Pubdate: Sun, 03 Nov 2013
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Chicago Tribune
Contact:  http://www.mercurynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/390
Author: Ellen Jean Hirst, Chicago Tribune

EXPERTS URGE MORE MARIJUANA RESEARCH

CHICAGO - Even though 20 states have passed laws legalizing medical 
marijuana, swayed in part by thousands of personal testimonies, 
current research hasn't nailed down exactly if, and how, marijuana 
alleviates all the specific diseases the drug is being legalized to 
treat, experts say.

A number of proponents believe marijuana could benefit people with 
everything from glaucoma to cancer, and it's been legalized in 
Illinois to aid patients with some 40 medical conditions. But 
opponents of its medicinal use believe the risks of smoking medical 
marijuana outweigh the benefits, while others question whether 
patients really improve or only feel like they improve.

Marijuana's best known compound is THC, but the plant actually has 
105 unique cannabis compounds with potential for medicinal use, 
proponents say. THC has already been approved by the Food and Drug 
Administration in synthetic form to help patients with nausea and 
decreased appetite.

Some scientists believe the plant's other compounds - called 
cannabinoids - could have equal promise. Although research has 
increased in recent years as more states legalize medical marijuana, 
solid evidence of how individual cannabinoids could help people with 
specific diseases has been significantly lacking, a review of medical 
literature and interviews with experts shows.

If the specific benefits could be proved, experts say, doctors 
ultimately would be able to assign particular strains to people, 
depending on their condition. Further research also may help 
determine optimal doses and whether marijuana works better than other 
medicines, experts say.

While most medicines derived from nature are tested before they reach 
the masses, the process to evaluate marijuana has been confounded by 
its longtime status as an illegal drug, which it retains in the eyes 
of the federal government.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom