Researchers from the University of California's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research say they have found "reasonable evidence" that cannabis is a promising treatment" for some specific, pain-related medical conditions.
The findings are likely to keep alive the controversy over the issue of marijuana for medical purposes. Though legal for some treatments in California and four other states, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has always viewed medical marijuana as a conflict with federal law.
Beginning in 1978 marijuana was used in research studies to determine if it could be effective in reducing intraocular pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients. In November 1998, five states passed ballot initiatives to support medical marijuana. Except when authorized by law, it is illegal for any person to possess a controlled substance unless such substance was obtained directly by a valid prescription from a practitioner.
"We focused on illnesses where current medical treatment does not provide adequate relief or coverage of symptoms," said CMCR director, Igor Grant, MD, Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the UCSD School of Medicine. "These findings provide a strong, science-based context in which policy makers and the public can begin discussing the place of cannabis in medical care."
Researchers have completed five scientific clinical trials, with more in progress. They say the studies showed that cannabis can be helpful in easing pain in selected syndromes caused by injury or diseases of the nervous system and possibly for painful muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis.
More research
"These scientists created an unparalleled program of systematic research, focused on science-based answers rather than political or social beliefs," said Senator John Vasconcellos, original author of The Medical Marijuana Research Act of 1999 (SB847) which led to the creation of the CMCR.
More study will be necessary to figure out the mechanisms of action and the full therapeutic potential of cannabinoid compounds, according to the UC researchers.
The CMCR was created in 2000, through the passage of SB847, to conduct clinical and pre-clinical trials of cannabinoids, including smoked marijuana, to provide evidence, one way or the other, to answer the question "does marijuana have therapeutic value?"
Critics of medical marijuana claim it is simply a back door attempt to legalize the substance that has been outlawed since the early 20th century. The California legislature, in recent months, has taken steps to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana, with a bill to do so advancing through the California General Assembly. However, it's not clear that a state's attempt to legalize an illegal drug would pass a federal court challenge.
