To former Pennsylvania Medical Society president Bruce MacLeod, the oath physicians take to do no harm means proceeding with caution when it comes to legalizing medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.
History will judge us harshly for the bad outcomes that may come if we rush too headlong into this, Dr. MacLeod said at a Senate State Government Committee hearing Wednesday.
To Dr. Jack D'Angelo of Staten Island, the oath means helping a troubled patient with few options find a source of relief.
We have an obligation as a healer to listen to that desperation and try to help them in a safe manner, he said.
The Senate committee hearing on a revived proposal to legalize marijuana for medical purposes and establish a state-controlled regulatory structure revealed a spectrum of views among doctors and researchers.
As sponsors push for final passage, they're seeking to address concerns about who should have access, how to track the product as it exchanges hands, and what types of marijuana should be allowed.
Bill co-sponsor and committee chairman Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County, said his goal is to allow safe access to as many patients as possible while continuing research efforts. Marijuana, he said, cannot cause a fatal overdose and has been used for millennia.
We're just trying to do the right thing, he said.
Dr. Steven Shapiro, who is on the board of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, said doctors should be certain cannabis-based medicines, such as those given to children with seizure disorders, aren't going to cause physical or neurological harm as children age. He urged lawmakers to wait until pharmaceutical trials are complete.
I don't deny there may be medical benefits, but you just cannot walk in and say, We're gonna do this, and it's gonna be fine,' Shapiro said. All you have to do is stand in front of these parents one time and you lose a lot of that bravado.
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Doctors debate caution vs. medical need for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania