Comment & Debate
Bill Frist, MD Former US Senator (R-TN). ProCon.org. Oct. 20, 2003: “Although I understand many believe marijuana is the most effective drug in combating their medical ailments, I would caution against this assumption due to the lack of consistent, repeatable scientific data available to prove marijuana’s medical benefits.
Andrea Barthwell, MD, former Deputy Director at the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated the following in a speech given in Belleville, Illinois on Feb. 8, 2005: “It is not a medicine. You don’t know what’s in it. If there were compelling scientific and medical data supporting marijuana’s medical benefits that would be one thing. But the data is not there.”[1]
Donald Gross, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Alberta. “Medical Marijuana on Trial.” New York Times. March 29, 2005: “There’s not been a randomized, controlled trial demonstrating that marijuana or any cannabinoid is any more effective in controlled seizures than a placebo. It’s terribly complicated from a physician’s standpoint, and somewhat frustrating. We have a product that has been legitimized without any evidence of efficacy.”[2]
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas and 2008 Republican Candidate for US President. Sep. 29, 2007: “You’ve asked me the question about medical marijuana… my concern is, as much as I want to see something happen that would ease your pain, I’m not sure and I’ve not been convinced with medical evidence by independent research… that clearly says that it is more effective than other forms of pain medication, whether it’s narcotic or analgesic. And so what I want to do is, if somebody can present to me scientifically and objectively, then I would certainly give a different consideration… I think the question is, would I favor the legalization at a federal level, and until there’s some scientific evidence, I’m reluctant to do that.”[3]