Bush Official Speaks Against Medical Marijuana

[superjoint]

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A Bush administration drug official on Thursday spoke against proposed state legislation that would let chronically ill patients use marijuana.

The House of Representatives may take up a bill that would allow patients with cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses to grow and use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Dr. Andrea Barthwell, a deputy director in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said she had serious concerns about the implication medical marijuana could have on drug policy and on patients' health. There are already drugs on the market that use some of the components of the marijuana plant that have shown to relieve patients of symptoms like nausea.

"The crude plant is not a medicine," she said, noting that other drugs have gone through rigorous FDA tests. "Marijuana has not passed those tests."

Studies show that marijuana can have negative effects on the immune system in animal models, she said. She said people with AIDS and cancer, who would be eligible to use the drug, already have depressed immune systems.

An amendment supporting medical marijuana passed the House for the first time Wednesday, after a similar measure failed last year. The bill was sent to committee for further review.

[highawatha]

that doesnt suprise me one bit...
it was nice for him to turn the other cheek when it was his daughters smoking it for fun. but i reallllly doubt this will help bush in any way sort or kind in the upcomming election......

[BudFanatic]

"Dr. Andrea Barthwell, a deputy director in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said she had serious concerns about the implication medical marijuana could have on drug policy and on patients' health. There are already drugs on the market that use some of the components of the marijuana plant that have shown to relieve patients of symptoms like nausea.

"The crude plant is not a medicine," she said, noting that <u>other drugs have gone through rigorous FDA tests. "Marijuana has not passed those tests."</u>"

The reason it hasn't gone through "rigorous FDA tests" is because the damn <b>government</b> won't allow it to.
*mumbles something about the stupid people in the NDCP office*

At least some other countries get the right idea on how to deal with the good herb... our "Partnership for a Drug-Free America" is founded by companies such as: Phillip Morris and Anheiser Busch, as well as a major pharmaceuticals company and yet more tobacco and alcohol distributors. You can tell there are kick-backs and payoffs going on to prevent its legalization or even its use in medicine because of this, else people would be given the truth and not a dimwitted lie from a group of overzealous lackies.

[AmsterdamdreamN]

Typical. It makes me sick to my stomach when I think of the people running 'our' country.

I know this is a different subject, but it's kind of the same principle as what highawatha was saying.

that doesnt suprise me one bit...
it was nice for him to turn the other cheek when it was his daughters smoking it for fun. but i reallllly doubt this will help bush in any way sort or kind in the upcomming election......

The Reagans were staunchly opposed to stem cell research and did everything to hinder it's progress. But here in the last couple weeks, I here they have changed their views on it. Ol' Ronnie must be getting in pretty bad shape.


I am not trying to express a view on stem cell research OR the Reagans. I was just trying to show, how so many of the lawmakers and rulers of 'our' country can say something is evil or bad, until it has something to do with their own little world.