Marijuana Monopoly

[Ms. RedEye]

The US Drug Enforcement Administration dealt a major blow to science with its decision to preserve the National Institute on Drug Abuse's monopoly on the supply of marijuana available for FDA-approved research (Umass Loses Marijuana Bid, Jan. 13 .) The decision is an inappropriate injection of political ideology into what should properly be a question of science.

Pharmaceutical companies interested in making marijuana a prescription medicine are stopped dead in their tracks by the institute's monopoly. If a company gained access to the institute's tightly guarded stash, spent millions on research, and obtained FDA approval, it would then be forced to pay the institute's supplier whatever the asking price. As a result, not a single company is investing in marijuana research.

Thirteen states have been forced to turn to the political process to provide patients with the medical use of marijuana. Prompted by the DEA's support for the institute's monopoly, that number will surely grow.

Sick people who prefer to get their medicine from the corner pharmacy, not the corner dealer, are hoping that Obama's DEA will bring an end to this farce.


News Hawk: MsRedEye: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Boston Globe, boston.com
Author: Rick Doblin, Belmont. Letter to the Editor
Copyright: 2009 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: Boston.com contacts - Boston.com
Website: Marijuana monopoly - The Boston Globe

 

[Keith Lake]

This is so true, and we can all only hope that the Obama Adminstration reverses this "policy decision"

It's not the government's function to favor politics over science.

The ONDCP has so much invested in it's propoganda campaign that allowing science to show the actual benefits would bring the house of cards down.

Cannabis needs to be rescheduled to "schedule 2" or "schedule nevermind"

 

[Alaska Lady]

WOW! I sure hope they get this thing turned around soon. I thought there were laws against monopolies like this? I guess they arent working huh?!