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Bellatrix

It's Not Just Pot - It's Medicine, says Advocacy Group

by Stefanie Hubbs | axcess news | October 4th, 2003

Representatives of a 10,000-member coalition of doctors and patients are storming the capital in a fresh attempt to ease federal restrictions on the medical use of Marijuana.


Oct 4, 2004 (AXcess News) New York - Claiming it's not about getting stoned, representatives of a 10,000-member coalition of doctors and patients are storming the capital in a fresh attempt to ease federal restrictions on the medical use of Marijuana.

"Without cannabis, I'm pretty much a basket case," said Michael Krawitz, 40, a disabled Air Force veteran from Ironto, Va., who uses the illicit drug to treat service-related injuries.

At a press conference Monday, Krawitz wore a red-and-white T-shirt declaring himself a medical Marijuana user. "I don't know how to say this any clearer - I need this medicine," he said. "And the government needs to get out of my way so I can have it."

Americans for Safe Access, a Berkley, Calif., patient-advocacy group filed a petition Monday with the Department of Health and Human Services that charges the agency with spreading information that undermines the medicinal properties of Marijuana.

Tuesday the group will protest at HHS headquarters. Hilary McQuie, a protest organizer, said in a statement that busloads of patients will come from all over the country to demand that the government review its stance on medical Marijuana.

The group is harnessing the power of the little-known Data Quality Act - a law that, until now, has mostly been used by businesses to challenge scientific reports that could cost them money. Reversing the law's corporate trend, Americans for Safe Access says it is the first liberal, non-profit group to use Data Quality on behalf of U.S. patients. The law gives citizens the right to dispute scientific information disseminated by government agencies and requires the agencies to respond to petitions within two months.

Bellatrix; I strongly recommend you check out the link (the next time some prohibitionist tries to tell you that the FDA is actually looking out for their health, tell them about this). The Disinfopedia also has some information on this dirty little law that inlcudes a link to big tabacco. Kudos to Americans for Safe Access for turning this weapon to our advantage!

In 2001, HHS concluded that "Marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."

Steph Sherer, ASA executive director, said the goal of the petition is to dismiss this and other government assertions that Marijuana is dangerous and not medically effective.

David Murray, a policy analyst with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said there is no such thing as "medical Marijuana." He said the Food and Drug Administration has reviewed these claims and found them to be contradictory.

"This is a bit of a ruse and a bit of a sideshow," Murray said. "To date, there is no literature showing a currently acceptable use of Marijuana. The abuse potential and the hazards of smoking outweigh any claims of value."

Bellatrix; all with the aid of google....

1. Vermont Medical Marijuana Task Force
2. Cannabis in Migraines Treatment Study
3. The La Guardia Committee Report

I could go on and on and on. I fouind all of this in five minutes. More than enough to call Murray what he is - a lying murderer.

Murray said the ASA petition is a political prop to open the doors to recreational Marijuana use!!!! Omigod!!!. He said that, even though researchers may someday find effective medicines to extract from the cannabis plant, it is hazardous to smoke it.

Sherer said, however, that the drug has proven valuable for patients with cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, spinal injury and other conditions. She said she founded ASA in 2002 after she began using Marijuana to combat chronic back pain related to a spinal injury.

Nine states, including Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, have laws permitting patients to use Marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. But these state laws are at odds with federal prohibitions classifying Marijuana as a "Schedule I" drug, along with heroin, LSD and peyote, that have no medical use. The ASA petition could allow the Drug Enforcement Administration to declare it a "Schedule II" drug, which would make Marijuana more easily available for research and prescription purposes.

At the press conference, physicians endorsed the use of Marijuana as medicine, as did a research biologist, the attorney who prepared the legal petition and a handful of patients.

Dennis J. Petro, a consulting neurologist at Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, said his studies have found that cannabis significantly reduces muscle spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis. He said his results are confirmed by seven other double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

"There is no magic drug that works for everyone all the time," said Robert J. Melamede, biology department chair at the University of Colorado. "But there are many, many people who will benefit from Marijuana use because of the way it affects their system. And the argument that we don't know the chemicals that are in this plant is really very false."

Melamede said the U.S. government's stance on Marijuana goes against scientific research.

Erin Hildebrandt, 33, a Portland, Ore., resident who has Crohn's disease, said she recently moved 3,000 miles from her home in Maryland just so she could have easier access to Marijuana. The mother of five children, Hildebrandt said Marijuana is the only drug that gives her relief from the debilitating gastrointestinal disorder.

Through teary eyes, Hildebrandt said, "All I want is to be a law-abiding citizen. I want my kids to know that it's important to work within our system. I want them to be able to look up to me."

Source: Scripps Howard Foundation Wire

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Puffer

Beware the deceptive wording used in "Marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," which has become a common catch-phrase used by increasing numbers of medical Marijuana opponents. But, what does it really mean?

The deception comes in the word “accepted.” In this instance, it means only that HHS is free to accept, or reject, anything it damned well pleases (as are we all). Were they making an honest statement to represent their idea, however, they should have written, "Marijuana has no currently proven medical use in treatment in the United States." But then, everyone would know they’re telling a lie.

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Just say "know" to marijuana!

Growguy

It's saying that a plant can't be medicine. They're saying it needs to processed and altered so it can be patented and marketed. Saying a plant itself has medicinal value would be terrible for buisness. Think about how much money pharma companies make each year. Now, if everyone could create their own medicine by planting a few seeds, what precedent would this set? Healing... in the hands of the people?

The world is in a sad state

Silva Haze J

I wonder why he mentions smoking it is hazardous, which smoking anything causes problems with your lungs. But you can also eat it, which I've seen many stories in the news about people with AIDs that eat it, not smoke it, and they live long past their expected life. I think eventually Marijuana will be labled as a Schedule II drug, because obviously it is the only drug that works for a lot of AIDs patients in gaining and maintaining weight.