YaHooka Forums - View Single Post - F.D.A. misses Medical Benefit From Marijuana

DdC · 04-25-2006, 06:32 PM

The FDA's Reefer Madness By Barbara Quirk
Source: Capital Times April 25, 2006 Wisconsin*
Ah, marijuana. The "wicked weed" of the '60s is in the news again. This time, despite previous studies showing otherwise, the Food and Drug Administration said this past week that it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The FDA stated it had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use."
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21779.shtml

Follow The Drug War Money By Paul Campos
Source: Rocky Mountain News April 25, 2006 USA *
This is the story of two drugs. The first, dexfenfluramine, was the active ingredient in the weight loss drug Redux. Although it was available in the U.S. and Canada for only about 18 months, it killed hundreds of people, and severely injured thousands more. The second is marijuana. Over the past several decades, tens of millions of people across North America have used this drug regularly. It has, as far as anybody knows, killed no one.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21778.shtml

Potheads and Sudafed By John Tierney
Source: New York Times April 25, 2006 USA *
Police officers in the 1960's were fond of bumper stickers reading: "The next time you get mugged, call a hippie." Doctors today could use a variation: "The next time you're in pain, call a narc." Washington's latest prescription for patients in pain is the statement issued last week by the Food and Drug Administration on the supposed evils of medical marijuana. The F.D.A. is being lambasted, rightly, by scientists for ignoring some evidence that marijuana can help severely ill patients.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21777.shtml

Press Release from The Drug Policy Alliance
Politics Trumps Science in FDA's Medical Marijuana Statement
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Food and Drug Administration released an advisory last week claiming that marijuana has no medicinal value, ignoring a substantial body of scientific evidence to the contrary. This announcement contradicts a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine, the scientific arm of the National Academy of Science, which said that marijuana has medical potential and should be tested in clinical trials. This report was issued by a panel of independent scientists and doctors who reviewed the body of scientific knowledge on the subject. The FDA statement, on the other hand, did not refer to any new science to support its claim.
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/042506fda.cfm

Why the FDA is irrelevant
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/23.html#a1536
First, it's important to note (as major media outlets have already) that the recent controversial FDA comments were politically motivated, were wrong, and ignored scientific evidence.

More on the FDA
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/22.html#a1535
New York Times editorial today
The Bush administration's habit of politicizing its scientific agencies was on display again this week when the Food and Drug Administration, for no compelling reason, unexpectedly issued a brief, poorly documented statement disputing the therapeutic value of marijuana.

FDA moves even further away from science and toward politics
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/21.html#a1534
Under pressure from drug warriors, the FDA, released a statement opposing the use of medical marijuana. After a series of false statements claiming that "no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use,

All Smoke By Sydney Spiesel
Source: Slate April 24, 2006 USA*
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration reported that it had definitively established that marijuana has no medical use or value. Definitively? Established? I don't think so. The FDA's announcement begins by acknowledging the claim that smoked marijuana may be beneficial for some conditions. Then the agency points out that among drugs with a potential for abuse, marijuana is lumped in with the most dangerous drugs, the ones that have no potential medical benefits and the highest likelihood of misuse.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21776.shtml

Medical Marijuana is Nothing To Huff & Puff About By Sebastian Meyer
Source: The Oracle April 24, 2006 Florida *
Since President Richard Nixon declared an "all-out offensive" to curb the use of illegal drugs in the United States, the War on Drugs has mostly failed. Even though drug busts seem to be getting bigger each year, few today would agree that drug use is "America's public enemy No. 1," a statement Nixon made in 1971. However, vilification of even the most harmless drugs, including marijuana, was quite effective and has lead to marijuana also being withheld from medical uses that would benefit patients. It also has made an objective debate about legalization almost impossible.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21775.shtml

MMJ Advocates Slam ‘Politicized’ FDA Report By Michelle Chen
Source: NewStandard April 24, 2006 New York *
Clashing with drug-policy reform groups and a growing body of scientific research, the federal government has stepped up its effort to invalidate marijuana as medicine. The Food and Drug Administration issued a statement last Thursday asserting that smoked marijuana has no proven medical benefits. The assessment sparked criticism from both the scientific community and activists pushing for changes in drug laws, who say it exposes the White House’s effort to spin science in order to push its agenda of criminalizing drug use.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21774.shtml

Editorial FDA Loses Credibility With Jab at Medical Pot
Source: Star-Bulletin April 24, 2006 Hawaii
As the regulatory agency assigned to protect Americans against health risks, the Food and Drug Administration relies on scientific proof to maintain its credibility. That credibility took a dive last week when the FDA -- citing no studies whatsoever -- announced that "no sound scientific studies" support the medical use of marijuana.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21772.shtml

Editorial: FDA's Credibility Goes Up In Smoke *
Source: Delaware Online April 24, 2006 Delaware
The credibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is dead. Accusations of political influence to sway science and medicine have dogged agencies during the Bush administration. On Thursday, when the FDA declared that smoked marijuana "has no accepted or proven medical use," it undercut its own authority because the conclusion came from a combined review with federal drug enforcement, regulatory and science agencies.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21771.shtml

Commentary: Government Must Legalize Marijuana
Source: Daily Campus April 24, 2006 Connecticut*
This declaration, "Marijuana should be legalized in the United States," has long been a contentious issue. Social values, health concerns, economics and politics are all at work in the debate over legalizing marijuana.
The war on drugs has been a misguided and unfair attempt at regulating illicit drug use. During this campaign, which costs an estimated $35 billion a year, according to the Washington Post, marijuana was lumped into the same category as such hard drugs as cocaine and heroin and labeled as equally dangerous and addictive.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21769.shtml

Editorial: Marijuana Research? Don't Hold Your Breath
Source: Republican April 24, 2006 Massachusetts*
The United States Food and Drug Administration relies on the nation's top scientists and medical experts to determine whether a drug is safe or harmful. Sometimes, the decision is the result of studies done at public universities, such as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. On other occasions, it is based on a review by the government's own top scientists. That's mostly how it works.
Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21768.shtml

MEDICAL MARIJUANA: FDA REJECTING MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE DRAWS SCIENTIFIC CRITICISM
In direct contradiction to the federally-commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine report, the FDA Thursday issued a statement claiming that "no sound scientific studies" support the medical use of marijuana.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/432/fda.shtml

