Old news .. 1998:
BUFFALO GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5 1998-- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today issued a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" in which the DEA is proposing to reclassify Marinol® (dronabinol) from Schedule II to Schedule III, a ruling that would provide increased patient access to this FDA-approved synthetic THC compound. THC is an active ingredient in marijuana. This proposed ruling comes on the heels of voter-approved referendums in which residents of Arizona, Washington, Colorado, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon and the District of Columbia supported measures that endorse the use of medical marijuana.
(Marijuananews note: Unimed even uses the D.C. exit poll results paid for by the medical marijuana movement!!!)
Marinol, manufactured by Unimed Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: UMED), is an oral medication that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for patients requiring appetite stimulation and for patients undergoing chemotherapy that causes them to become nauseated.
Marinol also is being tested to assess its positive effects on behavior in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Schedule II drugs are those that are recognized to have medical indications, but have a high potential for abuse (examples include morphine, cocaine, methadone and methamphetamine).
Schedule III drugs have accepted medical uses and a lesser potential for abuse (examples of drugs in this class include codeine with aspirin or codeine with Tylenol®).
The DEA consulted extensively with the FDA before making this recommendation. A study presented earlier this year at the College of Problems of Drug Dependency’s Annual Meeting showed that because Marinol has a gradual onset of action, it has a very low potential for abuse.
The study also found that based on information gathered from law enforcement officials in major cities across the U.S., there is no street market for Marinol, and no evidence of any diversion of Marinol for sales as a street drug.
(See No Evidence That THC Is Addictive Says Maker of Marinol After 9 Month Study Including Law Enforcement marijuananews.com )
"Adoption of the DEA proposal would represent a real pharmacoeconomic benefit to both patients and to the healthcare system as a whole by reducing the number of costly office visits by patients for whom Marinol is a medical necessity," said Ronald Goode, Ph.D., president and CEO, Unimed Pharmaceuticals. "Furthermore, because the proposed change would allow prescriptions for Marinol to be refilled up to three times per prescription, patient convenience would be greatly enhanced."
The public has until December 7, 1998 to file comments, objections and requests for a hearing on the proposed reclassification. The DEA will then rule on the proposed reclassification.
420 note: it passed.
taken from this site:
marijuananews.com |
