WASHINGTON - April 21 - Representatives of the Marijuana Policy Project,whose efforts have led to passage of the U.S.'s three newest medicalmarijuana laws, are available for comment regarding the Food and DrugAdministration's controversial statement condemning medical marijuana.To arrange interviews, contact MPP Director of Communications BruceMirken at 415-668-6403 (office) or 202-215-4205 (cell).

"Sadly, this statement proves how completely politicized the FDA hasbecome," said MPP Director of Government Relations Aaron Houston. "Itcompletely ignores 5,000 years of accumulated evidence of marijuana'stherapeutic value, evidence that's been acknowledged by dozens ofmedical organizations, including the American Public HealthAssociation, the American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the Institute ofMedicine, in a report commissioned by the White House. The statementalso baldly misstates the nature and purpose of state medical marijuanalaws. This statement adds nothing to our knowledge of medicalmarijuana, but tells us a great deal about the decline of the FDA as anindependent scientific agency."

In its 1999 report, "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the ScienceBase," the Institute of Medicine stated, "Nausea, appetite loss, pain,and anxiety. all can be mitigated by marijuana."

With more than 20,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribersnationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuanapolicy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that thebest way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulatemarijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, pleasevisit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.

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