cannabisnews.com: Drugs Are To Help, Not Harm Drugs Are To Help, Not Harm Posted by FoM on November 14, 2001 at 08:42:51 PT By Asa Hutchinson Source: USA Today The Drug Enforcement Administration, in carrying out our mandated responsibilities under the Controlled Substances Act, ensures that narcotics and other controlled substances are used only for the health, safety and general welfare of the American people. The American public must be confident that these drugs are used for legitimate medical purposes and will cause no undue harm to patients.And that is why the DEA has determined that narcotics or other dangerous drugs controlled by federal law may not be legally dispensed to assist suicide. At the same time, the DEA is sensitive to pain-sufferers and all of those who are striving to diminish the pain and suffering of the dying. We are advocates for compassionate end-of-life care and fully support physicians' use of appropriate medications to alleviate pain, within the context of the doctor-patient relationship.Physicians are encouraged to prescribe suitable medications for pain relief, even if dosages to properly control pain entail the risks of hastening death.The DEA's regulations have long required that federally controlled drugs be prescribed only for "a legitimate medical purpose." There is a clear consensus in the medical profession that assisting suicide is not a legitimate medical purpose. The laws of an overwhelming majority of states prohibit the practice because it endangers health and safety and is inconsistent with the public interest.Further, the Supreme Court recently upheld the use of federal laws to govern controlled substances, regardless of what state laws might provide.This judgment prohibits states from allowing practices contrary to federal law. In Oregon, for example, where assisted suicide is allowed by state statute, it is illegal under federal law for physicians to prescribe narcotics for the purpose of assisting suicide. However, both federal and state laws allow physicians to prescribe medications for pain relief.Federally controlled drugs should not be used to kill patients or to enable them to kill themselves.Instead, it is vitally important that doctors be encouraged to use them for pain control, which is one of the most important positive alternatives to suicide.Asa Hutchinson is administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Newshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch IINORML Media & CommunicationsSource: USA Today (US)Author: Asa Hutchinson Published: November 13, 2001 Copyright: 2001 USA Today, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.Contact: editor usatoday.comWebsite: http://www.usatoday.com/Related Articles:Pot Clubs Bracing for DEA Crackdown http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11333.shtmlDEA Marijuana Madness http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11319.shtmlDrug Agency Nominee Talks Tough Enforcement http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10323.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by Zero_G on November 14, 2001 at 17:03:24 PT: CSA Constitutional Challenge Just read this:[regarding SCOTUS MMJ decision]But California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who submitted an amicus brief in support of the cooperative, called the ruling "unfortunate." In that Feb. 20, 2001, brief, Lockyer wrote that the "Controlled Substance Act ( CSA ) unduly interferes with the Ninth Amendment ability of the states to enact voter approved legislation." He added that "states are entitled to create an exception for cannabis under the [CSA] because of the traditional state interest in regulating for the health, safety and welfare of its citizens." The federal law prohibiting the use of cannabis by seriously ill people in California also "violates traditional notions of state sovereignty protected by the Tenth Amendment." A new constitutional challenge has been filed in the 9th Circuit, arguing that the federal government has no authority to interfere with medical marijuana in California under the Interstate Commerce Clause, and that the federal law violates the Fifth, Ninth and 10th Amendments. Full text here: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1912/a08.html Newshawk: Steve Kubby www.pot-tv.net/archive/series/pottvseries-74-0.html Pubdate: Sat, 10 Nov 2001 Source: Frontiers Newsmagazine (CA) Copyright: 2001 Mercury Capital Publishing, Inc. Contact: letters2editor frontiersweb.com Website: http://www.frontiersweb.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1610 Author: Karen Ocamb [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by schmeff on November 14, 2001 at 15:51:12 PT Asa Hypocritchison ...the DEA is sensitive to pain-sufferers and all of those who are striving to diminish the pain and suffering of the dying. We .....fully support physicians' use of appropriate medications to alleviate pain, within the context of the doctor-patient relationship.Doesn't really jive with the idea of raiding Medical MJ clinics in CA, does it? This is because, in the view of the DEA, the doctor doesn't have the final say regarding what medications are 'appropriate'. This decision rests solely with the DEA, an agency with no Constitutional authority to exist at all, let alone being mandated to practice medicine without a license. Even the name is an exercise in Doublespeak...how does one enforce a drug?Hutchison couldn't even define a drug, let alone enforce one. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by E_Johnson on November 14, 2001 at 15:43:48 PT And the burqua was to protect women, right The Afghan people are chasing their Taliban out of the country.Isn't it time we did the same to ours? [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Zero_G on November 14, 2001 at 10:33:28 PT: CSA - Constitutional justification It took a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit (and then repeal said prohibition) alcohol, why is it different for other substances?The Federal Government started using the Interstate Commerce clause as justification for increasing its scope into many areas, one of them drug control. As Clint Werner mentions, Clarence Thomas specifically pointed out that this remains unajudicated.However, every time I have pointed this out to attorneys, in private conversation, none has wanted to take on a case based on such an argument, and futhermore, mentioned that if I were threatened with prosecution, I shouldn't rely on such an argument, either.Thankfully, all conversations were purely hypothetical. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 14, 2001 at 10:20:33 PT Thanks Dr. Russo I just put a bookmark where Clint's article starts. I will read it later on today. Welcome Clint to Cannabis News! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Ethan Russo MD on November 14, 2001 at 10:08:48 PT: Advertising Clint Werner has a fabulous article on the social history of cannabis in HIV/AIDS treatment in the current Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics. Check it out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by fivepounder on November 14, 2001 at 10:03:54 PT Asa Asa is such an ass. Maybe wnen he was a kid that was his nicname. Do-gooders like him made my blood boil also. So what if someone is at the end of life suffering. He has the compassion of a slug. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Clint Werner on November 14, 2001 at 09:59:18 PT: Asa's ignorance Asa H. Wrote: Futher, the Supreme court recently upheld the use of federal laws to govern controlled substances, regardless of what state laws might provide. Actually, in the medical marijuana case, the Court held that the "medical necessity" defense was not a valid justification for violating federal law. In a footnote, Clarence Thomas, pointed out that the Court was not ruling on the appropriateness of the Controlled Substances Act's justification through the Interstate Commerce clause of the Constitution. He seemed to invite a challange of the CSA's authority to regulate state only drug matters. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 14, 2001 at 09:47:28 PT One More Thing I want to clarify what I meant by helping someone is helping someone dull pain not suicide. I believe that if a person wants to end their life it is their life to do with what they want but if we can make the pain more tolerable people will want to live longer and make more memories because in the end that's all that will matter. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 14, 2001 at 09:38:31 PT Here I Go Again I really work hard at staying calm. There are certain things that set me off and this is one of them. Once a person has walked the walk with someone they love that is dying and dying slowly and in unbelievable pain articles like this or should I say Asa Hutchinson really makes my blood boil. I will help someone if at all possible and no one will stop me. Lock me up and throw away the key and I'll try again as soon as they let me out. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Ethan Russo MD on November 14, 2001 at 09:25:55 PT: Let's Face the Fact True pain control in the 21st century requires the addition of cannabis and cannabis extracts to the available armamentarium. No politician has the right to say he knows better. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by sudaca on November 14, 2001 at 09:15:32 PT What are they "appropriate medications" , as determined by the piece of legislature created by a rather hard to qualify body of politicos sometime in early last century. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 14, 2001 at 08:50:44 PT Federally Controlled Federally controlled drugs should not be used to kill patients or to enable them to kill themselves.Drugs and herbs weren't federally controlled in decades past, one day these current policies will be proved wrong. One day we'll trust our doctors to use what's effective. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment