News

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Late last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed to hear oral arguments in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, a lawsuit challenging the federal government's classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical value. Ten years after the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis (CRC) filed its petition, the courts will finally review the scientific evidence regarding the therapeutic value of marijuana. The D.C. Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments on October 16th at 9:30am.

"Medical marijuana patients are finally getting their day in court," said Joe Elford, Chief Counsel with Americans for Safe Access, the country's leading medical marijuana advocacy group. "This is a rare opportunity for patients to confront politically motivated decision-making with scientific evidence of marijuana's medical efficacy," continued Elford. "What's at stake in this case is nothing less than our country's scientific integrity and the imminent needs of millions of patients."

ASA filed its lawsuit in January, challenging the July 2011 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) denial of the CRC petition, which was filed in 2002. The DEA is the final arbiter on petitions to reclassify controlled substances, but other agencies are also involved in the review process. Patient advocates claim that marijuana is treated unlike any other controlled substance in that rescheduling petitions are encumbered by politics and therapeutic research is subjected to a unique and overly rigorous approval process.

The announcement of oral arguments comes just weeks after a study was published in The Open Neurology Journal by Dr. Igor Grant one of the leading U.S. medical marijuana researchers, claiming that marijuana's Schedule I classification is "not tenable." Dr. Grant and his fellow researchers concluded it was "not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking." The study urged additional research, and stated that marijuana's federal classification and its political controversy are "obstacles to medical progress in this area." Marijuana's classification as a Schedule I substance (along with heroin and morphine) is based on the federal government's position that it has "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States."

For more than a year, the Obama Justice Department has been escalating its attacks in medical marijuana states, including dozens of new federal indictments and prosecutions. Though U.S. Attorneys often claim that the accused have violated state law in some way, defendants are prevented from using any medical evidence or a state law defense in federal court. If the rescheduling lawsuit is successful and marijuana is reclassified, federal defendants will then gain the basis for a medical necessity defense.

http://www.enewspf.com/latest-news/healt...ation.html

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**skeptic**

**LOPster Jesus**

would love to see them stick the verdict from this far up the asses of these overzealous racketeering DEA scumbags Jhikpghf

**skeptic**

kettlnaut Wrote:

would love to see them stick the verdict from this far up the asses of these overzealous racketeering DEA scumbags

AGREED!!!

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 111978 07-31-2012 07:34 PM

**~Humanityneedspeace~**

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kettlnaut Wrote:

would love to see them stick the verdict from this far up the asses of these overzealous racketeering DEA scumbags

Absolutely. Removing schedule 1 status would be huge step forward.

**Astrochik**

Legalize it

Don't criticize it

canada

Ron Paul supports medical (and non-medical) cannabis...

**TheLOVETroll**

Spread Wrote:

kettlnaut Wrote:
would love to see them stick the verdict from this far up the asses of these overzealous racketeering DEA scumbags
Absolutely. Removing schedule 1 status would be huge step forward.

Then they'll play the zombie card... And how they only had weed in their system.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 112013 08-01-2012 12:09 AM

Astrochik Wrote:

Legalize it

Don't criticize it

Ron Paul supports medical (and non-medical) cannabis...

Astro, Myself and my wife WERE lifelong registered Democrats, but changed our registration to vote for DR. Paul.
It is too bad that MORE PEOPLE cannot wake up.
The Dennis Kusinich (sp) wing of the Democrat party has more in common with Dr. Paul , than president George W. Bush JR.(Mr. Obama)
I hope Mittens tax issues blow up at the convention and a miracle happens
DR PAUL GETS THE NOMINATION Jhikpghf

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 110090 08-01-2012 12:14 AM

Call me cynical but i do not see the courts making the rational decision here, there are too many manipulators bending things behind closed doors.

The judge will call in the head of the DEA or the Drug czar and ask them what they think and they will simply say WHAT THEY ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO SAY, that its a bad idea, the the judge will say, we were told its a bad idea by the experts.

This has already happened a number of times, the government knows how to play this bullshit game.

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LoP Guest Wrote:

Astrochik Wrote:
Legalize it

Don't criticize it

Ron Paul supports medical (and non-medical) cannabis...

Astro, Myself and my wife WERE lifelong registered Democrats, but changed our registration to vote for DR. Paul.
It is too bad that MORE PEOPLE cannot wake up.
The Dennis Kusinich (sp) wing of the Democrat party has more in common with Dr. Paul , than president George W. Bush JR.(Mr. Obama)
I hope Mittens tax issues blow up at the convention and a miracle happens
DR PAUL GETS THE NOMINATION

Ron Paul is controlled opposition, don't fool yourself.

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LoP Guest Wrote:

Call me cynical but i do not see the courts making the rational decision here, there are too many manipulators bending things behind closed doors.

The judge will call in the head of the DEA or the Drug czar and ask them what they think and they will simply say WHAT THEY ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO SAY, that its a bad idea, the the judge will say, we were told its a bad idea by the experts.

This has already happened a number of times, the government knows how to play this bullshit game.

I don't see it happening either. The pharma lobbyists will bribe them off.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 110090 08-01-2012 12:25 AM

Spread Wrote:

LoP Guest Wrote:
Astrochik Wrote:
Legalize it

Don't criticize it

Ron Paul supports medical (and non-medical) cannabis...

Astro, Myself and my wife WERE lifelong registered Democrats, but changed our registration to vote for DR. Paul.
It is too bad that MORE PEOPLE cannot wake up.
The Dennis Kusinich (sp) wing of the Democrat party has more in common with Dr. Paul , than president George W. Bush JR.(Mr. Obama)
I hope Mittens tax issues blow up at the convention and a miracle happens
DR PAUL GETS THE NOMINATION
Ron Paul is controlled opposition, don't fool yourself.

Yeah that is a nice fun canned conspiracy catch slogan but it does not really mesh with reality.

Other than faith you really have nothing to build on with that claim.

To be "controlled opposition" you actually have to be "opposition".

Since Paul is not, he has been completely marginalized, that would make him either not "controlled opposition" or the most limp dick fail of "controlled opposition" in history.

I lean toward the first choice.