This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on January 23, 2013.
Americans For Safe Access, the Nationwide group touted as the top medical marijuana patients advocacy organization, had petitioned the United States Supreme Court for the re-classification of marijuana to a Schedule II drug. Today a DC Circuit Court dismissed their claim.
The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) classification of marijuana describes marijuana as having zero medical value and in their professional opinion, more harmful than cocaine. Let me repeat that, “Marijuana is worse than cocaine, aka crack.”
The Supreme Court’s earlier decision to agree with the DEA and their assessment of marijuana is, for the moment, upheld. Do you think that the Supreme Court (a bunch of smart people) and the DEA (also educated) really believe that marijuana is worse than crack? Or do you think that rescheduling marijuana is neither good for the Court or the drug enforcement business?
“The DEA, the appeals court said, interprets “adequate and well-controlled studies” to be more “scientifically rigorous” than peer-reviewed, published studies”.
It is impossible to get any better studies than peer-reviewed studies. These are the experts in the WORLD critiquing other EXPERTS in the world on one another’s studies.
“The “petitioners may have cited some peer–reviewed articles in support of their position, but they have not pointed to ‘adequate and well-controlled studies’ confirming the efficacy of marijuana for medicinal uses, Edwards wrote in the court ruling”.
The studies that show how “dangerous and harmful” marijuana is, are no more rigorous than the research that shows it has medicinal value.
So who funds the research that shows marijuana is harmful? The NIH, a government entity.
Who funds research that shows marijuana has medical value? The US Government only approves studies that report the dangers of the drug. There are no studies examining the medical efficacy of marijuana.
What a sad day for Justice, for Democracy, for America. This is more than a drug war, rather an insight on how our country operates (from the bench).