Quotes

from The Parke, Davis & Co. 1929-30 Physician’s Catalogue:

"CANNABIS, U.S.P. (American Cannabis): FLUID EXTRACT no.598 … This fluid extract is prepared from Cannabis Sativa grown in America. Extensive pharmacological and clinical tests have shown that its medicinal action cannot be distinguished from that of the fluid made from East Indian cannabis.”

from The 1917 USDA yearbook (entry: "Production of Drug-Plant Crops"):

“Medicinal plants have been cultivated in the United States for more than two centuries. Cannabis is now grown commercially by farmers in South Carolina and in other states. Two large drug manufacturers also grow sufficient cannabis for their own needs.”

from Clinton M. Hester, U.S. Treasury Dept., during the senate hearings that produced the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 (which made cannabis illegal):

“The purpose of H.R. 6385 is to employ the federal taxing power not only to raise revenue from the marihuana traffic, but to drive the traffic into channels where the plant will be put to valuable industrial, medical and scientific uses.”

from The 1972 Report of the U.S. National Commission on Marihuana:

“The volume of information on the medical application of cannabis is considerable. Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically from the earliest records, nearly 5,000 years ago, to the present day and its products have been widely noted for their effects, both physiological and psychological, throughout the world. Despite the fact that marihuana was made illegal in 1937, research has continued in the medical uses of marihuana. The findings include various medical applications of cannabis and its derivatives. These findings include the treatment of glaucoma, its use as an anti-convulsant, an antidepressant, an appetite stimulant, an antibiotic, a pain reliever and a treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction.”

from The 1988 U.S. Dept. of Justice DEA’s findings in the Opinion and Recommended Ruling, Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision of Administrative Law Judge, following the DEA's being petitioned to reconsider marijuana’s medical scheduling:

“From the foregoing uncontroverted facts it is clear beyond any question that marijuana, in the words of the Act, ‘has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the US,’ in effecting the relief of cancer patients, and for treating spasticity from multiple sclerosis and other causes.
The most obvious concern when dealing with drug related safety is the possibility of lethal effects. Can the drug cause death? Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects, but marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical-literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality. This is a remarkable statement. First, the record on marijuana encompasses 5,000 years of human experience. Second, marijuana is now used daily by enormous numbers of people throughout the world.
Yet, despite this long history of use and the extraordinary high numbers of social smokers, there are simply no credible medical reports to suggest that consuming marijuana has caused a single death. By contrast, aspirin, a commonly used, over-the-counter medicine, causes hundreds of deaths each year. In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume.
"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.”

from Statement on the IOM’s study: Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Scientific Base (1999), issued by the director of the ONDCP:

“This study is the most comprehensive summary and analysis of what is known about the medical use of marijuana. It emphasizes evidence-based medicine (derived from knowledge and experience informed by rigorous scientific analysis), as opposed to belief-based medicine (derived from judgement, intuition, and beliefs untested by rigorous science).
The study notes that advances in cannabinoid science of the last 16 years have given rise to a wealth of new opportunities for the development of medically useful cannabinoid-based drugs. The accumulated data suggest a variety of indications, particularly for pain relief, antiemesis, and appetite stimulation.
The development and treatment of a rapid onset (that is, within minutes) form of THC is recommended. Formulations that can rapidly and directly deliver THC to the circulation include deep lung aerosols, nasal sprays, nasal gels, sublingual preparations; and rectal suppositories. Phase 1 clinical studies are underway for deep lung aerosols, nasal sprays, nasal gels, and sublingual formulations of Marinol®."

from The Pill Book, an illustrated guide to the most prescribed, FDA-approved drugs in the U.S. (entry: "Dronabinol"):

"Dronabinol
Brand Name: Marinol®
Type of Drug: Antinauseant
Prescribed for nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and appetite stimulation and weight loss prevention in people with AIDS. Dronabinol is the first legal form* of marijuana available to the American public. The psychoactive chemical ingredient in marijuana is also known as delta-9-THC. Dronabinol has all of the psychological effects of marijuana. No deaths have been reported with either marijuana or dronabinol overdose. Dronabinol studies of pregnant animals taking doses 10 to 400 times the human dose have shown no adverse effects on fetal development."
*The first legal form of marijuana available to the American public was marijuana up until its prohibition in 1937!