CANNABIS TREATMENT TRIALS ON VOLUNTEERS ENCOURAGING

A British company growing thousands of cannabis plants for therapeutic use
yesterday said the first study in which volunteers took extracts of the
drug had shown encouraging results.

The pilot Phase One study involved just six healthy individuals and was
intended to pave the way for larger patient trials.

GW Pharmaceuticals, which is cultivating cannabis under a special Home
Office licence, said although the study had been completed analysis of the
data was continuing. Dr Geoffrey Guy, the company's chairman, said: "all
the subjects came through very well, and we were very pleased with the
study. Now we have a much better idea of what our starting point should be."

He said no results would be disclosed until publication in a scientific
journal. This will probably have to wait until the completion of the next
phase.

Dr Guy personally potted GW Pharmaceuticals' 20,000th cannabis plant on
August 24 this year. The plants are housed in a highly secure and
environmentally controlled glasshouse at a secret location in the Home
Counties. The company hopes to produce cannabis treatments mainly to
relieve pain and dysfunction caused by nerve damage.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that compounds extracted from the drug could
benefit sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injury, arthritis and
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as well as a number of other problems.

In the pilot study, conducted at an anonymous clinical pharmacology unit,
volunteers were given cannabis extracts either from an inhaler or via
liquid under the tongue. The main aim was to assess how well the treatments
were tolerated and obtain an initial idea of the optimum dosage.

Heart rate, temperature and respiration were monitored and blood samples
taken for analysis. In addition each volunteer went through a battery of
cognitive and psychometric tests.

Dr Guy said: "we have been able to define and follow through the
psychoactive effects. None of the effects is disturbing, or would be
classed in a clinical trial as serious." He said patients did not need to
get high to gain a therapeutic benefit. In fact psychoactive effects
appeared to indicate an overdose.

If approved by the regulatory authorities, the second phase trials would
commence next year.

They will involve up to two or three hundred patients with MS, spinal cord
injury, and phantom limb pain, said Dr Guy.

By the end of the final Phase Three trials a total of around 2,000 patients
will have taken part.

The main studies should be completed in 2002.