The AAP does not support legalizing pot, but it strongly encourages pediatricians to “advocate for laws that prevent harsh criminal penalties for possession or use of marijuana.”
Doctors are not certain the drug helps children, and they are pretty sure it could harm developing brains. AAP says it should “only be used for severely ill kids who have no other treatment option.”
Some parents believe their kids have been cured from diseases by cannabis, and researchers would like to be able to confirm such claims by conducting research on the drug.
According to DEA classifications, pot falls in the same category as heroin and LSD, which are illegal to use. AAP wants to put it in the same group as Oxycodone and methadone- both used for pain treatment.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has already started reviewing the medical evidence on marijuana. Although it has not advocated its legalization, it announced that it is “aware that there is considerable interest in its use in treating medical conditions like glaucoma, AIDS wasting syndrome, neuropathic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and certain seizure disorders."
