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Study: "There Is Now Clear Evidence
That Cannabinoids Are Useful
For The Treatment Of
Various Medical Conditions" |
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Investigators
from the nova-Institute and the Hannover Medical School in Germany reviewed
over 100 controlled trials assessing the safety and efficacy of cannabis and
cannabinoids. Researchers
reported: "Knowledge about the therapeutic potential of cannabis
products has been greatly improved by a large number of clinical trials in
recent years. ... There is now clear evidence that cannabinoids are useful
for the treatment of various medical conditions," including <continued
on page 3 > |
Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection
Act Introduced In Congress
Washington,
DC: United States Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA),
along with eight co-sponsors, introduced legislation - House
Bill 6335, the Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act - to
amend the federal Controlled Substances Act so as to "exempt real
property from civil forfeiture due to medical-marijuana-related conduct that
is authorized by State law." <continued
on page 3 > ___________________________________________ Drug Tests For Cannabis Exposure Not
Advisable For Infants, Study Says
Salt
Lake City, UT, USA: False positive drug test results
for cannabis are far more common to occur in infant urine samples than in
those provided by non-infants, according to a study published online in the journal Clinical
Chemistry. Researchers at the
University of Utah School of Medicine and ARUP drug testing <continued
on page 4 > |
Increased Access To Therapeutic Cannabis
Likely To Reduce Patients' Use Of Opiates, Other Addictive Drugs
Victoria,
British Columbia: Regulating cannabis access
would provide patients with an effective treatment for chronic pain and
likely reduce morbidity associated with the use of prescription opiates and
other pharmaceuticals, according to a review published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. <continued
on page 4 > _______________________________ Arkansas: Medical Marijuana Act Qualifies
For November Ballot
Little Rock, AR, USA: A
statewide proposal to allow for the possession and state-licensed
distribution of cannabis for therapeutic purposes will appear on the November electoral ballot. The Secretary of State's office last week affirmed that initiative <continued
on page 5 > |
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* Volume 9, Issue 8 * August * 2012
* www.MercyCenters.org *
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* The MERCY News * |
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_____________________ The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news,
announcements and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across
America and around the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1745 Capital
St. NE, Salem, Ore., 97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube!
in Salem,
Oregon area thru Capital Community Television, Channel 23.
Call In – 503.588-6444 - on Friday at 7pm, or See us on Wednesdays
at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and Saturdays at
06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and
concerned citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for
those involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the
Salem, Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective
marijuana laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower
voters to implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching
people to fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1745 Capital
Street NE, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to help folks get
their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a grower or
getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along other info
and resources depending on the issue.
visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1745 Capital Street NE,
Salem, 97301, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable deposit
required. Transportation and Delivery
Services available for those in need.
For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of Clinics
around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public
–or- Cardholders Only * visit: http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the Medical
Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
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<continued from STUDY: "THERE IS NOW CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT
CANNABINOIDS ARE USEFUL FOR THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS", page 1
> chronic
neuropathy (nerve pain), multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Gilles de la Tourette
syndrome, and other indications. Regarding
the safety profile of cannabis and cannabinoids, investigators determined:
"The most common side effects of cannabinoids are tiredness and
dizziness (in more than ten percent of patients), psychological effects, and
dry mouth. Tolerance to these side effects nearly always develops within a
short time. Withdrawal symptoms are hardly ever a problem in the therapeutic
setting." Authors
did express concern that cannabis could pose additional health risks for
adolescents and/or pregnant or breast-feeding women, as well as individuals
diagnosed with Hepatitis C, severe cardiovascular disease, addictive
disorders, or those vulnerable to certain psychiatric disorders, such as
schizophrenia. Investigators
acknowledged that cannabis dosing may adversely impact psychomotor skills.
However, they noted, "Patients who take cannabinoids at a constant
dosage over an extensive period of time often develop tolerance to the
impairment of psychomotor performance, so that they can drive vehicles
safely." They
concluded, "No acute deaths have been described that could be
unequivocally attributed solely to cannabis consumption or treatment with
cannabinoids." The
paper is the second review in recent months rebutting the present Schedule
I status of cannabis under federal law, which states that the plant and
its organic constituents possess a "high potential for abuse," and
that they lack "accepted medical use" and "accepted safety ...
under medical supervision." Writing
in The Open Neurology Journal this past May, investigators with the
University of California at San Diego and the University of California, Davis
concluded:
"Evidence is accumulating that cannabinoids may be useful medicine for
certain indications. Based on evidence currently available, the (federal)
Schedule I classification (of cannabis) is not tenable; it is not accurate
that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is
lacking." In 2011,
the Obama administration -- via the United States Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) -- formally denied
a nine-year-old administrative petition
filed by NORML and a coalition
of public |
interest
organizations calling on the agency to initiate hearings to reassess the present
classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance. In her
denial of the petition, DEA administrator Michele Leonhart alleged: "[T]here are no adequate and
well-controlled studies proving (marijuana's) efficacy; the drug is not
accepted by qualified experts. ... At this time, the known risks of marijuana
use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in
well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and
efficacy." In June,
Ms. Leonhart testified before Congress that she believed that heroin
and marijuana posed similar threats to the public's health because, in her opinion, "all illegal drugs are
bad." Coalition
advocates are presently appealing the DEA's denial of their petition in federal
court. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy
Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "The therapeutic potential of cannabis and
cannabinoids" is available in the online edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt
International here: http://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article?id=127603.
_____________________________________________________________
Speaking
in support of the proposal, Rep. Lee explained, "As a long-time supporter
of the rights of patients to have safe and legal access to medicine that has
been recommended to them by their doctors, this bill will provide
clarification to California businesses and security for California patients.
The people of California have made it legal <continued
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<continued from previous page> for patients to have safe access to medicinal marijuana and, as a
result, thousands of small business owners have invested millions of dollars
in building their companies, creating jobs, and paying their taxes. We should
be protecting and implementing the will of voters, not undermining our
democracy by prosecuting small business owners who pay taxes and comply with
the laws of their states in providing medicine to patients in need." The
Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act has been assigned before
both the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce. It is not expected that either Committee will take action on the
measure prior to the November election. Several other
marijuana law reform measures - including HR 2306,
the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, HR 1983,
the States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, and HR 1831/S 3501,
the Industrial Hemp Farming Act - also remain pending before Congress. Additional information on these and
other pending Congressional measures are available from NORML's 'Take Action
Center' here: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/.
_____________________________________________________________
Authors reported
that positive tests for carboxy THC, a byproduct of THC screened for in
immunoassay urine tests, were 59 times less likely to be confirmed in infant
urine compared to non-infant urine samples. Overall, 47 percent of the infant
'positive' immunoassay urine samples evaluated did not test for the presence
of carboxy THC when confirmatory assay measures were later performed. Immunoassay
tests rely on the use of antibodies (proteins that will react to a particular
substance or a group of very similar substances) and document whether a
specific reaction occurs. Therefore, a 'positive' result on an immunoassay
test presumes that a certain quantity of a particular substance may
be present in the sample, but it does not actually identify the presence of
the substance itself. A more specific chemical test, known as chromatography, |
must be
performed in order to confirm any preliminary analytical test results.
Samples that test positive on the presumptive immunoassay test, but then
later test negative on the confirmatory test are know as false positives. In April,
researchers at the University of North Carolina reported that chemicals
present in various baby wash products, including Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby
Wash and CVS Baby Wash, frequently cross-react with the immunoassay test to cause 'false
positive' results for carboxy THC. However, in this latest study, none of the
unconfirmed immunoassay test results were due to contaminants from baby wash
soaps. Researchers
concluded: "Until the compounds contributing to positive urine screen
results in infants are identified, we encourage the use of alternative
specimens for the detection and investigation of neonatal exposure to
cannabinoids. Screen-positive cannabinoid results from infant samples should
not be reported without confirmation or appropriate consultation, because
they cannot currently be interpreted." Infants
may be drug tested in situations where their mothers are suspected of
consuming illicit substances during pregnancy or have tested positive for
illicit substances themselves. However, critics of infant drug testing argue that the hospital
staff's decision regarding whether to conduct such tests is often subjective
and potentially discriminatory. For example, a 2007 study
published in the Journal of Women's Health reported that "black
women and their newborns were 1.5 times more likely to be tested for illicit
drugs as non-black women," after controlling for obstetrical conditions
and socio-demographic factors, such as single marital status or a lack of
health insurance. Twelve
states legally define prenatal exposure to any illegal drug as child abuse. For more information, please contact
Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano,
NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Unresolved discrepancies between cannabinoid
test results for infant urine," appears in the journal Clinical
Chemistry. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from INCREASED
ACCESS TO THERAPEUTIC CANNABIS LIKELY TO REDUCE PATIENTS' USE OF OPIATES,
OTHER ADDICTIVE DRUGS, page 1 > A
researcher with the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia
reports that cannabis may be <continued
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<continued from previous page> useful in the treatment of chronic pain as well as certain substance abuse
disorders, and that it poses fewer risks to health than many conventional
alternatives.
He
writes: "When used in conjunction with opiates, cannabinoids lead to a
greater cumulative relief of pain, resulting in a reduction in the use of
opiates (and associated side-effects) by patients in a clinical setting.
Additionally, cannabinoids can prevent the development of tolerance to and
withdrawal from opiates, and can even rekindle opiate analgesia after a prior
dosage has become ineffective. Novel research suggests that cannabis may be
useful in the treatment of problematic substance use. These findings suggest
that increasing safe access to medical cannabis may reduce the personal and social
harms associated with addiction, particularly in relation to the growing
problematic use of pharmaceutical opiates." The
author continues: "Since both the potential harms of pharmaceutical
opiates and the relative safety of cannabis are well established, research on
substitution effect suggests that cannabis may be effective in reducing the
use and dependence of other substances of abuse such as illicit opiates,
stimulants and alcohol. As such, there is reason to believe that a strategy
aiming to maximize the therapeutic potential benefits of both cannabis and
pharmaceutical cannabinoids by expanding their availability and use could
potentially lead to a reduction in the prescription use of opiates, as well
as other potentially dangerous pharmaceutical analgesics, licit and illicit
substances, and thus a reduction in associated harms." The
author concludes, "Despite a lack of regulatory oversight by federal
governments in North America, community-based medical cannabis dispensaries
have proven successful at supplying patients with a safe source of cannabis
within an environment conducive to healing, and may be reducing the
problematic use of pharmaceutical opiates and other potentially harmful
substances in their communities." Between
the years 1999 and 2007, over 65,000 people died
from unintentional opioid analgesic overdose.A previous review, appearing in the Harm Reduction
Journal in January, similarly argued, "Prescribing cannabis in
place of opioids for neuropathic pain may reduce the morbidity and mortality
rates associated with prescription pain |
medications
and may be an effective harm reduction strategy." In November,
clinical investigators at the University of California, San Francisco reported
that vaporized cannabis augments the analgesic effects of opiates in subjects
prescribed morphine or oxycodone. Authors of the study surmised that
cannabis-specific interventions "may allow for opioid treatment at lower
doses with fewer [patient] side effects." For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy
Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabis as
an Adjunct to or Substitute for Opiates in the Treatment of Chronic
Pain," appears in The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from ARKANSAS:
MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACT QUALIFIES FOR If
passed by voters this fall, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act of 2012 will eliminate statewide
criminal and civil penalties regarding the physician-recommended use and
possession of up to two and one-half ounces cannabis for various qualifying medical
conditions, including cancer, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia, and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). The measure also allows state regulators to establish
not-for-profit facilities to produce and dispense cannabis to approved patients.
Individual patients will also be permitted to privately cultivate limited amounts
of cannabis (up to six flowering plants) if they reside further than five
miles from a state-authorized dispensary. If
approved, Arkansas will become the 18th state since 1996 to allow for the
limited legalization of marijuana for therapeutic purposes. Voters
in five other states -
Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, and Washington - will
also be deciding on marijuana-specific ballot measures this November. In
Massachusetts, voters will decide on Question
3, a statewide proposal that seeks to allow for the physician-recommended
possession and state-licensed distribution of cannabis for therapeutic
purposes. Montana voters will decide on Initiative
Referendum 124, which seeks to repeal amendments enacted by lawmakers in 2011 to restrict the state's 2004, voter approved <continued
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<continued from previous page> medical
cannabis law. Colorado voters will decide on Amendment
64, which immediately allows for the legal possession of up to one ounce of
marijuana and/or the cultivation of up to six cannabis plants by those
persons age 21 and over. Longer-term, the measure seeks to establish
regulations governing the commercial production and distribution of marijuana
by licensed retailers. Oregon voters will decide on Measure
80, the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, which provides for the
state-licensed production and retail sale of cannabis to adults. The measure
does not impose state-licensing or taxation requirements upon those who wish
to cultivate cannabis for non-commercial purposes. Finally,
in Washington, voters will decide on Initiative
502, which seeks to regulate the production and sale of limited amounts
of marijuana for adults. The measure also removes criminal penalties specific
to the adult possession of up to one ounce of cannabis for personal use. In North
Dakota, officials from the Secretary of State's office are reviewing whether petitioners in that state have
collected sufficient signatures to place a medical cannabis legalization
initiative on the November ballot. For more information, please visit: http://arcompassion.org/.
