LONDON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- British researchers are determining if marijuana helps alleviate breathlessness caused by illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Imperial College London researchers are looking for volunteers ages 50 to 70 to test whether cannabinoids, the active ingredient in marijuana, could be used to reduce the sensation of breathlessness without depressing the respiratory system.
"Despite the best efforts of scientists for many years, no one has been able to develop a way to deal with the sensation of breathlessness without suppressing the drive to breathe," said Dr. Elspeth Pickering.
"Breathlessness can have a major impact on the quality of life for patients with respiratory diseases, and by using a cannabinoid, we hope to find a way to block the mechanism which causes it."
Volunteers will be given a spray which includes tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, which researchers hope will reduce the sensation of breathlessness.
