cannabisnews.com: Hampering Research DEA Won’t Allow MMJ Trials Hampering Research DEA Won’t Allow MMJ Trials Posted by CN Staff on December 28, 2004 at 07:24:06 PT Editorial Source: The Monitor During U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Ashcroft v. Raich, the latest medical marijuana case, Justice Stephen Breyer commented last month that instead of passing a patchwork of state laws, medical marijuana advocates would be better off petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to have marijuana, or cannabis, reclassified as a prescription drug. “Medicine by regulation is better than medicine by referendum,” he opined. In fact, both regulation and referendum are poor ways to do medicine. Whatever happened to research and dispassionate scientific investigation, unhampered by bureaucratic constraints or popular passions, as a model?Still, Breyer’s suggestion sounded reasonable on its face. A few weeks later, part of the answer emerged as to why the FDA model is unlikely to work as long as marijuana is subject to strict federal prohibition and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with a vested interest in preventing research that might undermine the notion that marijuana is a drug with no redeeming characteristics, has veto power over who can do research.On Dec. 10, after a delay of almost four years, the DEA rejected a 2001 proposal from Dr. Lyle Craker, professor of plant and soil sciences at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, to grow marijuana for FDA-approved research. The decision came only after Dr. Craker filed a suit in July demanding a response.Currently, the only marijuana available for research is grown at a Mississippi farm overseen by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But researchers claim that the product is of poor and inconsistent quality. Furthermore, if the FDA were ever to consider approving something as a prescription drug, it would have to review clinical trials on the product that was going to be sold. The federal farm at Mississippi has no intention of getting into commercial growing. But the University of Massachusetts proposal had in mind developing strains of clinical-grade cannabis that could eventually — if FDA approval were ever forthcoming — be used commercially.The DEA’s letter also included a fascinating prejudgment. “Current marijuana research has not progressed to Phase 2 of the clinical trials because current research must use smoked marijuana, which ultimately cannot be the permitted delivery system for any potential marijuana medication.” Not only does this ignore the fact that tests are beginning in California using vaporization, a technique by which cannabis can be ingested without being smoked, but it decides in advance a question that should be subject to the very research that opponents of medical marijuana say needs to be done before it can be approved.By denying the application, the DEA effectively is prohibiting any research that might eventually lead to FDA approval of cannabis as a federally authorized prescription drug. The decision said, in effect, that the feds don’t approve of the medicinal use of marijuana and they will block any research that might challenge that predetermined opinion.Perhaps the DEA has done medical marijuana advocates a favor. It has made it clear that research that might lead to FDA approval is simply impossible so long as current federal laws and federal bureaucracies are in place. Thus the only avenue open is political — persuading the 75 to 80 percent of Americans who in national polls say they favor the medicinal use of marijuana to convince legislators to move against strict prohibition.Medicine by referendum is indeed less than ideal. But it beats bureaucratically enforced ignorance. Complete Title: Hampering Research DEA Won’t Allow Medical Marijuana Trials Source: The Monitor (TX)Published: December 27, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The MonitorContact: letters themonitor.comWebsite: http://www.themonitor.com Related Articles & Web Sites:MAPShttp://www.maps.org/ Angel Raich v. Ashcroft Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmOff The Interstate - Cato Institutehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20057.shtmlDEA Ruling Renders Approval Impossiblehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20037.shtmlCannabis and The Constitutionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20027.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 28, 2004 at 18:45:33 PT mayan You're welcome. If I find a more detailed article I'll post it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by mayan on December 28, 2004 at 17:51:06 PT FoM Thanks for the article on Texas! I have family and friends there and just sent them the article in case they havn't yet heard the news. I just did a search and it seems that Rep. Dutton is black. I hope he can help bring to light the racial injustices of the drug war.From the article in comment #1...Dutton tells the station that the Legislature has "been tough on crime for the last decade or so, and now it's time to be a little bit smart on crime."I guess he's implying that so far they've been "dumb on crime"!More on the biggest story in the land...Protests Planned, Pressure Building - Blackwell on the Run: http://www.votecobb.org/Ohio GOP election officials ducking subpoenas as Kerry enters stolen vote fray: http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2004/1046Evidence of Fraud and Disenfranchisement in Ohio: A Partial List: http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/Kerry Files Motion to Preserve Recount Evidence: http://rawstory.rawprint.com/1204/kerry_motion_ohio_recount_1227.phpTHE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 Was an Inside Job - A Call to All True Patriots: http://www.911sharethetruth.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Taylor121 on December 28, 2004 at 15:33:35 PT: Texans Also please remember that medical marijuana is up for consideration in Texas this 2005 legislative session!http://www.texansformedicalmarijuana.orgIf you are a Texan, spread this website around, sign the petition, and write letters!I can attest that letters help. Fred Brown previously opposed medical marijuana. He is now on board. Get the word out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on December 28, 2004 at 12:06:32 PT: From "Tough on crime!" to "Smart on crime!"...to just plain smart. But slowly...painfully slowly.Like stubborn children who want to keep playing outside long after sunset, some people have to be dragged, kicking, screaming, clawing and biting, to sanity. The pols who realize which way the political wind has been turning of late regarding how terribly expensive (the pols are only thinking of dollar signs, not human costs) the DrugWar is and change their tune as this one has are the wave of the future. But we, here, surf on its' crest. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on December 28, 2004 at 11:56:59 PT Acid heads at the CIA, a History Richard Helms headed the Clandestine Services Department.http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/lsd/'do as I say, not as I do' [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Max Flowers on December 28, 2004 at 09:21:33 PT Crime, my foot What a profound insult that possessing a few dried flowers is considered a "crime" that one needs to be punished for.I would have already said F you, Texas, I'm moving to California where that policy has already been in place for many years. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 28, 2004 at 07:26:20 PT News Brief from The Associated Press Bill Proposes Eliminating Jail for Possessing Small Amount of PotPublished: December 28, 2004San Antonio -- A Houston lawmaker has proposed legislation that would spare those possessing small amounts of marijuana from having to serve jail time.State Representative Harold Dutton tells W-O-A-I Radio in San Antonio that his bill would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a Class C misdemeanor. That's the equivalent of a traffic ticket.Under current law, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. Under Dutton's bill, possession of one to two ounces of pot would retain that classification. Nor would the bill lessen penalties for possessing larger amounts of marijuana.Dutton tells the station that the Legislature has "been tough on crime for the last decade or so, and now it's time to be a little bit smart on crime."Thanks to Jim Forsyth, WOAI RadioCopyright: 2004 The Associated Presshttp://www.kltv.com/Global/category.asp?C=7845&nav=1TjD [ Post Comment ] Post Comment