Woman died on cannabis drug trial

BBC ^ | 12/12/05 | bbc

[minus_273]

Woman died on cannabis drug trial

Sativex is made from the cannabis plant A woman developed mental health problems and later died after taking part in trials of a cannabis-based drug, an inquest has heard.

Diabetic Rene Anderson, aged 69 from Sheffield, was taken to hospital after starting to take Sativex to see if it would relieve pain she was suffering.

She died in March 2004 from acute kidney failure.

The continuing inquest is expected to have implications for the use of drugs derived from cannabis.

Useful relief

Mrs Anderson, a retired supermarket supervisor from Silkstone Close in Frecheville, had been taking part in a trial supervised by diabetes expert Dr Solomon Tesfaye.

He told the court he wanted to investigate whether cannabis could provide useful relief from the severe pain experienced by diabetic neuropathy sufferers.

Sativex, which is not yet licensed in the UK but has been granted a licence in Canada, had shown good results in multiple sclerosis sufferers, Dr Resfaye said.

He was first aware of Mrs Anderson's case when her family complained about her mental problems just days after her treatment began.

Admitted to hospital

The doctor said the dose of the drug, which is taken using an oral spray, was reduced but Mrs Anderson's daughter, Jackie Sadler, rang back two weeks later to tell of her mother's deterioration.

Sheffield coroner Chris Dorries heard how Mrs Anderson suffered a series of physical problems after she was admitted to hospital in October 2003, 23 days after starting to take Sativex

These included pneumonia which culminated in her death five months later.

The coroner said the purpose of the inquest was to examine what links there were, if any, between the experimental treatment and the physical deterioration which led to Mrs Anderson's death.

The inquest, which began on Monday, is expected to last five or six days.

[robertpaulsen]

"But you claimed (as shown above) that: "People die from marijuana pneumonitis and allergic reactions all the time"

"Hamadeh and associates. Chest, Vol. 94/2, pp.432-433, 1988. "Invasive aspergillosis has become a significant cause of death in immunosuppressed patients". Physicians should be aware of this potentially lethal complication of marijuana use in compromised hosts such as patients with AIDS or malignancies.)"

"Transplantation, Vol. 61, June 27, 1996. (Marijuana smoke transmits aspergillosis, a fungus having up to a 90% fatality rate if contracted by transplant patients. Researchers have strongly warned against the use of marijuana in immuno-compromised patients such as those with AIDS, chronic granulomatous disease, bone marrow transplants and those receiving chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer.)"

"Caiffa WT, Vlahov D, Graham NM, Astemborski J, Solomon L, Nelson KE, and Munoz A. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 150:1493-1498, 1994. (Marijuana smoking increases the incidence of bacterial pneumoniae in AIDS patients. HIV positive smokers progress to full-blown AIDS twice as fast as non-smokers.)"

[robertpaulsen]

"The powers that be are desperate to keep Sativex from being approved in the UK."

It appears as though the patients experimental subjects are doing that for them.

[Geronimo]

From the same site: "The escalating prevalence of higher potency marijuana such as sinsemilla has resulted in an increase in average marijuana potency; however, high potency marijuana constitutes a relatively small portion of the marijuana available throughout the United States. Commercial-grade marijuana is the most widely available type throughout the country."

Sinsemilla is not a strain of marijuana but rather an unpollinated female plant with bigger flowers/buds because the plant doesn't divert any of its energy towards seed production, it just grows bigger buds and hence produces a higher yield or crop. Potency is determined at a genetic level, some modern hybrid strains from Holland are more potent than others, but don't let the Government confuse you because they do not know the difference between potency and yield.

[Lady Jag]

We have a winner!

[TKDietz]

"Smoke pot enough and you'll eventually end up on harder things like crack. Everyone knows that."

I don't think that there is a shred of proof that smoking pot does something to people that makes them all the sudden want to smoke crack or stick needles in their arms. The fact that all illegal drugs tend to flow through the same channels certainly does increase the opportunities people who smoke marijuana will have to do the hard stuff though. Aside from being more likely to be offered these drugs to buy, they are more likely to have the opportunity to share them with other drug users who will not worry about them telling on them because if you smoke marijuana, you are already breaking the law by using one illegal drug and thus are far less likely to tell on others for using different illegal drugs. According to government statistics, people who drink and smoke are also several times more likely than those who do not to use a drug like cocaine. I think this is both because they just happen to be more likely to be the types who would gravitate toward that sort of thing, as is evidenced by their "party" lifestyle, and because they are around a party crowd that are more likely to do that sort of thing so they are more likely to have the opportunity to try these drugs and less likely to have their peers look down on them for doing so. The percentage of those who smoke marijuana who will use other illegal drugs is higher than the percentage of those who will use these substances who only drink but do not smoke pot. I think if pot was legal though and regulated much like alcohol there would be little or no difference between the number of young pot smokers and drinkers who use other drugs.

[somniferum]

If you are laying awake at night terrified of contracting Aspergillosis, its probably best to avoid hospitals.

Nosocomial aspergillosis

Nosocomial infection is defined as the acquisition of clinical infection as a result of medical intervention, and is usually applied to infections acquired in hospital.

Due to almost constant need for updating and expanding of medical services, renovation and construction are common occurrences in health care facilities. Fungal spores are released during repair, maintenance and construction. The spores are small and stay airborne for considerable periods of time. They may also spread long distances. Exposure to fungal spores constitutes a very serious threat to immunocompromised patients. Water and moisture damage also occur often in hospitals. This may create fungal reservoirs that may lead to adverse health effects even among personnel.

Many of the environmental hazards contributing to invasive aspergillosis have been identified, including unfiltered air, defects in hospital ventilation systems, food items, and possibly hospital water supplies. Stringent environmental controls in transplant units have included high-efficiency air filtration, positive-pressure ventialtion and frequent room air changes. Although there have been several well-documented examples of aspergillosis outbreaks as a result of hospital demolition and reconstruction, it has not always been possible to demonstrate elevated spore counts in clinical areas during building work. Furthermore, the possibility of community-acquired aspergillosis must be considered. These risks can usually be effectively minimized. However, very few studies have linked environmental exposure to cases of invasive aspergillosis.

The exposure pathways regarding nosocomial yeast infections include carriage on healthcare workers hands, contaminated surfaces and medical devices. The environment also may become contaminated with yeasts, but the relative importance of this reservoir is unknown.

Finally, it must be stressed that nursing and medical staff should be educated in the special risks faced by the immunocompromised patient from the normal environment.

The most important nosocomial infection due to Aspergillus spp. is pneumonia.

[R. Scott]

Deep, man. Don't OD on your dope, Dope.

I don’t use any kind of dope but what the doc prescribes. One for blood pressure, one for diabetes and the occasional Motrin for arthritis, and the occational shot and beer. Just because I don’t believe Reefer Madness was a documentary, just because I don’t believe the propaganda started by Henry Anslinger, just because I don’t believe the crap put out by those who earn their living from the “War” of drugs does not mean I am a druggie.

[Wolfie]

This is why the Prohibitionists in England, no doubt acting at the behest of their masters in the U.S., are panicking over Sativex, and pulling out all the stops:

GW Pharma Signs European Partner for Cannabis Drug

December 12, 2005

LONDON (Reuters) - GW Pharmaceuticals has agreed to a deal for Spain's Almirall to market its pioneering cannabis-based medicine, Sativex, in European countries excluding the UK, sending its shares higher on Monday.

GW Pharma said it would receive a signature fee of 12 million pounds, within total potential milestone payments of 46 million pounds, and that it would maintain a significant share of long-term product revenues.

At 8:05 a.m., GW Pharma shares were up 14.5 percent at 134.5 pence, valuing the firm at 153 million pounds.

Almirall is Spain's largest pharmaceutical company and one of Europe's biggest private drug companies, with 2005 sales approaching 1 billion euros (673 million pounds), GW Pharma said.

GW Pharma grows thousands of marijuana plants at a secret location in the English countryside, having been granted a dispensation by the government to use the plant for medical research.

Canada became the first country to approve Sativex, an under-the-tongue spray, for sale in April 2005 as a treatment for neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis patients.

Sativex was initially expected to be approved in Britain by the end of 2003, but has suffered numerous delays.

German drugmaker Bayer is GW Pharma's marketing partner in Canada and the UK.

[robertpaulsen]

"If you are laying awake at night terrified of contracting Aspergillosis, its probably best to avoid hospitals."

And marijuana.

Like I said.

[SunnySide]

LOL

Is that like saying they all look alike? :P

.....

Yes, Look alike, act alike. All Potheads have that same stoned facial expression. All methheads have that same gaunt scabbed up face and twitchy behavior.

[robertpaulsen]

"Sativex was initially expected to be approved in Britain by the end of 2003, but has suffered numerous delays."

Yeah, delays caused by not passing clinical trials.

"The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) accepted Sativex’s safety and quality, but said that evidence of its efficacy was not yet sufficiently compelling. The company has already started the fresh trials of Sativex requested by the MHRA, but results are not due until spring 2006, delaying the launch of the drug to late 2006 or 2007."

Two words, Wolfie: Snake and Oil.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

In my book, you don't have to take illegal drugs to be a druggie.

[MadManDan]

No aim to be hateful... I just thought I had a cool haircut, and then you hurt my feelings! PS how'd you know what my hair looks like? (MadMan looking around all paranoid) Where's my aluminum helmet??? Merry Christmas.

[MadManDan]

CRACK!!! (Dave Chappelle: "Joe Rogan, there's something about me you might not know, I smoke rocks!")

[Wolfie]

And yet approved in Canada and Europe. I'd say Uncle Sam's hand is up the ass of his puppets in the U.K.

[robertpaulsen]

"Canada is the first country to approve Sativex®. The Health Protection Branch has granted the drug a Notice of Compliance with conditions (NOCc). NOCc’s are granted for drugs with promising benefit and acceptable safety profiles. Because of the conditions, Bayer must submit further data from clinical trials to Health Canada before the conditions will be removed.

As to Europe, I don't care.

[R. Scott]

If Sativex is approved in Europe it will raise the propaganda put out by our “esteemed and trusted” government bureaucrats to perpetuate the “marijuana has no legitimate use” line.

[R. Scott]

So in your mind, anyone who doubts the Official Government Line is a druggie?

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Anyone who aids and abets the use of illegal drugs is a druggie.

[KeepUSfree]

No idiot, she didn't "die from pot". She died from exactly what every idiot drug warrior wants - "a drug made from pot that does everything pot does (not quite as well) but marches lockstep with the government propagandists and allows huge drug companies to make billions on something that doesn't work as well as the natural substance while assuaging WOSD'ers that anybody, somewhere, could be doing something they personally disagree with".

And, hey, and after all, that's what's REALLY important to you guys.... If some people have to die or have their lives and fortunes destroyed on the way to your personal hypocritical drug-free utopia - so be it.