FDA Bullies Herbal Industry

Listen up friends. This one's important. It looks like the FDA, in it's insatiable desire to wield power over the lives and bodies of free citizens of the U.S, is attempting to increase it's control of many commonly available herbs and nutritional supplements. The vary regulatory agency that can't even seem to ensure a safe food supply for our pets, seems to think it should impose more barriers between what we see fit to put into our bodies. There is a public forum that open for comment by anyone who wishes to do so, and we urge all of you who value the right to access and regulate the natural substances and nutrional supplements you use on your own accord, to visit the link listed below and let the FDA know where you stand on this issue. We need to let our voices be hear here.

Happiness,
andy @ the basement shaman

From the American Botanical Council - Austin, TX:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday extended the deadline
for public comments on the draft document, Guidance for Industry on
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the
Food and Drug Administration. 1
Public Comments Docket:The new deadline for filing public comments is May 29, 2007.

On February 27, 2007 the FDA issued this as a proposed set of guidelines in
the Federal Register (FR) which the agency attempted to clarify its role in
regulating so-called "CAM products". The document stated that the public
would have 90 days from the date of publication to comment. However, the
agency apparently erred in stating that the deadline would be April 30,
instead of 90 days from February 27, which should be May 29. This error was
discovered by the vigilance of the American Herbal Products Association, the
leading trade association dealing exclusively with herbs and herbal
products, and was communicated to FDA in a letter. (Presumably this is the
reason for the agency's extension of the deadline. The actual date on the
document is "December 2006", the time the document was completed, even
though it was not published in the FR until February.)

The FDA's publication of the proposed new guidelines has generated a
significant level of e-mails and Internet discussion among members of the
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) community, health freedom
activists, members of the herb and dietary supplement industry, and others.
During the past weeks ABC has received numerous requests from ABC members
for requests for clarification. Many e-mails and communications among the
lay public have questioned whether the FDA may be reaching out for new
regulatory territory - whether the agency may be attempting to regulate new
domains of activity, i.e., the practice of CAM as opposed to the agency's
traditionally regulated areas, i.e., foods, drugs, biologics, cosmetics and
medical devices.

There has also been confusion about whether FDA is proposing new rules
governing the use of herbs, dietary supplements, or other materials in the
practice of CAM. Some people appear to be unaware that FDA does not create
"legislation" - that is the domain of Congress and state legislatures.

Comments

[Eoghan]

I'm glad to see this information coming out. While it is true that the FDA doesn't control legislation, they have a lot of influence and control. This is clearly a move inspired if not instigated by the large pharmaceutical companies.

Eoghan

[Raven Waldenpond]

This is a most disconcerting development, but it does not surprise me considering the FDA and Big Pharma are tight bedfellows. I think we should do all we can to stop it, but have a back up plan. That back up is learning the herbs healing properties asap, learn to grown them and preserve them. If supplements become unavailable to us, then quietly and silently form a network of like minded people in your locality to share knowledge with. As a pagan, I am often wondering about the balance of speaking about who and what I am, Celtic hedgewitch, or keeping silent. Flying under the radar and giving knowledge to those that truly want it is my stance. Last week we had a pagan meetup in my city, in the buckle of the Bible Belt, Tulsa. Of the dozen or so that were in attendence we shared info on various herbals, shared plants themselves, and generally supported one another in discussion. Do this now , folks, because things may not get any better.I keep thinking of the book "Fahrenheit???" (darn can't remember it, ginko needed) and the destruction of books by the thought police. This denigration of herbal knowledge springs from the same fountain. Remember, if desired, we can also call on the Goddess in our ritual/prayers and ask for her help in this also. Brightest Blessings,
Raven

[Tsu Nami]

I had the distinct pleasure of spending time in a commune as a teenager in Oregon. We regularly smoked ganja, hashish from an Iranian college student, and psylocibin mushrooms. We would pile in the panel truck on the weekends and go out into the countryside in search of mushroom patches in the cow pastures. In the house we would sit around a huge table and have deep discussions while passing the pipe. I now live in Pharma country amid our current police state. I really feel sorry for today's youth as they will almost never have the same opportunities as I had to expand their conciousness. When humans lose touch with the etheral world which surrounds us we are certainly a doomed species. As the government puts us under their thumb more effectively using current technology, you can already see the changes and deterioration beginnning. Now they are taking steps to totally control what we consume. The reason is it is very hard to control people when they refuse to fit in the little box they call "reality". I feel the Country may have already fallen over the edge and now it is just a matter of waiting for our imminent destruction. You and people like you should be commended for making the tools available to open minds.