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The American Medical Association wants the U.S. government to review marijuana's status as an illegal drug, a move that's considered important by supporters of medical marijuana.
"This shift, coming from what has historically been America's most cautious and conservative major medical organization, is historic," Aaron Houston, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), which seeks to reform U.S. marijuana laws, said in a news release. "Marijuana's Schedule I status is not just scientifically untenable, given the wealth of recent data showing it to be both safe and effective for chronic pain and other conditions, but it's been a major obstacle to needed research."
Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug that has no accepted medical use and is unsafe for use even under medical supervision. Heroin, LSD and PCP are among the other Schedule I drugs, MPP said.
On Tuesday, the AMA's House of Delegates adopted a new policy position urging "that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods."
But the policy authors added that this new position shouldn't be regarded as an endorsement of state medical marijuana programs.
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I’m disgusted that my taxes are spent arresting marijuana users while violent criminals roam free, and I’m sick of the idea that the criminal drug cartels might try to get my kids involved in drugs just for the money.
November 11, 2009 - 8:16amLicensing, taxing, and regulating the distribution of marijuana is the surest way to put the criminal drug dealers out of business and protect our children from the money-hungry criminal element. It’s time to protect our children and take the marijuana business out of the hands of criminals. License, tax, and regulate the marijuana business.
And while we’re at it, let’s find a way to pull the revenue-hungry public policy in the right direction on personal cultivation (i.e., let’s get past the “you can’t tax it because people will just grow their own” argument). Let’s implement a personal cultivation permit. Limit the size of the growing area or the number of plants, and put a small user-fee on it to cover administrative costs, something like a fishing license. Maybe high enough that there will be a little something left over for education or fixing the roads.
One possibility:$100 per year for a permit to cultivate a dozen plants.
It’s a win-win.
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