NORML has additional details about this November's statewide and municipal
ballot proposals here: http://norml.org/about/smoke-the-vote. _____________________________________________________________ California: State Supreme Court Dismisses Appellate
Court Decision Banning Cannabis Dispensaries
Sacramento,
CA, USA: The State Supreme Court last week dismissed an appellate court decision that found that the
federal Controlled Substances Act preempts municipalities from allowing for
the authorized production and distribution of medical cannabis. Last
Wednesday, the Supreme Court dismissed the case, (Pack et al. v. Long Beach),
without review. In recent months, lawmakers from various California cities
had stated that they could not move forward with local regulations to license
medical cannabis providers because of the Pack ruling. Commenting
on the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the case, Tamar Todd, senior staff
attorney for the Drug Policy Alliance, said: "There is now no legal impediment for state
and local government in |
California to move forward with responsible regulation for medical marijuana cultivation and distribution to
patients." A separate
appellate court ruling, City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients'
Health and Wellness Center, Inc., remains before the Supreme Court. That
decision determined that California state law does not preempt cities from
prohibiting dispensaries by enacting restrictive zoning regulations. A more
recent state Court of Appeals ruling (Los Angeles v Alternative Cannabis
Collective, et al.), issued in July, invalidated a Los Angeles county ban on cannabis
collectives, finding that it conflicted with the state's medical marijuana
law. For more information, please visit: http://www.canorml.org.
_____________________________________________________________ Tax Court: State-Authorized Cannabis
Dispensaries Not Allowed Tax Deductions
San
Francisco, CA, USA: Medical cannabis dispensaries
operating in accordance with state law are nonetheless prohibited from claiming standardized business deductions
on their federal tax returns, according to a US Tax Court ruling. Opining
earlier this month in Olive v.
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Tax Court Judge Diane L.
Kroupa held: "Federal law prohibits taxpayers ... from deducting any
expense of a trade or business that consists of the trafficking of a
controlled substance such as marijuana. ... This is true even if the business
is legal under state law." The
ruling upholds the application of a federal tax code provision, Section
280E, in instances where taxpaying operations are compliant with state
laws that allow for the limited legalization of cannabis for therapeutic
purposes. Section 280E states that a taxpayer may not deduct expenses in any
instance where the "trade or business ... consists of trafficking in
controlled substances." Opined
Kroupa: "Petitioner argues that he may deduct the Vapor Room's expenses
notwithstanding section 280E because, he claims, the Vapor Room's business
did not consist of the illegal trafficking in a controlled substance. He
argues that the illegal trafficking in controlled substances is the only
activity covered by section 280E. We disagree that section 280E is that
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<continued from previous page> here. We therefore reject petitioner's contention that section 280E does not apply because the
Vapor Room was a legitimate operation under California law." The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) previously ruled in October that that marijuana
dispensaries can not claim standard business expenses such as payroll,
security or rent on their federally filed tax returns. For more information, please contact Allen
St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. The US Tax Court
ruling in Olive v. Petitioner is available online at: http://www.ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/olivediv.TC.WPD.pdf. _____________________________________________________________ Los Angeles: City Council Votes For Cannabis
Dispensary Ban
Los Angeles, CA, USA: Members of the L.A. City Council on Tuesday
voted 14 to zero in favor of a municipal measure that
seeks to ban the presence of storefront medical marijuana dispensaries. Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa has 30 days to sign the ordinance into law. According to the Los Angeles Times, each of
the 762 dispensaries that are now registered with the city will be sent a
letter ordering them to close immediately. Those that do not comply may face
legal action from the city. The ban excludes collectives that consist of three
persons or fewer. Previous
ordinances enacted by the L.A. City Council seeking to limit the
establishment of dispensaries have been subject to litigation
from cannabis advocates. The pending ban would appear to be in conflict with
a state Court of Appeals ruling, issued earlier this month, invalidating
a 2010 Los Angeles County prohibition on dispensaries. That ruling, Los Angeles v Alternative Cannabis Collective,
et al., held that the "County's ban on all medical
marijuana collectives or cooperatives cannot be deemed 'consistent with this
