cannabisnews.com: Court To Review Marijuana's Medical Benefits
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Court To Review Marijuana's Medical Benefits
Posted by CN Staff on October 12, 2012 at 17:23:43 PT
By Lucia Graves
Source: Huffington Post
Washington, D.C. -- It started with a coalition of disgruntled Americans, then a handful of governors took up the cause last year, and now -- for the first time in nearly 20 years -- a federal court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the classification of cannabis as a dangerous drug without medical benefits.In the case, Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, the court will be presented with scientific evidence regarding the medicinal effects of marijuana, and is expected to rule on whether or not the Drug Enforcement Administration acted appropriately in denying a petition to reclassify cannabis, filed by a collection of public interest organizations back in 2002.
"Medical marijuana patients are finally getting their day in court," Joe Elford, chief counsel with ASA, said in a recent statement. "This is a rare opportunity for patients to confront politically motivated decision-making with scientific evidence of marijuana's medical efficacy." Under federal law, a schedule I prohibited substance is defined as having “a high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use in treatment.” Heroine and LSD are classified alongside marijuana as schedule I, while cocaine, opium and methamphetamine are classified as schedule II, meaning they have "some accepted medical use."Other groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians, support medical access to the drug or its reclassification, while the California Medical Association has called for full legalization.Donald Abrams, chief of hematology-oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, recently described the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the treatment regimens of cancer and HIV/AIDS patients. "I see patients who have loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting from their chemotherapy, pain on and off of opiates, anxiety, depression, and insomnia," he said in a press briefing last week, adding that these are just some of the conditions that can be alleviated by the use of medical marijuana.In its rejection of the ASA’s rescheduling petition in 2011, the DEA cited a 4-year-old Department of Health and Human Services paper that found no consensus on medical uses for marijuana, but it did not take into account studies showing the medical benefits of marijuana on the grounds the studies did not meet the standard of double-blind FDA approval trials."There are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving (marijuana's) efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts..." wrote DEA administrator Michele Leonhart in a July 8, 2011 letter. "At this time, the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy."A similar petition calling for marijuana to be reclassified as a schedule II drug was filed with the DEA in 1972, and in 1988, following a federal hearing, Administrative Law Judge Francis Young ruled that marijuana should indeed be reclassified. But that verdict was rejected by then-DEA administrator John Lawn and in 1994, his rejection was upheld by the D.C. Court of Appeals.The current case will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Oct. 16.Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Lucia GravesPublished: October 12, 2012Copyright: 2012 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/1SenDoY4CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help
Comment #20 posted by Had Enough on October 19, 2012 at 00:15:54 PT
Romney & Co...
Naked Emperor...
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #19 posted by FoM on October 17, 2012 at 11:44:45 PT
Hope
Romney is what we would call a hothead back years ago. Biden was assertive but not angry. Romney really messed up when he wanted Obama's comment about terrorism on the record and Candy said he did say that.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #18 posted by Hope on October 17, 2012 at 10:40:15 PT
I don't like Romney and his policies and plans.
At all. In any way.I know it won't be the end of the world if he wins. But I so don't want him to.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 17, 2012 at 05:55:11 PT
afterburner
Romney actually scared me in the debate last night. He was rude and very aggressive in his actions. Obama was calm and made excellent points. I am more hopeful now that Obama will win but I will never forget how some folks voted for Bush after he invaded Iraq so it isn't over until it's over.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #16 posted by Hope on October 16, 2012 at 22:47:18 PT
Truth and Injustice
Why Poor Parents Are More Likely to Get Busted for Pothttp://www.alternet.org/drugs/class-war-why-poor-parents-are-more-likely-get-busted-pot
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #15 posted by afterburner on October 16, 2012 at 22:28:37 PT
We still have to wait for the judges' decision
Appeals Court hears case on medical value of marijuana.
October 16th, 2012.
Posted by Jonathan Bair
http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/blog/2012/10/16/appeals-court-hears-case-on-medical-value-of-marijuana/Judge Garland asked at one point, “Don’t we have to defer to the agency? We’re not scientists. They are.” [Brilliant response follows]
http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/blog/2012/10/16/appeals-court-hears-case-on-medical-value-of-marijuana/#comment-43751
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by afterburner on October 16, 2012 at 22:00:23 PT
FoM #10
"This election is so very important."OT - The Tea Party AKA American TalibanGive them an inch and they'll take a mile:News & Politics.
AlterNet / By Alex Kane.
71 COMMENTS.
Female Tea Party Leader Says Women Are Too 'Diabolical' to Vote.
The remarks against women voting came from Janis Lane, the president of the Central Mississippi Tea Party.
October 16, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/female-tea-party-leader-says-women-are-too-diabolical-vote?akid=9536.313040.zpKoTV&rd=1&src=newsletter728005&t=3Thank God, Obama is standing up for women's progress and choice.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by jetblackchemist on October 16, 2012 at 19:23:01 PT
DEA says the lack of FDA approved study is why...
