WASHINGTON (AP) amp;mdash; The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The FDA said in a statement that it and other agencies with the Health and Human Services Department had 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. A number of states have passed legislation allowing marijuana use for medical purposes, but the FDA said, These measures are inconsistent with efforts to ensure that medications undergo the rigorous scientific scrutiny of the FDA approval process and are proven safe and effective. The statement contradicts a 1999 finding from the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, which reported that marijuana's active components are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting and other symptoms, and should be tested rigorously in clinical trials. Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said Thursday, If anybody needed proof that the FDA has become totally politicized, this is it. This isn't a scientific statement, it's a political statement. - USA Today
