cannabisnews.com: Unprecedented SF Study Finds Pot Helps Ease Pain










  Unprecedented SF Study Finds Pot Helps Ease Pain

Posted by CN Staff on February 12, 2007 at 16:28:22 PT
By Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer 
Source: San Francisco Chronicle 

San Francisco -- Doctors at San Francisco General Hospital reported today that HIV-infected patients suffering from a painful nerve condition in their hands or feet obtained substantial relief by smoking small amounts of marijuana in a carefully constructed study funded by the State of California. Although the study itself was small, it is the first of its kind to measure the therapeutic effects of marijuana smoking while meeting the most rigorous requirements for scientific proof -- a so-called randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial.
As such, the results of the trial are being hailed by medical marijuana advocates as the most solid proof to date that smoking the herb can be beneficial to patients who might otherwise require opiates or other powerful painkillers to cope with a condition known as peripheral neuropathy. Federal agencies oppose the use of marijuana for medical purposes on the grounds that it is harmful and that there is no scientific evidence to support medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States. "It's time to wake up and smell the data,'' said Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, a group advocating legalization of medicinal use of the drug. "The claim that the government keeps making that marijuana is not a safe or effective medicine doesn't have a leg to stand on.'' The study found that most volunteers who were given three marijuana cigarettes a day experienced a significant drop in the searing pain of peripheral neuropathy, which patients liken to a stabbing or burning sensation, usually on the bottoms of their feet. On average, the participants in the experiment reported at the start that their pain was roughly at midpoint on a 100 point scale, where zero was no pain at all and 100 was "the worst pain imaginable.'' At least half the volunteers who smoked the active marijuana experienced a 72 percent reduction in pain after smoking their first cigarette on the first day of the trial. Over the course of five days, the median reduction in pain reported by the marijuana smokers was 34 percent, compared to 17 percent reported by those who smoked placebo cigarettes that had the active ingredient THC removed in a process akin to decaffeinating coffee.  Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/2mtl6oSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical WriterPublished: Monday, February 12, 2007Copyright: 2007 Hearst Communications Inc.Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Marijuana Eases Pain in HIV Patients: Studyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22633.shtmlSmoking MJ Reduces Intense Pain in HIV Patientshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread22632.shtml

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Comment #6 posted by Toker00 on February 13, 2007 at 18:43:07 PT
Thanks, Mayan.
I passed that link on to some inquisitive friends. Nice format.http://www.truthmove.org/911voices/Toke.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 12, 2007 at 21:39:06 PT

Expanded San Francisco Chronicle Article
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/13/MARIJUANA.TMP
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on February 12, 2007 at 19:08:22 PT

Schedule 10!
Cannabis is a 10.It helps pain but pharmers don't care for competition.Not schedule INot schedule III10
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Comment #3 posted by mayan on February 12, 2007 at 18:02:47 PT

Mexican Decrim Proposed
Mexico wants to partially decriminalize drugs: 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070213/ts_nm/mexico_drugs_law_dcMexican Lawmakers to Propose Drug Bill:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2870148
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Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 12, 2007 at 17:23:37 PT

Wouldn't You Know
Wow! Marijuana is back in the news again! It's all over the networks and radio. Time to call on Congress to change marijuana from schedule 1 to schedule 3.
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on February 12, 2007 at 17:01:25 PT

Smell The Data
Although the study itself was small, it is the first of its kind to measure the therapeutic effects of marijuana smoking while meeting the most rigorous requirements for scientific proof -- a so-called randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial.Yet, the "doctors" and "scientists" at the ONDCP say the research is flawed. Of course, if the results were critical of cannabis they would agree!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 Widows Keep on Asking the Tough Questions:
http://www.muckrakerreport.com/id358.html BBC explores 9/11 conspiracy: 
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/february2007/120207conspiracy.htmEmpire Of Oil: The Hidden History Of 9/11 (video):
http://infowars.com/articles/sept11/video_empire_of_oil_hidden_history_of_911.htm
 
WTC rescuers at pay phone hear loud explosions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnbpz9udYus9/11 Truth: NOVA's "Pancake Theory" Simulation Debunked: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weqBynRZGG8&mode=related&search=Truth Versus the Lie:
http://911blogger.com/node/6171Truthmove - 9/11 Voices:
http://www.truthmove.org/911voices/9/11: Press for Truth - LINK TV Schedule:
http://www.worldlinktv.com/programming/programDescription.php4?code=truth1
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