For some it's a ticket to euphoria, for others a ticket to jail, but in the future it could be the answer to an unsolved medical problem.
The suggestion that marijuana could be used for medical purposes has faced heavy criticism. The drug's "dangerous" reputation, abuse, illegality and unknown long-range effects have added an air of mystery to the myths of marijuana. A fear has been created that—until recently—has kept both doctors and patients away from the Cannibis sativa.
However, in January the National Cancer Institute (NCI) enlisted some 400 hospitals nationwide to participate in a marijuana study. Two local institutions, Roswell Park Memorial Hospital and Buffalo General Hospital, are among the volunteers.
Nausea
The project involved cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy and have failed to respond to antiemetic drugs, prescribed to kill the nausea and vomiting after-effects that often accompany treatment. The study's aim is to see how marijuana affects these patients and whether or not it can be safely and effectively used in place of antiemetics.
According to Dr. William Aungst, Associate Institute Director for Clinical Affairs at Roswell Park, the drug his patients are taking is actually tetra-hydrocannibanol (THC).
THC is the active ingredient in marijuana and is the substance that makes marijuana smokers "high." It is estimated that when smoked with maximum efficiency, no more than 50 percent of THC in an average marijuana cigarette is actually absorbed into the body. However, reports have shown that the drug is three times more potent when smoked than when taken orally.
THC has been used therapeutically as a bronchial dilator and for glaucoma patients to reduce inter-ocular pressure. Previous research has also shown that in some cases it is more effective in eliminating nausea than the antiemetic substances now widely prescribed. In the present study, cancer patients receive THC in a 5-milligram pill or the same amount a one-gram "joint" would deliver to the lungs.
‘Side-effects'
This is the preferred method, according to Aungst. "The pills are better than cigarettes for research because you know the exact [THC] dose," he explained. "However, the State of New York is now developing a procedure for the use of marijuana cigarettes in research." That study is independent of the NCI's.
Donald Poster, head of the NCI in Washington, D.C., has sent the participating hospitals specific procedures they must follow. This includes the filing of annual reports with the central lab and notifying them whenever "serious side-effects" occur in patients, Aungst explained.
The entire process begins when a qualified patient—one who does not respond to the antiemetic drugs—volunteers. A doctor, who must be approved by the hospital and the NCI, writes out a prescription—in triplicate—for the patient. The pills are then taken "like any other drug," according to Aungst.
Therapy
"The THC pill is given four to six hours before chemotherapy and every four to six hours thereafter until the patient is finished with that particular therapy session," Aungst said. "The frequency of doses varies between once a month and once a week, depending on the individual's need for therapy."
The two-year study, underway for less than a month at Roswell, only involves in-patients, but Aungst anticipates that out-patients may eventually be incorporated. "Right now we only have three of four volunteers undergoing treatment," he said. "However, we expect the number to increase, I would imagine, to about 100 total."
In previous studies, patients have occasional complained about disorientation and hallucinations when using marijuana. Doctors have speculated that a person's age may be an important factor, as many patients are over 60 years old.
Aungst said that as of yet Roswell Park has no preliminary results on its study. Buffalo General, which is not working in conjunction with Roswell, refused to comment on its study or its progress.
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