Big pharma's frenzy to bring cannabis-based meds to market

It's only a matter of time before Big Medicine lobbies to have Marijuana legalized for medical uses. Im sure they are tired of the drug dealers getting all the money, when they probably see billion dollar profits.

I don't think they can patent the actual plant, because it has so many uses. The government may let them patent cannabinoids? Money talks and the government listens. Sad, they worked so hard to keep it illegal, watch how hard they work to keep the profit from it for themselves. SAD! SAD! SAD!

I can tell you that it DOES work as medicine in a number of ways. I don't see how such a huge killer as alcohol can be legal but marijuana, a natural plant, is illegal. Weak...

"As for the question of "why" federal officials maintain this inflexible and inhumane policy, well that's another story " isn't it painfully obvious how corrupt and money hungry they are?

This strikes me as very characteristic of the schizophrenia of society.

we just need a few more old congressmen to die off, so that people living in this century become the voice of the people

i co sign bigstretch

ive seen ganja heal people with my own eyes, people have pain and other ailments that benefit from the use of cannabis ... i agree that we just need more youth in power so that this can be recognized by the feds.. to be honest its cruel to deny meds just because you cant profit from it. but that is the american way.

MJ should be legalized and regulated, it would be an enormous market that could pay off all of our debt as a country and if we were the first country to regulate its use, then we could be the controllers of the market. It could be to the US as oil is to the middle east. We are not using one of our biggest natural resources. The stuff used to grow wild here, just ask the natives...

Yet another example of how everyday Americans are getting screwed by the government's endless wars on inanimate objects...

In my humble opinion, natural trumps synthetic every time. I'd rather grow my own than use a synthetic imitation.

if anyone has the power and money to change legislation to make the public more receptive to its products, it's the multi-billion dollar international pharmaceutical companies. they know potheads are just gonna smoke their homegrown, so how can they benefit from a society brainwashed into thinking cannabis has no medical merit? this might actually be a big step toward legalization

Watch the Documentary called "TheCorporation" specifically, part 2 (it is like 4 hours long in total...) and about how the US Patent Office first gave the ability to patent living creatures and genetic materials.

They didn't understand that the microorganism that they were looking at was, in the eyes of the law, the equivalent of trying to patent a squirrel and they saw it as more of a 'chemical' then an 'animal' so they gave the go ahead...

They REALLY screwed the pooch on that one...

The human genome has been patented piece by piece as it was discovered... Explorers no longer explore just to FIND new species, but they explore to be able to bring back new genetic materials for Major Corporations to patent...

This^ article about weed doesn't surprise me in the slightest... I'm actually surprised that it took them this long to get it done...

OH! And also look up the History Channel Doc called "Hooked: Illegal Drugs" and watch the episode about Marijuana and... hum... I can't remember what other drug they talk about in that episode... But it goes on about how weed was made illegal because of anti-latino feelings... Pure and simple... DAMN GOOD DOC!

the sad thing is that if they DO make them legit pharmaceutical products they will be SO tightly controlled, marked, and tracked that itll be useless to try to get them instead of calling up your friendly neighborhood drug dealer.

Keep your dirty hands off my WEED motherknuckers! Big Pharma can suck a big wang... if I wanted for my weed to be sold to me by assholes who assrape me, I'll take my chances with the cholos down the street, at least they call the next day to see how I'm doing and to let me know they got some "good shit" in.

I think it's better that it's not legal. Because of that it can't be taxed or controlled by the government. Nor can they take it and manipulate it until it is totally useless to the public like they have done with every thing else. Right now they turn a blind eye to it's us, to have a 'usable' amount of pot outside of SF or other states is only a misdemeanor. And it's been that way for years. I don't want wal mart pot, or safeway pot or some chemical replacement for the thc that can be put in a pill or plastic bag that I can be charges $700 a bottle for with a prescription, all because the word 'legal' gives a couple people a warm and fuzzy feeling.

heh the fed gov just needs to put a tax on it like tabacco. It would fund thier war on "flavor of the month" with a even bigger budget. Not everyone would consume cannabis, so whats the problem?

Whatever works.

as a person with chronic back pain, i truly believe in the healing effects of weed, both physically and mentally

OMGOSH!!! I cant tell you what a breath of fresh/familiar air this thread and this site is to my sore eyes~Thanks to all~
"US Patent 6630507 - Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants"
What more of a smoking gun does one need to find...
We clearly have some plaintiff work in the courts to do before we lose the entire cannabis species to corporate patents.
The current direction of NORML, MPP, Drug policy Alliance and the HIA is feeding right into the hands of this corporate take over and control attempt that is coming with the next administration.
All naturally occurring varieties of cannabis will not only still be illegal, but the corporations have it worked out so that their fungal pathogens and terminator genes will destroy all natural varieties while all their patented strains are genetically engineered to be immune to such in order that their privately owned GE strains will be all thats left.
Its nothing new for the most part as they have already done so with corn for example.
(see the documentary future of food)
Its time to go to court and do what the 'movement' has neglected to do for as long as these illegal laws have been on the books. We must file civil suit against the gov and argue only fundamental natural human rights and natural law and show once and for all that gov never had jurisdictional authority to ever outlaw a plant specie or the planting of a seed.
After all its as if we outlawed ourselves~
As for the medicinal properties of cannabis, please see the movie "Run from the cure" by Rick Simpson.
Cannabis smoking is some what comparable to taking an aspirin only way less bad for ya, but the real miracle cure resides in the concentrated THC taken orally or topically.
It is a three month total cure for cancer as well as being basically an all around cure all...kinda like granny's rumatiz in that sense ya might say only safer more effective hehe.
Here a couple links that I hope folks here can find useful:
Run from the cure is here:

http://www.phoenixtears.ca/

I filed a civil suit in 2003 to stop Monsanto/gov et al from privatizing nature. The hope was to establish my natural rights and define natural law in order that gov et al could then be seen as in the violation of such just as they are. I'm refiling the new improved case in the next 30days in conjunction with an act of conscience and survival that I am also about to engage in just as if it were a prayer, because it is.
Heres a link to the old case and an entertaining/informative vid from my past:

http://www. hemphasis. net/kiczenski/kiczenski. htm

What I will be doing that is so dangerous to me and threatening to the gov/corp will simply to be demonstrating to folks (the world if all goes well lol) a simple principle of natural law and hope in the form of the sprouting of a seed.
Well actually about 100,000 cannabis seeds.
The resulting penalties under the fed criminal law for planting or possessing 60,000+1 seeds are life in prison and/or if they could somehow simply tie my non violent act of a natural human in an unnatural circumstance to 'inciting terrorism' as per the auspices of the 'Patriot Act' the penalty is simply death.
Currently because I use cannabis under a doctors recommendation and because of a recent state appeallet court ruling (state v Patrick Kelly) there is no 'limit' to what I can grow for my own health/medicine under California's prop 215 and therefor as far as California is concerned at the moment, they are not hehe and that should leave me to just dance alone and all kinds of intimate with my fed bro's and sister's ;-)
Hope I didnt write to much and thanks for taking the time.
Peace~

Marijuana was only made illegal in the first place as a way for the government to control the Mexican population, after they brought us what should be considered a Miracle Plant. Not only do we use it to unwind after a long day, but it actually helps people with their ills. Queen Elizabeth used marijuana for headaches and menstrual cramps (yes, ladies- it helps!), and my best friend finds it to be the best drug possible for his Crohn's Disease symptoms. The government should stay out of the lives of the individuals, including with pot. Marijuana should be totally decriminalized. We should all be able to buy a pack of joints at the corner store- hello economic stimulation!

All I gotta say is that is a beautiful mugshot of some stellar bud.

i agree. that looks very... um... potent to me.
i know for a fact that marijuana is highly effective at relieving headaches, the pain from broken bones, and heartbreak.
and ill die unhappy if it never gets legalized.
half the nation tokes as it is anyways......
and we ALL know how damn greedy uncle sam is...

I smoke it to help with my chronic pain. The prescription pain pills don't always work and they mess with my appetite. Smoking the weed helps both issues, and i did inform the doctor about my choice, he grinned and said whatever makes you feel good and keeps you going at your speed fine with him. Fine with me too.