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Drugs U.s. Rules That Marijuana Has No Medical Use. What Does Science Say? Read More: Http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/11/u-S-Rules-Marijuana-Has-


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http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/11/u-s-rules-marijuana-has-no-medical-use-what-does-science-say/

 

July 11, 2011

 

 

 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled on Friday that marijuana has “no accepted medical use” and should therefore remain illegal under federal law — regardless of conflicting state legislation allowing medical marijuana and despite hundreds of studies and centuries of medical practice attesting to the drug’s benefits.

 

The judgment came in response to a 2002 petition by supporters of medical marijuana, which called on the government to reclassify cannabis, which is currently a Schedule I drug — like heroin, illegal for all uses — and to place it in Schedule III, IV or V, which would allow for common medical uses.

 

The DEA ruled that marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” has a “high potential for abuse,” and “lacks an acceptable level of safety for use even under medical supervision.”

 

Not only does this decision conflict with state laws, however, it also conflicts with a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the branch of the National Academy of Sciences charged with answering complex medical questions for Congress. Way back in 1999, the IOM said:

 

Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation; smoked marijuana, however, is a crude THC delivery system that also delivers harmful substances.

Despite the issue of smoking marijuana, the IOM said that medical use of the drug is acceptable when other alternatives have failed.

 

MORE: Reverse Engineering the Marijuana ‘Munchies’: What Causes Binge Eating?

 

In addition, in 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an investigational new drug application, or IND — which grants permission to study a drug with the goal of approving it for marketing if it is safe and effective — for Sativex, an inhalable marijuana-derived drug, which includes both THC and CBD, the main active components of cannabis. So, while one federal agency says the drug is too risky for use even under medical supervision, another is studying it for possible approval for marketing.

 

The synthetic marijuana-based drugs nabilone and dronabinol (both used to treat nausea and vomiting) are already approved in the U.S. and have been placed in Schedules II and III, respectively. Schedule II includes drugs with high abuse potential like Oxycontin, while Schedule III includes milder painkillers like codeine combined with Tylenol.

 

MORE: Why Pot Smokers Are Paranoid

 

Since the IOM report was released more than a decade ago, the evidence for the medical benefits of marijuana and related drugs has continued to increase. In the last three years alone, cannabinoids have been found to help kill breast cancer cells, fight liver cancer, reduce inflammation, have antipsychotic effects and even potentially help stave off the development of Alzheimer’s disease and reduce progression of Huntington’s disease.

 

Further, a 2011 review of the effectiveness of cannabinoids for non-cancer pain found “no significant adverse effects” and “significant” analgesic effects.

 

Although the DEA judgment sounds like a setback for medical marijuana advocates, in one important sense it is an advance. The government had long delayed making a judgment on the petition, but now that it has, it makes it possible for advocates to appeal it in federal court. Now, that process can be set in motion.

 

It’s worth noting, though, that this isn’t the first time a petition to reclassify marijuana has been filed and rejected. The Los Angeles Times reported:

 

The first was filed in 1972 and denied 17 years later. The second was filed in 1995 and denied six years later. Both decisions were appealed, but the courts sided with the federal government.

Still, if an appeals judgment were based on scientific evidence, rather than political considerations this time around, it’s easy to imagine a very different outcome.

 

MORE: Marijuana as a Gateway Drug: The Myth That Will Not Die

 

 

 

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/11/u-s-rules-marijuana-has-no-medical-use-what-does-science-say/#ixzz1lmA0BZPQ

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First off this is old news, there is a law suit filed to change this decision. Second what's going on is there a prise for most posts, almost all are old news . I know you are staff and can ban me but I see no usefull purpose in copy and pasting so many OLD articles. JMHO

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First off this is old news, there is a law suit filed to change this decision. Second what's going on is there a prise for most posts, almost all are old news . I know you are staff and can ban me but I see no usefull purpose in copy and pasting so many OLD articles. JMHO

Old news or new news, its all good news. Often you will see some old news in this forum. We post this news to reiterate the facts that we have the ability to arm ourselves with factual information. Patients and caregivers are not the only ones to peruse these forums. Law Enforcement and even our State Reps lurk in thes threads. I know this because my State Rep told me that she has looked through these posts. She said she was quite surprised at the factual information that she has found in this site. This is good because they know that when we meet with them, we will be bringing facts to the table. Not just opinions. Timmahh is a devoted member of this group and I personally appreciate his fact finding missions. Old or new, its still good info. If you havent met Timmahh, you should stop in at a rally sometime. He will be one of the people leading the fight on the front line. He is good people. Medcnman.

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your missing the point DLD. the old news is the DEA refused to pass. the new news is the newer scientific Data. While some of the info is old. Much of it is new studies confirming what we already know. As Med noted, it not just the Members we are educating.

 

 

Me being a Mod is irrelevant. We have no time for those type of childish games here. Way to much to Do!!!

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Now that someone has brought up the subject, here is a letter that I received from the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) just in the last few days asking for help.

 

 

Dear John,

 

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is fighting for safe access to medical cannabis in federal court, and we need your help to do it. ASA filed a brief today launching an appeal of the Obama Administration’s decision to deny a nine year-old petition to reclassify cannabis under federal law. This appeal is our latest legal offensive to harmonize federal law with the laws of the sixteen states where medical cannabis is already legal. If successful, this lawsuit will force the federal government to move medical cannabis off the list of drugs that are considered dangerous and have no accepted medical use.

 

ASA needs your help today to fight this battle. The federal appeal process is long and expensive. Can you be a part of this by making a special contribution to support this effort (and ASA’s other important work) today? We need your support now, so we know that we can keep fighting in 2012.

 

As part of the Coalition to Reschedule Cannabis, ASA filed the petition to reclassify cannabis in 2002. After nine years of silence from the federal government, we filed a lawsuit last year challenging the unreasonable delay. It worked. The Obama Administration denied the petition less than two months later, setting the stage for this important appeal. This appeal may lead to a change in federal policy that will one day facilitate safe access for everyone who needs medical cannabis.

 

Now the real work begins. ASA’s legal team has a long court battle in front of them. We need support from you right now to be sure we can finish the job. Take a minute right now to add your name to the list of those patients and advocates who are helping to make this happen.

 

ASA’s appeal, filed together with the American civil Liberties Union and others, will include the first evidentiary hearings on the medical value of cannabis in federal court since 1994. A lot has changed since then. Voters in sixteen states have legalized medical cannabis since. The prestigious Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Science published its definitive report on medical cannabis. Numerous professional organizations have adopted policies acknowledging medical cannabis, including the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and others. The judges need to hear all of that and more!

 

This is an important battle in the long road to changing federal law. ASA is positioned to make it happen, but we need your help. Join this effort by donating $50, $100, $150, or whatever you can afford today. You can also set up an affordable monthly contribution.

 

Thank you for helping ASA fight this battle. With your help, we can make a big difference.

 

Sincerely,

 

Steph Sherer

 

Executive Director

 

P.S. – See ASA’s press release on the brief and read more about our other important federal lawsuit.

 

Are you mailing a contribution? Please send a check or money order to ASA, 1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Oakland, CA 94612.

 

 

Please consider giving as much as you can, this is a VERY BIG EVENT for MMJ patients and caregivers.

 

Thank you for your contribution to the cause, HC.

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