Pubdate: Thu, 02 Mar 2000
Source: Express, Express on Sunday (UK)
Copyright: 2000 The Express
Contact:  +44-171-922-7794
Website: http://www.express.co.uk/
Forum: http://bbs.lineone.net/community/forums.html
Author: Michael Hanlon, science editor

PROOF THAT CANNABIS EASES MS

Scientists have proved that chemicals in cannabis can help ease the agony
of multiple sclerosis victims.

The findings by British researchers will boost calls to legalise the drug
for medicinal use.

A three-year trial into the benefits of "cannabinoids" in marijuana starts
next month. Tests on mice with their equivalent of MS showed painful muscle
spasms ceased "in less than one minute", after taking cannabinoids.

Opponents of cannabis legalisation have always claimed evidence the drug
could help MS sufferers was anecdotal.

But Lorna Layward, immunologist and head of research at the MS Society of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland showed in this week's journal Nature
that cannabinoids have a strong effect on early symptoms of MS.

"This is the first hard scientific evidence that cannabis can control some
of the horrible symptoms of MS," she said.

"The pain from muscle spasms can be excruciating. These are highly
distressing symptoms and cannot be adequately controlled, so people are
pressed to use an illegal drug." She believes Parkinson's and motor neurone
disease sufferers could be helped, too.Dr Layward said she was not calling
for cannabis legalisation but hoped experiments would enable scientists to
isolate its beneficial chemicals so people "can move away from using the
whole plant, with all its undesirable side effects".
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