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Bulletin .

A newsletter about cannabis and cannabinoids as medicine

2007
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    IACM-Bulletin of December 23, 2007

    🏷️ Science — THC reduces chronic pain in patients who do not get sufficient pain relief from opioids

    According to a study conducted by researches of Harvard Medical School in Boston THC (dronabinol) was able to reduce pain in 30 patients taking opioids for chronic pain. Phase I of this 2-phase study was a double-blinded trial in which subjects were administered once on three occasions either 10 mg or 20 mg of THC or identical placebo capsules. Phase II was an open-label individually dosed trial of THC as add-on medication to patients on stable doses of opioids.

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    IACM-Bulletin of December 9, 2007

    🏷️ Science 🌐 USA — Clinical study with the cannabis extract Sativex started in the USA

    According to a press release by GW Pharmaceuticals the British company and its Japanese partner Otsuka Pharmaceutical began a phase III study of its cannabis spray Sativex pain-relief medicine for cancer patients. The five-week trial of 336 patients will test whether the drug reduces the pain of patients with advanced cancel who do not respond to opiates. The principal investigator of this study is Dr. Russell K. Portenoy, Chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. The study will be conductet in approximately 40 centers primarily in the US. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the potential role and dose of Sativex in these patients as an adjunct to their pre-existing pain medications.

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    IACM-Bulletin of November 25, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Cannabis improved neuropathic pain in clinical study

    According to a clinical study with 125 patients conducted at several centres under the guidance of professor Turo Nurmikko of the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, the cannabis extract Sativex significantly reduced neuropathic pain. In this 5-week placebo-controlled study 63 patients received Sativex and 62 received placebo. Patients remained on their existing stable analgesia. Sixty-nine percent of patients were taking opioid analgesics.

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    IACM-Bulletin of November 11, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Nabilone reduced chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia

    In a placebo-controlled study conducted at the University of Manitoba, Canada, with 40 patients suffering from fibromyalgia nabilone reduced pain and improved quality of life. After a baseline assessment, subjects were either titrated up on nabilone, from 0.5 mg once in the evening to 1 mg twice daily over 4 weeks or received a corresponding placebo. Nabilone is a synthetic THC derivative with similar effects.

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    IACM-Bulletin of October 28, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Cannabis extract effective without development of tolerance in 2-year trial

    According to a British study on patients with multiple sclerosis, who suffered from neuropathic pain, a cannabis spray (Sativex) maintained its efficacy in reducing pain over the whole period of two years. Following a five-week controlled study, which was completed by 64 patients, who either received the cannabis extract Sativex or a placebo, 63 patients entered an open-label extension study. The mean duration of the open-label treatment was 463 days. 34 patients completed more than one year and 28 completed the whole study (range: 701-917 days). 17 patients withdrew due to adverse effects of the study medication.

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    IACM-Bulletin of October 14, 2007

    🏷️ IACM — News at the IACM 2007 Conference in Cologne

    On 5-6 October the IACM held its 4th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine. Here are some excerpts from presentations.

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    IACM-Bulletin of September 30, 2007

    🏷️ Science — THC normalized impaired psychomotor performance and mood in a patient with hyperactivity disorder

    Scientists at the Department for Forensic and Traffic Medicine of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, investigated the effects of cannabis on driving related functions in a 28 year old man with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He had violated traffic regulations several times in recent years and his driving licence was revoked due to driving under the influence of cannabis. He showed abnormal behaviour, seemed to be significantly maladjusted and his concentration was heavily impaired while sober during the first meeting with a psychologist. He was allowed to perform driving related tests under the influence of the cannabis compound dronabinol (THC), which his doctor had prescribed him to treat his symptoms. The examiner expected that he was not able to drive a car under the acute influence of THC.

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    IACM-Bulletin of September 16, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Cannabidiol may be effective in preventing bovine spongiforme enzephalopathy (mad cow disease)

    According to basic research of scientists of the National Centre for Scientific Research in Valbonne, France, cannabidiol (CBD) may prevent the development of prion diseases, the most known being BSE (bovine spongiforme enzephalopathy), which is often called mad cow disease. It is believed that the BSE may be transmitted to human beings. In humans, it is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

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    IACM-Bulletin of September 2, 2007

    🌐 USA — Fight for the acceptance of state medicinal cannabis laws by the Bush administration

    While now all eight Democratic presidential candidates for the election in 2008 have pledged to stop federal raids on medical cannabis patients in the 12 states with laws allowing the use of cannabis to treat medical conditions, raids continue in California and started in New Mexico. California was the first state to legalize the medical use of cannabis in 1996, New Mexico was the last in 2007. In August US Senator Barack Obama became the latest Democratic presidential candidate to say that if he were elected president he would end raids from federal law enforcement agencies.

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    IACM-Bulletin of August 19, 2007

    🌐 Germany — MS patient receives a certificate of exemption for the medical use of cannabis by the Federal Health Ministry

    By a letter of 9 August the Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products (FPMP), an agency of the Federal Health Ministry, for the first time issued a certificate of exemption for the medical use of cannabis extract. The 51 year old patient from Baden-Wuerttemberg had applied for a certificate of exemption for the import of cannabis from the Netherlands. Instead, the agency suggested she use a cannabis extract, which would be made available by pharmaceutical companies at the end of August.

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    IACM-Bulletin of August 5, 2007

    🏷️ Science 🌐 UK — A widely cited new review supports findings from earlier studies that cannabis use may be associated with an increased risk of psychosis

    On 28 July the Lancet published a review that a comment called "the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of a possible causal relation between cannabis use and psychotic and affective illness later in life." A major reason, why this review attracts much attention is the consideration of the new British Government and the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reclassify cannabis under British narcotics law from a class C (non-arrestable drug) to a class B drug, so that possession of cannabis again would carry the risk of being arrested. In 2004 cannabis was downgraded from a class B to a class C drug.

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    IACM-Bulletin of July 22, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Rimonabant suggested for the treatment of cannabis addiction

    The cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant (Acomplia) attenuated the psychological effects of cannabis in a study by researchers of the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the USA with 42 healthy subjects. Authors suggested that the drug may have a "therapeutic potential for a wide range of addictions, including cannabis dependence."

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    IACM-Bulletin of July 8, 2007

    🏷️ Science — THC and cannabis cause an increase in caloric intake and body weight in HIV-positive cannabis users

    According to a clinical study at the New York State Psychiatric Institute with 10 HIV-positive cannabis users THC (dronabinol) and cannabis dose-dependently increased daily caloric intake and body weight. All patients completed two 16-day phases at the institute. All received THC capsules (5 and 10 mg) and cannabis cigarettes (2 per cent and 3.9 per cent THC) 4 times daily for 4 days. Only one drug was active per day. All active phases were separated by 4 days of placebo administration. Cognitive performance were measured using a task battery measuring various aspects of learning, memory, vigilance and psychomotor ability.

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    IACM-Bulletin of June 24, 2007

    🌐 Germany — The Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products concedes an exemption for the medical use of cannabis to some patients

    In letters of June 2007 to some patients the Federal Institute for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Products (BfArM, Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte), an institution of the Federal Health Ministry, in principle concedes their right to use cannabis for medicinal puposes. The presented medical documents would show, that a treatment with the available medicinal drugs "turned out not to be successful so that the use of cannabis can be recommended from a clinical point of view" and that "an approved drug that would at least be as effective as cannabis for the treatment of your illness is currently not available," respectively.

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    IACM-Bulletin of June 10, 2007

    🏷️ Science — THC improves appetite and reverses weight loss in AIDS patients

    Researchers at the Orlando Immunology Center in Florida investigated the long-term effects of THC (dronabinol) on 117 patients with HIV/AIDS, who lost weight. Subjects who received dronabinol for 3 to 12 months were included in a retrospective analysis. THC was shown to improve appetite and weight and to reduce nausea.

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    IACM-Bulletin of May 27, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Cannabis smoking worsens breathing problems in cigarette smokers

    The smoking of cannabis worsens breathing problems in current cigarette smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference on 22 May.

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    IACM-Bulletin of May 13, 2007

    🌐 USA — Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives vote to make the state medical cannabis law permanent

    The Rhode Island Senate passed a bill on 3 May that would make the state's medical cannabis law permanent. The bill passed with a margin of 28-5, wide enough to sustain a possible veto from Governor Donald Carcieri, who vetoed the original bill in 2005. Lawmakers of the House of Representatives passed an identical measure on 2 May by a similarly large margin (50-12).

