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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: A new study in the journal Neurology is being hailed as unassailable proof that marijuana is a valuable medicine. It is a sad commentary on the state of modern medicine that we still need "proof" of something that medicine has known for 5,000 years.

The study, from the University of California at San Francisco, found that smoked marijuana was effective at relieving the extreme pain of a debilitating condition known as peripheral neuropathy.

It was a study of HIV patients, but a similar type of pain caused by damage to nerves afflicts people with many other illnesses including diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Neuropathic pain is notoriously resistant to treatment with conventional pain drugs. Even powerful and addictive narcotics like morphine and OxyContin often provide little relief. This study leaves no doubt that marijuana can safely ease this type of pain.

As all marijuana research in the United States must be, the new study was conducted with government-supplied marijuana of notoriously poor quality. So it probably underestimated the potential benefit.

This is all good news, but it should not be news at all. In the 40-odd years I have been studying the medicinal uses of marijuana, I have learned that the recorded history of this medicine goes back to ancient times.

In the 19th century it became a well-established Western medicine whose versatility and safety were unquestioned. From 1840 to 1900, American and European medical journals published over 100 papers on the therapeutic uses of marijuana, also known as cannabis.

Our knowledge has advanced greatly over the years. Scientists have identified over 60 unique constituents in marijuana, called cannabinoids, and we have learned much about how they work. We have also learned that our own bodies produce similar chemicals, called endocannabinoids.

The mountain of accumulated anecdotal evidence that pointed the way to the present and other clinical studies also strongly suggests there are a number of other devastating disorders and symptoms for which marijuana has been used for centuries.

They deserve the same careful, methodologically sound research.

While few such studies have so far been completed, all have lent weight to what medicine already knew but had largely forgotten or ignored: Marijuana is effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, spasticity, appetite loss, certain types of pain and other debilitating symptoms. And it is extraordinarily safe � safer than most medicines prescribed every day.

If marijuana were a new discovery rather than a well-known substance carrying cultural and political baggage, it would be hailed as a wonder drug.

The pharmaceutical industry is scrambling to isolate cannabinoids and synthesize analogs and to package them in non-smokable forms. In time, companies will almost certainly come up with products and delivery systems that are more useful and less expensive than herbal marijuana.

However, the analogs they have produced so far are more expensive than herbal marijuana, and none has shown any improvement over the plant nature gave us to take orally or to smoke.

We live in an antismoking environment. But as a method of delivering certain medicinal compounds, smoking marijuana has some real advantages: The effect is almost instantaneous, allowing the patient to fine-tune his or her dose to get the needed relief without intoxication.

Smoked marijuana has never been demonstrated to have serious pulmonary consequences, but in any case the technology to inhale these cannabinoids without smoking marijuana already exists as vaporizers that allow for smoke-free inhalation.

Hopefully the UCSF study will add to the pressure on the U.S. government to rethink its irrational ban on the medicinal use of marijuana � and its destructive attacks on patients and caregivers in states that have chosen to allow such use.

Rather than admit they have been mistaken all these years, federal officials can cite "important new data" and start revamping outdated and destructive policies.

Such legislation would bring much-needed relief to millions suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other debilitating illnesses.

Lester Grinspoon, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is the coauthor of "Marijuana, the Forbidden Medicine." This article first appeared in The Boston Globe.

Washington Plots Regime Change - Is Venezuela the Real Target of Bush's New Cuba Plan? - by Jose Pertierra, Counterpunch

NEW FTW TELESEMINARS commence on May 23rd. Every other week Mike Ruppert, FTW editors and staff, along with some very special guests, will be conducting live teleseminars to discuss breaking news, hot topics, and to offer our special analysis of world events.
Click here to learn more.

What the Government Knows - While an overseas program to track bank records has unleashed a political storm, the domestic Patriot Act has already made a wealth of financial data available to U.S. law enforcement agencies. - By Michael Isikoff, Newsweek

High Energy - Rising utility bills, which are behind today's unexpected rise in the consumer price index, could be just the beginning, writes William Keegan - by Guardian Unlimited

Bulls Bet on Gold to Top $1,000 - A sudden surge in demand for gold options cashable at over $1,000 an ounce is the clearest sign to date that hedge funds and savvy traders are betting on a big rise in bullion prices. - by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Daily Telegraph

Hurdle for U.S. in Getting Data on Passengers
By NICOLA CLARK and MATTHEW L. WALD
The European Union's highest court ruled that an agreement to transfer personal data on air passengers to the U.S. was illegal.

They teach us "never question" why there is not enough money or resources to share on this planet...

Noe Trying to Unload Florida Home to Pay Legal Bills
Disgraced Ohio businessman Tom Noe, who is currently facing federal charges for illegally funneling more than $45,000 to the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign and a state indictment for allegedly looting more than $3 million from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's rare coin investment, is trying to sell his Florida Keys home to help pay his legal bills. But the Ohio Attorney General suspects the house was purchased or improved with bureau funds and wants to stop the sale. By Mike Wilkinson and James Drew, Toledo Blade [With Photo]
Go to the Full Story...

Iowa GOP Offers to Trade Wage Boost for Workers' Comp Reforms
The Republican speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives offers statehouse Democrats a deal: If the Dems agree to three business-backed proposals including workers compensation restrictions, the Republicans will support a minimum wage increase. By David Yepsen, Des Moines Register
Go to the Full Story...

Legal Rationale by Justice Dept. on Spying Effort
By ERIC LICHTBLAU and JAMES RISEN
A legal analysis by the Justice Department concluded that the president has inherent authority to order wiretaps.

Spy Agency Data After Sept. 11 Led F.B.I. to Dead Ends
By LOWELL BERGMAN, ERIC LICHTBLAU, SCOTT SHANE and DON VAN NATTA Jr.
A steady stream of personal information sent by the N.S.A. to the F.B.I. often led to innocent Americans, officials say.

Urban unrest spreads in France - by James Sturcke and agencies, The Guardian

With comment by Michael C. Ruppert (read this story)

Soaring price of gold predicts bout of carnage in bond markets - by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph (read this story)

Iran oil bourse: a threat to the petrodollar? - by Emilie Rutledge, Aljazeera.net

With comment by Michael C. Ruppert (read this story)

The FBI's Secret Scrutiny - In Hunt for Terrorists, Bureau Examines Records of Ordinary Americans - by Barton Gellman, Washington Post (read this story)

China Makes New Demands on "Complacent" Oil Market - by Adam Porter (read this story)

Robert Greenwald Re-Issues Offer to Screen New Wal-Mart Documentary For Company Officials Anywhere, Anytime (read this story)

North Korea Says It Will Abandon Nuclear Efforts
By JOSEPH KAHN
North Korea agreed to end its nuclear weapons program in return for security, economic and energy benefits, potentially easing tensions with the United States.

Debtors in Rush to Bankruptcy as Change Nears
By TIMOTHY EGAN
Rising numbers of Americans are rushing to file before an October deadline when the biggest overhaul of the bankruptcy law in a quarter century goes into effect.

-- A worm shut down computers running Windows 2000 software across the United States.

Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com and watch FREE video.
More Americans watch CNN. More Americans trust CNN.

TV Ad Attacking Court Nominee Provokes Furor
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
The ad focuses on an argument in an abortion-related case that John G. Roberts Jr. made to the High Court in the 1990's.

Why Baghdad Must Make Do With Takeout
By CRAIG S. SMITH
The proprietor of Baghdad's first authentic Chinese restaurant in the new Iraq is a remarkable study in tenacity.

4 Major Unions Plan to Boycott A.F.L.-C.I.O. Event
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Officials from the service employees and the Teamsters said the action was a prelude to their full withdrawal from the federation.

Young Students Post Solid Gains in Federal Tests
By SAM DILLON
Elementary school students made solid gains in both reading and mathematics in the first years of this decade, test results show.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS: What "Deepthroat" coughed up: Watergate 33 years later.

U.S. Warns China About Currency
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
The White House threatened retaliation against China's exports if Chinese leaders did not change their currency policies.

Boy suspended for talking to Mom- Mercks (5/10)
Are "zero-tolerance" policies always the best way for schools to maintain discipline?

And now for the news...- Twinkle (5/11)
What should we make of an Alabama bill that would prohibit public institutions from buying books by or about homosexuals?

Religion and Tolerance- NaniNYQZ (5/09)
If Jesus was a "pretty chill guy" should the modern church be so uptight?

Some Sunnis Hint at Peace Terms in Iraq, U.S. Says
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN and JOHN F. BURNS
Some Sunni leaders said that they would abandon fighting if the new Shiite government gave Sunnis more political power.

More Closings Ahead, Old Bases Still Wait for Hopes to Be Filled
By DEAN E. MURPHY
City officials across the U.S. continue to wait on the promises of redevelopment that came with the previous rounds of base closings.

Old Foes Soften to New Reactors
By FELICITY BARRINGER
Several environmentalists now believe that nuclear power should be reconsidered as a remedy for global warming.

U.S. to Spend Billions More to Alter Security Systems
By ERIC LIPTON
After spending more than $4.5 billion, the federal government has concluded that much of the antiterrorism equipment is ineffective.

Filibuster Fight Nears Showdown
By CARL HULSE
With the Senate clock ticking toward a big procedural clash over judicial nominees, both sides are readying a final push.

Drug Makers Reap Benefits of Tax Break
By ALEX BERENSON
A new law is allowing drug companies to return as much as $75 billion in foreign profits to the U.S. at lower tax rates.

Focus on the actions of the new Catholic church and see if child molesters are punished.

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear the Schiavo Case
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
A state judge also rejected Gov. Jeb Bush's attempt to intervene, prompting a last-ditch legal scramble by Terri Schiavo's parents.

Signs of Danger Were Missed in a Troubled Teenager's Life
By MONICA DAVEY and JODI WILGOREN
A loner in real life, Jeff Weise, whose violent outburst left 10 people dead in Minnesota, found a community of sorts in cyberspace.

India Alters Law on Drug Patents
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
India, a major source of inexpensive AIDS drugs, passed a new law that activists fear will choke off their supply to poor countries.

Saudis Join Call for Syrian Force to Quit Lebanon
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Saudi Arabia's demand added substantially to Syria's international isolation just a day after Russia made a similar call.

American Jails in Iraq Bursting With Detainees
By EDWARD WONG
The growing detainee population reflects recent changes in how the military has been waging the war, U.S. officials say.

Abbas Declares War With Israel Effectively Over
By STEVEN ERLANGER
The Palestinian leader also said that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is speaking "a different language" to the Palestinians.

A Former Exile Sees His Hopes Revive in Iraq
By DEXTER FILKINS
Ahmed Chalabi, vilified as the source of exaggerated reports of Saddam Hussein's weaponry, seems assured a seat in Iraq's national assembly.

Detainee Says He Was Tortured in U.S. Custody
By RAYMOND BONNER
An Australian citizen held as a terror suspect by the U.S. for 40 months alleges that at every step of his detention he endured physical and psychological abuse.

AN APPRAISAL
In a Saffron Ribbon, a Billowy Gift to the City
By MICHAEL KIMMELMAN
"The Gates," the Central Park installation by Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, is the first great public art event of the century.

U.S. Prods Israel for Hard Choices on Palestinians
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN and STEVEN ERLANGER
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said hard decisions "must be taken in order to help the emergence of a democratic Palestinian state."

Critics Question NASA on Safety of the Shuttles
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
As NASA prepares to return the space shuttle to orbit, there is debate over whether the fleet is as safe as it should be.

U.S. Redesigning Atomic Weapons
By WILLIAM J. BROAD
Scientists have begun designing a new generation of weapons meant to be sturdier and more reliable.

Rebels Express Thanks for Aid to Indonesians
By IAN FISHER
Rebels in Indonesia's Aceh Province said that the group's top leadership had issued orders not to harm any aid workers

China Promotes Another Boom: Nuclear Power
By HOWARD W. FRENCH
China plans to build reactors on a scale and pace comparable to the peak of the United States' nuclear energy push in the 1970's.

China's 'Haves' Stir the 'Have Nots' to Violence
By JOSEPH KAHN
The number and scale of protests have been rising because of conflicts between different interest groups in China's quasi market economy.

Untold Numbers Are Missing in 6 Countries
By AMY WALDMAN
An estimated 13,000 people were killed in countries across South and Southeast Asia, with thousands more missing or unreachable.

Disaster Sneaks In and a Village Is Pummeled
By SETH MYDANS
No one died in Dehiwala, a village south of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, but hundreds have been left homeless.

Pro-West Leader Appears to Win Ukraine Election
By C. J. CHIVERS
Viktor A. Yushchenko, addressing supporters, predicted an end at last to an extended and bitter election season.

An All-but-Unknown Company Wins a Rich Russian Oil Stake
By ERIN E. ARVEDLUND and STEVEN LEE MYERS
The mystery surrounding Yukos's successful bidder, Baikal Finans Group, immediately raised suspicion among industry analysts.

Civil War may be the only logical solution to the Iraq Situation, winner takes all!

Kremlin Reasserts Hold on Russia's Oil and Gas
By ERIN E. ARVEDLUND and SIMON ROMERO
A judge in Houston tried to temporarily halt Russia's planned auction of the most profitable unit of oil giant Yukos.

Google Is Adding Major Libraries to Its Database
By JOHN MARKOFF and EDWARD WYATT
Google plans to begin converting the holdings of leading research libraries into digital files that would be searchable online.

Defense Missile for U.S. System Fails to Launch
By DAVID STOUT and JOHN H. CUSHMAN Jr.
An important test of the United States' fledgling missile defense system ended in failure early Wednesday, the Pentagon said.

A Flood of Troubled Soldiers Is in the Offing, Experts Predict
By SCOTT SHANE
The health care system for veterans is facing a potential deluge of soldiers returning from Iraq with serious mental health problems.

House's Author of Drug Benefit Joins Lobbyists
By ROBERT PEAR
Representative Billy Tauzin will become president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the chief lobby for brand-name drug companies.

Kerik's Position Was Untenable, Bush Aide Says
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and ERIC LIPTON
Bernard B. Kerik, the former homeland security secretary nominee, said he faced an "ugly" process of confirmation.

