US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - Medical Marijuana

Name:	US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Position:	Con to the question "Should marijuana be a medical option?"
Reasoning:	"Marijuana is listed in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which administers the CSA, continues to support that placement and FDA concurred because marijuana met the three criteria for placement in Schedule I under 21 U.S.C. 812(b)(1) (e.g., marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision). Furthermore, there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful. A past evaluation by several Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use." "Inter-Agency Advisory," www.fda.gov, Apr. 20, 2006 [Editor's Note: The US Food and Drug Administration confirmed its "Con" position in a Sep. 25, 2009 email to ProCon.org from the Division of Drug Information, stating: "Our statement on the medical use of marjiuana can be found at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm108643.htm and is still current."]
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:	Organizations/VIPs/Others Individuals and organizations that do not fit into the other star categories.
Description:	"FDA is the federal agency responsible for ensuring that foods are safe, wholesome and sanitary; human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices are safe and effective; cosmetics are safe; and electronic products that emit radiation are safe. FDA also ensures that these products are honestly, accurately and informatively represented to the public." "What We Do," www.fda.gov (accessed Oct. 7, 2009)
Mission:	"The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health." "What We Do," www.fda.gov (accessed Oct. 7, 2009)
Structure:	Government Agency
Members/Constituents:	Not membership based
Annual Budget:	Budget request for Fiscal Year 2010: $3.2 billion
Sr. Executive:	Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs
# of Offices:	None found
# of Staff:	None found
Relevant Affiliations:	US Department of Health and Human Services
Contact Info:	Phone: 888-463-6332 Fax: None found E-Mail: druginfo@fda.hhs.gov Website: www.fda.gov
Also Quoted in:	1. Is FDA approval required for legal access to specific drugs? 2. Is medical marijuana an effective treatment for patients suffering from severe / chronic pain? 3. Should marijuana be a medical option? 4. Should marijuana be reclassified as a drug generally available by prescription (Schedule II or III)? 5. What is the US government's Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program for medical marijuana? 6. How might parental marijuana use affect the baby through breastfeeding? 7. Is the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA] approval process subverted by passing bills and state initiatives that legalize medical marijuana? 8. Should the government prohibit physicians from recommending medical marijuana?