Last updated on: 9/5/2012 | Author: ProCon.org

Raphael J. Braga, MD Biography

Title:
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con to the question "Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?"
Reasoning:

“[C]annabis use may have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning in patients with severe psychiatric disorders. However, it is also possible that these findings may be due to the requirement for a certain level of cognitive function and related social skills in the acquisition of illicit drugs.”

Traci Pederson, “Bipolar Patients with History of Pot Use Show Better Cognitive Skills,” psychcentral.com, Aug. 14, 2012
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
     Key Experts
Physicians [Physicians are the "key experts" in the medical marijuana debate because the issue is thought by many to be ultimately based on the medical value and risks of marijuana, and Physicians, with their training and clinical work, should (at least in theory) have the best knowledge of marijuana's medical value and risks.] [Note: Key Experts definition varies by sites that have this designation.]
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine
  • Psychiatrist, Center for Treatment and Research of Bipolar Disorder, Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
  • Recipient, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Travel Award for Minorities, 2009
  • Recipient, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award, 2008
Education:
  • MD, Fluminense Federal University (Brazil), 1998
Other:
  • Licensed to practice medicine in New York on Dec. 17, 2008