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Home > News Archive > 2003 > Marijuana Compound Recommended For Tourette's Syndrome, Medical Journal Says
Marijuana Compound Recommended For Tourette's Syndrome, Medical Journal Says
October 22, 2003 - Hannover, Germany
Hanover, Germany: The efficacy of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is sufficient enough to warrant its clinical use in the treatment of Tourette's Syndrome (TS), according to a clinical review published in this month's issue of the journal Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy.
The review cites favorable results from a pair of recent randomized trials that found THC significantly reduced tics in TS patients. No serious adverse effects occurred and no impairment on neuropsychological performance was observed in either trial.
"If well-established drugs either fail to improve tics or cause significant adverse effects, in adult patients, therapy with Delta(9)-THC should be tried," the author concludes. The author speculates that "herbal cannabis" may also be beneficial in the treatment of TS, but notes that comparative studies examining marijuana versus synthetic cannabinoids have not been conducted.
Tourette's syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by sudden spasms, so called "tics," that occur especially in the face, neck, and shoulders.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the study, entitled "Cannabinoids reduce symptoms of Tourette's syndrome," is available in the October 2003 issue of the journal Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy.
updated: Oct 22, 2003
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