Washington: A new study has found that smoking marijuana has therapeutic effects.
Experts at the University of California`s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) claim they have found "reasonable evidence that cannabis is a promising treatment" for some specific, pain-related medical conditions.
CMCR director, Igor Grant, MD, Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the UCSD School of Medicine, said: "We focused on illnesses where current medical treatment does not provide adequate relief or coverage of symptoms.
“These findings provide a strong, science-based context in which policy makers and the public can begin discussing the place of cannabis in medical care."
The researchers have completed five scientific clinical trials, with more in progress.
All these studies show that cannabis can be helpful in easing pain in selected syndromes caused by injury or diseases of the nervous system and possibly for painful muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis.
Senator John Vasconcellos, original author of The Medical Marijuana Research Act of 1999 (SB847), which led to the creation of the CMCR, said:
"These scientists created an unparalleled program of systematic research, focused on science-based answers rather than political or social beliefs."
ANI
