bluedolphin
Bluelight Crew
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Hey all, I just finished writing this paper for my Medical Anthropology class.
It's about the contradictions between DEA Scheduling policies and the actual medical benefits found in some Schedule I drugs.
I welcome any constructive criticism you guys might have, but keep in mind it's supposed to be more of an overview on a topic than an in-depth research project.
Hopefully one or two people will read this, its my first post in "Words"
“No Currently Acceptable Medical Use”
Introduction
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, “Drugs in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act are those substances that have a high potential for abuse, no currently acceptable medical use in treatment, and which lack any accepted safe use under medical supervision” (U.S. Department of Labor). By definition, any substances listed in Schedule I can only be abused, as there is no such thing as acceptable use of these drugs in western biomedically focused society. However, I have come to believe that some of these drugs do indeed carry medical value, contrary to the convictions of most world governments and the beliefs of the apparent majority of people in our society. Using examples taken from scientific research performed before and after DEA scheduling, my own personal experiences, and evidence of the medical value of certain illegal drugs in the experiences of others, I will prove not only that the DEA's scheduling of these substances is wholly inappropriate, but that the medical community and certainly all of humanity can benefit from careful use and study of certain banned substances.
Marijuana
The obvious starting point is that which is an increasingly potent topic of debate for many states and nations. According to NORML, an organization committed to the legalization of cannabis, “Written references to the use of marijuana as a medicine date back nearly 5,000 years”, when the Chinese and Indian cultures began to use the plant as an antiseptic and analgesic. By 500 B.C., use of cannabis spread to the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. It is believed that the return of Napoleon's army from Egypt sparked contemporary interest in both the medical uses and intoxicating effects of marijuana. Western medical practitioners began to recognize and accept the drug's uses as a pain reliever and a sedative. Cannabis was apparently popular in the literary and artistic culture in France following the 1840's as “an intoxicant of the intellectual classes” (National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Use). Soon medical interest in marijuana had spread to the United States, and by 1890 more than 100 articles had been published recommending marijuana for the treatment of various disorders. However, other medicines such as morphine and codeine, extracted from opium, were soon found to be more effective at treating pain (the primary medical use for marijuana at the time) as well as being more controllable regarding the dose. Marijuana's reputation as a medicine began to slip as it became more well-known as an intoxicant. By 1937 Marijuana had a reputation as a dangerous weed smuggled across the border by Mexicans, resulting in the Marihuana Tax Act, effectively making cannabis illegal in the United States (idem).
Today, much more is known about the medical uses of marijuana. Cannabis has been found effective by many AIDS patients, who can suffer from chronic appetite loss called “wasting syndrome”. Cannabis induces “the munchies”, allowing AIDS patients to regain their normal appetite. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often suffer from nausea as a result of their treatment. Chemotherapy coupled with marijuana allows many patients to keep their food down. Marijuana is famous for its medical association with glaucoma: The drug reduces intraocular pressure, thereby preventing damage to the eye. For sufferers of these serious medical conditions, the relief found in marijuana is very real. Opponents of medical marijuana, like United States Drug Czar John Walters, say, “It's not about feeling better; it's about what is ethical and efficacious medical practice. Smoking marijuana has not met that standard” (The Associated Press). Considering John Walters' lack of qualifications in the fields of ethics and medicine, I would suggest that very ill people have access to whatever medicine they feel is most effective. For these people it is indeed about “feeling better”.
In fact, most people agree that medical marijuana should be available to patients. Polls consistently reflect that upwards of 75% of Americans support medical marijuana (youdebate.com), largely on the idea that terminally ill patients and those in true states of suffering should not be denied relief. This appears to be a case of our democratic government fighting against overwhelming popular opinion.
I have not yet touched upon the many other medical uses for marijuana. In treating multiple sclerosis, marijuana appears to help relieve muscle pain as well as curbing muscle tremors. Marijuana also appears to be effective in preventing epileptic seizures in many patients. Marijuana can be used for treating arthritis, cramps, alcohol or opiate addiction, migraine headaches, depression, and my personal favorites, insomnia and asthma.
As long as I can remember, I have always had great difficultly falling asleep at night. Often, no matter how physically or mentally exhausted I might have been, I would lie in bed for hours before eventually falling asleep. This caused me to either get very little sleep each night, or sleep well in to the afternoon. I had tried hypnosis and meditation but they didn’t solve the problem. I did not want to put myself on a nightly diet of antihistamines, and while Melatonin works wonders in terms of letting me fall asleep quickly, I build up a tolerance to the hormone after just a few days of use, rendering it ineffective. There is absolutely no better medicine for insomnia than marijuana. A sub-recreational dose will allow me to drift off to sleep comfortably in less than half an hour every time. My other personal favorite medical use for marijuana is the treatment of asthma. Though my asthma is not as bad as it used to be, I still have difficulty breathing sometimes when I come inside from cold weather, resulting in me wheezing, coughing, and gasping to fill my lungs for up to a half hour. After hearing reggae artist Peter Tosh’s endorsement of marijuana for asthma in the song “Legalize It”, I found that a sub-recreational dose of marijuana (one small toke) was enough to dilate my bronchial passage ways enough to offer instant relief. In fact, I never found close to the quality of relief from the Ventolin asthma inhalers I used as a child.
Likewise, marijuana appears effective treatment in some cases of depression. One of my friends is prescribed Effexor XR, an SNRI antidepressant medication, but he, like many other users of prescribed antidepressants, feels that the side effects outweigh the benefits of these medications. He claims that marijuana works more effectively than any SSRI or SNRI he has tried, and that it is safer and more enjoyable too.
MDMA ( Ecstasy )
MDMA is a popular drug, made famous by the “rave culture” of the 1990’s. Almost every local newspaper made carried a headline along the lines of “Ecstasy: A New and Dangerous Drug of Abuse”, warning parents of the deadly consequences of consuming the drug. The point of this paper is not to argue the dangers or safety of any particular drug, but I will make a few points. First, it is very difficult to overdose from MDMA alone. In fact, typical oral doses of MDMA are less than 1% of the amount needed to kill the average human (Erowid.org). Most deaths associated with “ecstasy” are in fact not associated with MDMA, but with more dangerous substances occasionally found in pills sold as “ecstasy”. This is an unfortunate result of the drug having been forced into the black market, and is irrelevant in terms of the actual safety of MDMA. Furthermore, the primary studies that have been touted to show the dangers of MDMA, performed by George Ricaurte of Johns Hopkins University, have recently been proved as fraudulent. Ricaurte injected animals with the dangerous drug methamphetamine and used these results to show the neurotoxic nature of MDMA (New York Times). Ricaurte’s research sparked the notion that MDMA permanently damages neurotransmitters and leaves holes in people’s brains. Now he is laughed at by his colleagues. Regardless, MDMA continues to carry an image of being a dangerous drug, and it is listed Schedule I by the DEA since 1985.
MDMA was first synthesized by German pharmaceutical company Merck in 1912. It wasn’t deemed useful, so the substance laid dormant until 1965, when Dr. Alexander Shulgin began to synthesize the drug and use it personally. Shulgin had a special license from the United States government to develop and synthesize psychedelic drugs. He synthesized hundreds of different tryptamines and phenethylamines (the class of drugs that MDMA belongs to, along with other drugs like mescaline, DOB, and 2C-B). In his book, PiKHAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved: A Chemical Love Story), some qualitative comments are available from the subjects of Shulgin’s research:
“I feel absolutely clean inside, and there is nothing but pure euphoria. I have never felt so great, or believed this to be possible. The cleanliness, clarity, and marvelous feeling of solid inner strength continued throughout the rest of the day, and evening, and through the next day. I am overcome by the profundity of the experience, and how much more powerful it was than previous experiences, for no apparent reason, other than a continually improving state of being. All the next day I felt like 'a citizen of the universe' rather than a citizen of the planet, completely disconnecting time and flowing easily from one activity to the next.” (PiKHAL #109 MDMA)
These comments suggest vast potential for therapeutic value in MDMA. In fact, before MDMA was scheduled in 1985, over 4,000 psychotherapists actively and legally used MDMA, especially for couples therapy. I have witnessed the therapeutic value of MDMA as one of my good friends tried it for the first time at a music festival this summer. Normally he is introverted and shy, and his lack of confidence was obvious. After taking some MDMA he danced around a lot of 70,000 people, introducing himself to strangers, biding others a good night, displaying a vast amount of empathy, and generally being very comfortable with himself. The next morning he claimed to have many personal breakthroughs, and thought himself a better person for the experience. Now it has been five months since his experience, and I can tell that he is a more confidant and comfortable person than he was before he tried MDMA. To the best of my knowledge he hasn’t used MDMA again since that experience. If that isn’t good therapy, I don’t know what is.
Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a psychedelic indole alkaloid related to tryptamines like LSD and psilocin / psilocybin, the constituents of “magic mushrooms”. It is extracted from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, and is reported to curb addiction to, as well as eliminating withdrawl symptoms from cocaine and opiates. Apparently Ibogaine affects the NMDA-receptors associated with psychological dependance. Dr. Daniel Luciano of the NYU School of Medicine reports that a single dose of Ibogaine is enough to permanently eliminate cravings for drugs of addiction. “Routine EEG studies were normal in all cases, during and after treatment. No general medical or ECG abnormalities were seen. At 24 hours after treatment, all neurologic examinations were normal, and patients did not have subjective or objective signs of withdrawl or craving” (Luciano, 1998 ). One anonymous subject of Ibogaine treatment stated:
“I never experienced any negative side effects, mentally or physically, after ibogaine. I've noticed that I'm not sensitive to the influence of drugs as I used to be. I lost a great deal of interest in drugs in general, because the effect of ibogaine goes far beyond their effect, though not necessarily in a pleasant way. Ibogaine is quite an ordeal; therefore I hope I don't ever need to use it again. It is not possible for me to resume the same addictive personality, unless it would be my conscious choice. Ibogaine has given me this choice. Heroin never did.” (Lotsof and Alexander)
Obviously this kind of treatment holds advantages over methadone treatment, which works by supplementing one addiction with another drug just as addictive and dangerous. Ibogaine is not without its potential dangers though; preclinical research suggests that the alkaloid could be neurotoxic, and three addicts have died following ibogaine treatment (Johnson). However, with an adequate physical screening before taking the drug, it appears that ibogaine treatment (currently underway in private Canadian clinics, where the drug is not banned) is a relatively safe option for addicts, with a remarkable success rate.
Conclusion
I could go on, but I wouldn't know which of the many illegal healing plants and molecules I'd choose from next. Mushrooms and mescaline appear to aid people in their spiritual development (see the “Good Friday Experiment”). LSD was used to decrease the amount of time individuals would need to spend in therapy, aiding in the manifestation of personal revelations and breakthroughs. Even cocaine can be used as an anaesthetic and to help people acclimate themselves to the thin air at high altitudes.
DEA scheduling policies are shrouded in the hypocricy and prejudice of modern Western culture. In therapy, we value only those drugs that “correct” imbalances in the neural pathways; those which allow the mind to begin its own process of healing are disenfranchised. No matter the value of the drug, it is considered flawed if it causes psychedelic changes in perception. Cannabis has been proven effective at both fighting disease and relieving suffering, yet the drug is considered “last resort” medicine, as if the patient is somehow making a comprimise by choosing cannabis over a coctail of prescription drugs. This hypocricy becomes obvious when you see pharmaceutical companies pushing synthetic forms of THC like Marinol and Nabilone, claiming they work as well as cannabis but without the side effects. Unfortunately these drugs do not use the hundreds of healing compounds found in cannabis: Most patients would be better off with the natural medicine that has been proven effective for millenia. Current DEA scheduling policies are nothing less than a crime against humanity and nature itself.
Sources:
Erowid.org . Erowid MDMA Vault. http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/
Johnson, Gail. 2003. The Georgia Straight. Ibogaine a One-Way Trip to Sobriety, Pot Head Says. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n011/a09.htm
Lotsof, Howard and Alexander, Norma. Case Studies of Ibogaine Treatment: Implications for Patient Management Strategies.
http://www.doraweiner.org/alexanderlotsof.html
Luciana, Daniel. 1998. The American Journal on Addictions, 7(1):89-90.
McCall, William, The Associated Press. August 15, 2003. Drug Czar: Medical Marijuana is a Ploy. http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/1121_0_1_0_C/
National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Use. 1972. Marijuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding, the Report of the US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse. http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_medical_info3.shtml
New York Times. December 2, 2003. Research on Ecstasy is Clouded by Errors.
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109946
NORML. Introduction to Medical Use of Marijuana.
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441
Shulgin, Alexander. PiKHAL #109 MDMA.
http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal109.shtml
U.S. Department of Labor. Office of the Secretary. Substance Abuse Information Database. http://said.dol.gov/GlossaryTerm.asp?ID=276
YouDebate.com . Medical Marijuana Debate and Poll.
http://www.youdebate.com/DEBATES/medical_marijuana .HTM
It's about the contradictions between DEA Scheduling policies and the actual medical benefits found in some Schedule I drugs.
I welcome any constructive criticism you guys might have, but keep in mind it's supposed to be more of an overview on a topic than an in-depth research project.
Hopefully one or two people will read this, its my first post in "Words"
“No Currently Acceptable Medical Use”
Introduction
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, “Drugs in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act are those substances that have a high potential for abuse, no currently acceptable medical use in treatment, and which lack any accepted safe use under medical supervision” (U.S. Department of Labor). By definition, any substances listed in Schedule I can only be abused, as there is no such thing as acceptable use of these drugs in western biomedically focused society. However, I have come to believe that some of these drugs do indeed carry medical value, contrary to the convictions of most world governments and the beliefs of the apparent majority of people in our society. Using examples taken from scientific research performed before and after DEA scheduling, my own personal experiences, and evidence of the medical value of certain illegal drugs in the experiences of others, I will prove not only that the DEA's scheduling of these substances is wholly inappropriate, but that the medical community and certainly all of humanity can benefit from careful use and study of certain banned substances.
Marijuana
The obvious starting point is that which is an increasingly potent topic of debate for many states and nations. According to NORML, an organization committed to the legalization of cannabis, “Written references to the use of marijuana as a medicine date back nearly 5,000 years”, when the Chinese and Indian cultures began to use the plant as an antiseptic and analgesic. By 500 B.C., use of cannabis spread to the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. It is believed that the return of Napoleon's army from Egypt sparked contemporary interest in both the medical uses and intoxicating effects of marijuana. Western medical practitioners began to recognize and accept the drug's uses as a pain reliever and a sedative. Cannabis was apparently popular in the literary and artistic culture in France following the 1840's as “an intoxicant of the intellectual classes” (National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Use). Soon medical interest in marijuana had spread to the United States, and by 1890 more than 100 articles had been published recommending marijuana for the treatment of various disorders. However, other medicines such as morphine and codeine, extracted from opium, were soon found to be more effective at treating pain (the primary medical use for marijuana at the time) as well as being more controllable regarding the dose. Marijuana's reputation as a medicine began to slip as it became more well-known as an intoxicant. By 1937 Marijuana had a reputation as a dangerous weed smuggled across the border by Mexicans, resulting in the Marihuana Tax Act, effectively making cannabis illegal in the United States (idem).
Today, much more is known about the medical uses of marijuana. Cannabis has been found effective by many AIDS patients, who can suffer from chronic appetite loss called “wasting syndrome”. Cannabis induces “the munchies”, allowing AIDS patients to regain their normal appetite. Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often suffer from nausea as a result of their treatment. Chemotherapy coupled with marijuana allows many patients to keep their food down. Marijuana is famous for its medical association with glaucoma: The drug reduces intraocular pressure, thereby preventing damage to the eye. For sufferers of these serious medical conditions, the relief found in marijuana is very real. Opponents of medical marijuana, like United States Drug Czar John Walters, say, “It's not about feeling better; it's about what is ethical and efficacious medical practice. Smoking marijuana has not met that standard” (The Associated Press). Considering John Walters' lack of qualifications in the fields of ethics and medicine, I would suggest that very ill people have access to whatever medicine they feel is most effective. For these people it is indeed about “feeling better”.
In fact, most people agree that medical marijuana should be available to patients. Polls consistently reflect that upwards of 75% of Americans support medical marijuana (youdebate.com), largely on the idea that terminally ill patients and those in true states of suffering should not be denied relief. This appears to be a case of our democratic government fighting against overwhelming popular opinion.
I have not yet touched upon the many other medical uses for marijuana. In treating multiple sclerosis, marijuana appears to help relieve muscle pain as well as curbing muscle tremors. Marijuana also appears to be effective in preventing epileptic seizures in many patients. Marijuana can be used for treating arthritis, cramps, alcohol or opiate addiction, migraine headaches, depression, and my personal favorites, insomnia and asthma.
