State Public Health Department officials have recommended over $7 million dollars in grant funding to pay for a series of state-sponsored clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoids.
The proposed studies include a pair of clinical trials to evaluate the use of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychotropic plant cannabinoid, for patients with pediatric epilepsy. Two additional trials will assess the use of cannabis for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress. Other studies will assess the efficacy of either cannabis or CBD in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, brain tumors, ulcerative colitis, and pain management. (More specific summaries of all eight proposed studies are available online here.)
Grant funding for the proposed studies requires final approval by the state Board of Health in December.
Following funding approval, researchers will still be required to gain additional federal approval in order to obtain access to research-grade cannabis or CBD.
The state of California previously sponsored a similar series of clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of marijuana. Those studies evaluated the use of whole-plant cannabis in patients with neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune deficiencies. A summary of those trials, published in 2012, concluded, “Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”
“Following funding approval, researchers will still be required to gain additional federal approval in order to obtain access to research-grade cannabis or CBD.”
So far this access has been jerry-rigged against research into cannabis as medicine. A standing joke among researchers says that a rejected study may yet be funded if re-written to emphasize finding the ills associated with marijuana use. Assured the studies will never be done, cruel prohibitionists then smugly assert that there is no evidence for cannabis as medicine and the FDA hasn’t approved it for medical use.
(This is were I say, “To thwart the advance of medical science is a crime against us all.”)
Does anyone really believe the research-grade marijuana produced at the University of Mississippi is superior to the stuff produced by the free market in Colorado or Washington.
Producing weed at Ole Miss is one use of limited government resources that we don’t need to fund anymore.
“Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.” — that sums it up very nicely.
This is a great idea that Colorado has put forth. Many aren’t aware of the medicinal benefits that marijuana can bring to the table, so being able to conduct a clinical marijuana trial would be a huge jump forward for medical marijuana. A recent survey at the beginning of the year by Stanford researchers had shown that out of 19 severely epileptic children, 84% of them experienced substantial seizure reduction from the use of CBD (NORML). This is a very positive finding, and just shows how CBD can really be beneficial especially in children and adults with epilepsy.
Hear! Hear! GG has reiterated the prohibitionists’ strategy on hampering research into the positive aspects of cannabis.
The way around the blockades the prohibitionists put up is exactly by doing these studies in medical marijuana states, like what California did.
Excerpt from above article:
A summary of those trials, published in 2012, concluded, “Based on evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”
End of excerpt.
Such studies are EXACTLY what need to happen BEYOND backing up California or having California’s back. When you have studies whose findings substantiate those from studies done in other states and whose findings summarize the benefits of cannabis in the wide range that cannabis is actually effective in, then you pressure the feds, pressure whatever administration to send an envoy to the Secretary General of the UN to remove cannabis from the international prohibitionists’ schedule altogether, basically.
The timeline to that point needs to be kept short. Smaller countries that have been intimidated for decades into kowtowing to the prohibitionists want to legalize adult recreational, but are afraid. So the US is looking like it’s going to have all these states that have legalized MMJ and adult recreational, and then you can have a scenario in which the US just removes cannabis from the federal schedule and unilaterally legalizes adult recreational cannabis, and either ignores the UN or petitions the change; or you can have a scenario in which the US wants to remove cannabis from its federal prohibitionist schedule but petitions the UN for the change at the international level.
The foundation has already been laid for cannabis to be traded in US dollars.
Way to go Colorado! Let’s put the ONDCP out in the limelight and tell all the scared old people what has been happening with their tax dollars all these years to prevent them from safe, affordable and effective medicine from cannabis.
Education is key to the success of this movement and research in the U.S. has been prevented for far too long.
The Times just published an opinion from the Vera Institute which suggests changing laws to end a public health “epidemic” by providing the overflowing prison population with treatment instead of unhealthy, overcrowded drug and disease infested prisons. Among those laws? Providing food stamps, jobs and health care to those returning from prison into society, and you guessed it, descheduling cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. In fact, the study goes so far as to suggest the entire drug war and our method of incarcerating the mentally ill and impoverished minorities has created a more dangerous and unhealthy America.
I know; we already KNEW that; but these U.S. based studies are necessary in order to empower sensible legislation for marijuana, prison and drug reform to pass through Congress; which eventually does have to happen, regardless of Obama’s potential executive orders, or the result of our state to state votes and the verdict of the U.S. v. Pickard potentially reaching the Supreme Court.
These studies and proposed research by Colorado need our support and have to be brought to the surface where the general public can be educated as to how our government continues to use our tax dollars to imprison us, spread disease and violence and separate families. Despite whatever a Libertarian will tell you, commercially taxed marijuana from the great state of Colorado is achieving this endeavor.
The greatest threat to American safety and health today is the Controlled Substances Act and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Studies to end crimes against humanity. Good idea.
Happy Thanksgiving my fellow tokers and tokettes! We have much to be thankful for. Legalization is happening and Mitt Romney is not our president.
Even here in Virginia we now have a few politicians smart enough to realize the stupidity of prohibition and are considering changing the laws. Wonders never cease!
The study wants $1,041,256 to study “Medical Marijuana in the Pediatric Brain Tumor Population” palliative care. My battle with bone cancer alone cost more than a million dollars. The insurance companies should be jumping all over this research as it could save them billions of dollars in treatments.
If you ever had to ride the “Gold Bus” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center don’t wait for permission to use cannabis. The doctors can’t recommend it, but they will however tell you they hear from a lot of patients how beneficial it is then write you a perscription for oxycodone. Cancer patients must be their own advocates and do what works for them. It’s your life, it’s your liberty and its your pursuit of happiness.
New York needs to start the ground work now for the 2015 hemp spring planting season.
I wish I lived in the free State of Colorado.
Under Illinois medical marijuana law, “The Compassionate Act”, cannabis criminals are specifically excluded from receiving medical cannabis therapy due to their “cannabis criminal record”…does that make sense to anyone?
Perhaps cannabis criminals should be denied all healthcare?
It’s a lucky deal for our President he didn’t get busted smoking weed in the ChoomWagon…or he positively would not have been elected as our President…and Hypocrite in Chief!
Yeah, I said it!
Saving money is not in the corporate healthcare insurance industries vocabulary. Their congressionally mandated bonuses and merit raises are at the forefront of their discussions.
Eric, “Under Illinois medical marijuana law, “The Compassionate Act”, cannabis criminals are specifically excluded from receiving medical cannabis therapy due to their “cannabis criminal record”…does that make sense to anyone?”
Yes, what it means is the person that wrote it is an asshole. It doesn’t have any other meaning. It says, ‘I’m here just to screw you over because I can take some minuscule advantage for myself but create a large problem for you as payment for having to acknowledge you exist. And I hope you get mugged while trying to purchase marijuana on the black market.’
I am very interested in this study for research and alternative medicine. I am 56 have been homebound since June 2012. Im a perfect candidate for pain and stress and epileptic studies. My diseases non-specified multiple sclerosis, cerebral degenerations, adverse onset, dementia
I heard about Colorado’s green holiday deals 50 dollars a ounce good for them! Idaho is going for another try at legalization with a new group, called, a new approach Idaho.
The Illinois medical cannabis law, which excludes “cannabis criminals”, ensures the on-going existence of the risk filled black market operating on a street corner near many readers Homes?
Clinical Cannabis Trials Doesn’t 2016 make 20 years of legal medical Clinical Cannabis Trials. With how many men wemen children?
The law regarding stripping children from a parent which happen to smoke marijuana should be pissed on and buried as they don’t have any scientific proof that marijuana makes them any less of a caring parent. From the parents I have seen use marijuana it relieves there stressful daily repetitive teachings that are extremely difficult and stressful from day to day. They are actually more of a caring human being from my experience. These people are not putting there children in closets and beating them while duct taped… Which I have seen in the news and think that anyone that considers the idea does not deserve the respect to belong to the human race. As for the governments classification for marijuana GET SOME SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH instead of lieing to the American Public to cover your ass. It’s absolutely despicable what marijuana prohibition has put me through. As my family has distanced themselves and it has become hard to find a job due to my record for a simple plant that will probably save these ignorant POLITICIANS and/or There families life one day. I’m a caring individual that thinks everyone deserves pure freedom of there body and we all should be obliged to that true freedom. Alcohol is simply legal still because it’s an “American” thing and the United States Government funds a beer festival because it is supposedly an American Tradition. How many lives has ALCOHOL destroyed and taken too early from us. If u choose to stand by ALCOHOL and against Marijuana which is less toxic and a better release of stress than alcohol by far with no comparison then you are just as ignorant as the people who classified it a SCHEDULE 1 NARCOTIC TO SCARE THE PUBLIC and i never wish to hold an intelligent conversation with you ever.Goodnight and May Mary Bless Us All With Her Presence:)
To Brenda:
You have to contact the clinical trials; they do not contact you. Search clinical trials MS.
I plan to petition UMiss for a clinical trial.
1. Pres. Obama is not a black man; Pres. Obama is “half black and half white (Mother).
2. the Unites States gov does not care about us;the US gov cares about other nations first.
3. the people must hold a March…a “Million Marijuana March this summer or next summer.
Final answer: Anne O’Green weed woman herblady
I plan to apply for a “clinical trial; asap” with the University of Mississippi for an IND.
I simply cannot deal with the MJ dealers!! ps
sympathies for the cigarette dealer in NYC ! I say they go after disabled and obese people!(IND-Investigational New Drug application;FDA)
I think medical marijuana is great for everyone. There are many people dying right now that could be going threw marijuana treatment.CBD and THC combined together have be successfully shown in more than one study to turn abnormal cells back healthy. The government doses not want medical marijuana fully exploited because it would take a lot of money away from health care. There are people in the usa smuggling cbd and thc oil from Colorado and Washington not to get high but to help save someone’s life. These people should not have to go to such extreme measures for treatment. With time the laws will change. For those seeking treatment do what you have to do.. http://naturesgiftunlocked.com/health-benefits/
goood post….