Study: THC Not Cancer-Causing

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David

“A federal study completed more than two years ago reportedly found that marijuana’s main ingredient did not cause cancer in laboratory animals. A 126-page report on the $2 million study has not been published, although expert reviewers found in June 1994 that the scientific methods used and the conclusions reached were sound, The Boston Globe reported today.

The findings go against the contention of some federal officials that marijuana is carcinogenic. The study will likely add grist to the debate over using marijuana for medical treatment.

A spokesman for White House drug policy adviser Barry R. McCaffrey said his office was not aware of the study.

The Globe said the National Toxicology Program study was revealed earlier this month in a newsletter called AIDS Treatment News.

According to the probe, high doses of the main active ingredient in marijuana, _ tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC _ were put directly into the stomachs of mice and rats daily for two years.

“We found absolutely no evidence of cancer,” said John Bucher, deputy director of the National Toxicology Program.

Because the animals were not exposed to marijuana smoke, the potential of inhaled marijuana to cause cancer was not looked at.

The study was overseen by the Federal Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute and other federal agencies.

Bucher said publication of the report was overdue, but his agency had not been pressured to bury it. A personnel shortage caused the delay, he said.

The New England Journal of Medicine has come out in favor of allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes.

Some doctors believe marijuana can relieve internal eye pressure in glaucoma, control nausea in cancer patients on chemotherapy and combat the severe weight loss seen in AIDS patients.

However, Clinton administration officials note that such uses of marijuana have not been proved.”

Associated Press, Jan 30, 1997 BOSTON

http://www.ukcia.org/research/cancer.php

Toxicity and carcinogenicity of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Fischer rats and B6C3F1 mice.

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David

“delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) was studied for potential carcinogenicity in rodents because it is the principal psychoactive ingredient in marihuana and it has potential medicinal uses. delta 9-THC in corn oil was administered by gavage to groups of male and female Fischer rats and B6C3F1 mice…

Decreased tumor incidences…

…There was no evidence that delta 9-THC was carcinogenic in rats or mice.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8812248

What’s So Healing About Hemp Seeds and Flax Seeds?

Posted on April 20, 2013 by David

“Hemp seeds have a plethora of nutrients necessary to the healing process which makes them one of the most nutritious foods on our planet. When we talk about hemp seeds we mean hulled seeds from the hemp plant. Although in the same genus of plants as Marijuana, Hemp does not possess high enough levels of the medicinal and analgesic (pain relieving) compound Tetrahydrocannabinol, also commonly known by its acronym THC, to be considered the same plant. This article is about the healing medicinal value of hulled hemp seeds with respect to their content of essential amino acids (raw protein) and highly unsaturated essential fatty acids…

The fat content and balance of essential fats in hemp seeds is superior to almost every other seed and nut. Hemp has a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 3.75 to 1, which according to the World Health Organization is close to perfect for effective metabolism. Hemp also contains other very important co-factor nutrients including chlorophyll, Vitamin E, a complex of B Vitamins including Folic Acid, as well as Phosphorous, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium…”

More: http://thegoodwitch.ca/whats-so-healing-about-hemp-seeds-and-flax-seeds/

Cannabis Treats Cancer and Epilepsy

Posted on April 12, 2013 by David

Description: Medical Marijuana

Dr. Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD, DM (P)

Director International Medical Veritas Association

Doctor of Oriental and Pastoral Medicine

“Dr. Sean McAllister and Pierre Desprez claim they’ve successfully used cannabidiol to fight animal genes involved in the spread of cancer. “We found this one compound had a specific effect on metastatic cancer cells, very aggressive tumor cells,” McAllister says. Cannabidiol, the research appears to show, helps shut down receptors that inhibit cancerous cells from metastasizing. “We find when you treat with cannabidiol, you down regulate the expression of this protein, and that inhibits the disease process.” Unlike THC, the ingredient in marijuana that makes you feel stoned, cannabidiol is a non-toxic compound of the plant that has no psychoactive qualities.

I already published that marijuana is the best medicine for 3-year-old Cash Hyde of Missoula, Montana. The boy’s parent’s defied doctor’s orders—and Montana law—to get their hands on the medicinal treatment their son needed after he was diagnosed with recurring brain tumors at 22 months old. “I’ve had law enforcement threatening to kick my door down, but I would have done anything to keep Cashy alive,” said Mike Hyde, who has long been a proponent of the drug, told ABCNews.com.

My book on Medical Marijuana goes into the research from around the globe, including from Harvard University that sustains the conclusions of doctors McAllister and Desprez.

Dixie Botanicals is shipping Cannabidiol from Denver Colorado to all fifty states though of course one can grow marijuana oneself and or use regular marijuana strains if one lives in one of the now fifteen states that has made medical marijuana legal.

