# FILE NAME: 00001345.soc
# TITLE: Should we allow the use of medical marijuana for certain illnesses? [608c393d7dc7cc13984f1800e4b196a2]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that medical marijuana helps people with various complaints. This is further supported by studies that suggest that marijuana could be useful for people with chronic pain and even people with epilepsy. Whilst marijuana is not a wonder drug that will cure people of various complaints, it does appear to have some positive effect and there are studies that suggest that the benefits outweigh the side effects. As with any medicine, a careful risk/benefit assessment must be carried out for each patient and, if it is decided that the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks, it should be made available. It is important to note that marijuana is not without side effects and those using it must be aware of the potential harms.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - We believe that we should allow the use of medical marijuana for certain illnesses. Marijuana is not a wonder drug, but there is substantial anecdotal evidence that it has helped people with a range of medical complaints. Some clinical studies also support its use. However, it is also not harmless, and so the risks and benefits of medical marijuana must be carefully weighed up on a case by case basis. Those prescribed medical marijuana should be aware of its potential side effects and must be vigilant about assessing if it is still helping them or if other drugs or treatments may be more useful.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - Final consensus statement: We believe that we should allow the use of medical marijuana for certain illnesses. The main argument for this is the amount of anecdotal evidence that exists that medical marijuana helps people with various complaints. This is further supported by studies that suggest that marijuana could be useful for people with chronic pain and even people with epilepsy. Whilst marijuana is not a wonder drug that will cure people of various complaints, it does appear to have some positive effect and there are studies that suggest that the benefits outweigh the side effects. As with any medicine, a careful risk/benefit assessment must be carried out for each patient and, if it is decided that the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks, it should be made available. It is important to note that marijuana is not without side effects and those using it must be aware of the potential harms. In order to ensure that marijuana is not overprescribed, use should only be sanctioned after an expert (e.g. GP or specialist) has assessed that the benefits outweigh the risks for that particular patient.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - We believe that we should allow the use of medical marijuana for certain illnesses. The main argument for this is the amount of anecdotal evidence that exists that medical marijuana helps people with various complaints. This is further supported by studies that suggest that marijuana could be useful for people with chronic pain and even people with epilepsy. Whilst marijuana is not a wonder drug that will cure people of various complaints, it does appear to have some positive effect and there are studies that suggest that the benefits outweigh the side effects. As with any medicine, a careful risk/benefit assessment must be carried out for each patient and, if it is decided that the benefits of marijuana outweigh the risks, it should be made available. It is important to note that marijuana is not without side effects and those using it must be aware of the potential harms. We believe that this should be made available, but only via prescription by a medical professional, in order to ensure that people are informed of the risks and that it is used in a safe way. We also believe that it should only be prescribed when all other avenues have been explored and that it should only be used when the benefits are thought to outweigh the risks.
1: 2,4,3,1
1: 3,4,1,2
1: 1,2,3,4
1: 4,3,1,2
1: 3,2,1,4