As long as I can remember, I have always had great difficultly falling asleep at night. Often, no matter how physically or mentally exhausted I might have been, I would lie in bed for hours before eventually falling asleep. This caused me to either get very little sleep each night, or sleep well in to the afternoon. I had tried hypnosis and meditation but they didn’t solve the problem. I did not want to put myself on a nightly diet of antihistamines, and while Melatonin works wonders in terms of letting me fall asleep quickly, I build up a tolerance to the hormone after just a few days of use, rendering it ineffective. There is absolutely no better medicine for insomnia than marijuana. A sub-recreational dose will allow me to drift off to sleep comfortably in less than half an hour every time. My other personal favorite medical use for marijuana is the treatment of asthma. Though my asthma is not as bad as it used to be, I still have difficulty breathing sometimes when I come inside from cold weather, resulting in me wheezing, coughing, and gasping to fill my lungs for up to a half hour. After hearing reggae artist Peter Tosh’s endorsement of marijuana for asthma in the song “Legalize It”, I found that a sub-recreational dose of marijuana (one small toke) was enough to dilate my bronchial passage ways enough to offer instant relief. In fact, I never found close to the quality of relief from the Ventolin asthma inhalers I used as a child.
Likewise, marijuana appears effective treatment in some cases of depression. One of my friends is prescribed Effexor XR, an SNRI antidepressant medication, but he, like many other users of prescribed antidepressants, feels that the side effects outweigh the benefits of these medications. He claims that marijuana works more effectively than any SSRI or SNRI he has tried, and that it is safer and more enjoyable too.
MDMA ( Ecstasy )
MDMA is a popular drug, made famous by the “rave culture” of the 1990’s. Almost every local newspaper made carried a headline along the lines of “Ecstasy: A New and Dangerous Drug of Abuse”, warning parents of the deadly consequences of consuming the drug. The point of this paper is not to argue the dangers or safety of any particular drug, but I will make a few points. First, it is very difficult to overdose from MDMA alone. In fact, typical oral doses of MDMA are less than 1% of the amount needed to kill the average human (Erowid.org). Most deaths associated with “ecstasy” are in fact not associated with MDMA, but with more dangerous substances occasionally found in pills sold as “ecstasy”. This is an unfortunate result of the drug having been forced into the black market, and is irrelevant in terms of the actual safety of MDMA. Furthermore, the primary studies that have been touted to show the dangers of MDMA, performed by George Ricaurte of Johns Hopkins University, have recently been proved as fraudulent. Ricaurte injected animals with the dangerous drug methamphetamine and used these results to show the neurotoxic nature of MDMA (New York Times). Ricaurte’s research sparked the notion that MDMA permanently damages neurotransmitters and leaves holes in people’s brains. Now he is laughed at by his colleagues. Regardless, MDMA continues to carry an image of being a dangerous drug, and it is listed Schedule I by the DEA since 1985.
MDMA was first synthesized by German pharmaceutical company Merck in 1912. It wasn’t deemed useful, so the substance laid dormant until 1965, when Dr. Alexander Shulgin began to synthesize the drug and use it personally. Shulgin had a special license from the United States government to develop and synthesize psychedelic drugs. He synthesized hundreds of different tryptamines and phenethylamines (the class of drugs that MDMA belongs to, along with other drugs like mescaline, DOB, and 2C-B). In his book, PiKHAL (Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved: A Chemical Love Story), some qualitative comments are available from the subjects of Shulgin’s research:
“I feel absolutely clean inside, and there is nothing but pure euphoria. I have never felt so great, or believed this to be possible. The cleanliness, clarity, and marvelous feeling of solid inner strength continued throughout the rest of the day, and evening, and through the next day. I am overcome by the profundity of the experience, and how much more powerful it was than previous experiences, for no apparent reason, other than a continually improving state of being. All the next day I felt like 'a citizen of the universe' rather than a citizen of the planet, completely disconnecting time and flowing easily from one activity to the next.” (PiKHAL #109 MDMA)
These comments suggest vast potential for therapeutic value in MDMA. In fact, before MDMA was scheduled in 1985, over 4,000 psychotherapists actively and legally used MDMA, especially for couples therapy. I have witnessed the therapeutic value of MDMA as one of my good friends tried it for the first time at a music festival this summer. Normally he is introverted and shy, and his lack of confidence was obvious. After taking some MDMA he danced around a lot of 70,000 people, introducing himself to strangers, biding others a good night, displaying a vast amount of empathy, and generally being very comfortable with himself. The next morning he claimed to have many personal breakthroughs, and thought himself a better person for the experience. Now it has been five months since his experience, and I can tell that he is a more confidant and comfortable person than he was before he tried MDMA. To the best of my knowledge he hasn’t used MDMA again since that experience. If that isn’t good therapy, I don’t know what is.
Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a psychedelic indole alkaloid related to tryptamines like LSD and psilocin / psilocybin, the constituents of “magic mushrooms”. It is extracted from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, and is reported to curb addiction to, as well as eliminating withdrawl symptoms from cocaine and opiates. Apparently Ibogaine affects the NMDA-receptors associated with psychological dependance. Dr. Daniel Luciano of the NYU School of Medicine reports that a single dose of Ibogaine is enough to permanently eliminate cravings for drugs of addiction. “Routine EEG studies were normal in all cases, during and after treatment. No general medical or ECG abnormalities were seen. At 24 hours after treatment, all neurologic examinations were normal, and patients did not have subjective or objective signs of withdrawl or craving” (Luciano, 1998 ). One anonymous subject of Ibogaine treatment stated:
“I never experienced any negative side effects, mentally or physically, after ibogaine. I've noticed that I'm not sensitive to the influence of drugs as I used to be. I lost a great deal of interest in drugs in general, because the effect of ibogaine goes far beyond their effect, though not necessarily in a pleasant way. Ibogaine is quite an ordeal; therefore I hope I don't ever need to use it again. It is not possible for me to resume the same addictive personality, unless it would be my conscious choice. Ibogaine has given me this choice. Heroin never did.” (Lotsof and Alexander)
Obviously this kind of treatment holds advantages over methadone treatment, which works by supplementing one addiction with another drug just as addictive and dangerous. Ibogaine is not without its potential dangers though; preclinical research suggests that the alkaloid could be neurotoxic, and three addicts have died following ibogaine treatment (Johnson). However, with an adequate physical screening before taking the drug, it appears that ibogaine treatment (currently underway in private Canadian clinics, where the drug is not banned) is a relatively safe option for addicts, with a remarkable success rate.
Conclusion
I could go on, but I wouldn't know which of the many illegal healing plants and molecules I'd choose from next. Mushrooms and mescaline appear to aid people in their spiritual development (see the “Good Friday Experiment”). LSD was used to decrease the amount of time individuals would need to spend in therapy, aiding in the manifestation of personal revelations and breakthroughs. Even cocaine can be used as an anaesthetic and to help people acclimate themselves to the thin air at high altitudes.
DEA scheduling policies are shrouded in the hypocricy and prejudice of modern Western culture. In therapy, we value only those drugs that “correct” imbalances in the neural pathways; those which allow the mind to begin its own process of healing are disenfranchised. No matter the value of the drug, it is considered flawed if it causes psychedelic changes in perception. Cannabis has been proven effective at both fighting disease and relieving suffering, yet the drug is considered “last resort” medicine, as if the patient is somehow making a comprimise by choosing cannabis over a coctail of prescription drugs. This hypocricy becomes obvious when you see pharmaceutical companies pushing synthetic forms of THC like Marinol and Nabilone, claiming they work as well as cannabis but without the side effects. Unfortunately these drugs do not use the hundreds of healing compounds found in cannabis: Most patients would be better off with the natural medicine that has been proven effective for millenia. Current DEA scheduling policies are nothing less than a crime against humanity and nature itself.
Sources:
Erowid.org . Erowid MDMA Vault. http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/
Johnson, Gail. 2003. The Georgia Straight. Ibogaine a One-Way Trip to Sobriety, Pot Head Says. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n011/a09.htm
Lotsof, Howard and Alexander, Norma. Case Studies of Ibogaine Treatment: Implications for Patient Management Strategies.
http://www.doraweiner.org/alexanderlotsof.html
Luciana, Daniel. 1998. The American Journal on Addictions, 7(1):89-90.
McCall, William, The Associated Press. August 15, 2003. Drug Czar: Medical Marijuana is a Ploy. http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/1121_0_1_0_C/
National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Use. 1972. Marijuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding, the Report of the US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse. http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_medical_info3.shtml
New York Times. December 2, 2003. Research on Ecstasy is Clouded by Errors.
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=109946
NORML. Introduction to Medical Use of Marijuana.
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441
Shulgin, Alexander. PiKHAL #109 MDMA.
http://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal109.shtml
U.S. Department of Labor. Office of the Secretary. Substance Abuse Information Database. http://said.dol.gov/GlossaryTerm.asp?ID=276
YouDebate.com . Medical Marijuana Debate and Poll.
http://www.youdebate.com/DEBATES/medical_marijuana .HTM
Last edited:
(too busy atm for a long response, gimmeh a couple of days) 
