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Results from clinical research demonstrate that
both dronabinol and whole plant cannabis can offer a safe
and effective treatment for the following illnesses: muscle
spasms in multiple sclerosis, Tourette syndrome, chronic pain,
nausea and vomiting in HIV/AIDS and cancer chemotherapy, loss
of appetite from cancer, hyperactivity of the bladder in patients
with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, and dyskinesia
caused by levodopa in Parkinson's disease.
During the 1970’s and 1980’s, several states conducted
research programs comparing smoked marijuana to oral forms
of THC. Musty and Rossi reviewed the data from research programs
in 6 states. The results from only one of these research programs
had been published in peer-reviewed journals before 1995 (Vinciguerra
et al. 1988). In their 2001 review, Musty and Rossi wrote:
"Data were available on 748 patients who
smoked marijuana prior to and/or after cancer chemotherapy
and 345 patients who used the oral THC capsule.. . . Patients
who smoked marijuana experienced 70-100% relief from nausea
and vomiting, while those who used the THC capsule experienced
76-88% relief. . . . On the basis of these studies, it appears
that smoked marijuana can be a very successful treatment for
nausea and vomiting following cancer chemotherapy.. . .The
development of smokeless inhalation devices could certainly
reduce the potential harm from smoking marijuana.” (Musti
& Rossi 2001)
In an experimental study with 13 healthy volunteers,
smoked cannabis was effective in reducing nausea and vomiting,
but the 5-HT3 (serotonin) antagonist ondansetron was significantly
more effective (Soderpalm et al. 2001). The study at the Department
of Psychiatry of the University of Chicago examined the antiemetic
effect of smoked marijuana cigarettes containing 8.4 and 16.9
mg THC compared to 8 mg ondansetron. Nausea and emesis were
induced by syrup of ipecac. Marijuana significantly reduced
ratings of nausea and slightly reduced the incidence of vomiting
compared to placebo. Ondansetron completely eliminated the
emetic effects of ipecac. These findings support and extend
previous results, indicating that smoked marijuana reduces
nausea and emesis. However, its effects were evaluated to
be modest relative to the highly potent antiemetic drug ondansetron.
Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC),
a cannabinoid with lower psychotropic potency than the main
Cannabis constituent delta-9-THC, was administered at doses
of 18 mg per square meter of body surface in edible oil, p.o.,
to eight children aged 3-13, undergoing cancer chemotherapy
(Abrahamov et al. 1995). The children suffered from various
hematologic cancers and were treated with different antineoplastic
drugs for up to 8 months. The total number of treatments with
delta-8-THC was 480. The THC treatment started two hours before
each antineoplastic treatment and was continued every 6 hrs
for 24 hours. Vomiting was completely prevented. Observed
side effects from delta-8-THC observed were negligible.
THC (dronabinol) was not superior to megestrol
acetate in improving appetite in cancer patients, according
to a study published in January 2002 in the Journal of Clinical
Oncology (Jatoi et al. 2002). U.S. and Canadian researchers
found that 49 percent of those taking THC reported improved
appetite, compared with 75 percent on megestrol acetate. Only
3 percent of the dronabinol group gained weight of more than
10 percent over baseline weight, compared with 11 percent
following standard treatment with megestrol. A combination
of both drugs did not improve the results received by megestrol
acetate alone. Patients received either 800 mg megestrol acetate,
2 x 2.5 mg dronabinol, or both drugs. Overall, 469 cancer
patients with weight loss had been enrolled in the study between
December 1996 and December 1999. The study was conducted as
a collaborative trial of the North Central Cancer Treatment
Group and the Mayo Clinic.
Several new indications for cannabinoids have
been and are under study, including neuroprotection in head
trauma, antineoplastic effects for the treatment of cancers,
effects against disturbed behavior in patients suffering from
Alzheimer's disease, Tourette syndrom, and nausea and vomiting
associated with HIV therapy.
Recent research showed that THC was not only
effective in reducing nausea and vomiting associated with
antineoplastic medication in cancer, but also reduced nausea
and vomiting associated with HIV therapy (PRNewswire of 23
October 2000). This research by Roger Anderson and colleagues
of Anderson Clinical Research in Pittsburgh was presented
in October 2000 at the Fifth Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV
Infection in Glasgow (Scotland). 85% (23/27) of HIV/AIDS patients
who added dronabinol (THC), the most active cannabinoid, to
their current antiretroviral therapy had a 50% improvement
in symptoms of nausea and vomiting. The study enrolled patients
who were on stable antiretroviral therapy. Twenty-seven patients
were randomized to receive dronabinol 2.5 mg twice-daily within
one hour of taking their antiretroviral medication (14 patients)
or dronabinol 5.0 mg at bedtime (13 patients) for six weeks.
At study start and at six weeks, patients were assessed by
questionnaire for the number of minutes they did not feel
well in the previous 48 hours, the number of episodes of vomiting,
and the severity of nausea during the same period. Ninety-three
percent (13/14) of patients in the group taking THC twice
a day had a greater than 50% improvement in symptoms of nausea
and vomiting, and 77% (10/13) of patients taking THC at bedtime
had a greater than 50% improvement. The severity of nausea
improved by at least one grade in 96% (26/27) of patients
and no severe or very severe nausea was experienced in either
group after six weeks.
Clinical research in patients with Tourette
syndrome was stimulated by reports of patients that they had
obtained relief from smoking cannabis. Research on the efficacy
of dronabinol in Tourette syndrome included a study with one
patient (Mueller-Vahl et al. 1999a), followed by a randomized
double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial of delta-9-THC
in 12 adults (Mueller-Vahl et al. 1999b). In the larger study,
patients received single doses of 5, 7.5, or 10.0 mg THC.
Using both self and examiner rating scales, there was a significant
improvement in motor and vocal tics after treatment with THC
compared with placebo. In addition, a self-rating scale demonstrated
a significant improvement in obsessive compulsive behaviour.
No serious adverse reactions occurred. Five patients experienced
transient mild side effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness,
anxiety, cheerfulness, tremble, dry mouth, and hot flush.
All these side effects did not last longer than 6 hours. There
were no significant differences after treatment with THC compared
with placebo in verbal and visual memory, reaction time, intelligence,
sustained and divided attention, vigilance, and mood. These
studies have already been followed by a successful six-week
study (unpublished, personal communication Kirsten Mueller-Vahl,
2002). 17 patients completed the entire six-week program.
In some participants, THC caused a considerable decrease of
symptoms, thus confirming results of the earlier study. Side
effects usually were mild even with a dosage of 10 mg THC.
Available preliminary data from research currently
conducted in the UK with a cannabis extract that is taken
sublingualy supports the analgesic effects of natural cannabis
preparations in chronic pain from various causes (Notcutt
et al. 2001a-c). A double blind "N of 1" study also
showed that a cannabis extract containing equal amounts of
THC and CBD was superior to THC with regard to side effects
(Notcutt et al. 2001d). The main pain problems of a patient
with multiple sclerosis were severe urethral pain and a pain
deep within her pelvis. She achieved almost total pain control
with the cannabis extract. Psychological side effects were
predominantly seen during the periods when she used THC alone.
During the periods when she used a 1:1 mixture of THC and
CBD, the incidence of side-effects fell dramatically, compared
to the same THC dose taken without CBD.
Preliminary results of clinical research conducted
in the UK and in Switzerland show that cannabis and THC are
able to reduce hyperactivity of the bladder in patients with
multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury (Hagenbach et al.
2001, Brady et al. 2001). The Swiss study conducted at the
REHAB in Basel under the guidance of Ulrike Hagenbach includes
15 patients with spastic spinal cord injury who received oral
or rectal THC (Hagenbach et al. 2001). Compared to placebo
there was an improvement of some parameters of bladder activity,
e.g. maximum capacity of the bladder (MCC, maximum cystometric
capacity). The British study conducted at the National Hospital
for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London under the guidance
of Ciaran Brady and Clare Fowler included patients with advanced
multiple sclerosis and problems with bladder function who
received a sublingual cannabis spray. Maximum bladder capacity
increased and frequency of need to urinate decreased both
during day and night (Brady et al. 2001).
The therapy of Parkinson's disease using levodopa
may cause dyskinesia, a movement disorder. In a pilot study
with seven patients, a research group at the University of
Manchester, Scotland, showed that nabilone, a synthetic THC
derivative, significantly reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesia
in patients with Parkinson's disease (Sieradzan et al. 2001).
In eight glaucoma patients resistant to conventional
therapies, administering the synthetic cannabinoid-1-receptor
agonist WIN55212-2 decreased the intraocular pressure by between
20 and 30% (Porcella et al. 2001). These data confirm that
CB1 receptors that have been found in the ciliary body of
the eye have direct involvement in the regulation of human
intraocular pressure. THC binds to the CB1 receptor which
explains the intraocular pressure lowering effects of cannabis.
In a Swiss study at the Clinic Montana under
the guidance of Claude Vaney, the effects of capsulated cannabis
extract in 57 patients with multiple sclerosis were investigated
(Fortissimo 2002). In a crossover design, one half of the
patients received a placebo first and then the extract, while
the other half received cannabis first. The dose was adjusted
according to individual tolerance. The maximal daily doses
ranged from 7.5 to 30 mg THC. Muscle tone assessed with the
Ashworth Scale was not significantly influenced by cannabis
compared to placebo. However, subjectively the number of muscle
spasms and the intensity of spasticity were reduced. Mobility
as measured with the Rivermead-Mobility-Index (RMI) was improved
with cannabis. Sleep was not significantly influenced. In
general, the medication was tolerated well. Neither cognitive
nor motor performance were significantly influenced by the
cannabis medication.
Another study by a Dutch team using both a cannabis
extract and THC in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis
(MS) demonstrated that THC is not effective in MS when given
in low oral doses of 2.5 or 5 mg oral twice daily (Killestein
et al. 2002). In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study
in 16 patients with MS who presented with severe spasticity,
the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of oral THC and oral
cannabis were investiagted. Compared with placebo, neither
THC nor cannabis reduced spasticity at the doses applied (2.5
or 5 mg administered orally twice daily). Ungerleider et al.
(1987) of the University of California in Los Angeles already
noted in their 1987 study that "the 7.5 mg dose is required
to achieve significant spasticity reduction" and in 1999
Pertwee recommended "a degree of flexibility with respect
to dose level" in studies on THC in multiple sclerosis
and to start with 2.5 or 5 mg twice daily.
All six neurosurgical intensive care units in
Israel were involved in a double-blind, placebo-controlled
study to evaluate the safety of intravenous dexanabinol in
treating severe head injury (Knoller et al. 2002). 67 patients
aged 16-65 years received a single administration of dexanabinol
(48 or 150 mg) or only the vehicle. A highly significant reduction
in the percentage of time during which pressure in the head
of more than 25 mmHg occurred; perfusion pressure within the
brain of below 50 mmHg and systolic blood pressure of below
90 mm Hg were observed in the drug-treated group. A trend
toward faster and better neurological effect on the Glasgow
outcome scale was also observed after 3 and 6 months. Dexanabinol
is a non-psychotropic THC-derivative with neuroprotective
properties. The neuroprotective properties of the natural
plant cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are similar to
those of dexanabinol (Hampson 2002).
Researchers at the Clinic for Anaesthesiology
of the University of Cologne (Germany) reported their first
experience with THC in pain management (Elsner et al. 2001).
All patients treated with THC from February 1998 to January
2000 were evaluated. In six individuals suffering from chronic
pain, THC was used in daily doses of 5-20 mg. Sufficient pain
relief was achieved in three patients. The remaining three
suffered from intolerable side effects such as nausea, dizziness
and sedation without a reduction of pain intensity.
Overall recent clinical research shows that
cannabis, THC and other agonists of the CB1 receptor are effective
in a wide range of symptoms. Effectiveness may also vary widely
among patients. THC or cannabis are often not the best medication
available for one symptom but the combination of several of
its effects may be very useful in a range of chronic illnesses
that often present with several symptoms. This was clearly
stated by the Institute of Medicine:
"In cases where symptoms are multifaced,
the combination of THC effects might provide a form of adjunctive
therapy; for example, AIDS wasting patients would likely benefit
from a medication that simultaneously reduces anxiety, pain,
and nausea while stimulating appetite" (Joy et al. 1999).
Thus, cannabis has been proposed for treatment
of several diseases, among them amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
and cystic fibrosis. Carter & Rosen (2001) of the University
of Washington School of Medicine stated:
"Marijuana is a substance with many properties
that may be applicable to the management of amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS). These include analgesia, muscle relaxation,
bronchodilation, saliva reduction, appetite stimulation, and
sleep induction. In addition, marijuana has now been shown
to have strong antioxidative and neuroprotective effects,
which may prolong neuronal cell survival. In areas where it
is legal to do so, marijuana should be considered in the pharmacological
management of ALS. Further investigation into the usefulness
of marijuana in this setting is warranted" (Carter &
Rosen 2001).
Ester Fride (2002) analyzed the possible application
of cannabis prepartions in the treatment of cystic fibrosis:
"Cannabis stimulates appetite and food
intake. This property has been exploited to benefit AIDS and
cancer patients suffering from wasting disease, by administering
the whole plant or its active ingredient [delta-9]-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC). (...)
Lack of appetite resulting in malnutrition is
a contributing factor to mortality in many Cystic Fibrosis
patients. It is proposed here for the first time to administer
THC to CF patients. It is hoped that the cannabinoid will
alleviate malnutrition and thus help prevent wasting in CF
patients. (...)
Recent findings suggest that a lipid imbalance
(high arachidonic acid/low DHA) is a primary factor in the
etiology of CF and that defective CFTR (CF transmembrane conductor
regulator) that characterized the CF condition is responsible
for the dysregulation. Endocannbinoids are all fatty acid
derivatives. Therefore, it is further proposed here that the
CFTR gene product also modulates endocannabinoids and by elevating
these levels, symptoms may improve. Indeed, a number of physiological
mechanisms of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids coincide with
the pathology of CF. Thus it is suggested that potential benefits
from THC treatment, in addition to appetite stimulation, will
include antiemetic, bronchodilating, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal
and hypoalgesic effects” (Fride 2002).
