California Medical Association Recommends Legalization of Marijuana

Advocates for the legalization of marijuana got a new, unprecedented member of their ranks: the California Medical Association, which has adopted an official policy that recommends the legalization and regulation of cannabis.

The board of trustees of the CMA, the largest physician group in California, adopted the policy unanimously at its meeting in Sacramento, according to a statement on the CMA website.

California is one of 16 states where medical marijuana is legal, making it possible for doctors to recommend the drug to their patients.

But Dr. James Hay, the president-elect of CMA, said that existing laws put doctors in an uncomfortable position.

"[California] Decriminalized medical use, yet if a physician recommends it to a patient we are violating federal law. Taking a risk," Hay told ABC News.

At the heart of the group's issue is regulation. As it stands, according to a statement put out by CMA, marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, which means that study and research of the drug is limited.

"Think it ought to be regulated, better controlled, no control over what’s in marijuana. If we don't know what's in it, we can't do any kind of scientific evaluation," Hay said.

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