Sequoiacrone
September 14th, 2008, 06:34 AM
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IACM-Bulletin of 14 September 2008
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* Science: Cannabis extract effective against neuropathic pain of
MS patients in long-term study
1.
Science: Cannabis extract effective against neuropathic pain of
MS patients in long-term study
According to a press release by the British company GW
Pharmaceuticals, Sativex was effective in 42 patients with
multiple sclerosis and central neuropathic pain who had previously
been in a phase III study and who continued to take Sativex for
12 weeks. They were then randomised to a treatment with
Sativex or placebo for a further 4 weeks in a double-blinded
manner. Sativex is a cannabis extract containing equal amounts of
dronabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which is administered
as a spray into the mouth. During this four-week period, patients
were not permitted to adjust their dose.
In the patients who were randomised to cannabis, pain scores
remained stable. In the patients randomised to placebo, pain and
sleep scores deteriorated. There was a significant difference
between the pain scores in the Sativex and the placebo group, and
sleep quality was also significantly better with the cannabis
extract. During this four-week period, there were 2 patients with
adverse events on Sativex, and 5 on placebo. One patient on
placebo withdrew from the study. There was no evidence of any
withdrawal syndrome. Dr. Stephen Wright of GW
Pharmaceuticals said: "This is the first placebo-controlled study
showing that Sativex provides long term efficacy for MS patients
with neuropathic pain and supplements previously published open-
label studies."
More at: http://www.gwpharm.com/ (http://www.gwpharm.com/)
(Source: Press release by GW Pharmaceuticals of 8 September
2008)
2.
News in brief
***UK: Cannabis potency
According to official data the potency of seized cannabis dropped
about 25 per cent from an average THC concentration of 12.7 per
cent to 9.5 per cent from 2004 to 2007. In 2004 cannabis was
classified from class B to the less serious class C of the British
narcotics law. Now the government plans a reclassification of
cannabis to class B, refering to the increase of cannabis potency
in recent years and decades. The newspaper The Guardian wrote
that this casts "doubt on one of the government's key arguments
for reclassifying the drug again from class C to class B." (Source:
The Guardian of 28 August 2008)
***Science: New cannabis constituents
Researchers from the National Center for Natural Products
Research of the University of Mississippi, USA, isolated six new
non-cannabinoid constituents from a high potency cannabis
variety. In addition, two known substances (chrysoeriol and 6-
prenylapigenin) were detected for the first time in cannabis. Some
of these compounds displayed weak to strong activities against
bacteria, leishmania, and pathogens causing malaria. (Source:
Radwan MM et al. Phytochemistry. 2008 Sep 4. [Electronic
publication ahead of print])
***Science: Schizophrenia and hyperactivity
Researchers at the University of Nottingham, UK, investigated
the effects of cannabis use on mental health functioning in three
groups of young people; 36 non-psychotic siblings of adolescents
with schizophrenia (genetic high risk group), 25 adolescents with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 72 healthy
controls. In young people at genetic high risk for schizophrenia
cannabis use was associated with mental health disturbance. In
adolescents with ADHD, cannabis use was associated with a
trend to decreased disorganization and decreased
hyperactivity/inattention. In this group cannabis might have a
positive effect. (Source: Hollis C, et al. Schizophr Res. 2008 Sep
1. [Electronic publication ahead of print])
***Science: Neurotoxicity
Increased levels of endocannabinoids reduced the toxicity of a
substance (diisopropylfluorophosphate, DFP) that causes an
accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and excessive
stimulation of cholinergic receptors. Researchers concluded that
these "results suggest that enhancing endocannabinoid signalling
can attenuate the acute toxicity of DFP and provide rationale for
further investigations on the role of endocannabinoids in
cholinergic toxicity." (Source: Nallapaneni A, et al.
Neurotoxicology. 2008 Aug 13. [Electronic publication ahead of
print])
***Science: Psychosis
Spanish researches investigated the effects of cannabis use on the
age at onset of psychosis in 131 patients with a first psychotic
episode admitted to a hospital. In cannabis users psychosis set in
significantly earlier than in non-users and this effect was dose-
dependant, and not explained by the use of other drugs. (Source:
González-Pinto A, et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008 Jul 29. [Electronic
publication ahead of print])
3.
ONE YEAR AGO:
- Science: Cannabidiol may be effective in preventing bovine
spongiforme enzephalopathy (mad cow disease)
TWO YEARS AGO:
- Science: Cannabis use improves outcome of antiviral treatment
in patients with hepatitis C
- Italy: Health minister authorizes the import of medicines that
contain THC
(More at the IACM-Bulletin archives: http://www.cannabis (http://www.cannabis/)-
med.org/)
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM)
Am Mildenweg 6
D-59602 Ruethen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)2952-9708571
Fax: +49 (0)2952-902651
Email: info@cannabis-med.org (info@cannabis-med.org)
http://www.cannabis-med.org (http://www.cannabis-med.org/)
If you want to be deleted from or added to the IACM-Bulletin
mailing list or if you want to change your e-mail address please
visit
www.cannabis-med.org/english/subscribe.htm (http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/subscribe.htm). You may choose
between different languages (English, German, French, Dutch,
Italian and Spanish).
The articles of the IACM-Bulletin can be printed, translated and
distributed freely for any non-commercial purposes, provided the
original work is properly cited. The source of the IACM-Bulletin
is "IACM, www.cannabis-med.org (http://www.cannabis-med.org/)".
