The California state legislature has formally called on the federal government to reclassify cannabis after an Assembly vote of 60 to 10.
“The Legislature urges the US Congress to pass a law to reschedule cannabis and its derivatives from a Schedule I drug to an alternative schedule, therefore allowing the legal research and development of cannabis for medical use.”
Buried in the paragraph above is a notion TRUCE finds to be of interest for the long term: moving “cannabis and its derivatives from a Schedule I drug to an alternative schedule.”
I.e., while not said above, the persistent assertion by groups like the UMA that “plants aren’t medicines” – by which they really mean, medicinal cannabis isn’t a single molecule product that’s been through hundreds of millions of dollars of research – half for safety of the safest drug we know of, prescription or otherwise – and half for every separate cannabinoid for each and every condition.
The above would require thousands of clinical trials in the current FDA model and is something that’s never going to happen. First, much of the gauntlet doesn’t need to be run after 8,000 years of safe use, and second, cannabis farmers and product makers don’t have billions to spend.
So it makes a lot of sense to regulate cannabis similarly to the way the FDA already has already developed for holistic medical supplements. Those guidelines are here (though they might be expanded somewhat to fit medical cannabis’ broad and deep range of applications):
http://ift.tt/2q1DQn3
This would allow the dispensary/cultivator/manufacturer model and general (non FDA-trial) research to go forward on the one hand… …and would leave the big pharmaceutical companies free to develop their own proprietary “cannabinoid medicines” at the same time – some of which WILL prove to be uniquely valuable – and, finally, with patients having the strongest say in which medicinal products they prefer (and can afford).
Which we could see being a win-win situation in the best interests of everyone.
In any case, thanks for the nudge, California Legislature….
#MMJ #Rescheduling #USpol #CApol #UTpol
http://ift.tt/2ynnUuN
See full article – California Officially Calls On Feds To Reclassify Marijuana
