Group sues feds over medical marijuana claims

[Kadie]

Group sues feds over medical marijuana claims
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

(02-21) 14:11 PST Oakland, Calif. (AP) --


Armed with a new study that showed smoking marijuana eased pain in some HIV patients, medical marijuana advocates launched their latest attempt to decriminalize the drug by suing the federal government Wednesday over its claim that pot has no medical value.

The lawsuit filed in federal court by Americans for Safe Access accuses the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of engaging in "arbitrary and unlawful behavior" that prevents "sick and dying persons from seeking to obtain medicine that could provide them needed, and often lifesaving relief."

The Oakland-based advocacy group wants a judge to force the department and the Food and Drug Administration to stop giving out information that casts doubt on the efficacy of marijuana in treating various illnesses.

The lawsuit differs from previous legal efforts to decriminalize marijuana because it seeks to get a federal agency simply to acknowledge that pot can help reduce the symptoms of some conditions.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2007/02/21/state/n105005S21.DTL

[verse18]

1. LEGALIZE IT! YEA-AH YEA-AH!

:smoke:

I hope this goes somewhere. Drug and alcohol use and abuse should be a public health issue, not a criminal issue.