Scientists at the University of Milan have published a study [15] finding that whole-plant marijuana extracts provide better relief for neuropathic pain than isolated components of the plant, like THC alone. The research is an intervention in the ongoing debate between medical marijuana supporters and herbal and alternative medicine advocates on one side and the US government, some politicians, and the pharmaceuticalized medicine industry on the other.
Congressional drug warriors like Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) have long argued that marijuana is not a medicine [16] and that any medicinal compounds in the plant should be isolated or synthesized, as is the case with Marinol, which contains one of the hundreds of cannabinoids found in the plant. The DEA takes a similar approach [17].
But this latest research only adds to the evidence that that position is mistaken.