Bush Administration Accused of Distorting Science Like No Other Administration

Interview with Lexi Shultz, Washington representative for Scientific Inquiry, at the Union of Concerned Scientists, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

In the latest of many decisions that put politics ahead of science, the Bush administration's Food and Drug Administration in mid-April issued a ruling that "no sound scientific studies" support the medical use of marijuana. This contradicts a 1999 report issued by the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, which is the nation's most prestigious scientific advisory body. That review found marijuana to be useful for treating nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy used in cancer treatment, and for reducing the wasting effect of AIDS. Eleven states have legalized the medicinal use of marijuana, but the Drug Enforcement Administration and the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy have opposed those laws.

Other issues where science has collided with the Bush administration's right wing ideology include downplaying the existence of climate change, calling on scientists to alter their data to show that mercury pollution is less damaging to health than scientific studies originally showed, and concerns around reproductive health.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Lexi Shultz, Washington Representative for Scientific Integrity at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She compares President Bush's manipulation of science to that of previous administrations, and explains what UCS and other groups are doing to help restore scientific integrity to policy making.

Contact the Union of Concerned Scientists by calling (202) 223-6133 or visit their website at www.ucsusa.org. Click on the Scientific Integrity link to view reports on the issue.

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