 | NORML News: New studies remove last objection to Med-Pot |
 VAPORISATION IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD TO DELIVER THC, ACCORDING TO A CLINICAL STUDY
NORML News, Winter 2007. By Chris Fowlie
The most common objection to medical
marijuana is that smoking is
bad for you. Never mind that
marijuana is not tobacco, does
not contain nicotine, and has
anti-cancer and anti-tumour
properties. Or that terminal
or seriously ill patients are
more concerned with quality
of their remaining life than
whether they could get lung
problems in several decades
- if they are still alive.
Prohibitionists ignore these
facts when they deny patients
and doctors access to medical
marijuana. Now, two new studies have
blown that last remaining objection
away, and should pave
the way to allowing
medicinal use.
In a study conducted at
the University of California
by Dr. Donald Abrams and
his colleagues, 18 healthy
subjects received three
different strains of cannabis
(with a THC content of
1.7, 3.4 or 6.8 per cent) by
vaporization (The Volcano,
made by Storz & Bickel)
as well as by smoking a
cannabis cigarette.
Unlike smoking, a vaporiser
does not burn the plant
material, but heats it just to
the point at which the THC
and the other cannabinoids
turn to steam.
Peak plasma concentrations
and bioavailability of THC
were similar under the two
conditions, with the vaporiser
producing a slightly higher
level. The levels of carbon
monoxide were greatly
reduced with vaporization,
with “little if any” detected.
Researchers concluded
“vaporisation of cannabis is
a safe and effective mode of
delivery of THC.”
In a second study, researchers
at the State University of
New York interviewed nearly
7000 cannabis users and
found vaporiser users were
60 percent less likely than
smokers to report respiratory
symptoms such as cough,
chest tightness or phlegm.
The effect of vaporizer
use was more pronounced
the larger the amount of
marijuana used.
Sources: Abrams DI, Vizoso HP, Shade SB, Jay C, Kelly ME, Benowitz NL. Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: a pilot study. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Apr 11; Earleywine M, Barnwell SS. Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize. Harm Reduct J 2007;4:11
More information: University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
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