cannabisnews.com: Group Challenges U.S. Marijuana Law Group Challenges U.S. Marijuana Law Posted by CN Staff on October 06, 2004 at 08:39:50 PT By Jacqueline Soohoo and Enily Solovieff Source: Daily Californian A Berkeley-based medical marijuana advocacy group filed a legal petition against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monday, in an attempt to force the department to change its stringent policies on the drug. The group, Americans for Safe Access, argue that the department’s stance on medical marijuana violates the Data Quality Act, which requires the federal government to use reliable scientific information in decision-making. In 2001, the department concluded that “scientific and medical evaluation reaffirms expressly that marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” But medical marijuana activists say this stance ignores current scientific evidence for the uses of the drug, said the group’s campaign director Hilary McQuie. “We filed the petition because the document that HHS presented to deny the rescheduling of marijuana was inaccurate, biased and incomplete,” McQuie said. Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug—along with heroin and LSD—and has no accepted medical use in the United States. The organization is seeking to push the department to recognize that many doctors believe medical marijuana is useful in treating patients, McQuie said. If successful, there would be one less hurdle to reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule 2 drug, which would allow it to be prescribed legally at the federal level, McQuie said. McQuie said she has high hopes for the petition. “People are very excited—it’s a new approach,” she said. “There’s a lot of momentum right now so it seems like it has a fighting chance. I think we can definitely see marijuana being rescheduled during the next presidential term.” Nine states, including California, currently allow patients to obtain medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription. The cultivation, sale and use of the drug, however, remains illegal under federal law, leading to tension between states and the federal government. But some activists for medical marijuana say it is essential to reform the current federal law. “It’s important so that patients can get safe access to their medicine and not live in fear of arrest or have to obtain it on the black market,” McQuie said. Although Berkeley hosts a Medical Marijuana Week, the sale and cultivation of medical marijuana continue to be hot-button topics in the city. On Sept. 21, the Berkeley City Council passed an ordinance creating a three dispensary quota for the city. Three dispensaries already operate within city limits. Measure R—the Patient's Access to Medical Cannabis Act of 2004—will appear on Berkeley ballots Nov. 2, which would help make medical marijuana easier for qualified patients to obtain. Opponents of the measure argue that the new law would exempt new medical marijuana outlets from review and approval by the city. Source: Daily Californian, The (CA Edu)Author: Jacqueline Soohoo and Emily Solovieff, Contributing WritersPublished: Wednesday, October 6, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Daily CalifornianContact: dailycal dailycal.orgWebsite: http://www.dailycal.org/Related Articles & Web Sites:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmActivists Challenge Feds on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19595.shtmlIt's Not Just Pot - It's Medicine, Says Grouphttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19594.shtmlMedical Pot Measure Lands on Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19058.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 06, 2004 at 12:46:32 PT Press Release from DPFCA DPFCA: Medical Marijuana Patients Arrested at D.C. Protest NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedical Marijuana Patients Arrested Today at D.C. Protest Civil Disobedience on Steps of Health and Human Services Results in 14 in Custody(Washington, D.C.) Tuesday, October 5, 2004 – Capitol Police this morning arrested 14 medical marijuana patients and their supporters, including the executive director of a national advocacy group, for civil disobedience on the steps of the Department of Health and Human Services. They were part of scores of protestors who had turned out to demand the federal government acknowledge that marijuana has medical use and change its policies.Yesterday the advocacy group organizing the protest, Americans for Safe Access, filed a legal petition with HHS under the Data Quality Act, alleging that the department is violating the Data Quality Act, which says that federal agencies must use sound science in developing policies and disseminating information.“This agency can fix this problem today,” said Americans for Safe Access executive director Steph Sherer, who was among those arrested this morning. “The sick and suffering should not have to choose between their health and the law.”The arrested protestors include patients with Multiple Sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and spinal injuries. They are currently being held by Capitol Police at First District Headquarters, 415 4th St. SW, Washington D.C. (202-727-4655). They are expected to be released later today.###Americans for Safe Access is a national coalition of 10,000 patients, doctors and advocates. For interviews or more information, contact Kris Hermes at (650) 228-4964 or Hilary McQuie at (510) 333-8554. -- ---- Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 06, 2004 at 09:32:27 PT News Brief from The San Mateo County Times Area Activists Arrested in D.C. Staff ReportWednesday, October 06, 2004 Four Bay Area activists were among more than a dozen arrested Tuesday for civil disobedience on the steps of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., as they protested federal marijuana policy. Steph Sherer of Oakland, executive director of Berkeley-based Americans for Safe Access; Stacey Swimme of Oakland; and John Shaw and Alex Franco, both of San Francisco, were taken into custody but released later in the day. Several dozen protesters had turned out to demand the federal government acknowledge marijuana has medical use and change its policies. Americans for Safe Access on Monday filed a legal petition with HHS claiming the department is violating the Data Quality Act, which requires federal agencies to use sound science in developing policies and disseminating information. Copyright: 2004 by MediaNews Group, Inc.http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~2425~2449070,00.html [ Post Comment ] Post Comment