Category Archives: News Stories

Marijuana Prevents Suicides

Posted on by

“In 2010, 38 thousand people committed suicide. About seven thousand were veterans.”

PTSD: U.S. soldier on patrol in Kabul
“U.S. soldier on patrol in Kabul – by Tim King Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, OR) – The Oregonian and and The New York Times both had headlines, May 3, 2013, ‘Suicides Surge in United States and Oregon’.

I believe military PTSD victims have the highest rate but there are far more civilians in that same age group. For veterans, it is about 20 suicides per day, what that amounts to per thousand patients is the different kind of statistic that I am familiar with. The newspaper articles give their statistics as so many per thousand. They indicate that currently, the suicide rate for the middle aged, (35-64) is 18 per thousand each year, that age group is the highest rate. The overall rate for the U.S. is 14 per thousand per year.

I know more about the military veterans because I had more than 1,000 in my total population of 5,000 patients. Considering that the military veterans represent only about 1% of the population, with my 20% being veterans, this makes a good study group.

For military veterans, PTSD, from mild to severe, is about 20% of the group. This means 600 thousand PTSD victims. The actual figure is probably higher. Most are not being treated by the VA and they are using a number of different therapies. Many who live in states where it is legal, have reverted to marijuana. But many states, including Oregon, will not accept PTSD for a permit. New Mexico does allow Marijuana for PTSD Veterans. In New Mexico, 50% of the permit holders are veterans.

I started seeing military PTSD veterans about as soon as Oregon’s medical marijuana law became effective. But PTSD is not acceptable in Oregon. Most veterans had physical wounds, making them eligible for a permit.

I wrote my first article on this subject, February 13, 2009, ‘Marijuana Vs Antidepressants for PTSD’. The VA uses these drugs by the ton and while deadly, they are no more effective than sugar pills, but usually worse and often are used for suicide. That article has had 868 Facebook recommends, indicating strong interest.

My second article, ‘Medical Marijuana Prevents PTSD Suicides!’, was published Sept 22 2012., has 581 FB recommends.

My latest article on this subject, from March 25 2013, ‘PTSD/Depression and Anguish: Marijuana Vs. Many Fake Dangerous Drugs’ had 340 recommends.

This gets us to the current newspaper articles, in which military suicides are not even mentioned!

When you are 50, looking for a job, it can be fruitless. And it must be getting as bad for those even in their 40’s because the bright young smart alecks are striving to get into the workplace before it is too late.

The unemployed are now in desperate situations with no good way out and no resources. Anguish overtakes them and depression may be one of the symptoms for PTSD, etc.

There are about 19 states with legal marijuana, which represents more than 50% of the U.S. population. And speaking of those 19 states, those people can use this valuable medicine, marijuana. Another option is alcoholism and death.”

 

“MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS THE BEST ANTI-SUICIDE DRUG!”

-Dr. Phillip Leveque Doctor of Pharmacology Salem-News.com

http://salem-news.com/articles/may032013/ptsd-suicides-pl.php

Marijuana-like compound could lead to first-ever medication for PTSD – Fox News

Posted on by

“The life of an individual suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often a debilitating one, as patients are frequently plagued by intense nightmares, flashbacks and emotional instability.   

There are a number of psychotherapeutic treatments and cognitive behavioral therapy options to aid sufferers of PTSD, but these interventions are not always available to patients.  And while medications tend to be the first line of defense for these individuals, no pharmaceutical treatments have been developed yet to specifically target PTSD.

But now, new research may help dramatically change the course of treatment for PTSD patients.  In the first study of its kind, researchers at New York University Langone Medical Center have utilized brain imaging technology to highlight a connection between the number of cannabinoid receptors in the brain and PTSD.  Cannabinoid receptors, known as CB1 receptors, are activated in the brain when a person uses cannabis, which can lead to impaired memory and reduced anxiety.

The researchers’ findings pave the way for the development of the first every medication designed explicitly to treat trauma – something, they say, is desperately needed.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/marijuana-like-compound-could-lead-to-first-ever-medication-for-ptsd/#ixzz2TN3QNhPO

Brain-Imaging Study Links Cannabinoid Receptors to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: First Pharmaceutical Treatment for PTSD Within Reach

Posted on by

“In a first-of-its-kind effort to illuminate the biochemical impact of trauma, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a connection between the quantity of cannabinoid receptors in the human brain, known as CB1 receptors, and post-traumatic stress disorder, the chronic, disabling condition that can plague trauma victims with flashbacks, nightmares and emotional instability…

