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The AMA Calls for Review to Reschedule Marijuana

Tue, Nov 10, 2009 5:25 pm

more: headline news, legalization, medical marijuana, medical news, drug policy news

The American Medical Association is calling for a federal review of marijuana’s status as a Schedule I narcotic. With 13 states already allowing the legal use of medical cannabis, the substance remains inexplicably categorized alongside heroin and LSD as having no medicinal value. A federal review could potentially lead to the rescheduling of marijuana for the first time – the Controlled Substances Act established the Schedules 39 years ago.

Rescheduling cannabis could help ease federal tension over state medical marijuana programs (after all, Schedule 1 substances technically cannot be prescribed by doctors) as well as help bring marijuana prohibition to an end. However, the AMA stops well short of endorsing legalization, decriminalization or even the medical use of marijuana as we currently know it.

In their report the AMA concludes:

“Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, the patchwork of state-based systems that have been established for medical marijuana is woefully inadequate in establishing even rudimentary safeguards … The future of cannabinoid-based medicine lies in the rapidly evolving field of botanical drug substance development, as well as the design of molecules that target various aspects of the endocannabinoid system. To the extent that rescheduling marijuana out of Schedule I will benefit this effort, such a move can be supported.”

Rescheduling cannabis has been a goal of marijuana activists since the 70s and it certainly helps to have an organization like the AMA behind it. But that excerpt’s wording leaves a bit to be desired. So, are you an optimist or a pessimist? Is it flat out terrific that the AMA seems to be acknowledging pot’s medicinal value? Or is this a pragmatic attempt to get marijuana into the hands of researchers so pharmaceutical companies can muck up the whole thing? Weigh-in below.

More info @ rawstory.com

» add a comment

gratefuldeadguy

Mar 15 2010, 11:46 pm

grazzy knoll...kids like yourself with computers who rant on how cannabis should be legalized for 'peace' while mentioning flying a 'plain' into a building; showing their lack of education, are the reason why cannabis users have the stereotype that they do today. For now, we do not want to push for cannabis to be fully legalized for recreation uses ect, we want what we need, legalization for medicinal uses and decriminalization for those who do not have access to medicinal marijuana. Sorry for targeting you but you were the last to comment. Happy living guys.

Grazzy Nole

Feb 23 2010, 5:14 am

THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE 10 YEARS AGO.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH OUR GOVERNMENT, ARE THEY RETARDED?

IT NEEDS TO BE LEGAL "NOW", CAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND NEED IT YESTERDAY.

WHAT DO PEOPLE HAVE TO TO? FLY A PLAIN INTO A BUILDING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION, Duh!

If you want a more PEACEFUL nation, legalize marijuana now. And let's STOP the madness once and for all.

check this out

Dec 23 2009, 5:01 pm

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5FB424749F3BE370&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&v=VCu-NUMrsj0

Thats Alfred Hitchcock in a game show called whats my line! Funny guy.

J stunr

Dec 19 2009, 3:50 pm

Dont you see that it is and always has been about money. The money aimed at keeping weed illegal far out weighs what is offered to decriminalize. Between the office at the top and the drug treatment centers,county court systems that depend on that Money generated by convictions.I still owe fines from the last time i got caught. If you want freedom then you gotta pay. if we want it legal then we need alot of money period

kiefhash420

Dec 15 2009, 5:51 pm

Inconspicuous, I like it... Leaves lots of gray areas, hopefully, ultimately giving back freedom for the individual States, as well as Doctors, to adopt their own rules.... All the time, remaining solemn, so as to not stir up the legalization debate.

tom

Dec 3 2009, 7:13 pm

why does the goverment even bother no one has ever died from smoking pot alone almost everydrug on the market that the fda has approved and say are safe for patients have killed at least one person or have had side effects far more damaging than that of pot if if live in a country that is supposedly free then lets be free to make our own decisions regarding our lives they say you shouldnt self medicate but you should go to a doctor instead doctors just push drugs that the pharmacutical companies want them to and most have side effects that are worse than your initial problem doctors dont know as much as the public thinks they do thats why they call it "practicing medicine and not "knowing medicine" i for one dont want some quack practicing on me when all hes worried about is making money by selling poisons that are made in a lab god made pot and hes perfect so if its good enough for god then its good enough for me

warren da shag

Nov 24 2009, 1:39 pm

Well its about damn time this prhobition has gone om long enouph i mean come on were is the sense i dis matter we cn drink ourselves to deth wenever we want but we cant toke up and nt worry bout overdosen were da fk does dis country gt lettn us kill our self when there s a safe alternative ta drinkn we should all be able ta gt high!!!!

