'Superstring Theory' Co-founder Admonishes Federal Government for Ignoring Sound Science on Medical Marijuana
Physicist John Schwarz speaks out in support of marijuana reclassification, and for prioritizing science over politics
Washington, D.C. -- Taking his first public political stance,
Dr. John Schwarz, co-founder of 'Superstring Theory' and a Theoretical
Physics professor at California Institute of Technology, published a
commentary piece today in the Huffington Post, urging the federal
government to put aside the politics surrounding medical marijuana
and pay attention to the abundance of scientific evidence. Schwarz
has also invited his fellow scientists to join him in co-signing an
open letter to President Obama at ScienceInPolicy.com, calling on
him to uphold his promises to put science before politics.
Schwarz points to President Obama's emphasis on what he called,
"free and open scientific inquiry," and asks "Why hasn't the
long-running controversy over medical marijuana been resolved using
science?" In 2009, as one of the hallmark actions of his
administration, Obama issued a memorandum to all executive
departments and agencies, explaining that "Science and the
scientific process must inform and guide decisions of my
Administration on a wide range of issues, including improvement of
public health..."
Recognizing that Obama "has improved the role of science in the
decision-making process in many areas of government," Schwarz writes
that his administration "is ignoring scientists’ voices on medical
marijuana policy." Schwarz admits that a Romney Administration would
"probably undo" what progress Obama has made in improving the role
of science in policy decisions, but Schwarz laments that, "the
federal government ignores scientific facts accepted around the
globe – not to mention the will of the American people – to cling to
outdated ideological policies and restrict marijuana research."
President Obama's March 2009 memorandum was followed up with another
"Scientific Integrity" memorandum, issued on December 17, 2010 by
John P. Holdren, the White House Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy. The memorandum stated that, "Successful
application of science in public policy depends on the integrity of
the scientific process both to ensure the validity of the
information itself and to engender public trust in Government." The
memorandum directed government agencies to: "1. Ensure a culture of
scientific integrity;" "2. Strengthen the actual and perceived
credibility of Government research;" "3. Facilitate the free flow of
scientific and technological information;" and "4. Establish
principles for conveying scientific and technological information to
the public." These tenets were subsequently adopted by numerous
federal departments and agencies, including the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for reviewing the
scientific evidence on medical marijuana.
Instead of adhering to these principles, however, the Obama
Administration has blocked research into the therapeutic benefits of
marijuana and upheld the federal government's standing position that
marijuana should remain a Schedule I substance. Unique and
prohibitively high standards in the U.S., required of no other
Schedule I substance, has severely hindered medical marijuana
research compared to other countries around the world. The National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the gatekeeper for the supply of
research-grade marijuana and has a bias for studies that investigate
the supposed negative effects of marijuana. Scientists trying to
study medical marijuana claim that NIDA and other federal agencies
have rigged the research application process.
The Schwarz op-ed and open letter for scientists comes as the
federal government is being sued over its current classification of
marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical value. Earlier this
month, the U.S. Court of Appeal for the D.C. Circuit heard oral
arguments in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement
Administration, a case that is asking the court -- based on
overwhelming scientific evidence -- to order the federal government
to reclassify marijuana for medical use, in either Schedule III, IV
or V. A ruling in the case is expected sometime next year.
Further information:
John Schwarz op-ed in the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-john-schwarz/medical-marijuana_b_2050358.html
Open Letter from Scientists to President Obama: http://ScienceInPolicy.com
December 2010 White House 'Scientific Integrity' memo:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/scientific-integrity-memo-12172010.pdf
