CANNAINVESTOR Magazine November / December 2016 | Page 58

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Recent shocks to the industry that CANNAINVESTOR Magazine covered to many have either been forgotten, or are just seen as three unconnected separate events:

•May 24: NASDAQ denies the listing request of MassRoots Inc (OTC:MSRT)

•August 11: DEA denies the petition to reschedule marijuana from its Schedule I status

•August 16: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th District barred the Federal government from prosecuting growers, dispensaries/businesses, and patients who are in full compliance with the law of the state in which they are in.

Each of these events represented a shock to the industry with only one seen by many as positive (August 16). This time, let’s start in the middle! The DEA denied the petition to reschedule marijuana and did so in part because of a lack of evidence demonstrating cannabis as being medically beneficial. Critics were quick to point to the studies and research that show the contrary. False data and conclusions of medical and scientific research and studies has been a topic of concern for many years and you are invited to research this on your own. The “Lancelot Study” of 1998 still has ongoing adverse consequences despite its complete debunking. False data was used to reveal a correlation between vaccinations and the onset of Autism. This study was referenced in the October article as not only is it a good analogy to the false statements that the legal marijuana industry is another dot.com era but also as a precursor to this article to show the powerful and lasting influence of false statements. It is therefore somewhat understandable why the DEA stated that there does not exist sufficient information regarding the medical usefulness of marijuana in the USA. That is why the second part of the DEA ruling that relaxed the rules around funding for medical research was the positive ‘headline’ yet received little coverage.

DEA Relaxed Ruling for Funding Cannabis Medical Research is a Step in the Right Direction