Ethan Russo has examined marijuana’s potential
in the treatment of migraines. His investigations show that
modern neurological research lends new credibility to historical
and anecdotal reports on the efficacy of cannabis in this
area:
"Cannabis, or ‘marijuana,’
has been employed in various forms throughout the millennia
for both symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine.
In modern times, ethnobotanical and anecdotal
references continue to support the efficacy of cannabis for
headache treatment, while biochemical studies of THC and anandamide
have provided scientific justification for its use via anti-inflammatory,
serotonergic and dopaminergic mechanisms, as well as by interaction
with NMDA and endogenous opioid systems. These are examined
in detail.
The author feels that this collective evidence
supports the proposition that experimental protocols of cannabis
usage in migraine treatment should go forward employing modern
controlled clinical trials” (Russo 2001).
A considerable number of clinical studies are
under way to further study the effects of natural
cannabis preparations. (Source: Online Bulletins of the International
Association for Cannabis as Medicine 1999-2002, www.cannabis-med.org)
Some of these studies are being conducted by
GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK. By 2004, the company intends
to obtain approval for a cannabis extract to be sprayed under
the tongue. The main focus of this research is on chronic
pain in patients with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis,
nerve damage and cancer. GW Pharmaceuticals has expanded its
studies to Canada. Under the guidance of the Institute for
Oncological and Immunological Research in Berlin (Germany),
a multicenter trial with several hundreds of patients is under
way in Germany, Switzerland and Austria to test the effectiveness
of an oral capsulated cannabis extract in comparison with
THC in anorexia and cachexia of cancer patients. The same
capsuled extract is used in a study with multiple sclerosis
patients in the UK under the guidance of John Zajicek of Derriford
Hospital, Plymouth. In total, 660 people will participate
in the three-year program, which will involve 38 hospitals
across Britain and is funded with £1.2 million pounds
(U.S.$1.8 million) by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
The study protocol was developed by the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society of Great Britain.
A Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research has
been set up at the University of California funded with several
millions of dollars by the state, focusing on the use of marijuana
in cancer and AIDS patients, but also for relieving spasticity
and tremors in patients with multiple sclerosis. A study with
smoked cannabis in neuropathy (nerve pain) associated with
AIDS started under the guidance of Donald Abrams in San Fransisco.
Initially, this pilot study, which began in March 2002, involves
16 volunteers. Each participant will stay in the hospital
for nine days, smoking marijuana three times a day on seven
of those days. If results of the pilot stady are encouraging,
a larger study involving up to 100 subjects will follow. The
study is double-blinded and uses THC free cannabis cigarettes
as placebos. In San Diego, another researcher wants to examine
how repeated treatment with cannabis affects driving ability
of patients with HIV-related neuropathy or multiple sclerosis.
The patients will be tested using a driving simulator. Another
San Diego scientist will study how smoking marijuana might
ease the uncontrollable muscle spasms and pain in multiple
sclerosis.
In March 2002, a group of Spanish researchers
started the first clinical study of cannabinoids in the treatment
of cancer at the Hospital of La Laguna (Tenerife). The objective
of the phase I-II trial is to evaluate the effects of THC
on glioblastoma multiforme, a malignant brain tumor, for which
there is currently no effective treatment. The study will
be also the first study to investigate intracranial application
of THC, an application directly into the brain. It will start
with five patients. If the treatment is tolerated well, nine
more patients will be added, divided into three groups, each
receiving a different dose. THC will be administered for two
to eight weeks and doses will depend on tolerance. Those patients
will be selected whose tumors are accessible by means of surgery.
The study is scheduled to last three years.
In 2002, the Office for Medicinal Cannabis of
the Dutch Ministry of Health announced that it will conduct
a clinical study on smoked cannabis in 16 multiple sclerosis
patients. Results are expected to be available in the second
half of 2003.
Health Minister Allan Rock, and Dr. Alan Bernstein,
President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced
on 26 July 2001 a Government of Canada contribution of $235,000
to fund a clinical study that will examine the therapeutic
uses of cannabis. This is the first clinical trial related
to the medical use of marijuana to be funded by Health Canada.
Researchers at the Pain Centre of McGill University will conduct
a one-year pilot study of smoked cannabis for chronic neuropathic
pain at the General Hospital of Montreal. The study will also
be the world's first peer-reviewed clinical trial examining
the effects of smoked cannabis in a non-HIV or multiple sclerosis
population. While other studies have tested the effects of
cannabis constituents on pain, this will be the first trial
in which participants will smoke the substance as outpatients.
This clinical research provides further evidence
of that cannabis provides safe and effective treatment for
several illnesses. Cannabis also has tremendous potential
for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions as well.
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