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November 12, 2009
Good News, Bad News
An item in yesterday’s LA Times caused me a bit of surprise; the good news was that the AMA finally saw fit to endorse reclassification of “marijuana” thirty years after a federal Administrative Law judge working for the DEA had formally declared pot to be both safe and effective (before being summarily overruled by his administrative superior). The bad news is that a careful reading of the whole article shows how far the AMA remains behind the reality curve by clinging to the notion that “recreational” use can be accurately differentiated from medical use through casual observation by the medically untrained, and by implication, that it warrants arrest.It’s difficult to fault the AMA for that belief, however; my own acquaintance with the usual suspects listed as applauding their decision confirms that they all share both the AMA's poor judgment and the lack of clinical experience required to have arrived at it.
Ironically, in defending their recommendation, the AMA also invoked the prescient 1937 warning of Dr. William Woodward to the effect that future research might show that cannabis offers considerable medical benefits, thus the Congressional Committee then discussing a bill that would preclude such research should think twice before recommending it.
The official record shows that the good doctor was then scolded by the committee chairman for his impertinence.
Doctor Tom
Posted by tjeffo at November 12, 2009 07:21 PM