RESEARCH SUGGESTS CANNABIS GOOD ON NAUSEA, POOR ON PAIN

New research published in the weekly British Medical Journal suggests
cannabis is better than conventional drugs at combating nausea among cancer
patients but less effective at easing acute pain, and in any case is prone
to side effects.

Two studies assessed nearly 40 medical trials involving cannabis, with the
goal of getting an overview of the drug's potential role in the hospital.

The first study was conducted by a team led by Martin Tramer of the
Department of Anesthesiology at Geneva University Hospital.

More than 1,300 chemotherapy patients were enlisted in 30 trials in which
they were given cannabis tablets or injections to fight nausea and vomiting.

In every trial, the cannabis was found to be more effective than
conventional anti-sickness drugs.

However, the cannabis also had more side effects, ranging from beneficial
(euphoria) to harmful (depressions and hallucinations).

Even if it were only taken for a short while, this problem is likely to
limit its clinical use, the study said.

The second study, led by Fiona Campbell of the Pain Management Centre at
Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, England, saw more than 200 patients,
most of them cancer sufferers or people in post-operative care, take part
in nine trials to see cannabis' effectiveness for treating acute or chronic
(long-term) pain.

In eight of these nine trials, the cannabis was no better than codeine and
had more side effects. The cannabis was administered by tablets or
intra-muscular injections, rather than by smoking.

"Cannabinoids are no more effective than codeine in controlling pain and
have depressant effects on the central nervous system that limit their
use," the study said.

"Their widespread introduction into clinical practice for pain management
is therefore undesirable. In acute post-operative pain, they should not be
used."