T
The420Guy
Guest
In March, in a hospital room tucked in a quiet corner of San Francisco
General Hospital, a 39-year-old AIDS patient made history of sorts when he
lighted a marijuana cigarette -- legally. He is the first of 16 volunteers
participating in a study of whether the illicit herb can relieve the pain
in the hands and feet that afflicts people with HIV.
Although anecdotal stories abound about marijuana's therapeutic powers,
there is no data to support such claims. Dr. Donald I. Abrams, who's
heading the study at UC San Francisco, says his research -- and similar
studies that are getting underway -- are an attempt "to inject some facts
into this very emotionally charged debate."
Scientific interest in medicinal marijuana is blooming. It has been
kindled, in part, by the recent discovery of a molecular signaling system
in the brain and other parts of the body activated by cannabinoids,
naturally occurring compounds that are chemical cousins to THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, according to
Abrams. Research suggests this system affects movement and emotional
excitability, appetite and the growth of cancerous tumors -- and may be as
potent as morphine in reducing pain. These findings may explain why
smoking marijuana has a calming effect, combats nausea or gives users the
munchies.
Smoking, of course, is a crude and hazardous way of delivering THC, and
scientists eventually hope to synthesize marijuana's medicinal compounds
into a pill. But right now, Abrams' main objective is doing bulletproof
science. Because of the tremendous controversy, he says, "we have a burden
to do this correctly."
An AIDS doctor since the epidemic began, Abrams knew many of his patients
smoked pot to curb nausea and stimulate their appetites, which is why he
wanted to study its medicinal potential. In 1998, after a lengthy battle
to get funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Abrams conducted
the first test of pot on people with HIV. That study showed marijuana
helped patients gain weight without weakening their immune system.
If all goes well, his current study will be broadened to involve 100
subjects, half of whom will receive a placebo or dummy cigarette. Abrams
is also in the initial phase of tests that use cannabis to ease pain in
patients with bone metastases from advanced breast and prostate cancer.
"We're looking to see if there is a beneficial interaction between
cannabis and morphine, and if pot can decrease the side effects of these
opiates," he says.
A potential powerhouse
The San Francisco study is the first sponsored by the Center for Medicinal
Cannabis Research. Managed by the University of California, the center is
funded by a 1999 state law that provides $3 million annually for three
years to study marijuana's potential use.
The active ingredient in marijuana appears to be the Swiss Army knife of
therapeutics: a powerful painkiller that also can combat cancer, curb
nausea, stimulate appetite, reduce anxiety, ease joint stiffness and
control muscle spasms.
The center has so far given the go-ahead to 15 projects, two-thirds of
which have cleared many federal regulatory hurdles, including scrutiny
from the Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and
the Food and Drug Administration. Four studies -- on AIDS patients,
multiple sclerosis sufferers and people with metastatic cancer -- are
already underway, and several more are gearing up, making this "the
largest program ever done in the U.S. on this topic," says Dr. Igor Grant,
a psychiatrist at UC San Diego.
Author: Linda Marsa, Times Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Times
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: Los Angeles Times
Pubdate: Monday, October 14, 2002
General Hospital, a 39-year-old AIDS patient made history of sorts when he
lighted a marijuana cigarette -- legally. He is the first of 16 volunteers
participating in a study of whether the illicit herb can relieve the pain
in the hands and feet that afflicts people with HIV.
Although anecdotal stories abound about marijuana's therapeutic powers,
there is no data to support such claims. Dr. Donald I. Abrams, who's
heading the study at UC San Francisco, says his research -- and similar
studies that are getting underway -- are an attempt "to inject some facts
into this very emotionally charged debate."
Scientific interest in medicinal marijuana is blooming. It has been
kindled, in part, by the recent discovery of a molecular signaling system
in the brain and other parts of the body activated by cannabinoids,
naturally occurring compounds that are chemical cousins to THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, according to
Abrams. Research suggests this system affects movement and emotional
excitability, appetite and the growth of cancerous tumors -- and may be as
potent as morphine in reducing pain. These findings may explain why
smoking marijuana has a calming effect, combats nausea or gives users the
munchies.
Smoking, of course, is a crude and hazardous way of delivering THC, and
scientists eventually hope to synthesize marijuana's medicinal compounds
into a pill. But right now, Abrams' main objective is doing bulletproof
science. Because of the tremendous controversy, he says, "we have a burden
to do this correctly."
An AIDS doctor since the epidemic began, Abrams knew many of his patients
smoked pot to curb nausea and stimulate their appetites, which is why he
wanted to study its medicinal potential. In 1998, after a lengthy battle
to get funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Abrams conducted
the first test of pot on people with HIV. That study showed marijuana
helped patients gain weight without weakening their immune system.
If all goes well, his current study will be broadened to involve 100
subjects, half of whom will receive a placebo or dummy cigarette. Abrams
is also in the initial phase of tests that use cannabis to ease pain in
patients with bone metastases from advanced breast and prostate cancer.
"We're looking to see if there is a beneficial interaction between
cannabis and morphine, and if pot can decrease the side effects of these
opiates," he says.
A potential powerhouse
The San Francisco study is the first sponsored by the Center for Medicinal
Cannabis Research. Managed by the University of California, the center is
funded by a 1999 state law that provides $3 million annually for three
years to study marijuana's potential use.
The active ingredient in marijuana appears to be the Swiss Army knife of
therapeutics: a powerful painkiller that also can combat cancer, curb
nausea, stimulate appetite, reduce anxiety, ease joint stiffness and
control muscle spasms.
The center has so far given the go-ahead to 15 projects, two-thirds of
which have cleared many federal regulatory hurdles, including scrutiny
from the Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and
the Food and Drug Administration. Four studies -- on AIDS patients,
multiple sclerosis sufferers and people with metastatic cancer -- are
already underway, and several more are gearing up, making this "the
largest program ever done in the U.S. on this topic," says Dr. Igor Grant,
a psychiatrist at UC San Diego.
Author: Linda Marsa, Times Staff Writer
Source: Los Angeles Times
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: Los Angeles Times
Pubdate: Monday, October 14, 2002
