"Government-sponsored study destroys DEA

[Knife Party]

A government-sponsored study published recently in The Open Neurology Journal concludes that marijuana provides much-needed relief to some chronic pain sufferers and that more clinical trials are desperately needed, utterly destroying the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency?s (DEA) classification of the drug as having no medical uses.

While numerous prior studies have shown marijuana?s usefulness for a host of medical conditions, none have ever gone directly at the DEA?s placement of marijuana atop the schedule of controlled substances. This study, sponsored by the State of California and conducted at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, does precisely that, driving a stake into the heart of America?s continued war on marijuana users by calling the Schedule I placement simply ?not accurate? and ?not tenable.?

Reacting to the study, Paul Armentano, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), told Raw Story that the study clearly proves U.S. drug policy ?is neither based upon nor guided by science.?

?In fact, it is hostile to science,? he said. ?And despite the Obama Administration?s well publicized 2009 memo stating, ?Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my Administration,? there is little to no evidence indicating that the federal government?s ?See no evil; hear no evil? approach to cannabis policy is not changing any time soon.?

Schedule I is supposedly reserved for the most inebriating substances that the DEA believes have no medical value, including LSD, ecstasy, peyote and heroin.* As the DEA describes it: ?Drugs listed in schedule I have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and, therefore, may not be prescribed, administered, or dispensed for medical use. In contrast, drugs listed in schedules II-V have some accepted medical use and may be prescribed, administered, or dispensed for medical use.?

And that?s the problem, the study?s authors portend.

?The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug as well as the continuing controversy as to whether or not cannabis is of medical value are obstacles to medical progress in this area,? they wrote. ?Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking. It is true cannabis has some abuse potential, but its profile more closely resembles drugs in Schedule III (where codeine and dronabinol are listed). The continuing conflict between scientific evidence and political ideology will hopefully be reconciled in a judicious manner.?

They add that their evidence showed marijuana reliably reduced chronic neuropathic pain and muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis versus trials where a placebo was used. They also specifically tested marijuana?s effects when smoked, calling the delivery method ?rapid and efficient? but noting that vaporization is a better choice because it produces less carbon monoxide.

The study adds that, like all medicines, there are negative side effects associated with marijuana, such as dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, muscle weakness and pain and heart palpitations ? all of which can pose a risk in some chronic pain patients with co-occurring conditions like cardiovascular disease or substance abuse disorders. However, they call these side effects ?dose-related? and ?of mild to moderate severity,? adding that they ?appear to decline over time, and are reported less frequently in experienced than in na?ve users.? Researchers also noted that ?fatal overdose with cannabis alone has not been reported.?

Authors additionally found that marijuana does cause withdrawal symptoms within 12 hours of use, noting the symptoms are mild in experienced users and typically abate within 72 hours. They added that ingesting marijuana ?can acutely impair skills required to drive motor vehicles,? but noted that the data on marijuana and traffic accidents is ?inconclusive.?

Ultimately, they concluded that more clinical trials are needed to determine which individual components of the marijuana plant are causing the medicinal effects, and whether the plant can be used to treat a host of other ailments.

?Medical marijuana is mostly used for chronic pain, and has enabled countless patients to either reduce or eliminate their pharmaceutical drug regimen,? Kris Hermes, a spokesman for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), one of the nation?s leading medical marijuana advocacy groups, told Raw Story. ?However, it can also be used for: arthritis, nausea or as an appetite stimulant for people living with HIV/AIDS or cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and movement disorders (not just for people with multiple sclerosis). That is only a sampling of health conditions for which cannabis has been found helpful in alleviating symptoms. Other health conditions include: [post-traumatic stress disorder], [attention deficit disorder], [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] and other mental health conditions, glaucoma, and migraines.?

In hopes of forcing recognition of marijuana?s medical value, ASA sued the federal government last year after a long-running appeal for the reclassification of marijuana was shot down nearly a decade after it was filed. That case should go before the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit later this year.

?The federal government?s strategy has been delay, delay, delay,? ASA chief counsel Joe Elford said in an advisory. ?It is far past time for the government to answer our rescheduling petition, but unfortunately we?ve been forced to go to court in order to get resolution.?

?Reform advocates can and should use this study to show their congressional representatives that our country?s leading medical marijuana researchers agree that it should be reclassified,? Hermes added. ??This certainly should also have a bearing on the D.C. Circuit?s deliberations in the appeal of the rescheduling petition denial.?

Medical marijuana is currently legal in just 17 states and Washington, D.C.

