The federal medical cannabis program -- referred to as a Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program -- resulted from a lawsuit filed by glaucoma patient Robert Randall, who successfully showed that his use of cannabis was a medical necessity.

The program slowly grew for over a dozen years. In the wake of a flood of new applications from patients battling AIDS -- who found that cannabis boosted their appetites and relieved the nausea often caused by anti-HIV drugs -- the George H.W. Bush administration closed it to new applicants in March 1992, but continued supplying federal cannabis to those already receiving it. Four of those patients survive today.

"Most Americans would be shocked to know that the federal government supplies medical [cannabis] to patients while claiming that [cannabis] is a harmful drug with no medical value," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "If federal officials believe their own statements, they're knowingly poisoning four innocent people, but in fact they know better. The four remaining patients in the federal program have benefited from their medical [cannabis] use, groups like the American College of Physicians and the American Public Health Association have said that [cannabis] is a safe and effective medicine and, as a result, we must change the federal laws that prohibit medical [cannabis]."

Officially, the Compassionate IND is a research program. Participants were required to sign a consent document calling the program a "study." Yet the federal government has never studied the patients in the "study." In fact, the only study ever published of these patients was privately financed and conducted.

"May 10 mark[ed] the 30th anniversary of federal hypocrisy and dishonesty about medical[cannabis]," Kampia said. "When future historians see how much effort our government made to avoid learning that [cannabis] is a safe and effective medicine, they'll shake their heads in disbelief."

MPP: http://www.mpp.org/news/press-releases/federal-medical-marijuana-prog.html

"Who are the patients receiving medical cannabis through the Fed's Compassionate IND program?"
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=257

"Psst... Government-Supplied Marijuana Program Turns 30," AlterNet, Posted May 7, 2008 http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/84766/