Pro-marijuana groups are playing on fears about government, hinting that the FDA is captive to special interests and doesn’t care about regular people.
They don't support medical marijuana.
But it’s not just the FDA that says marijuana isn’t medicine. The American Cancer Society, The American Glaucoma Society and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society all say there is little evidence of benefit and that other medicines are safer and work equally well. Also, no medical professionals want a medicine that is smoked.
Here’s what the Glaucoma Foundation said: “medical experts believe that marijuana could actually prove harmful for glaucoma patients.” “Marijuana only lowers (intraocular) pressure for several hours, requiring patients to continuously medicate day and night. Failing to do so can lead to a rebound spike in eye pressure, which can be damaging.”
On its website, the American Cancer Society quotes a study showing marijuana smokers have 2-3 times the cancer risk of non-smokers, and said patients should not use marijuana, especially since safer medications are available.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society does not recommend marijuana because it’s no better than existing medications and can worsen coordination and memory.
Neither do they.
These organizations represent the very illnesses medical marijuana supposedly treats, and even they aren’t for it . Either there’s a huge conspiracy and these charities are intentionally depriving their own members of good treatment, or else marijuana is being way oversold by people with another agenda.
The most complete review so far: Smoking pot isn't medicine.
The Institute of Medicine did the most complete review of marijuana. They’re an independent agency. Not only do they have no ties with the government, they opposed the government on Agent Orange. Their work forced the Pentagon to recognize Agent Orange claims. The IOM did their own review and concluded that marijuana is not medicine. There’s potential, but not enough evidence. Remember, individual stories are not enough. There are hundreds of medicines that helped some people but caused so many other problems that they were never approved.
All medical organizations, including the AMA, support research to develop non-smoked, cannabinoid medications, but do not support medical marijuana laws. The demand for so-called medical marijuana is not coming from organizations of doctors or organizations of patients. It is coming from the Marijuaan Policy Project, an organization of pot-smokers.
The group opposing Proposition 203 is KeepAZDrugFree. I can be reached at DrGogek@gmail.com.