Written by Stephen C. Webster -> The Raw-Story

What do you guys think? debate away :)

[Scorbing]

Nice.

[nominak]

The fact that marijuana is considered a Schedule 1 drug, shows how laughable drug laws are.

[Dashel]

For the drug warriors, it will never matter, its the sin and racism, not the substance. I'm frankly tired of the use of medical value as some sort of litmus of a drugs benefit.

[ArialBlue]

If it became legal, government would find itself with a large source of profit.

[Scorbing]

If it became legal, government would find itself with a large source of profit.

If it became legal, our economic problems would get better once they start to tax the hell out of it.

[Authentic X]

As a registered Medical Marihuana patient,I find great relief from chronic pain and MS related muscle spasms.I have not use any prescription medication in over 10 years now,and feel a lot better. Vicodin sucks!

[PGHammer]

A government-sponsored study published recently in The Open Neurology Journal concludes that marijuana provides much-needed relief to some chronic pain sufferers and that more clinical trials are desperately needed, utterly destroying the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency?s (DEA) classification of the drug as having no medical uses.

While numerous prior studies have shown marijuana?s usefulness for a host of medical conditions, none have ever gone directly at the DEA?s placement of marijuana atop the schedule of controlled substances. This study, sponsored by the State of California and conducted at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, does precisely that, driving a stake into the heart of America?s continued war on marijuana users by calling the Schedule I placement simply ?not accurate? and ?not tenable.?

Reacting to the study, Paul Armentano, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), told Raw Story that the study clearly proves U.S. drug policy ?is neither based upon nor guided by science.?

?In fact, it is hostile to science,? he said. ?And despite the Obama Administration?s well publicized 2009 memo stating, ?Science and the scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my Administration,? there is little to no evidence indicating that the federal government?s ?See no evil; hear no evil? approach to cannabis policy is not changing any time soon.?

Schedule I is supposedly reserved for the most inebriating substances that the DEA believes have no medical value, including LSD, ecstasy, peyote and heroin.* As the DEA describes it: ?Drugs listed in schedule I have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and, therefore, may not be prescribed, administered, or dispensed for medical use. In contrast, drugs listed in schedules II-V have some accepted medical use and may be prescribed, administered, or dispensed for medical use.?

And that?s the problem, the study?s authors portend.

?The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug as well as the continuing controversy as to whether or not cannabis is of medical value are obstacles to medical progress in this area,? they wrote. ?Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking. It is true cannabis has some abuse potential, but its profile more closely resembles drugs in Schedule III (where codeine and dronabinol are listed). The continuing conflict between scientific evidence and political ideology will hopefully be reconciled in a judicious manner.?

They add that their evidence showed marijuana reliably reduced chronic neuropathic pain and muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis versus trials where a placebo was used. They also specifically tested marijuana?s effects when smoked, calling the delivery method ?rapid and efficient? but noting that vaporization is a better choice because it produces less carbon monoxide.

The study adds that, like all medicines, there are negative side effects associated with marijuana, such as dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, muscle weakness and pain and heart palpitations ? all of which can pose a risk in some chronic pain patients with co-occurring conditions like cardiovascular disease or substance abuse disorders. However, they call these side effects ?dose-related? and ?of mild to moderate severity,? adding that they ?appear to decline over time, and are reported less frequently in experienced than in na?ve users.? Researchers also noted that ?fatal overdose with cannabis alone has not been reported.?

Authors additionally found that marijuana does cause withdrawal symptoms within 12 hours of use, noting the symptoms are mild in experienced users and typically abate within 72 hours. They added that ingesting marijuana ?can acutely impair skills required to drive motor vehicles,? but noted that the data on marijuana and traffic accidents is ?inconclusive.?

Ultimately, they concluded that more clinical trials are needed to determine which individual components of the marijuana plant are causing the medicinal effects, and whether the plant can be used to treat a host of other ailments.

?Medical marijuana is mostly used for chronic pain, and has enabled countless patients to either reduce or eliminate their pharmaceutical drug regimen,? Kris Hermes, a spokesman for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), one of the nation?s leading medical marijuana advocacy groups, told Raw Story. ?However, it can also be used for: arthritis, nausea or as an appetite stimulant for people living with HIV/AIDS or cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and movement disorders (not just for people with multiple sclerosis). That is only a sampling of health conditions for which cannabis has been found helpful in alleviating symptoms. Other health conditions include: [post-traumatic stress disorder], [attention deficit disorder], [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] and other mental health conditions, glaucoma, and migraines.?

