cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Research Lawsuits To Be Filed Marijuana Research Lawsuits To Be Filed Posted by CN Staff on July 22, 2004 at 09:53:24 PT By Holly Angelo Source: Republican Amherst -- All Lyle E. Craker wants to do is grow marijuana in his lab at the University of Massachusetts to supply other scientists with the plant so studies about its medicinal benefits can take place. But after filing an application with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in June 2001 to establish a facility on the Amherst campus to produce marijuana for U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved research, he hasn't received a yes or no. To get an answer, Craker has teamed with two other parties as plaintiffs in one of two lawsuits scheduled to be filed today that accuses the federal government with obstructing medical marijuana research. "I'm hoping the lawsuit will bring a response," Craker said from his office in Stockbridge Hall yesterday, where he is the director of the medicinal plant program and member of the department of plant, soil and insect sciences. "It's unfortunate, but the issue probably has to be forced here (in the courts)." The two suits are supposed to be filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. The first suit is filed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies; Craker and Valerie Corral, a California-licensed medical marijuana patient and caregiver, against the Drug Enforcement Administration. It seeks a decision on Craker's request and a request by Chemic Laboratories of Canton to import 10 grams of marijuana from the Dutch Office of Medicinal Cannabis for use in a medical marijuana research project investigating the safety advantages of a nonsmoking delivery device for marijuana by a vaporizer. The second suit is filed by the association and Corral against the federal Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health. It also seeks a final ruling by the agencies on Chemic's request for marijuana and the vaporizer study. The Drug Enforcement Administration and National Institute on Drug Abuse would not comment on the suits. "We're arguing unreasonable delay," said Rick E. Doblin, president of the association, based in Sarasota, Fla. "We are blocked from growing our own (marijuana) at UMass Amherst. We are blocked from importing from the Dutch Office of Medicinal Cannabis, and we are blocked from purchasing from the government's supply." U.S. Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration in October 2003 expressing support for the UMass-Amherst marijuana research production facility. Source: Republican, The (MA)Author: Holly AngeloPublished: Thursday, July 22, 2004Copyright: 2004 The RepublicanContact: letters repub.comWebsite: http://www.masslive.com/republican/Related Articles & Web Sites:MAPS http://www.maps.org/ WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Scientists Say Marijuana Research Blocked http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19210.shtmlKerry: End Medical Marijuana Prosecutionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18114.shtml Senators Back UM Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17685.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 24, 2004 at 08:22:31 PT Editorial from The Republican Research Going To Pot Saturday, July 24, 2004Thumbs up, thumbs down, Lyle E. Craker, director of the Medicinal Plant Program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is authorized by the federal government to conduct medical marijuana research, but it won't let him grow the drug. How dopey is that? Craker is a plaintiff in one of two lawsuits filed Wednesday accusing the government of violating federal law by obstructing medical marijuana research. The Amherst campus is one of the nation's most distinguished research universities, and Craker is immensely qualified to grow marijuana for legitimate medical and research studies. The Drug Enforcement Agency should approve Craker's 3-year-old application so he can proceed with legitimate research projects that will one day mean relief for terminally ill Americans or those with debilitating illnesses. Approval will allow Craker to establish a facility on the Amherst campus to produce marijuana for U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved research. And, one day, another feather in the UMass cap. Copyright: 2004 The Republican Medical Marijuana Information Links [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on July 22, 2004 at 23:28:17 PT: Predicting Religious Exemption allowed! Our application for bulk manufacture permit was issued to Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute 5 years ago.We have NOT sent it in yet because the list of conditions used to approve the application is clearly not the reason these permits are NOT approved and issued. All conditions can be met currently by a religious facility operated with a court stipulated agreement regarding it's compliance with the law regarding it's religious use of cannabis for worship, prayer and healing. This meets all three burdens legally applying to the religious defense in RFRA 1993.(Restoration of Religious Freedom Act). The solution is on the table and we are it. Meeting all state and federal statutes. I am patient for recogntion to filter "up" to us. See High Times May Issue page 27 & 28 for the story. Pray for peace! Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by billos on July 22, 2004 at 16:48:49 PT And if Walters and Bush get their way............. you will be blocked from mentioning it also. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Virgil on July 22, 2004 at 16:45:35 PT It means no. he hasn't received a yes or no. He has gotten his no. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment