Pubdate: Fri, 23 Aug 2002
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2002
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/144
Author: Colette Keane

SCIENTISTS DEVELOP CANNABIS MEDICINE TO BATTLE CHRONIC PAIN

Scientists say they have developed a cannabis-based medicine which relieves 
chronic pain without any of the "high" normally associated with the drug. 
They believe the discovery could pave the way for cannabis-based medication 
to become available by prescription within two years.

Much of the controversy surrounding the medicinal use of cannabis has 
centred on fears that it would be used solely for its mood-altering effects.

However, scientists at the University of Massachusetts in the US say their 
discovery should help authorities to overcome these fears.

Dr Sumner Burstein, who is heading the research, says early trials of the 
medication in animals and healthy patients have been promising.

The medication called ajulemic acid or CT3 has been manufactured in 
laboratories. The chemical maximises the medicinal effects of 
tertrahydrocannabinol the key ingredient of cannabis without any of the 
mind-altering effects.

This compound was found to be between 10 to 50 times more effective at 
reducing pain than tetrahydrocannabinol.

It was also discovered to be very effective at preventing the joint damage 
associated with arthritis and relieving the muscle stiffness associated 
with multiple sclerosis.

The compound was tested last year on 15 healthy volunteers in France and 
they reported no side effects or mood changes. A trial on 21 patients with 
chronic pain is underway in Germany.

Dr Bernstein said the results of each study had been promising and believed 
the compound could replace a wide variety of medicines used to fight pain.

"The indications so far are that it is safe and effective. We believe that 
(this compound) will replace aspirin and similar drugs in most applications 
primarily because of a lack of toxic side effects," he said.

Other clinical trials on patients with multiple sclerosis, cancer and 
arthritis have proved encouraging. Canada has already legalised the use of 
medicinal cannabis and a trial involving up to 2,000 patients in Britain 
and should be completed by next year.

At home, the Department of Health has said it would be prepared to give 
serious consideration to the granting of the necessary licence(s) to the 
Irish Medicines Board if it wanted to facilitate conducting a trial on the 
medicinal benefits of products containing cannabis.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael's deputy Simon Coveney, who has consistently called 
for a debate in this country on the possible benefits of using cannabis to 
treat pain or illness, yesterday said policymakers needed to keep an open 
mind on its medicinal properties of the drug.

"Far more dangerous drugs are used in medicine for pain relief. Morphine is 
the main agent in heroin and yet that is prescribed as a painkiller. It may 
be possible to use agents in cannabis to treat illness or provide pain 
relief without smoking the drug, but we need to be open to those kinds of 
possibilities," he said.

While he was in favour of looking at the success of current clinical 
trials, he was still opposed to its legalization and condemned Britain for 
easing laws on cannabis.
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