jeff

Nov 19 2009, 5:10 pm

I have brutal nerve pain with every possible symtom that one could have though out my entire lower body that has to do with spinal cord mass compression, I currently have 5 spinal fusion's with lot's of hardware. because of the opiates I have severe loss of appitite on top of the pain, and some other obstacles now killing my joints. lossed 30 lbs in the last 1 1/2 yrs also having 6 of my 11 surgery's in the same time. About 3 month's ago I got fed up about not eating called a friend and started smoking, I have put on 5 lbs, sleep better, have less pain, the swelling in my spine is not as bad. IT WORK'S, I'm taking notably less morphine. WHAT A WINNER FOR ME !!. This needs to be done asap!!!

well

Nov 19 2009, 1:38 pm

Sense you brought up war crimes, isn't it a war crime for human rights violations?

We all know that stoners are shit on every day. This is a human rights abuse, and who will pay for that?

Answer. Our economy will pay.

When stoners are not allowed to work, our country suffers economically.

hey gstlab

Nov 18 2009, 10:35 am

once again you greatly mis-reprent the reality of the situation .
The Nuremburg Trials was all about genocide and war crimes , it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see this has no relevence conserning smoking weed .
Another reason why you are considered a nut job .
Must you post every silly notion that pops into your head ?

pimpin thug 420

Nov 17 2009, 9:42 pm

the decriminalization of the herb will help the fight against the drug smugglers by reducing the demand for the imported product, we can grow plenty here to fill the demand, and who knows, maybe we could even export!

gstlab3

Nov 17 2009, 8:53 pm

TO: MR. BIG

DEAR MR. BIG., YOU SAID "THE POLICE ARE ONLY DOING THEIR JOBS AND IT IS THE POLITICIANS THAT ARE TO BLAME.,"
I SAY!!! "YOU ARE IN ERROR SIR!!!!

"I WAS JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS.,"" IS "NOT" A DEFENCE!!!"
"NEUREMBURG TRIALS?" REMEMBER THOSE NAZI MOTHER FUCKERS?"

THEY DO'NT TEACH THIS ANYWHERE THAT I CAN FIND BUT.,
THE CITIZEN HAS THE RIGHT TO SOMETHING CALLED
"JURY NULLIFICATION."
THIS MEANS YOU CAN FIND A DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY EVEN IF THE EVIDENCE SHOWS GUILT OF THE OFFENCE.,
BY DECIDING TO FIND IN FAVOR OF THE DEFENDANT AND HIS OR HER RIGHT TO HAVE ACTED IN THE WAY THEY DID AT THE TIME.
THIS MAKES THE LAWS AND THE POLITICIAN ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENRY NO MATTER WHAT THE "LAW" OR POLITICIANS OR JUDGES MAY DO OR SAY!!!!!
ALLWAYS DEMAND A TRIAL BY JURY!!!
IT IS YOUR RIGHT UNDER THE CONSTITUTIONS/ BILL OF RIGHTS.
EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW "MEANS" FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE LAW!!! THE PROTECTIONS ARE THERE., YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM FIRST!!!!!!!!!
USE THE LAWS AGAINST THEM LIKE THEY USE THEM AGAINST US!!!!
HELL!!! THAT'S WHAT THESE TERRORISTS ARE GOING TO DO IN
NEW YORK DURING THESE BULLSHIT SHOW TRIALS!!!!
FUCK THEM!!!!
GROW YOUR OWN, FREE YOUR MIND, FREE THE PLANET!!!!!

young bull

Nov 16 2009, 3:58 pm

This will allow proper double blind studies of the medicinal use of marijuana, ultimately ending with nationwide use of medical marijuana..and hopefully someday the legalizatin of the herb.

Mr Big

Nov 16 2009, 2:31 am

Hey not all law enforcement officials are bad guys. and not all law enforcement agents support keeping marijuana illegal. Personally, I think the politicians are more at fault than law enforcement, they are just doing their jobs. Politians are the ones that flame the fears of marijuana. In politics you always need an enemy and marijuana as well as other drugs are perfect because they can't talk and defend themselves.

gstlab3

Nov 13 2009, 4:05 pm

I SMELL A RAT!!!!!
THESE MFs HAVE NOTHING BUT MONEY AND POWER IN THEIR SIGHTS.,
GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE IS THE FINAL BLOW TO OUR SOVREIGHNTY OF SELF.
EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE AFFECTS HEALTH., FOOD, WATER, MEDICINES, THE AMOUNT OF EXERCISE YOU GET, HOW MUCH STRESS ARE YOU UNDER?"
"WE HAVE THESE PILLS FOR THAT.," "SIGHN HERE.," " IF YOU DO'NT COMPLY WE WILL BE FORCED TO MEDICATE YOU HERE OR IN JAIL IF YOU ARE A HABBITUAL OFFENDER AND REFUSE OUR MEDICAL TREATMENTS SIR." UNTIL YOU FEEL BETTER." OF COURSE."

"DO'NT BELIEVE ME?!" SAY IT AI'NT SO JOE!!!! WELL.,
HOW ABOUT THIS AS AN EXAMPLE?"

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THEY SPENT BILLIONS ON IMPRISONING PEOPLE FOR DRUG POSESSION ALONE?
HOW MANY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES ARE THEIR BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF PROPER EDUCATION AS TO THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE COMPARED TO MARIJUANA?!!

THESE SAME PEOPLE THAT LET THIS CRAP HAPPEN ARE WANTING TO RUN HEALTH CARE?!?!?!?
I DO'NT FUCKING THINK SO MAN!!
DO'NT GET ME STARTED ABOUT GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND BEING POLITE ANYMORE ABOUT CERTAIN GROUPS OF OUR POPULATION THAT JUST DO'NT GET IT!!!
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH BLEEDING HEART BULLCRAP FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS ABOUT THIS HASAN GUY THAT SHOT UP FORT HOOD IN TEXAS.
WE HAVE BIG FISH TO FRY IN THIS COUNTRY LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!!!

URIPEDES SAID., "THAT WHEN A SOCIETY STARTS TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ITS SCHOLARS AND SOLDIERS IT IS SOON LED BY FOOLS AND DEFENDED BY COWARDS."

AS FOR THE COWARDS IN MY COMPARISON THEY ARE ALL IN WASHINGTON D.C. !!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE NO MORE TO SAY ABOUT IT OTHER THAN YOU BETTER START GROWING YOUR OWN.,FREE YOUR MIND.,AND JUST MAY BE WE WILL FREE THE PLANET FROM THESE POWER HUNGRY COWARDS IN WASHINGTON D.C.!!!! WASHINGTON D.C. FEARS THE TRUTH!!!!
THEY FORSAKE THE TRUTH FOR POLITICAL CORRECTNESS,!!!!!
AND OUR SOVRIEGHNTY,AND OUR PERSONAL FREEDOMS AND OUR WEALTH!!!! NOW THEY WANT MY BODY!!!!???? HELL!!! NO!!!!!

Jangchup Nagtsel

Nov 12 2009, 10:59 pm

Whoopie! AMA after decades of distotion , lies, and pseudo-science finally consents to examine a plant that has been field-tested in close relationship to the human animal for at least 4000 years. Ihere is extensive literature already available and I doubt if the AMA has much to offer past the findings of the founder of modern medicine, Avicenna (c.1000 AD) (see the extensive references to cannabis in the "Canons", if you can find a copy that hasn't been extensively censored!)... I'm tired of this pathetic culture and its "doctors" that have spent the last 40+ years retreating back into the dark ages under the impact of reactionary rednecks and the almighty dollar. The last major users of hashish in the West, the Moors of Andalusia, brought us out of the last Dark ages into the Renaissance. Now Doctors and Judges who are poor parody of that brilliant culture (and even wear Moorish robes from the bench when sentencing kids to prison for a few joints, or who defame those same robes at their graduation ceremonies) are going to become our healers and arbitrators? They lost my respect decades ago. Bunch of power and money-hungry semi-alcoholics. Go to hell!

to below

Nov 12 2009, 8:39 pm

sorry ..its not a conspiracy . maybe you should look into it as opposed to having someone spell it out for you .
Voted for the sack-a-shit didn't ya .........

samantha

Nov 12 2009, 7:00 pm

Brandon Hughes, you really might be right - i commented yesterday on this post fully suspicious of this move by the AMA. But if Cannabbis is rescheduled, it is only going to help in the movement to re-legalize. I guess for now, i am just going to choose to trust that things might get better, and ignore the conspiracy theories

J-Smoker

Nov 12 2009, 3:10 pm

Anyone who thinks the (ama) is here to help legalize pot is crazy! The dumbasses who run this country will never admit that the prohibition of pot is useless they cant even admit that they failed to prevent the shootings at fort hood on american soil! The one thing this government has proven is that it will stop at nothing to try to take away every constitutional right we have!! Fuck the health care bill & keep on smokin!!!!

sober

Nov 12 2009, 11:17 am

beware of the new health care bill, it will completely deny you the right to smoke cannabis, we must stop the health care take over by the feds, they will have a panel of bribed bureaucrats,evaluating and reviewing prescriptions doing what the feds tell them, they are getting close to stopping cannabis and banning it completely.

