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The420Guy
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SAN MATEO -- A groundbreaking medical marijuana experiment by San
Mateo County doctors got a second life Wednesday after the federal
government agreed to open up eligibility on who may participate in the
testing.
The County hospital's chief of AIDS research, Dr. Dennis Israelski,
launched a study two years ago with AIDS patients on the use of
marijuana in alleviating painful symptoms of AIDS.
However, narrow standards on who could join the study hamstrung
researchers and some subjects dropped out, complaining the
federally-supplied pot was too harsh.
So this week, after nearly a year of waiting, the County got the green
light to revise the study.
"We're going to step up the research," said County Supervisor Mike
Nevin, who along with Israelski, championed the research, despite
national controversy over the drug's medical use.
"I'm glad that the federal government has allowed this important
medical research to continue," Nevin said.
The County's study will now look at treating a broader range of
symptoms associated with AIDS, not only neuropathy or limb pain.
Sixty HIV-positive individuals with symptoms that include nausea,
weight loss, neuropathy and others will help determine whether it is
feasible to treat patients through inhaling the smoke of
doctor-prescribed marijuana cigarettes.
"Liberalizing the eligibility criteria will allow greater enrollment,"
Israelski said Wednesday after learning about the federal OK to expand
the study.
"We are not a pot club," Israelski added.
The research has the full support of the County Board of Supervisors.
Nevin in particular, has often described how he was moved by the
testimony of friend and late County Health Services deputy director
Joni Commons, as to the benefits of the drug in reducing pain from
cancer treatment.
A year ago, County researchers sought a different quality of marijuana
for subjects, but that request was evidently rejected by federal
regulatory agencies that must approve use of the otherwise illegal
drug.
Israelski said that instead, storage and handling of the drug would be
modified, in order to minimize harshness and maintain its potency.
Study subjects will be encouraged to keep the marijuana frozen until
no more than 24 hours before its daily use over six weeks. Patients
must also keep a log of their drug use, including the amount used and
its effects.
"I hope that with the modifications, the sampling will be better
tolerated by subjects, and meet with more acceptance," Israelski said.
A later County study will look at treating cancer patients' symptoms
with medical marijuana, through the Center for Medicinal Cannabis
Research in San Diego.
The medical marijuana study is one of 30 different research projects
Israelski oversees at the Clinical Trials and Research unit of San
Mateo Medical Center, the County public hospital.
For information about joining the study, call 573-2408.
Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jun 2003
Source: San Mateo County Times, The (CA)
Copyright: 2003, MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
Contact:
San Mateo County news | The Mercury News
Website: San Mateo County news | The Mercury News
Mateo County doctors got a second life Wednesday after the federal
government agreed to open up eligibility on who may participate in the
testing.
The County hospital's chief of AIDS research, Dr. Dennis Israelski,
launched a study two years ago with AIDS patients on the use of
marijuana in alleviating painful symptoms of AIDS.
However, narrow standards on who could join the study hamstrung
researchers and some subjects dropped out, complaining the
federally-supplied pot was too harsh.
So this week, after nearly a year of waiting, the County got the green
light to revise the study.
"We're going to step up the research," said County Supervisor Mike
Nevin, who along with Israelski, championed the research, despite
national controversy over the drug's medical use.
"I'm glad that the federal government has allowed this important
medical research to continue," Nevin said.
The County's study will now look at treating a broader range of
symptoms associated with AIDS, not only neuropathy or limb pain.
Sixty HIV-positive individuals with symptoms that include nausea,
weight loss, neuropathy and others will help determine whether it is
feasible to treat patients through inhaling the smoke of
doctor-prescribed marijuana cigarettes.
"Liberalizing the eligibility criteria will allow greater enrollment,"
Israelski said Wednesday after learning about the federal OK to expand
the study.
"We are not a pot club," Israelski added.
The research has the full support of the County Board of Supervisors.
Nevin in particular, has often described how he was moved by the
testimony of friend and late County Health Services deputy director
Joni Commons, as to the benefits of the drug in reducing pain from
cancer treatment.
A year ago, County researchers sought a different quality of marijuana
for subjects, but that request was evidently rejected by federal
regulatory agencies that must approve use of the otherwise illegal
drug.
Israelski said that instead, storage and handling of the drug would be
modified, in order to minimize harshness and maintain its potency.
Study subjects will be encouraged to keep the marijuana frozen until
no more than 24 hours before its daily use over six weeks. Patients
must also keep a log of their drug use, including the amount used and
its effects.
"I hope that with the modifications, the sampling will be better
tolerated by subjects, and meet with more acceptance," Israelski said.
A later County study will look at treating cancer patients' symptoms
with medical marijuana, through the Center for Medicinal Cannabis
Research in San Diego.
The medical marijuana study is one of 30 different research projects
Israelski oversees at the Clinical Trials and Research unit of San
Mateo Medical Center, the County public hospital.
For information about joining the study, call 573-2408.
Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jun 2003
Source: San Mateo County Times, The (CA)
Copyright: 2003, MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
Contact:
San Mateo County news | The Mercury News
Website: San Mateo County news | The Mercury News