cannabisnews.com: Activists Challenge Feds on Marijuana





Activists Challenge Feds on Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on October 05, 2004 at 07:48:04 PT
By Josh Richman, Staff Writer
Source: Oakland Tribune 
A Berkeley-based organization announced Monday it will file a petition with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services charging the agency with putting politics over science on the issue of medical marijuana. Americans for Safe Access believes the department provides bad information on marijuana's value as medicine, in violation of law that requires federal agencies to rely on sound science.
ASA's goal is to force the department to admit publicly that marijuana is routinely used for medical treatment, which they hope would help clear the way for easing restrictions on access to medical marijuana. "The science on medical marijuana is sound," said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. "It's safe, effective medicine. For 30 years, our government has denied the medical research, but now we have law that requires them to use sound science." ASA held a news conference Monday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., announcing its new effort. Health and Human Services in 2001 reached a conclusion, after a Food and Drug Administration review, that "marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." ASA's petition claims established research, federal reports and patient experience all show marijuana works for pain, nausea, loss of appetite and spasticity. Nine states including California now have laws letting patients legally use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation; federal law still bans all cultivation, possession and use of marijuana.The U.S. Supreme Court in November will hear arguments on a case filed in part by Angel McClary Raich of Oakland, in which she and another patient claim the federal ban is an illegal overextension of congressional power that violates their constitutional rights. Note: Berkeley group wants U.S. recognition of medical use of pot.Source: Oakland Tribune (CA)Author:  Josh Richman, Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Website: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/It's Not Just Pot - It's Medicine, Says Grouphttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19594.shtmlInitiative Planned To Get Marijuana Curbs Easedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19589.shtmlGovernment Must Correct MMJ Misinformationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19579.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by Overwhelmsam on October 06, 2004 at 07:16:37 PT
In The Mean Time...
Vioxx was just recalled for causing heart attacks in 21,000 people !For all the collective intelligence in prohibitionists circles, I've never seen a people who are so stupid as a whole.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 05, 2004 at 16:39:11 PT
Related Article By Focus on the Family
Protest for Medical Marijuana Held at HHSBy Steve Jordahl, Correspondent October 5, 2004Pot proponents have an agenda beyond medical use of the drug. Medical marijuana advocates are protesting in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices in Washington, D.C., today. The group Americans for Safe Access wants to force the agency to make the drug available to patients. HHS has addressed the issue twice in the last five years and both times ruled the smokeable form of the drug should not be approved for medical use. "We're challenging that with a great deal of science to back us up under a relatively new law called the Data Quality Act," said Safe Access spokeswoman Hillary McQuie. That law requires federal agencies to use accurate information in the decision-making process. McQuie said they will try to show that marijuana is much less destructive than current pain medication. "They're very bad for your kidney and your internal organs, whereas marijuana is really quite benign for that and offers significant pain relief," McQuie said. But Dr. Davis Stevens, executive director of the Christian Medical Association, said that while traditional pain medication has side effects—especially opiates—so does marijuana. "(Marijuana's) side effects include cancer and anxiety, as well as the toxic effect of breathing in over 400 different active substances when smoked," Stevens said. "I think the bottom line issue on this drug is that we need more clinical studies and guidelines as well as standardization before we can really recommend its use." Many medical marijuana advocates are really trying to forward a more radical agenda: pot-legalization. "There is a core group of these people that see this as a gateway to making this acceptable within our culture, and of course that should raise concerns for all of us." Dr. Stevens thinks the protests will fail. Marijuana, by the way, is currently available as a controlled drug in a non-smoked form, called marinol. Copyright: 2004 Focus on the Familyhttp://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0034016.cfm
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Comment #2 posted by tokenitallup4162 on October 05, 2004 at 09:22:09 PT:
HOPE ALL GOES WELL
first al all, after reading some issues on reason.com, about how the government monitors certain sites for info and the likes., on drugs, It got me paranoid about writing some articles on here. lols, thats I got left to do, lols. ok, it helped the paranoing part,anyway!, by laughing that is. I see the issues of medicinal marijuana popping up everywhere these days. I just hope some of the supreme court judges have too !!! especially the lies our governments have told about drugs and its uses in our society. Not all drugs are good for all people, just like , not all people are good for all drugs! Marijuana, medicinal or not, will become an issue that will never ever go away. Propaganda or not, marijuana has and will always be an issue of some sort. Lets be thankful that the supreme court judges are at least looking at this case between Raich v Ashcroft. There was speculation that 4 judges on the supreme court are retiring. Lets hope the 4 will be the guiding light we all need shined upon our faces!!! I had an opportunity to tell my story to Mr. Kampia, from MPP, who called me yesterday. so, I know, that ONE voice can be heard. We are the cryers in the night, lest we sleep. Lets join our thoughts to the conscous of goodness. And HOPE ALL ENDS WELL FOR THE GOODNESS OF MANKIND. Good luck and Godspeed to our judges of the UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. 
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on October 05, 2004 at 07:58:25 PT
Scary time is here!
I will be biting my nails come December/January.  This Supreme Court case sure seems like a bet it all, double-or-nothing situation. If we win, no state government will be able to use the "medical MJ goes against the federal government" argument again.If we lose, every working state law in the country will be struck down. I don't trust the Supremes at all. They're corrupt as hell. What if Dick Cheney takes Rehnquist out to kill some more animals & tells him to squash the case? What if they're just straight-up bribed? I'll be saying my prayers to Jah on this one...
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