Or it may be just as effective but better tolerated or safer. Or it could be preferred as an alternative for outpatients. It's also difficult for nauseous patients to consume, notes Martin. Proponents and opponents of medical marijuana research agree that any studies should focus on patients who don't respond to traditional medications-particularly those in chronic pain or in the final stages of terminal illness. When you're evaluating terminal AIDS patients, the standards change.
Researchers strike other cautionary notes about marijuana's medical value.
Jones points out that half a dozen good medications exist for glaucoma pressure. The problems of studying marijuana extend beyond traditional perceptions of what medications should look like. Most disturbing is the issue of finding a realistic placebo. In addition, smoking marijuana exposes study volunteers to risks similar to that from tobacco smoking, a sensitive issue for ethical researchers. Temple focused on another potential problem for new studies in his talk at the NIH workshop.