Soooo

Nov 12 2009, 7:33 am

Check history,has the fact that our government wants marijuana kept illegal stopped anything? We would like for it to be legal,but we will continue using marijuana regardless of their policies. And medical marijuana will just go underground if they do keep it illegal.
And now our court systems are jammed up with more marijuana cases than ever before. There will be a point where the establishment has to do something,or run out of money building prisons. With the instant info available,they can't hide facts and figures and their propaganda is debunked before America can absorb it.
Fuck them,grow your own

BrandonHughes

Nov 12 2009, 5:14 am

Regardless of whatever else they said....its one step closer my friends....if weed gets rescheduled, its only a matter of time...happy smokin everybody from all of us out in SMoklahoma...haha...yes SMoklahoma....(copyright.,BH, Inc.)

Jeb3137

Nov 11 2009, 9:36 pm

This is Great !!! I have been waiting since I was a teenager in the mid 1970's when I first tried weed !!! !!! !!!

Big Baby Jesus

Nov 11 2009, 9:05 pm

It is the doctor's covering their own asses. They don't want to lose out on on that loot to be made from doctor's appointments and writing prescriptions, but they don't want shaken down by the man.

More smoke and mirrors

Nov 11 2009, 8:28 pm

They say it could be a medicine if a different delivery system could only be found. People have eaten marijuana as a medicine since before written history,and the 150 medicines sold over the counter before the 1937 Tax act,none were "smoked". They were either ingested or rubbed on.
And the DEA refuses any clinical testing of marijuana as a medicine,regardless of the delivery system,as they are required to do as long as marijuana remains schedule 1.
I sent Obama,and all my elected officials the AMA's recommendations and asked them if it was science enough when the largest organization of "doctors" ask them too allow the studies and clinical testing of marijuana.
But as said earlier,there is just too much money and too much shift in wealth surrounding marijuana too ever expect
any positive action,regardless of all their slogans of letting science decide policy and not myths,lies and prejudices.
Fuck them,grow your own.

Grassy Nole

Nov 11 2009, 6:42 pm

I have dealt with chrotic pain since the late 70's, I was in 2 car accidents, one leaving me with an artifical hip. From all the doctors I've talked to they have told me one thing, "the benefits out weight the RISK", and that's been about every drug I've ever taken, cause each one has some sort of side effect, some worse than others.
But the one drug that seems to do a really good job at least controling my pain has been "MARIJUANA". Even the high-powered pain-killers with all their nasty side effects only controls some of the pain. And alot of times those drugs can destory your appetite. If used correctly marijuana can help BILLIONS of people. With the cost of health care skyrocketing, the one drug that could help the human-race is OUT-LAWED. My one question to ask is this," could the benefits not out weight the RISK"? And it's as easy as throwing a few seeds in some dirt. Can government not just admit they were WRONG about "MS. MARIJUANA". And STOP the pain for billions of "AMERICAN" people. If given a chance Marijuana could possiblly even bring "WORLD PEACE". But we will have to give it a chance to find out.

LB Dude

Nov 11 2009, 6:07 pm

First off...I agree with kinder...

THANK YOU VETERANS!!!!

We all know this is all about money. The FEDS and AMA and big pharma companies don't want people to use marijuana. There isn't any money in it for them.

They don't want people to be healthy. There is more money in people being sick. (Not to mention the private prison companies who want more of us to go to jail so they can get their cut of our tax monies.)

Dan the Vet is right on also. I have been medicating with marijuana ever since I returned from combat in Vietnam 38 years ago.

samantha

Nov 11 2009, 3:21 pm

It strikes me as too little too late. They are just trying to save face as study after study proves their previous position wrong. The FDA will follow.

But, it looks like the AMA is in bed with Big Pharma to me. We would expect all that comes from the AMA to be based on science, yet there is no scientific reason to search for "alternate delivery methods" as they state in the text.

They are getting away with the subtle propaganda we are so used to - that smoking pot is somehow dangerous and this BS needs to stop! http://bit.ly/39kknM

kinder

Nov 11 2009, 10:21 am

PS
THANK YOU DAN THE VET AND ALL OYHER VETS!!!!!!

kinder

Nov 11 2009, 10:18 am

Great news!
Let me grow it in my back yard without-you-know-who doing
you-know-what to me.
That'll be better news

PEACE

Red Bud

Nov 11 2009, 7:10 am

I was pleasantly surprised by the AMA's announcement. While they didn't recommend legalization for any purpose, they acknowledged that sick people benefit from medical marijuana.
I just wonder, when all the data is in and it's decided that marijuana works, what reason will the government have to keep arresting people?

