http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2001/0904/hom4.htm
Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Cannabis has changed the life of
long-term, chronic painsufferers by relieving their symptoms, according
to a new study published yesterday in Glasgow.
The patients had all been given a
medicinal extract of cannabis. A trial started last year with 23 patients
suffering severe pain from nerve damage and muscle spasms due to multiple
sclerosis.
Patients have described the effects
ranging from "It has removed my pain and changed my life" to those who
said they could now just get a good night's sleep, said Dr William Notcutt
of the James Paget Hospital, in Great Yarmouth, England, who conducted
the study.
The patients in the trial, some of
whom had been smoking the drug, have been taking purified extracts called
cannabinoids from the plant.
It is provided in a spray used under
the tongue. "The traditional joint is not analysable and not suitable for
medical practice," said Dr Notcutt.
While some patients gained maximum
relief from pain, others were relatively unaffected or could not stand
the side-effects. "We've had patients who have got high on it, some patients
who faint and some who panic. We now know how to educate patients into
the use of this particular drug," said Dr Notcutt.
"People do not want to be on a permanent
high. They just want to get on with their lives and remain free of pain,"
he said.
Some patients using the drug have
been able to return to work and are able to drive.
Dr Notcutt refused to be drawn on
the legalisation question in a press conference at the British Association
for the Advancement of Science Festival in Glasgow.
© 2001 ireland.com
From Peter Foote