Medical Marijuana One Step Away from FDA Development Process
The News Review:
- Medical Marijuana One Step Away from FDA Development Process
- Marijuana Smoking May Worsen COPD
- Arizona sees large rise in marijuana seizures
- The pot doc is in
- Police Are Buckling Down
- Court log for May 27
- FIVE QUESTIONS For Cathryn Jakobson Ramin Explaining the science…
Medical Marijuana One Step Away from FDA Development Process
Bay Area Indymedia – May 27, 2007
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on May 15, calling on the agency to end a forty-year government monopoly on the supply of research-grade marijuana available for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved studies. With this monopoly broken, new studies could lead to medical marijuana’s availability in pharmacies as a legal, prescription drug. DEA Deputy Administrator Michele Leonhart must now accept the judge’s recommendation in order for the ruling to take effect, though she has no deadline for doing so and may choose to reject the recommendation. “Medical marijuana is one step away from the FDA development process, where it should be. Science, not politics, needs to determine whether medical marijuana should be made legal, and the DEA has so far tried to block the scientific process,” said University of Massachusetts-Amherst Professor Lyle Craker, who six years ago petitioned DEA for a license to grow research-grade marijuana for use in privately-funded, FDA-approved studies that aim to develop the plant into a legal, prescription medicine. “I hope that the Deputy Administrator acts quickly to allow this critical research to move forward… DEA Deputy Administrator Michele Leonhart must now accept the judge’s recommendation in order for the ruling to take effect, though she has no deadline for doing so and may choose to reject the recommendation. “Medical marijuana is one step away from the FDA development process, where it should be. Science, not politics, needs to determine whether medical marijuana should be made legal, and the DEA has so far tried to block the scientific process,” said University of Massachusetts-Amherst Professor Lyle Craker, who six years ago petitioned DEA for a license to grow research-grade marijuana for use in privately-funded, FDA-approved studies that aim to develop the plant into a legal, prescription medicine. “I hope that the Deputy Administrator acts quickly to allow this critical research to move forward. ” On May 15, DEA Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner submitted her recommendation to the DEA’s Deputy Administrator in which she found that it is “in the public interest” to end the federal monopoly on the supply of marijuana that can be used in FDA-approved research, held by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Following nine days of hearings, testimony and evidence from both sides, including from researchers who reported that the government denied their requests for marijuana for use in FDA-approved research protocols, Judge Bittner concluded that, “NIDA’s system for evaluating requests for marijuana has resulted in some researchers who hold DEA registrations and requisite approval from [HHS and FDA] being unable to conduct their research because NIDA has refused to provide them with marijuana. I therefore find that the existing supply is not adequate.
Marijuana Smoking May Worsen COPD
BBSNews – May 27, 2007
In other words, adding cannabis smoking to cigarette
smoking increased the risk by one-third, said Dr. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. The odds of cigarette
smokers having any respiratory symptoms was 2. 4 times that of
nonsmokers, while the odds of someone who smoked both
cigarettes and cannabis having respiratory symptoms was 18
times higher.
Arizona sees large rise in marijuana seizures
wfaa.com – May 27, 2007
– In a year of ongoing drought, grass has been greener in Arizona – for law enforcement agencies. They’re having a bountiful year harvesting marijuana loads from smugglers. According to a program that coordinates drug control efforts, there has been a 25 percent jump in the number of reported pot seizures in the state from Oct. 1 through April 30 over the same period a year earlier. In fact, pot seizures are up across the Southwest so far this fiscal year, except in New Mexico. Seizures in West and South Texas have shot up by 54 percent and have increased 14 percent in California.
The pot doc is in
Union of Grass Valley – The Union of Grass Valley – May 27, 2007
Others have multiple sclerosis, cancer, migraines, fibromyalgia or colitis. He also has treated people for attention deficit disorder, including teenagers. Cannabis can have anti-ADD qualities, he said. He rejects a common argument that marijuana is a "gateway drug," and he said he cannot control people who choose to overuse it. "You can’t control overuse" of marijuana any more than the overuse of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Banister said. "I leave that up to the patient. "And he said there is "no evidence" that marijuana use leads to addiction to harder drugs.
Police Are Buckling Down
Washington Post – May 27, 2007
They ended up arresting three people on drug charges. In one instance, a woman drove up and opened her window. “The odor of marijuana was bellowing out of the car,” said Lt. Randy Stephens, commander of the State Police barracks in La Plata. He said the driver and a male passenger were cooperative, telling officers where to find their bags of pot. When police set up such road stops, they must give drivers enough warning so that they can turn off to another road if they don’t want to stop… He said the driver and a male passenger were cooperative, telling officers where to find their bags of pot. When police set up such road stops, they must give drivers enough warning so that they can turn off to another road if they don’t want to stop. Instead of turning off, though, the driver made a U-turn. This, of course, attracted the attention of an officer at the observation post, where patrol cars are specifically set up to follow people who avoid the traffic stop. If the motorist weaves or rolls through a stop sign or makes some other driving error — which the U-turn driver allegedly did, in this case — he can be stopped. When the officer pulled over the vehicle, he noticed marijuana odor coming out of the car when the windows were rolled down.
Court log for May 27
phillyBurbs.com – May 27, 2007
, born 1977, Bensalem, pleaded guilty to theft Nov 16. Sentenced to probation of 18 months. Andrew James Laverty, born 1970, Levittown, pleaded guilty to terroristic threats, simple assault Oct 26. Sentenced to probation of 5 years, given credit for time served, must have no contact with victim. BRISTOL BOROUGH
Franklin Clark, born 1979, address unknown, pleaded guilty to robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, eluding law enforcement, related summary offenses, accident involving damage, failure to render aid, driving without license Dec 15. Sentenced to confinement of 2-4 years, given credit for time served, probation of 3 years, ordered to pay restitution of $2,326.
FIVE QUESTIONS For Cathryn Jakobson Ramin Explaining the science…
San Francisco Chronicle – May 27, 2007
People want to know if the drugs that they did in college could be responsible for the situation. The jury is somewhat out on that. There are definitely consequences, in terms of working memory, to smoking marijuana. Numerous studies have come out showing that even a brief short-term experience with marijuana will affect short-term memory for several days or even a week. Studies of people who smoked marijuana 20 or 30 years ago showed no significant brain changes; it’s really the ongoing or current use of the drug. Other drugs have much more severe repercussions. I have a picture of what Ecstasy does to your brain.