MARIJUANA DERIVATIVES TESTED IN
MICE --------------------------------------------

A research study by an international group of investigators suggests that
injections of chemical derivatives of marijuana either natural or synthetic
may control spasticity and tremor in laboratory mice that have an MS-like
disease called EAE. The study results were published in the March 2, 2000
issue of the journal Nature.

Spasticity (increased muscle tone causing stiff, painful movements) can
sometimes be difficult to control even with approved medications. Tremor
(involuntary trembling or quivering) is untreatable at present. Over the
years there have been claims that marijuana—or its derivatives, known as
cannabinoids—could help these MS symptoms, but clinical studies have been
scanty and inconclusive.

Investigators at University College London and other institutions in Britain
and the U.S. tested 5 different cannabinoids, and found that intra-venous
infusions of 4 of them could temporarily relieve spasticity and/or tremor in
mice with EAE. But it's a long way from mice with EAE to humans with MS.

A clinical trial in the U.K --------------------------------------------

A large clinical trial involving 660 people with different forms of MS is
now under way in Britain to determine whether taking cannabi-noids in
capsule form can help con-trol spasticity. Even if cannabinoids are shown to
have a positive impact on these symptoms, it is unclear whether their
psychoactive side effects can be minimized enough to make their regular use
as a treatment feasible.

Pilot research in the U.S. --------------------------------------------

In the U.S., the National MS Society is supporting a pilot research project
to investigate the impact of stimulating structures in the brain called
cannabi-noid receptors. The pilot study is in lab animals. This approach
would avoid using marijuana derivatives altogether and might open new
avenues to managing these difficult symptoms.