Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jul 2012
Source: Verde Independent (AZ)
Copyright: 2012 Western News & Info, Inc
Contact: http://verdenews.com/Formlayout.asp?formcall=userform&form=1
Website: http://verdenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4433
Author: Howard Fischer

AZ STUDY QUESTIONS EXPANDED MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

PHOENIX -- Researchers at the University of Arizona report they've 
found precious little credible research that shows marijuana is 
effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ditto for migraines, depression and general anxiety disorder, said 
the doctors from the school's College of Public Health.

And those findings -- or, more to the point, the lack of findings -- 
could prove to be a fatal blow to efforts by some to expand the list 
of ailments for which a doctor in Arizona can legally recommend 
marijuana. State Health Director Will Humble, who gets the final 
word, said he expects to make his decision by the end of the month.

The reports are a direct outgrowth of the 2010 voter-approved law 
which allows the use of marijuana by patients suffering from a list 
of several specified medical conditions. These range from glaucoma 
and AIDS to any chronic or debilitating condition that leads to 
severe and chronic pain.

With a doctor's recommendation, patients can get a card from the 
state allowing them to obtain up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every 
two weeks. So far the state has issued close to 31,000 of these cards.

That 2010 law, though, requires Humble to regularly consider requests 
for expanding the list of conditions for which marijuana can be recommended.

Proponents submitted requests for four new conditions. And Humble 
heard hours of testimony from those who said they are afflicted along 
with how marijuana -- used by many now without legal permission -- has helped.

Backers also submitted everything from news and magazine articles to 
what they claimed was scientific backing.

But Humble said state law requires something more substantial for him 
to expand the list. And that, he said, means full-blown, 
double-blind, peer-reviewed scientific studies.

So Humble contracted with the UA to review everything that is out 
there and see if there is anything credible.

The researchers found precious little. Looking at PTSD, for example, 
they rated most of the studies of "very low quality.'

Among the problems were not only the small size of many of the 
studies, but that those who were participating were "self selected' 
as opposed to being drawn at random from the population at large.

They did find one study they rated as of moderate to high quality. 
But the researchers said they found no studies at all which actually 
researched the benefits -- or harms -- of marijuana use among those 
with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Similarly, they found only two systematic reviews that directly 
attempted to explore the association between depression and marijuana use.

"Both reviews were of low quality,' the researchers said.

They said there is "conflicting evidence' of whether marijuana use 
and various forms of anxiety are related. Among the problems is the 
question of whether anxiety causes marijuana use or even that 
marijuana use causes anxiety.

Nor could researchers find credible reports on the issue of marijuana 
and migraines.

Humble said while the UA reports are helpful, he still wants to 
discuss the findings with his staff before issuing a final ruling.

He said the lack of research supporting the theory that marijuana is 
helpful in treating the conditions is only part of the problem. The 
health director said he wants to make sure that allowing patients to 
use marijuana does not make matters worse.

And that fear, he said, is complicated by the fact that the 2010 law 
only allows him to add to the list of conditions.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom