Shouldn we go through the FDA approval process instead of passing medical marijuana bills and initiatives?
In its 1999 report on medical marijuana, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) commented on the difficulty of doing marijuana research: “Some drugs, such as marijuana, are labeled as Schedule I in the Controlled Substances Act, and this adds considerable complexity and expense to their clinical evaluation. … In short, development of the marijuana plant is beset by substantial scientific, regulatory, and commercial obstacles and uncertainties.” As is mentioned by the IOM, the FDA’s bureaucratic approval process would take many years and cost millions — and possibly billions — of dollars. Because the marijuana plant cannot be patented, there is no economic incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in getting FDA approval for marijuana. Seriously ill people who find relief through marijuana (and whose doctors approve its use) should not be forced to face arrest while waiting for this process to start or be completed.
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