MARIJUANA DRUG TOUTED AS A SAFE PAIN RELIEVER

U.S. 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, Mass., said the drug, called
ajulemic acid, could improve 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."

Dr. Burstein presented the findings yesterday at the American Chemical
Society meeting in Boston, the world's largest scientific conference.

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, but
results are not yet available, Dr. 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findings have not been peer reviewed, so could be viewed with some skepticism.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 pain-killer. People who took the drug
did not experience any of the mood-altering effects usually associated with
marijuana.

Dr. 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.