xiety, pain, inflammation, and the muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis. In 1989, for instance, Meinck, Schonle, & Conrad (cited in Caswell, 1992, p. 498) published an account of a young male with multiple sclerosis who suffered from immobilizing ataxia and spasticity. After smoking a marijuana cigarette, this subject was reportedly able to get up out of his wheel-chair and walk several feet with support (Caswell, 1992, pp. 497-498).
Clearly, marijuana might be an appropriate treatment for a certain medical conditions. Many argue, however, that the drug's therapeutic effects stem mainly from its sedative, anxiolytic, or analgesic qualities rather than from any specific central mechanism. Regardless though, such allegations are difficult to verify. THC is a pharmacologic agent with widely variable results. Much of this variability derives from the chemical's pharmacokinetic problems. Gastrointestinal absorption, for example, is often erratic. Moreover, the development of drug tolerance during its prolonged use may limit THC's therapeutic value
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