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| New Trial Shows Cannabis Works |
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Posted by FoM on September 03, 2001 at 09:12:09 PT By Geraint Smith, Science Correspondent Source: London Evening Standard 
Cannabis can have a real role in reducing chronic, long-term pain, according to the first results from a hospital trial. The trial at Great Yarmouth's James Paget Hospital looked at the response of 23 patients to measured doses of the various active compounds found in cannabis. All were suffering chronic, long-term pain on which all other treatments including morphine had failed. Half had multiple sclerosis, the remainder had a variety of causes of pain including spinal injury and surgery. They were asked to assess their pain on a scale from zero to 10, the highest rating being unbearable, "the worst pain you could imagine", Dr William Nortcutt told the British Association Annual Science Conference at Glasgow University. The drug was administered as a spray under the tongue. Their self-reported-pain was traced as a graph as they took different active compounds - known as cannabinoids - or placebos, which had no effect. The graphs showed that it was the compounds that were having the effect. Dr Nortcutt said: "Several patients had a dramatic effect. They reported that their pain went from a 10 level to zero. We had responses from that down to helping sleep. "Only three patients did not benefit - one who had to leave the trial because she could not stand the side effects, one for whom there were protocol violations and we had to withdraw, and one on whom it simply had no effect." People could have taken doses of the drug which would have given them the sort of high experienced by recreational drug smokers, he said."One or two of the early patients pushed it to see what the high was, but having done so, said that they were already trashed by their pain and didn't want to sit round being stoned all day. They wanted to get on with their lives," he said. "They were fed up with being immobilised. One is working again in an executive capacity, one is looking after a child successfully, several are driving again, one actually told me the other day that he'd gone up a ladder with a power tool to cut a hedge." These were things that would have been impossible for them without treatment, he said. However, he added it was too early to recommend use of the drug and more tests were still being conducted. Source: London Evening Standard (UK) Medical Marijuana Information Links CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #5 posted by Galileo on September 03, 2001 at 10:05:29 PT |
| Religious, philosophical, and political intellectual midgets existed during my time and have returned in full force today. They also have the power elite on their side. What a shame that it will tke 350 years for them to come around. Sie la Vie [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by Galileo on September 03, 2001 at 10:04:45 PT |
| Religious, philosohical, and political intellectual midgets existed during my time and have returned in full force today. They also have the power elite on their side. What a shame that it will tke 350 years for them to come around. Sie la Vie [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by E. Johnson on September 03, 2001 at 09:56:33 PT |
| The marijuana "high" has been so mythologized, partly thanks to users, that it even interferes in a medical trial. Well, God forbid that medicine should make anyone feel good or happy. Medicine doesn't concern itself with positive symptoms, only with the cessation of negative ones. Maybe that's a big part of the problem. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by auto on September 03, 2001 at 09:56:23 PT |
| The proof keeps coming in...This is not the first study to prove that marijuana is an effective medical remedy and it wont be the last. This drug is so benign and yet so effective. Amazing thing is that while the proof continues to disprove the propaganda that surrounds cannabis, the plant remains illegal. Alcohal has zero medical benefits, in fact it ruins more lives than it helps and yet it is legal. The propaganda machine is heating up again... When will the madness stop? when will america begin to embrace rather than shutout the amazing benefits and consumer products that this humble little plant provide for us? on another note...fuzzy math. amazing the republicans charged Gore with fuzzy math when it came to the federal budget during the election... [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by lookinside on September 03, 2001 at 09:41:58 PT:
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| fat chance... [ Post Comment ] |
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