March 5, 2010 -- The Cannabis Defense Coalition is petitioning the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission to add neuropathic pain to the list of conditions qualifying to use medical marijuana under RCW 69.51A.
Credible research indicates that use of medicinal cannabis is an effective treatment for neuropathic pain. We submit this petition because there is sufficient evidence to support this indication for medicinal cannabis use. Adding it will help neuropathic pain patients receive this treatment, especially those who are presently excluded by the "intractable pain" requirement that a patient has tried and failed all other standard treatments or medications before being allowed the therapeutic benefits of this cannabinoid-based medicine and the legal protections of our medical marijuana law.
We recognize that intractable pain is already covered by RCW 69.51A, and that many neuropathic pain patients qualify under the intractable pain clause. We are specifically applying for neuropathic pain without the requirement that a patient have exhausted all other standard treatments or medications. Multiple sclerosis and epilepsy are two neurological conditions that do not require patients to have exhausted the complete realm of standard medical treatments before they can qualify to use medicinal cannabis. We petition for neuropathic pain to be treated in the same way.
With our petition, we included three positive double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of cannabis in the treatment of neuropathic pain, and a review article for the treatment of neuropathic pain with cannabinoids. We also included a report from the University of California Center for Medical Cannabis Research of their most recent legislatively mandated research, which includes discussion of the evidence supporting the treatment of neuropathic pain with cannabis, to support our petition.
Petition documents
- Neuropathic pain petition (PDF, 80k) - March 5, 2010
- Attachment 1 (PDF, 237k) - Neurology, 2007
Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy: A randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Attachment 2 (PDF, 150k) - Neuropsychopharmacology, 2008
Smoked Medicinal Cannabis for Neuropathic Pain in HIV: A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial
- Attachment 3 (PDF, 746k) - Journal of Pain, Vol. 9
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Cannabis Cigarettes in Neuropathic Pain
- Attachment 4 (PDF, 801k) - Neurotherapeutics, 2009
Cannabinoids as Pharmacotherapies for Neuropathic Pain: From the Bench to the Bedside
- Attachment 5 (PDF, 337k) - February 11, 2010
Report to the Legislature and Governor of the State of California presenting findings pursuant to SB847 which created the CMCR and provided state funding
Other recent petitions
- July 20, 2009 petition (PDF, 121k) to add bipolar disorder, severe depression, and anxiety related disorders, specifically social phobia - Denied.
- January 28, 2009 petition (PDF, 19k) to add Barrett's esophagus and Celiac disease - Withdrawn by petitioner.
