Evzen Ruzicka from Neurological Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine at the Charles University even admited, in a professional journal Parkinson, an improvement of state in patients with Parkinson's disease. „We have tried to experimentally interrupt the cannabis treatment. Even so Evzen Ruzicka was cautious: „In light of medicine any physician mustn’t recommend to use cannabis despite there are reasons to believe that such cure could be effective. Physician has a right to cure his patients only with medicine that went through procedure of examinations that confirmed harmlessness and effectivity of the medication.“
CANNABIS CAN HELP - THE EXPERTS ADMIT
Controversial cannabis can, according to many medical reports, really help as a medication. But experts also warn of the risks. Czech authorities do not intend to think about similar step as Canada that was the first country in the world that legalized the use of marihuana for some patients suffering from disseminated sclerosis, cancer and AIDS.
''Something like this is out of the question in the Czech Republic. Today marihuana, hashish in a year and what would be next?'' standpointed Otakar Cerny, the press agent of the Minister of Health Bohumil Fiser.
Trehe often appear reports about the positive effects of Cannabis: contained substances, especially tetrahydrocanabiol have proved, according to some reports, to be effective in cure of sickness that brings a relief to patients suffering from AIDS or cancer. Discussed is also the relaxing effect on muscles for example in patients with disseminated sclerosis.
There are only missing the convincing proofs that would be able to break the taboo that logically surrounds one of the most abused drug. However the effect of marihuana admit also one of the leading czech pharmacologists professor Jan Svihovec.
''Various derivatives of marihuana are being clinically tested and especially effects against emesis are very good,'' confirmed Svihovec. However he adds: ''I saw many results but no final conclusions.'' Accorging to evidence of some experts is marihuana recommended in practice but not with support of the law.
''It is commonly known that in some conditions has marihuana, at least, a relieving effect. I know that range of physicians recommend it to their patients especially to those with disseminated sclerosis to try it in cases of pain and convulsions,'' said yesterday Jiri Presl from Drop In, a centre for drug addicted people in Prague. He specified that he personally knows a few people that were recommended to use this ''self-medication''.
Physicians that cure patients with mentioned diseases refuse to confirm that they would recommend to use cannabis. However they admit that their clients have some experiences with it. ''I think that some of them use it and it really helps to someone,'' agreed Ladislav Machala that cures patients with AIDS.
It was repeatedly written about ''marihuana medication '' and news media wrote many reports about people that used cannabis as a last hope. They did not smoke it, but put it's crushed leaves into butter. Evzen Ruzicka from Neurological Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine at the Charles University even admited, in a professional journal Parkinson, an improvement of state in patients with Parkinson's disease. ''We have tried to experimentally interrupt the cannabis treatment.
After three weeks we recognized worsening of mobility that was quickly back when the patient came back to regular use of this preparation,'' wrote Ruzicka. He added that physicians didn't find any signs of psychic changes, which could be caused by cannabis.
Even so Evzen Ruzicka was cautious: ''In light of medicine any physician mustn't recommend to use cannabis despite there are reasons to believe that such cure could be effective. Physician has a right to cure his patients only with medicine that went through procedure of examinations that confirmed harmlessness and effectivity of the medication.''
It is also the reason why has the legalization of marihuana it's critics. Sceptic is also the head physician of the mental home in Bohnice Karel Nespor, he warns of side effects of marihuana on respiration system (if it's smoked), perception functions or on immunity of organism. ''I don't think it is good when a patient with cancer gets a pneumonia or if it worse the preception of patients with cataract,'' he said.
The risk is in uncontrolled use without assesment of an exact dose. And also marihuana can have different effects on different patients. Jiří Presl admits it too though he objects that he doesn't know any cases of overdosing. And in the matter of addiction risk, he thinks that alcohol is much more dangerous.
''There is no medication without any risks,'' said Presl.
However Nespor gives another argument: If marihuana would be such a miracle, the pharmaceutical industry would certainly use it. Of course it has happened but it's effect wasn't so impressive. It can have several explanations: there are more than one curative substances in cannabis or psyche of the patients during intake, influence the effect signifacantely.
The reason why the research is not so intensive gives Pavol Mazan, the executive manager of International Association of Pharmaceutical Companies: ''Marihuana as an addictive drug is taboo accompanied with many prejustices. Pharmaceutical industry don't want to be involved in any such matter. But it may be only question of time'' he admited.
