Today I was greeted by a number of articles which loudly proclaimed that a recent UK trial indicated that cannabis isn’t effective in slowing the progress of multiple sclerosis. The Clinical Neurology Research Group (CNRG) at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry undertook a 3-year study which examined the impact of THC capsules on MS patients compared to the impact of placebos.
BBC News: Cannabis ‘does not slow multiple sclerosis’ progress
The CUPID (Cannabinoid Use in Progressive Inflammatory brain Disease) trial saw patients taking only the isolated THC chemical twice per day, although it’s unclear from their data whether they used synthetic THC or an actual extract from the cannabis plant. This is a crucial question, which forms part of the correspondence I sent to them today. Not only could they be relying on a non-natural source of THC, but they’ve completely overlooked the fact that medicinal cannabis works based on the interaction the body has with the complete spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes found naturally within the cannabis plant. Products such as Marinol have hit problems, as they’re a simple reconstruction of THC, and nothing more.
The problem with these very public failures is that people will associate the plant with not making the grade, rather than the manufactured, isolated solution used in the trials. And so I wrote to the lead researcher to get some answers, which I’ll post if and when he replies.
Professor Zajicek,
I’d like to thank you and your team for the work you’re doing to help patients who suffer from MS. It’s such an important area of research, and I’m particularly interested in the CUPID project, as mentioned in a BBC News article on 29th February 2012. I felt there was something key missing from the reports, and wondered if you may in future investigate the full spectrum of cannabinoids present in the plant’s flowers? It wasn’t clear whether THC isolation was done having already examined the other cannabinoids, or if this were the sole cannabinoid to be considered.
I ask as I’ve read numerous papers which detail cannabidiol (CBD) as being the foremost medicinal element of the cannabis plant, and moreover, we see licensed products such as Sativex, which is a complete extraction of a mixture of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica plants, which has a THC to CBD ratio of roughly 1:1. This is in stark contrast to products such as Marinol, which are effectively synthetic THC, and do not contain the full selection of cannabinoids and terpenes, and see patients more likely to suffer psychological issues. At present I find the evidence inconclusive as to which elements can be removed to leave just those which are effective. However, I do believe that the best medicinal results come from something approaching the full extract.
Perhaps your study was framed incorrectly in the media, but it has given the impression that cannabis as a plant is not useful in treating MS, and it concerns me that this may in turn impact on research grants afforded to this vital area of study.
Thanks again for your team’s great work.
Contact Them Yourself
Do you suffer from MS? Would you like to contact the CNRG to give them your side of the story, or indeed get involved with their clinical trials? Please contact the lead researcher and his team via the below means, specifically referencing the CUPID research. Please be respectful of the work undertaken by his team, and present any counter-information in an amicable manner.
Professor John Zajicek
Job title: Professor of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Service Research (Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry)
Email: john.zajicek@pms.ac.uk
Email (team): cupid@pms.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1752 315248
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Well said sir. Considering the governments ongoing claim that cannabis causes psychosis it would be interesting to know whether any of the subjects of this experiment suffered any negative psychological impacts over the three year period. Also I wonder if Prof Zajicek obtained a Home Office licence to import/produce cannabis extracts? I suspect he used Marinol.
I agree with Chris that it is likely that Marinol (a synthetic analogue of T.H.C.) that was used to conduct the tests. If this is the case it makes the results even more non-applicable to Cannabis as Marinol is NOT identical to natural T.H.C. and has proven to be less effective medically and there are some indications that it could be harmful to health as well, unlike real natural Cannabis.
The scientists at GW Pharma have published peer reviewed research demonstrating that the synergistic effect of the minor cannabinoids, terpines and flavonoids present in the plant have a dramatic effect on its medicinal efficacy. Dr David Potter mentions a figure of 330% for the increased benefit from whole plant as opposed to THC/CBD alone.
The CUPID research is perfectly valid in its own right but it is not about cannabis.
I agree, the study in itself is perfect and that the scientists still ignores the fact that only the complete plant extract is syngergistic in the healing process.
Well, only an oily extract of the whole plant or the flowers of Cannabis sat. L var. ind. gives the complete spectrum of cannabinoides and therefore is healing, not the semi or full-synthetic stuff. Furthermore the plant s must be grown naturally and organic in full sun, only then they store the healing energy… this is just my experience with it.
Wake up, open your mind and realize that the nature is healing and costs nearly nothing, and western medicine is just good for the profit of the "social security system" and they despite the fact that we the patients suffer for their sheer greed.
This study is “STUPID” instead of “CUPID”. The healing powers of cannabis are far bigger than a THC capsule !!
http://blog.norml.org/2012/05/23/study-non-psychotropic-plant-cannabinoids-counteract-prostate-cancer-growth/
its not just thc that gives medicinal benifit
Very common my man