MAPS: Tod H. Mikuriya Comments on JAMA Article & Editorial

[Peter Webster <vignes@xxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Thu, 07 Mar 2002 06:02:23 -0800
From: "Tod H. Mikuriya, MD"

Once upon a time the AMA was a powerful and feared independent political
force. They were the only organization to oppose the 1937 Marihuana Tax
Act. Unfortunately, teh leadership became enamored with feathering their
own nests and lucre became their focus. They slid into cozy deals with
corporations like Sunbeam to develop product recommendations. They have
long forgotten what they once stood for. I am proud to say that I have
never been a member of the organization in my forty years of practice. .

The AMA was the only medical organization favored with an invitation to the
11-14-96 closed emergency meeting convened at the WONDCP to plot & scheme.
Margaret Garikes represented the AMA at this federal - state whine in.
Along with the other selected special interest groups that included Drug
Partnership for a Free America, CADCA, and CASA. The only congressional
invited attendees were representatives from offices of senators Orrin,
Biden, Kyl, and Feinstein. Despite efforts of Congressman Ron Dellums
office I was refused attendance.

The AMA has long ago spent any coinage of trust and respect that has been
largely attenuated by corporate medicine which they now represent- not
physicians. Therefore I would be suspicious of any studies they  would
support or  publish.

If credibility is coinage, the AMA is virtually bankrupt. The sad
ascendance of corporate medicine with attenuated rationed care and harmful
practices unfortunately afflicts American medicine. Coopted by the reality
of "He who pays the piper calls the tune", the AMA can be counted upon to
be submissive toadies rather than advocate for independence for the
physician. Unfortunately, this exetends to policy on cannabis. They have
forgotten what they once knew- and were.

There is another countervailing reality however. Neither the composition of
cannabis nor human physiology has changed since removal from prescriptive
availability in 1937 by the Marihuana Tax Act.

Cannabis has been exhaustively studied by a series of commissions starting
with the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission 1893- 1895, The Mayors Committee in
New York 1938-1944, The federal Scheaffer Commission in 1972, Institute of
Medicine 1980 and 1999. Based upon their findings and conclusions I would
be suspicious of their findings.

Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D.
Member CMA, ACCMA


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