California weighs recommendations against medical marijuana

The California Department of Industrial Relations is considering recently released national guidelines on how medical marijuana treats pain to incorporate the findings in the state’s evidence-based treatment guidelines for injured workers.

The department, which oversees updates to the state’s drug formulary for workers compensation, released details from a published Jan. 28 report by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that did not recommend cannabis for chronic pain, acute pain, and post-operative pain, citing a lack of evidence. The report also did not recommend medical marijuana for “safety-critical workers.”

ACOEM’s report states that the scope of its recommendations is limited to injuries related to work injuries, such as that affecting the spine or causing radicular pain, and does not address such ailments as epilepsy, sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer and terminal care.

A hearing is taking place Friday.