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Continued from page 8 – Marijuana has no MedicalBenefitdepression and insomnia, among others.Advocates of legalizing medical marijuana on thefederal level also point to the fact that it is virtuallyimpossible to die from overdosing on the substance; astark contrast with other common pain relieving drugssuch as aspirin, Ibuprofen and acetaminophen, whichcause thousands of U.S. deaths every year according tothe Journal of the American Medical Association.President Obama has maintained that legalization ofmarijuana is “not in my vocabulary” — words thatwere echoed by his drug czar in Fresno — but hasnever denounced his stated support of decrimalization.Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), who recently introducedlegislation to form a presidential commission on prisonreforms that would study drug criminalization, hasinsisted that marijuana legalization must be “on thetable.” His bipartisan bill would form a group to makerecommendations to Congress after 18 months. Webbhas reportedly received “quiet encouragement” fromPresident Obama on the issue.Kerlikowske’s 39-year-old son Jeff is in jail in Floridafor parole violations stemming from marijuana-relatedcharges. Kerlikowske said he has not spoken to or seenJeff in over a decade.http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/23/obamas-drug-czarmarijuana-has-no-medical-benefit/☻☻☻☻☻☻American Medical AssociationCalls For ScientificReview of Marijuana'sProhibitive StatusNovember 12, 2009Houston, TXThe American Medical Association (AMA) this weekcalled for a scientific review of cannabis' federal statusas a Schedule I prohibited substance.On Tuesday, the AMA's House of Delegates resolved,"[The] AMA urges that marijuana's status as a federalSchedule I controlled substance be reviewed with thegoal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research anddevelopment of cannabinoid-based medicines."The AMA's resolution amends the organization'spreviously held position that "marijuana be retained inSchedule I of the Controlled Substances Act" of theUnited States.Under federal law, all Schedule I classified substances aredefined as possessing "no currently accepted use intreatment in the United States." Congress classifiedmarijuana, and all of the plants naturally occurringcompounds (known as cannabinoids) as a Schedule Isubstance upon passage of the Controlled Substances Act in1970.In a 1988 administrative ruling, US Drug EnforcementAdministrative Law Judge Francis Young determined, "Byany measure of rational analysis, marijuana can be safelyused within a supervised routine of medical care," andrecommended that the drug be rescheduled under federallaw. Young's decision was eventually rejected by the DEAin 1990.Presently the DEA website, "Exposing the Myths ofSmoked Medical Marijuana," still states "The AmericanMedical Association recommends that marijuana remain aSchedule I controlled substance."In 2008 the American College of Physicians also called fora reclassification of cannabis' Schedule I status. In recentyears, numerous prominent health organizations, includingthe American Nurses Association and the American PublicHealth Association, have called for the immediatelegalization of marijuana for medical purposes.In a separate action, the AMA also adopted a report draftedby its Council on Science and Public Health stating,"Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smokedcannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite andcaloric intake especially in patients with reduced musclemass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients withmultiple sclerosis."This conclusion contradicts a recent White House factsheet,entitled "Medical Marijuana Reality Check," whichalleges, "no sound scientific studies have supported medicaluse of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States,and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacyof smoked marijuana for general medical use."Commenting on the AMA's policy reversal NORMLDeputy Director Paul Armentano said: "This week theAmerican Medical Association abandoned its long-standing'flat-Earth' policy regarding the safety and efficacy ofcannabis as a therapeutic agent. The AMA's resolution callson science, not ideological rhetoric, to guide our nation'smarijuana policies – a position that NORML has advocatedsince our inception."For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre,NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or PaulArmentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=8020☻☻☻☻☻☻-9- Traditional African Clinic December 2009