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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Spain: More patients turn to cannabis to ease pain
B. Atienza Sur in English
Friday 26 May 2006 More patients turn to cannabis to ease pain. The Junta de Andalucía is studying the benefits of the drug for therapeutic reasons. More and more patients with chronic and terminal illnesses are turning to cannabis in an attempt to ease their pain and the side effects of treatments. It is estimated that the number of patients who use the drug for therapeutic reasons increases by 20 per cent every year although figures are not reliable as the sale of the drug and its consumption in public are illegal. Pro-cannabis associations explain that patients normally try the drug when other more traditional medicines and therapies fail. The majority suffer illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, migraine, tumours or arthritis or are undergoing chemotherapy. The Andalusian Health Service (SAS) is currently studying the therapeutic use of cannabis to evaluate its potential risks and effectiveness, with the aim of improving the quality of life of sufferers. This would be a preliminary stage to a debate regarding the drug’s legalisation. The benefits of cannabis are still under study and doctors do not feel brave enough to recommend its use to their patients. Its defenders stress it has an antinausea effect as well as stimulating the appetite and providing pain relief. Researchers at Seville University have even shown with animals that the use of cannabis derivatives could be effective in the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease. On the other hand those against the legalisation of cannabis have doubts about its therapeutic qualities and stress that consumption can lead to schizophrenia or depression. http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=8451 http://www.ccguide.org.uk/index.php
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