The American Medical Association changed its position on marijuana this week, saying that cannabis’ classification as a controlled substance should be reviewed “with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods.”
Marijuana reform activists received this bit of promising news just as Scene was going to print with an article about medical marijuana in Ohio (“Smokescreen”). Cher Neufer, a Lodi-based activist and spokeswoman for Ohio NORML, hails the announcement as a “baby step” toward greater reform.
The medical association, until this week, had maintained that cannabis should remain a Schedule I drug (alongside heroin, PCP and LSD) under the Controlled Substance Act. The association says its policy change isn’t an endorsement of state medical marijuana programs.
However, Neufer says the change gives marijuana reform opponents one less weapon in the war on pot. Drug warriors have always pointed to the AMA’s stance when arguing against reform. “Now the AMA has changed its tune, and that’s a good thing,” Neufer says.
The Marijuana Policy Project, a national advocacy group, called the AMA’s announcement “historic,” saying marijuana’s Schedule I status is “scientifically untenable” and “an obstacle to needed research,” according to a statement.
The AMA isn’t the first medical organization to question the federal classification. The American College of Physicians and the American Nurses Association have expressed support for medical marijuana research, says Rob Ryan, of the Ohio Patient Network, a state medical marijuana advocacy group. — Damian Guevara
This article appears in Nov 11-17, 2009.
A local doctor sent Scene this email:
“I am a physician in the Cleveland area and would like to remain annonymous. I want you to understand something about what I read in that small blurb. “with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods”. As you may already know, the medical profession is becomining more and more a puppet of the pharmaceutical industry. There are already “medications” available that are based on cannabis. One of them is Marinol (synthetic THC). No one likes this medication because it has a lot of undesireable side effects. Another medication that is in use in Europe is Sativex (an alcohol based spray that delivers a cannabinoid). I ask you, why is it OK for a pharmaceutical company to legally sell marijuana based products for huge profits, when we can grow organic plants, for minimal cost, with far fewer side effects and more benefits? (When you isolate specific chemicals in marijuana, you lose the beneficial interaction of THC with the hundreds of different cannabinoids found in each plant). The answer, obviously, is that the number one lobby in government, Big Pharma, won’t make any money this way. Some argue that if we allow people to self-medicate with home grown herbs, they will have more health problems because of smoking. However, study after study shows that smoking marijuana does not increase cancer risk, and may actually prevent it. There is also the assumption that the only way people ingest marijuana is through smoking it (which I would discourage anyone to do). There are much healthier ways to ingest marijuana through oral ingestion, or with the use of a vaporizer (which I do encourage). Although I am glad to hear about this change in my professional organization, the AMA, I am concerned that this will be another angle for Big Pharma to pursue more profits at our expense. Cannabis should be regulated like alcohol (a much more dangerous drug), and it should be made completely legal for people 21 years and older. We need to keep Big Pharma out of this.
thank you doctor. its about time. myself i want drug crime out of our neighborhoods without further violence from either side. . Our children play in our neighborhoods and i see no harm in getting rid of the crime part of this thing people like to enjoy. Why should someone be subject to arrest if they do not support alcohol profit? We need medical marijuana to lower alcohol crime and alcohol related crime. We really need to tax and regulate marijauana. Our neighborhoods and police would be one drug safer from violence.
We need a diversion from alcohol.