Where are the FDA approved double blind studies that say; Cannabis is dangerous and addictive? That's right; there are NO adequate and well-controlled studies proving marijuana's inefficacy...So what are the grounds for it receiving the classification, of schedule I? NONE.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by ekim on October 16, 2012 at 08:42:55 PT
overwhelming support in changing prohibition laws
as shown in over 60 email comments with only 5 against
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by ekim on October 16, 2012 at 07:03:54 PT
Diane is doing a show on this issue now NPR
http://thedianerehmshow.org/
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by FoM on October 16, 2012 at 06:43:01 PT
afterburner
This election is so very important. If Romney wins I have no faith that we will be able to move forward. He is so anti-marijuana we would be set back for years.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by afterburner on October 16, 2012 at 05:16:47 PT
Today's the Day!
"The current case will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Oct. 16."Plus, it happened on Obama's watch. Trickle up law-making from We The People. Hooray!Romney, on the other hand, will "fight it tooth and nail."
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #8 posted by The GCW on October 13, 2012 at 21:32:37 PT
kaptinemo,
Thank again, for the bull's-eyes.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #7 posted by Hope on October 13, 2012 at 20:29:48 PT
"The known risks of marijuana use"?
Being "Busted"?
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by ekim on October 13, 2012 at 14:33:46 PT
Donald Abrams, chief of hematology-oncology
http://sciencefriday.com/segment/10/12/2012/feds-to-debate-marijuana-as-medicine.html
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by runruff on October 13, 2012 at 08:19:57 PT
"the known risks of marijuana use "
But they claim they have no studies?I am sorry but opinion does not serve as law in a free country!The known risk she is talking about is her job terminating for lack of purpose.She is talking ,no doubt, about the known risk to the status quo in power and wealth distribution.She is referencing a memo from her pill factory handlers.And then there is the distict possibility that she is just that stupid. These useful idiots do not have to be smart, just dumb, blind loyal that's all!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on October 13, 2012 at 05:50:35 PT:
It had to come to this
As even the DrugWarriors know, the foundation of drug prohibition in general, and cannabis prohibition in particular, is built equal parts upon racial and ethnic bigotry and lies.But so long as the DrugWarriors could avoid a venue where there would be penalties for telling those lies, they kept on telling them. Why not? No one was punishing them for those lies. But, in a court of law, lies carry penalties. Big ones. And that's not all. The lies about cannabis not having medical efficacy (when it is proving almost daily in one scientific journal or another to have a cornucopia of them) all lead back to why it was banned in the first place. The past is prolog, and the prohibs have always dreaded the day when the evidence of what comprised the basis for the laws would be held up for modern review...and not just a judicial review, but a social one. The underlying racial bias alone will be enough to turn the staunchest True Believer African- or Hispanic-American supporter of the War on (Some) Drugs away from it in anger and disgust.And so, in essence, the government will be publicly accused of lying about cannabis...with a literally crushing amount of evidence (if printed single page) in the form of scientific studies, some conducted by the government itself, that disprove those lies. The government has no excuse whatsoever; after all, it has all the resources to find out the truth...and has found out the truth...and continued to lie.If the court isn't bought off, then the end of cannabis prohibition is nigh. The Federal vampire is about to meet the factual sunrise he's been able to avoid for so long...and there's no place to run to, now.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #3 posted by The GCW on October 12, 2012 at 19:49:03 PT
I don't care for her or her ineptness.
"...; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts..." wrote DEA administrator Michele Leonhart REALLY? -0-People like Leonhart are costing Obama votes. She is a Bush appointee and should not have been retained by Obama. It would not be surprising if she is focused on making decissions based on getting the Mitt in office. Is part of her job to compromise Obama?-0-DEA Administrator - Michele Leonhart - Called Out by Rep. Jared Polis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_cjLqDMqGI (see for yourself)Carroll: DEA chief stonewalls on marijuana
http://www.denverpost.com/carroll/ci_20911858/dea-chief-stonewalls-marijuana (where "the Democrat" had trouble communicating with what I believe then must be a ?republican?)Michele Leonhart, DEA Chief, Won't Say Whether Crack, Heroin Are Worse For Health Than Marijuana
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/21/michele-leonhart-dea-crack-heroin-marijuana_n_1615270.html
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #2 posted by runruff on October 12, 2012 at 18:56:20 PT
Simply put, it is a moot point.
Because the right to use cannabis is in the constitution and the CSA is a bogus document as phony as a judge in church.The CSA is leased legislature. It is a piece of work everyone knew would not last forever but as long as it last...Whoaheeee...whatta ride for it's sponsors!How many years now and counting. They have already got their money back and then some.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on October 12, 2012 at 18:10:25 PT
Yes!
It's been a long time coming.I believe, we are finally turning the corner. Watch WA initiative and CO.Thank you God!
For the love of God!
[ Post Comment ]
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