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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Arrest MS, Not Patients
Paul Armentano United Press International
Monday 22 Sep 2003 Note: The author is a senior policy analyst for the NORML Foundation, a group that supports the liberalization of America's marijuana laws, in Washington. WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- A potential breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis could lie on the horizon, and it may come from an unlikely source: marijuana. According to clinical findings published in the most recent issue of the journal Brain, cannabinoids (ingredients in marijuana) offer neuroprotection against allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. After analyzing the findings, authors at London's Institute of Neurology concluded, "In addition to symptom management, cannabis may also slow down the neurodegenerative processes that ultimately lead to chronic disability in multiple sclerosis and probably other diseases." Their statement gives hope to the estimated 350,000 patients in the United States living with MS, a debilitating and sometimes fatal disorder of the central nervous system. Although previous human studies have indicated that pot may provide therapeutic relief to common symptoms of MS such as muscle spasms, tremor, and incontinence, the London study is one of the first to indicate that cannabinoids may also potentially stave off the disease. Unfortunately, far too many politicians remain in the dark about marijuana's medicinal value, with many in Congress opting to punish medicinal pot patients rather than support them. In an effort to change this view, dozens of MS patients who use marijuana therapeutically are descending on Washington this week to bring needed attention to the medicinal marijuana issue. Patients will be holding a candlelight vigil in front of the Supreme Court in honor of Cheryl Miller -- a longtime medical marijuana activist who died of MS-related complications in June -- as well as a press conference with various members of Congress in support of House Bill 2233, the "States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act." "Throughout much of her life, Cheryl risked arrest and jail to use the only medication that alleviated her suffering," remembers her husband Jim Miller, organizer of the patient march on Washington. "I hope that by bringing attention to the plight of my late wife Cheryl, I can hasten the day when marijuana will be made available so that others are no longer needlessly forced to suffer with pain or risk arrest." Further research on the use of marijuana as a medicine is forthcoming. Nevertheless, it appears that many MS sufferers have already learned what the scientific community is just now discovering. For example, a recent British survey of MS patients found that 43 percent of respondents used marijuana therapeutically. Among them, nearly three quarters said that pot mitigated their spasms, and more than half said it alleviated their pain. Clinical data published in the spring edition of the journal Clinical Rehabilitation affirmed these perceptions. The study, performed by researchers at Oxford University, found that MS patients administered whole-plant marijuana extracts experienced improved pain relief, bladder control, and spasticity compared to placebo. As a result, these pot extracts are now being evaluated by the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which is expected to make a decision regarding the drugs' legalization this fall. Meanwhile, a survey published last month in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences reported that 96 percent of Canadian MS patients believe that marijuana is therapeutically useful for treating the disease. Of those who admitted using marijuana medicinally, the majority found it to be beneficial, particularly in the treatment of chronic pain, spasticity and depression. With scientific evidence mounting and large numbers of MS sufferers already using marijuana medicinally, it's time to for Congress to acknowledge pot's emerging role as a therapeutic agent, and stand up for the rights of patients who ease their pain and suffering through the use of marijuana. - ---
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