Posted by CN Staff on September 29, 2003 at 21:58:37 PT
By Alyson Zillmann, Collegian Correspondent
Source: Daily Collegian

Studies have shown that patients with incurable pain have substantially benefited from the use of cannabis while avoiding the side effects of many FDA-approved drugs, Dr. Ethan Russo said in his lecture on medical marijuana last night.

Russo, who practiced clinical neurology with a specialty in child neurology, migraines and chronic pain in Minnesota for 20 years, gave a medical history of cannabis to a crowd of about 60 at Stockbridge Hall.

Russo said there are records that show that cannabis was used to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding as far back as ancient Egypt and 13th-century Italy. Medical texts claiming that cannabis diminishes menstrual cramping and bleeding have persisted until today. According to Russo, 51 percent of Australian women now reportedly use medicated cannabis to relieve cramping.

Russo said that many of the women in Jamaica smoke cannabis throughout their pregnancies; they have no evidence of miscarriage or negative effects on the birth weight and growth of their children. However, he said Jamaican women report increased appetite, sleep duration and energy, and diminished symptoms of morning sickness during their pregnancies.

Russo also said that cannabis has been shown to reduce symptoms of asthma, bone disorders, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. He performed a study on four subjects who were legally receiving medical cannabis from the government for years. Russo said that one subject suffered from a long-term addiction to heroin because it was the only way he could control his pain. This subject, who he said was formerly wheelchair-bound, now walks and uses cannabis as his only painkiller.

Russo said he found no negative side effects caused by cannabis in any of his subjects. He tested for all the rumored side effects, but found no evidence to support any of them.

For example, he tested for brain shrinkage using magnetic resonance imaging, and found that none of the subjects suffered from this problem. His studies further showed that none of the subjects were depressed, and that the rate of acquisition of complex new verbal material was normal.

Russo said cannabis was an improvement over the best available standard medications in all cases.

Marcy Duda, a woman who attended the lecture, said she has been smoking cannabis since the age of 12 and believes it saved her life. She said she had two sisters, both who died of aneurysms (blood clots in the brain) at young ages. Duda had five aneurysms, none of which ever popped. She said she credits this to the fact that she smoked cannabis.

Since having brain surgery to remove the aneurysms, Duda said, she suffers from headaches so painful they make her want to slam her head against a wall. She said she didn't know what she would do without cannabis, which she smokes and takes in the form of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

"I always say 'either give me a gun or give me a joint,'" said Duda, who is an activist for the legalization of marijuana.

Duda has been testifying at the Statehouse for the last four years to try to legalize marijuana. She said congress is one vote away from decriminalizing marijuana, which is "the first step on the ladder."

There is no reason cannabis should be illegal, Russo said, since it is less harmful than other legal, addictive substances like nicotine, alcohol caffeine.

There is no evidence - such as tolerance or withdrawal - that cannabis is addictive, Russo said.

He said none of his subjects ever had to increase their dosages, and that if anything, some of them improved and were able to decrease their intake amounts. The patients had "cannabis drought," meaning they suffered from pain related to their illnesses if their cannabis shipment was late, but there was no evidence of withdrawal, he said.

Russo ended his lecture by saying the audience should be open-minded.

"You don't need to believe anything I say tonight, but read what is out there and see if there might be a different way of thinking about these issues. Make up your own mind."

Complete Title: Students, Activists and Supporters Gather for Lecture on Legalizing Medical Marijuana

Source: Massachusetts Daily Collegian (MA Edu)
Author: Alyson Zillmann, Collegian Correspondent
Published: September 30, 2003
Copyright: 2003 Daily Collegian
Contact: editorial@dailycollegian.com
Website: http://www.dailycollegian.com/

Re;ated Articles & Web Site:

Cannabis Treatments in Obstetrics
http://freedomtoexhale.com/russo-ob.pdf

New Book on Women and Cannabis
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15752.shtml

Transcripts: Ethan Russo MD: CNews Chat
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15220.shtml

Pot Pioneer - Ethan Russo M.D.
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13060.shtml

Long-Term Pot-Use Study: No Ill Health Effects
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10533.shtml

Dr. Russo submitted the following comments on Alyson Zillmann's Sept. 30 article

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank Dr. Lyle Craker for inviting me to speak at UMass, from whose medical school I graduated in 1978. I would also like to thank Allyson Zillman for covering the event and to clarify a few points.

Firstly, I am a resident of Montana. In relation to the Chronic Use Study (http://www.maps.org/mmj/russo2002.pdf) there certainly were some side effects of cannabis usage in these patients, but these were minor in relation to the benefits that they enjoyed. Two of the four had mild to moderate obstructive pulmonary disease, but this may have been partially attributable to cigarette smoking in one, and to effects of his connective tissue disease in the other.

I specifically repeat that I do not recommend smoking for patients who require cannabis treatment, but rather suggest the use of alternative delivery methods, such as oral administration, vaporization, or use of sublingual tinctures that eliminate any pulmonary risks.

Secondly, our patients did have minor problems with immediate attention and concentration, but all function normally with enhanced lifestyles as a result of their legal access to cannabis, and one is a very successful stockbroker.

I did say that the concept of withdrawal from cannabis in humans is an unproven one according to the latest comprehensive review by N.T.Smith. Although there are occasional people who seem to develop at least a psychological "dependency" to cannabis, and medical patients do develop a tolerance to its side effects, in practice, clinical cannabis patients do not demonstrate a tolerance to its benefits. In other words, the amount required to control their pain, spasm or other symptoms remains stable over time, and in some instances, goes down.

Based on its side effect profile, cannabis portends to be a far safer alternative than many current licensed pharmaceutical products. It should return to our available armamentarium of life-sustaining medications.

Dr. Ethan Russo (erusso@montanadsl.net)