In hopes of forcing recognition of marijuana?s medical value, ASA sued the federal government last year after a long-running appeal for the reclassification of marijuana was shot down nearly a decade after it was filed. That case should go before the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit later this year.

?The federal government?s strategy has been delay, delay, delay,? ASA chief counsel Joe Elford said in an advisory. ?It is far past time for the government to answer our rescheduling petition, but unfortunately we?ve been forced to go to court in order to get resolution.?

?Reform advocates can and should use this study to show their congressional representatives that our country?s leading medical marijuana researchers agree that it should be reclassified,? Hermes added. ??This certainly should also have a bearing on the D.C. Circuit?s deliberations in the appeal of the rescheduling petition denial.?

Medical marijuana is currently legal in just 17 states and Washington, D.C.

Written by Stephen C. Webster -> The Raw-Story

What do you guys think? debate away :)

Not news.

Since 1974, DEA Administrative Law Judges review, on an annual basis, the Schedule Classification of every non-prescription (legal or not) drug or material that falls under the Controlled Substances Act, as required by the Act itself. Not once has the five-judge panel held that marijuana belongs in Schedule I of the CSA. (Seventeen consecutive votes of "move pot out of Schedule I" by the ALJs - which are career SES employees - not political appointees of any sort. And this has been true regardless of who has been president.) However, the DEA Administrator - who *is* political (requires Senate confirmation) has always - again, regardless of who is President - overruled the ALJs and left pot in Schedule I.

This continued fight within the DEA is entirely policy/politics-driven; the whole "get tough on drugs" war has included marijuana - rightly or wrongly - from the beginning ("Reefer Madness").

[mudslag]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_cjLqDMqGI

[ArialBlue]

If it became legal, our economic problems would get better once they start to tax the hell out of it.

Yep, that and pot tourism.

[JustGeorge]

If it became legal, our economic problems would get better once they start to tax the hell out of it.

Government: We're going to make you pay a hefty tax to smoke that!

Citizen: * Takes long draw, exhales.....Whatever man......

[Twiddle]

?Medical marijuana is mostly used for chronic pain, and has enabled countless patients to either reduce or eliminate their pharmaceutical drug regimen,?

Exactly this. And that is why they don't want to legalize it. Pharmaceutical and drug corporations would lose a lot of money. Not to mention lumber corporations (hemp) and the countless others. Politicians would rather line their pockets with the corporations money, rather than let us thrive on the tax dollar it would bring in.

[pack34]

Yep, that and pot tourism.

Plus it would relieve a lot of stress on the prison system.

[Growled Member]

It's about time someone came out and said this. The government's position is silly.

[DrJohnSmitherson]

2 bank robbers smoking a joint...

Mitch: *takes a puff "Hey you think we should rob that bank today Jimmy?"

Jimmy: *takes puff "Nahh man, lets get some more Doritos.."

Mitch: "Good idea maaaaan"

[Knife Party]

2 bank robbers smoking a joint... Mitch: *takes a puff "Hey you think we should rob that bank today Jimmy?" Jimmy: *takes puff "Nahh man, lets get some more Doritos.." Mitch: "Good idea maaaaan"

:D (Y)

[nominak]

2 bank robbers smoking a joint...

Mitch: *takes a puff "Hey you think we should rob that bank today Jimmy?"

Jimmy: *takes puff "Nahh man, lets get some more Doritos.."

Mitch: "Good idea maaaaan"

These guys?

LOL

[DrJohnSmitherson]

These guys?

LOL

HAHA

[zhangm Supervisor]

It looks like the only people that are receiving tangible benefits from the status quo are the illegal mass-growers. They get monopolization of the market, no quality regulation, and no taxes. It is laughably obvious that the people with the most to lose are also the ones with the fattest wallets.

[jnelsoninjax]

Government: We're going to make you pay a hefty tax to smoke that!

Citizen: * Takes long draw, exhales.....Whatever man......

Sounds about right!

It looks like the only people that are receiving tangible benefits from the status quo are the illegal mass-growers. They get monopolization of the market, no quality regulation, and no taxes. It is laughably obvious that the people with the most to lose are also the ones with the fattest wallets.

Unfortunately true.

[Anibal P]

Sad thing is compared to all the "new" drugs that are coming out, the side effects of cannabis are nothing, no one has ever died from anything directly tied to pot, yet they want us to take drugs that can cause death in many people

[Anibal P]

Here's how you properly deal with it, the Portugal way:

http://www.businessinsider.com/portugal-drug-policy-decriminalization-works-2012-7