Cannabis very effective as painkiller after a major sugery

Posted on June 22, 2014 by David

Fight For medical Marijuana

“The very existence of cannabis as a substance with possible medical use is a contentious topic, to say the least. Its status as an illicit substance is hotly debated, with proponents from both sides (for and against legalization) engaged in a decades-long battle.

The status of marijuana in the United States as a Schedule I Substance under the Controlled Substances Act means not only that it is highly illegal to possess, but it is classified along the likes of cocaine, heroine, and crystal meth.

Schedule I substances are those that a) have high potential to be abused; b) have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States; and c) are lacking in accepted safety in use under medical supervision.

All of these qualifiers are potentially important in classifying drugs and substances, but many people argue that marijuana does not belong in Schedule I…

Pain after surgery remains a problem in the medical community, and traditional prescribed painkillers often have unpleasant side effects as well as diminishing benefits.

Cannabis extracts work due to the cannabinoid receptors in the human brain.

Cannabinoids from marijuana help to effectively strengthen the body’s ability to reduce pain sensation.”

http://www.royalqueenseeds.com/blog-cannabis-very-effective-as-painkiller-after-a-major-sugery–n55

Cannabis very effective as painkiller after a major sugery

Cannabis as painkiller

Posted on June 22, 2014 by David

“Cannabis-based medications have been demonstrated to relieve pain.

Cannabis medications can be used in patients whose symptoms are not adequately alleviated by conventional treatment.

The clinical effect of the various cannabis-based medications rests primarily on activation of endogenous cannabinoid receptors.

Consumption of therapeutic amounts by adults does not lead to irreversible cognitive impairment.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120807101232.htm

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/pain-2/

Medical Marijuana Helps Cure Chronic Disease

Posted on June 21, 2014 by David

Medical Marijuana Helps Cure Chronic Disease

“The medicinal power of Marijuana is well documented throughtout history

Back in 2700 BC, According to Chinese lore, the Emperor Shen Nung, considered the Father of Chinese medicine, in 2700 BC ,discovered the healing properties of Marijuana as well as Ginseng and Ephedra.

Throughout recorded history, the use of Medical Marijuana has been linked to the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greek civilizations, George Washington, Queen Victoria and even mainstream medicine by the 1840s.

From the 1850s to Y 1942, Marijuana was listed in the United States Pharmacopeia, an official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the counter medicines, as a treatment for tetanus, cholera, rabies, dysentery, alcoholism, opiate addiction, convulsive disorders, insanity, excessive menstrual bleeding and many other health problems. My father was a Dental doctor and had a license to dispense the drug, pharmacies carried it back then.

During that same time frame prohibition gained popularity, that along with a growing “faith” in federal government.

By Y 1937, the United States passed its 1st federal law against Marijuana despite objections by the American Medical Association (AMA).

In fact, Dr. William C. Woodward, testifying on behalf of the AMA, told the US Congress:

“The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that Marijuana is a dangerous drug.”

He warned that a prohibition “loses sight of the fact that future investigation may show that there are substantial medical uses for Cannabis.”

Today, we see a growing trend of acceptance of Marijuana for its medicinal purposes.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, reversed his Y 2009 opinion against Marijuana when he said, “We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 yrs in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that.”

Now people including lawmakers are seeing the legalization of Marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington for “recreational” purposes. Most Americans are in favor of Medical Marijuana, and the legalization of this drug.

The Big Q: why does the federal government want to ban its usage?

The Big A: it is all about control and money, and there is a major market for it, plus it poses a major threat to the pharmaceutical industry.

Below are just a few of the many health benefits associated with Medical Marijuana:

1. It can stop HIV from spreading throughout the body.
2. It slows the progression of Alzheimer’s.
3. It slows the spread of cancer cells.
4. It is an active pain reliever.
5. It can prevent or help with opiate addiction.
6. It combats depression, anxiety and ADHD.
7. It can treat epilepsy and Tourette’s.
8. It can help with other neurological damage, such as concussions and strokes.
9. It can prevent blindness from glaucoma.
10. Its connected to lower insulin levels in diabetics.