I take great exception to the Obama administration that has continued to resist the legalization on a federal level of medical marijuana. They still insist that there is no medical use for marijuana when all the science proves the government to be dead wrong. They hunt the world for terrorists but some of the worst live and work right in Washington DC. Terrorists are people who hurt others and I do not see the difference between those who use guns and those who use drugs or deny the population the natural substances they need to be well.

Of course marijuana is extremely effective for other diseases. The most recent I have read about: Medical pot treats boy’s epilepsy, without getting him high. The little boy has been swallowing droppers full of a solution made mostly of cannabidiol, or CBD, the second most prominent of marijuana’s 100 or so cannabinoids. Unlike the dominant THC, cannabidiol is not psychoactive, so the sweet-tasting infusion Jayden takes four times a day doesn’t make him high.

Down from 22 prescription pills per day to four, he now eats solid food, responds to his father’s incessant requests for kisses and dances in his Modesto living room to the “Yo Gabba Gabba!” theme song. The frequency and intensity of his seizures have been greatly reduced.

CBD was virtually bred out of U.S. plants decades ago by growers whose customers preferred the mind-altering properties of high-THC varietals. Yet it is experiencing a resurgence, having shown promise as an anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, neuroprotectant and cancer-fighting agent.

Studies have shown THC is “overwhelmingly anticonvulsant” in animals, said Dr. Ben Whalley, a researcher at Britain’s University of Reading, but CBD and some other non-psychoactive cannabinoids have shown similar effects without the mind-altering downside.”

http://drsircus.com/medicine/cancer/cannabis-treats-cancer-and-epilepsy#utm_source=Dr+Sircus+Newsletter&utm_campaign=820775ef59-Article_045&utm_medium=email

Federal Government Reports Marijuana Effective in Combatting Certain Cancers Reports ADSI – NBC News

Posted on March 13, 2013 by David

“LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The following is a statement by Advocates for the Disabled and Seriously Ill:

In a recent report, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), stated that marijuana “inhibited the survival of both estrogen receptor–positive and estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer cell lines.” The same report showed marijuana slows or stops the growth of certain lung cancer cells and suggested that marijuana may provide “risk reduction and treatment of colorectal cancer.”

Referring to the NCI report, Patient Rights attorney Matthew Pappas said, “The Federal government’s continuing attack on people prescribed medical cannabis by their doctors is hypocritical considering the benefits reported by its own National Cancer Institute.” Pappas represents patients in defending their right to reasonably obtain medical marijuana. The patients contend the Federal government and various municipalities are trying to prevent them from obtaining cannabis for medical purposes in direct contravention of state laws. “Cities that ban dispensaries are denying patients the ability to obtain a medicine the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health says fights cancer and they’re doing it with the Obama Administration’s help.” Recently, the City of Los Angeles repealed its ban of medical marijuana collectives after Bill Rosendahl, a member of its city council diagnosed with cancer and prescribed medical marijuana said to fellow council members about the ban, “You want to kill me? You want to throw me under the bus?”

The NCI report also examined whether patients who smoke marijuana rather than ingesting it orally are exposed to a higher risk of lung and certain digestive system cancers. According to the government, 19 studies “failed to demonstrate statistically significant associations between marijuana inhalation and lung cancer.” The report also identified a separate study of 611 lung cancer patients that showed marijuana was “not associated with an increased risk of lung cancer or other upper aerodigestive tract cancers and found no positive associations with any cancer type.” In the area of prostate cancer, the NCI report was inconclusive and suggested further research was necessary. In its report, the National Cancer Institute also identified a “study of intratumoral injection of delta-9-THC in patients with recurrent glioblastoma” that showed tumor reduction in the test participants.

Despite the Federal government sanctioned and authorized NCI report, Pappas said Congress and the Obama Administration have continued to thwart marijuana research. In an announced effort to displace state medical marijuana laws, the Office of National Drug Control Policy described “medical” marijuana as a “myth” fueling “troubling misconceptions” in documents found on its website. The Federal government appears to be focused on creating more chemical drugs, many of which are the subject of various attorney television commercials seeking out those adversely impacted by those drugs. Pappas said both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of National Drug Control Policy continue to assert marijuana lacks any medicinal value despite the research showing cannabis reduces certain cancer risks and inhibits the growth of tumor cells. He also commented that the Federal government’s anti-marijuana position contributes to and encourages prejudice and public misconception about the legitimate use of medical cannabis as treatment for seriously ill patients.

