cannabisnews.com: Lyle Craker Denied Permission To Grow Marijuana










  Lyle Craker Denied Permission To Grow Marijuana

Posted by CN Staff on February 02, 2009 at 04:48:57 PT
By Jessica Sacco, Collegian Staff 
Source: Daily Collegian 

Massachusetts -- Unknown to most students, some of their professors have been advocating the growing of marijuana on campus since 2001. This movement took a blow earlier this month when the Drug Enforcement Administration rejected University of Massachusetts Professor Lyle Craker’s request to become a marijuana manufacturer on Jan. 12.Craker, a horticulturist in the Department of Plant, Soil and Insect sciences submitted his application in 2001 to receive a license to grow large amounts of marijuana in a controlled environment to further study its effects for medical use.
At the time, he stated that the marijuana currently available for such research was inadequate, and that more uniform and better quality material would be needed.If approved, findings from clinical studies, which would use the product created by Craker, could then be presented to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has the power to recommend medical marijuana as a legal drug.Craker has received support from a number of people in his department. He has also found support among government workers, including a federal administrative law judge in 2007 and Massachusetts Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, as well as other members of Congress.With lawyers still studying the ruling, it is unclear as to whether or not the issue will be taken outside the DEA and into other courts, where he can continue work on receiving a license. “We have a battle in this world over science and politics,”said Craker. “I want science to prevail. I want to test this material.”Today, marijuana is legally grown at a number of tightly controlled labs including at the University of Mississippi; however, during his initial application in 2001, Craker claimed that the drug produced there was insufficient for clinical studies. Since then, Mississippi has improved their material. “They’ve had seven or eight years to do it,” said Craker.UMass sophomores Chris Fleming and Kyle Lafata both believe that allowing marijuana to be used for research in the medical field would be taking a step in the right direction.“If doctors feel it [marijuana] is more potent in keeping people comfortable, then an alternative route like this might be more realistic,” said Lafata. “You can never know what can happen until the research is done though.”Marijuana is being used today to help glaucoma patients, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, aids therapy, and even to reduce blood pressure. But without approval from the Food and Drug Administration, marijuana will continue to remain illegal in federal law. Fleming believes that those who are opposed to allowing research to be done on marijuana are naïve in believing they can prevent it from happening forever.“I don’t think people should oppose it just because they don’t agree with it,” he said. “It has no effect on them or their life. Some people like to drink, some people don’t. Everyone likes things different ways.”Craker said he hears from many people asking why marijuana can’t be prescribed as a drug. “They ask ‘why do I have to go to the back alley to get it.’“All we want to do is investigate it [marijuana], isn’t that what we do in America?” he added. “I’m not in favor of it recreationally, but I think it deserves to be tested for medical purposes.”Source: Massachusetts Daily Collegian (MA Edu)Author: Jessica Sacco, Collegian StaffPublished: February 1, 2009Copyright: 2009 Daily CollegianWebsite: http://www.DailyCollegian.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/gSCvkj2RContact: http://drugsense.org/url/sEcymtGSRelated Articles & Web Site:MAPShttp://www.maps.org/DEA Denies Professor’s Marijuana Bidhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24425.shtmlDEA Rejects UMass Request To Grow Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24422.shtml