Contrary to popular notions, many patients experience health benefits from Medical Marijuana without “getting stoned.””

http://www.livetradingnews.com/medical-marijuana-helps-cure-chronic-disease-55569.htm#.U6VjgZRX-uY

Role of ionotropic cannabinoid receptors in peripheral antinociception and antihyperalgesia

Posted on June 11, 2014 by David

“Although cannabinoids have been used for millennia for treating pain and other symptoms, their mechanisms of action remain obscure.

With the heralded identification of multiple G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediating cannabinoid effects nearly two decades ago, the mystery of cannabinoid pharmacology was thought to be solved…

Despite the wealth of information on cannabinoid-induced peripheral antihyperalgesic and antinociceptive effects in many pain models, the molecular mechanism(s) for these actions remains unknown.

Although metabotropic cannabinoid receptors have important roles in many pharmacological actions of cannabinoids, recent studies have led to the recognition of a family of at least five ionotropic cannabinoid receptors (ICRs). The known ICRs are members of the family of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and include TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4, TRPM8 and TRPA1.

Cannabinoid activation of ICRs can result in desensitization of the TRPA1 and TRPV1 channel activities, inhibition of nociceptors and antihyperalgesia and antinociception in certain pain models.

Thus, cannabinoids activate both metabotropic and ionotropic mechanisms to produce peripheral analgesic effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863326/

Cannabinoid receptor 2: potential role in immunomodulation and neuroinflammation.

Posted on June 9, 2014 by David

“The cannabinoids are a group of terpenophenolic compounds present in the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa. At present, three general types of cannabinoids have been identified: phytocannabinoids present uniquely in the cannabis plant, endogenous cannabinoids produced in humans and animals, and synthetic cannabinoids generated in a laboratory. It is worth noting that Cannabis sativa produces over 80 cannabinoids…

An accumulating body of evidence suggests that endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors type 1 and 2 (CB(1), CB(2)) play a significant role in physiologic and pathologic processes, including cognitive and immune functions.

…there is growing appreciation of the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in multiple pathologic conditions involving chronic inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, HIV-1 infection, stroke, Alzheimer’sdisease to name a few), mainly mediated by CB(2) activation.

This review attempts to summarize recent advances in studies of CB(2) activation in the setting of neuroinflammation, immunomodulation and HIV-1 infection.

The full potential of CB2 agonists as therapeutic agents remains to be realized.

Despite some inadequacies of preclinical models to predict clinical efficacy in humans and differences between the signaling of human and rodent CB2 receptors, the development of selective CB2 agonists may open new avenues in therapeutic intervention.

Such interventions would aim at reducing the release of pro-inflammatory mediators particularly in chronic neuropathologic conditions such as HAND or MS.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3663904/

No more pain upon Gq -protein-coupled receptor activation: role of endocannabinoids.

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David

“Marijuana has been used to relieve pain for centuries. The analgesic mechanism of its constituents, the cannabinoids, was only revealed after the discovery of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2 ) two decades ago.

The subsequent identification of the endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and their biosynthetic and degradation enzymes discloses the therapeutic potential of compounds targeting the endocannabinoid system for pain control.

Inhibitors of the anandamide and 2-AG degradation enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase, respectively, may be superior to direct cannabinoid receptor ligands as endocannabinoids are synthesized on demand and rapidly degraded, focusing action at generating sites.

Recently, a promising strategy for pain relief was revealed in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). It is initiated by Gq -protein-coupled receptor (Gq PCR) activation of the phospholipase C-diacylglycerol lipase enzymatic cascade, generating 2-AG that produces inhibition of GABAergic transmission (disinhibition) in the PAG, thereby leading to analgesia.

Here, we introduce the antinociceptive properties of exogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoids, involving their biosynthesis and degradation processes, particularly in the PAG. We also review recent studies disclosing the Gq PCR-phospholipase C-diacylglycerol lipase-2-AG retrograde disinhibition mechanism in the PAG, induced by activating several Gq PCRs, including metabotropic glutamatergic (type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor), muscarinic acetylcholine (M1/M3), and orexin 1 receptors.

Disinhibition mediated by type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor can be initiated by glutamate transporter inhibitors or indirectly by substance P, neurotensin, cholecystokinin and capsaicin. Finally, the putative role of 2-AG generated after activating the above neurotransmitter receptors in stress-induced analgesia is discussed.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24494686

Endocannabinoids and neuropathic pain: focus on neuron-glia and endocannabinoid-neurotrophin interactions.