In addition to anti-cancer properties, separate research reported marijuana appears to have “profound nerve-protective and brain-enhancing properties that could potentially treat many neurodegenerative disorders.” In its report, the National Cancer Institute stated cannabis effectively treats insomnia and referenced a placebo-controlled study in cancer patients showing increased quality of sleep and relaxation in those treated with tetrahydrocannabinol, an active component in marijuana.

Responding to a White House statement that only a small percentage of patients prescribed medical cannabis under state laws use it to treat cancer, Pappas said “marijuana isn’t just for cancer or AIDS patients – it can also treat, for example, sleeplessness.” Although generally not a life threatening condition, Pappas referred to insomnia as a health issue regularly treated with prescription drugs zolpidem (brand name Ambien) and eszopiclone (brand name Lunesta). According to their manufacturers’ websites, zolpidem and eszopiclone have been shown to cause severe side effects including aggressiveness, hallucinations, confusion, or suicidal thoughts. Pappas noted that, unlike those drugs, studies on insomnia similar to those reported by the National Cancer Institute show medical marijuana effectively treats insomnia at a far lower cost and with fewer side effects. Marijuana has also been prescribed for glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and a variety of other physical and mental conditions.

Addressing the White House website statement that medical marijuana should remain criminally illegal under federal law, Pappas said that “with every drug, the doctor must consider the benefits versus any possible side effects. In its 3000-plus year history of medicinal use, there has never been a known, confirmed death caused by overdose of marijuana. To suggest that prescription drugs known to have severe negative side effects are alright and that marijuana can only be used for cancer or AIDS is nonsensical. It demonstrates how the Federal government’s decision to usurp state sovereignty is harming people because burdening citizens with federal criminal records based on medical marijuana provided for under state law is simply wrong. To continue outlawing the use of a drug shown to have life-saving, anti-cancer benefits that has been used safely as a medication for thousands of years is irresponsible.”

Jan., 2013 National Cancer Institute PDQ® report on cannabis:

www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page2

July, 2009 NIH report on cannabis reducing neck and head squamous cell carcinoma:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638490

Nov., 2012 NIH report on cannabis breast cancer treatment:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22776349

Report on study showing smoked marijuana does not cause cancer:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html

Report on neuroprotective benefits of marijuana:

www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/20/researchers-study-neuroprotective-properties-in-cannabis/

White House “Fact Sheet” on Marijuana Legalization:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/Fact_Sheets/marijuana_legalization_fact_sheet_3-3-11.pdf

Office of National Drug Control Policy documents:

www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/page/files/marijuana_fact_sheet_3-28-12.pdf and

www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/issues-content/medical_marijuana_information_packet.pdf

For more information, contact Advocates for the Disabled and Seriously Ill at (213) 531-1788.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51148243/ns/business-press_releases/t/federal-government-reports-marijuana-effective-combatting-certain-cancers-reports-adsi/

Cannabinoid Receptor 2-Mediated Attenuation of CXCR4-Tropic HIV Infection in Primary CD4+ T Cells

Posted on March 7, 2013 by David

“Agents that activate cannabinoid receptor pathways have been tested as treatments for cachexia, nausea or neuropathic pain in HIV-1/AIDS patients… Cannabinoid agonists activate the CB₁R and CB₂R cannabinoid receptors…

Cannabinoid agonists are currently under investigation for the treatment of AIDS-associated cachexia, nausea, and neuropathic pain. One such drug, dronabinol (Δ⁹-THC; Marinol®), has won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treatment of HIV-associated anorexia. Additionally, the prescription of smoked or ingested cannabis (marijuana) for treatment of AIDS-related symptoms has been approved…. Despite the use of cannabinoids by HIV/AIDS patients, few studies have investigated the impact of such drugs in regard to viral pathogenesis or immune regulation…

….Indeed, both smoked marijuana and dronabinol were reported to increase total CD4+ T cell number and naïve T cell number over a 21-day period. A decrease in viral load was also observed in these patients. Similarly, in SIV infected rhesus macaques, Δ⁹-THC exposure reduced viral load and CD4+ T cell depletion, significantly increasing animal survival over an 11 month period.

. Our findings suggest that CB₂R activation in CD4+ T cells can inhibit actin reorganization and impair productive infection following cell-free or cell-associated viral acquisition of CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 in resting cells.

Therefore, the clinical use of CB₂R agonists in the treatment of AIDS symptoms may also exert beneficial adjunctive antiviral effects against CXCR4-tropic viruses in late stages of HIV-1 infection.

Further study of cannabinoids and other neuroendocrine regulators that selectively modulate immune function may result in the discovery of new anti-viral drugs that can also mitigate AIDS-associated symptoms.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3309010/

Cannabinoid Inhibition of Macrophage Migration to the Trans-Activating (Tat) Protein of HIV-1 Is Linked to the CB2 Cannabinoid Receptor

Posted on March 7, 2013 by David

“Macrophage-like cells are primary targets for infection by HIV-1… In the present study, the exogenous cannabinoids δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and (−)-cis-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl]-trans-4-(3-hydroxypropyl) cyclohexanol (CP55940) were shown to significantly inhibit migration of human U937 macrophage-like cells to the Tat protein in a concentration-related manner….

Collectively, the pharmacological and biochemical knockdown data indicate that cannabinoid-mediated modulation of macrophage migration to the HIV-1 Tat protein is linked to the CB₂ cannabinoid receptor. Furthermore, these results suggest that the CB₂ cannabinoid receptor has potential to serve as a therapeutic target for ablation of HIV-1-associated untoward inflammatory response…

,,, the CB₂ receptor has the potential to serve as a molecular target for ablating hyperinflammatory responses of macrophage-like cells while avoiding untoward psychotropic effects caused by activation of the CB₁ receptor.

In conclusion, the immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties of select cannabinoids may have profound therapeutic potential in moderating HIV-associated immunopathology, including microglial activation, chemokine/cytokine dysregulation, and monocyte infiltration in the CNS.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846023/

Cannabinoids may be therapeutic in breast cancer.

Posted on March 2, 2013 by David

“Cannabinoids are a group of compounds synthesized exclusively by the Cannabis sativa plant, commonly known as marijuana. In 1990, the first cannabinoid-specific membrane (CB1) was characterized and cloned (Matsuda, Lolait, Brownstein, Young, & Bonner, 1990), which catapulted biomedical research on these unique compounds.

Cannabinoids refer to both marijuana-derived compounds with the active ingredient of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and also the synthetic molecules that activate the same primary targets as THC.

Therapeutic properties of marijuana have been well established; however, the clinical use of either plant-sourced or pure cannabinoids remains limited.

The anticachexia properties of cannabinoids are found in tetrahydrocannabinol (oral capsules of synthetically generated THC) and are used to manage weight loss, wasting syndrome, and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23448745

Smoking Cannabis Reduces Pain, Helps Sleep And Improves Mood For Those With Chronic Symptoms

Posted on February 28, 2013 by David

“For patients with chronic (long-term) neuropathic pain, smoking cannabis was found to reduce symptoms of pain, improve mood and help sleep, a report published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Journal Association) revealed. When damage or dysfunction of the nervous system results in chronic neuropathic pain, patients have few treatment options, such as antidepressants, local anesthetics, anticonvulsants or opioids. However, these medications often have undesirable side effects and do not work for everybody.

The authors inform that oral cannabinoids have been effective in reducing the symptoms of some types of pain. However, they many have different effects and risks compared to smoked cannabis.

Investigators from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University carried out a randomized, controlled trial to determine the analgesic effect of smoked cannabis in 21 patients, aged 18 years or more, all of them with chronic neuropathic pain. THC levels (drug potencies) were divided into 2.5%, 6% and 9.4%. Some participants also received a placebo (0%).

The researchers inform that there was a correlation between increased THC content and better sleep quality. Symptoms of depression and/or anxiety were also reduced at 9.5% THC level.”

More: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/199376.php

Cannabidiol, a constituent of Cannabis sativa, modulates sleep in rats.

Posted on February 28, 2013 by David

“Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are two major constituents of Cannabis sativa. Delta(9)-THC modulates sleep, but no clear evidence on the role of CBD is available.

In order to determine the effects of CBD on sleep, it was administered intracerebroventricular (icv) in a dose of 10 microg/5 microl at the beginning of either the lights-on or the lights-off period. We found that CBD administered during the lights-on period increased wakefulness (W) and decreased rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). No changes on sleep were observed during the dark phase. Icv injections of CBD (10 microg/5microl) induced an enhancement of c-Fos expression in waking-related brain areas such as hypothalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRD). Microdialysis in unanesthetized rats was carried out to characterize the effects of icv administration of CBD (10 microg/5 microl) on extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) within the nucleus accumbens. CBD induced an increase in DA release. Finally, in order to test if the waking properties of CBD could be blocked by the sleep-inducing endocannabinoid anandamide (ANA), animals received ANA (10 microg/2.5 microl, icv) followed 15 min later by CBD (10 microg/2.5 microl). Results showed that the waking properties of CBD were not blocked by ANA.

In conclusion, we found that CBD modulates waking via activation of neurons in the hypothalamus and DRD. Both regions are apparently involved in the generation of alertness. Also, CBD increases DA levels as measured by microdialysis and HPLC procedures.

Since CBD induces alertness, it might be of therapeutic value in sleep disorders such as excessive somnolence.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16844117

www.thctotalhealthcare.com

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