04-25-2006, 06:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
DdC Old School Status: Offline Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 1,672 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 353 Times in 238 Posts	The FDA's Reefer Madness By Barbara Quirk Source: Capital Times April 25, 2006 Wisconsin* Ah, marijuana. The "wicked weed" of the '60s is in the news again. This time, despite previous studies showing otherwise, the Food and Drug Administration said this past week that it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The FDA stated it had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use." Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21779.shtml Follow The Drug War Money By Paul Campos Source: Rocky Mountain News April 25, 2006 USA * This is the story of two drugs. The first, dexfenfluramine, was the active ingredient in the weight loss drug Redux. Although it was available in the U.S. and Canada for only about 18 months, it killed hundreds of people, and severely injured thousands more. The second is marijuana. Over the past several decades, tens of millions of people across North America have used this drug regularly. It has, as far as anybody knows, killed no one. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21778.shtml Potheads and Sudafed By John Tierney Source: New York Times April 25, 2006 USA * Police officers in the 1960's were fond of bumper stickers reading: "The next time you get mugged, call a hippie." Doctors today could use a variation: "The next time you're in pain, call a narc." Washington's latest prescription for patients in pain is the statement issued last week by the Food and Drug Administration on the supposed evils of medical marijuana. The F.D.A. is being lambasted, rightly, by scientists for ignoring some evidence that marijuana can help severely ill patients. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21777.shtml Press Release from The Drug Policy Alliance Politics Trumps Science in FDA's Medical Marijuana Statement Tuesday, April 25, 2006 The Food and Drug Administration released an advisory last week claiming that marijuana has no medicinal value, ignoring a substantial body of scientific evidence to the contrary. This announcement contradicts a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine, the scientific arm of the National Academy of Science, which said that marijuana has medical potential and should be tested in clinical trials. This report was issued by a panel of independent scientists and doctors who reviewed the body of scientific knowledge on the subject. The FDA statement, on the other hand, did not refer to any new science to support its claim. http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/042506fda.cfm Why the FDA is irrelevant http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/23.html#a1536 First, it's important to note (as major media outlets have already) that the recent controversial FDA comments were politically motivated, were wrong, and ignored scientific evidence. More on the FDA http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/22.html#a1535 New York Times editorial today The Bush administration's habit of politicizing its scientific agencies was on display again this week when the Food and Drug Administration, for no compelling reason, unexpectedly issued a brief, poorly documented statement disputing the therapeutic value of marijuana. FDA moves even further away from science and toward politics http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/2006/04/21.html#a1534 Under pressure from drug warriors, the FDA, released a statement opposing the use of medical marijuana. After a series of false statements claiming that "no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use, All Smoke By Sydney Spiesel Source: Slate April 24, 2006 USA* Last week, the Food and Drug Administration reported that it had definitively established that marijuana has no medical use or value. Definitively? Established? I don't think so. The FDA's announcement begins by acknowledging the claim that smoked marijuana may be beneficial for some conditions. Then the agency points out that among drugs with a potential for abuse, marijuana is lumped in with the most dangerous drugs, the ones that have no potential medical benefits and the highest likelihood of misuse. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21776.shtml Medical Marijuana is Nothing To Huff & Puff About By Sebastian Meyer Source: The Oracle April 24, 2006 Florida * Since President Richard Nixon declared an "all-out offensive" to curb the use of illegal drugs in the United States, the War on Drugs has mostly failed. Even though drug busts seem to be getting bigger each year, few today would agree that drug use is "America's public enemy No. 1," a statement Nixon made in 1971. However, vilification of even the most harmless drugs, including marijuana, was quite effective and has lead to marijuana also being withheld from medical uses that would benefit patients. It also has made an objective debate about legalization almost impossible. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21775.shtml MMJ Advocates Slam ‘Politicized’ FDA Report By Michelle Chen Source: NewStandard April 24, 2006 New York * Clashing with drug-policy reform groups and a growing body of scientific research, the federal government has stepped up its effort to invalidate marijuana as medicine. The Food and Drug Administration issued a statement last Thursday asserting that smoked marijuana has no proven medical benefits. The assessment sparked criticism from both the scientific community and activists pushing for changes in drug laws, who say it exposes the White House’s effort to spin science in order to push its agenda of criminalizing drug use. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21774.shtml Editorial FDA Loses Credibility With Jab at Medical Pot Source: Star-Bulletin April 24, 2006 Hawaii As the regulatory agency assigned to protect Americans against health risks, the Food and Drug Administration relies on scientific proof to maintain its credibility. That credibility took a dive last week when the FDA -- citing no studies whatsoever -- announced that "no sound scientific studies" support the medical use of marijuana. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21772.shtml Editorial: FDA's Credibility Goes Up In Smoke * Source: Delaware Online April 24, 2006 Delaware The credibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is dead. Accusations of political influence to sway science and medicine have dogged agencies during the Bush administration. On Thursday, when the FDA declared that smoked marijuana "has no accepted or proven medical use," it undercut its own authority because the conclusion came from a combined review with federal drug enforcement, regulatory and science agencies. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21771.shtml Commentary: Government Must Legalize Marijuana Source: Daily Campus April 24, 2006 Connecticut* This declaration, "Marijuana should be legalized in the United States," has long been a contentious issue. Social values, health concerns, economics and politics are all at work in the debate over legalizing marijuana. The war on drugs has been a misguided and unfair attempt at regulating illicit drug use. During this campaign, which costs an estimated $35 billion a year, according to the Washington Post, marijuana was lumped into the same category as such hard drugs as cocaine and heroin and labeled as equally dangerous and addictive. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21769.shtml Editorial: Marijuana Research? Don't Hold Your Breath Source: Republican April 24, 2006 Massachusetts* The United States Food and Drug Administration relies on the nation's top scientists and medical experts to determine whether a drug is safe or harmful. Sometimes, the decision is the result of studies done at public universities, such as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. On other occasions, it is based on a review by the government's own top scientists. That's mostly how it works. Read More... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21768.shtml MEDICAL MARIJUANA: FDA REJECTING MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE DRAWS SCIENTIFIC CRITICISM In direct contradiction to the federally-commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine report, the FDA Thursday issued a statement claiming that "no sound scientific studies" support the medical use of marijuana. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/432/fda.shtml