cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Chemical Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Pain










  Marijuana Chemical Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Pain

Posted by CN Staff on July 16, 2004 at 13:05:11 PT
By Reuters Health 
Source: Reuters  

New York -- Treatment with Marinol, a synthetic version of cannabinoid chemicals found in marijuana, can reduce the pain often experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. The findings, which appear in the British Medical Journal, are based on a study of 24 MS patients with pain who were treated with Marinol or inactive "placebo" for 3-week periods.
Dr. Flemming W. Bach and colleagues, from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, found that Marinol was significantly better than placebo at lowering pain intensity and increasing pain relief. In terms of quality of life, Marinol appeared to offer a benefit over placebo in reducing bodily pain and improving mental health. No change in functional ability was seen with Marinol or placebo. Marinol was more likely than placebo to produce side effects, particularly during the first week of treatment, the authors note. The most common side effects included dizziness, headache, and tiredness. "The pain reduction seen in this study is comparable to the effect of other drugs" used in the treatment of related pain conditions, the authors state. Marinol "should be available for patients whose central pain is not sufficiently treated with alternative drugs such as anticonvulsants, antidepressants, or opioids," they add. SOURCE: British Medical Journal, July 16th online issue, 2004. Source: Reuters HealthPublished: July 16, 2004Copyright: 2004 Reuters Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmMontel Williams Urges Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19151.shtmlMontel Williams Pushes Pot -- for Medical Reliefhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18797.shtml CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

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Comment #23 posted by E_Johnson on July 17, 2004 at 11:29:07 PT
A poem by Alexander Pushkin
"Forth went the sower to sow his seeds..."by Alexander Pushkin*****************************************************As freedom's sower in the wastelandBefore the morning star I went;From hand immaculate and chastenedInto the grooves of prisonmentFlinging the vital seed I wandered--But it was time and toiling squandered,Benevolent designs misspent...Graze on, graze on, submissive nation!You will not wake to honor's call.Why offer herds their liberation?For them are shears or slaughter-stall,Their heritage each generationThe yoke with jingles, and the gall.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on July 17, 2004 at 09:00:19 PT
Just a Comment
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I've looked for news to post and so far I haven't found anything really worthwhile but I'll keep looking. I think it's so slow because of writers getting geared up for the Democratic National Convention but I could be wrong. We're making the most of it and enjoying a DVD concert. 
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Comment #21 posted by RasAric on July 17, 2004 at 08:53:07 PT
off topic
I had a dream about pro-Bush demonstrators carrying protest signs that had pro-Bush sloguns on them and those same signs also included shwa-stikas and pro-KKK slogans (and art). These would be great for us to use at places where Bush is scheduled to appear. We could get people to protest Bush simply by portraying the extremist supporters of his "re-(s)Election". 
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Comment #20 posted by shrox on July 17, 2004 at 07:35:01 PT
Cannabis and PD
Cannabis completely abates the effects of Parkinson's for me. It quells the tremors and spasms, relieves the muscle tension and has none of the nausea side effects of Requip and Mirapex.shrox
http://www.shrox.com/spiceflow.html
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Comment #19 posted by Jose Melendez on July 17, 2004 at 07:26:04 PT
commercial THC/CBD? DEMAND free raw generic!
from google's html version of http://www2.kemc.co.uk/clients/msrc/downloads/Issue%252016%2520with%2520removals.pdf MS Pain Low doses of cannabis can relieve severe pain for people with MS, the largest clinical trial into the drug has found. Tests on three medicines derived from the plant helped 28 out of 34 patients. GW Pharmaceuticals, the company given a licence by the Government to grow cannabis in Britain and run clinical trials, said none of the patients had responded well to conventional drugs. Dr Willy Notcutt, of the James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth, who is running the trial, said: "Patients in this trial are suffering from severe pain. It dominates their lives. Given the previously intractable nature of their pain symptoms, the improvements provided by cannabis-based medicines are all the more remarkable."Many of those with chronic pain also suffer from a poor quality of sleep which over time can have profoundly negative effects on them and their families. By bringing about improvement in their sleep regime, as well as their pain, we can have a major positive impact on their quality of life.Patients were given three drugs containing cannabinoids, the active ingredients in the cannabis plant. One spray contained the cannabinoid CBD, another THC, and a third an equal amount of both. Cannabis-based drugs worked better than a placebo for 28 of the patients, all of whom asked to continue on the drug. Twenty-five are still on the trial and have been taking the drug for two years. Only six felt no benefit. The drugs are administered with an inhaler under the tongue at low levels designed to avoid intoxicating effects. Dr Geoffrey Guy of GW Pharmaceuticals said: "We believe there will be a market for all three medicines in pain treatment."from: http://www.parklandtrading.com/users/thc4ms/gwupdate.php' . . . GW has successfully tested three extracts -high-THC ( which GW has dubbed "Tetranabinex" ), high-CBD ( "Nabidiolex" ), and a 50-50 mix ( "Sativex").'also, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/27/health/policy/27MARI.htmluser name: cannabisnews password: password . . . Bayer, the German pharmaceutical giant, signed a deal with GW last year to market Sativex in Britain and possibly other countries.  "What's likely to happen is that the U.K. authorization will lead quite quickly to European Union authorization," Mr. Macfarlane said. "I think it's going to be a little troubling for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, given the national climate about marijuana." GW also hopes eventually to obtain regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration. But the review process in the United States is expected to take much longer, and the policy against marijuana use, in any form, is much more prohibitive. Further, the Office of National Drug Control Policy says that marijuana abuse is associated with health problems as diverse as respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning, anxiety and panic attacks. Marijuana proponents challenge these claims, saying the plant is far less toxic than many of the medicines it would replace. In any event, they say, approval of medical marijuana in Britain should lead to broader acceptance of the plant's therapeutic uses. "If it turns out to be effective," said Dr. Jack Lewin, chief executive of the California Medical Association, "it's going to be a very positive development, akin in terms of medicine to moving from the crudeness of smoking opium to the use of Demerol and morphine." The Food and Drug Administration has allowed people to import personal supplies of pharmaceutical drugs that are not approved in the United States, and medical marijuana advocates are already planning to pressure the authorities to allow patients to obtain Sativex. But Will Glaspy, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said it was unlikely that someone could lawfully import an extract from a drug like marijuana, although he did not know specifically about Sativex. "If it's a controlled substance here, it would be illegal to bring it into the country," Mr. Glaspy said. - - -info found via google.com, kudos to Virgil for posts here and at: http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18224.shtmlhttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=117&topic_id=2128
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on July 16, 2004 at 20:04:30 PT
Agog Comment #10
You said, "This could be a setup for the fallback of "We already gave you bothersome peasants Marinol, you know it works and is "good medicine" so you must use it. The raw plant is just too unsophisticated and unpredictable...""I'm inclined to believe you could be right. 
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Comment #17 posted by Virgil on July 16, 2004 at 19:00:13 PT
Where are the commercials?
I cannot wait to see the commercials. I wonder if sending commercials by point to point over the Internet will be a prosecutable offense involving copyright.Sativex is the trademark name of the GW extract that involves the 1 to 1 ratio of THC and CBD. That is what they thought would work best and they must have indications that make them persue that combination for MS. They have a name for their high CBD extract and for their high THC extract. I read it in a link off of THC4MS.org interviewing the GW Pharma president. 
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 18:18:11 PT
charmed quark 
Thank you for explaining the difference.
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Comment #15 posted by charmed quark on July 16, 2004 at 17:47:38 PT

