cannabisnews.com: Fed Report Backs Medical Marijuana! 





Fed Report Backs Medical Marijuana! 
Posted by FoM on March 17, 1999 at 16:23:26 PT
MSNBC
 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.    http://www.msnbc.com/news/250878.asp
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: