BMJ 2001;323:2-3 ( 7 July )

Editorials

Cannabinoids for pain and nausea

Some evidence but is there any need?

Papers pp 13, 16

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

This is an exciting time for cannabinoid research. The discovery of cannabinoid CB₁ receptors (expressed by central and peripheral neurones)¹ and CB₂ receptors (expressed mainly by immune cells)² and endogenous agonists³ for these receptors has renewed the scientific community's interest. Independently of these developments society at large has continued an aggressive debate about the therapeutic use of cannabinoids, including demands for their more liberal availability. ^{4 5} Cannabinoids have been suggested to have therapeutic value as analgesics and in various conditions, including migraine headaches, nausea and vomiting, wasting syndrome and appetite stimulation in HIV-infected patients, muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and glaucoma.⁶ When new therapeutic indications are suggested, two major factors should be taken into account: what are the adverse effects of the treatment and how does its effectiveness compare with that of existing alternatives?

In this week's issue two . . . [Full text of this article]

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