New Spy Plan Said to Involve Satellite System
By DOUGLAS JEHL
The Senate intelligence committee has tried to kill a new $9.5 billion satellite system that could take photos only in daylight hours and in clear weather.

Liberal Leader From Ukraine Was Poisoned
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
International Herald Tribune
New tests confirmed that Viktor A. Yushchenko had been poisoned with dioxin, providing an explanation for his illness.

Armor Scarce for Big Trucks Serving in Iraq
By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT
Congress released statistics documenting shortages in armor for military transport trucks that ferry supplies across Iraq.

It's Inauguration Time Again, and Access Still Has Its Price
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
President Bush's inaugural committee, seeking to raise more than $40 million, a record, sent out hundreds of solicitations.

Muslim Scholars Increasingly Debate Unholy War
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
The debate over violence in Islamic cultures is swelling, with suggestions that the problem lies in the way Islam is being interpreted.

Marines' Raids Underline Push in Crucial Area
By JOHN F. BURNS
Commanders say success in Iraq may depend on units like Strike Force Two, and the raids they launch almost nightly.

REGULATION REDEFINED
At F.D.A., Strong Drug Ties and Less Monitoring
By GARDINER HARRIS
Critics say the F.D.A.'s efforts to monitor the ill effects of drugs that are on the market are a shadow of what they should be.

The ACLU- louella (11/30)
Is the ACLU protecting groups at the expense of individuals.

Who's prayers does God answer?- Bunji (12/01)
Personal questions from an ETPer and a range of personal responses.

In Praise of Capitalism?- woodg8 (12/01)
Should cities be allowed to compete with private internet service providers?

Judges to decide on Marijuana for Medicine, Pharmaceuticals benefit if it stays illegal...

The drugs we take today are not the drugs of yesterday, for the "local drug store" is no more...

U.S. to Increase Its Force in Iraq by Nearly 12,000
By ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER
The U.S. military presence in Iraq will grow to 150,000 troops by next month, the highest level since the invasion last year.

Arms Inspectors Said to Seek Access to Iran Sites
By WILLIAM J. BROAD, DAVID E. SANGER
and ELAINE SCIOLINO
Inspectors are requesting access to sites where intelligence suggests that Iran may be working on atomic weapons.

A New Election for Ukrainians Appears Likely
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Ukraine appears to be headed toward holding a new election under a deal to adopt a reorganization of political power.

Vast Borrowing Seen in Altering Social Security
By RICHARD W. STEVENSON
Republicans are all but certain to embrace government borrowing to help finance a plan to create personal accounts.

I voted for a better America, not a more controlling one with hidden agendas.

Trying to Get Big Enough to Battle Wal-Mart
By FLOYD NORRIS
Some people may be wondering just how well Kmart and Sears will compete against Wal-Mart as part of the same company.

House G.O.P. Acts to Protect Chief
By CARL HULSE
House Republicans voted to abandon a party rule that requires a member of the leadership to step aside if indicted.

Marine Officers See Risk in Cuts in Falluja Force
By ERIC SCHMITT and ROBERT F. WORTH
Senior intelligence officers in Iraq say rebels could rebound from their defeat if U.S. troop levels are reduced as planned.

Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post; Evans Going, Too
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
The two were the first departures from the administration as President Bush remakes his cabinet for a second term.

U.S.-Led Assault Marks Advances Against Falluja
By DEXTER FILKINS and ROBERT F. WORTH
The U.S. military said that at least 10 American service members and two Iraqi soldiers had been killed in the assault.

Aides Seeking Arafat Burial in West Bank
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
As Yasir Arafat lay in a deep coma, Palestinian officials asked Israel for permission to bury him in Ramallah.

G.I.'s Open Attack to Take Falluja From Iraq Rebels
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
and ROBERT F. WORTH
U.S. troops seized control of two strategic bridges and a hospital in Falluja in the start of a long-expected invasion of the city.

President Feels Emboldened, Not Accidental, After Victory
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
President Bush is reveling in winning the popular vote and feels he can no longer be considered a one-term accident of history.

Guant�namo Prisoners Getting Their Day, but Hardly in Court
By NEIL A. LEWIS
Each day, detainees in Guant�namo Bay, Cuba, argue before anonymous military officers that they should not be in custody. The hearings have brought heavy criticism.

All Sides Prepare for American Attack on Falluja
By DEXTER FILKINS and JAMES GLANZ
The U.S. ratcheted up preparations for what appeared to be an imminent assault on Falluja, while rebels set up a perimeter.

In Video Message, Bin Laden Issues Warning to U.S.
By DOUGLAS JEHL and DAVID JOHNSTON
Osama bin Laden said that the best way for the U.S. to avoid a repeat of 9/11 was to stop threatening Muslims' security.

Marijuana, the wonder drug

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