vol2 - Page 279
Page 279
Previous ,
Next ,
Original Image
Return to Index
concepts in a shortsighted attempt to block mazijuana_s medical
use might have very serious, unintended consequences.
63. Similarly, X must express my concern for the way
Dr° Robert Hepler characterizes the AAO report he submitted as
part of his filing. X was a member of t_is Academy commit-
tee. From the start Z was concerned with the overtly
political_ as opposed to medical, emphasis of the AA0 in
appointing the committee and in determining memberships The
committee's conclusions were not reached by a cogent assessment°
of the data, but by prearrangement. In the end, I was so
disgusted by the committee's prejudgment of the issue, blind-
ness to the available facts and disregard for long accepted
scientific criteria for determining utility (as discussed
_ above), that I resigned my position to protest the committee's
action.
64° The AAO Committee's report was allegedly devel-
....... oped in response to consressiona! legislation_ _n point of
fact, and to the best of my knowledge, there is no pending
legislation before Congress on this subject° The fact that the
AAO report is dated June 21_ 1987, only underscores the extent
to which this supposedly "scientific and medical review u was
designed to address essentially non-medical issues relating to
...... social poli6y. Starkly stated_ in my opinion the AAO did not
want to offend powerful federal agencies or come under fire
from rabid anti-pot _roups who, for reasons I cannot compre-
hend, oppose marijuana's availability for use in programs of
medical care. _n every sense the AAO report is a Mpolicy"
i ..........................
Previous ,
Next ,
Return to Index