Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Medical Marijuana Seems To Help Chronic Pain Patients, Appears To Be Safe: Study

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Sep, 2015 12:18 PM
    TORONTO — A benchmark study has found that patients who use medical marijuana to treat chronic pain don't have more serious side-effects than sufferers who don't use the herb.
     
    Dr. Mark Ware, the Montreal pain specialist who led the national study, says medical cannabis appears to have a reasonable safety profile when taken by patients who are experienced users.
     
    The four-year study followed 215 adults with chronic non-cancer pain who used medical cannabis and compared them to a control group of 216 chronic pain sufferers who were not marijuana users.
     
    The cannabis group was given access to herbal cannabis containing 12.5 per cent of the active ingredient THC from a licensed cannabis producer.
     
    Researchers found significant improvement in pain levels, mood and quality of life among pot users compared to the control group, and no evidence of harmful effects on cognitive function.
     
    However, cannabis users had an increased risk of non-serious side-effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness and respiratory problems associated with smoking.
     
    "It is important to note the limitations of the study," said Ware. "Patients were self-selected, not randomized, and most were experienced users. So what we are seeing is that it appears to be a relatively safe drug when used by people who have already determined that it helps them.
     
    "We cannot draw conclusions about safety issues of new cannabis users."
     
    Ware said the study, published online in The Journal of Pain, should help doctors counsel chronic-pain patients about medical marijuana's effectiveness and its potential side-effects.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Hardev Sihota, Associate Of K.S. Makhan, Gets 6 Years In Jail For Smuggling Heroin Into Vancouver

    Hardev Sihota, Associate Of K.S. Makhan, Gets 6 Years In Jail For Smuggling Heroin Into Vancouver
    The ruling noted that Makhan hired Sihota for his services as an electrician. His suitcase had a false bottom that had two plastic bags with two kilograms of heroin worth 645,000 Canadian dollars 

    Hardev Sihota, Associate Of K.S. Makhan, Gets 6 Years In Jail For Smuggling Heroin Into Vancouver

    Richmond Woman Sexually Assaulted By Man Pretending To Be Massage Therapy Student At Kwantlen

    Richmond Woman Sexually Assaulted By Man Pretending To Be Massage Therapy Student At Kwantlen
    RCMP say the man allegedly approached a 19-year-old woman at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and said he was doing a survey.

    Richmond Woman Sexually Assaulted By Man Pretending To Be Massage Therapy Student At Kwantlen

    Kimberly Mack, First Nations Woman Alleges Illegal Search, Says Police Threatened To Seize Her Child

    Kimberly Mack, First Nations Woman Alleges Illegal Search, Says Police Threatened To Seize Her Child
    Kimberly Mack will appear in provincial court in Bella Coola Thursday asking to be compensated $15,000 for what she alleges was an illegal search that failed to turn up any drugs.

    Kimberly Mack, First Nations Woman Alleges Illegal Search, Says Police Threatened To Seize Her Child

    Urban Deer Problems To Be Addressed By New Committee, Provincial Cash

    Urban Deer Problems To Be Addressed By New Committee, Provincial Cash
    The Ministry of Forests says the province is committed to creating a Provincial Urban Deer Advisory Committee and providing up to $100,000 for future urban deer management projects.

    Urban Deer Problems To Be Addressed By New Committee, Provincial Cash

    Verdict Delayed For Speedboat Operator Accused In Shuswap Lake Death

    Verdict Delayed For Speedboat Operator Accused In Shuswap Lake Death
    Leon Reinbrecht is charged with criminal negligence causing death and criminal negligence causing bodily harm in the July 2010 crash on Shuswap Lake that claimed the life of Ken Brown.

    Verdict Delayed For Speedboat Operator Accused In Shuswap Lake Death

    Police Watchdog Probes Officer-Involved Death Of Man In B.C.'s Fraser Valley

    RCMP say British Columbia's police watchdog has been called to investigate the death of a man who apparently injured himself with a knife.

    Police Watchdog Probes Officer-Involved Death Of Man In B.C.'s Fraser Valley