article,' that is, California's medical |
marijuana laws as enacted in the CUA
(California Compassionate Use Act aka Prop. 215) and the MMP (Medical
Marijuana Program Act aka Senate Bill 420)." For more information, please visit: http://www.canorml.org. _____________________________________________________________ Study: Cannabis Use Associated With Superior
Cognitive Performance In Bipolar Patients
Glen Oaks, NY, USA: Bipolar patients with a history of cannabis
use demonstrate superior neurocogitive performance compared to patients with
no history of use, according to clinical data published
online in the journal Psychiatry Research. Investigators at The Zucker Hillside Hospital in
Long Island, NY, along with researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine
and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City compared the
performance of 50 bipolar subjects with a history of cannabis use versus 150
bipolar patients with no history of use on a battery of standardized cognitive
measures. Patient groups did not differ regarding age, racial background, or
highest education level achieved. Bipolar patients with a history of cannabis
use had similar age at onset as did patients who did not consume cannabis. Researchers found that subjects with a history of
cannabis use exhibited better neurocognitive performance than that of
non-users, but they did not differ significantly on estimates of premorbid
IQ. Authors reported, "Results from our analysis
suggest that subjects with bipolar disorder and history of (cannabis use)
demonstrate significantly better neurocognitive performance, particularly on
measures of attention, processing speed, and working memory. These findings
are consistent with a previous study that demonstrated that bipolar subjects
with history of cannabis use had superior verbal fluency performance as
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<continued from STUDY:
CANNABIS USE ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN BIPOLAR
PATIENTS,
previous page> of cannabis use. Similar results have also
been found in schizophrenia in several studies." They concluded, "These data could be
interpreted to suggest that cannabis use may have a beneficial effect on
cognitive functioning in patients with severe psychiatric disorders. However, it is also possible that these findings may
be due to the requirement for a certain level of cognitive function and
related social skills in the acquisition of illicit drugs." For more information, please contact Paul
Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of
the study, "Cognitive and clinical outcomes associated with cannabis use
in patients with bipolar I disorder," will appear in Psychiatry
Research. _____________________________________________________________ Study: Cannabis Extracts Mitigate Muscle
Stiffness In Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Investigators at the University of Plymouth,
Clinical Neurology Research Group, in the United Kingdom assessed the use of
cannabinoids versus placebo in 279 subjects with MS over a twelve-week
period. Cannabis extracts in the study contained standardized doses of THC
and cannabidiol (CBD),
a non-psychoactive constituent in cannabis, in a soft gelatin capsule. |
Investigators reported
that oral cannabis extracts were "superior" over placebo in the
treatment of MS-associated muscle stiffness and pain. Authors concluded: "Treatment with standardized
oral extract of cannabis sativa relieved muscle stiffness. The proportion of
participants experiencing relief was almost twice as large in the cannabis
extract group as in the placebo group. ... Effective pain relief is also
achieved by cannabis extracts, especially in patients with a high baseline
pain score. Our findings suggest that standardized cannabis extracts can be
clinically useful in treating the highly complex phenomenon of spasticity in
MS." In May, clinical trial data published in the Journal
of the Canadian Medical Association reported that cannabis inhalation
significantly mitigates
spasticity and pain in patients with treatment-resistant multiple
sclerosis. Separate clinical trials assessing the
administration of cannabis extracts on patients with MS have indicated
that cannabinoids can alleviate symptoms of the disease long-term and may
also act in ways to mitigate MS progression. Sativex, an
oral spray containing plant cannabis extracts, is presently legal by
prescription to treat MS-related symptoms in over a dozen countries, including Canada, Germany, Great
Britain, New Zealand, and Spain. Nonetheless, the National MS Society of the
United States shares little enthusiasm for cannabis as a potential treatment
for multiple sclerosis, stating, "Studies completed thus far have not
provided convincing evidence that marijuana or its derivatives provide
substantiated benefits for symptoms of MS." For more information, please contact Paul
Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of
the study, "Multiple Sclerosis and Extract of Cannabis: results of the
MUSEC trial," appears in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery &
Psychiatry. |
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