Science Cannabis

Medical Uses of Marijuana—Fact or Fantasy 169Randall was determined to have access to marijuana to treat hisglaucoma. After losing his home-grown cannabis plants in a police raid,he launched a lawsuit against the United States government, and in 1978won a settlement in which the government agreed to supply him withNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-grown marijuana cigarettesfree of charge under a compassionate FDA investigational drug protocol,at a rate of about 300 cigarettes a month. In effect Randall was consideredto be a research subject in an FDA-approved single-person drugtrial, a process involving much paperwork and red tape for Randall's doctor.This set a precedent, and eventually this concession was extended to30 patients in the United States, until the Bush government terminatedthe program in the 1980s. Even now, the United States government continuesto supply free marijuana to some eight remaining patients, includingRandall.EpilepsyEpilepsy is a common nervous system disorder that affects about 1% ofthe population. Patients experience repeated periods of uncontrolledelectrical activity in the brain. In the more severe forms of epilepsy thiscan lead to a fit in which the patient becomes unconscious and experiencesmuscular convulsions, or in petit mal epilepsy, the seizure may bemilder and lead only to a temporary lapse in consciousness, often lastingonly a few seconds. There are several drugs available that help to controlepilepsy and lessen the risk of seizures, these include carbamazepine,sodium valproate, phenytoin, phenobarbitone, primidone, ethosuximide,and clonazepam. In the past few years a new generation of antiepilepticdrugs has also been introduced: vigabatrin, lamotrigine, gabapentin, andtopiramate.Although none of these medicines is devoid of adverse side effects, itis usually possible to find the medicine that is best tolerated for an individualpatient and to effectively control their symptoms. There is a substantialnumber of epileptic patients, however, whose epilepsy is not wellcontrolled by drugs and many of these are severely and permanentlydisabled — being unable to go to work or to drive a car.