According to the Washington Independent, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has added “Cannabis” to its website as a Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM). This is the first time in contemporary history that a federal agency has made such an admission, especially as it applies to cancer:

The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.

(more…)

Americans for Safe Access is urging Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) members to ask Acting Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Michele Leonhart difficult and pointed questions on Wednesday, during her confirmation hearing, about her plan to address the growing divide between federal and state medical marijuana laws. Leonhart, a Bush-holdover, led aggressive attacks for many years against medical marijuana patients and their providers, and has obstructed meaningful research into the medical efficacy of marijuana. Read more about Leonhart’s confirmation hearing, her background as Deputy DEA Administrator, the questions ASA has submitted to the SJC, and the action patients are taking to hold Leonhart accountable for her actions.

Acting DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart

A new documentary by Len Richmond, “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” is starting to turn heads. Dr. Andrew Weil recently reviewed Richmond’s film, calling it “excellent,” and last week answered a question about medical cannabis on his web site.

[E]xciting new research suggests that the cannabinoids found in marijuana may have a primary role in cancer treatment and prevention. A number of studies have shown that these compounds can inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animal models. In part, this is achieved by inhibiting angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow. What’s more, cannabinoids seem to kill tumor cells without affecting surrounding normal cells. If these findings hold true as research progresses, cannabinoids would demonstrate a huge advantage over conventional chemotherapy agents, which too often destroy normal cells as well as cancer cells.

(more…)

It was a groundbreaking day for medical marijuana. Proclamations on marijuana’s therapeutic benefits came from two medical organizations, one in California and the other in Iowa. The University of California’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) presented a report today to the state legislature regarding the first clinical trials on smoked cannabis (marijuana) in the United States in more than 20 years. CMCR found that:

“reasonable evidence [exists] that cannabis is a promising treatment in selected pain syndromes caused by injury or diseases of the nervous system, and possibly for painful muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.”

(more…)

Last week, ASA was in Tucson, AZ, to discuss medical cannabis with pharmacists and drug regulators from around the nation.  What a great event!  ASA applauds the wisdom, courage and foresight of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy for organizing the full-day symposium, and I am confident the presentations will inform meaningful dialogue among NABP’s member boards and individual pharmacists in the months and years to come.

(more…)

Kudos to the Los Angeles Times for publishing an editorial today on medical marijuana that gets at the heart of the federal obstruction of meaningful research into one of the most promising therapeutic substances.

Despite a press release recently issued by Americans for Safe Access on the federal solicitation of proposals for the production and distribution of medical marijuana, and a report published in April highlighting the government’s monopoly on marijuana research, mainstream media coverage has been scant. (more…)

Last month, Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske came under fire for his statement, reported in the Fresno Bee, that marijuana “has no medicinal value.” Giving him the chance to clear up any confusion on the matter, KOMO TV aired a follow-up interview today with Kerlikowske. The Drug Czar had this to say:

Sometimes you make a mistake and you work very hard to correct it. That happens. I should’ve clearly said ‘smoked’ marijuana and then gone on to say that this is clearly a question that should be answered by the medical community.

Kerlikowske also said:

[T]he FDA has not determined that smoked marijuana has a (medical) value…

Although it’s nice to see a correction to his previous statement, and leaving it to the medical community is favorable to harmful and unnecessary law enforcement actions, the Drug Czar’s position is still problematic. (more…)

A Request for Proposals issued yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the “Production, Analysis, & Distribution of Cannabis & Marijuana Cigarettes” begged the question of whether the federal government was getting into the business of cultivating and distributing medical cannabis. The answer is both “yes” and “no.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations having the capability to (1) grow, harvest, analyze, store and distribute GMP grade cannabis (marijuana) on large and small scales; (2) extract cannabis to obtain purified phytocannabinoids including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), analyze, and store; (3) prepare marijuana cigarettes and related products; and (4) distribute marijuana, marijuana cigarettes and cannabinoids, and other related products for research and other Government programs upon NIDA authorization.

The truth is the federal government has a schizophrenic position on the issue. (more…)

Gil Kerlikowske, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the country’s new Drug Czar was in Fresno, California this week for Operation S.O.S. (Save Our Sierras). The multi-agency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County has nothing to do with medical marijuana. However, that did not stop Kerlikowske from declaring (erroneously) to the Fresno Bee that marijuana “has no medicinal benefit.”

Certainly, Kerlikowske should have limited his public comments to the (non-medical) marijuana being pursued by local and federal agents under Operation S.O.S. But, if he really felt compelled to stray from the issues of recreational marijuana enforcement to comment on the medicinal use of marijuana he should have at least done his homework. (more…)

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently introduced an amendment aimed at obstructing the effective implementation of state medical cannabis laws.  Fortunately, ASA helped to kill the amendment.

However, during debate on the measure, Sen. Coburn issued an open challenge to produce even a single research article to demonstrate that smoked cannabis may be effective treatment for any condition.  Apparently, Sen. Coburn hasn’t read these medical journal articles, which clearly demonstrate that smoking cannabis (even in low doses) can effectively reduce the pain associated with HIV/AIDS.

Sen. Coburn:  Ask and you shall recieve!

ASA invites our readers to take Sen. Coburn up on his challenge! Please visit www.SafeAccessNow.org/SpankCoburn to send links of this research to Senator Coburn’s office.  Or, better yet, take a minute to print out the studies and mail them directly to his office at:

The Honorable Senator Tom Coburn
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510.