Pubdate: Fri, 22 May 2015
Source: Journal-Pioneer, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2015 Journal-Pioneer
Contact:  http://www.journalpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2789
Author: Dave Stewart
Page: A7

DEALING WITH PAIN

Leading Expert in Charlottetown to Address Canadian Pain Society's 
Annual Scientific Conference

One of North America's leading experts on pain management is in Charlottetown.

Dr. Mary Lynch will be speaking at the Canadian Pain Society's annual 
scientific meeting about alternative therapies - everything from art 
therapy to cannabinoids.

There are hundreds of natural components found within a cannabis 
plant. Some of those have been classified as cannabinoids, chemicals 
unique to the plant. Lynch said one of the more well known and 
researched is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a substance primarily 
responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis.

"The reason I'm interested in cannabinoids is because the body has a 
built in pain defence network and an inflammation defence network and 
part of our body's built in pain defence network is cannabinoid 
based," said Lynch, who is a researcher, psychiatrist and physician 
at the QEII Health Sciences Centre's pain management unit in Halifax.

Her goal is to develop a number of treatments for conditions such as 
neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and other forms 
of chronic pain. Her studies have found about 14 per cent of patients 
who present to pain clinics were using cannabis to control their pain.

Lynch says about one in five Islanders suffers from a chronic pain 
condition that is severe enough to interfere with their quality of 
life and normal function. "That amounts to about 30,000 P.E.I. 
residents. That's a lot of people."

Medical marijuana production facilities have started popping up 
across Canada and there is a group in Charlottetown still working 
through the slow process of getting approval from Health Canada.

She isn't saying marijuana should be the first form of treatment for 
people with chronic pain.

"If people don't respond to the first thing or the second thing, it 
might be the third thing that they would try." But there are 
challenges. "We are working in such a strict regulatory climate and 
because of the controversial nature and the socio-political climate 
the human research has been delayed. Consequently, we don't have a 
series of agents that we can use for people with pain and inflammation."

However, it's not stopping people from using marijuana to ease pain.
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