cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Battle Marijuana Battle Posted by FoM on September 03, 2000 at 21:55:53 PT Press Democrat Editorial Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to enjoin the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative from dispensing its wares marks the latest setback for California voters who long ago wanted to get medicinal marijuana in the hands of critically ill patients.It also underscores the dilemma that has existed since 56 percent of state voters approved Proposition 215 in 1996. As long as the federal government continues to regard marijuana as a "Schedule I" controlled substance with the likes of heroin and LSD, efforts to forge compromise deals to get medicinal pot to those who need it will be vulnerable to such 11th-hour federal blitzing. Here's the problem. Schedule I drugs are identified as having "no currently accepted medical use in treatment. . ." While studies and extensive anecdotal evidence suggest otherwise, this remains federal policy -- one vigorously defended by the Clinton administration -- and will continue to be a primary stumbling block.Yet there is hope to suggest that change is on the horizon -- not in courtrooms or Congress but in research labs. Earlier this summer, UCSF professor of medicine Donald Abrams reported on the initial findings of the first federally approved safety study of smoked marijuana. He found that 20 AIDS patients who smoked pot for three weeks ate better and gained nearly 8 pounds on average -- much more than patients who smoked a placebo.This comes on the heels of a National Institutes of Health report that found medical marijuana to be effective in treating loss of appetite.And then more encouraging news. On the same day of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, physicians at the University of California announced the formation of a research center to study the medical uses and effects of marijuana. The center, to be based in San Diego and supported with $3 million in state funds, will be conducting extensive studies into the effect of smoked marijuana in combating the side effects of chemotherapy and AIDs treatments.Proving that marijuana has medical benefits seems redundant given the weight of existing empirical data. But if it helps in presenting irrefutable evidence for reducing marijuana to a Schedule II prescriptive drug, so be it.The question at that point becomes whether Washington officials will have the courage to follow through with the information and call off the dogs.Published: September 3, 2000Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat (CA)Copyright: 2000, The Press DemocratContact: letters pressdemo.comWebsite: http://www.pressdemo.com/index.htmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperativehttp://www.rxcbc.org/Supreme Court on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6906.shtmlOfficial Reefer Madnesshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6894.shtmlFeds' Needless Pot War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6889.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Puritan on September 04, 2000 at 08:16:26 PT Courage Courage in washington....an oxymoron if there ever was one! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: