Medical Marijuana Works

• Medical marijuana is effective in the treatment of a variety of debilitating medical conditions. It is less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than most prescription drugs — especially opiate-based painkillers — and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment. In some cases, patients find it is the only effective treatment. Click here to learn more about the medical benefits and the conditions and symptoms it can treat. 

• A large number of medical organizations and the vast majority of Americans recognize the legitimate medical benefits of marijuana. The American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the Epilepsy Foundation are among the many groups that have adopted resolutions or issued formal statements in support of legal access to medical marijuana. Click here for a more comprehensive list of supportive organizations.

76% of doctors would recommend medical marijuana.

New England Journal of Medicine, "Medicinal Use of Marijuana —Polling Results," Vol. 368 No. 22: May 30, 2013

Patients Should Have Safe and Legal Access 

• Seriously ill people should not be subject to arrest and criminal penalties for using medical marijuana. If a doctor believes medical marijuana could provide relief to a patient who is suffering from a debilitating condition, it is unconscionable to prohibit that patient from using it.  

• Regulating the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana would ensure patients have legal, safe, and reliable access to medical marijuana. Patients should not have to resort to the potentially dangerous underground market to access their medicine.  

77% of Americans recognize marijuana has legitimate medical benefits, including 72% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats, and 82% of independents.

Pew Research Center, "Majority Now Supports Legalizing Marijuana," April 4, 2013