cannabisnews.com: US Considers Medical Role for Marijuana US Considers Medical Role for Marijuana Posted by FoM on April 06, 2001 at 07:17:23 PT By Deborah Josefson, San Francisco Source: British Medical Journal The US Supreme Court has opened hearings on whether the distribution of marijuana for medicinal purposes should become legal under federal law. The case has been prompted by legalisation in California in 1996 allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes in California. In California, cannabis clubs (marijuana pharmacies) have sprung up to provide marijuana to those with a doctor's prescription for it. After California's initiative, eight other states Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Colorado, and Washingtonpassed similar laws. An additional 30 states have similar legislation on the horizon. In Maine, Nevada, and New Mexico, lawmakers are considering bills that would establish state sanctioned distribution centres. In the present current proceedings, the US Department of Justice is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the decision of 13 September 1999 by the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which permits cannabis clubs to distribute marijuana if they can prove that their clients are seriously ill and have a legitimate medical need. The landmark Supreme Court case will be closely watched across the nation, not least by constitutional experts. The case pits the states' rights to legislate and enforce their own statutes against federal law and thus challenges the very foundation of the democratic system in the United States. Both the federal government and the Drug Enforcement Agency consider marijuana to be an illegal drug and controlled substance. Also at issue is whether there is really is such a thing as a medical need for marijuana. Advocates point out that tetrahydrocannibanol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, is useful as an antiemetic and appetite stimulant and also has mood enhancing properties. Patients with cachexia or those with wasting syndromes secondary to AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis claim particular benefit from it. Marijuana can also lower intraocular pressure and may be useful in glaucoma. Although these medicinal properties are known, legal alternatives to marijuana, including marinol, a synthetic version of THC, are already on the market for pharmaceutical use. From the initial remarks made by Supreme Court judges, advocates of the medical use of marijuana may have their work cut out for them. Justice Antonin Scalia pointedly challenged the "medical necessity" defence being argued by lawyers for the cannabis clubs: "I thought the medical necessity defence was for an individual... You would extend it to the person prescribing the drug and even to opening a business. That's a vast expansion beyond any necessity defence I've ever heard of." Source: British Medical Journal (UK) Author: Deborah Josefson, San Francisco Published: April 7, 2001Copyright: 2001 The British Medical JournalContact: bmj bmj.com Website: http://www.bmj.com/US Considers Medical Role for Marijuana - PDF Formathttp://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/322/7290/817/a.pdfCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on April 06, 2001 at 07:49:13 PT: Bracketting, again They shoot too high: "The case pits the states' rights to legislate and enforce their own statutes against federal law and thus challenges the very foundation of the democratic system in the United States."They shoot too low:"Justice Antonin Scalia pointedly challenged the "medical necessity" defence being argued by lawyers for the cannabis clubs: "I thought the medical necessity defence was for an individual... You would extend it to the person prescribing the drug and even to opening a business. That's a vast expansion beyond any necessity defence I've ever heard of."They never seem to hit the target. Namely, that people are effin' suffering and dying for lack of readily available medicine.I guess it's too much of a hot button for most so-called ournalists to stand up and point the finger at the US Federal government and say what should be said. To whit: That it has been engaged in a quiet pogrom against the sick and dying, which amounts to nothing less than a governmentally sponsored form of politically-motivated eugenics. Culling the sick and dying which are no longer of any 'use' to society because of their illnesses. And mantaining a hopelessy corrupt DrugWar machine in the process. Rather like what many Missisippi State LEOs did to their Black populations back during the twilight of segregation. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: