Challenge To Federal Medical Pot Policy Helped By V.A. Change
By Steve Elliott
Jul. 29 2010
Medical marijuana patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) filed an important legal brief on Wednesday to correct statements made by the federal government that "marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."
The ASA legal filing points to a policy directive issued last week by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), recognizing medical marijuana and distinguishing it from other illegal controlled substances.
In its brief, ASA says that the VHA directive bolsters advocates' arguments that marijuana does indeed have medical value.
"Recognition of marijuana's therapeutic benefits by a federal agency makes it more difficult for the government to argue against marijuana's medical value," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, who filed the notice with the court.
"The government's reasons for maintaining an outdated and harmful position on medical marijuana are running out," Elford said.
In the July 22 policy directive, the VHA reversed its position that medical marijuana is no different than other banned controlled substances, and instructed VA physicians that "patients participating in state medical marijuana programs must not be denied VHA services."
"If a veteran obtains and uses medical marijuana in a manner consistent with state law, testing positive for marijuana would not preclude the veteran from receiving opioids for pain management," clarified Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel of the Department for Veterans Affairs in a July 6 letter (reproduced below) to veteran advocate Michael Krawitz.
"Standard pain management agreements should draw a clear distinction between the use of illegal drugs, and legal medical marijuana," Petzel wrote in the letter.
ASA said it has received numerous reports of veterans being denied pain medication for refusing to discontinue their use of medical marijuana.
In many cases, the therapeutic use of marijuana has significantly reduced the need for harsh pharmaceutical medication.
ASA filed its lawsuit in February 2007 in an attempt to correct the governmenet's position on medical marijuana.
After the challenge was denied by the U.S. District Court, ASA filed an appeal in April 2008 and is still awaiting a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
ASA's lawsuit was preceded by an administrative petition filed in 2005 under the Data Quality Act, a law passed during the Clinton Administration to ensure that the government bases its policy decisions on sound science and not politics.
More than 100,000 veterans, or 27 percent of veterans treated by the VA, have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, an advocacy group headed by Krawitz.
Based on reports received by ASA, PTSD is one of the most common medical conditions that veterans treat using medical marijuana.
Source & brief
Challenge To Federal Medical Pot Policy Helped By V.A. Chang
Re: Challenge To Federal Medical Pot Policy Helped By V.A. C
Hopefully bringing down this lie.Puffin13 wrote:statements made by the federal government that "marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."
Amazing that they can get away with a law saying marijuana has no medical uses whatsoever, yet the US Federal government has a REGISTERED PATENT on medical marijuana. Or to be more precise, a patent on "cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants".
See for yourself (if you haven't already!):
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507.html
Patent 6630507
Issued on October 7, 2003
"Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention."
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USbongLord
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Re: Challenge To Federal Medical Pot Policy Helped By V.A. C
bleak wrote:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507.html
Patent 6630507
Issued on October 7, 2003
"Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention."
THOSE BASTARDS
We need a frealess attorney...... to challenge
I'd challenge the validity of the Patent
this got me thinking and looking
ha.... I found this...
IF I HAD A BOAT LOAD OF MONEY, I"D SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERMANT
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus/marinol_long.html
expert....
In 1980, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) began experimental distribution of a new drug called Marinol, an oral form of THC (the primary active ingredient in marijuana), to cancer patients in San Francisco. Simultaneously, six states conducted studies comparing smoked marijuana to oral THC in cancer patients who had not responded to traditional antivomiting medication. These state-sponsored studies revealed that thousands of patients found marijuana safer and more effective than synthetic THC. Meanwhile, the NCI experiments showed that some patients responded well to Marinol, although one patient reportedly stormed into her doctor's office and accused him of trying to poison her with the drug (the doctor later dropped out of NCI's experimental program). Confronted with two different medical recommendations, the government chose to dismiss the state studies and give Marinol the green light. In 1981, the government sold the Marinol patent to a small pharmaceutical company named Unimed based in Somerville, New Jersey. By 1985, after one unsuccessful attempt at FDA approval, Marinol was finally approved as a Schedule II drug (a relatively quick approval by FDA standards). Thus, Unimed, with government backing, began targeting terminal cancer patients in order to accumulate profit.
