 | Research: IACM: Swiss to legalise medicinal cannabis |
 The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine reports that the Swiss National Parliament adopted on November 20 a resolution to relax prohibition of the medical use of natural cannabis products. The decision allows the Swiss Health
Ministry to issue exemptions for the medical use of cannabis and the approval of cannabis-based medicines.
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IACM-Bulletin of 24 December 2006
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* Switzerland: Parliament adopts the possibility of certificates of exemption for the medical use of cannabis
* Science: Nabilone improves pain and other symptoms in cancer patients
Switzerland: Parliament adopts the possibility of certificates of exemption for the medical use of cannabis
According to a proposal by the Health Committee of the parliament (Nationalrat) of 4 May 2006 the Swiss Parliament decided on 20 December to relax prohibition of the medical use of natural cannabis products. The decision allows the Health
Ministry to issue exemptions for the medical use of cannabis and
the approval of cannabis-based medicines .
The proposal of the Health Committee says: "The committee
suggests that with a certificate of exemption by the BAG
[Federal Department of Health, Health Ministry] a limited
medical use of narcotics of the type cannabis should be made
newly possible in individual cases. At the same time, the
substance can be subjected to the pharmaceutical evaluation by
the Swiss Pharmaceutical Institute, once a corresponding
narcotic will be used as an active agent in a medicine, which
possesses an approval by the Swiss Pharmaceutical Institute.
Physicians then can prescribe this drug for the approved
indication."
Parliamentary Initiative for a partial revision of the narcotics law
of 4 May 2006:
www.admin.ch
(Source: Protocol of the parliament's session of 20 December
2006, Parliamentary Initiative by the Health Committee of 4
May 2006)
Science: Nabilone improves pain and other symptoms in cancer patients
According to research presented on 15 December at the San
Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium the synthetic cannabinoid
nabilone improved pain, nausea, appetite, anxiety and
depression in cancer patients. The effects of nabilone are similar
to those of THC. Dr. Vincent Maida of the University of
Toronto and his colleagues retrospectively collected data from
the charts of patients, who participated in a special palliative
medicine program between 1 May 2005 and 30 June 2006.
Data from a total of 139 patients were reviewed, of which
nabilone was prescribed to 82.
Mean duration of follow-up was similar between the two groups
(nabilone: 53 days, non-nabilone: 52 days). Compared with
participants, who received no cannabinoid, the nabilone
participants experienced significant reductions in pain.
Drowsiness, tiredness, appetite, and well-being remained stable
in the nabilone group but deteriorated in the non-nabilone group.
While subjects in the nabilone group had significantly greater
nausea at baseline, they experienced a significant reduction of
this symptom, in contrast to non-cannabinoid subjects.
Depression and anxiety were significantly more prevalent in the
nabilone group at baseline. However, reductions in both
symptoms were significant with use of the cannabinoid.
Conversely, anxiety and depression increased in the non-
cannabinoid group. Nabilone appeared also to be effective in
improving insomnia, night sweats and distress.
The researchers concluded that despite the limitations of the
study "nabilone, when added to standard of care and taken
longer-term, appears to offer significant alleviation of several
symptoms in cancer patients, including pain, nausea, depression
and anxiety, insomnia, fever/night sweats, and overall distress."
The abstract is available at:
www.abstracts2view.com
and in the database on clinical studies on the IACM-website at:
www.cannabis-med.org
(Source: Maida V. The synthetic cannabinoid nabilone improves
pain and symptom management in cancer patients. Abstract of
the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on 15 December
2006.)
3. News in brief
***Science: Intestinal pain
In a study by French researchers the oral administration of
lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacterium commonly found in yogurt,
induced the formation of opioid and cannabinoid receptors in
intestinal cells, and mediated pain relieving functions in the gut,
which are similar to the effects of morphine. They concluded that
these results suggest that the microbiology of the intestinal tract
influences our perception of the belly, and "suggest new
approaches for the treatment of abdominal pain and irritable
bowel syndrome."
(Source: Rousseaux C, et al. Nat Med. 2006
Dec 10; [electronic publication ahead of print])
***USA: California
Merced County will begin issuing identification cards for medical
cannabis users after a state judge recently confirmed the
lawfulness of California's medical cannabis law. The county
joined the lawsuit, brought by San Diego and San Bernardino
Counties, which sued California over a state requirement that
counties issue identification cards for medical cannabis users.
The San Diego County and the San Bernardino County decided
to appeal the ruling.
(Sources: Associated Press of 12
December 2006, Merced Sun-Star of 16 December 2006)
***USA: Drug use by adolescents
According to a report by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)
the cannabis laws for adults have no effect on drug use by
adolescents. It cites independent studies by RAND Europe and
the U.S. National Research Council, which have reported that
cannabis prohibition appears to have little or no impact on rates
of use. Another report by MPP says that the value of cannabis
production in the USA with an estimated production of 13.8
billion US dollars (about 10.5 billion Euros) exceeds the value of
the production of any other agricultural product.
(Source: www.mpp.org
)
***Science: Pain
Oral administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid
cannabidiol (CBD) to rats reduced neuropathic and
inflammatory pain, Italian researchers demonstrated.
(Source:
2006 Nov 10; [electronic publication ahead of print])
***Science: Parkinson's disease
According to a review by scientists of the University of
Frankfurt, Germany, cannabinoids possess a therapeutic
potential in Parkinson's disease. They may alleviate some
symptoms (levodopa-induced dyskinesia) and due to their
neuroprotective properties might slow the progression of the
disease.
(Source: Lastres-Becker I, Fernandez-Ruiz J. Curr
Med Chem. 2006;13(30):3705-18.)
NEW BOOK
* ElSohly M, Ed. Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Totowa
(USA): Humana Press, 2006. ISBN:1-588-29-456-0
ONE YEAR AGO:
- Spain/UK: Agreement for the marketing of Sativex in Europe
- Germany: Petition Committee of the German Bundestag
supports the meeting of costs of a treatment with THC
(dronabinol) by the health insurances
- Germany: Federal Constitutional Court decides that health
insurances have to meet the costs of a new treatment if no
therapeutic alternatives are available in life-threatening illness
TWO YEARS AGO:
- Canada: GW Pharmaceuticals will get approval for Sativex by
Canadian regulators
- USA: Drug authority rejects request by the University of
Massachusetts to grow cannabis
(More at the IACM-Bulletin archives: www.cannabis-
med.org)
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM)
Rueckertstrasse 4
D-53819 Neunkirchen
Germany
Phone: 2247-968083
Fax: 2247-9159223
Email: info@cannabis-med.org
www.cannabis-med.org
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