Pubdate: Mon, 12 May 2003
Source: New Zealand Press Association (New Zealand Wire)
Copyright: 2003 New Zealand Press Association

CALL FOR MORE RESEARCH INTO CANNABIS BENEFITS

A health professionals' group is calling for more research into the 
therapeutic use of cannabis to be done before any law change.

A parliamentary committee has been considering whether the law should be 
changed to allow cannabis use for medical reasons.

New Zealand branch president of The Thoracic Society of Australia and New 
Zealand (TSANZ) Professor Robin Taylor said the therapeutic benefits of the 
active ingredients of cannabis needed to be studied and clinical trials 
carried out.

Prof Taylor said in a statement today that if cannabis was found to relieve 
symptoms it should be allowed.

Drugs such as morphine were available for pain control.

Prof Taylor said if cannabis use was allowed it would need to be delivered 
some other way than smoking. The active ingredient in cannabis - delta-9 
tetrahydrocannabinol - was easily absorbed from the lungs by smoking it.

"However, a wide range of harmful substances are also inhaled at the same 
time and the potential for harm may offset the potential for good, 
particularly in respect to lung health."

The TSANZ represents doctors, nurses and scientists whose primary focus is 
respiratory medicine.
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