The Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC) is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit organization registered in the United States, dedicated to educating healthcare professionals about the medical use of cannabis. Its mission is to unite into one association members of the various medical specialties and allied professionals with this common purpose. SCC is one of the oldest active organization of its kind, and one of the few global non-profit medical societies related to

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

and

cannabinoid Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found primarily in the ''Cannabis'' plant or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (delta-9-THC), the primary psychoact ...

s, along with the International Cannabinoid Research Society and the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines.

History

The group was first established in 1999 by California-based

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

Tod Mikuriya, MD as a project of the California Cannabis Research Medical Group to facilitate voluntary medical standards for physician-approved cannabis under California law (HSC §11362.5).

Early years: the California Cannabis Research Medical Group

The California Cannabis Research Medical Group (CCRMG) was established as a 501c3 non-profit by Tod Mikuriya in 1999, to help physicians share and exchange data about cannabis use by their patients, essentially in California around the San Francisco area. The CCRMG members published their research findings, such as president Jeffrey Hergenrather's survey of patients with

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Complications outside of the ...

, in the unconventional Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice ''O'Shaughnessy'', and developed an online research archive. CCMRG maintained the William B. O'Shaughnessy Archives.

After 2004: Society of Cannabis Clinicians

After 2004, SCC progressively took over the CCRMG as it started expanding beyond California, as other US States opened access to medical cannabis. In 2015, SCC launched a Medical Cannabis Continuing Education program, worth 12 CME credits, which in sequential order, a series of 12 courses designed to take a practicing clinician from the basics of the plant, its history and the underlying physiologic ( endocannabinoid) system to the pharmacology and clinical practice of

medical cannabis Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to cannabis products and cannabinoid molecules that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has a long history, but has not ...

2020s: Internationalization

In 2019, SCC started an ''International Committee'' and launched several national chapters outside the United States, claiming presence in 21 countries and three active chapters. In 2020, the SCC submitted contributions to the

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univer ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

in relation with access to medical cannabis and the rights of people who use drugs. SCC also contributed to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in relation with the recommendations of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

to withdraw cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. In 2021, SCC engaged in the field of

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

with the launch of an ''International Veterinary Cannabis Alliance''.

Organisation and activities

SCC members hold quarterly meetings of physicians and allied professionals featuring presentations by clinicians, researchers, and legal experts in the

field. The society runs five thematic committees (Editorial, Education, International, Outreach, and Research) for members to share their areas of expertise in the fields that relate to the medical uses of cannabis and cannabinoids.

Notes

References

External links

*
O'Shaughnessy's Archives
{{Portal bar, Cannabis Medicinal use of cannabis organizations based in the United States Cannabis research Culture of San Francisco Medicinal use of cannabis category:Organizations established in 2004 category:1999 in cannabis category:2004 in cannabis category:Cannabis in California 1999 establishments in California 2004 establishments in California Drug policy organizations Organizations established in 1999