Pubdate: Mon, 9 Nov 1998
Source: State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)
Website: http://www.sj-r.com
Contact:  Larry A. Stevens

SUGGESTS CANNABIS COULD AID CHEMO PATIENTS

Dear Editor,

Tony Cappasso's story about Dr. Leonard Rybak and his research into
preventing hearing loss in chemotherapy patients is extremely
informative. Wonders are unfolding now that medical science has become
aware of free radical damage in the body and of antioxidants that
prevent such damage.

The idea of using an antioxidant to prevent free radical damage to
hair cells in the ear to protect against hearing loss is pure genius. 
To accomplish this, according to your article, Dr. Rybak is searching
for an antioxidant that is more powerful than vitamin E, low in
toxicity and easy to administer.

Dr. Rybak, I give you the cannaboids.

Many of the cannaboids, including THC, have been shown to be
antioxidants more powerful than than vitamin E (July 7 Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences), incredibly safe (the difference
between a therapeutic dose and a lethal dose of cannabis of cannabis
is 40,000 while the figure for aspirin is 25), and fast-working at
very low doses.

There is a lot of research that would support cannabis as the perfect
candidate to protect the hearing of chemotherapy patients.  After all,
many of these patients already use cannabis to relieve the nausea
caused by chemotherapy.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if their hearing is
also being saved by this remarkable medicine?

Larry A. Stevens
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Checked-by: Patrick Henry