CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS ON CANNABIS

Sir, - Professor Anthony Seaton (Letters, 8 January) has rather put me to
shame by exposing my ignorance of the controlled clinical trials he carried
out in the 1970s on 5-tetrahydrocannabinol (the pharmacologically active
compound of cannabis resin) in the management of patients with terminal
lung cancer.

He concluded it had "medically desirable affects" in that condition but,
suprisingly, publication of his favourable results was not followed by any
attempt to introduce an appropriate preperation of cannabis into the
palliative care of terminal malignant disease.

He might, I think, concede there could be a case for doing so, since the
medically desirable effects of cannabis he demonstrated might, at least for
a time, spare patients the unpleasant side-effects of opiates. It is also
not inconceivable that a combination of cannabis and opiates might provide
better palliation than either medication given alone.

Prof Seaton and I at least seem to be in agreement that there is a strong
case for further scientific investigation of cannabis as a medical drug. I
would favour extending the field of investigation from terminal malignant
diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Because of the widespread opposition to any relaxation of the regulations
governing addictive drugs, it would probably be necessary for influential
medical bodies (such as the Royal Colleges of Physicians) to put pressure
on the Government to permit, and possibly to fund, the extensive clinical
trials necessary to confirm or refute whatever favourable opinions have
been expressed on the value of cannabis in clinical practice.

(Dr) Ian W B Grant
Nether Balchandy
By Pitlochry
Perthshire