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    IACM-Bulletin of April 29, 2007

    🌐 World — The Commission on Narcotic Drugs of the United Nations decided against reclassification of dronabinol (THC) due to political reasons

    On its 50th meeting held in Vienna from 12-16 March 2007 the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) of the UN decided against a rescheduling of dronabinol (THC), the main active principle of cannabis, from Schedule II to Schedule III of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, as it was proposed by the Expert Committee of the World Health Organisation (WHO) at its meeting in 2006.

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    IACM-Bulletin of April 15, 2007

    🌐 Italy — Government wants to allow the use of cannabis-based medicines

    The Italian Senate should approve "the new law proposal by the Italian government, that simplifies the medical prescription of all analgesic drugs, not only opioid-based drugs but also those containing cannabis derivatives, without delay." This is the solicitation of Health Minister Livia Turco, at the meeting "Rehabilitation activities: yesterday, today, tomorrow", held at the Leonarda Vaccari Institute in Rome on March 22.

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    IACM-Bulletin of April 1, 2007

    🏷️ Science — THC relaxes the colon and may be useful in irritable bowel syndrome

    According to a study conducted at the Mayo Clinic, USA, with 52 volunteers the application of THC relaxed the large intestine. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a single dose of 7.5 mg oral THC or a placebo. The effects of THC on the colon were measured one hour after medication, during fasting and one hour after a meal rich in calories (1000 kcal). THC caused a significant increase in colonic compliance, a non-significant increase of relaxation in fasting colonic tone and a significant inhibition of colonic tone after the meal.

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    IACM-Bulletin of March 18, 2007

    🌐 USA — New Mexico will become the twelfth state to legalize the medical use of cannabis

    On 13 March the House of Representatives approved a bill that would legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes in New Mexico by a 36-31 vote. On 14 March the Senate, which already approved the bill some time ago, accepted a small change by the House of Representatives that would forbid the distribution of cannabis within 300 feet (about 100 meters) of any church, school or day-care center.

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    IACM-Bulletin of March 4, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Sativex effective against spasticity in MS patients in clinical trial

    Results of a clinical study on the cannabis extract Sativex in patients with multiple sclerosis, which have already presented on the website of GW Pharmaceuticals and in the IACM-Bulletin earlier, have now been published in the European Journal of Neurology. Satives contains equal amounts of THC and CBD. The study forms part of the application for aproval of Sativex for MS spasticity submitted in September 2006 in four European countries.

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    IACM-Bulletin of February 18, 2007

    🏷️ Science — Cannabis effective in nerve pain associated with HIV

    In a clinical study conducted at the San Francisco General Hospital in 50 HIV patients, who suffered from neuropathic pain, smoked cannabis resulted in a significant pain reduction compared with placebo. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups to smoke either cannabis (3.56 per cent THC, about 25 mg THC) or identical placebo cigarettes without cannabinoids three times daily for 5 days. All participants had experience with the use of cannabis. 31 used other pain medications and continued to use them throughout the study at stable doses, among them opioids and gabapentin.

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    IACM-Bulletin of February 4, 2007

    🌐 World — WHO expert committee recommends reclassification of dronabinol

    The WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) met in Geneva from 28 to 31 March 2006. It recommended that dronabinol (THC) should be rescheduled from Schedule II to the less restrictive Schedule III of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances of the United Nations. This recommendation will be made to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which may accept or reject this recommendation.

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    IACM-Bulletin of January 21, 2007

    🏷️ Science 🌐 UK — Cannabis extract effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain in two clinical studies

    In a press release by the British company GW Pharmaceuticals of 15 January 2007 results of two clinical studies with the cannabis extract Sativex were presented, one in patients with neuropathic pain characterised by allodynia, the other in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. In the first study the use of Sativex resulted in clinically important improvements in the management of pain and quality of sleep. The results of the study in patients with diabetic neuropathy show a less clear difference between the cannabis extract and placebo. Both studies focused on patients, who were already taking the best available pain treatments, and yet still suffered severe pain. The other pain medicines were maintained during the studies.

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    IACM-Bulletin of January 7, 2007

    🏷️ IACM — Call for papers for the 2007 Conference in Cologne

    CALL FOR PAPERS: The program committee would like to invite you to present your research at the IACM 4th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine in Cologne, Germany, on 5-6 October. You may submit your abstract electronically until 15 April 2007 for oral presentations and until 15 June 2007 for poster presentations to info@cannabis-med.org. If your abstract is accepted you will have free access to the meeting. In addition, speakers will have one night of free accommodation at the conference hotel Holiday Inn. Speakers may ask the IACM for a subsidy of their travel expenses.

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