New Jersey State Nurses Association
Resolution Concerning Therapeutic Marijuana
Summary: A
number of New Jersey residents would benefit from access to therapeutic
marijuana as a form of treatment for their health problems.
Whereas:
Marijuana has been used medicinally for centuries, and marijuana was widely
prescribed by physicians in the United States until 1937, and;
Whereas:
Marijuana has been reported to be effective in: a) reducing intraocular
pressure in glaucoma, b) reducing nausea and vomiting associated with
chemotherapy, c) stimulating the appetite for patients living with AIDS
(acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and suffering from the wasting syndrome,
d) controlling spasticity associated with spinal cord injury and multiple
sclerosis, and;
Whereas:
Patients not helped by conventional medications and treatments may find relief
from their suffering with the use of marijuana, and;
Whereas: The
relative safety of marijuana has been established and the benefits associated
with medical marijuana use would outweigh any potential adverse effects, and;
Whereas: Nurses
have a fundamental responsibility to promote health, to prevent illness, to
restore health and to alleviate suffering, and;
Whereas: Thirty-three states have
passed legislation recognizing marijuana’s therapeutic value, and eight states
have removed criminal penalties for use, possession and cultivation of
marijuana for medical reasons, and;
Whereas: Ten
State Nurses Associations, the American Nurses Association, the American
Medical Association, the American Public Health Association and various other
health-related associations have favorable positions on medical marijuana
education and/or use, therefore,
Be it resolved that
The New Jersey State Nurses Association:
1. Recognizes the therapeutic value and safety of medically recommended
marijuana; and,
2. Recognizes the effect of second hand smoke on those in
the immediate therapeutic environment; and,
3. Supports legal access to medically recommended
marijuana for patients in New Jersey who are under the care of a licensed
health care provider; and,
4. Urges the Governor of New Jersey and the New Jersey
State Legislature to move expeditiously to make medical marijuana legally
available to New Jersey residents who can benefit from it.
References:
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3. Controlled
Substances Act of 1970 (Pub. L. 91-513, October 27, 1970, 21USC801 et seq.).
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for Cannabis Therapeutics. “No accepted medical value??” ACT News. Spring,
1995.
5. Grinspoon
L, Bakalar JB, “Marihuana as Medicine: A plea for reconsideration”. JAMA. 1995;
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11. Beers MH
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RC, ed. Marijuana, Medicine & the Law Vol. II, Washington, DC, Galen
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Submitted
by: Kenneth R. Wolski, RN
Date
Submitted: January 16, 2002
Date
Approved: March 20, 2002
