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This week sees the continuation of the MUHC's inaugural public lecture series From Microscope to Stethoscope. On Wednesday, December 6, Dr. Mark Ware – Associate Medical Director of the MUHC Pain Clinic – will present: Medicinal cannabis – weeding fact from fiction, in Livingston Hall of the Montreal General Hospital of the MUHC.

"The medical use of cannabis (marijuana) is a topic of great interest to clinicians, scientists, politicians, lawmakers and the general public," says Dr. Ware. "Recent understanding of the mechanisms by which cannabis works on pain has led to renewed interest in the development of cannabinoid drugs." In his lecture Dr. Ware will describe the most significant research developments and breakthroughs in the use of cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain, and detail the safety concerns and health consequences of this controversial medication.

"From Microscope to Stethoscope is a journey of discovery into the world of biomedical research," says Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre. "It is an opportunity for MUHC scientists to demystify their research, and for the public to meet the researchers and gain an inside look at some of the most exciting discoveries and innovative breakthroughs taking place right now on the cutting edge of science."

Last month, Dr. David Colman – Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – presented the opening lecture of the series entitled: The Three Princes of Serendip – an introduction to breakthroughs in research. On November 1, Dr. Brian Ward described how new immunologic ideas are being incorporated into therapies for problematic infections and explained how these new tools may be the best hope yet for the human race to address ongoing pandemic diseases like HIV and tuberculosis as well as potential pandemics like avian flu and the "second coming" of SARS.

All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Livingston Hall (room L6-500) of the Montreal General Hospital (1650 Cedar Avenue). All are welcome and admission is free. To reserve your seat, please contact MUHC Public Relations & Communications at 514-843-1560. To learn more about this lecture series visit: (English) or (French). This initiative is sponsored by the MUHC Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The Research Institute of the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and health care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, a university health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. The institute supports over 500 researchers, nearly 1,000 graduate and post-doctoral students, and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge. For further details visit: .

The Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University — the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.

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