cannabisnews.com: The Straight Dope on Marijuana Pharmaceuticals





The Straight Dope on Marijuana Pharmaceuticals
Posted by CN Staff on May 24, 2003 at 10:34:32 PT
By Mari Kane, AlterNet
Source: AlterNet
For eons, cannabis has been ingested for the treatment of common and chronic ailments, but now, the march of technology is propelling wacky tobaccy into a brave new century of pharmaceutical development. Scientists around the world are studying not only whole, smoked marijuana, but also pure extracts that would make Louis Armstrong blush. The fruits of their labors could hit European pharmacies as soon as next year.
The leading-edge cannabis pharmaceutical company is the publicly-owned British firm, GW Pharmaceuticals. Their Cannabis Based Medical Extracts (CBME) have proven extraordinarily safe and effective in relieving medical conditions such as neuropathic pain and muscle spasms with effects occurring after 15-45 minutes depending on the patient's condition. The active ingredients in cannabis are Cannabinoids and the most potent ones are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabinadiol (CBD). GWP has separated various Cannabinoids to determine which work best for specific ailments. Clinical trials have shown, for instance, that appetite was most improved with pure THC, but CBD also had an effect. They found the THC/CBD mix to work especially well for sleep improvement. "We're seeing time and time again that CBD's have something to contribute," Dr. Ethan Russo told attendees at the recent NORML Conference in San Francisco. "I've been harping on this for years, but I think we finally have definitive proof of this concept." While activists welcome the sublingual spray's medical efficacy, the delivery system has become fairly controversial. The device designed for the British market is a simple spray bottle with no controls because, as Russo noted, "people over there do as they're told." In order to gain approval by the FDA and DEA, however, GWP has developed the "Advanced Delivery System" (ADS) for the American market. With it, the liquid or solid drug is contained in a cartridge that pops into a failsafe, access-coded device with Big Brotherish features such as a quantity monitor that reports to doctors on how high the patient is getting. "In the US, this is how it will be," Russo resignedly stated. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, retired Professor Emeritus of Harvard Medical School, has decidedly less enthusiasm for the ADS spray device. He criticizes its controls of titration, that is, how the patient incrementally increases the dosage necessary for symptomatic relief. "The device prevents delivery if the patient tries to take more than the physician or pharmacist has set and it also can be set so that you can't get any response during certain hours. That is not titration," he told the NORML members. "The purpose of using this cumbersome and expensive device apparently reflects a concern that patients can not accurately titrate the therapeutic amount, or a fear that they might take more than they need and experience some degree of high, always assuming that the two can easily be separated." GW Pharmaceuticals has submitted findings for three years of research on the sublingual cannabis extract and may gain approval from the British Government by the end of this year. Elsewhere, the Israeli company Pharmos has created a neuroprotective product called Dexanabinol for the treatment of head trauma and stroke, and recently gained approval from the US government for a Phase III trial in the US, the first of its kind in this country. Data from a recent German study on smoked marijuana's effects on Tourette's Syndrome shows that ingestion of pure THC resulted in a significant improvement of tic severity. In Spain, there are studies on how compounds in marijuana alleviate certain types of brain tumors. At least 10 California State-funded trials are ongoing at UC San Francisco and San Diego investigating whole smoked marijuana's effects on HIV-related neuropathy, Multiple Sclerosis and analgesia. These institutions are working jointly with the New York State Psychiatric Institute comparing oral THC on patients with HIV/Aids. Until the day when marijuana pharmaceuticals become available here, doctors overwhelmingly recommend the use of a vaporizer over pipes, joints, bongs and water pipes. The benefits include a novel means of delivery as well as the near-total elimination of carbon monoxide and tars. The German-made Volcano is considered "the Cadillac of vaporizers." The Volcano is designed to heat material to temperatures of 130° to 230° Celsius where medically active vapors are produced, but below the threshold of combustion. This conically-shaped electric heat source zaps the sticky, cannabinoid-rich resin into vapor and blows it into a turkey baking bag that is secured by a press release nozzle. A patient can walk around sucking on this balloon o'vapor all day and the vapor stays potent even if left in the bag overnight. A recent study in Massachusetts showed that the Volcano vapor was remarkably clean and consisted 95% of THC with traces of Cannabinol (CBN). The remaining 5% consisted of small amounts of three other components. In contrast, over 111 different components appeared in the gas of the combusted smoke, including a half-dozen known Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). So for now, be patient, support the Drug Reform effort and hopefully some day, marijuana pharmaceuticals will be available in American pharmacies. Perhaps even in our lifetimes. Mari Kane is a freelance writer covering sustainable business and wine.Newshawk: VirgilSource: AlterNetAuthor: Mari Kane, AlterNetPublished: May 23, 2003Copyright: 2003 Independent Media InstituteContact: info alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/DL: http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16000Related Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/ Volcano Vaporizerhttp://www.vapormed.de/GW Pharmaceuticalshttp://www.gwpharm.com/Marijuana The Forbidden Medicinehttp://www.rxmarihuana.com/GW Hits High as Bayer Snaps Up Cannabis Drug http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16348.shtmlCannabis Medicine On Sale This Year http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15773.shtml
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on May 24, 2003 at 20:19:27 PT
Virgil
Nice information to read. I appreciate it. Sometimes I wish there were a few more hours in a day to get around and learn more but you do a good job of keeping us filled in. Thanks again. Have a safe holiday weekend. 