Marinol vs. Cannabis
I have used both cannabis and Marinol to treat my migraines. Cannabis gives a stronger anti-migraine effect for a given level of side effects ( i.e., the high). Possibly the CBDs in it. Unfortunately, one is legal and one is not. Marinol is very expensive. I use to pay around $168 for 30 2.5 mg capsules - but luckily my insurance is now paying for it.Also, Marinol takes a long time to act, so I can't use it as an abortant, meaning I have to use it as a preventative, which means I have to take it daily. With cannabis I could use it as needed. I would dearly love to grow my own medicine. It isn't just the cost savings, but the empowerment of generating your own medicine.I was amused to see that the article recommended Marinol only after all the other medicines had been used, including opiods. I have been given all those meds for migraines, and let me tell you, the side effects are much less for Marionl than anti-sezuire drugs like Topomax ( which is referred to by migraneurs as "dopamax" due to the negative cognitive side effects.) Even the tricyclic antidepressants left me with possbily permanent side effects. I would try marinol first and only use the others if it didn't work.-Pete
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 17:46:33 PT

Hi mayan
Thanks for the link. I haven't seen the movie so I can't comment until it's out on DVD supposedly in October. It's made $80,000,000 so far! That's not too shabby I'd say. I don't know what Michael's intention were when he was making F/11 but it has stirred up a hornet's nest. Sometimes leaving an open end to a documentary allows people to go further and search for more which is a good thing I believe. You know what I mean?
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Comment #13 posted by mayan on July 16, 2004 at 17:29:18 PT

FoM...
I agree, cannabis should be removed from Schedule I immediately! If the synthetic version works then the real thing must work even better!Here's a link to an unrelated article regarding an upcoming(hopefully) Oregon Hempfest. Also,there is an article directly below it in which a pundit says that "Fahrenheit 9/11" doesn't go far enough...HEMPFEST IN TURMOIL AS WEEKEND NEARS
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2004/07/15/news.htmlThe way out...The 9/11 Truth Sleuth Herald:
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=341&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0Moore's film is not enough:
http://republic-news.org/archive/92-repub/92_potvin_moore.htm9/11 Visibility Project:
http://www.septembereleventh.org/Terrorism and the Election: California is the Target!
http://www.legitgov.org/essay_madsen_terrorism_and_california_071404.html
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 16:53:11 PT

I Get Upset
Marinol is so expensive and a whole plant wouldn't cost anymore then a tomato plant to grow. I get very insulted for the lack of concern for those who don't use drugs and those who just plain can't afford prescription drugs. What about the uninsured? Marinol (other types of Marinol) 
 30 capsules -- 60 capsules  
 5MG $261.28 -- $501.06  
  
Please note: schedule III Marinol is a schedule III controlled substance and requires special ordering procedures. Marinol is a refrigerated medicine and requires overnight shipping. 
 
 
 http://www.drugstore.com/qxn00051002211_333181_sespider/marinol/marinol.htm
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Comment #11 posted by Jose Melendez on July 16, 2004 at 16:50:51 PT

other drug sinners in society
from: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/07/04/bc.la.spt.soc.copaam.brazil.coca.ap/ AREQUIPA, Peru (AP) -- Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has issued a warning to his players ahead of the Copa America: No coca tea.The World Cup champion plays its first round games of the South American championship in the thin air of this southern Peruvian city at 2,390 meters (8,000 feet).But Parreira has asked his players to avoid the common liquid remedy used by many travelers to alleviate the effects of altitude change."We don't want any problems," he told the Lima-based sports daily Libero. "We're very familiar with the medical benefits of coca tea, but we're not including it in our diet."Herbal teas brewed with coca leaves -- the base ingredient in cocaine -- are popular in Andean countries.But several South American players in recent months have failed drug tests after drinking the tea.
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Comment #10 posted by Agog on July 16, 2004 at 16:37:31 PT:

Now put against the Whole Plant 
It is great to see this reported at all. The next step might be to compare relative effectiveness versus the Whole Plant say via vaporizer.... matched against the GW Pharma whole plant extract. This would also allow for more study of the CBD CBN effects. I'd sure like to see that study reported on...This could be a setup for the fallback of "We already gave you bothersome peasants Marinol, you know it works and is "good medicine" so you must use it. The raw plant is just too unsophisticated and unpredictable..." Of course the GW Pharma Pholks probably have something to say about plant consistency... which if I remember correctly was astoundingly good.Agog
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Comment #9 posted by RasAric on July 16, 2004 at 16:11:53 PT

 Hooray For Schedule 2 !!!
 I like how the headline reads, Marijuana Chemical Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Pain.I like this better: Cannabis Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Pain.
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Comment #8 posted by Jose Melendez on July 16, 2004 at 15:20:47 PT

on topic
from: http://www.gwpharm.com/research_multiple_sclerosis.asp Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS). MS exacerbations appear to be caused by abnormal immune activity that causes inflammation and the destruction of myelin (the protective covering of nerve fibres) in the brain or spinal cord. MS usually commences in early adult life, most frequently presenting at onset as a relapsing and remitting disorder, where symptoms come and go, and is more common in females. Current treatment of MS is primarily symptomatic, focussing on such problems as spasticity, pain, fatigue, bladder problems and depression.from: http://www.gwpharm.com/research_pain.asp The analgesic or pain reducing properties of cannabis have been known for at least 4000 years, from the time of the Ancient Assyrians (1). The modern era of scientific study of cannabinoids and pain began in 1974 with the studies of Noyes et al. (2-4), in which it was noted that numerous types of pain were treatable with cannabis or THC, and that the latter produced analgesia equivalent to codeine in one small clinical trial. The historical and scientific aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids in pain management have been thoroughly reviewed (5, 6). Key areas of cannabis therapeutics revolve around its roles in neuropathic pain (7, 8), as an anti-inflammatory agent, and usage in musculoskeletal pain. 
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Comment #7 posted by Jose Melendez on July 16, 2004 at 15:17:00 PT

Hail from Florida
from: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=21452Members of the U.S. House of Representatives censured Brown after a shouting match on the House floor Thursday night.The argument started during a debate over HR-4818. The bill would provide international monitoring of the November presidential election. Congress has been considering an outside monitor due to all the confusion over the last election, and the "hanging chads" in Florida.Representative Brown said, "I come from Florida, where you and others participated in what I call the United States coup d'etat. We need to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Over and over again after the election when you stole the election, you came back here and said get over it. No we're not going to get over it and we want verification from the world."Those comments drew an immediate objection from Republican members of the House. Leaders moved to strike her comments from the record. The House also censured Brown which kept her from talking on the House floor for the rest of the day. Congresswoman Brown responded to the matter in a statement late Thursday night. Congresswoman Brown wrote, "Striking my words from the House floor is just one more example of the Republican Party's attempt to try and cover up what happened during the 2000 election."Brown also wrote, "When the words of Corrine Brown are stricken from the floor, so is the voice of her 600,000 constituents in Florida's 3rd Congressional District."
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 14:44:29 PT

billos
I caught a little bit of it. I've been taking a mid summer break from tv news and listening to music cranked up loud. I'm getting a little peace while Martha Stewart is in the news the poor dear. LOL!Actually I'm resting up for the DNC!!!
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Comment #5 posted by billos on July 16, 2004 at 14:40:44 PT

Off topic......sorry FoM.......
Did anybody see Representitive Corrine Brown, D-Florida, blast the republicans???It was a HOOT....This turns many things about.......watch and see.I thought I was watching the BBC network spying on Parliament for a moment!!
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 13:56:15 PT

cloud7
Glad you liked it. I'm getting quite snooty about this anymore! LOL!
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Comment #3 posted by cloud7 on July 16, 2004 at 13:53:43 PT

Haha, good one FoM
Like the government cares about scientifically valid studies, their blatant hypocrisy, or anything other than maintaining its power over the serfs.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 13:26:16 PT

Now They Must Remove Marijuana from Schedule I
The synthetic copy of the cannabis plant helps MS patients so the law has to change now. The plant has medicinal properties. We knew that and I hope they understand it soon too.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 16, 2004 at 13:14:31 PT

British Medical Journal, July 16th Online Issue
Science commentary: High hopes for cannabinoid analgesiahttp://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/bmj.38168.627292.0Bv1***Does the cannabinoid dronabinol reduce central pain in multiple sclerosis? Randomised double blind placebo controlled crossover trial http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/bmj.38149.566979.AEv1
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