IACM-Bulletin of 14 September 2008
--------------------------------------------------------
* Science: Cannabis extract effective against neuropathic pain of
MS patients in long-term study
1.
Science: Cannabis extract effective against neuropathic pain of
MS patients in long-term study
According to a press release by the British company GW
Pharmaceuticals, Sativex was effective in 42 patients with
multiple sclerosis and central neuropathic pain who had previously
been in a phase III study and who continued to take Sativex for
12 weeks. They were then randomised to a treatment with
Sativex or placebo for a further 4 weeks in a double-blinded
manner. Sativex is a cannabis extract containing equal amounts of
dronabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which is administered
as a spray into the mouth. During this four-week period, patients
were not permitted to adjust their dose.
In the patients who were randomised to cannabis, pain scores
remained stable. In the patients randomised to placebo, pain and
sleep scores deteriorated. There was a significant difference
between the pain scores in the Sativex and the placebo group, and
sleep quality was also significantly better with the cannabis
extract. During this four-week period, there were 2 patients with
adverse events on Sativex, and 5 on placebo. One patient on
placebo withdrew from the study. There was no evidence of any
withdrawal syndrome. Dr. Stephen Wright of GW
Pharmaceuticals said: "This is the first placebo-controlled study
showing that Sativex provides long term efficacy for MS patients
with neuropathic pain and supplements previously published open-
label studies."
More at: http://www.gwpharm.com/ (http://www.gwpharm.com/)
(Source: Press release by GW Pharmaceuticals of 8 September
2008)
2.
News in brief
***UK: Cannabis potency
According to official data the potency of seized cannabis dropped
about 25 per cent from an average THC concentration of 12.7 per
cent to 9.5 per cent from 2004 to 2007. In 2004 cannabis was
classified from class B to the less serious class C of the British
narcotics law. Now the government plans a reclassification of
cannabis to class B, refering to the increase of cannabis potency
in recent years and decades. The newspaper The Guardian wrote
that this casts "doubt on one of the government's key arguments
for reclassifying the drug again from class C to class B." (Source:
The Guardian of 28 August 2008)
***Science: New cannabis constituents
Researchers from the National Center for Natural Products
Research of the University of Mississippi, USA, isolated six new
non-cannabinoid constituents from a high potency cannabis
variety. In addition, two known substances (chrysoeriol and 6-
prenylapigenin) were detected for the first time in cannabis. Some
of these compounds displayed weak to strong activities against
bacteria, leishmania, and pathogens causing malaria. (Source:
Radwan MM et al. Phytochemistry. 2008 Sep 4. [Electronic
publication ahead of print])
***Science: Schizophrenia and hyperactivity
Researchers at the University of Nottingham, UK, investigated
the effects of cannabis use on mental health functioning in three
groups of young people; 36 non-psychotic siblings of adolescents
with schizophrenia (genetic high risk group), 25 adolescents with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 72 healthy
controls. In young people at genetic high risk for schizophrenia
cannabis use was associated with mental health disturbance. In
adolescents with ADHD, cannabis use was associated with a
trend to decreased disorganization and decreased
hyperactivity/inattention. In this group cannabis might have a
positive effect. (Source: Hollis C, et al. Schizophr Res. 2008 Sep
1. [Electronic publication ahead of print])
***Science: Neurotoxicity
Increased levels of endocannabinoids reduced the toxicity of a
substance (diisopropylfluorophosphate, DFP) that causes an
accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and excessive
stimulation of cholinergic receptors. Researchers concluded that
these "results suggest that enhancing endocannabinoid signalling
can attenuate the acute toxicity of DFP and provide rationale for
further investigations on the role of endocannabinoids in
cholinergic toxicity." (Source: Nallapaneni A, et al.
Neurotoxicology. 2008 Aug 13. [Electronic publication ahead of
print])
***Science: Psychosis
Spanish researches investigated the effects of cannabis use on the
age at onset of psychosis in 131 patients with a first psychotic
episode admitted to a hospital. In cannabis users psychosis set in
significantly earlier than in non-users and this effect was dose-
dependant, and not explained by the use of other drugs. (Source:
González-Pinto A, et al. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008 Jul 29. [Electronic
publication ahead of print])
3.
ONE YEAR AGO:
- Science: Cannabidiol may be effective in preventing bovine
spongiforme enzephalopathy (mad cow disease)
TWO YEARS AGO:
- Science: Cannabis use improves outcome of antiviral treatment
in patients with hepatitis C
- Italy: Health minister authorizes the import of medicines that
contain THC
(More at the IACM-Bulletin archives: http://www.cannabis (http://www.cannabis/)-
med.org/)
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM)
Am Mildenweg 6
D-59602 Ruethen
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)2952-9708571
Fax: +49 (0)2952-902651
Email: info@cannabis-med.org (info@cannabis-med.org)
http://www.cannabis-med.org (http://www.cannabis-med.org/)
If you want to be deleted from or added to the IACM-Bulletin
mailing list or if you want to change your e-mail address please
visit
www.cannabis-med.org/english/subscribe.htm (http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/subscribe.htm). You may choose
between different languages (English, German, French, Dutch,
Italian and Spanish).
The articles of the IACM-Bulletin can be printed, translated and
distributed freely for any non-commercial purposes, provided the
original work is properly cited. The source of the IACM-Bulletin
is "IACM, www.cannabis-med.org (http://www.cannabis-med.org/)".