."

With the passage of the resolution, Connecticut nurses joined 11 other state nursing associations, the American Nurses Association and the American Nurses Society on Addictions in endorsing therapeutic cannabis. The nursing groups have been joined by dozens of other health professionals' organizations in supporting medical marijuana.

Meanwhile, a poll this month has found that 75% of Texans say seriously ill people should be allowed to use marijuana for medical reasons. Conducted by Scripps Howard, the poll queried 900 randomly selected adult Texans. 19% opposed medical marijuana, while 6% had no opinion.

Texans for Medical Marijuana (http://www.texansformedicalmarijuana.org), a group formed in January to push for its legalization there, pronounced itself "pleasantly surprised" by the results. "This goes beyond party lines," the group's leader, Noelle Davis told the Austin American-Statesman. "Everyone wants their loved ones to be comfortable when they're suffering."

The poll results will come in handy when the group seeks sponsorship for a medical marijuana bill in the Texas legislature next year, said Davis. "We hope for strong bipartisan support and the poll shows Texans support this."

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