Pubdate: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK) Copyright: 2007 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd. Contact: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/42 Author: Roger Dobson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/LSD Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/psilocybin Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Ibogaine Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Khat THE DRUGS DO WORK? They cause widespread misery and suffering, as well as mental and physical illnesses, and they destroy thousands of lives, but recreational drugs may have health benefits. Research is increasingly showing that drugs may be able to help some patients with conditions as diverse as arthritis, cancer, and Parkinson's, to chronic pain, headaches, and heartburn. Some, like cannabis, were used as medicine for centuries before they became illegal, and have been investigated as potential therapies for many disorders, but newer drugs, such as ecstasy and LSD, are also being investigated. CANNABIS What is it? First used as a medicine 5,000 years ago, it comes from the plant Cannabis sativa. The main psychoactive chemical is THC or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which gives the high that makes it the most widely used illicit drug. But it also contains more than 460 other chemicals, around 60 of which are cannabinoids that work on brain receptors, and which may have a protective effect in a number of diseases. What is it used for? As well as being the most widely used illicit drug, cannabis is also the most studied by medical researchers. Much of the research has centred on its effects in a dozen conditions cancer, nausea, loss of appetite, chronic pain, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, glaucoma, Parkinson's disease and dystonia (a neurological movement disorder). A Naples University report suggests benefits, too, in diarrhoea and stomach ulcers. Research Multiple sclerosis: Cannabis has been investigated in more than a dozen clinical trials and used to treat many symptoms of the disease. Two trials are under way at Rome University and at Montreal Neurological Institute, where cannabis-based extracts are being used for treating spasticity and pain. "There is evidence to support the view that cannabinoids can reduce muscle spasticity in people with MS," say the Rome team Results from trials have been mixed. A Liverpool University study concluded, "Cannabis-based medicine is effective in reducing pain and sleep disturbance in patients with multiple sclerosis-related pain." Another UK trial with 18 patients found a significant reduction in muscle spasms and pain, but some have found little or not effect. A report from the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, suggests cannabis may work by protecting nerves from the kind of damage that occurs in the disease. Cancer Cannabinoids are used with cancer patients to stimulate appetite and to prevent nausea, vomiting and pain, but according to researchers at Salerno University, they may also halt tumours. Rheumatoid arthritis A study at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath, has found it is effective against pain: a "significant analgesic effect" was seen with rheumatoid arthritis. Heartburn An Amsterdam study is looking at the effects of a cannabis-based medicine on reflux and heartburn. It may have a beneficial effect on the valve that stops stomach contents flowing back into the oesophagus. AMPHETAMINES What are they? Drugs that have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, they are also know as speed and can be addictive. During the Second World War, amphetamines were widely used to keep soldiers alert. Amphetamines speed up the nervous system and trigger the release of adrenalin, which increases heart rate, blood pressure and alertness. What are they used for? Dextroamphetamine is used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that involves sudden attacks of sleep. According to the Research State University of New York, amphetamines have also been used for obesity and depression. Another study says it is being looked at for improving recovery from stroke. A Harvard University study found that a once-a-day mixture of amphetamine salts reduced symptoms of ADHD in teenagers. Its authors say 60 per cent of patients were very much or much improved, while 33 per cent were unchanged. ECSTASY What is it? MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug. It acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, and is thought to act on the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine. What is it being used for? It's being investigated as a therapy for anxiety related to cancer and post-traumatic stress. Work on animals suggests a role in Parkinson's Research Parkinson's disease Researchers at Duke University, North Carolina, have found that ecstasy may reverse the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in mice. The researchers say the findings indicate that drugs could be made with similar effects to offer useful alternatives to current therapies. Cancer Patients given a diagnosis of cancer can feel frightened, depressed, and have intense anxiety. One of the effects of the drug is to produce feelings of closeness to other people, empathy, and a sense of well being, all of which reduce anxiety. Doctors leading a clinical trial at Harvard University and its affiliated McLean Hospital say MDMA can produce effects uniquely suited to reducing anxiety from a cancer diagnosis. LSD What is it? Discovered in 1938, lysergic acid diethylamide is made from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It is hallucinogenic and triggers distortions in perception of reality and has an effect on serotonin, the neurotransmitter involved in mood, hunger, sexual behaviour, and muscle control. What is it used for? Has been tried for cluster headaches, and as a treatment to help people trying to give up other drugs. Research Harvard Medical School researchers interviewed cluster headache patients who had used LSD to treat their condition. Seven out of eight LSD users reported relief and some remission. "Research on the effects of LSD on cluster headache may be warranted," say the researchers. According to a US Food and Drug Administration report, scientists in Baltimore have looked at whether LSD could be a treatment for addiction to heroin, opium, alcohol, and sedative hypnotics. "Other scientists are focusing their psychedelic research on learning about the human brain, discovering antidotes to drug overdoses, and relieving pain in cancer patients." Drugs in Development MAGIC MUSHROOMS Psilocybin is the main active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms. According to a Harvard Medical School report, 22 out of 26 patients who used psilocybin for cluster headaches said they aborted attacks. IBOGAINE What is it? An alkaloid from the root of the Tabernanthe iboga plant, its ritual use has been practised in tribal communities in Africa for centuries What it used for? It has been found to have anti-addiction properties against opiates, stimulants, alcohol and nicotine, and according to a review in the European Journal of Pharmacology, it also works as an antidepressive, and anti-epileptic, and can help in psychotherapy. COCA What is it? Cocaine is extracted from the coca bush, but the leaves themselves are a traditional medicine. What is it used for? The leaves are chewed in Andean cultures to increase endurance at high altitudes. A World Health Organisation report states, "Coca leaves have been used by people in some countries and regions for health benefits, for example, for the relief of gastrointestinal problems and respiratory ailments and treatment of altitude sickness." KHAT What is it? The khat plant comes from Ethiopia and has been used for centuries in several countries in East Africa and the Arab Peninsular around the Red Sea, where the leaves are chewed and have a stimulant effect similar to a mild amphetamine What is it used for? According to animal-based research at Addis Ababa University, it may work as an aphrodisiac: "Khat has aphrodising effect at low dose while it inhibits sexual behaviour at high doses." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake