Who in their right mind would give marijuana to a child? If those same parents gave their children controlled doses of cannabis they would likely be arrested if found out, but a recent article from the New York Times suggests that medical cannabis can be quite helpful in the treatment of people who suffer with autism, ADD, ADHD and similar conditions.

The most commonly-prescribed pharmaceuticals: methylphenidate (Ritalin), amphetamine and dextroamphetamine (Adderall), and pemoline (Cylert) are known to produce serious side effects including, but not limited to, nervousness, headache, depression, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure instability, abdominal pain, cardiac arrhythmia and even stunted growth. Moreover, these substances can lead to dependency and addiction. Ritalin is very similar to cocaine. Cases in which the use of Ritalin has led to death have been recorded.

Why would parents do this to their kids? The answer can only be that they are desperate for help for their children who are struggling with the distressing symptoms of their emotional disorders. The child with the condition is not the only family member who suffers from his ADD/ADHD, autism, or other psychiatric affliction. The stress of living with such a child can negatively affect the entire family. Mounting anecdotal evidence appears to verify that cannabis produces beneficial results in the treatment of certain mental health disorders, while scientific reports of positive results are emerging from studies conducted abroad.

As a "Schedule One" substance, cannabis is illegal in the U.S. even when used as medicine, so medical research may not be carried out on it. Previous research in the U.S. has been done primarily to illustrate the "harmfulness" of the substance. Certainly, marijuana-like other mind-altering substances-is not without its drawbacks. It must not be ignored that some research results hint at the potential for negative outcomes among young, chronic users, emphasizing the need to proceed with caution when working with younger subjects. Still, the early consensus seems to be that the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis outweigh the potential risks for most patients.

For example, in a recent case in Berkeley, Dr. Frank Lucido authorized marijuana use for a 16-year-old patient with ADHD for whom Ritalin was not effective. The patient just could not seem to stay out of trouble. Aware of cannabis's safety record and certain that he would be doing his young patient no harm, Dr. Lucido decided to try the patient on cannabis to see whether it might help him. Dr. Lucido reported that within a year of beginning treatment not only had his patient improved his grades, he was elected president of his class. The patient stated that his brain had started working and, for the first time, he was able to think. The Medical Board of California questioned Dr. Lucido about his decision to try his patient on cannabis but in the end decided against disciplining him for it.

Another doctor, Dr. Edward M. Hallowell, a psychiatrist and author of several books on these behavioral disorders goes so far as to say that marijuana can be a "godsend" for certain patients with ADHD, but he goes on to say that because of the legal issue he discourages his patients from using it. Dr. Hallowell also reports that in some people he has observed a loss of initiative to do anything but get stoned.

There is no question that much more research needs to be done before the therapeutic benefit of cannabis treatment for behavior disorders can be established beyond all doubt, but with the major policy reversal announced in November by the American Medical Association, calling for the reclassification of cannabis so that studies on it may commence, it is likely only a matter of time until the medicinal usefulness of the cannabis plant becomes apparent to all.

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam

Widely regarded as one of the world's experts on cannabinoid-based medicine, and a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D., Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, along with his colleagues, has been researching what he calls "cannabinoid chemistry" over these past four decades, making many notable contributions to the field. Dr. Mechoulam has written countless scientific papers on his cannabinoid research results, as well as a review of his group's early studies, the book Cannabinoids as Therapeutic Agents.

Dr. Mechoulam has been awarded many honors for his groundbreaking work, including the highest national scientific prize in Israel-the Israel Prize. He is a past-president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. Those who know Dr. Mechoulam describe him as mentally vigorous, generous and kind.

In 1964 Dr. Mechoulam and his associates identified and synthesized THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), creating an entire new line of medical research. Twenty-eight years later, in 1992, working with Drs. William Devane and Lumir Hanus, Dr. Mechoulam identified the brain's natural version of THC, or endocannabinoid. The doctors named this natural THC "anandamide," from the Sanskrit, ananda, which is translated as "eternal bliss" or "supreme joy."

Research has revealed that the brain contains many cannabinoid neurotransmitters and receptors. The 1964 discovery of THC led to the eventual discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the brain. Further research conducted by Dr. Mechoulam, working with Dr. Lumir Hanus and Dr. Shimon Ben-Shabat, has led to the detection of an additional endocannabinoid with the tongue-twisting name 2-arachidonylglycerol, or 2-AG. As a result of this work, understanding of cannabinoid systems has advanced significantly.

Endocannabinoids are part of the brain's reward system, helping with the reduction of pain, regulation of emotions, consolidation of memory and the synchronization of movement. Interestingly, cannabinoid receptors outnumber all other receptors in the brain; the endocannabinoid system is active in nearly every other physiological system that has been studied. Therefore, Dr. Mechoulam has concluded that the endocannabinoid system is crucial to communication with and functions of many other bodily systems.

Pharmaceutical companies in the UK and France are researching and developing many new cannabis-based medicines. Carefully conducted trials have shown not only pain-relieving action and growth-retardation in tumors, but efficacy in treating multiple sclerosis and seizure disorders and a host of other medical conditions.

Over just the past few years the pace of cannabinoid research has been steadily increasing. Quite promising are new drugs currently being developed that both activate and deactivate cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Pain management, neuroprotective treatment for head trauma and stroke, and appetite regulation are just a few of the applications now being studied.

Most recently, one of the synthetic compounds (HU-211) from Dr. Mechoulam's lab has completed phase 2 clinical trials against head trauma with evidence of a neuroprotective effect. The pace of cannabinoid research has certainly been accelerating over the past few years, and Dr. Mechoulam thinks these new drugs are just the tip of the iceberg.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon

Dr. Grinspoon then goes on to say, "The government has been able to pursue its policies of persecution and prosecution largely because of the widespread false belief that cannabis smokers are either irresponsible and socially marginal people or adolescents who 'experiment,' learn their lesson, and abandon all use of the drug. That lie is unfortunately perpetuated when those who know better remain silent."

Back in 1967 Dr. Grinspoon had become alarmed that so many young people were using the "terribly dangerous drug" marijuana so he set out to review existing medical and scientific literature on cannabis and write an objective, scientific paper on the dangers of the substance in order to expose its mental and physical toxicity and save these youngsters from inflicting irreparable harm upon themselves.

As Dr. Grinspoon delved into his research it wasn't long before he began to question his "knowledge" about cannabis. He began to realize that what he believed was based largely on myths, both old and new, and misinformation perpetuated by the federal government. As his research progressed, Dr. Grinspoon began to recognize the vast potential of this complex plant and became an advocate for its legalization. His compassion and commitment to the truth remain unparalleled to this day.

Lester Grinspoon was born in Newton, Massachusetts in 1928. He is married and the father of three. The first American physician to prescribe lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder, Dr. Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has authored or co-authored more than 160 journal articles or chapters and twelve books on marijuana and psychedelics, beginning in 1971 with Marihuana Reconsidered (recently republished as a classic) and continuing through his latest book, Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine, co-authored with James B. Bakalar.

Also among Dr. Grinspoon's accomplishments:

This is only a partial listing of Dr. Grinspoon's myriad achievements. He is currently writing a book on the many uses of marijuana and is still active in the quest for reform. Every one of us who enjoys or employs marijuana in any way owes Dr. Lester Grinspoon an undying debt of gratitude.

Dr. David Bearman