cannabisnews.com: Federal Report Backs Medical Pot! Federal Report Backs Medical Pot! Posted by FoM on March 17, 1999 at 15:45:20 PT By Charlene Laino-MSNBC Ingredients fight pain, nausea, IOM panel says An Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative bartender picks out marijuana muffins for wheelchair bound customer before the 9,000-member club was shut down last year. In a report that is refueling the debate over marijuana as medicine, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday that its active ingredients can help fight pain, nausea and other symptoms and thus deserve to be tested rigorously in scientific trials. The Institute of Medicine also said there was no conclusive evidence that use of pot for medicinal purposes leads to harder drugs. THE REPORT was met with enthusiasm by patients and activists that have long been fighting for the legalization of medicinal marijuana. In the past few years, voters in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have approved referenda in support of the legal medical use of marijuana, but public opinion on its use has been sharply divided. To help illuminate the policy debate, the institute, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, examined all relevant scientific studies. The report, which was commissioned by Clinton administration anti-drug czar Barry McCaffrey, found that “there are indications that marijuana can can be moderately effective for certain symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, pain control and some spasticities,” said Stanley Watson of the Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Michigan, one of the study’s principal investigators. Thus, pot can be helpful for people undergoing chemotherapy as well as those with AIDS, the report said. But noting that smoking marijuana can cause lung disease and cancer, Watson said the panel “simply cannot support long-term smoking as an answer.” Rather, the report called for the development of standardized forms of the drugs, called cannabinoids, that can be taken by an inhaler, similar to those used to deliver asthma drugs. About three drug companies are now working on official toking devices, Watson said, but it could be several years before one comes to market. COMPASSIONATE USE In the meantime, what is a patient in need of medical marijuana to do? “One approach would be to permit them to smoke marijuana on a compassionate use basis,” Watson said. A patient would be given a limited supply of the weed, “much like one is given a prescription.” To obtain his stash, a patient and his doctor would have to appeal to a special board, which would rapidly review the case. “If it is clear the patient could benefit and he is willing to sign an informed consent form saying he understands the risks, he would be offered an opportunity to enter a compassionate protocol,” Watson said. Slide show: Patients who benefit Watson said he imagines two scenarios in which joints would be offered to patients: cases in which one has a terminal illness and cases in which only a limited supply is needed, such as for a woman wanting to smoke pot to boost her appetite while undergoing chemotherapy. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said it would carefully study the recommendations. “We note in the report’s conclusion that the future of cannabinoid drugs lies not in smoked marijuana, but in chemically defined drugs” delivered by other means, the office headed by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey said in a statement. McCaffrey has been one of medical marijuana’s most outspoken critics, saying it sends the “wrong message to children.” LONG OVERDUE Patients and activists praised the new findings, even as saying they are long overdue. “We’re very pleased to receive the information that the government finally recognizes the truth about marijuana,” said Valerie Corral, head of the non-profit Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), which provides pot to indigent patients. “I personally feel it is an important step for our federal government to make and that there is no turning back at this point,” said Corral. The Santa Cruz, Calif., woman turned to marijuana as medicine more than 20 years ago, after a brain injury in a car accident brought on epilepsy. “The scientific evidence in the IOM report shows that marijuana is a relatively safe and effective medicine for many patients,” said Chuck Thomas, co-director of the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. “This is good news for cancer and AIDS patients and for all Americans who are impatient with a bad federal policy that keeps a safe and effective medication out of the hands of gravely ill people,” said Bill Zimmerman, head of Americans for Medical Rights. Proponents of pot say it helps AIDS patients keep eating; relieves nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy; alleviates the chronic pain of conditions including headaches, arthritis and degenerative nerve disease; reduces spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients; and lowers the increased intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma. While the panel said marijuana might be useful for the muscle spasms of multiple sclerosis, it said data do not support its use for glaucoma. Smoking marijuana only temporarily reduces some of the eye pressure associated with that disease, the panel said, and thus the hazards outweigh the benefits. NOT A ‘GATEWAY DRUG’ While drug czar McCaffrey and other critics have long claimed that smoking pot leads to use of harder drugs such as cocaine, the panel said there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana acts as a “gateway drug” that actually causes people to make this progression. Moreover, there is no evidence that approving the medical use of marijuana would increase its use in the general population, the panel said. But most importantly, Watson said, more and better studies are needed. “As a doctor, I want to practice evidence-based medicine,” he said. “I don’t want to tell a patient, ‘Here, try this. You may get stoned,’ and then have the drug not help. “We need — and the panel backs — well designed studies to actually demonstrate efficacy and who will benefit.” http://www.msnbc.com/news/250878.asp The Associated Press contributed to this report. Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by Jebeja on March 17, 1999 at 16:37:23 PT a bre momcici nemo se jebete ce vas bidne lose na avliju!!! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: