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- Newsgroups: alt.drugs
- From: andersom@spot.Colorado.EDU (Marc Anderson)
- Subject: Lester Grinspoon at Colo
- Message-ID: <1993Jul28.004812.4401@ucsu.Colorado.EDU>
- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1993 00:48:12 GMT
-
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- Dr. Grinspoon gave a speech last Friday in Denver about his new book
- _Forbidden Medicine_ and medical marijuana in general. I got there
- late but enjoyed a good deal of his talk, including a panel discussion
- with a doctor from the Colorado Health Sciences Center (Colorado's Med
- School) -- uhm, Dr. Robinson(?), I think it was... The talk was very
- un-technical, and a lot of the data was anecdotal (Grinspoon acknowledged
- this, and it's understandable due to the target audience). He really
- did impress me as being someone who knew what he was talking about, though.
- I hooked up with him after and asked him a few questions on his opinions
- about the ultimate dangers of cannabis (respiratory system, and its
- carcinogenicity), and his basic response was that, once we can get it
- legalized, this problem would be solved very quickly. (i.e., with vaporizers,
- etc.)
-
- The doctor from CHSC was an oncologist, and he was fairly critical of
- Grinspoon, although, Grinspoon held his ground well. However, Dr. Robinson
- did seem in favor of making cannabis available for medical purposes. I
- asked Dr. Robinson what his opinion is on the possible significance of
- Po 210 in tobacco carcinogenicity, and he said that the other agents in
- tobacco probably override this danger...
-
- Dr. Grinspoon's book seems cool, although, again, much of it is based
- on anecdotal evidence he has received from personal connections. It still
- appeared to have a good number of references. I'm probably gonna pick
- it up in a few weeks when I get some money.
-
- One of the interesting things Grinspoon talked about is cannabis' use in
- treating multiple sclerosis, of which, he mostly talked about anecdotal
- results reported in his book. I cross-ref'd cannabis and multiple
- sclerosis through paperchase and came up with a few refs which I'll attach
- to this post.
-
- oh, and btw: Dr. Grinspoon's fax # is 617-277-8423, for anyone interested
- in getting in touch with him.
-
- - -marc
- andersom@spot.colorado.edu
-
-
- 1
- AU - Petro DJ
- AU - Ellenberger C Jr
- TI - Treatment of human spasticity with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
- AB - Spasticity is a common neurologic condition in patients with multiple
- sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy or an injured spinal cord. Animal
- studies suggest that THC has an inhibitory effect on polysynaptic
- reflexes. Some spastic patients claim improvement after inhaling
- cannabis. We tested muscle tone, reflexes, strength and performed
- EMGs before and after double-blinded oral administration of either 10
- or 5 mg THC or placebo. The blinded examiner correctly identified the
- trials in which the patients received THC in seven of nine cases. For
- the group, 10 mg THC significantly reduced spasticity by clinical
- measurement (P less than 0.01). Quadriceps EMG interference pattern
- was reduced in those four patients with primarily extensor
- spasticity. THC was administered to eight other patients with
- spasticity and other CNS lesions. Responses varied, but benefit was
- seen in three of three patients with "tonic spasms." No benefit was
- noted in patients with cerebellar disease.
- SO - J Clin Pharmacol 1981 Aug-Sep;21(8-9 Suppl):413S-416S
- DP - 1981 Aug-Sep
- TA - J Clin Pharmacol
- PG - 413S-416S
- IP - 8-9 Suppl
- VI - 21
- IS - 0091-2700
- UI - 82053565
-
- 2
- AU - Ungerleider JT
- AU - Andyrsiak T
- AU - Fairbanks L
- AU - Ellison GW
- AU - Myers LW
- TI - Delta-9-THC in the treatment of spasticity associated with multiple
- sclerosis.
- AB - Marijuana is reported to decrease spasticity in patients with
- multiple sclerosis. This is a double blind, placebo controlled,
- crossover clinical trial of delta-9-THC in 13 subjects with clinical
- multiple sclerosis and spasticity. Subjects received escalating doses
- of THC in the range of 2.5-15 mg., five days of THC and five days of
- placebo in randomized order, divided by a two-day washout period.
- Subjective ratings of spasticity and side effects were completed and
- semiquantitative neurological examinations were performed. At doses
- greater than 7.5 mg there was significant improvement in patient
- ratings of spasticity compared to placebo. These positive findings in
- a treatment failure population suggest a role for THC in the
- treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis.
- AD - Department of Psychiatry
- AD - U.C.L.A. School of Medicine 90024.
- SO - Adv Alcohol Subst Abuse 1987;7(1):39-50
- DP - 1987
- TA - Adv Alcohol Subst Abuse
- PG - 39-50
- IP - 1
- VI - 7
- IS - 0270-3106
- UI - 88160795
-
- 3
- AU - Clifford DB
- TI - Tetrahydrocannabinol for tremor in multiple sclerosis.
- AB - Based on one patient's enthusiastic report, eight patients with
- multiple sclerosis, seriously disabled with tremor and ataxia, were
- given oral tetrahydrocannabinol. Two demonstrated improved motor
- coordination.
- SO - Ann Neurol 1983 Jun;13(6):669-71
- DP - 1983 Jun
- TA - Ann Neurol
- PG - 669-71
- IP - 6
- VI - 13
- UI - 83281524
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