The US Supreme Court ruling that marijuana cannot be legally used as a medicine may have unexpectedly given a boost to pharmaceutical companies researching the plant extracts.
鈥淥ur programme stands alone now,鈥� says Geoffrey Guy of GW Pharmaceuticals in Salisbury, UK, which develops cannabis-based medicines. Guy says that now patients can not legally get hold of marijuana, their only hope is to wait for drugs derived from the plant to be licensed, or to take part in official clinical trials.
He predicts the decision should lead to such research being strengthened as the need to prove the medical benefits of cannabis becomes more urgent.
Advertisement
鈥淭he Supreme Court said there was no proven evidence of the effectiveness of marijuana,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut if anything, everyone will now turn to GW and say 鈥� can they provide the clinical proof?鈥�
No smoke
Neuropathologist Roger Pertwee of Aberdeen University agrees that the decision may help focus attention on research into pot-based pharmaceuticals, which could be available in as little as three years.
鈥淲e should concentrate on developing medicines that don鈥檛 have to be smoked. The hope is that in the not too distant future there will be something legal patients can take,鈥� he says.
But Pertwee says he still thinks marijuana should be available to patients in the meantime. 鈥淭hree years is a long time for someone in tremendous pain,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 quite a sentence.鈥�
Pot inhaler
GW Pharmaceuticals claims to be the only private company openly developing whole plant extracts of marijuana. These extracts contain all the original components of the plant, but in the form of an inhaler or spray. This means that the medicine does not have to be smoked, avoiding the risk of cancer.
So far researchers at GW have had promising results for a range of diseases, including spinal cord injury and rheumatoid arthritis. Phase 3 trials involving over 200 patients are currently underway in the UK for a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Further trials are planned to start in Canada. The company announced on Tuesday that it plans to float on the London Stock Exchange in June.
The UK鈥檚 Medical Research Council is also funding two major trials into cannabis extracts, to see if there are any beneficial effects for muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis patients, or for post-operative pain.
Related stories:
Marijuana cannot be legally used as medicine in the US (15/05/2001)