Regular readers know we regard the FDA, DEA, NIDA with, well, let’s call it a fair amount of healthy skepticism re their convoluted and often the-opposite-of-helpful history.
Earlier today, we discussed one newish opponent tactic, i.e., “slow-walking” the science, and wrapping themselves in the “Dragnet” mantra of wanting “the facts and just the facts,” while supporting research that takes many years to complete – even as millions continue to suffer (and in the case of the opioid crisis, needlessly die).
The FDA has its own “dodges,” i.e., explanations that sound reasonable, but which at base lack real justification.
The linked article is the FDA’s own Q&A page about cannabis. Read it for what it’s worth, but also read carefully….
For example: “The FDA has not approved any product containing or derived from botanical marijuana for any indication. This means that the FDA has not found any such product to be safe or effective for the treatment of any disease or condition. Study of marijuana in clinical trial settings is needed to assess the safety and effectiveness…”
This answer hides a ton of assumptions which at base are not truly scientific. “Botanical marijuana” is the first “giveaway.”
For thousands of years, many to most medicines were formulations of plant materials, and there was no such thing as “big pharma” companies specializing in mass produced, mostly synthesized “single-molecule” medicines.
Flowering in the 20th century, plant-based medicine and other medical specialists were overwhelmed by the rise of patented, MD-only-prescribed “miracle drugs” – most toxic enough to require extensive, expensive testing in an FDA-developed “clinical trials” basis which doesn’t really apply to testing plants, which have a host of molecules which can vary from batch to batch.
So the AMA and drug industry embraced the “trials” model to study synthetic drug candidates – molecule by molecule, and decided (as the UMA takes pains to remind Utahns) that “plants aren’t medicine.”
Thus chemically complex whole plant cannabis medicines need not apply to be studied for “FDA approval,” and even if they do, since testing can cost millions to billions, and since whole plant cannabis can’t be patented to protect any profits from such approval… …no sale, no FDA research.
And (since plants aren’t single molecule medicines) the FDA is free to ignore all the other thousands of studies they haven’t approved. While holding cannabis – which has the best safety record of any major medicine ever – as not known to be safe by their “trials” definition – though that’s NOT the only way to measure drug safety….
There’s much more to be said about this and oher points (as noted in many of our posts). Suffice to say, please check out the FDA’s own words, but do so with eyes wide open….
#MMJ #FDA #NIDA #AMA #UMA #USpol #UTpol #TRUCE
See full article – FDA and Marijuana: Questions and Answers
