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  MS Patients in UK Face New Battle to Get Cannabis
Posted by CN Staff on May 21, 2002 at 08:24:58 PT
By Richard Woodman  
Source: Reuters  

medical British patients who overcame some of the legal obstacles to using cannabis for their multiple sclerosis (MS) could still fall foul of the health economics watchdog, NICE, it emerged on Monday.

A negative opinion from National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) means that new treatments are unlikely to be funded by the National Health Service (NHS), even if they have been licensed by the Medicines Control Agency.

Although the government has no plans to decriminalise cannabis, the rules have been relaxed and several clinical trials are now under way to find out if the drug can help treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

The studies include a large UK trial of 660 patients who have been randomly assigned to use cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol or an inactive placebo.

But even before the results are known, NICE said on Monday that it will also be examining the clinical benefits and cost effectiveness of cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis as part of its latest wave of investigations.

NICE has already said it needs to be convinced of the benefits of licensed drugs such as interferon in multiple sclerosis, effectively forcing drugmakers to help organise large, long-term follow-up studies of patients in the UK.

Its latest probes will also include pegylated interferon alpha for hepatitis C, clopidogrel and dipyridamole for secondary prevention of atherosclerotic events, and the newer hypnotic drugs for the treatment of insomnia.

GW Pharmaceuticals, Plc, the British pharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of non-smoked cannabis-based prescription medicines, welcomed the announcement, saying it was a "significant step along the road towards the nationwide provision of cannabis-based prescription medicines for NHS patients."

GW is conducting trials of cannabis-based medicines for the treatment of symptoms caused by nerve damage associated with conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer pain and spinal cord injury. The company said that if the medicines were licensed, the Home Secretary had indicated that the law would be amended to allow them to be prescribed.

Source: Reuters
Author: Richard Woodman
Published: Monday, May 20, 2002
Copyright: 2002 Reuters Health

Related Articles & Web Sites:

UK Medicinal Cannabis Project
http://www.medicinal-cannabis.org/

Chronic Cannabis Use in PDF Format
http://freedomtoexhale.com/ccu.pdf

Medical Cannabis on the NHS Moves a Step Closer
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12900.shtml

MS Cannabis Draws Closer
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12895.shtml


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Comment #2 posted by TroutMask on May 21, 2002 at 10:39:39 PT
Because...
Although the plan is apparently to reduce possession to a "non-arrestable offense", it will still be a criminal offense to possess, use, transport or distribute marijuana.

My understanding of decriminalization is the removal of all criminal penalties, which will (apparently) not be the case under the UK scheme. My understanding of decriminalization is to "de-crime" the offense, to make it not criminal but civil. The first analogy that comes to mind is speeding in the US: Speeding is not decriminalized since it is still an offense against criminal law. However, you will not be arrested if you are pulled over speeding (at least not the first few times). Similarly, covenants in some US neighborhoods require homeowners to abide by rules governing what color they can paint their house, if they can make additions, how they must cut their grass, etc. Covenants are civil, you will never be arrested for breaking a neighborhood covenant (though you can be fined or sued). Breaking neighborhood covenants is decriminalized, but speeding is not.

-TM

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Comment #1 posted by PonziScheme on May 21, 2002 at 10:30:26 PT
Huh?
"Although the government has no plans to decriminalise cannabis, the rules have been relaxed and several clinical trials are now under way to find out if the drug can help treat symptoms of multiple sclerosis."

The British Home Office has said repeatedly that they will be formally reclassifying marijuana from Schedule B to Schedule C so that it is no longer an arrestable offense. How is that not decriminalization?????

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