The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation
| Methods of regulation for health and conservation |
| Herbal medicines
can pose a threat to consumers if they are not regulated in the same manner
as prescription drugs. In addition, conservation issues are important
for reducing the impact of harvesting herbal medicines on surrounding habitat.
These medications may be toxic and dangerous to consumers since they are
not subject to clinical trials and testing as is done for approved drugs.
Furthermore, herbal medicines that have been prohibited, flourish under
a black market of distribution and production. There are two approaches
that have been taken recently for regulating the distribution and harvesting
of herbal medicines: Applying federal government intervention and creating
local laws and regulations.
Applying federal government interventions Scientific
studies have been done into the necessity of regulations. Some Asian herbal
medicines have been found to have traces of mercury and other toxic chemicals.
At a conference held in 1997, the presenters concluded that enforcement
by local governments was the most important procedure that could be implemented.
At that time, the example of Chinese
herbal medicines was being examined and reviewed. In the United States,
the Food and Drug Administration has taken
the lead in enforcing consumer protection laws in labeling requirements
for removing potentially hazardous drugs from herbal store shelves. It
remains to be seen how effective these efforts are in reducing unproven
herbal medicines on store shelves, but it may force more drugs to enter
the clinical trials and other testing in order to get sales approval.
In India, the government has taken steps to increase the availability
of herbal medicines to pharmacies as well as conserve natural habitats
for future production. Since cost to the customer is an issue for
keeping these Ayurvedic medicines easily accessible, India hopes to regulate
the manufacturing part of the process also. Learn about the sources
of the ingredients for the Ayurvedic medicines.
Creating local laws and regulations In states including California, the legality of herbal medicines has been taken to the voting booth for the citizens to consider. Under the premise of a single herbal medicine, marijuana, voters have been asked to consider the legality to use such drugs based on the safety of the drug itself and its touted medicinal qualities. While these laws, including California proposition 215, may conflict with federal laws, the approval of legalized marijuana in California has conveyed the tolerance of choice to those who choose to take unapproved herbal medicines. In addition, these voter initiatives may cause a re-examination of the effectiveness of larger, blanket laws that may fall out of favor to personal freedom issues and potential for regulated use. Go here for full coverage on Medical Marijuana. Federal law current prohibits the importation of any unapproved drug, including drugs unapproved for United Stated sales by the FDA, cocaine, opium, and marijuana into the United States, but the law is frequently ignored by those who desire to bring such drugs into the country. Currently, Customs officials coordinate with FDA offices in such drugs, but their ability to do so may be limited due to the more active pursuit of street drugs with higher monetary value for the sellers. All are herbal medicines, but due to their prohibited status in the United States -- their importation is more economically lucrative than lesser known herbal medicines. Go here to read about the U.S. Customs Service prescription medicines/drugs policy.
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