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Comment #18 posted by FoM on February 03, 2009 at 09:34:54 PT
E_Johnson 
I hope and pray you are right.
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Comment #17 posted by E_Johnson on February 03, 2009 at 09:14:41 PT
FoM and Dr. Ganj
In 1984, almost everyone who lived in the Soviet Union expected Soviet power to last just about forever.Yet in 1991, nobody in the Soviet Union was surprised that the system had collapsed so quickly and completely.I think it could end up that way with the WOD.You think it's built to last forever, but the lies and inconsistencies and forced ignorance and other-worldly character of the Party Line create the conditions for rapid collapse.What made the Soviet Union collapse? It wasn't really Afghanistan or the economy.It was the fact that Marxist-Leninist rhetoric was unchangeable, and because of that, felt more disconnected from the real world every day.People went about their lives for years just mouthing that rhetoric while finding creative ways to have their own lives within its confines.One day Gorbachev made the mistake of trying to reconcile that rhetoric with the reality being lived by the people.As soon as that connection was attempted, the collapse was rapid and unstoppable.The bubble was pierced and it only took a few years to deflate completely.I think the WOD is facing a similar collapse. We won't expect it to happen, but once it does, we will all say that it was inevitable.
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Comment #16 posted by museman on February 03, 2009 at 08:48:10 PT
FDA, DEA etc.,etc.,
Someone, or a dedicated group of someones, has got to bring home the absolute fact that, under the intent and spirit of the US Constitution, no 'organization' or 'committee' or 'agency' of the U.S. government has powers above and beyond the consent of the people.Oh yes they do. They do, but they aren't supposed to. There are so many 'legal workarounds' written into ordinances, 'earmarks,' and 'departmental empowerments' on the very shaky side of constitutionality, that a legaleze skilled person (not necessarily a 'lawyer') on the side of righteousness, and true justice, would have to have more than one lifetime to gather enough concise, conclusive evidence to bring down the fake powers through 'legal' channels. When the powers that be create a maze, a veritable labyrinth of confusion directives, turns and twists that only the priviledged get a map of, well intentioned individuals are easily misdirected into dead-in paths. There are people still wandering around in that insidious maze that entered in over 40 years ago, with full intent to change it, who find themselves part of the maze and confusion (if they have any self honesty left).Reality itself, and the contrived set of controlled circumstances that the governments (all of 'em since Sumeria and Babylon)paste over it, do not match. Law is the contrived set of virtual, imaginary boudaries that attempts to address the parts of reality that won't go easily into the box. The words of the laws all read like; "For the preservation of the 'union'" "In the interest of the people." "For the sake of the children.' "For the future generations." etc. etc. etc. -but they are all just surface lies and misdirections to keep the populace from looking too closely at what is realy going on.When TV came along, it didn't take more than 2 decades for the Nephalim and their pets to start using it as part of their maze of re-direction, misdirection, and dead-end passages. They already had movies (the propaganda created during WW2 -if you can find much of it- is a real eye-opener). People BELIEVE what they see on TV.I think the solution is relatively simple. Maybe not easy, but simple. All we have to do is let them know who is boss. If our constitution says that this is a government "Of the people, By the people" then 'the people' better start doing their part.Let them know that they work for you. Don't let them just get away with everything because you are 'too busy' or 'too in need' or too fearful of the consequences. Just tell them. Stand up for what you know is right, even if it is 'against the law'.I do this with cops. They don't hassle me much any more, because I let them know I knew who the boss was. I do it in passsive, non-emotional exchange of information. The last time a cop followed me. I stopped and questioned his motives, because I knew he had no legal, moral, or ethical reason for following me. I introduced myself, offered to give him whatever information he required (he had no reason, so he couldn't 'legally' ask) - I simply put him in the position of having to aknowledge my power as a citizen. Since then, the Josephine county cops I think all have a note somewhere in their logs that I am not a pushover, because, though I fit the profile of Josephine County's 'most wanted' (long hair, poor, drive an old car) they leave me alone. Sometimes I almost wish they would pull me over so I could have a righteous battle (in court) -but I am not a masochist.People power is not just a slogan from, the 60s, it is a treasure hidden in the labyrinth. But the secret is, you don't have to go through the twists and turns fo the system in order to find it, because it is right there below the surface consciousness created by the status quo. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain -he is just another man who, eats, sleeps, farts and has the same destination as all the rest of us. Why do people believe in their system of fake comparisons? Freedom is a personal issue. Make it yours, or give it up.FREE MARIJUANA FOREVER
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Comment #15 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 02, 2009 at 14:41:11 PT
Cannabis Use Leads to Excellence
Cannabis Consumer Wins Superbowlhttp://www.wpxi.com/news/17791739/detail.html#-Cannabis Consumer Wins Eight Olympic Gold Metalshttp://www.backyardpolitics.org/blog/2009/02/02/what-michael-phelps-should-have-said/
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 14:33:36 PT
Canada: Article From Canwest News Service
Federal Court Ruling Pleases Medical Marijuana Users
 
