Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Doctors, thank you both for being here today. I greatly appreciate your testimony.
I thank my colleague Ms. Ludwig for her previous question, because she took one off my list. This was specifically the question dealing with training and how we have very limited training for our physicians in dealing with a broad subject like this.
One thing that spurred me to actually put forward the motion for this study was partly what I heard from the two of you today. It was when we were doing a study on mefloquine. We were listening to veterans, plus their family members, give testimony about how impactful it was for them and how they got their spouses back when some of them started taking marijuana and getting off their medications. It was great to hear your comments on that and on how we see that evidence.
The problem we have here as a committee is that when we look at things...and I look at it from a scientific point of view. When we look at the hierarchy of evidence, anecdotal evidence, as you're well aware, is at the bottom of that pyramid. It's a big challenge when we're sitting here looking at anecdotal evidence. In the past, when we've done studies, we have not accepted anecdotal evidence as a justification for making our recommendations. We have a history of that. So how can we turn around here at committee today, listen to what we're hearing on anecdotal evidence, and say that this is a good thing? Although what we're hearing sounds great, it would be hypocritical of us to say that we will deny anecdotal evidence on mefloquine and yet will accept it on marijuana.
I would like to hear your comments on that, please, starting with Dr. Shackelford.