cannabisnews.com: New Marijuana Research Policy Criticized





New Marijuana Research Policy Criticized
Posted by FoM on November 29, 1999 at 15:03:08 PT
By Mark Kukis
Source: UPI
Stars, politicians and scientists Monday said new federal guidelines for medical studies involving marijuana were too strict and undercut scientific research, despite government efforts to ease restrictions. 
"The new federal guidelines would still place a much greater burden on medical marijuana researchers than on drug companies," said Chuck Thomas, head of the Marijuana Policy Project, which sent a petition to top health officials Monday. "A growing coalition of health and medical groups, doctors, scientists and members of Congress disagree with the Clinton administration's claim that the door is wide open for research." The Department of Health and Human Services has framed new policies, effective Wednesday, aimed at easing current marijuana research restrictions. But a star-studded group of critics, including 34 members of Congress, actress Susan Sarandon, comedian Richard Pryor and all band members of Hootie & The Blowfish, say federal policies are unnecessarily blocking scientific research that could yield medical benefits to millions of people. Marijuana researchers typically want to allow test subjects to smoke marijuana and study its medicinal qualities as a pain reliever and appetite inducer for patients suffering chronic diseases such as cancer or AIDS. But the government has tight controls for illegal substances sought for scientific use. Researchers must have federal authorities approve the study and issue the drug, a process that can be expensive and lengthy. "The new federal guidelines are still too cumbersome, and they explicitly reject the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to give patients immediate legal access to marijuana through a federal compassionate-use program," said Thomas. "If the Clinton administration does not promptly modify its guidelines, we will continue to change laws on the state level." Advocates of marijuana research want to streamline the federal process involved in approving the illegal substance for studies. The latest guidelines call for a series of lockstep government OKs by four federal health agencies, the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana research proponents say only the FDA needs to approve a study before the government releases the illegal drug. Critics of the new federal policies say the approval outside the FDA is redundant and needlessly increases research costs by imposing additional safety criteria not normally associated with other drug tests. But U.S. officials say the new federal policies actually pave the way for more research on the subject and answer calls by scientists for easier access to government-controlled marijuana. "The purpose of the new guidelines is to expand opportunities," said Alan Leshner, director of National Institute on Drug Abuse, the only legal source of marijuana in the United States. "We did it because we recognize there is tremendous interest, and we want to expand opportunities to do research." Leshner said the various approvals a research proposal must undergo are fair, given marijuana's illegal status. He said federal policies are unlikely to change despite complaints. "This is about as reasonable as it can get," he said.  Published: November 29, 1999Copyright © 1995-1999 Excite Inc. Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/ 
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Comment #2 posted by Frustrated on November 29, 1999 at 19:49:53 PT
RE to kaptinemo
My sympathies to you and those you care for. Unfortunately, I don't think politicians have the gift of foresight needed to walk in the shoes of the sick and suffering. If that were the case I would hope that the politicians would change their laws NOW, but this doesn't seem like it will happen real soon. The hypocrisy of our government is just...too mind-boggling for the average citizen to comprehend......
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on November 29, 1999 at 17:25:10 PT
"Time is money!"...and lives
In 1993, the FDA, after testing (rather quickly, no doubt due to pharmaceutical company pressure) a drug called fialuridine on dogs, gave it to people. 5 out of 15 died from liver problems.They rush testing of unknown but suspected toxic substances on people for profit, but are loathe to test cannabis, which has not killed a single human being in recorded history. Why? Because the plant is a *weed*, needs little encouragement to grow anywhere, and could be very cheap indeed. Little old ladies, like the cancer victim I cared for, would've been able to grow their own medicine for pennies on the dollar, instead of being forced to buy Kytril, at $50 a pill, and still barf their guts out. No profit for the pharmaceutical companies - unless they get the gov to sanction a monopoly on Marinol to the exclusion of 'raw' cannabis. Needless to say, this is akin to making the hops plant (oddly enough, a distant and much weaker cousin, medicinally) illegal, and demanding that no one brew their own beer, but buy all their suds from the local liquor store.All to make a buck...while people are suffering and dying. I hope that the Drug Warriors someday are forced to look into the eyes of those they have condemned to a painful death through their zeal. I hope that face of pain is something that they see for themselves... in a mirror. And when they hear the awful word 'cancer' uttered in their direction, they remember the fate of those they damned with their zeal.
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