Is the prohibition and classification of drugs like cannabis and MDMA hampering research into their medicinal benefits?

NO! prohibition and classification of drugs like cannabis and MDMA are not hampering research into their medicinal benefits?

Medical experimentation and research are exempt from laws that govern recreational uses. Thay do have laws that govern there amount and are inspected by the government.

Cannabis is not a drug it is a herb. Tho Law enforcement has called it a drug,which it isn't. Drugs are manufactured and cannabis is a weed.

Medical cannabis refers to the parts of the herb cannabis used as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine. The Cannabis plant has a long history of use as medicine, with historical evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE.[1] Cannabis is one of the 50 "fundamental" herbs of traditional Chinese medicine,[2] and is prescribed to for a broad range of indications.

Use



Cannabis as illustrated in Köhler's book of medicinal plants from 1897
Medical cannabis is illegal in most countries. A number of governments, including the U.S. Federal Government, allow treatment with one or more specific low doses of synthetic cannabinoids for one or more disorders.
Supporters of medical cannabis argue that cannabis does have several well-documented beneficial effects.[3][4][5][6] Among these are: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as gastrointestinal illness. Its effectiveness as an analgesic has been suggested—and disputed—as well.
There are several methods for administration of dosage, including vaporizing or smoking dried buds, drinking, or eating extracts, and taking capsules. The comparable efficiency of these methods was the subject of an investigative study[6] conducted by the National Institutes of Health.
Synthetic cannabinoids are available as prescription drugs in some countries. Examples are Marinol (The United States and Canada) and Cesamet (Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States).
While utilizing cannabis for recreational purposes is illegal in many parts of the world, many countries are beginning to entertain varying levels of decriminalization for medical usage, including Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Israel, Italy, Finland, and Portugal. In the United States, federal law outlaws all use of herb parts from Cannabis, while some states have approved use of herb parts from Cannabis as medical cannabis in conflict with federal law. The United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Coop and Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, even for medical purposes. A person can therefore be prosecuted for a cannabis-related crime even if it is medical cannabis that is legal according to the laws of this state.
[edit]Clinical applications



"Victoria", the United States' first legal medical marijuana plant grown by The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana.[citation needed]
A 2002 review of medical literature by Franjo Grotenhermen states that medical cannabis has established effects in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, unintentional weight loss, insomnia, and lack of appetite. Other "relatively well-confirmed" effects were in the treatment of "spasticity, painful conditions, especially neurogenic pain, movement disorders, asthma, [and] glaucoma".[7]
Preliminary findings indicate that cannabis-based drugs could prove useful in treating inflammatory bowel disease, migraines, fibromyalgia, and related conditions.[8]
Medical cannabis has also been found to relieve certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis[9] and spinal cord injuries[10][11][12] by exhibiting antispasmodic and muscle-relaxant properties as well as stimulating appetite.
Other studies state that cannabis or cannabinoids may be useful in treating alcohol abuse,[13] amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,[14][15] collagen-induced arthritis,[16] asthma,[17] atherosclerosis,[18] bipolar disorder,[19][20] colorectal cancer,[21] HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy[22] depression,[23][24][25][26] dystonia,[27] epilepsy,[28][29][30] digestive diseases,[31] gliomas,[32][33] hepatitis C,[34] Huntington's disease,[35] leukemia,[36] skin tumors,[37] methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),[38] Parkinson's disease,[39] pruritus,[40][41] posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),[42] psoriasis,[43] sickle-cell disease,[44] sleep apnea,[45] and anorexia nervosa.[46] Controlled research on treating Tourette syndrome with a synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol, (brand name Marinol) (the main psychoactive chemical found in cannabis), showed the patients taking Marinol had a beneficial response without serious adverse effects;[47][48] other studies have shown that cannabis "has no effects on tics and increases the individuals inner tension".[49] Case reports found that cannabis helped reduce tics, but validation of these results requires longer, controlled studies on larger samples.[50][51]
A study done by Craig Reinarman surveyed among why people in California used cannabis and it found many reasons why people had used cannabis. It was used to relieve pain, muscle spasms, headaches, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, depression, cramps, panic attacks, diarrhea, and itching. Others used cannabis to improve sleep, relaxation, appetite, concentration or focus, and energy. Some patients used it to prevent medication side effects, anger, involuntary movements, and seizures, while others used it as a substitute for other prescription medications and alcohol.[52]
[edit]Recent studies



MDMA

MDMA:

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methyla... is an entactogenic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of drugs. In popular culture, MDMA has become widely known as "ecstasy", usually referring to its street pill form, although this term may also include the presence of possible adulterants, and "molly" referring to its more pure, powder form.
MDMA can induce euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, and diminished anxiety. Many studies, particularly in the fields of psychology and cognitive therapy, have suggested that MDMA has therapeutic benefits and facilitates therapy sessions in certain individuals, a practice for which it had formally been used in the past. Clinical trials are now testing the therapeutic potential of MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety associated with terminal cancer.[3][4]
MDMA is criminalized in most countries, though the United Nations (UN) agreement on the Global Commission on Drug Policy isn't concerned with putting a stop to it, but with educating the public about the drug,[5] and its possession, manufacture, or sale may result in criminal prosecution, although some limited exceptions exist for scientific and medical research. For 2008 the UN estimated between 10-25 million people globally used ecstasy at least once in the past year. This was broadly similar to the number of cocaine, amphetamine and opiate users, but far fewer than the global number of cannabis users.[6] It is taken in a variety of contexts far removed from its roots in psychotherapeutic settings and is commonly associated with dance parties (or "raves") and electronic dance music.[7]
Regulatory authorities in several locations around the world have approved scientific studies administering MDMA to humans to examine its therapeutic potential and its effects.[8]

Medical use

See also: Effects of MDMA on the human body
There have long been suggestions that MDMA might be useful in psychotherapy, facilitating self-examination with reduced fear.[9][10][11] Indeed, some therapists, including Leo Zeff, Claudio Naranjo, George Greer, Joseph Downing, and Philip Wolfson, used MDMA in their practices until it was made illegal. George Greer synthesized MDMA in the lab of Alexander Shulgin and administered it to about 80 of his clients over the course of the remaining years preceding MDMA's Schedule I placement in 1985. In a published summary of the effects,[12] the authors reported patients felt improved in various, mild psychiatric disorders and experienced other personal benefits, especially improved intimate communication with their significant others. In a subsequent publication on the treatment method, the authors reported that one patient with severe pain from terminal cancer experienced lasting pain relief and improved quality of life.[13]
Three neurobiological mechanisms for the therapeutic effects of MDMA have been suggested: "1) MDMA increases oxytocin levels, which may strengthen the therapeutic alliance; 2) MDMA increases ventromedial prefrontal activity and decreases amygdala activity, which may improve emotional regulation and decrease avoidance, and 3) MDMA increases norepinephrine (NE) release and circulating cortisol levels, which may facilitate emotional engagement and enhance extinction of learned fear associations."[14]
The first phase-II double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial into the potential therapeutic benefits of using the drug as an augment to psychotherapy showed that most patients in the trial given psychotherapy treatment along with doses of MDMA experienced statistically significant reductions in the severity of their condition after two months, compared with a control group receiving psychotherapy and a placebo.[15] The authors concludes "MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can be administered to posttraumatic stress disorder patients without evidence of harm, and it may be useful in patients refractory to other treatments."[15]
The possible therapeutic potential of MDMA is being tested in several ongoing studies, some sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Studies in the U.S., Switzerland, and Israel are evaluating the efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treating those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety related to cancer.
Small doses of MDMA are used as an entheogen to enhance meditation by some Buddhist Monks.[16]