Blag - The full story is in the Journal 3/6/5
www.icnewcastle.co.uk - full story only available to subscribers, but i've been able to get a copy.
Cannabis Hope For Mental Illness:
Cannabis could be used to effectively treat illnesses such as manic depression and scizophrenia, according to a groundbreaking study by North-East scientists. Experts at Newcastle University believe spraying a form of the drug under the tongue could offer fresh hope to sufferers of mental health problems.
The findings contrast sharply with recent warnings that smoking cannabis can seriously damage mental health. A series of studies have linked the drug to psychosis and suggested it could trigger schizophrenia in people already at risk.
But prof Heather Ashton, who led the study by the Department of Psychiatry, said the medicinal use of the cannabis was "entirely separate" to recreational use of the drug. "If you are using known substances in known amounts rather than a mixture, you get definite effects", she said. "You don't get the associated risks. Recreational users of cannabis take much higher doses, and the mental effects of smoking cannabis are strongly related to the dosage taken. The higher it is, the more likely you are to have problems".
The Newcastle University review was undertaken by the Department of Psychology after anecdotal evidence from sufferers of bipolar disorders suggested taking cannabis could help. The scientists believe certain substances from the drug, known as cannabinoids, may hold sedative, antidepressant, antipsychotic effects. And they are now calling for a controlled study examining the properties of two specific substances - 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Prof Ashton said: "Anecdotally, people with certain bipolar disorders, such as manic depression, say taking cannabis can help with their symptoms. If they are depressed it can bring them up, and if they are manic it can calm them down. They often say it is better than their usual medication, which is often a mixture of lithium. It works in a way but they hate it because it justs keeps them flat. We think it's worth trying, because treatment for schizophrenia and manic depression is not 100% what it could be. There's room for improvement. CBD is a very interesting drug which seems to have anti-psychotic properties. If you use the right combination it could well be therapeutic".
The university team is hoping lead the study, which is likely to be held in Canada. A firm specialising in cannabis-based medication is lending support. The government was strongly condemned by mental health campaigners after downgrading the drug from a Class B classification to Class C. It is thought fashionable, and more potent forms of the drug, such as Skunk, can lead to serious mental health problems, such as schizophrenia. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has since asked Sir Michael Rawlings, chairman of the Advisory Councul on the misuse of Drugs, to conduct a review into the drug. he is professor of clinical pharmacology at Newcastle University.
Dr Philip Robson, director of the Cannabis Research Institute, and clinical director of GW Pharmaceuticals, which developed a cannabis treatment for multiple sclerosis, described the university review as 'cutting edge'. He said "I don't think anyone else is working on treating mental illness with cannabis extracts. They are possibly the leaders on this. We are in contact with them. The plan is to collaborate with the study that they are going to do. It is not being sponsored by GW, but we are looking at it. We are offering our support, and if something comes from this we will certainly be interested".
GW Pharaceuticals recently gained a licence to market cannabis-based spray Sativex, which helps sufferers of MS, in Canada. They are now hoping licence will be granted for its use in the UK. GW spokesman, Mark Rogers, said: "It would not be the first time in medicine that a substance in one form or dosage could harm you, and in another form of dosage could do you good. It's not unusual for something to have both beneficial and adverse effects".
just smoke less of it then 