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Comment #11 posted by Virgil on May 24, 2003 at 16:52:05 PT
Clinton at Arkansas U on Cspan
Cspan has 4 entries for the speeches that Clinton has given at the University of Arkansas this year- http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=Clinton+at+Arkansas&image1.x=26&image1.y=10I am watching the one buzzflash.com has listed which was presented on May 23 or yesterday. At 7 min 30 sec into it I was blown away. He said public service is a noble profession. It made me think of what those that answer the call will say. Now is an ideal time with the Green Party and Libertarians needing people to run and of course the country needs new politicians the see the need for honesty in public policy.It shows the power of the Internet. It is better than anything on television and maybe it will inspire the public servants of tomorrow to begin to correct the inverseness that the plutocracy has placed upon the people. There is hope. All we can do is advance the truth against the prohibitionist lies and make government fulfill its never ending mission of making a more perfect union as Clinton said in his lecture to the class at Arkansas yesterday.Hail the Internet and a salute for Cnews.
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Comment #10 posted by CorvallisEric on May 24, 2003 at 16:24:41 PT
Correction to comment 8
The use of something like this for heroin and methadone seems perfectly justified since the primary indication is addiction.I had forgotten that heroin is used for pain relief in extreme cases (of course, not in the US - don't ask). Don't know about methadone use. In the case of non-addiction-maintenance heroin use, I would guess that ADS might still be useful.
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Comment #9 posted by woodi on May 24, 2003 at 16:14:49 PT:
Take my pain... please.
I would like to give my 24-7 pain with all the complications and misery it's caused me (and my family) to those who oppose my use of POT (legal or not), which has helped me greatly for years (and, all my doctors know of this possitive reaction) then, stand over them in judgement to deny/restrict any medication that is (or has been) effective for them (however small or great the relief, whatever their choice).... I think they would sing a different tune and demand that I give them what they want and or need.Medicine (relief for me) that has been the most effective, plus, much safer than the "legal" meds I have to "beg" my doctors for today is, CANABIS... hands down (helps my family tolorate me better).Still begging, still suffering.... boo-hoo some may say.Be thankful if, you have your health and do not need or depend on the use of any medicine (narcotic or drug) to live a better life. 
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Comment #8 posted by CorvallisEric on May 24, 2003 at 15:42:35 PT
Advanced Delivery System
Thanks to Dr. Russo for the clarification (comment 2). 
The use of something like this for heroin and methadone seems perfectly justified since the primary indication is addiction.The ADS was developed with the expectation that it might well be required to appease the DEA and FDA ...I can't help wondering if ADS-for-cannabinoids is a joke on some level. If it were actually required for approval it would really make the US look loopy, assuming there is no comparable requirement in the case of real narcotics. On the other hand, the DEA is bent out of shape on cannabinoid traces in hemp seeds but doesn't care about poppy seeds, loopy enough.Sometimes I feel the only response to the War on You-Know-What left to all but the most eloquent is sarcasm and gallows humor. In this vein, I was rather disappointed in Bush's capitulation to the International Conspiracy against the tobacco industry. If only he had resisted, we could be the uncontested World Champion of inconsistency, idiocy, hypocrisy, and death.
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on May 24, 2003 at 15:31:00 PT
Come on Sativa
I wonder what is meant by a Sativa High. I would like to have a Sativa High hat please. Maybe I had a sativa high once. What happens on a sativa high? Do you think and replace worthless information with latent thoughts and while you are building latent thoughts are the prohibitionists calling it short-term memory loss. You just cannot trust those prohibitionists. Lying is an exercise in preperation for their lying tournament. I don't ever remember forgetting anything. No one has ever come up to me and said I told you that yesterday and I said I forgot. When I go to Canada, I want a Sativa High. FoM, dagga from Finland tracked his piece on Finland at HempCity to the link I gave him for Cnews. He responded with this- I'm very proud for your choosing to include my 'report' in your great site. Keep up the good work and thanks again.
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Comment #6 posted by Ethan Russo MD on May 24, 2003 at 14:36:14 PT:
Another $0.02
A vaporizer will not alter the mixture of THC and CBD. However, most North American strains have little or no CBD. It was bred out since most people prefer the high of THC alone (with whatever essential oil terpenoids are available). In actuality, the range of medical symptoms treated by European strains is actually greater. There will be a lot more published about the roles of THC and CBD respectively in the next year or so. Here's an initial taste:Wade-Robson study on Cannabis Based Medicine Extract in MS, etc.:http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/wr.pdfAlso, my contributions on headache:Articles on Cannabis in Headache Treatment, Pain 1998 and Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 1(2) 2001: 
 
http://www.druglibrary.org/crl/pain/Russo%2098%20Migraine_%20Pain.pdf  and 
 
http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/hh.pdf 
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on May 24, 2003 at 14:24:54 PT
We have a winner- Comment3
Most of you probably already know this, but ironically cannabis is by far the best hangover cure I've found. It sure cannot hurt to apply-generously cannabis. It is something I have not read anywhere, much less here. It could prevent many hangovers from ever occuring because it is the superior alternative to alcohol. The truth purverters/inverters always talk about down 10, 20% on this and that in use. How about getting the 10 million alcoholics some help with the superior alternative. Put them in an alcoholics study. Use the alcoholics that flood the prisons because they cannot afford $100 day rehab at the discount housing facily. Let's get that number down to 9 million and help keep down the bank busting costs of housing them in prison.But Elfman brings up an interesting slant. One Cnews article said the UK attitude viewed the milder ailments treated with cannabis as medical value in a certain sense. Like we tend to ignore the headache treatment and anxiety treatment when we discuss MMJ in our debates or and it is driven out of a person's perceived world by various degrees of propaganda. The value and its dominant value is in the treatment where it would find the most use as in everyday living.Cannabanoid research and genetic/strain research will really help what Americans would think of as chronically ill or the people that are sick for real.Doc Zombie fights off the all use is medical argument at MJ.com. Actually, I just present the idea differently. Cannabis is so ubiquitous to the ailments that inflict us daily to the illness that would bury us, that anyone should have access to cannabis for its medicinal qualities. The prescription/recommendation route is absurd. It is too ubiquitous a cure with nutritional value if eaten. If eaten and there are people not only starving, but starving to death.If I were a big shot selling an iniative, I would ask, say Nevada, I would propose at earliest possible date, that all laws against cannabis be abolished with their being a fine for smoking in public. Smoke at your house, but take a brownie when you go. I would sell it as lets get honest and let's reduce smoking or any other particle that adds to the pollution in the air you breath. Dam air can kill you. Cannabis might help but consider your lungs are already severely challenged. Doesn't cannabis help with asthma? Damned stuff is ubiquitous I tell you. 
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Comment #4 posted by charmed quark on May 24, 2003 at 14:17:12 PT
Vaporizers
The article seems to imply that the cannabinoid mix is different with vaporizers than with smoked cannabis. It mentioned 95%THC with a trace of CBN. No CBD? Anybody know?The few times I have tried a vaporizer, the effect did seem more like Marinol (but faster, of course) and was not as effective on my migraines.-Pete
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Comment #3 posted by elfman_420 on May 24, 2003 at 13:37:34 PT
"while gin runs free in the streets." -lombar
"They need a state-monitored system to make sure that people don't get any 'high' from cannabis medicines but go ahead and drink yourself to oblivion...THC and CBM drips thru a meter while gin runs free in the streets..."Most of you probably already know this, but ironically cannabis is by far the best hangover cure I've found. Those politicians who are alcoholics should at least give it medical value for that. 
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on May 24, 2003 at 11:42:38 PT:
Clarification
The “Advanced Delivery System” is not being used in current clinical trials GW Pharmaceuticals is undertaking, nor is there any plan to employ it after approval in the UK, Europe or elsewhere. People currently employ the simple spray bottle and titrate their dose as desired. The ADS was developed with the expectation that it might well be required to appease the DEA and FDA in this country so as to avoid diversion to people not holding a prescription. ADS is in trials in the UK for delivery of methadone and heroin.Secondly, people can and do get “high” with CBME. The press has reported otherwise, but, such side effects are possible and expected. No one is planning to ratchet people down to a level where they fail to have adequate relief of their symptoms.BTW, I met Mari Kane at the NORML meeting, and she is cool-plus!
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Comment #1 posted by lombar on May 24, 2003 at 11:39:54 PT
Thought police
"With it, the liquid or solid drug is contained in a cartridge that pops into a failsafe, access-coded device with Big Brotherish features such as a quantity monitor that reports to doctors on how high the patient is getting. "In the US, this is how it will be," Russo resignedly stated." Wow! 'reports to doctors on how high..' unlike in Canada where you could just tell your doctor? They need a state-monitored system to make sure that people don't get any 'high' from cannabis medicines but go ahead and drink yourself to oblivion...THC and CBM drips thru a meter while gin runs free in the streets...So much for Schedule 1 eh???Keep up the great work Dr. Russo!!!
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