SCIENTISTS STUDY MEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF MARIJUANA

THC: Drug Relieves Pain Comfortably, But Clinical Trials Not Yet
Complete

In the winter of 1983, a chance encounter with a tree changed Scott
Imler's life forever.

While skiing, the teen-aged Imler, co-founder of the Los Angeles
Cannabis Resource CoOperative, ran into the tree and split his head
open.

Because of the severity of the injury, Imler developed epilepsy, a
condition characterized by seizures and pain.

To ease his suffering, he needed to take specific drugs like Valium,
medicines known as barbiturates or downers that had serious side
effects.

"They kill your blood cells and cause liver damage," Imler said. "If you
take them in large doses, you can't do anything."

Discouraged with the drugs' side effects, Imler then turned to marijuana
for medicinal use. Currently, he takes three to four "puffs" a day for
pain relief.

Because extensive clinical trials have not been completed, scientists
must rely on anecdotal situations such as Imler's and research trials on
animals to understand the relevancy of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

But use of marijuana is not without negative effects.

"We don't know if the benefits outweigh the (costs)," Tashkin said.

The psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which, is a compound that plays a
role in physiological processes such as memory, mood and appetite,
according to Professor of Medicine Donald Tashkin.

"There are a number of potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoids," he
said. "The scientific basis for medical applications of cannabinoids
comes from animal studies."

Tashkin said animal trials have shown that THC reduces pain and could
lessen muscle spasms, symptoms of both multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.

Because of such results, many patients suffering from terminal
illnesses, such as certain types of cancer and AIDS, have turned to
marijuana for relief.

Recent research conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism found that compounds in the drug increase appetite.

AIDS and cancer patients often experience a lack of appetite because of
the medicines they take. The substances in marijuana may be a factor in
stimulating a craving for food for some of these patients.

For Imler, the benefits not only include alleviation of seizures, but
also a new lease on life.

"I don't sit in front of the TV anymore," he said. "The effects of the
(other) drugs can be debilitating."

Despite the positive side of using marijuana for medicinal use, Tashkin
pointed out the serious health risks associated with continued use of
the drug.

He said previous research at UCLA has shown that smoking marijuana is a
significant risk for head and neck cancer in young patients.

Other negative effects include abnormalities in the airways of habitual
marijuana smokers.

Researchers believe that THC suppresses the functions of macrophages in
the lungs, which defend against infections, and may lead to cancerous
growths, according to Tashkin.

Imler said most users of medicinal marijuana smoke the drug, which is
one of the major negative effects of using the substance. But it is the
act of smoking that gives immediate relief.

At the same time, patients also have the option of ingesting THC in pill
form.

"Any physician can order that," Tashkin said. "But the disadvantage is a
delay in the onset of THC."

According to Imler, physicians can only give a recommendation for
marijuana, not a prescription. At LACRC, members grow their own plants
for patients with such recommendations.

Michele Pearson, Director of Ancillary Services at the Arthur Ashe
Student Health and Wellness Center said the pharmacy at the center does
not dispense marijuana for medicinal use.

She said because the center provides services paid for by student fees,
it has to cater to the needs of most students, and the majority of UCLA
students don't come to the center for severe medical issues like cancer
or AIDS.

According to Pearson, if patients are so ill that they need the pain
relief provided by such drugs as marijuana, they would most likely be
unable to maintain an active campus life.

"We don't see those kinds of patients here, and if they do, we refer
them out," she said.