POT AIDS CANCER PATIENTS

The ingredient that gives cannabis its "high" and famously whets the
appetite can help cancer patients recover lost pleasure in food,
according to a new study.

Researchers in Canada enrolled 21 patients who had been treated with
chemotherapy for advanced cancer, and gave them either capsules
containing THC -delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive
chemical in cannabis -or dummy look-alike pills.

Volunteers took the tablets for 18 days, and were asked to fill in
questionnaires. Seventy-three per cent of those who took the THC
reported an increased liking for food and 55 per cent said the
medication "made food taste better." In the placebo group, these
figures were only 30 per cent and 10 per cent.

Both groups consumed roughly the same total of calories, but the THC
patients said they ate more protein than before the start of the
experiment and enjoyed savoury foods more.

The THC-takers also reported better quality of sleep and relaxation
than in the placebo group.

Lead investigator Wendy Wismer of the University of Alberta said the
findings were important because cancer, or its treatment, can cripple
appetite and lead to dangerous weight loss.