# FDA rejects medicinal use of marijuana



## LdyLunatic

Agency contradicts scientists, jumps into a political struggle

By GARDINER HARRIS
THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that "no sound scientific studies" supported the medical use of marijuana, contradicting a 1999 review by a panel of highly regarded scientists.

The announcement inserts the health agency into yet another fierce political fight.

Susan Bro, an agency spokeswoman, said that the statement resulted from a past combined review by federal drug enforcement, regulatory and research agencies that concluded that "smoked marijuana has no currently accepted or proven medical use in the United States and is not an approved medical treatment." She said that the FDA was issuing the statement because of numerous inquiries from Capitol Hill but would likely do nothing to enforce it.

"Any enforcement based on this finding would need to be by DEA, since this falls outside of FDA's regulatory authority," she said.

Eleven states, including Washington, have legalized medicinal uses of marijuana, but the Drug Enforcement Administration and the nation's drug czar, John Walters, have opposed those efforts. A Supreme Court decision last year allowed the federal government to arrest anyone using marijuana, even in states that have legalized its use.

A 1998 voter-approved initiative legalized medical marijuana in this state. The measure allows residents with certain terminal or debilitating diseases such as cancer and AIDS to grow, possess or use marijuana for relief.

But marijuana still cannot be legally bought here, and there is no identified legal way to distribute it. However, a 2003 ballot measure made small marijuana arrests the lowest priority for Seattle police

Congressional opponents and supporters of medical marijuana have each tried to enlist the FDA to support their views. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., a fierce opponent of medical-marijuana initiatives, proposed legislation two years ago that would have required the FDA to issue an opinion on the medicinal properties of the drug.

Souder believes that efforts to legalize medicinal uses of marijuana are "a front" for efforts to legalize all uses of marijuana, said Martin Green, a spokesman for Souder.



Tom Riley, a spokesman for Walters, hailed the FDA statement, saying that it would put to rest "the bizarre public discussion" that has led 11 states to legalize the drug's use.

The FDA statement directly contradicts a 1999 review by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most prestigious scientific evaluative agency. That review found marijuana to be "moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting."

"I know what it does for me medically," said JoAnna McKee, co-founder of The Green Cross Patient Co-op, which connects people with marijuana for medical use. McKee, who lives in Seattle, smokes marijuana to control the pain caused by a spinal cord injury. "It lowers the pain. It stops the muscle spasms. It stops the nausea."

Dr. John Benson, co-chairman of the Institute of Medicine committee that examined the research into marijuana's effects, said in an interview that the FDA statement and the combined review by other agencies were wrong.

The federal government "loves to ignore our report," said Benson, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. "They would rather it never happened."

Some scientists and legislators said that the agency's statement about marijuana demonstrates that politics is trumping science there.

"Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the FDA making pronouncements that seem to be driven more by ideology than by science," said Dr. Jerry Avorn, a professor at Harvard Medical School.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., who has sponsored legislation seeking to allow medicinal uses of marijuana, said that the statement reflected the influence of the DEA, which he said had long pressured the FDA to help in its fight against marijuana.

Dan Troy, the FDA's former general counsel, said that the FDA and DEA often disagree about drug policies, but marijuana "is a place where FDA and DEA can cooperate."

A spokeswoman for the DEA referred questions to Walters' office.

The FDA statement said that state initiatives that legalize marijuana use "are inconsistent with efforts to ensure that medications undergo the rigorous scientific scrutiny of the FDA approval process."

But scientists studying marijuana said in interviews that the federal government has actively discouraged research into marijuana's benefits. Dr. Lyle Craker, a professor in the division of plant and soil sciences at the University of Massachusetts, said that he submitted an application in 2001 to the DEA to grow a small patch of marijuana to be used for research because the government-approved marijuana, grown in Mississippi, is of poor quality.

In 2004, the drug enforcement agency turned Craker down. He appealed and is awaiting a judge's ruling. "The reason there's no good evidence is that they don't want an honest trial," Craker said.

Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, said that he has studied marijuana's medicinal effects for years but has been frustrated because the National Institutes of Health has refused to finance such work.

With funding from the state of California, he undertook what he said was a rigorous, placebo-controlled trial of marijuana smoking in HIV patients who suffered from nerve pain. Smoking marijuana proved effective in ameliorating patients' pain, but he is having trouble getting the study published, he said.

"One wonders how anyone could" fulfill the FDA request for well-controlled trials to prove marijuana's benefits, he said.

