I am quite familiar with the grade inflation that gave Kerry an A- for MMJ. I just find it totally impossible to give a Senator a passing grade on medical cannabis if they do not call for the proper intellectual classification of cannabis on the Schedule of Narcotics that the DEA administers. Because of a curve, I could see passing someone that called for moving cannabis from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 2. This would allow for doctors to prescribe cannabis and cannabinoids. Kerry does not even mention the improper classification or the vicious and malicious nature that keeps it there.
I am familiar with the fact that he wrote a letter to NIDA along with Kennedy to get the University of Mass. permission to grow cannabis and do research. This is about getting federal money to the University of Mass. The National Institutes of Health has missed the boat on bringing America and the world real cannabinoid research and it is not because $28 billion can be spent on better research.
In 1974 research would find cannabis could cut the blood supply to cancerous tumors which has been reaffirmed in Spain and recent studies. Even though Nixon would declare a War on Cancer in 1971, the 1974 research that held a great path of research would be buried.
In 1978, the federal government would start a Compassionate Use experiment that would shut down in 1992 when the program would end due to an expectation of a flood of AIDS patients. There are still 7 patients still getting federally grown cannabis from Mississippi under that program. States across the country had medical marijuana laws in the 1970 and early 1980's. Canada recognizes cannabis although we see the corruption of the government there also as there are only 600 people able to jump the hurdles since 1999. The Dutch have medical marijuana reimbursable by the government's health care.
The New York Times even called the federal government's attitude toward medical marijuana "mean-spirited." This is all but an understatement. I realize the Granite Staters pushed Kerry above Dean, but Kerry is in no way recognized by me as being a supporter of medical marijuana. If he were he would already have introduced legislation calling for at least a Schedule 2 classification of cannabis when it could well be argued to be a Schedule 5.
Synthetic THC made by Unimed in Illinois is a Schedule 3, yet the same exact molecule made naturally in a plant is Schedule 1, which bars all use and all research without federal permission which is all but impossible to get. The December 16th ruling of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal might lead to an opening that escapes the overreach of the Commerce Clause that brought us hedgemoney of the federal position.
There was recently legislation proposed in Illinois for medical cannabis-
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18318.shtml It is ironic that they had a first rate program set up in 1978 that never went operational and I could tell you about Paul Peterson the lawyer that lost his license for trying to use that law.
Spain is on the verge of medical marijuana but to some extent it will really be for poor and sick people as Spain is the most cannabis friendly country in Europe. People grow it everywhere and they found that it also helped keep people out of prison. People in Switzerland grow it everywhere too, but Spain is out Dutching the Dutch.
There are 61 cannabinoids that could all have promise and only THC has the high associated with it. However all cannabinoids and anything that binds with the natural cannabinoid receptors in the body are all Schedule 1. I am totally insulted that anyone could say Kerry is friendly to medical marijuana. He is not. All he says is we need research.
There is plenty of research that says all 3 criteria required for Schedule 1 are false. Someone would have to prove all 3 are correct to maintain that position. There is a stonewall position being made by a totally corrupt system that calls for the Schedule 1 classification. It is all a lie. I could go on, but here is the punchline of the Schedule 1 joke- it is all a lie. To say Kerry is friendly to medical cannabis is also a lie. All he does is give the political boilerplate-"It needs more study."
The situation does not need study to move it out of Schedule 1. All it needs is honesty.