I thought the Obama Administration was going to put science before ideology:
The federal government is not going to pull back on its efforts to curtail marijuana farming operations, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Wednesday in Fresno.
…
“Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit,” Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno while discussing Operation SOS — Save Our Sierra — a multiagency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County.
What? Here’s what a National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine report said in 1999:
“Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. … For certain patients, such as the terminally ill or those with debilitating symptoms, the long-term risks [associated with smoking] are not of great concern. … [Therefore,] clinical trials of marijuana for medical purposes should be conducted. … There are patients with debilitating symptoms for whom smoked marijuana might provide relief. … Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range of effects tolerated for other medications.”
NORML has many more references here.
[Deleted – off topic]
Since he was speaking at Save Our Sierra, I’m thinking that Kerlikowske was referring specifically to the growing activities in the public lands and forests (http://www.mammothtimes.com/co.....129120/27/). Highly dangerous to innocent civilians wandering into the wrong areas, and (to my mind) a valid target for federal enforcement. Even if we can move toward a more progressive stance on marijuana as a country, those sites need to be shut down — or at least the booby-traps and armed guards removed.
If we had a rational approach to marijuana people wouldn’t be growing it in national parks, forests, and other public lands. We’d be going to the state store, or growing it in our garden next to the tomatoes. The danger comes from the fact that because marijuana is illegal and lucrative (because it is illegal), there will be criminals protecting their investments, just as Al Capone protected his. Do you know anybody who grows tobacco, much less in remote areas of public lands? Or makes moonshine, other than as a hobby?
True, mikek, and his statement about “no medical benefit” was pure idiocy.
Did he follow that comment up with a video presentation of “Reefer Madness”?
Not to harp ion the subject but the NAS report says that THC, a major ingredient of marijuana, has medicinal benefit. That benefit can be obtained by giving legal THC w/o smoking green vegetable matter.
As to whether smoking green vegetable matter has any additional benefit or harm, there is no real evidence for either.
None of the studies claiming to show benefit have been impressive.
It is also true that despite good funding to prove MJ is bad, there is no convincing evidence of this sort either. There is, however, good reason to be concerned about smoking MJ. The content of MJ smoke is likely to be carcinogenic, probably more so than cigarette smoke.
Some reefer proponents assert that MJ smoke is safe because there is less inhalation. This is not likely to be true. Tobacco is harmful even when chewed and there is a dramatic effect in risk of even occasional smoking.
Personally , I think inhaling carcinogens is not smart.
Brownies!~!~!
FWIWE, I think this is a case where both sides are ignoring science. The anti-weed crowd has turned a largely harmless fad into a criminal problem. The repeal-prohibition crowd pushes the benefits of marijuana way beyond the evidence.
I recommend both sides eat brownies.
America is a country that celebrates willful ignorance and obedience to authority figures — even if you know they are full of it.
Did they ever catch and punish those witches in Salem?
Somebody must have gotten to Kerlikowske with some sort of a bribe or threat. I thought the guy was a little more rational when it came to marijuana. What happens to these guys when they go to Washington, DC? Do they have to sign some secret oath to support and defend crazy laws like the marijuana laws?
If you want to get organized crime out of the pot-growing business, legalize marijuana. It should never been made illegal in the first place!
big weed and big poppy always seem to leverage more assets than end users in the war on plants.
SJ:
You making some “brownies” soon? Gonna bring some to an HA DL Event?
““Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation.”
The difference between potential and proven is meaningful with respect to this position. Also, IMO Smoking is bad no matter what you inhale. As stated above there are other delivery mechanisms for those wanting THC.
Personally, I think if maryjane advocates want to legalize pot, they ought to quit with the medical marijuana route….The incremental approach isn’t working…IMO pot should be legal, regulated, and taxed!!!!! For advoacates, I think now is the time, with state tax receipts shrinking to go for it…
Hell, maybe ol Eyman would do an initiative….
“lower property taxes with legalized MJ taxes”
Think of the “bipartisan” group that would bring together….!
@6 You must know Larry Halpern…
I seem to recall reading somewhere (and I have enough real work to do today that I’m not going to try to run it down) that the law that created the “Drug Czar”‘s job specifically prohibits the holder of that position from expressing to the public anything positive about any controlled substance. If Ken Kesey had been hired for the job, they’d have had to fire him the first time he opened his mouth.
@11
Some of the references at the link are far more definitive.
@12 AF
Larry Halpern is an old friend. Neat guy, probablkt knows more about the “risk” of MJ and is more objective than most of the more vocal folks.
Larry tells a great story, he knows one example of MJ being lethal. A dealer was killed when a bale fell on him!