NEW PAIN RELIEVER DERIVED FROM MARIJUANA

Researchers say they have derived a drug from marijuana that relieves pain
without the mood-altering, giggle-inducing side effects. And you don't need
to roll it and smoke it, either.

Sumner Burstein, a professor of molecular pharmacology at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, said the drug, called ajulemic
acid, could improve the treatment of a variety of conditions, including
chronic pain, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

"We believe that ajulemic acid will replace aspirin and similar drugs in
most applications primarily because of a lack of toxic side effects," he
said. "The indications so far are that it's safe and effective."

Burstein presented the findings Wednesday at the American Chemical Society
meeting in Boston.

To date, most of the research looking at the drug's ability to control pain
and inflammation has been done on animals. Ajulemic acid is also called CT-3.

Two human trials, involving only 35 patients, have been conducted, Burstein
told the conference. The findings have not been peer reviewed, so could be
viewed with some skepticism.

The principal pain-killing compound in marijuana is
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); but THC is also what makes pot smokers
high.

Ajulemic acid is a synthetic derivative of THC. In animal tests, it was up
to 50 times more potent than THC as a painkiller. People who took the drug
did not experience any of the mood-altering effects usually associated with
marijuana.

Burstein said the new compound is far more potent than aspirin and
ibuprofen, but does not appear to have the same side effects, namely
gastrointestinal problems.

With an increasing number of medically beneficial compounds being found in
marijuana, researchers have been searching for years for ways to use these
compounds therapeutically without the associated high. They have had little
success.

To date, only one marijuana-derived drug has been approved in the United
States. Marinol is prescribed as an appetite stimulant for people with
HIV-AIDS and those suffering from nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy.