Medical Marijuana
MPP handouts, reports, briefing papers, etc.
Outside reports, studies, etc.
Smoked Medicinal Cannabis for Neuropathic Pain in HIV: A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial - This study of marijuana and HIV-related neuropathy arguably closes the case regarding one important indication for medical marijuana: neuropathic pain (pain from damage to nerves). Neuropathic pain can be caused by any number of conditions, including HIV (as in this study), diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, and is notoriously resistant to conventional pain drugs.
Vaporization as a Smokeless Cannabis Delivery System: A Pilot Study - Smoke produced by burning creates toxic byproducts including cancer-causing chemicals, PAHs, carbon monoxide and tar, and health concerns about smoking have long been cited as an objection to medical marijuana. Vaporization methods heat marijuana and release cannabinoids, the therapeutically active components of marijuana, in the form of vapor -- without combustion and associated noxious byproducts.
Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus and Cannabis Use in Illicit Drug User Patients: Implications and Questions - This commentary, published alongside Diana Sylvestre's landmark study of marijuana use by hepatitis C (HCV) patients (see "Cannabis use improves retention and virological outcomes in patients treated for hepatitis C"), was written by a separate team of Canadian researchers.
Therapeutic Use of Cannabis Sativa on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting Among Cancer Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - This review of published studies comparing cannabinoid drugs (but not of whole marijuana, unfortunately) finds them to be generally safe and more effective for treatment of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting than standard drugs against which they were compared.
The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis - This review of marijuana's potential for such neurological conditions as pain and spasticity notes: "Cannabinoids inhibit pain in virtually every experimental pain paradigm." It also explains how cannabinoids protect nerve cells from damage and describes the drawbacks of administering cannabinoid medicines orally (e.g. Marinol).
Survey of Australians Using Cannabis for Medical Purposes - This patient survey, conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales, found that the most common conditions for which marijuana was used included chronic pain, arthritis, depression, nausea, and weight loss, with 86% reporting "great relief."
Supporting Research Into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana - This position paper from the American College of Physicians, the U.S.'s second largest physician group and largest medical specialty society, calls upon the federal government to reschedule marijuana under federal law so as to permit medical use.
Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids In Patients with HIV-1 Infection: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial - This study was the first clinical trial of whole marijuana permitted by the U.S. government after a decades-long drought. Designed as a safety study (after researchers had difficulty getting permission to study marijuana's efficacy), this trial found no discernible harm to HIV-infected patients from either smoked marijuana or oral THC.
Sativex Successfully Treats Neuropathic Pain Characterized by Allodynia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial - Sativex is an oral spray made from natural marijuana by a UK pharmaceutical company, GW Pharmaceuticals. This clinical trial found Sativex to reduce pain and sleep disturbance better than a placebo among participants with a broad spectrum of neuropathic pain disorders.
On the Pharmacological Properties of D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - Barbara Costa reviews important science and research findings on medical marijuana in this somewhat technical article, covering medical uses, biological pathways, and side effects. Marijuana's anti-inflammatory potential, immune system effects, protection against neurodegenerative diseases, cancer fighting potential, pain relief, anti-nausea, and appetite stimulation are described.
Medicinal Cannabis: Rational Guidelines for Dosing - This review, written by several leading researchers, notes the strong evidence supporting medical use of marijuana, discusses marijuana's chemistry and pharmacology, and discusses how to calculate proper dosing in light of published research.
Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies - This report, prepared by the public policy research arm of the U.S. Congress, provides a comprehensive overview of medical marijuana policy developments since 1937.
Medical Marijuana: Politics Trumps Science at the FDA - In this commentary for Medscape General Medicine, Dr. Greg Carter of the University of Washington and MPP's Bruce Mirken analyze the Food and Drug Administration's April 2006 statement criticizing medical marijuana laws and asserting that "no sound scientific studies" support medical use of marijuana.
Marijuana Use and Its Association with Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy Among HIV-Infected Persons with Moderate to Severe Nausea - Adherence to anti-HIV drug regimens is associated with better control of the virus and improved survival, but nausea and other side effects of these treatments sometimes cause patients to miss doses or discontinue therapy. In this observational study, HIV patients suffering moderate to severe nausea from their anti-HIV drugs and who used marijuana were 3.3 times more likely to stay on treatment than those who didn't use marijuana.
Marijuana In the Management of Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis - ALS, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease" is a debilitating and eventually fatal condition for which there is no cure, though there drugs which appear to slow the progression of the disease.
Low Dose Combination of Morphine and D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Circumvents Antinociceptive Tolerance and Apparent Desensitization of Receptors - Both morphine and marijuana can be used to treat chronic pain, but both (especially morphine) can lead to tolerance, with patients needing more and more of the drug to get the desired relief and increasing the chances of morphine dependence. Intriguingly, in this animal trial, when low doses of morphine and THC were given simultaneously, tolerance did not develop and the low doses remained effective.
History of Cannabis and Its Preparations in Saga, Science, and Sobriquet - This article examines the cannabis plant, its genetics, preparations, and over 10,000-year history as a medicinal plant. The article follows historical accounts and evidence from ancient Egypt and elsewhere to modern scientific investigations of therapeutic application of marijuana and cannabinoids.
Emerging Properties of Cannabinoid Medicines in Management of Multiple Sclerosis - This review by two leading British researchers reviews current knowledge of how cannabinoids, marijuana's unique active components, may benefit multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. They note that human trials consistently show improvement in pain and other symptoms.
Effects of Smoked Cannabis and Oral D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Nausea and Emesis After Cancer Chemotherapy: A Review of State Clinical Trials - From the late 1970s through the 1980s, a number of U.S. states conducted studies of marijuana (sometimes in comparison with oral THC) for treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy.
Dronabinol and Marijuana in HIV-Positive Marijuana Smokers, Caloric Intake, Mood, and Sleep - This clinical trial found that both smoked marijuana and the THC pill (Marinol, known generically as dronabinol) are effective at increasing caloric intake and weight among HIV-positive patients, with no effect on cognitive performance. Strikingly, however, it took eight times the standard dose of Marinol to approximate the effect of weak (3.9% THC) marijuana, and even at that dose, natural marijuana outperformed Marinol in some measurements.
MPP op-ed columns
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