International Association for Cannabis as Medicine Bulletin of 17 February 2008

IACM-Bulletin of 17 February 2008
--------------------------------------------------------

* Finland: Health ministry plans to publish guidelines for the
medical use of cannabis
* USA: The largest American association of physicians calls for
reclassification of cannabis and protection of patients who use
the drug according to state laws

1.

Finland: Health ministry plans to publish guidelines for the
medical use of cannabis

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health wants to publish
guidelines on the medical use of cannabis. Just over a year ago
the National Agency for Medicines granted its first special
permission for medical cannabis to a man suffering from chronic
pain stemming from a back injury. The Agency had initially
rejected the application for the use of cannabis prescribed by a
Dutch doctor. The patient appealed the case to his regional
Administrative Court, which overturned the decision.

The court decision also forced the Ministry for Social Affairs
and Health to clarify legislation. It is expected, that in a few
months changes will be enacted that allow the prescription of
cannabis. Under the plan, even after the changes, cannabis
prescriptions for medicinal purposes will require the permission
of the National Agency for Medicines.

The report is available at: http://yle.fi/news/id77759.html

(Source: YLE News of 17 December 2007)

2.

USA: The largest American association of physicians calls for
reclassification of cannabis and protection of patients who use
the drug according to state laws

The largest association of physicians, the American College of
Physicians (ACP), is calling on the federal government to ease
its strict ban on cannabis as medicine and hasten research into
the drug's therapeutic uses. In a 13-page position paper the
organization, which has 124,000 members, calls on the
government to drop cannabis from Schedule I of narcotic drugs,
a classification it shares with illegal drugs such as heroin and
LSD. Narcotics of Schedule have no medicinal value and a high
potential of abuse.

In their paper the ACP expresses the following five positions:
"Position 1: ACP supports programs and funding for rigorous
scientific evaluation of the potential therapeutic benefits of
medical marijuana and the publication of such findings. (…)
Position 2: ACP encourages the use of nonsmoked forms of
THC that have proven therapeutic value.
Position 3: ACP supports the current process for obtaining
federal research-grade cannabis.
Position 4: ACP urges review of marijuana’s status as a
schedule I controlled substance and its reclassification into a
more appropriate schedule, given the scientific evidence
regarding marijuana’s safety and efficacy in some clinical
conditions.
Position 5: ACP strongly supports exemption from federal
criminal prosecution; civil liability; or professional sanctioning,
such as loss of licensure or credentialing, for physicians who
prescribe or dispense medical marijuana in accordance with
state law. Similarly, ACP strongly urges protection from criminal
or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as
permitted under state laws."

The paper is available on the website of the American College of
Physicians at:
http://www.acponline.org/acp_news/medmarinews.htm

(Sources: Los Angeles Times of 14 February 2008, website of
the ACP)

3.

News in brief

***USA: Oregon and Nevada
According to newspaper reports there are currently about
16.000 patients in Oregon and 900 in Nevada, who are allowed
to use cannabis for medicinal purposes according to the state
laws. (Sources: Oregonian of 4 February 2008, Nevada Appeal
of 4 February 2008)

***UK: Symposium
A joint symposium of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences
and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain entitled
"Cannabinoid Medicines" will be held on 10 March 2008 in
London. More information at:
http://www.rpsgb.org/worldofpharmacy/events. (Source:
Personal communication)

***Science: Cognition
Researchers of the University of Toronto, Canada, investigated
cognitive functioning in a group of 140 patients with multiple
sclerosis, of whom 10 were current cannabis users. Cannabis
users performed significantly worse on a test of information
processing speed, working memory and sustained attention, the
so-called Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Researchers
suggest to conduct more studies to clarify if cannabis use is
responsible for the worse performance. (Source: Ghaffar O, et
al. Neurology 2008, Feb 13 [electronic publication ahead of
print])

***Science: Course of cannabis use
German scientists investigated the natural course of cannabis
use, abuse and dependence over a period of 10 years in 3021
subjects aged 14-24 years at baseline. In their research which
will be published in March, about one third of the sample (34.2
per cent) had used cannabis at least once. 46.3 per cent of those
who had used cannabis more than five times at baseline reported
to have used cannabis also ten years later. (Source: Perkonigg
A, et al. Addiction 2008;103(3):439-449)

***Science: Allergy
Spanish scientists investigated allergies to cannabis leaves. They
found out that subjects with an allergy against tomato have a high
risk to also have an allergy to cannabis leaves. (Source: de
Larramendi CH, et al. Int Arch Allergy Immunol
2008;146(3):195-202)

***Science: Allergy
Researchers of the university of Florence, Italy, investigated the
effects of a synthetic cannabinoid (CP55,940), which such as
THC binds to both the CB1 and the CB2 receptor, on allergic
asthma in animals. Asthmatic symptoms of Guinea pigs which
were allergic against a certain protein (ovalbumin) improved
considerably if they were given the cannabinoid before exposure
to the allergen. (Source: Giannini L, et al. J Cell Mol Med. 2008
Feb 4 [Electronic publication ahead of print])

***Science: Periodontosis
Scientists of New Zealand investigated whether cannabis
smoking is a risk factor for periodontosis as is known for
tobacco smoking. Data of a prospective study with 1015
participants who were followed from their birth in the 1972 and
1973 into adulthood were used (the so-called Dunedin birth
cohort). The highest exposure cannabis group had an about
doubled risk to present with signs of periodontosis. (Source:
Thomson WM, et al. JAMA 2008;299(5):525-31.)

***Science: Hyperactivity disorder
Researchers of New Zealand investigated the association
between adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
and cannabis use in a prospective study of 1265 children who
now were 25 years old (the so-called Christchurch birth cohort).
Cannabis use by age 25 was significantly associated with
increasing self-reported adult ADHD symptoms at the same age.
(Source: Fergusson DM and Boden JM. Drug Alcohol Depend.
2008 Jan 31 [Electronic publication ahead of print])

***Science: Fatty liver
According to French researchers daily cannabis use was
associated with an increased risk of fatty liver in patients with
hepatitis C. A total of 315 patients with untreated hepatitis C,
who underwent liver biopsy were included in the study. Daily
cannabis use was an independent risk factor, which doubled the
frequency of fatty liver compared to occasional users and non
users. (Source: Hézode C, et al. Gastroenterology
2008;134(2):432-9.)

***Science: Lung cancer
In a study with 79 lung cancer patients of scientists of the
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand heavy cannabis
smoking was associated with a six-fold increase of lung cancer.
This is one of the smallest study of this kind and the largest study
conducted so far in the USA did not find an increased risk for
lung cancer in cannabis smokers. (Source: Aldington S, et al.
Eur Respir J 2008;31(2):280-6.)

***Science: Pregnancy
In a prospective study with 648 children researchers of the
University of Pittsburgh found a decreased performance in an
intelligence test (Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale) at age 6 if
their mothers had used cannabis daily during pregnancy.
(Source: Goldschmidt L, et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc
Psychiatry. 2008 Jan 22 [Electronic publication ahead of print])

4.

ONE YEAR AGO:
- Science: Cannabis effective in nerve pain associated with HIV
- USA: An administrative court recommends to the DEA to
allow a Massachusetts professor to grow cannabis

TWO YEARS AGO:
- Science: THC protects heart cells in the case of lowered
oxygen supply

(More at the IACM-Bulletin archives: http://www.cannabis-
med.org/)

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