Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Amid the hailstorm of statistics loosed by recent 'current events,' one set showed that U.S. adults now approve of legalizing cannabis in landslide numbers. Nevertheless, the DEA again refused to endorse the drug earlier this year based on an array of research which, it turns out, indicates risk for "increased merriment" in at least two kinds of primates.
Earlier this month, an investigation by VICE News revealed the FDA's reasoning behind its recommendations for the legal status of marijuana, including some rather surprising sticking-points. A year before the DEA formally announced it would keep cannabis classified as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD, VICE found, the FDA advised this action based on a range of studies which damningly suggested, among other things, that the plant is popular, widely available, and seemingly enjoyed by monkeys.
Documents obtained by VICE show that the FDA recommended cautious treatment of cannabis from a federal standpoint, citing research conclusions that people prefer to smoke marijuana rather than ingest it, and that the drug can cause such 'side-effects' as "increased merriment and appetite," "heightened imagination," "disorganized thinking," and "illusions, delusions, and hallucinations"—or, in other words, can get you stoned.
The FDA's report also pointed to a 2000 study wherein squirrel monkeys were trained to self-administer THC, marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient, and chose to continue using that skill. Such studies, according to the FDA, are "often useful in predicting rewarding effects in humans, and [can be] indicative of abuse liability."
The documents also reflected plenty of good news for cannabis consumers who've been worried about risks to their health. The FDA observed, for example, that studies-to-date suggest cannabis doesn't cause cancer, mental illness, or a drop in intelligence, and that it's no more addictive than tobacco (according to Scientific American, far less so, in fact).
Nevertheless, the FDA advised that "more research should be conducted into marijuana's effects, including potential medical uses for marijuana and its derivatives." Michael Felberbaum, a spokesperson for the agency, told VICE News,
"We continue to encourage work to assess whether there are appropriate and effective therapeutic uses of marijuana and its components and believe the drug-approval process using scientifically valid and well-controlled clinical trials is the most appropriate way for this to occur."
Given the drug's Schedule I label, however (and the seas of paperwork that come with it), such studies may still be slow to gain momentum in the near future.
VICE News also pointed out yesterday that, despite legal cannabis' potential to become a $6.5-billion industry by 2020 (or even sooner, says Fortune), opponents of the drug's legalization have been pouring large sums of money into efforts to extinguish it, though its supporters have responded in kind. Meanwhile, medical marijuana proponents and pharmaceutical companies alike seem to be making headway in their push for approval of cannabidiol and other cannabis extracts, at least, for treating epilepsy and other conditions.
Even with relevant ballot measures coming up soon in numerous states, legal cannabis still has an uphill climb toward federal acceptance. As such, both sides of the legalization debate may continue to struggle long after election day with the difficult task of marketing marijuana such that political favor passes their way.
As the U.S. awaits whatever pot-related changes will befall it, though, it's perhaps reasonable to expect that the country's 7.6 million residents who regularly consume cannabis, according to FDA estimates, won't be holding their breath.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Will Stoned Monkeys Keep The FDA Barring Cannabis' Billions?
Author: Janet Burns
Contact: Forbes
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Website: Forbes
Earlier this month, an investigation by VICE News revealed the FDA's reasoning behind its recommendations for the legal status of marijuana, including some rather surprising sticking-points. A year before the DEA formally announced it would keep cannabis classified as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin and LSD, VICE found, the FDA advised this action based on a range of studies which damningly suggested, among other things, that the plant is popular, widely available, and seemingly enjoyed by monkeys.
Documents obtained by VICE show that the FDA recommended cautious treatment of cannabis from a federal standpoint, citing research conclusions that people prefer to smoke marijuana rather than ingest it, and that the drug can cause such 'side-effects' as "increased merriment and appetite," "heightened imagination," "disorganized thinking," and "illusions, delusions, and hallucinations"—or, in other words, can get you stoned.
The FDA's report also pointed to a 2000 study wherein squirrel monkeys were trained to self-administer THC, marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient, and chose to continue using that skill. Such studies, according to the FDA, are "often useful in predicting rewarding effects in humans, and [can be] indicative of abuse liability."
The documents also reflected plenty of good news for cannabis consumers who've been worried about risks to their health. The FDA observed, for example, that studies-to-date suggest cannabis doesn't cause cancer, mental illness, or a drop in intelligence, and that it's no more addictive than tobacco (according to Scientific American, far less so, in fact).
Nevertheless, the FDA advised that "more research should be conducted into marijuana's effects, including potential medical uses for marijuana and its derivatives." Michael Felberbaum, a spokesperson for the agency, told VICE News,
"We continue to encourage work to assess whether there are appropriate and effective therapeutic uses of marijuana and its components and believe the drug-approval process using scientifically valid and well-controlled clinical trials is the most appropriate way for this to occur."
Given the drug's Schedule I label, however (and the seas of paperwork that come with it), such studies may still be slow to gain momentum in the near future.
VICE News also pointed out yesterday that, despite legal cannabis' potential to become a $6.5-billion industry by 2020 (or even sooner, says Fortune), opponents of the drug's legalization have been pouring large sums of money into efforts to extinguish it, though its supporters have responded in kind. Meanwhile, medical marijuana proponents and pharmaceutical companies alike seem to be making headway in their push for approval of cannabidiol and other cannabis extracts, at least, for treating epilepsy and other conditions.
Even with relevant ballot measures coming up soon in numerous states, legal cannabis still has an uphill climb toward federal acceptance. As such, both sides of the legalization debate may continue to struggle long after election day with the difficult task of marketing marijuana such that political favor passes their way.
As the U.S. awaits whatever pot-related changes will befall it, though, it's perhaps reasonable to expect that the country's 7.6 million residents who regularly consume cannabis, according to FDA estimates, won't be holding their breath.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Will Stoned Monkeys Keep The FDA Barring Cannabis' Billions?
Author: Janet Burns
Contact: Forbes
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Website: Forbes
