Free Republic

The fight to legalize the medical use of marijuana was dealt a blow Thursday when the Food and Drug Administration contradicted an earlier review by the respected Institute of Medicine and concluded that “no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana.” This finding, based on past studies by the FDA and other government health agencies, will further muddy the already confusing messages coming from scientists, doctors and legal agencies. Eleven states have legalized the use of marijuana if prescribed by a physician for medical conditions such as relieving nausea after chemotherapy, and AIDS-related wasting. But the Supreme Court last...

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The FDA said in a statement that it and other agencies with the Health and Human Services Department had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use." A number of states have passed legislation allowing marijuana use for medical purposes, but the FDA said, "These measures are inconsistent with efforts to ensure that...