cannabisnews.com: WCMR & Feds Begin to Bend on Medical Marijuana!





WCMR & Feds Begin to Bend on Medical Marijuana!
Posted by FoM on May 24, 1999 at 15:51:06 PT
More Good News!
Source: Eventure.com
SEATTLE, Washington Citizens for Medical Rights (WCMR), the sponsors of the Washington State Medical Marijuana Act, today praised a new National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy that opens the door to scientific research on the medical potential of marijuana and its unique compounds, known as cannabinoids.
Dr. Rob Killian, primary sponsor and author of Initiative 692, called the change in policy significant. "It appears that our efforts on the state level are beginning to move the Federal Government towards a more compassionate stance," Killian said. "This announced change is an important first step in allowing patients in all states access to a medicine that works. We can be proud that our new law in Washington is helping to prompt change in our Nation's capitol." The NIH announcement follows up on recommendations from a landmark March 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which confirmed that marijuana is valuable for many patients for whom other medications do not work. The report urged the federal government to make a commitment to new medical marijuana research. In spite of his praise for the policy change, Dr. Killian stresses that this is only a small step in the right direction. "In March, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended the creation of an experimental access program to provide smokable marijuana to seriously ill patients who have not benefited from standard medications. The IOM investigators called this an important, interim step for patients who have no real alternatives while new medical marijuana research gets under way." The Federal stance on Medical Marijuana prevents patients in Washington State from obtaining marijuana through pharmaceutical outlets. "The time has come for the Federal Government to move out of the way of suffering patients, and their ability to safely use medical marijuana, under the care of their physician; politics has stood in the way of this medicine for far too long." Washington voters approved Initiative 692 in November of 1998 by a margin of 59% to 41%. Additional information can be found at the web site:The Science of Medical Marijuana!http://www.medmjscience.org/
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