Science Cannabis

Medical Uses of Marijuana—Fact or Fantasy 155Lynn Hastings used cannabis to alleviate pain and spasms resulting fromher rheumatoid arthritis. The following extract is from a sworn affidavitfiled with the Court when she was tried for growing cannabis plants in1989:"There is not any cure for my disease. I must do what I feel is rightand safe for me. I want to live long enough to enjoy my grandchildrenand have the most fulfilling life that I am able to have.Marijuana has helped me very much. When I smoke a marijuanacigarette I receive instant relief from my pain. I am able toconcentrate on my muscle spasms and relax the area that is givingme the most pain. The marijuana affects me like a wave of relief.The pain relief is fast and the effect on my mind is only for acouple of hours. I am able to think clearly without a drug hangoverthe next day.The fatigue that I feel from my juvenile rheumatoid arthritisis also remedied within half an hour. I am able to do my houseworkor cook my family's dinner. I am able to talk to people andhave a normal conversation with friends, family or phone calls.Another benefit from the marijuana is that it helps me with mydepression.... I never felt that I needed the marijuana other than forpain and muscle spasm, nor did I need to increase the amount ofmarijuana to obtain the pain relief that I required."(Randall, 1991)Multiple SclerosisMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling nervous systemdisease of young adults, with an estimated 85,000 living with the conditionin the United Kingdom and more than 250,000 in the UnitedStates. Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, degenerative disease, in whichthe brain and the spinal cord nerves are damaged by the gradual destructionof myelin, the protective, insulating layer of fatty tissue that normallycoats nerve fibers. The precise cause of the disease is not known, but it isthought to represent an autoimmune condition, in which the body's immunesystem becomes inappropriately sensitized to some component of