Close X
Monday, November 11, 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

    Railway Drama: CN Accuses Former Employee Of Taking Corporate Secrets To CP

    A lawsuit launched by Canadian National Railway alleges a former employee shared confidential client information with rival Canadian Pacific, which then wooed business away in a made-in-Canada corporate espionage scheme.

    Railway Drama: CN Accuses Former Employee Of Taking Corporate Secrets To CP

    Ottawa Will Consult With Manitoba First Nations Following Court Ruling: Harper

    Ottawa Will Consult With Manitoba First Nations Following Court Ruling: Harper
    Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the federal government will not appeal a court ruling over land being claimed by some Manitoba First Nations.

    Ottawa Will Consult With Manitoba First Nations Following Court Ruling: Harper

    Nine Crew Members From Fishing Boat Rescued From Arctic Waters

    Nine Crew Members From Fishing Boat Rescued From Arctic Waters
    Nine crew members from a Newfoundland fishing boat have been rescued from Arctic waters off Baffin Island.

    Nine Crew Members From Fishing Boat Rescued From Arctic Waters

    Manitoba First Nations Children's Advocate Fasting To Protest Child Welfare

    Manitoba First Nations Children's Advocate Fasting To Protest Child Welfare
    Manitoba's First Nations children's advocate has set up teepees on the lawn of the legislature for a fast to draw attention to the province's "broken" child welfare system.

    Manitoba First Nations Children's Advocate Fasting To Protest Child Welfare

    Final Arguments In Trial Of Montreal Teen Facing Terror-Related Charges

    Final Arguments In Trial Of Montreal Teen Facing Terror-Related Charges
    Closing arguments are scheduled to take place today in the case of a Montreal teen who faces terrorism-related charges linked to a robbery.

    Final Arguments In Trial Of Montreal Teen Facing Terror-Related Charges

    Alberta Researchers Say Discovery Could Be 'Game Changer' For Diabetic Research

    The new pathway was found after researchers examined pancreatic cells from 99 human organ donors.

    Alberta Researchers Say Discovery Could Be 'Game Changer' For Diabetic Research