Marinol, a synthetic version of a marijuana component, is approved to treat anorexia associated with AIDS and the nausea and vomiting associated with cancer drug therapy.

GW Pharmaceuticals, a British company, has received FDA approval to test in humans a sprayed extract of marijuana. Called Sativex, the drug is made directly from marijuana plants and is presently sold in Canada. Opponents of efforts to legalize marijuana for medicinal uses suggest that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that often leads users to try more dangerous drugs and become addicted.

But the Institute of Medicine report concluded that there is no evidence that marijuana acts as a "gateway" to harder drugs. And it said that there was no evidence that medical use of marijuana would increase its use among the general population.

Dr. Daniele Piomelli, a professor of pharmacology at the University of California-Irvine, said that he had "never met a scientist would who will say that marijuana is either dangerous or useless." He said that studies clearly show that marijuana has some benefits for some patients.

"We all agree on that."


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## Mutt

thats all that can be said about that.


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## rickyjack9

argue, argue, argue. smoking anything will eventually cause respiratory ailments
unless youre young and invincible of course. when you turn 60 you will find out. smoking is bad for anyone, even if it takes most of a lifetime to discover this. ask or look into vaporizing cannabis at 360 degrees F. you get 2 to 3 times more delivered THC which will pay for the apparatus quickly.
nothing sexy about coughing per doctors, nonsmokers, AMA, etc.
remove one of their logical objections, inhaling burning paper, plant material...
cannot help the lungs in the long run. or do you really beleive differently.
vaporizing is the future for many reasons, meanwhile get a vaporizer and join the future if we are to win this battle. and stop coughing, save your lungs.
we are the next generation and so on....vaporize is the only way to go.
i have yet to get one so im rolling still. but someday i will upgrade and my lungs will love me back. VAPOR really rocks. meanwhile my lungs are hurting a little. vaporizer will change your life and your friends who use will tend to flock to your pad. for health reasons. small hits and rare coughing, and we all like intelligent people. lets give the AMA one less reason to complain (smokers cough)


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## Smokey Mcpotster

The FDA statement directly contradicts a 1999 review by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most prestigious scientific evaluative agency. That review found marijuana to be "moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting."


Soooooooo lemme get dis straight. A govt agency (FDA), who by the way can't keep people from crapping on our spinach, tomatoes, peanuts and other assorted products, givings such lovely parasites in our bellies (e-coli). Is going to refute the "nation's most prestigious scientific evaluative agency?

And the govt wonders why we laugh and openly mock the things they do.

Sigh, pass the :bong1:
p.s. how about a nice vaporizer smilie.:hubba:
google homemade vaporizer. you wont be sorry. I wont be "smoking" anymore.


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## umbra

When doing scientific research...the researcher should have no attachment to the results. the research should stand on its own merit, and it should be repeatable. This is where the scientific community excels, and the political process fails miserably.


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## WeedHopper

rickyjack9 said:
			
		

> argue, argue, argue. smoking anything will eventually cause respiratory ailments
> unless youre young and invincible of course. when you turn 60 you will find out. smoking is bad for anyone, even if it takes most of a lifetime to discover this. ask or look into vaporizing cannabis at 360 degrees F. you get 2 to 3 times more delivered THC which will pay for the apparatus quickly.
> nothing sexy about coughing per doctors, nonsmokers, AMA, etc.
> remove one of their logical objections, inhaling burning paper, plant material...
> cannot help the lungs in the long run. or do you really beleive differently.
> vaporizing is the future for many reasons, meanwhile get a vaporizer and join the future if we are to win this battle. and stop coughing, save your lungs.
> we are the next generation and so on....vaporize is the only way to go.
> i have yet to get one so im rolling still. but someday i will upgrade and my lungs will love me back. VAPOR really rocks. meanwhile my lungs are hurting a little. vaporizer will change your life and your friends who use will tend to flock to your pad. for health reasons. small hits and rare coughing, and we all like intelligent people. lets give the AMA one less reason to complain (smokers cough)


 
Bro,,,, what is it with you and the Vaporizer Rantings. How many threads are you going to Jack and post this in. This was your last Thread you jacked up 
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showpost.php?p=463826&postcount=9


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## The Effen Gee

no medical use?

than why have you patented three cannabinoids?


hmmmm?
must be usefull for something.


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## ishnish

LdyLunatic said:
			
		

> Agency contradicts scientists, jumps into a political struggle
> 
> By GARDINER HARRIS
> THE NEW YORK TIMES
> 
> Opponents of efforts to legalize marijuana for medicinal uses suggest that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that often leads users to try more dangerous drugs and become addicted.



the only fact that makes mj a gateway drug is due to it being illegal and sold by shadey MFers that will sell a skimp sack then ask if you wana try some 'yayo' 'tar' 'Oxys' or whatever else is out there.


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## The Effen Gee

Read and become infuriated.



*

hxxp://www.google.com/patents?id=0pcNAAAAEBAJ
*
The FDA OWNS the weed you smoke already.


Here's the actual pdf file of the FDA's multi-Cannabinoid patent for MEDICAL USE: 

*hxxp://www.google.com/patents/download/Cannabinoids_as_antioxidants_and_neuropr.pdf?id=0pcNAAAAEBAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U3LTkCasAx2k7OmF-yzWE6m8CWQzA*

See why you just need to turn off your TV and other media outlets?
You are being toyed with. Enjoy.


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## rickyjack9

cowboy go smoke a bud anyway you like, bong, burn and keep up the kindness


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## rickyjack9

anyone with senior near their name doesnt need any advice
just an introduction since they know all anyway.


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## Shockeclipse

rickyjack9 said:
			
		

> anyone with senior near their name doesnt need any advice
> just an introduction since they know all anyway.


 
...."In the red corner..."

 Seriousely folks.....

Vaporize......OR DIE!


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## PoppedAlung

LdyLunatic said:
			
		

> "Opponents of efforts to legalize marijuana for medicinal uses suggest that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that often leads users to try more dangerous drugs and become addicted.
> 
> "


 
In my opinion its these opponents that cause marijuana to be a gateway drug. Hear me out. Programs such as dare mislead children into believing marijuana is so horrible and destructive, when in fact, its not. At some point that child who attended dare, for whatever reason, smokes marijuana. At this point they realize its calming, social, and therepeutic effects. They also figure out that the dare program lied to them. So later down the road this kid gets offered some heroin. The kid then thinks back to the dare class and how they said heroin was bad. HMMMM.... well they lied about marijuana, there probably lying about heroin. Its that simple, thats why more kids smoking marijuana eventually try other drugs. Funny is it that this is basically the story of the little boy who cried wolf!! How is our government, who supposedly can decide right from wrong, forget and dismiss this simple concept?


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## nvthis

Phhht! Who the hell invited the FDA anyway??? And who the hell cares? They won't aknowledge that cannabis has any medical value? Perfect! And that is all they had to say about it? Even better!

There are tons of medicinal herbs out there that the FDA refuses to aknowledge and yet they are legal to aquire in any amount one would desire to 'self medicate' with.

That and they didn't come out spewing crap about it being poisonous or deadly or any other derrogatory means of negatively affecting public perception.

Great.

Screw 'em.

Sounds like business as usual.

Party on.


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## The Effen Gee

Hells yeah!

Right on Nv.


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## WeedHopper

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> ...."In the red corner..."
> 
> Seriousely folks.....
> 
> Vaporize......OR DIE!


 
You can push that button all ya want,,I could give a ****. As for as the Vap. I know its the best way to smoke for your health.



> cowboy go smoke a bud anyway you like, bong, burn and keep up the kindness


 
Thank You,,I will. 



> anyone with senior near their name doesnt need any advice
> just an introduction since they know all anyway


 
I know nothing.


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## Shockeclipse

Wait.... You realize I was joking right?


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## WeedHopper

Shockeclipse said:
			
		

> Wait.... You realize I was joking right?


 
:doh: Woops,,Sorry Bro,,Going to go Smoke a Bowl.


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## blancolighter

The Effen Gee said:
			
		

> Read and become infuriated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *hxxp://www.google.com/patents?id=0pcNAAAAEBAJ*
> 
> The FDA OWNS the weed you smoke already.
> 
> 
> Here's the actual pdf file of the FDA's multi-Cannabinoid patent for MEDICAL USE:
> 
> *hxxp://www.google.com/patents/download/Cannabinoids_as_antioxidants_and_neuropr.pdf?id=0pcNAAAAEBAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U3LTkCasAx2k7OmF-yzWE6m8CWQzA*
> 
> See why you just need to turn off your TV and other media outlets?
> You are being toyed with. Enjoy.


 
Thanks for the links effen. If someone didn't know what cannaboids were and read those patents, that person would think they've developed the fountain of youth with these new cannaboids...


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