Hum Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 SAN FRANCISCO - Smoking marijuana eased HIV-related pain in some patients in a small study that nevertheless represented one of the few rigorous attempts to find out if the drug has medicinal benefits. The Bush administration's Office of National Drug Control Policy quickly sought to shoot holes in the experiment. The study, conducted at San Francisco General Hospital from 2003 to 2005 and published Monday in the journal Neurology, involved 50 patients suffering from HIV-related foot pain known as peripheral neuropathy. There are no drugs specifically approved to treat that kind of pain. Three times daily for nearly a week, the patients smoked marijuana cigarettes machine-rolled at the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the only legal source for the drug recognized by the federal government. Half the patients received marijuana, while the other 25 received placebo cigarettes that lacked the drug's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol. Scientists said the study was the first one published that used a comparison group, which is generally considered the gold standard for scientific research. Thirteen patients who received marijuana told doctors their pain eased by at least a third after smoking pot, while only six of those smoking placebos said likewise. The marijuana smokers reported an average pain reduction of 34 percent, double the drop reported by the placebo smokers as measured with a widely accepted pain scale. "These results provide evidence that there is measurable medical benefit to smoking cannabis for these patients," said Dr. Donald Abrams, the University of California at San Francisco professor who led the study. Many critics of smoked marijuana agree THC has promise as a painkiller, but they argue the smoke itself is harmful. "People who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs," said David Murray, chief scientist at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Is this really what a physician who is treating someone with a compromised immune system wants to prescribe?" California and 10 other states have passed laws legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, but the federal government considers it a dangerous drug, like cocaine or heroin. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that state laws do not protect users from the federal ban. To conduct the test, Abrams needed authorization from eight academic and government agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration. The study cost about $1 million and was paid for by the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, which has sponsored several smoked marijuana tests. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diffused Mind Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Incorrect. Marijuana is the evil of evils, and will never have any beneficial uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digipoi Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 To me, to an extent, if you're ****in dying from something, you should do whatever the hell you want within your own personal vicinity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Incorrect. Marijuana is the evil of evils, and wilneverb> have any beneficial uses. Evil of all evils? Laff, what about cigarette companies that pack their product full of dangerous substances...and these are legal...think about it. And dont get me started on alcohol. Pot is NOT a gateway drug. I did it for 2 years and never had the urge to try anything else. Anyone else trying any other drug are weak or have major problems. Pot is only called a gateway drug to make others think twice about smoking it. And yes, if you are going to die...you should be able to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better. MAy as well enjoy your time on earth while you have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbo Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 And yes, if you are going to die...you should be able to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better. MAy as well enjoy your time on earth while you have it. but, we're all dying... so maybe it should be completely legalized? :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rathefeare Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Wait someone actually spent money on a study to determine whether pot had pain relieving properties. I need to get funding for my study on whether getting poked with a sharp stick hurts or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digipoi Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Evil of all evils? Laff, what about cigarette companies that pack their product full of dangerous substances...and these are legal...think about it. And dont get me started on alcohol.Pot is NOT a gateway drug. I did it for 2 years and never had the urge to try anything else. Anyone else trying any other drug are weak or have major problems. Pot is only called a gateway drug to make others think twice about smoking it. And yes, if you are going to die...you should be able to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better. MAy as well enjoy your time on earth while you have it. Not to take away anything from your argument. I don't feel pot is nearly as bad as alcohol, prescription pain pills, or harder drugs but they have been gateway drugs for some people. Everyone's different though. Do I think its the leading cause for people trying harder drugs, hell no. I think cigarettes and alcohol have been more of a gateway drug than anything else. I mean how many people who were/are drug addicts started with the legal drugs first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diffused Mind Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Evil of all evils? Laff, what about cigarette companies that pack their product full of dangerous substances...and these are legal...think about it. And dont get me started on alcohol.Pot is NOT a gateway drug. I did it for 2 years and never had the urge to try anything else. Anyone else trying any other drug are weak or have major problems. Pot is only called a gateway drug to make others think twice about smoking it. And yes, if you are going to die...you should be able to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better. MAy as well enjoy your time on earth while you have it. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted February 14, 2007 Author Share Posted February 14, 2007 To me, to an extent, if you're ****in dying from something, you should do whatever the hell you want within your own personal vicinity. Sounds like a reasonable argument to me. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digipoi Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm coming from a username of Diffused Mind with Pink Floyd quotes in the sig, pot is definitely evil:laugh:h: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZonoBurk Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 One reason (probably the primary reason) pot isn't legal in the US - is because they can't tax it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boffa Jones Veteran Posted February 16, 2007 Veteran Share Posted February 16, 2007 Not to take away anything from your argument. I don't feel pot is nearly as bad as alcohol, prescription pain pills, or harder drugs but they have been gateway drugs for some people. Everyone's different though. Do I think its the leading cause for people trying harder drugs, hell no. I think cigarettes and alcohol have been more of a gateway drug than anything else. I mean how many people who were/are drug addicts started with the legal drugs first? (Y)(Y) I definitely agree with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studio57lie Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 To me, to an extent, if you're ****in dying from something, you should do whatever the hell you want within your own personal vicinity. i agree... especially because you said that its in your own personal vicinity, you think before u say lol One reason (probably the primary reason) pot isn't legal in the US - is because they can't tax it. imagine the economy if they did sell it.. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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