American Medical Association: Cannabis should not be classified as Schedule 1 (2009)!

[Bi0hazard]

American Medical Association Calls For Ending The “Schedule I Lie”

Full Mainstream Article @ http://blog.norml.org/2009/11/10/ama-calls-for-ending-the-schedule-i-lie/

Full Scholarly Article (FIXED LINK) @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/144148457/American-Medical-Association-Calls-for-Ending-the-Schedule-I-Lie-I-09-Ref-comm-k

The Schedule I federal classification of cannabis — which states that, by law, the marijuana plant and its natural compounds have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” — has long since passed the point of farcical.

Nevertheless, defenders of the so-called “Schedule I lie” have possessed, for nearly 30 years, one prestigious ally that they could always rely on to endorse their absurd position: the American Medical Association.
Not anymore!

Today the AMA voted to reverse its longstanding endorsement of cannabis’ Schedule I prohibitive status. The vote took place during the organization’s annual Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates in Houston, Texas, and marks the first time that the AMA has revisited its position on cannabis in eight years.
As newly amended, the AMA’s official position (see specifically pages 12, 13, and 14) regarding the medical use of cannabis no longer “recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.” Rather, the Association now resolves “that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.”

The AMA also today demolished long-held pot prohibitionist claim — frequently publicized by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and others — that “no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use.” To the contrary, the AMA has adopted a report drafted by its Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes,” which states, “Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.”

Now that the AMA has finally acknowledged reality, is anyone else wondering if David Evans (or the DEA) will finally update their talking points?

 

[SneakySneaky]

That's badass dude! Step in the right direction

 

[trichrider]

hidden behind the years.

for f*cksakes, USA has received patent for CBN as an analgesic/etc....long ago.

how ironic is that?

 

[chillybear]

Bout time! I'll be celebrating!

 

[FirstTracks]

What's worth celebrating........that there was a study 3 years ago and its STILL being ignored?

 

[Tony Aroma]

That's really old! Obviously, it's had no effect on policy.

Besides, you're not reading the report the way the federal government does. When this report came out, the feds changed some of their web sites that quoted the AMA's position on mmj. Anybody know what part of this report the feds now quote when referring to the AMA's position on mmj? It's this part:

This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.

Somehow, the feds missed the rest of the report. Go figure!

 

[offthehook]

And the times... they are a changing. Bob Dillon

 

[accessndx]

AWESOME-O!!!

 

[herbwarrior420]

shows more hypocrites in government even where government is based washington dc mmj is legal patent on cbn is another come on government wake up read ur 1st 3 presidents writtings in ur library of congress

 

[Tudo]

The link to the AMA story is no longer operative. Does anyone have a link to the full pdf?

 

[Denzi]

This has really been moving right along.

 

[Bi0hazard]

It looks like they took the PDF off of the AMA website.

Luckily I had downloaded a copy of the PDF, so I uploaded it to Scribd.com.

New PDF Link @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/144148457...for-Ending-the-Schedule-I-Lie-I-09-Ref-comm-k

 

[Tudo]

It looks like they took the PDF off of the AMA website.

Luckily I had downloaded a copy of the PDF, so I uploaded it to Scribd.com.

New PDF Link @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/144148457/American-Medical-Association-Calls-for-Ending-the-Schedule-I-Lie-I-09-Ref-comm-khttp://www.scribd.com/doc/144148457...for-Ending-the-Schedule-I-Lie-I-09-Ref-comm-khttp://www.scribd.com/doc/144148457...for-Ending-the-Schedule-I-Lie-I-09-Ref-comm-k

Great, thank you. I just sent that to 4 people. Hopefully they'll send it to 4 etc etc.

 

[Bi0hazard]

This is still a propaganda response in many ways by the AMA, although it does call for the ability to do phase 3 studies on cannabis in the US.

The AMA's response is a two faced position. Schedule 1 classifications are not able to posses medical applications, however the AMA says cannabis has medical applications and that human studies and research should be allowed in the US. The AMA then goes on to say cannabis should still be a schedule 1 drug, conflicting the non-medical requirement of a schedule 1 drug. This position by the AMA still props up the DEA illegal and hypocrical attacks on patients and dispensaries. Compared to other medicines cannabis is 20,000-40,000 less toxic than aspirin (According the the US goverments study in 1988.) The US department of health already has patents on cannabinoids as treatments they can make money off of and provided US gov grown cannabis to 14 federal US cannabis patients - so the position that cannabis is not medical, despite the thousands of peer reviewed studies - lies are pretty much moot.

This is the part of the document for anyone who had trouble finding it in that long document

(11) COUNCIL ON SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT143 - USE OF CANNABIS FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES-RECOMMENDATION

A:Mr. Speaker, your Reference Committee recommends that the Recommendation in Council on Science and Public Health Report 3 be amended by substitution to read as follows:212223That Policy H-95.952 be amended by insertion and deletion to read as follows:2526272829303132333435H-95.952 Medical Marijuana(1) Our AMA calls for further adequate and well-controlled studies of marijuana and related cannabinoids in patients who have serious conditions for which preclinical,anecdotal, or controlled evidence suggests possible efficacy and the application of such results to the understanding and treatment of disease.(2) Our AMA recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act pending the outcome of such studies. Our AMA urges that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods. This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product. (New HOD Policy)

Reference Committee K (I-09)Page 131234567891011121314151617181920(3) Our AMA urges the National Institutes of Health (NIH)to implement administrative procedures to facilitate grant applications and the conduct of well-designed clinical research into the medical utility of marijuana. This effort should include: a) disseminating specific information for researchers on the development of safeguards for marijuana clinical research protocols and the development of a model informed consent on marijuana for institutional review board evaluation; b) sufficient funding to support such clinical research and access for qualified investigators to adequate supplies of marijuana for clinical research purposes; c) confirming that marijuana of various and consistent strengths and/or placebo will be supplied by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to investigators registered with the Drug Enforcement Agency who are conducting bonafide clinical research studies that receive Food and Drug Administration approval, regardless of whether or not the NIH is the primary source of grant support.(4) Our AMA believes that the NIH should use its21resources and influence to support the development of a22smoke-free inhaled delivery system for marijuana or delta-239-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to reduce the health hazards24associated with the combustion and inhalation of marijuana.252627(5) (4) Our AMA believes that effective patient care requires the free and unfettered exchange of information on treatment alternatives and that discussion of these alternatives between physicians and patients should not subject either party to criminal sanctions. (CSA Rep. 10, I-97; Modified: CSA Rep. 6, A-01)2829303132333435363738

RECOMMENDATION B:Mr. Speaker, your Reference Committee recommends that the Recommendation in Council on Science and Public Health Report 3 be adopted as amended and the remainder of the report39filed.

4041424344454647484950Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health (1) provides a brief historicalperspective on the use of cannabis as medicine; (2) examines the current federal andstate-based legal envelope relevant to the medical use of cannabis; (3) provides a brief overview of our current understanding of the pharmacology and physiology of theendocannabinoid system; (4) reviews clinical trials on the relative safety and efficacy of smoked cannabis and botanical-based products; and (5) places this information inperspective with respect to the current drug regulatory framework. This Reportrecommends that our AMA urge that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule Icontrolled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical

Reference Committee K - research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.

This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.This is the third report developed by the Council on this topic. In general, strong support was offered for the scientific, regulatory, and policy analysis provided by Report 3.Current AMA Policy H-95.952 recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, and treatment for prevention of disease has not been approved by the FDA, and the federal justification for retaining marijuana in Schedule I has previously been published. There commendation in Report 3 urges that the Schedule I status of marijuana be reviewed with the goal of facilitating clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines. Other comments noted that smoking is an inherently unsafe system for drug delivery, and therefore smoked marijuana should not be recommended for medical use.Some support was offered for a more declarative statement supporting rescheduling marijuana, and for protecting physicians who prescribe or advise their patients to use cannabis-based products to relieve a serious medical problem in states with medical marijuana laws. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Conant v. Walters recognized that physicians have a constitutionally-protected right to discuss the use of cannabis as a treatment option with their patients and to make an oral or written recommendation for medical marijuana, a policy supported by our AMA. Given the ongoing issues raised by drug approval by state ballot initiative or legislative action, and the current efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to develop cannabinoid-based medicines, your Reference Committee believes that amending current policy is the most appropriate action.