1994 STUDY: POT DOESN'T CAUSE CANCER.Byline: Richard A. Knox The Boston Globe The main active ingredient in marijuana failed to cause cancer, and may even have protected against malignancies, when given to laboratory animals in huge doses over long periods, according to a federal study left on the shelf for 2-1/2 years. The 126-page draft study, which undercuts federal officials' contention that marijuana is carcinogenic carcinogenic having a capacity for carcinogenesis. , has never been published, though a panel of expert reviewers found in June 1994 that its scientific methods and conclusions were sound. The ignored $2 million federal study may add fuel to the national debate over the medical use of marijuana. In an editorial today headlined ``Federal Foolishness and Marijuana,'' the journal sharply criticizes White House drug czar Barry R. McCaffrey, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Secretary Donna Shalala for their firm stance against the use of marijuana to relieve nausea, vomiting and pain from a number of diseases. ``I believe that a federal policy that prohibits physicians from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients is misguided, heavy-handed and inhumane in·hu·mane adj. Lacking pity or compassion. in  hu·mane ly adv. ,'' writes Dr. Jerome P. Kassirer, the New England Journal's editor in chief. Kassirer called McCaffrey, Reno and Shalala ``hypocritical'' for their stance against the use of marijuana as medicine for dying patients, since addiction and long-term side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. are irrelevant in such situations. He also said that controlled human trials of marijuana for dying or seriously ill patients are not necessary. ``What really counts for a therapy with this kind of safety margin is whether a seriously ill patient feels relief as a result of the intervention, not whether a controlled trial controlled trial Clinical research A clinical study in which one group of participants receives an experimental drug while the other receives either a placebo or an approved–'gold standard' therapy. See Blinding, Double-blinded. `proves' its efficacy,'' Kassirer writes. Drug policy experts said the journal's stand is likely to have considerable influence on the marijuana debate, touched off last fall when California and Arizona voters approved ballot questions authorizing medical use of pot. The journal's stance brought a rebuttal rebuttal n. evidence introduced to counter, disprove or contradict the opposition's evidence or a presumption, or responsive legal argument. from the Clinton administration's drug czar. ``We have great respect for the opinions of the New England Journal of Medicine The New England Journal of Medicine (New Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world. , and we are taking them into account,'' McCaffrey said. |
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