cannabisnews.com: Medical Pot To Be Studied in 60 Cases Medical Pot To Be Studied in 60 Cases Posted by FoM on November 23, 2000 at 06:44:48 PT By Mark Martin, Chronicle Staff Writer Source: San Francisco Chronicle San Mateo County will distribute free marijuana to selected AIDS patients early next year as part of a first-of-its-kind study to determine the drug's potential benefits, county officials said yesterday. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has agreed to provide government-grown marijuana to 60 patients for a 12-week study that could begin as early as January, said Supervisor Mike Nevin. San Mateo County officials first proposed the project in 1997, and the DEA signed off on the plan yesterday. The county will be the first local government in the country to distribute the otherwise illegal drug. "What we could end up with is scientific proof that this is a medicine that should be prescribed by doctors. It's in the spirit of Proposition 215," said Nevin, referring to the 1996 California initiative that legalized medicinal marijuana. Backers see the study as both a way to find out whether marijuana relieves pain and promotes appetite as well as proponents maintain, and to see whether patients can follow a strict regimen on the drug. The drug will be given to HIV and AIDS patients suffering from neurological problems. The research will be led by Dr. Dennis Israelski, chief of infectious diseases and AIDS medicine at San Mateo County Hospitals and Clinics. Israelski will also be in charge of selecting participants. Those selected for the study will receive marijuana cigarettes from the San Mateo County Health Center. Their regimen will be strictly monitored, with participants required to keep a log of their marijuana use and to turn in cigarette ends during doctor visits. County health officials also will make at-home visits. Nevin, a former San Francisco police inspector, said he opposes decriminalizing marijuana. Nevertheless, he has led the county's effort to win approval for the study, he said, because he believes the drug's medicinal value needs careful examination. "To disallow the drug to people who need it is a crime," he said. Supervisors have pledged $500,000 of county money for the project, Nevin said. If the first 12-week study is successful, the county would like to follow up with more marijuana trials for cancer and glaucoma patients, said Margaret Taylor, director of San Mateo County Health Services. "We hope this is just a beginning," she said. The DEA was one of several federal agencies that had to approve the study. Others included the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Drug Abuse and the Food and Drug Administration. Taylor said there has been a major change this year in the federal government's willingness to participate in medicinal marijuana studies. Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, concluded the first federally approved medical marijuana in July. Abrams reported that 20 AIDS patients who smoked government-provided marijuana under close supervision for three weeks gained an average of 7.7 pounds more than 22 patients who smoked a placebo.Note: San Mateo will monitor effect on AIDS patients.E-mail Mark Martin at: markmartin sfchronicle.com Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Mark Martin, Chronicle Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, November 23, 2000 Copyright: 2000 San Francisco ChronicleContact: chronletters sfgate.com Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/Related Articles:Study Finds Pot Safe for AIDS Patientshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6390.shtmlStudy Finds Marijuana Use Safe for HIV Patients http://cannabisnews.com/news/6/thread6383.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 23, 2000 at 18:03:18 PT: Associated Press Article Study To Give Pot to AIDS PatientsAssociated PressLast Updated: Nov. 23, 2000 © Copyright 2000, Journal Sentinel Inc. http://www.jsonline.com/SAN MATEO, Calif. - The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has approved a program that will allow a northern California county to give away government-grown marijuana to 60 AIDS patients in a study to assess drug's potential health benefits.The 12-week study in San Mateo County could begin as early as January, county supervisor Mike Nevin said. The DEA approved it Wednesday.``What we could end up with is scientific proof that this is a medicine that should be prescribed by doctors,'' Nevin said.In 1996, Californians passed Proposition 215, which allows possession, cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Implementation of the measure has proven difficult, however, as lawmakers struggle to agree on prescription and distribution guidelines.Dr. Dennis Israelski, chief of infectious diseases at the county's hospitals and clinics, will oversee the study. The San Mateo County Health Center will provide marijuana to HIV and AIDS patients who suffer from neurological disorders.Supporters of the study hope it will determine whether marijuana relieves pain and increases appetites as many users claim. Believers in marijuana's benefits say the drug also settles the stomach, builds weight and steadies spastic muscles. They also says it relieves PMS, glaucoma, itching, insomnia, arthritis, depression, childbirth and attention deficit disorder.Nevin opposes decriminalizing marijuana, but said its medicinal value needs further evaluation.``To disallow the drug to people who need it is a crime,'' he said. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: