California Communities United Institute

Reports - Medicinal Marijuana Works

 According to newly released reports from the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research several studies have suggested that medical marijuana (also known as Cannabis) does show promise in the treatment of several ailments.
 
According to the reports, studies showed that cannabis can significantly relieve neuropathic pain and that vaporizers are an effective way to use marijuana. Researchers also found that marijuana can reduce muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis patients. Also, one study at UC San Francisco found that patients with HIV-related pain found that 52% of those who smoked marijuana experienced significant relief. That was significantly more than those that were treated with a placebo.

 Dr. Igor Grant, a neuropsychiatrist at UC San Diego, said he feels the evidence provided by the studies is pretty convincing. In fact he thought that Cannabis should no longer be classified as a Schedule I drug. He said "It is not a drug without value”.
 
State funding for the research was provided in 1999 when the California Legislature approved legislation by then Senator John Vasconcellos, with the support of then Attorney General Dan Lungren. That might seem like an unlikely alliance. But Lungren had been complaining that California was moving towards the use of medical marijuana with no basis in research to support its use as a medicine. So Vasconcellos introduced legislation to provide funding for the research.
 
Researchers indicate that the studies done were on relatively small numbers of people and further research is needed. The problem is that state funding for the research is ending and, because of the state’s budget crisis, it is unlikely that further funding will come from the state any time soon. The researchers called on the federal government to provide funding for further research. That might be difficult as well considering the federal government’s need to balance its own budget.
 
You may see links to the Cannabis study reports by clicking on the following link:

http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/research.htm
                                               
Boyce Hinman