Grbic Jelica, Goddard Perilou, Ryder David
School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University,270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia.
Department of Psychological Science, Northern Kentucky University,1 Nunn Drive, MEP 355, Highland Heights, KY 41099, United States.
Int J Drug Policy. 2017 Apr;42:109-114. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.12.019. Epub 2017 Feb 9.
Clinical trials have shown cannabis to be effective in the treatment of some medical conditions and there is mounting public and political pressure to enact laws enabling the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. To date, 28 United States (U.S.) states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical cannabis laws. This study sought to identify the main issues pertaining to the development of medical cannabis laws in the U.S, including the role of scientific evidence.
Data were collected from three groups of participants: government officials, lobbyists and medical professionals involved in the medical cannabis debate in five selected states in the U.S.; researchers from the same five states conducting funded research in the alcohol and other drugs field; and members of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Six major themes emerged in relation to the factors influencing policy: scientific evidence plays a limited role in the development of policy; the available research is limited and mixed; there is a need for clearer communication and active dissemination of evidence to policy makers; researchers need to consider what research is likely to impact on policy; scientific evidence is not a major factor in policy development; and there is a need to consider evidence within a political context.
Researchers need to be aware of the political context in which medical cannabis laws are or are not enacted and consider ways in which research findings can achieve a higher profile within this context.
临床试验表明大麻在治疗某些医疗状况方面有效，并且公众和政治方面要求颁布允许将大麻用于医疗目的法律的压力不断增加。迄今为止，美国28个州和哥伦比亚特区已颁布医用大麻法律。本研究旨在确定与美国医用大麻法律制定相关的主要问题，包括科学证据的作用。
从三组参与者收集数据：美国五个选定州参与医用大麻辩论的政府官员、游说者和医学专业人员；来自相同五个州在酒精和其他药物领域进行资助研究的研究人员；以及国际药物政策研究学会的成员。使用主题分析法对数据进行分析。
出现了六个与影响政策的因素相关的主要主题：科学证据在政策制定中作用有限；现有研究有限且结果不一；需要更清晰地向政策制定者传达并积极传播证据；研究人员需要考虑哪些研究可能会对政策产生影响；科学证据不是政策制定的主要因素；并且需要在政治背景下考虑证据。
研究人员需要意识到医用大麻法律颁布或未颁布的政治背景，并考虑研究结果在这种背景下如何能够获得更高的关注度。
