New Medical Use For Marijuana

New medical uses found for marijuana


Camille Roane
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: News

The mounting uses of medicinal marijuana got higher after researchers
> found compounds in marijuana can combat certain strands of bacteria.

Despite these findings, many government organizations still prohibit the
use of marijuana in research.

A recent study by Italian and U.K. scientists, which will be published in
the Sept. Journal of Natural Products shows that cannabinoids, compounds
found in marijuana, could be a potential answer to drug resistant strains
of bacteria.

Researchers isolated five cannabinoids and tested them for their
effectiveness against the bacteria present in drug resistant staph
infections, like methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aurera, the bacteria
responsible for difficult to treat staph infections. All five cannabinoids
and synthetic cannabinoids proved successful against the bacteria,
according to the study.

Center for Disease Control spokeswoman Christine Pearson said there are no
numbers detailing how many MRSA infections occur in the U.S., but 12
million people visit their doctors for skin infections every year.

"The most recent study said that 85 percent of MRSA outbreaks are at
hospitals or other health facilities," said Pearson.

Pearson said she could not comment on the CDC's stance on marijuana
research or the European study that found cannabinoids to be successful at
fighting MRSA.

However, David Rosenbloom, director of Join Together, a Boston University
School of Public Health program devoted to "responsible" drug and alcohol
policy, said he was not surprised by the effectiveness of cannabinoids on
MRSA because a number of beneficial medicines come from plants.

Rosenbloom said the politics of marijuana use are interfering with the
growth of substantial research.

"Neither the pro or con forces want reliable resources because they're
both convinced that their side is right," Rosenbloom said.

Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Bruce Mirken said it is even difficult
for researchers to get permission to use marijuana in their research.

"Unfortunately, in the U.S. medicinal marijuana has become a political
problem," Mirken said. "The federal government is deeply invested in
demonizing marijuana and seems to be only paying lip service to any
scientists that want to do serious research."

The University of Mississippi is currently the only university in the U.S.
allowed to grow marijuana for research. Any scientists who want to do
research with marijuana must apply to the DEA for approval, Mirken said.

University of Massachusetts-Amherst researcher and professor Lyle Craker
applied to the Drug Enforcement Agency to grow marijuana for medicinal
purposes in in 2001 and was denied permission in 2004. Craker said it was
difficult to do real research about potential medicinal benefits of
marijuana because the government is committed to telling the public that
marijuana is bad.

"In my opinion, we need to explore every avenue we have to protect our
health and cure illness," Craker said.


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