Pubdate: Tue, 29 Dec 2015 Source: Des Moines Register (IA) Copyright: 2015 The Des Moines Register Contact: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/99999999/HELP/40507010 Website: http://desmoinesregister.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123 REMOVE BARRIERS TO MARIJUANA RESEARCH Sen. Chuck Grassley is no fan of legalizing marijuana. He has criticized the Obama administration for not enforcing federal drug laws and opposed reclassifying marijuana, which could make it easier to use as a medicine. The Republican senator has repeatedly said studies suggest the drug may cause long-term brain damage in young people. But Grassley acknowledges an extract of the plant may help people with severe epilepsy and other illnesses. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, he has been among the lawmakers pushing federal agencies to remove barriers to research exploring the risks and benefits of cannabidiol. Last week he announced that the Drug Enforcement Agency agreed to ease regulatory requirements for those conducting government-approved clinical trials. "Removing more barriers will help allow scientists to determine its potential medicinal value. Right now, parents who are desperate to help their children live in uncertainty about cannabidiol. Federal agencies should do whatever they responsibly can to help research proceed so these families can get answers." Americans certainly do need answers. The use of marijuana as medicine is currently a free-for-all. State lawmakers, public opinion polls and voter referendums have become the deciding factors for whether the drug is available. Legally obtaining it depends on where a patient lives. That is not how medical treatment is supposed to work in this country. Marijuana and its components should be subjected to the same study and regulation as other prescription drugs. That is the job of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The importance of oversight from this agency cannot be underestimated. The FDA helps ensure drugs are safe and effective. It requires scientific studies and issues guidelines for use. Approved drugs are subjected to manufacturing standards to ensure consistency. Doctors can prescribe them and pharmacists are trained to answer questions about them. Health insurance generally covers legitimate treatments. Side effects and adverse events can be reported to gather information about safety over time. None of this formally exists for marijuana. Yet Iowans with severe epilepsy can now legally possess cannabis oil extract, thanks to the Iowa Legislature. The drug cannot be manufactured in this state. Patients and their families, contingent on approval from the state, must travel elsewhere to get it, pay for it out of pocket and potentially break federal laws transporting it home. Then they experiment with dosages and consult Internet chat rooms with questions about side effects. It is a legal and medical mess. Marijuana contains hundreds of different chemical compounds, making it difficult to know which one or which combination may be alleviating symptoms. More targeted, scientific studies of the drug are needed. The federal government should do all it can to make those studies possible. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom