Marijuana Legalization ???

[cream]

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I have a question about marijuana legalization. There are definitely health benefits that have been found by taking Marijuana. With the health benefits that could be received why can't pharmaceutical companies complete that same clinical studies they do when preparing other new drugs for the market. If the drugs can be synthesized to a vapor form of THC or pill form why isn't anyone attempting to legally make it a viable, profitable, and legal drug that consumers can benefit from. What is the hold up??

My other question is: When a drug is on the market and than found to cause deaths and be harmful to consumer's health it is immediately taken off the market. Drugs that are found to have more harm than benefit are taken off the shelves for the safety of the public. Cigarettes have no benefical value to the public and they are proven to be dangerous and fatal to patients that use them. Why is the government allowing a known deadly drug to stay readily available to the consumer?

 

[Epic]

The last thing drug dealers and DEA agents want is the legalization of MJ.

It means lost business and lost jobs. They can't have that.

 

[Old Timer]

I have a question about marijuana legalization. There are definitely health benefits that have been found by taking Marijuana. With the health benefits that could be received why can't pharmaceutical companies complete that same clinical studies they do when preparing other new drugs for the market. If the drugs can be synthesized to a vapor form of THC or pill form why isn't anyone attempting to legally make it a viable, profitable, and legal drug that consumers can benefit from. What is the hold up??

Because they are not really sure what part of the pot is actually helping. They already have Marinol which is THC. The few patients I have had who have tried it went back to pot as they found the Marinol less effective or they preferred to be stoned while they puked up their guts after chemo.

My other question is: When a drug is on the market and than found to cause deaths and be harmful to consumer's health it is immediately taken off the market. Drugs that are found to have more harm than benefit are taken off the shelves for the safety of the public. Cigarettes have no benefical value to the public and they are proven to be dangerous and fatal to patients that use them. Why is the government allowing a known deadly drug to stay readily available to the consumer?

There are several issues involved here:

1. Money: There is lots to be made and the politicians are reluctant to take it away from people directly. It's much easier to tax the heck out of it in a attempt to reduce consumption. There is less of it and pols have more money to buy votes.

2. Legality: Cigarettes are not legally a drug and therefore do not fall under the control of the FDA. There are rumblings every now and again about classifying tobacco as drug so the FDA can control the use of cigarettes. But as soon as that is thought of, the farmers and manufacturers complain to the politicians and you can see #1 above.

3. Freedom: In the USA, you have the right to do whatever you want to your own body. It's a slippery slope you go down. Maybe we should ban fries,soda and or ice cream and other fattening foods as they are also bad for your health and therefore put a drag on society. I don't know if I want that. I personally don't smoke and as long as the smoker does not breath on me, it's his or her right to smoke or drink or eat themselves into obesity. Something about the pursuit of happiness....

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I thought up that THC nebulizer thing a while ago...they are already working on it. It's in stage II trials last I saw. Plus they got that spray **** up in Canada that works buccally...it's supposed to come down South eventually.

 

[pion]

In the USA, you have the right to do whatever you want to your own body.

This is hardly the case. Certainly John Q Public cannot walk into Walgreen's and pick up some antibiotics every time he has a cold. Nor should he be able to!

Out of curiosity, do your views on marijuana mirror your views on cigarettes? As long as the pothead isn't spilling his bong water on you, should he be allowed to smoke all he wants?

 

[Old Timer]

This is hardly the case. Certainly John Q Public cannot walk into Walgreen's and pick up some antibiotics every time he has a cold. Nor should he be able to!

Antibiotics are not legally available w/o a doctors prescription. I do not advocate no laws, do what you want. I merely pointed out the fact we as a society do not consider tobacco, legally to be a drug so the FDA has no jurisdiction.

Out of curiosity, do your views on marijuana mirror your views on cigarettes? As long as the pothead isn't spilling his bong water on you, should he be allowed to smoke all he wants?

I didn't these were my views, I said these were the prevailing view of our society.

 

[KARM12]

double post

 

[KARM12]

I thought up that THC nebulizer thing a while ago...

You mean a bong? 🙂

 

[bananaface]

You mean a bong? 🙂

Did you see the Steven Colbert show where he pretended to be a stoner the entire time? His character's name was Big Bong Ding Dong.

 

[Mentis]

Marijuana has been so deeply stigmatized that it'll take some time before it's accepted enough to be used medically. Besides, once medical marijuana is fully legalized, it's only a matter of time before it is legalized altogether. And the DEA does not want that, no sir. Do you know how many growers/smokers they put away per year? They'd have to downsize their company three times over if they don't have marijuana to go after.

 

[sdn1977]

Many, many..........many years ago, I was a staff pharmacist in a hospital which was a study site for THC. We dispensed both pills (they really were "pills") and cigarettes.

I ultimately did see the final study since many sites were involved, but the greater study reflected what our site's results were - neither the THC oral or inhalation by cigarettes was as effective when they were compared to the controls at the time (oral narcotics) and they were only slightly more effective than the placebo arm. They were not compared to a marijuana arm because there was no way to control that, although as a Schedule I drug, it could be purchased.

The THC was later marketed, as Old Timer said, as Marinol & is still around today. I think in CA it has been moved from a CII to CIII. Its just not very effective.

Old Timer is absolutely correct - we just don't know what is in it that is producing the effects. Right now, I'm not aware of any drug company which is putting too much money into finding that out. As WVU pointed out, there is a company which is putting it into a nebulizer because we know the oral form is bad. Drug companies find it pays off better to fund a drug with a wider potential than this one has.

As for the legalization - well, while we have a president who puts PSE into a Homeland security bill, you definitely won't see legislation making it legal anytime soon.

 

[doeze]

I think Marinol (delta-9-THC) is based on the properties of marijuana, no? Drug companies are looking at developing marijuana medications.

As for cigarettes , there is a whole lot of money in Washington for those who keep cigarettes legal. Also, at this point if they were illegal there would be a huge black market and increased crime surrounding obtaining cigarettes. Finally, the government would be out the $2.00+ a pack tax they take in on the backs of those who are addicted. It is a mess.

 

[TxBd948]

The government should just go ahead and make it legal for both medical and recreational purposes. Contrary to what the government would have you believe society would not crumble if it was made legal. The DEA may be making a lot of money by prosecuting non-violent drug offenders, but its the public thats footing the bill for the war on drugs at a cost of around $12 billion a year I believe.

One of the main roadblocks towards legalization is big pharmacy lobbyists. There is no money to be made off medical marijuana. A quick search on google will show that a person could easily order all needed materials for around $300 and never need anything else to have their meds for life.

This is just a guess from a relatively uneducated pre-pharm also, but there is much more at work in smoked marijuana than just THC. There are many more cannabinoids in marijuana that have an effect. Which is why I believe patients mostly prefer smoked to marinol.

On a side note, this is my first post on SDN. I've been reading over it for awhile and finally decided to join the conversation. It's already been very helpful to me. I look forward to learning much more from you all in the future.🙂

 

[soyroger]

I'm surprised to see conspiracy type comments that the DEA wants to keep it illegal so they can keep making money and keep their job security. It reminds me of a cancer pt. 2 years ago who told me that the cure was found decades ago but the AMA, big pharma and oncologists have covered it up so they can keep making the big bucks off of treating it. Without Marijuana there would still be a large enough drug problem to keep the DEA busy.

As for the layman's perspective, as long as there are people who use marijuana that fit the stoner stereotype there will be enough push in society as a whole to keep it illegal, and for good reason. Right now I don't see any benefits (that can't be gained through other meds) that outweight the problems that marijuana currently causes.

 

[firefighter9015]

Marijuana legalization for any use, has some major roadblocks in the U.S. The U.S signed a treaty with other nations to keep marijuana illegal. Treaty law trumps statue and administrative law, so therefore by making marijuana legal, it is going against the treaty law. Hope that makes sense, we talked a lot about it in my law class.

 

[timbutt2]

One of the main roadblocks towards legalization is big pharmacy lobbyists. There is no money to be made off medical marijuana. A quick search on google will show that a person could easily order all needed materials for around $300 and never need anything else to have their meds for life.

Couldn't agree more.