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 know alot of long time users. Guys that smoked 4+ joints a day for years. Every last one of them now is a normally adjusted, happy and productive contributing member of society. Not to mention the fact that every single one of them is very successful in their careers or family life.
Hey idiot, reread your own post.
She took a synthetic form of pot. Big difference.
Man, you pro-drug warriors are all the same....
This is for all the anti-pot people in this thread:
Stupidity is the most widely used drug to escape reality from, just look at the liberals; you should all take a step back and examine pot objectively. Most of you who think it's so bad have never done it. It's like anything else, some people do way too much and then lead loserous lives because of a general lack of ambition. But for every one of them there are many who smoke pot who are highly intelligent and lead very useful and good lives. Smoking anything is bad for your lungs, but other than that, pot is freaking harmless.
The anti-pot folks are beyond hypocrisy.
It was legal up until DuPont invented NYLON (NewYork/LONdon)and had the Pentagon cronies support to replace all the Navy's hemp and manila lines.
The Rockefeller controlled medical industry, (his ole man was a snake-OIL salesman and horse thief), had it's BETTER than pot cures too.
But the "moonshine" industry cum NASCAR, and the liquor businesses thrives and push THEIR drug at televised national sports events.
BTW - Washington was the nation's largest whiskey distiller at the time!!!
Another fundamental right in the crapper due to business elite's choke hold on politicians.
Pot has never even come close to the levels of physical and mental harm done by alcohol, or mis-used prescription drugs like xanax or oxy for that matter.
I don't recommend any of them - but what's corrupt is corrupt and what's fair is fair.
And you're not going to hear it, because the drug warriors always resort to ad hominem attacks, strawman arguments, childish insults, and the obligatory Libertarian Party reference. Facts and logic are to them as garlic is to Dracula.
Isn't it funny? They don't trust the government except on this one point. They fell hook, line and sinker for this one.
She had complications of diabetes to the point of diabetic neuropathy. I would hazard a guess that her kidney failure had more to do with diabetes than taking the pot.
Yeah, but Bill, your pot down in the States can't even touch the sh*t that's grown up here. You may be getting our weed down there now, but we've been growing wheelchair weed hydroponically for years.
Like the Clintons?
The thing that gets me is that it's always marijuana that's demonized. If marijuana were legalized states can cure their budget woes in one fell swoop. The crime associated with weed would virtually disappear, and states would have more tax revenue.
Clinton didn't "smoke" pot, remember? Getting a contact high didn't turn him into a pyschopath.
Everyone knows that with the real harsh stuff you have to wash it down with a few beers. Kidney failure was cause by alcohol probably, not pot?
too funny ...
you described cigarette smokers and social alcohol drinkers as well. Any reason you're not calling them names also?
"A chronic marijuana user asked me if the drug affects the immune system. Does it?" inquires E.J. FRANCZAK, MD, of Agincourt, ON.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the major active component of cannabis, or marijuana. Receptors to THC have been found on B cells, natural killer cells, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and macrophages (Life Sci 1999; 65:637-644). Marijuana has measurable in vitro effects on the immune system, particularly in reducing cell-mediated immunity, which might increase susceptibility to infection. Clinical studies in humans so far, though, haven't demonstrated that these effects are clinically relevant (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1976;58:483-490). Chronic smoking of marijuana, however, can raise one's susceptibility to respiratory infection and cancer (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1999;8:1071-1078). If the marijuana is contaminated with mould spores, which is common, smoking it may lead to allergic asthma, infection or hypersensitivity pneumonitis (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1983;71:389-393).
Sounds unlikely that her problems were caused by cannabis.
Just that death from marijuana is common. (see post 55)
A five month bout with pneumonia meant an awful lot of antibiotics which probably caused the kidney failure in addition to the diabetes. She was already losing it mentally if she had diabetic neuropathy.
ROTFL so they get sick from the mold and that's your evidence? Do you have any links to any deaths at all?
Is there someone who believes "pot cures all"? Never heard anyone make such a ridiculous claim.
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