Marijuana has no medical use, FDA says

The Associated Press
Seattle Times
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Washington (US):
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it does not support the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
The FDA said 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."
Eleven states, including Washington, have passed legislation allowing marijuana use for medical purposes, but the FDA said Thursday, "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."
In 1998, Washington voters authorized the use of marijuana for specified medical purposes, including cancer, HIV and intractable pain. However, marijuana cannot be legally purchased and there is no identified legal way to distribute marijuana in this state.
Apr 22, 2006