Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The state's first approved medical marijuana research trial will test whether the drug could rival opioids as a potent painkiller.
The doctors leading the study said the results could transform pain treatment and help combat the epidemic of fatal opioid overdoses gripping the state and nation.
The research program, at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, was announced by state officials Friday. It will examine the effectiveness of medical marijuana compared with the widely-prescribed oxycodone in treating the acute and chronic pain of patients with multiple rib fractures.
"Here's a substance that will give us adequate pain control but, at the same time, will probably reduce our use and dependence and, therefore abuse, of opiate pain medications," Dr. James Feeney, director of trauma services at Saint Francis, said in an interview Friday. "Medical marijuana has the potential to change the way we treat acute and chronic pain. We believe this will help to end the opiate epidemic in Connecticut and maybe America."
Opioid abuse has fueled the escalation in drug-related deaths in the state. Some 420 people died from heroin-related overdoses last year, more than double the toll in 2012. About 190 died from overdoses involving fentanyl, more than 10 times the total in 2012. And 95 suffered last year a fatal overdose involving oxycodone, compared with 71 in 2012.
Many people become addicted to heroin or illegal forms of fentanyl after first using legal opioids such as oxycodone, which comes in a generic version and in branded forms, such as the OxyContin drug made by Stamford-based Purdue Pharma.
Saint Francis is well-qualified to conduct the marijuana research, said Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, president of the Connecticut State Medical Society.
"The State Medical society has been encouraging marijuana research to be done in this type of way and in this type of setting," Gordon said. "It allows us to understand the potential benefits and risks of medical marijuana. There are a lot of questions, and medical research is how you answer them."
Some 60 patients from Connecticut will participate in the study, which is expected to take about six months to complete. Half of the patients will take only a generic version of oxycodone. Another half will take marijuana and oxycodone as well, if they need the opioid in addition to the marijuana to manage their pain.
Patients with rib fractures typically experience pain for six to eight weeks and would receive opioid medications. They are well-suited for research because they do not have other major injuries complicating the study of their rib pain, Feeney said.
Feeney and five other trauma surgeons at Saint Francis are self-funding the study, which is expected to cost between $30,000 and $50,000. They are paying for the research because of their belief in the project and also because of the challenges involved in securing public funding for research involving marijuana, which is classified by federal authorities in the same "schedule" of drugs as heroin and LSD, Feeney said.
The Saint Francis research team plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed journal and expects its study to provide a foundation for subsequent research of pain treatment, Feeney said.
Beyond anecdotal evidence
Legislation passed this year in the state legislature allowed for licensed medical facilities, higher education institutions and medical marijuana dispensaries and producers to apply for research program licenses starting Oct. 1.
"We expect to see more thoughtful programs like the one developed at Saint Francis to start here in Connecticut in the coming months and look forward to the medical progress we can make for families suffering from severe illnesses in the state, " Jonathan Harris, the state's consumer protection commissioner, said in a statement.
The state's medical marijuana program was signed into law in May 2012, paving the way for medication to become available at dispensaries in September 2014. Compassionate Care Center in Bethel is the only dispensary operating in Fairfield County.
"We're all very excited about this announcement because it gives the plant a lot more credibility," said Angela D'Amico, Compassionate Care Center's owner. "Everything I've heard from doctors is that they say there are no trials or clinical data, that everything is anecdotal. This gives it legitimacy and justifies it as medicine."
Connecticut's medical marijuana program is open to patients with a range of conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and epilepsy.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Study To Test Marijuana As Rival For Opioids
Author: Paul Schott
Contact: News Times
Photo Credit: H John Voorhees III
Website: News Times
The doctors leading the study said the results could transform pain treatment and help combat the epidemic of fatal opioid overdoses gripping the state and nation.
The research program, at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, was announced by state officials Friday. It will examine the effectiveness of medical marijuana compared with the widely-prescribed oxycodone in treating the acute and chronic pain of patients with multiple rib fractures.
"Here's a substance that will give us adequate pain control but, at the same time, will probably reduce our use and dependence and, therefore abuse, of opiate pain medications," Dr. James Feeney, director of trauma services at Saint Francis, said in an interview Friday. "Medical marijuana has the potential to change the way we treat acute and chronic pain. We believe this will help to end the opiate epidemic in Connecticut and maybe America."
Opioid abuse has fueled the escalation in drug-related deaths in the state. Some 420 people died from heroin-related overdoses last year, more than double the toll in 2012. About 190 died from overdoses involving fentanyl, more than 10 times the total in 2012. And 95 suffered last year a fatal overdose involving oxycodone, compared with 71 in 2012.
Many people become addicted to heroin or illegal forms of fentanyl after first using legal opioids such as oxycodone, which comes in a generic version and in branded forms, such as the OxyContin drug made by Stamford-based Purdue Pharma.
Saint Francis is well-qualified to conduct the marijuana research, said Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, president of the Connecticut State Medical Society.
"The State Medical society has been encouraging marijuana research to be done in this type of way and in this type of setting," Gordon said. "It allows us to understand the potential benefits and risks of medical marijuana. There are a lot of questions, and medical research is how you answer them."
Some 60 patients from Connecticut will participate in the study, which is expected to take about six months to complete. Half of the patients will take only a generic version of oxycodone. Another half will take marijuana and oxycodone as well, if they need the opioid in addition to the marijuana to manage their pain.
Patients with rib fractures typically experience pain for six to eight weeks and would receive opioid medications. They are well-suited for research because they do not have other major injuries complicating the study of their rib pain, Feeney said.
Feeney and five other trauma surgeons at Saint Francis are self-funding the study, which is expected to cost between $30,000 and $50,000. They are paying for the research because of their belief in the project and also because of the challenges involved in securing public funding for research involving marijuana, which is classified by federal authorities in the same "schedule" of drugs as heroin and LSD, Feeney said.
The Saint Francis research team plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed journal and expects its study to provide a foundation for subsequent research of pain treatment, Feeney said.
Beyond anecdotal evidence
Legislation passed this year in the state legislature allowed for licensed medical facilities, higher education institutions and medical marijuana dispensaries and producers to apply for research program licenses starting Oct. 1.
"We expect to see more thoughtful programs like the one developed at Saint Francis to start here in Connecticut in the coming months and look forward to the medical progress we can make for families suffering from severe illnesses in the state, " Jonathan Harris, the state's consumer protection commissioner, said in a statement.
The state's medical marijuana program was signed into law in May 2012, paving the way for medication to become available at dispensaries in September 2014. Compassionate Care Center in Bethel is the only dispensary operating in Fairfield County.
"We're all very excited about this announcement because it gives the plant a lot more credibility," said Angela D'Amico, Compassionate Care Center's owner. "Everything I've heard from doctors is that they say there are no trials or clinical data, that everything is anecdotal. This gives it legitimacy and justifies it as medicine."
Connecticut's medical marijuana program is open to patients with a range of conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and epilepsy.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Study To Test Marijuana As Rival For Opioids
Author: Paul Schott
Contact: News Times
Photo Credit: H John Voorhees III
Website: News Times
