Posted on 12/12/2005 11:26:03 AM PST by 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.
I've never heard one convincing argument why pot is worse than beer.
She was taking a drug derived from cannabis, not cannabis itself.
That's really not too hard to get your mind around, unless you're a moron.
The people under discussion are not "taking pot."
One smokes pot.
One takes Sativex, which is what the story is about.
I'm sure some "stoner" has done that, in which the cause of death was likely blunt trauma or bleeding.
Pot, in and of itself, has never caused a death. In combination with operating heavy machinary, its use can be fatal. Best to do one or the other, but not both simultaneously.
Source?
This article is so full of holes. She died because she died & I doubt cannabis had any or a fraction of the cause.
People die of peanut allergies too, and probably more often. What's your point?
"I've never heard one convincing argument why pot is worse than beer."
...
Dogs like beer better cuz it helps them mark their territories. Pot like cigs gives dry throats.
Did that help?
how hard is it to check for DUI? how hard is it to check for some guy who is drving high? at that point it is no longer a harmless drug.
"Post Of The Day" nominee.
She died in March 2004 from acute kidney failure.
It takes a good part of week for the toxins in a your body to build up and kill you if your kidneys shutdown. And you would know if your kidneys shutdown, you would no longer need to urinate and you would retain a lot of water.
Being diabetic is what killed her, not this drug.
This is just one more death in the untold millions of "Death By Cannabis" tragedies.
Did you ever wonder why you see so few hippies, anymore?
They're all DEAD!
The government is hushing up this slaughter because their Lizard Masters from Outer Space wants us all to die!
That sounds like a logical reasoning question off the LSAT :P
I know alot of long time users. Guys that smoked 4+ joints a day for years. Every last one of them now has some sort of anxiety disorder, mental problems, depression, you name it. Not to mention the fact that not one of them is very successful in their careers or family life.
Not to contradict what you're saying, because I believe you, but I know people who drink a case of beer a day, and they're not particularly healthy or successful either. Yet beer is legal. Just sayin'.
Source?
I wouldn't hold your breath.
It wasn't pot she took. It was a synthetic drug derived from marijuana ingredients; probably in a more concentrated form than you can find in the best pot. She was almost elderly, and not healthy either. This doesn't hurt pro-marijuana people at all.
Looks like they should have used the indica strain instead of the sativa...
The big Prohibitionist push is on in the U.K. That this is being sensationalized beyond all reason is no surprise.
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