cannabisnews.com: 'Pot Pills' Go On Trial in Britain 'Pot Pills' Go On Trial in Britain Posted by CN Staff on August 21, 2003 at 14:33:05 PT By Emily Stephens, NBC News Source: MSNBC In the latest sign of medical marijuana hitting mainstream medical practice, British scientists say they will use the drug in pain-reducing clinical trials involving some 400 post-operative patients here.The study, announced by the British Medical Research Council, is particularly poignant in Britain, where the government's view on marijuana is seen as more relaxed than in the United States. Partly to free up officers needed to fight serious crime, British police have taken a "softly-softly" approach to smoking marijuana in public places in London. In the past year, cannabis cafes also have been testing the law. The clinical trail will use cannabis capsules, called Cannador, to test their effect on patients needing pain medication. Regularly prescribed painkillers and placebos will be used to control the study. Similar studies with so-called "pot pills" have been performed in the United States, with doctors saying cannabis shows no more effective than codeine in pain reduction. However, British scientists and the Berlin-based Society of Ontological and Immunological Research, the developer of Cannador, say they hope the new pills -- containing more extracts, or cannabinoids, from the marijuana plant -- will have a more pronounced affect on pain sufferers. SEEKING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE In a statement on Wednesday, the Medical Research Council said it wants to "scientifically acquire anecdotal evidence of the efficaciousness of cannabis in pain-relief." Cannabis has a long history of use in Britain, dating back to Victorian times when Queen Victoria is said to have taken it for menstrual pains. Her doctor once described marijuana as "one of the most valuable medicines we possess." The invention of the syringe at the end of the 19th century nearly spelled the end to the use of medical marijuana in Britain, because cannabis cannot dissolve in water and quickly enter the bloodstream. Research shows that oral administration of cannabis hampers its effectiveness because of the slow absorption rate. Many sufferers of diseases alleviated by cannabis -- like multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, migraines and arthritis -- simply smoke the drug which, despite the harmful side effects of smoking, gives many sufferers relief within minutes. CANNABIS SPRAY Seeking a solution to the problem, British biotech firm G.W. Pharmaceuticals has developed a cannabis spray, whose effects could be felt faster than waiting for a capsule to ingest and be released into the bloodstream. Sylvia Barber of Bayer pharmaceutical company, manufacturers of G.W Pharmaceuticals' products, said researchers are awaiting government approval of their product. "The proposal was issued to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in March of this year, and we are still awaiting approval. We have submitted the product for the treatment of the symptoms of [multiple sclerosis] and neuropathic pain." She added that G.W Pharmaceuticals is still doing extensive research into the spray's application to other medical conditions. The British Medical Research Council said it hopes the results of its study will be ready for publication within a year. NBC's Emily Stephens is based in London. Source: MSNBC (US Web)Author: Emily StephensPublished: August 21, 2003Copyright: 2003 MSNBCContact: letters msnbc.comWebsite: http://msnbc.com/news/Related Articles & Web Sites:MRChttp://www.mrc.ac.uk/GW Pharmaceuticalshttp://www.gwpharm.com/Cannabinoids in Pain Management http://freedomtoexhale.com/drr.htmResearchers Will Test Cannabis for Pain Reliefhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17124.shtmlPatients To Get Cannabis in Hospital http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17120.shtmlNHS Patients To Be Given Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17115.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 21, 2003 at 15:09:15 PT Sometimes All This Is Too Much To Take Not really but it is frustrating. I might not be the brightest crayon in the box but this is beginning to drive me crazy. How can Cannabis still be Schedule I? I don't get it and it also annoys me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by BGreen on August 21, 2003 at 14:58:25 PT No More Efffective Than CODEINE? "Similar studies with so-called "pot pills" have been performed in the United States, with doctors saying cannabis shows no more effective than codeine in pain reduction. However, British scientists and the Berlin-based Society of Ontological and Immunological Research, the developer of Cannador, say they hope the new pills -- containing more extracts, or cannabinoids, from the marijuana plant -- will have a more pronounced affect on pain sufferers."Codeine must have NO MEDICAL USE and should be a SCHEDULE 1 drug if it's no better than low strength cannabis in relieving pain, at least in the assinine thinking of the DEAth.Now, what is that prohibitionist mantra again?Oh, yeah. (Say this in a monotone robot voice for optimum effect)"Marijuana is not medicine. Marijuana is not medicine."The Rev. Bud Green [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 21, 2003 at 14:37:39 PT Just a Note You can vote on the above story at the bottom of the page on this link.http://www.msnbc.com/news/955449.asp?cp1=1 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment