When we hear the so-called medical “experts” talk about traditional medicine in America, they do so from a somewhat pompous, egotistical standpoint. American medicine has been around for about 250 years while history shows that Chinese Medicine has been practiced for some 4,000 years! One must ask the question… WHO has the more traditional history of medicine?

This brings us to how medicine has been practiced. Historically speaking, most of the time American medicine was practiced just like the rest of the world. It was not until the mid-20 century that a major shift in the practice paradigm took place in America. Beginning roughly in the 1950’s we began to see semi-synthetic, then synthetic drugs being developed and brought to market. These drugs were hailed as true breakthroughs. A full 90% of drugs were synthesized from what was determined to be the “active” molecules in plants.

In the 1970s, drug development exploded!

Along with the explosion of new and more impressive drugs came a greater emphasis on testing for safety and efficacy. Heretofore, virtually every Pharmacy and every medical bag-toting Physician had Cannabis (and Cocaine) as a mainstay of their armamentarium. Products that had been used for decades, even centuries were no longer considered appropriate treatment. These products were never put through rigorous testing that was becoming the norm and therefore was determined to be either unsafe or even harmful. Many were subsequently removed from the market.

Further, the “Major Drug Manufacturers” as they were called prior to being known as “Big Pharma” established the principle that the ONLY way to determine safety and efficacy (effectiveness) was through a process called the “double-blind cross-over” study. In simple terms, two groups are established (A and B). Group A is given the active drug and group B is given a placebo (inactive product). The researchers providing the drugs do not know which group is getting which product (double-blinding). Then, after a proscribed period, the products are switched. This is the “cross-over” part. These drug “trials” have become extremely sophisticated, and extremely expensive.

Currently, the FDA is aligned with Big Pharma

In that, the only way to bring a drug to market is to go through this complicated, time-consuming, and expensive process that now costs upward of $1.5 BILLION dollars! It is a “game” that only the super-rich can play.

The rules are very clear. Super powerful Drug Companies spend billions on drug research and development. Then, in very simple terms, a product is tested via the Phase system.

Phase I determines the safety of the drug on a very limited number of HEALTHY volunteers. Phase II increases the number of persons taking the drug. As we move down to Phase IV, we finally get to persons with conditions for whom the drug is intended to treat. When all Phases are complete the company submits its results to the FDA for approval (a very expensive process).

For purposes of this discussion, we will focus on Cannabis and Phase I Trials (Safety in HEALTHY volunteers).

It has been said that we have been conducting Phase I trials on Cannabis for approximately FOUR THOUSAND YEARS!

And yes, it has been proven extremely safe!

A revealing comparison with Opiates will illustrate this point. There are Opiate receptors all over the entire body. Like Opiate receptors, there are Cannabinoid receptors all over the entire body EXCEPT in the Brain Stem. The Brain Stem controls breathing. An Opiate overdose can shut down the Brain Stem causing breathing to cease, ultimately leading to death. Since there are NO Cannabinoid receptors in the Brain Stem, Cannabis will NOT cause respiratory depression!

The Conundrum…

Once a drug has been approved, it is, for all intents and purposes, considered “legal” and is “released” to the public. Upon FDA approval, oftentimes insurance companies will pay costs (as will Medi-care).

With Drug Development, the process is…

1. Need
2. Research
3. Product Development
4. Testing for Effectiveness
5. Use

This tried and true process is accepted by the:

• Medical System
• Legal System
• Insurance System

With Cannabis, the process has been the exact opposite…

1. Use
2. Testing for Effectiveness
3. Product Development (Various Strains/Cultivars)
4. Research (What can it be used for)?
5. Need

As a result, Cannabis is completely OUTSIDE of the:

• Medical System
• Legal System
• Insurance System

The solution…PENDING!!