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To: paret who wrote (712702)	11/12/2005 1:33:29 AM
From: Geoff Altman	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769667

paret, the active ingredient in pot has already been approved by the FDA. Patients taking Marinol have found that over a short time they built up resistance to the drug and it loses some effectiveness. Because Marinol is ingested the effective dosage of Marinol is much higher than if you were to smoke a couple puffs of a joint. The main reason marijuana hasn't been approved is the same reason that the AMA still recommends that it remain a schedule 1 drug. BIG PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES have nothing to gain. Why else would they approve the synthetic version of the same drug? Why does the AMA obstinately persist in recommending that pot remains on the schedule 1 list? A friend of mine said it better than I ever could: Big pharma has more influence on medicine than you know. they sponsor continuing professional education. It always manages to highlight their own drugs. Doctors go because it satisfies their education req's, is paid for, is done deluxe and luxuriously, the wives can come along cheap, or if they have enough credits, maybe free, etc. Not to mention something that was pointed out by Buddy earlier. The Gov't has put up large road blocks in the form of facility requirements for anyone wanting to run tests on marijuana. FDA Approval of Safer Dosage Forms of Cannabinoids FDA has approved two drugs, Marinol and Cesamet, for therapeutic uses in the U.S., which contain active ingredients that are present in botanical marijuana. On May 31, 1985, FDA approved Marinol Capsules, manufactured by Unimed, for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy inpatients that had failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments. Marinol Capsules include the active ingredient dronabinol, a synthetic delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is considered the psychoactive component of marijuana. On December 22, 1992, FDA approved Marinol Capsules for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. Although FDA approved Cesamet Capsules for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy on December 26, 1985, this product was never marketed in the U.S. Cesamet Capsules contain nabilone as the active ingredient, a synthetic cannabinoid. Nabilone is not naturally occurring and not derived from marijuana, as is THC. These products have been through FDA’s rigorous approval process and have been determined to be safe and effective for their respective indications. It is only through the FDA drug approval process that solid clinical data can be obtained and a scientifically based assessment of the risks and benefits of an investigational drug is made. Upon FDA approval for marketing, consumers who need the medication can have confidence that the approved medication will be safe and effective. fda.gov

To: paret who wrote (712702)	11/14/2005 6:40:33 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769667

Re: "...apply to the FDA." That's easy to answer: MANY, MANY medical researchers and scientists have applied to the FDA for permission to conduct medical trials involving marijuana. But, as I've mentioned several times before, it doesn't matter much what the FDA says --- because under federal law they have NO AUTHORITY to approve testing or medical trials with this substance UNLESS THE DEA FIRST GIVES IT'S PERMISSION. And the DEA (perhaps seeking to maintain the power of it's bureaucracy, and it's 'turf') ALMOST NEVER gives such permission --- REGARDLESS of whatever the FDA or AMA or American Academy of Sciences says it would like to see in the way of research. The DEA has nixed several important cancer trials in this area... for just one small example. Consequently, nearly all important research is done overseas, in Europe or Canada, or Great Britain, for example.