With Marinol's acceptance behind them, executives at Unimed launched a massive sales enterprise in conjunction with their distributor Roxanne Laboratories, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Boehringer-Ingelheim. A combined sales force of about 60 people roamed the country promoting Marinol to oncologists and AIDS doctors. Building from early profits, Unimed invested money into testing new uses for Marinol. In 1992, the drug received approval as an appetite stimulant for patients with AIDS cachexia, otherwise known as wasting away syndrome. This new use coupled with Marinol's recent approvals in various international markets, like South Africa (where it is marketed under the trade name Elevat) with its incredibly high AIDS rate, along with Canada, Puerto Rico, Israel, and Australia, significantly boosted Unimed's profits and prestige. Furthermore, the FDA granted Marinol the highly prized Orphan Drug Status, a privilege that allowed Unimed exclusive manufacturing rights to Marinol, as well as protocol assistance, and tax breaks for its investors. As a business, Unimed still specializes primarily in niche pharmaceutical markets, namely AIDS drugs. However, among the few drugs manufactured by Unimed, Marinol easily garners the highest profits, drawing in over 90% of total revenues. Unimed has reported greater sales nearly every year since 1985, reaching a high of $9.7 million in 1995. President and CEO Stephen Simes predicted that sales will reach between $50-100 million by the year 2000. Based on their growth rate, this figure seems unlikely; however, the company clearly has high hopes.
SO HOW MUCH WOULD THAT BE IN TODAYS MONEY
BONGLORD.... RIGHT AGAIN.....its it....all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$
ha.... I found this...
IF I HAD A BOAT LOAD OF MONEY, I"D SUE THE FEDERAL GOVERMANT
http://www.iowatelecom.net/~sharkhaus/marinol_long.html
expert....
In 1980, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) began experimental distribution of a new drug called Marinol, an oral form of THC (the primary active ingredient in marijuana), to cancer patients in San Francisco. Simultaneously, six states conducted studies comparing smoked marijuana to oral THC in cancer patients who had not responded to traditional antivomiting medication. These state-sponsored studies revealed that thousands of patients found marijuana safer and more effective than synthetic THC. Meanwhile, the NCI experiments showed that some patients responded well to Marinol, although one patient reportedly stormed into her doctor's office and accused him of trying to poison her with the drug (the doctor later dropped out of NCI's experimental program). Confronted with two different medical recommendations, the government chose to dismiss the state studies and give Marinol the green light. In 1981, the government sold the Marinol patent to a small pharmaceutical company named Unimed based in Somerville, New Jersey. By 1985, after one unsuccessful attempt at FDA approval, Marinol was finally approved as a Schedule II drug (a relatively quick approval by FDA standards). Thus, Unimed, with government backing, began targeting terminal cancer patients in order to accumulate profit.
With Marinol's acceptance behind them, executives at Unimed launched a massive sales enterprise in conjunction with their distributor Roxanne Laboratories, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Boehringer-Ingelheim. A combined sales force of about 60 people roamed the country promoting Marinol to oncologists and AIDS doctors. Building from early profits, Unimed invested money into testing new uses for Marinol. In 1992, the drug received approval as an appetite stimulant for patients with AIDS cachexia, otherwise known as wasting away syndrome. This new use coupled with Marinol's recent approvals in various international markets, like South Africa (where it is marketed under the trade name Elevat) with its incredibly high AIDS rate, along with Canada, Puerto Rico, Israel, and Australia, significantly boosted Unimed's profits and prestige. Furthermore, the FDA granted Marinol the highly prized Orphan Drug Status, a privilege that allowed Unimed exclusive manufacturing rights to Marinol, as well as protocol assistance, and tax breaks for its investors. As a business, Unimed still specializes primarily in niche pharmaceutical markets, namely AIDS drugs. However, among the few drugs manufactured by Unimed, Marinol easily garners the highest profits, drawing in over 90% of total revenues. Unimed has reported greater sales nearly every year since 1985, reaching a high of $9.7 million in 1995. President and CEO Stephen Simes predicted that sales will reach between $50-100 million by the year 2000. Based on their growth rate, this figure seems unlikely; however, the company clearly has high hopes.
SO HOW MUCH WOULD THAT BE IN TODAYS MONEY
BONGLORD.... RIGHT AGAIN.....its it....all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Marco wrote:That is it. Various agencies in all levels of government in the USA make massive amounts of money from the drug war. We are talking 100,000s of jobs based on this bullshit alone.USBONGLORD wrote:greed dictating government policy....
They can still keep some type of war on drugs
and make weed federaly legal
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StonedSince67
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