In this case, it seems to be a more case of government actually restricting Big Pharm in this case.
It isn't like we really could grow our own medicine. Aspirin comes from a willow tree. You won't get the same benefit from a cup of willow tea that you would get from a Bayer tablet. FDA regulation is pretty much the only protection we get, as little help as even that is.
Also, there is tons of money in curing a disease. Once you have a cure, you can give it to EVERYONE as a precaution. Every government will buy it, and every citizen will want it, since you don't know you have cancer until it has been growing for years. Not to mention, a cure would guarantee a permanent place in history. What scientist wouldn't want to be compared to Pasteur, Curie, etc?
Thankfully, chemotherapy is becoming a thing of the past, and the research is heading towards targeted therapies, that work on features of the tumor, and leave the non-cancerous cells alone.
Marijuana could have a HUGE impact on this research, but scientists can't research it. Our best research on MMJ, like stem cells, is coming from overseas. Long story short, restricting research leads to "brain drain." Brain Drain is what gave us some of Europe's leading scientific minds (Einstein for one) during WW2. We already have lost so much of our means of production, that this is one more score against this country when it comes to competing in the global market.
Fuck, too bad I am still shy of 35. Y'all could vote for me!
ABSOLUTELY agree with the guy who said you all need to vote. Convince our leaders that legal regulation is the best way to protect our kids, like we do with smokes and booze.