The "F*CK YOU" Finale of "Weed Wars"...

[MindMover]

39. Maybe because the goals of NIH are not what people think they are.....or

"The goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by conducting research in its own laboratories, supporting the research of non-federal scientists (in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad), helping in the training of research investigators, and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information."

if these are the goals of this federal entity, the treatment of disease and disability would be the only area in which marijuana would be researched.....

"Congress has attempted to cancel grants for research currently in progress. They question the value of particular studies (e.g. in mental health and human sexuality) and argue that NIH’s limited funding would be better applied in other “specific” fields. These activities establish a dangerous precedent. It is certain advocates for other diseases and interests will pressure their congressional representatives for similar treatment. Instead of research being directed by an objective peer review process, growing political interference would jeopardize scientific integrity and manipulate funding for selfish, political gains."

"A major issue that persists, despite reforms to the peer review process, is the imbalance of Congressional funding in light of the number of worthy research proposals. Since 2003, Congress has consistently increased NIH appropriations below the rate of inflation. These insufficient increases have strained NIH’s ability to not only fund existing budget commitments but new research as well. This has resulted in intense competition amongst scientists who, instead of doing research, spend the majority of their time writing and rewriting grant applications in hopes of being awarded NIH’s diminishing funds. Less research (because of insufficient funding and time devoted elsewhere) does not bode well for reducing the burden of diseases on the American public."

Very obvious to me that our health research decisions should not be made by politicians......actually there are many more decisions that should not be made by politicians.......