The Wind of Change Blows From Across the Pond
Well, who would have thought it? America, the anti drug monolith has had a change of heart. Specifically, the American Medical Association (AMA) has had something of an about face on cannabis, in particular the whole medical marijuana debate.
“The American Medical Association?„ you may say. “Who cares?„ you may add. But you'd be wrong to do so. The point here, and believe me, it really is a biggie, is that as a group, medics are among the most conservative you'll find (coming, in my view, in the same sort of class as lawyers and bankers). This is completely in spite of early years as medical students spent getting pissed and pushing each other up and down the street in shopping trolleys (or maybe that's only in the UK); once they're able to practice, once they're in the club, then it tends to change (see politicians for another good example of this type of behaviour).
But as usual, I digress. The story here is that for the past 72 years, the AMA has maintained that weed has absolutely no therapeutic value and should therefore remain a Schedule 1 drug. This means it's classed along with other substances with "no medical value" such as LSD (!), cocaine (!!) and heroin (!!!). I'm not going to get into the pros and cons of this; hopefully the exclamation marks will convey my views on the matter.
A Schedule 1 controlled substance also means that, if you're caught with it, you can go to prison. In some states in the U.S., caught with a bit of grass three times and you can go to prison forever.
But here's the thing: an AMA committee, the Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) have produced a report called “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes„, wherein they basically say "You know all that stuff we've been banging on about for the past 72 years? That's right, all the stuff about dope being responsible for everything from mental illness to “moral degeneration„ to spree killing. Well, it's all shit, and weed actually does have a medical value. And yes, we know that you told us so and have been telling us so for pretty much every one of these 72 years, but, hey, we've been in the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and successive governments for all this time and, well, you just don't bite the hand that feeds you, and you definitely don't take a crap on your own doorstep. We're truly, profoundly sorry that we've been a fundamental part of the apparatus of government oppression and that our (in) action has caused suffering to individuals and indeed to pretty big sectors of the community.„
Actually, that's not what they say at all. In fact, the whole report is a completely apology-free zone. But hey, ho, it's probably very churlish of me to dwell upon this point. So let's, as they say, draw a line under it and move on.
The report continues thus:
“Short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis...„ (Yes, folks, you read that correctly: smoked cannabis) ... “reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.„
I think it's the bit about smoked cannabis that surprises me the most. Given that America appears to be full of health and lifestyle fascists, the idea that anyone might be allowed to smoke anything (whether it's "good „ for you or not) is quite amazing. Perhaps more amazing is the fact that "smoked" cannabis kind of implies weed one can grow oneself, rather than using some sort of piss poor pharmaceutical company analogue.
Given that America is Corporate Babylon, full of fast buck chancers, has someone taken their eye off the ball here?
Whatever, this is one story that I for one will definitely be following with interest as the outcome is sure to have a knock on effect for the rest of the world.
As ever, your comments are always welcome: dimethyltryptamine777@hotmail.com
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