........

Nov 11 2009, 5:42 am

..either /and / or / maybe / yes / no / and thats my final answer ......

anonymous

Nov 11 2009, 12:42 am

can you patent a naturally-occurring substance?

atpeace420

Nov 11 2009, 12:30 am

as we all know there are always more sides to a story my concern is that will there be a corporate copyright for "northern light" strain - that would blow if caught growing such strain would be copyright infringement also illegal

Bill Coz B

Nov 11 2009, 12:19 am

Nah the politicians will fight against it until they can profit off of it or until jesus holy lord savior will transform it into alcohol, like water into wine.

James Crosby

Nov 10 2009, 11:35 pm

I agree with Christiaan. It is a bad idea to think that the AMA has the best interests of the people at heart here. They are likely trying to do exactly what he suggests, and patent what they can so that they can take control of the cannabis production for "health" or "medicinal" reasons.

We should all be very skeptical of the AMA in this case.

Nov 10 2009, 10:24 pm

If our leaders follow their own words and let the science decide,this is the death toll for the prohibition of marijuana. I am not saying they will though. Every study ordered by congress since 1972 has recommended removal of marijuana from the dangerous drugs list,and they have ignored it.
When they remove marijuana from schedule 1,it removes control of what studies can be made on marijuana from the control of the DEA,and then proving marijuana can be eaten or vaporized as a delivery system will prove beyond a shadow of doubt that pot can be a medicine,and straight America will be able too see the lies and propaganda that their own government has used on them to keep a relatively harmless weed illegal,spent billions fighting,and accomplished nothing,except to spend the money.

karma smoke

Nov 10 2009, 10:13 pm

hey as long as it obtainable more now , im down with it. ill pay, so how much is it ? peace

freedom420FTG

Nov 10 2009, 9:39 pm

This should'nt even by a issue if this country was truely the land of the free.We are outlaws because of our government,we should outlaw our corrupt, self-righteous government,and bring back our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

Christiaan

Nov 10 2009, 9:20 pm

I vow to fight until Cannabis is completely legal, is untaxed, untouched by corporatocracy, and is as free as a sunflower that grows in a spacious field! The AMA is a bureaucracy controlled by corporate interests! Contrary to the belief that the AMA is a bunch of doctors concerned for our health and safety. this board has ignored the science of Cannabis for over three decades at least, and has continually allowed our dear citizens to die of cancers and other illnesses that we know cannabis could have helped, as well as, sanctioning 20 million of our dear people to be criminalized and their lives ruined for its use! The AMA is making this move now, ahead of the threat they face of legalization, in an effort to maintain the prohibition until they can put patents in place on the various cannabinoids and can develop more synthetic medicines such as Marinol(R). The AMA the DEA the ONDCP and all of the other agents of prohibition cannot be trusted, and I urge everyone to stand and fight until we have the legalization WE want!

We The People...One Love!

Mokkie57

Nov 10 2009, 7:09 pm

Monsanto has already made many seeds hybrid. Do we want a company that produces Roundup ready corn and soybeans to get there hands on Gods gift to mankind?

IT SHOULD BE LEGAL PERIOD.

Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country."
- Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President

Mokkie57

Nov 10 2009, 7:06 pm

Monsanto has already made many seeds hybrid. Do we want a company that produces Roundup ready corn and soybeans to get there hands on Gods gift to mankind?

incredulous

Nov 10 2009, 6:46 pm

if the AMA says that cannabis is not harmful I am one hundred percent behind that what will it take for the federal government bureaucrats to acknowledge and accept the truth since when do lying dirt bag politicians know better than career doctors and scientists, what the **** is going on with the feds putting people in prison for years for smoking cannabis that shit has to stop. happy 420 smoke on.
Glow your own, with the glow panel 45

Peter

Nov 10 2009, 6:35 pm

this is very good news... but it is not a "set it and forget it" issue

dan tha vet

Nov 10 2009, 6:15 pm

i definatly think big pharma has a hand in this, and will exploit it to the fullist! as a infantryman in the amry i came back with ptsd, arthritis in my back neck and hands, and tinnits(constant ringing in my ears) form everyday patrols in iraq. and there is nothing else that comes close to what marijuana does for my whole well being. while most of my peers are on anitidepresents and opioids the va gives them.....smoke some weed tomarrow for spc luis ayala, sgt ryan wood, sgt alfonso montenegro whos were killed in iraq, and were regular pot smokers i knew personaly.

this

Nov 10 2009, 5:46 pm

is good news.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDN55kfYjYI

Look at how the hater was called out and shown how retarded he is.