Leading Researchers Who Oppose Legal Pot Are Paid by Painkiller Manufacturers

[neversickanymore]

Leading Researchers Who Oppose Legal Pot Are Paid by Painkiller Manufacturers
Will Godfrey
August 27, 2014


Let’s face it, many of us would need a little extra incentive to spend our careers standing on the wrong side of history. And a whole bunch of leading researchers who are frequently cited by supporters of marijuana prohibition look to be no different, according to a report by investigative journalist Lee Fang: They’re paid by companies that manufacture painkillers.

The academics on Fang’s list include:

*Dr. Herbert Kleber, director of the Substance Abuse Division of Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry. Widely quoted and published by mainstream media, and cited by the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Psychiatric Association to justify anti-pot positions, Kleber has served as a paid consultant for Purdue Pharma, Reckitt Benckiser and Alkermes—the manufacturers of OxyContin, Nurofen and Zohydro, respectively.

*Dr. A. Eden Evins, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and board member of SAM—the anti-legalization organization fronted by Patrick Kennedy and Kevin Sabet. Fang notes a disclosure by the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry that Evin, another widely quoted figure, has been a ”consultant for Pfizer and DLA Piper and has received grant/research support from Envivo, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.” Pfizer owns a company that manufactures opioids and is aiming to establish Remoxy as a competitor to OxyContin.

*Dr. Mark L. Kraus, a board member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. In 2012 Kraus submitted testimony against a medical marijuana law in Connecticut. He has been on the scientific advisory panels of pharma companies including Pfizer and Reckitt Benckiser.


continued here http://www.substance.com/leading-re...t-are-paid-by-painkiller-manufacturers/11435/

 

[...]

It's not that simple. Anti-marijuana lobbying does go on, but these researchers were likely paid for other services.

 

[421]

It's not that simple. Anti-marijuana lobbying does go on, but these researchers were likely paid for other services.

Kind of like radio DJ's who can't accept direct payola from record labels but get hired (and paid well) to host events etc by the very same labels. But if they stop playing the records at the radio station the gigs will all of a sudden come to an end.

 

[slimvictor]

No surprise here.
The entire war on drugs is farcical, and motivated primarily by greed.

 

[...]

Kind of like radio DJ's who can't accept direct payola from record labels but get hired (and paid well) to host events etc by the very same labels. But if they stop playing the records at the radio station the gigs will all of a sudden come to an end.

I meant to say I don't think Phizer et al really care about whether or not weed is legalized. Marijuana use will not significantly increase, and people will still seek opioid pain killers.

Also, I know Purdue is pretty much forced to do anti-drug stuff in order to save face with congress.

 

[ro4eva]

No surprise here.
The entire war on drugs is farcical, and motivated primarily by greed.

Exactly. No surprise here as well whatsoever.

Just... disappointment I suppose.

These revelations are fantastic, as they can help undermine prohibitionist agendas, but golly, the rabbit hole goes far deeper than I had imagined.

Sad story really. One which we shall have to remedy.

 

[Crankinit]

Thought this was already common knowledge. Unrestrained capitalism at work.

 

[pmoseman]

Tactless accusations.
Can't they write an honest headline?