'MOCK CANNABIS' FOUND TO EASE MS

Scientists have proved that cannabis-like drugs can alleviate some of
the worst symptoms of the progressive disease multiple sclerosis,
possibly bringing hope to the 85,000 or so sufferers in Britain.

There have been claims for decades that cannabis could help MS
patients with spasticity and tremors. But scientists from London,
Aberdeen and South Carolina report in Nature Today that they have
direct proof that a cannabinoid compound used on mice with a multiple
sclerosis-like condition helped ameliorate symptoms within minutes.

"Although not a cure," said David Baker, of the institute of neurology
at University College, London, "our research suggests that
cannabinoids can play a crucial role in controlling some of the
neuromuscular problems seen with MS."

Lorna Layward of the Multiple Sclerosis Society said: "The study
provides a firm basis for the human trials of cannabis in MS that will
commence shortly."

Cannabis was used medically for thousands of years. The Greeks knew of
it. Queen Victoria is believed to have been prescribed it. Until 1971
doctors in Britain were able to prescribe it for patients. The drug
has been said to help quell nausea during cancer chemotherapy and
relieve the pressure in the eye in glaucoma.

But because cannabis is a scheduled drug, and a herb that comes in
varying strengths, serious analysis of its value has been difficult.

The London team - backed by pharmacologists in Aberdeen and South
Carolina, and a government-funded medical research council group -
chose to work not with the drug itself but with cannabis-like chemicals.

"We have naturally-occurring cannabis receptors in our body," said Dr
Layward.

"We used compounds that stimulate the receptors. Whether these are
safe and acceptable remains to be seen."

Shug -- "There is no evidence to suggest that the continued use of
marihuana is a stepping-stone to the use of opiates. Prolonged use of
the drug does not lead to physical, mental, or moral degeneration, nor
have we observed any permanent deleterious effects from its continued
use. Quite the contrary, marihuana and its derivatives and allied
synthetics have potentially valuable therapeutic applications which
merit future investigation."

Psychiatric Aspects of Marihuana Intoxication Samuel Allentuck, MD,
and Karl Bowman, MD