vol2 - Page 164

 angry on both sides.
 109. Following the meeting _.n Representative
 Gingrich's o_flce there was an explosion of negative news
 st0_es. Representative Slngrlch blasted federal officials for
 £gnor%ng the legAt_mate medical neede of seriously ill Georgians,
 For example, Representative G_ng_ich told the Atlanta Journal_
 "The NCI's etubbornnesm is unbel_evable."
 110. Representative GAngrlch and others in the Georgia
 Congressional delegation threatened to call NCI and the other
 federal drug agencies before Congress for public hearings on the
 status of state mari_uana-as-medAcine programs. Repo Gingrich
 also noted these hearlngs would Inves_i£gate growing questions
 about the quantity and q_al£%y of federal supplies of marijuana°
 11!o ThAs concerted polltlc_l threat caused NIDA and
 NCX to "reconsider n Georgla's supply request,_ After some face
 saving these agencies relented and agreed to provide GeorgAe with
 marijuana as well as THC.
 I12. WhAle DEA contlnued to _recer%_fled _' already
 approved pharmacy outlets, FDA con_Anued creating more and more
 paperwork demand_o Th_ paperwork quAckly became a flood of red
 tape. Znmtead of the simple, compassionate program of medical
 access to marijuana envisioned by the _eorgla legislature, FDA
 was forcing us _nto a complex program _h_ch could only be
 properly adm_nAstered by ma_o_ medical cen%erso While _h_s was
 tolerable for cancer patAents _eceAv_n_ care at major medical and
 research centers IAke _mory or Grady _osp_tals_ patients in
 outlying areas of _he mtate, away from major urban centers and