Jul
15
2011
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently ruled that Marijuana has “no accepted medical use.” This came in a long-overdue response to The Cannabis Rescheduling Petition, which was successfully circulated in 2002. The petition outlines a scientific argument for why the federal government must legally recognize the accepted medical use of Cannabis (marijuana) and regulate it in the same fashion as pharmaceutical drugs. The DEA’s hardline, and by extension, the Obama Administration’s was made apparent in a Memorandum for United States Attorneys from Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole dated June 29, 2011. The memo states, “Persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, regardless of state law.” The state of California in 1996 was the first to legalize the medicinal use of Marijuana to those who had doctor’s prescriptions. Under the Bush administration, Federal DEA agents famously raided California dispensaries – even those that were legal under the state – for violating federal laws. In 2009, the Obama administration announced that it would stop those raids except in cases where traffickers “falsely masqueraded” as dispensaries. This latest decision is a blow to advocates of medical marijuana and legalization efforts. They claim marijuana has clear medical benefits, and is no more dangerous than legal prescription medication for pain management, sleep aids, appetite stimulants, etc. Currently marijuana is a ‘Schedule I’ substance, restricted solely for research purposes. However, there is a dearth of definitive studies on the medical benefits of Marijuana. Some critics claim marijuana research is being prevented by federal policies. In the United States, the DEA has approved only 109 researchers to perform “bona fide” research with marijuana. Only fourteen people are approved to conduct research with smoked marijuana on human subjects. There are a few organizations like the University of California San Diego’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR), that are conducting and publishing research on the medical benefits of Marijuana.
GUEST: Dr JH Atkinson, Co-Director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, for Thursday, July 14th at 11am Pacific.
Find out more at www.cmcr.ucsd.edu.
The Government is the biggest joke in America right now, if they really think anyone still listens to them or believes the lies they spew, they are so off par from the real world it’s quite funny. LEGALIZE 2012!
I have multiple sclerosis. Cannabis helps me walk. I’d rather walk in fear than stay in bed all day. It would be great if doctors could research this but I’ve had to by myself.
I always thought I lived in a free country
According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 : Responsibilities: The Director “Drug Czar” (12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that–
(A) is listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812); and (B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;
On April 2, 2003, Congressman Ron Paul wrote a letter to the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) asking for an investigation into ONDCP lobbying activities and their dissemination of “misleading information” (a polite euphemism for “lying”).
The GAO responded : “Finally, apart from considerations of whether any particular law has been violated, you have asked whether the Deputy Director’s letter disseminated misleading information in connection with statements relating to the debate over legalization of marijuana. […] ONDCP is specifically charged with the responsibility for “taking such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of certain controlled substances such as marijuana” – a responsibility which logically could include the making of advocacy statements in opposition to legalization efforts. The Deputy Director’s statements about marijuana are thus within the statutory role assigned to ONDCP. Given this role, we do not see a need to examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director’s individual statements in detail.”
By law, the drug czar must oppose any attempt to legalize the use (in any form). Despite the science, medical studies and evidence of medical cannabis safety and effectiveness, despite the fact that the federal government supplies it to patients, despite the fact the Department of Health and Human Services holds patents on cannabinoids for the therapeutic benefits, US Patent 663057 titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” which is assigned to The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services) the drug czar is required by law to lie about it. This renders the Office unreliable and a fraud.
Its all about money, if cannabis was legalised then hemp would also have to be legalised as it is from the same family.
Hemp can be used to make thousands of different products including oil and plastic. these could be produced far faster, safer, cleaner and cheaper than the current methods. The companies who make these products are huge multi million or billion pound industries which make huge campaign contributions to the government.
The people in charge dont care about the benefits of cannabis or hemp, they only care about making their pockets jingle and if things were cheaper and easier then they wouldnt receive these contributions anymore so their going to do everything they can to block any positive information from coming to light.
Never mind it can help people with ms to walk, never mind theres been evidence it can slow down or stop cancer cells from reproducing, and never mind that hemp is one of the easiest to produce and most oxygenating plants on the planet. If it doesn’t make government officials wallets fatter then there simply not interested in your health.
I have to wonder everytime the DEA and Justice dept try to sya these negative thing petaining to marijuana as to just how ignorant they constantly make themsleves look to everyone.With all of the many documented and proven medicinal values of marijuana done not only here but all around th world they continue to make complete fools of themslevs to everybody in the country.It’s very many medinial valuse,all of which have been documented and proven all over the world are proof eneough to make it legal for medicinal use nation wide.No,they kepp wasting literaly mega billion a tear in a vain and useless attempt to keep it out of th hnads of our people.With the economy the way it is and all one would have to wonder why our congress hasn’t put a halt to this.Economicly speaking it would be one of the most inteeligent and logical things for our country to do which is to make marijuana legal for adults nation wide and not just for medicinal use.I can come up with so many countless positive aspects fo them to do this aside from the getting high part.I fro one will never stop my fight for this to happen.Soon we wil have a new president and i ould have to so the vat majority of those in the current admin will also ge gone with him and replaced with ones that are actually qualified to hold these positions
U.S. Patent 6630507 says the DEA statement and policy is wrong
Why do these requests keep getting directed to an entity that has a legal responsibility to say no? There really has to be a different approach. I know there really isn’t supposed to be any other avenue, but c’mon this is getting rediculous.
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