The Pan-American Association of Cannabinoid Medicine has publicly questioned the disclosure of the position against the use of Cannabis derivatives in the treatment of mental illnesses by the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry, published in an article in July on the entity’s website. The answer came in the form of a letter, expressing surprise at the negative opinion of the ABP psychiatrists.
“The scientific committees of the APMC were surprised and alarmed by an article entitled ‘Position statement of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association on the use of Cannabis in psychiatric treatment’, signed by only two authors.”
For the Pan American Association, it is a publication marked by “ideological and non-scientific positions”. It emphasizes that there is no mention of works by the institution’s scientific committee or public consultation of ABP members that justifies the article. “It appears to reflect the Board’s position and does not represent a consensus of the community of psychiatrists associated with it.”
The ABP statement is written by two Brazilian doctors, President Antônio Geraldo da Silva of Rio de Janeiro and the regional director of the Midwest, Leonardo Baldaçara. They write that “there is not enough scientific evidence to justify the use of any of the derivatives of cannabis in treatment.” They go further, considering that, “on the other hand, several studies associate the use and abuse of cannabisas well as other psychoactive substances, to the development and aggravation of mental illnesses.”
The APMC emphasizes that the discussion about medicinal use should not be mixed with that of recreational use. According to her: “Bringing the two themes together in the same line of argument brings distortions and has not contributed to honest debate based on science.”
The Pan American Association document is signed by psychiatrist Wilson Lessa, professor at the Federal University of Paraíba, Raquel Peruybe, Uruguayan representative on the APMC advisory board, Marcus Zanetti, coordinator of the Medical Cannabis Center at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Flávio Rezende, professor from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Ana Hounie, from the Parkison Cannabis Research Group at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
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