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Congress Abstracts 2006
160
HISTORICAL AND REGULATORY ISSUES OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA. Ellen Debondt, RN, BSN, OCN® , Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA.
Marijuana has been used medically for thousands of years and in the United States for over 150 years up until the 1937 Tax law and subsequent passing in 1970 on the Controlled Substance Act. Currently 11 states have laws supporting medical marijuana, yet marijuana is currently a schedule I substance. Given the discrepancy between the federal and state law, this has created confusion and controversy for healthcare providers and patients. The American Nurses Association is among one of the medical organizations supporting patients' rights to legally and safely access marijuana/cannabis for symptom management.
The purpose of this is to provide education to oncology nurses on the relevant history of medical marijuana and the current regulatory issues governing its use.
In this poster I will provide an overview on the federal law (Controlled Substance Act) with regard to marijuana, summarize the Washington State Medical Marijuana Act, and the current policy at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. At the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, any patient who meets the criteria for use of medical marijuana, reviews the benefits, risks, safety concerns, side effects and potential hazards with his or her physician. This is documented on one of two forms: a treatment consent form and an authorization for use form that patients keep in their possession to provide medical documentation and a basis for the legal defense against prosecution. Patients cannot obtain a routine prescription for marijuana, because it is a schedule I substance and therefore illegal under federal law to prescribe as medicine.
Oncology Nurses functioning as care coordinators, patient advocates and patient educators need to be aware of current regulatory issues both on the federal and state level.
As healthcare providers we need to separate the issue of recreational use of marijuana from medical use, these are 2 separate issues. Historically marijuana's medical use has been well-documented, current research has shown benefit, and a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine stated "the accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation."