The War on Drugs is a War on Me: The Drug Czar is REQUIRED to OPPOSE the Legalization of Medical Cannabis.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Drug Czar is REQUIRED to OPPOSE the Legalization of Medical Cannabis

Every time the Drug Czar opens his month about medical cannabis and the media reports on it, I always send an email similar to the one below. Monday the Drug Czar was in Iowa where they are considering legalizing cannabis for medical purposes. So far 3 media outlets covered the story and I sent a similar message to all three. I heard back from one that wanted to contact me in the future as she continues to cover this story. Here’s one of the emails:

I just read the article: “Drug czar: Look at problems with medical pot in California” and would like for you to be aware of and inform you reader that the Drug Czar and his office are required (by Congressional mandate) to OPPOSE any effort to legalize any schedule 1 substance, including cannabis, for ANY reason, including medical.

I’m a medical cannabis patient in Los Angeles and I can say that Kerlikowske misrepresents what’s happening here to further his objective to oppose all legalization of cannabis, even for medical purposes. The reason LA is having difficulty in regulating “dispensaries” is because the city council has stalled on regulations for over 2 years now.

Any problems that LA has are due to lack of regulations and actions by the city. Studies show regulations reduce crime and complaints around medical cannabis dispensing collectives/cooperatives.

Kerlikowske mentions a paper written by the Police Chief’s Associations but he fails to mention papers written opposing that stance. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) which is the largest organization focused on the medical aspect of cannabis has step-by-step guidelines for helping cities, counties, and states with sensible regulations for medical cannabis.

Also the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance (GLACA) has written their own white papers about LA dispensing collectives. Properly run and regulated nonprofit storefront medical cannabis dispensing collectives/cooperatives can be successful for patients and the community.

See for yourself in this video and look at the reason why Kerlikowske is required to say what he said:

According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998: H11225:

Responsibilities. –The Director– [...]

[responsibility #12]: (12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that–

1. is listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812); and
2. has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;

And that is the unfortunate reason he said what he said in Des Moines Monday and the reason Walters was an idiot and McCaffery was no better .If they don’t lie, they don’t have a comfy DC job anymore.

Don’t believe me?
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/ … ByLaw.html

I really wish this would get mentioned a lot more in the media so that people can start to understand why the highest drug office in this country says outrageous things about cannabis. Please tell everyone you know. I think this ONDCP Act is being renewed in Congress this year…with a push we can eradicate this nonsense for good.

As far as “smoke” cannabis having medical value, there are 4 FDA-approved studies that say it does:

~A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Cannabis Cigarettes in Neuropathic Pain
~ Dosed-dependent Effects of Smoked Cannabis on Capsaicin-induced Pain and Hyperalgesia in Healthy Volunteers
~ Cannabis in painful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy
~ Smoked Medicinal Cannabis for Neuropathic Pain in HIV: A Randomized Crossover Trial

3 of those studies are posted on a government website and there would be more FDA studies if the federal government would stop obstructing medical research into the medical cannabis.

Please cover the whole story. Patients need safe and affordable access to medical cannabis. The black market is not only dangerous, it’s degrading. Iowans deserve better than that.