 February 2, 2009 Canadians prescribed marijuana to treat illness will have more choice in where to buy their drugs after a court ruling Monday that ends the federal government's monopoly on supplying medical marijuana to patients.URL: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Archive+Federal+court+ruling+pleases+medical+marijuana+users/913942/story.html
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 12:57:49 PT
Dr Ganj
I don't believe that the drug war will change for maybe 20 years. I do believe we could see marijuana decriminalized in more states. I like to connect dots. All these years I have not understood how Prop 215 works. Until we see the Federal Law changed I can't see any progress anymore. 
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Comment #12 posted by Dr Ganj on February 02, 2009 at 12:51:18 PT
Poll numbers
FoM~Polls never equate into passed legislation.
What the People want and need is almost always
denied by our politicians.
Imagine all the good that would arise from
legal hemp production in this country,
but for years Congress never passes any bill
concerning hemp.
Imagine all the good that would arise from legalized marijuana production, but again, Congress does nothing.
Even with a president that has admitted to smoking marijuana (and inhaling),I do not see any real progress on this topic for years.
Sorry if my optimism has waned over the years, but sometimes we have to accept the truth.
Our prisons are filled, doors are still being kicked in, and Professor Craker after eight years can't even do research on a plant- that most of us already know has so many different applications! 
One step forward, two backwards- that is how I see things.Oh, and as to Marijuana Inc. on TV last week, they made it seem it's so lucrative, like a new Gold Rush. Well, the hard truth is, growing marijuana in the Emerald Triangle is really difficult.
So if anybody out there thinks they can move out to Mendocino county and baby-sit a Whisperwatt generator, and maintain a major indoor grow- go at it! You're in for a big surprise! :-) 
http://www.gotpower.com/deals.html
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 11:29:37 PT
Dr Ganj
Has there ever been a poll on drug legalization? I read that 41% are in favor of marijuana being decriminalized or legalized now. Maybe in a few more years it will hit 50%. I think a drug legalization poll would only be around 10%. That's just a guess.
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Comment #10 posted by Dr Ganj on February 02, 2009 at 11:00:02 PT
It Will Never End
For eight long years Professor Craker has been trying to legally grow and investigate the potential botanical properties of the cannabis plant.
For eight long years the DEA has denied the professor's requests.
I am not surprised at all with the DEA's decision.
They are paid to stonewall, stall, prevent, obfuscate, distort, and block any progress when it comes to hemp, cannabis, or marijuana.
We live in a terrible time, where medicinal plants are demonized, made illegal, and the multi-billion dollar war against them has resulted in causing more crime, murders, and mayhem than the Prohibition of alcohol did from 1920-1933.
As I see it, we will never learn that prohibition does not work, has not worked, and will never work.
However, because there is just so much money being made by so many players in this global prohibition, I suggest you get used to reading similar articles like this. 
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php
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Comment #9 posted by GeoChemist on February 02, 2009 at 10:47:09 PT:
Off-topic
I think this past weekend has given us the catalyst we need to steamroll ahead. what does the most decorated olympic champion in history and the current super bowl MVP have in common? 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 10:09:26 PT
mykeyb420 
If they liked us we wouldn't still be here after all these years. People who think outside the box have always been a threat to this greed driven system we have but it is ending. Maybe we will get heard soon.
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Comment #7 posted by mykeyb420 on February 02, 2009 at 10:01:09 PT
too bad
our government does not like us.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 07:00:34 PT
goneposthole
You said: Cannabis is making its way into society at a rate I have not seen before.I agree.I am amazed at the progress we are making. I don't expect legalization of marijuana to happen until we at least have a good majority in favor of it. I do believe we will see more on decriminalization and I am looking forward to Barney Frank's Bill getting attention.
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on February 02, 2009 at 06:52:09 PT
It's ok
There are plenty of cannabis growers in this day in age.Cannabis is making its way into society at a rate I have not seen before.It is everywhere in quantities that are increasing.If you smoke cannabis, there is no need for worry.It is keeping the underground economy afloat when the above ground economy slowly burns to ashes, and it is.And thank a cannabis grower too. There is no need for legalization, it won't happen.However, if I were Senator Kennedy, I would be smoking the stuff night and day. It cannot do anything but help.
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Comment #4 posted by Garry Minor on February 02, 2009 at 06:39:10 PT:
How sad!
 How sad is it when a man with brain cancer, Senator Kennedy, cannot be treated with a substance that will cure his disease because of a godless, mindless, racist, ignorant law and a brainwashed society!
 In 2000 Dr. Manuel Guzman of Complutense University in Madrid Spain rediscovered what our ancestors knew thousands of years ago, that THC destroys tumors with no negative side effects whatsoever. His team also irrigated the brains of healthy rats with high doses of THC for seven days and again found no negative side effects. These results have been duplicated around the globe since 2000 on many different kinds of cancer. How sad this treatment wasn't available for Mr. Kennedy.
 The really sad thing is that our Government has known that THC kills cancer cells since 1974 when researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, instead found that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice, lung and breast cancer, and a virus induced leukemia. We never heard this!
 A man named Rick Simpson from Cannada now makes what he calls "Hemp oil" which is basically a THC paste that is proven to cure cancers and many other ailments now common today. His web site is called "Phoenix Tears," his you tube video is, "Run from the Cure." Check it out!
 Recent archaeological evidence proves that the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians were well aware of the anti-tumoral powers of THC and it's many other medicinal properties. The Egyptians knew cannabis as Shemshemet, the Sumerians A.ZAL.LA, the Chinese Ma, the Hebrews called it Kaneh bosm.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 06:34:15 PT
A Question
Did anyone see an anti-drug commercial this year at the Superbowl?
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 06:09:07 PT
DRCNet: What Happened to the Drug Czar’s Blog?
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2009/jan/30/what_happened_to_the_drug_czar_s
Pushing Back
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 02, 2009 at 05:38:12 PT
Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry
I really appreciate their support.
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