CANNABIS PLEA BY DOCTORS MAY NOT SAVE THIS MS SUFFERER FROM GOING TO PRISON

Elizabeth Ivol, a multiple sclerosis sufferer, is awaiting sentence after
being found guilty of possessing cannabis. Yesterday's move by the BMA to
encourage courts to show compassion in such cases may have come too late to
help her, reports Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor.

It is seven years since Elizabeth Ivol was diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis and in that time she has tried every treatment, orthodox and
unorthodox. The only one that has brought her relief is cannabis. Now that
may be denied her, too.

On 2 December she is due to be sentenced by the Sherrif's court in South
Ronaldsay, Orkney, where she lives with two dogs, after being found guilty
of growing 27 cannabis plants on the windowsills of her house. She has been
warned to expect a jail term, given the number of plants.

The British Medical Association is supporting patients such as Ms Ivol in
calling for a change in the law to allow derivatives of cannabis to be more
widely prescribed and research on cannabinoid treatments to go ahead.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of policy, said: "We are not calling for the
legalisation of cannabis. But we do believe there is medical evidence that
cannabinoids are helpful to justify a change in the law. Until then, the
courts should be aware of the medicinal uses of the drug and use their
compassion, sympathy and understanding when dealing with patients found in
possession."

Six police officers raided the home of Ms Ivol, 50, who walks with two
sticks, last September. A van was sent later to remove the plants. She
said: "I have tried all the diets, including the crackpot ones, and all the
drugs. I had horrible side effects after one course of injections. Three
years ago I was given some cannabis for Christmas. I was so amazed at the
difference it made I thought this had to be it."

The disease has caused numbness which has left most of her body without
feeling. She said: "When I smoked it I felt the ground under my feet for
the first time in years. I only smoke a miniscule amount enough to ease
the pain in my spine and restore the feeling from my bladder so I know when
to go to the toilet."

"You cannot believe the difference it has made to my life. It was either
cannabis or suicide. I didn't keep the plants secret, my neighbours watered
them for me, and I only had so many because I thought some might die. I
didn't think the court case would come to anything, seeing my
circumstances, but I was wrong."

A report by the BMA's Board of Science, Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis,
published yesterday says there is evidence the drug can help muscle spasm
and pain in multiple sclerosis patients, nausea in patients undergoing
chemotherapy for cancer, and chronic pain in other patients. There are also
some reports of benefits in epilepsy, glaucoma (the build up of pressure in
the eye), asthma, high blood pressure and the weight loss associated with
Aids.

Heather Ashton, professor of clinical psychopharmocology at the University
of Newcastle and chief author of the report said the priorities for
research should be multiple sclerosis and chronic pain. "The present
treatments are unsatisfactory, new drugs are badly needed and preliminary
evidence suggests cannabis derivatives might be effective."

The report did not advocate use of the whole cannabis plant which could be
as damaging as tobacco, she said. It was essential to extract the
constituents of cannabis that conferred benefit, in the same way that
morphine had been purified from opium, in order to establish which were
beneficial. "If you visit any mental hospital you will find young patients
who have gone crazy from smoking strong cannabis. Unpleasant mood effects
are common in patients with illnesses who are using it."

The Multiple Sclerosis Society said some patients had experienced benefits
from cannabis but others had suffered unpleasant side effects, including
loss of balance. It called for proper clinical trials to establish whether
cannabis derivatives were safe.