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David

“Although originally described as a signalling system encompassing the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, their endogenous agonists (the endocannabinoids), and metabolic enzymes regulating the levels of such agonists, the endocannabinoid system is now viewed as being more complex, and including metabolically related endocannabinoid-like mediators and their molecular targets as well.

The function and dysfunction of this complex signalling system in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pain transduction and control has been widely studied over the last two decades.

In this review article, we describe some of the latest advances in our knowledge on the role of the endocannabinoid system, in its most recent and wider conception, in pain pathways, by focusing on: (1) neuron-glia interactions; and (2) emerging data on endocannabinoid cross-talk with neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24494680

Endocannabinoids: a unique opportunity to develop multitarget analgesics.

Posted on January 1, 2014 by David

“After 4 millennia of more or less documented history of cannabis use, the identification of cannabinoids, and of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in particular, occurred only during the early 1960s, and the cloning of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, as well as the discovery of endocannabinoids and their metabolic enzymes, in the 1990s.

Despite this initial relatively slow progress of cannabinoid research, the turn of the century marked an incredible acceleration in discoveries on the “endocannabinoid signaling system,” its role in physiological and pathological conditions, and pain in particular, its pharmacological targeting with selective agonists, antagonists, and inhibitors of metabolism, and its previously unsuspected complexity.

The way researchers look at this system has thus rapidly evolved towards the idea of the “endocannabinoidome,” that is, a complex system including also several endocannabinoid-like mediators and their often redundant metabolic enzymes and “promiscuous” molecular targets.

These peculiar complications of endocannabinoid signaling have not discouraged efforts aiming at its pharmacological manipulation, which, nevertheless, now seems to require the development of multitarget drugs, or the re-visitation of naturally occurring compounds with more than one mechanism of action.

In fact, these molecules, as compared to “magic bullets,” seem to offer the advantage of modulating the “endocannabinoidome” in a safer and more therapeutically efficacious way.

This approach has provided so far promising preclinical results potentially useful for the future efficacious and safe treatment of chronic pain and inflammation.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23623250

Therapeutic potential of cannabinoid medicines.

Posted on September 6, 2013 by David

Drug Testing and Analysis

“Cannabis was extensively used as a medicine throughout the developed world in the nineteenth century but went into decline early in the twentieth century ahead of its emergence as the most widely used illicit recreational drug later that century. Recent advances in cannabinoid pharmacology alongside the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) have re-ignited interest in cannabis-based medicines.

The ECS has emerged as an important physiological system and plausible target for new medicines. Its receptors and endogenous ligands play a vital modulatory role in diverse functions including immune response, food intake, cognition, emotion, perception, behavioural reinforcement, motor co-ordination, body temperature, wake/sleep cycle, bone formation and resorption, and various aspects of hormonal control. In disease it may act as part of the physiological response or as a component of the underlying pathology.

In the forefront of clinical research are the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, and their contrasting pharmacology will be briefly outlined. The therapeutic potential and possible risks of drugs that inhibit the ECS will also be considered. This paper will then go on to review clinical research exploring the potential of cannabinoid medicines in the following indications: symptomatic relief in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and weight in the context of cancer or AIDS, psychosis, epilepsy, addiction, and metabolic disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24006213

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1529/abstract

Therapeutic Utility of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 (CB2) Selective Agonists.

Posted on July 23, 2013 by David

“The cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), is a class A GPCR that was cloned in 1993 while looking for an alternate receptor that could explain the pharmacological properties of 9- tetrahydrocannabinol. CB2 was identified among cDNAs based on its similarity in amino-acid sequence to the CB1 receptor and helped provide an explanation for the established effects of cannabinoids on the immune system.

In addition to the immune system, CB2 has widespread tissue expression and has been found in brain, PNS and GI tract. Several “mixed” cannabinoid agonists are currently in clinical use primarily for controlling pain and it is believed that selective CB2 agonism may afford a superior analgesic agent devoid of the centrally mediated CB1 effects.

Thus, selective CB2 receptor agonists represent high value putative therapeutics for treating pain and other disease states. In this perspective, we seek to provide a concise update of progress in the field.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23865723