2014年经济学人 智利大麻 减轻痛苦

Cannabis in Chile

Easing the agony

The state relaxes its stance on the use of the drug as a painkiller¹

CECILIA HEYDER has breast cancer. She also has systemic lupus, a disease of the immune system. She's had a mastectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She has taken many painkillers², often with side effects as bad as her symptoms. Last year, in desperation, she asked a doctor what else she could take to relieve her agony. He took out a pen and drew her a cannabis leaf. “It was as if he didn't dare speak the drug's name,” Ms Heyder recalls.

A 48-year-old mother of two, Ms Heyder had only dabbled³ with cannabis as a teenager. But she got hold of some leaves and used them to make tea. The result was startling. It was far more effective than any conventional painkiller she had used.

Inspired by her illicit⁴ experiment, Ms Heyder looked for Sativex, a cannabinoid medicine, but it was unavailable in Chile. She persuaded the government to let her import it; the drugs arrived from Europein September. The Chilean authorities say it's the first time a cannabis-based treatment has been legally brought to Latin America.

But Sativex is pricey. It costs Ms Heyder 2,000 a month. When her stash⁵ runs out she will have to buy more cannabis on the streets. “I don't want to go back to the fear of being arrested,” she says.

In view of the cost of cannabinoid medicines, campaigners in Chile are arguing for the right to make cheaper alternatives. In September they won a ground-breaking victory. The Daya Foundation, a local not-for-profit outfit⁶, was allowed to grow cannabis on land in LaFlorida, a district of Santiago. It will be used to make a painkiller for 200 cancer sufferers. The seeds were sown on October 29th. Blessed by the state, it is the first such project in Latin America.Uruguay made waves by legalising recreational marijuana use; now Chile is blazing a trail for the medicinal kind.

Nicolas Dormal, Daya's co-founder, says teaming up with the University of Valparaiso and a respected cancer clinic helped secure approval. The project includes a clinical study of cannabis as a painkiller. LaFlorida's mayor, Rodolfo Carter, is on board. “I've had a few jokes about the mayor growing his own pot but in general the reaction of local people has been awesome,” he says. “They realise this is not about personal use of marijuana...providing people with a natural, healthier and cheaper treatment for their pain.”

The project may soon expand to help with other ailments⁷. Many Chileans grow marijuana illegally and use it to combat epilepsy. A group of mothers produce the stuff for their epileptic offspring.Not everyone approves of marijuana as a medicine. Doctors and psychiatrists⁸ warn that it is habit-forming. The World Health Organisation⁹ says it impairs¹⁰ learning and can worsen schizophrenia. The WHO accepts that cannabinoids can have positive therapeutic¹¹ effects but says more research is needed into their benefits.

But people like Cecilia Heyder cannot wait; she has only months to live. Having seen how cannabis works, she will use it whether it's legal or not. Fear of arrest is only a slight deterrent¹² when you're dying.

Faced with such realities, there is little point in prosecuting¹³ people who use cannabis to reduce pain.Canada and at least eight European countries allow the marketing¹⁴ of cannabis-based medicine; now the trend may be starting in the southern hemisphere. For people with little else to celebrate, that is good news.

1 painkiller   

n.止痛药

参考例句：

• I shall persuade him to take the painkiller.我将说服他把药吃下去。
• The painkiller only provides him a short respite from his pain.止痛药仅仅让他在疼痛中有短暂的疏解。

2 painkillers   

n.止痛药( painkiller的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The doctor gave him some painkillers to ease the pain. 医生给了他一些止疼片以减缓疼痛。 来自辞典例句
• The primary painkillers - opiates, like OxyContin - are widely feared, misunderstood and underused. 人们对主要的镇痛药——如鸦片剂奥施康定——存在广泛的恐惧、误解，因此没有充分利用。 来自时文部分

3 dabbled   

v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 )；涉足；浅尝；少量投资

参考例句：

• He dabbled in business. 他搞过一点生意。 来自辞典例句
• His vesture was dabbled in blood. 他穿的衣服上溅满了鲜血。 来自辞典例句

4 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

5 stash   

v.藏或贮存于一秘密处所；n.隐藏处

参考例句：

• Stash away both what you lost and gained,for life continues on.将得失深藏心底吧，为了那未来的生活。
• That's supposed to be in our private stash.这是我的私人珍藏。

6 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

7 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

8 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

9 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

10 impairs   

v.损害，削弱( impair的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Smoking impairs our health. 吸烟会损害我们的健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Almost anything that impairs liver function can cause hepatitis. 任何有损于肝功能的因素，几乎都会引起肝炎。 来自辞典例句

11 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

12 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

13 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

14 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。