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New Evidence That Marijuana is Safe, Effective


Washington, D.C.--(ENEWSPF)--October 5, 2009. The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine just concluded its 5th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine in Cologne, Germany. The conference included significant new evidence that marijuana is a safe, effective medicine for certain conditions, some of which can be found in the conference abstracts, now available online.

Canadian researcher Mark Ware presented results of a yearlong safety study known as the COMPASS study, which compared 215 patients who used marijuana to manage chronic pain with comparable control patients who did not use marijuana. Ware and colleagues report “no difference in serious adverse events” between the two groups, concluding, “Cannabis use for chronic pain over one year is not associated with major changes in lung, endocrine, cognitive function or serious adverse events.”

A much-awaited study came from the University of California, San Francisco, where Donald Abrams and colleagues tested the effects of adding marijuana to the therapeutic regimen of chronic pain patients on long-term morphine or oxycodone therapy. Unfortunately, because the researchers were crunching numbers right up until the conference, the abstract doesn’t include a lot of details. But the study shows that marijuana did indeed add significant pain relief on top of that already provided by the narcotic painkillers. The scientists conclude, “Cannabinoids may augment the analgesic effects of opioids, allowing longer treatment at lower doses with fewer side effects.”

Meanwhile, British researchers added to the body of evidence indicating that marijuana can aid the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Two-hundred and seventy-nine patients received either a standardized cannabis extract, given orally, or a placebo. Patients receiving the extract were twice as likely to experience relief of muscle stiffness, and also reported relief of body pain, spasms, and sleep problems.


Source: mpp.org

“Cannabinoids may augment the analgesic effects of opioids, allowing longer treatment at lower doses with fewer side effects.”


Should have asked Arnie, he sussed that years ago

Someone should gather this research and ask the home office what they think about it. Along with a copy of the email I've seen where they've stated the plant has no medical benefit.

Regarding this new evidence, the government issued the following press release:

"The Home Office wishes to comment by shutting its eyes, sticking its fingers into its ears, and loudly crying 'nanananananananana' until the evidence goes away."

Hughie beat me to it, but really, what are we to make of this? "May"? So what of the "Is..... Effective" in the title? Hype! Sadly, canna-fans are all to guilty of it. Hype is the enemy, it gives ammo to the prohibs every time.




Good'un Eddie

QUOTE (Eddiesilence @ Oct 6 2009, 03:09 PM)

Regarding this new evidence, the government issued the following press release:

"The Home Office wishes to comment by shutting its eyes, sticking its fingers into its ears, and loudly crying 'nanananananananana' until the evidence goes away."

good 1 bud

Nice to see this study was conducted in more than 1 location for it to be a fair test. Also the information being released to the public.

Well Arnie, you proved it, I agree as it does work for me too & know of many others it works for too. I am sure that everyone at IACM also agree, so they put 'Cannabis IS Safe, Effective', as this also concirs with the last several thousand years of proof. We all know it is 'safe', providing 'safe' is used in the context of 'deaths as a result of' & 'it won't make you insane!'

However, the actual scientists in this particular study on tried it out on a minute amount of people (215) & therefore would be very foolish scientists to 'hype' up until a larger study had been made But the peeps at IACM are bound to 'hype' the study that they have been shouting from the rooftops about, the proof is finally coming in by the truck load & they are loving it!