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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis conference
Evening News, Dundee
Friday 25 Jun 2004 Queen Victoria took it for pain, and many with serious illness smoke cannabis for a soothing effect, writes Marjory Inglis, medical reporter. But an international conference in Dundee today heard science still doesn't swear by the drug. Local multiple sclerosis expert Dr Jonathan O'Riordan, who is chairing the meeting in West Park Conference Centre, said anecdotally patients reported an easing of pain. Several international trials had investigated the effects of cannabis, but a recent one he and 20 local patients were involved in had proved negative. That trial had been investigating whether cannabis helped stiffness in the body due to MS. Dr O'Riordan, director of the MS Research Unit based at Ninewells Hospital, said as yet there had been no involvement locally on pain trials. That may change, as his team is currently negotiating to become involved. 'There is something in cannabis, but the evidence so far doesn't suggest we should be prescribing it,'said Dr O'Riordan. 'Anecdotally, it seems to be helpful. It may have an effect on pain.' He explained cannabis was outlawed in the US in 1937, but that did not happen in the UK until 1971. 'It was used medicinally until 1971 in the UK.' He explained that cannabis is a complex weed. 'It contains about 450 compounds, 60 of which are cannabinoids (the compounds that interest the boffins),' he said. Dr O'Riordan explained that cannabinoids are naturally occurring in the brain and they 'do certain things', but doctors and researchers were uncertain about their function.
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