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Article: POT CAN CURB PAIN, BUT IT'S A NO-NO ENZYME IN BRAIN THAT CUTS OFF MARIJUANA'S ACTIVE INGREDIENT ALTERNATIVE TO MEDICINAL REEFER.
- Article from:
- BIOWORLD Today
- Article date:
- July 24, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 A Thomson Healthcare Company. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Along with embryonic stem cell research, smoking marijuana to relieve pain is a hot political topic. Some states have sought to legalize medicinal marijuana, but U.S. law forbids it.
"What with all the toxins in the smoke, and the other chemicals," observed behavioral pharmacologist Aron Lichtman, "I don't think marijuana would ever be approved by the FDA. There are a lot of carcinogens in the smoke, and other compounds that would have to be tested. Oral THC [tetrahydrocannabinol, marijuana's active ingredient] is legally available," Lichtman pointed out. "It's approved by the FDA as an anti-emetic to relieve the nausea and vomiting of cancer chemotherapy; ...