CB1 receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system, a diffuse network of chemicals and signaling pathways in the body that plays a role in memory formation, appetite, pain tolerance and mood. Animal studies have shown that psychoactive chemicals such as cannabis, along with certain neurotransmitters produced naturally in the body, can impair memory and reduce anxiety when they activate CB1 receptors in the brain…

“There’s not a single pharmacological treatment out there that has been developed specifically for PTSD,” says Dr. Neumeister. “That’s a problem. There’s a consensus among clinicians that existing pharmaceutical treatments such as antidepressant simple do not work. In fact, we know very well that people with PTSD who use marijuana — a potent cannabinoid — often experience more relief from their symptoms than they do from antidepressants and other psychiatric medications. Clearly, there’s a very urgent need to develop novel evidence-based treatments for PTSD.”

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130514085016.htm

Using medical marijuana to ease pain

Posted on by

“NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) –The 31-year-old Norwich man was arrested for growing marijuana inside his home, but says he was only trying to ease his pain.

Tuesday, a Norwich man was in court facing drug charges. Wednesday, he felt comfortable enough to show News 8 how he uses medical marijuana to ease his pain.

31-year-old Joseph Tamborra says the effects are immediate.

“What is the difference after you take a hit,” asked News 8’s Tina Detelj.

“Uhhh it just takes my nausea completely away. It’s like night and day,” Tamborra said.

Relief from nausea caused by his Crones Disease and the pain from a hip and back injury after a car accident.

“I don’t have any cartilage in my hip,” Tamborra said.

It was too much to take, so he took matters into his own hands growing pot plants in a second floor bedroom of his Norwich home. However, that’s illegal and he was arrested for possession and operating a drug factory.

While his court case continued he received his medical marijuana card in March. A picture shows him after losing 90 pounds, unable to smoke after his arrest and too nauseous to eat.

“That helped me out like tremendously,” he said. “Once they realized okay there’s a reason for him doing this.”

At New London Superior Court Tamborra was ordered to perform community services and the charges will go away, but he’s still faced with a dilemma. He says because the medical marijuana law is so new there’s no process in place for him to buy the medical marijuana.

“Hopefully mid-summer, by the end of the year, they might have a dispensary or two set up,” Tamborra said. “I’ve also heard they might just limit it to pharmacies, I’m not really sure.”

The state says it is still working on how the medical marijuana will be dispensed and who can be a licensed producer.”

-Tina Detelj

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_london_cty/using-medical-marijuana-to-ease-pain#.UYu7Dcp48Qs

 

Cannabis-based drugs could offer new hope for inflammatory bowel disease patients

Posted on by

“Researchers investigating anecdotal evidence that cannabis relieves some of the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have discovered a potential new target for cannabis-derived drugs for treatment of the disease.

This finding, published in the journal Gastroenterology… could bring new hope for… sufferers of diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis1 with the possibility that cannabis-derived drugs may help to heal the gut lining, which is damaged during the course of disease. ”

Read more: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/28584.php

Cannabis for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease treatment

Posted on by

“Chemicals found in cannabis could prove an effective treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, say scientists.

Laboratory tests have shown that two compounds found in the cannabis plant – the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol – interact with the body’s system that controls gut function.

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which affect about one in every 250 people in Northern Europe, are caused by both genetic and environmental factors. The researchers believe that a genetic susceptibility coupled with other triggers, such as diet, stress or bacterial imbalance, leads to a defective immune response.

Dr Karen Wright, Peel Trust Lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University, will be presenting her soon-to-be published work at The British Pharmacological Society’s Winter Meeting in London today (Thursday).

She said: “The lining of the intestines provides a barrier against the contents of the gut but in people with Crohn’s Disease this barrier leaks and bacteria can escape into the intestinal tissue leading to an inappropriate immune response.

“If we could find a way to restore barrier integrity in patients we may be able to curb the inflammatory immune response that causes these chronic conditions.”

Dr Wright, working with colleagues at the School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health in Derby, has shown that cells that react to cannabinoid compounds play an important role in normal gut function as well as the immune system’s inflammatory response.

“The body produces its own cannabinoid molecules, called endocannabinoids, which we have shown increase the permeability of the epithelium during inflammation, implying that overproduction may be detrimental,” said Dr Wright.

“However, we were able to reverse this process using plant-derived cannabinoids, which appeared to allow the epithelial cells to form tighter bonds with each other and restore the membrane barrier.”

The research was carried out using cell cultures in a dish but, interestingly, when the team attempted to mimic the conditions of the gut by reducing the amount of oxygen in the cells’ environment, much lower concentrations of cannabinoid were needed to produce the same effect.

Dr Wright added: “What is also encouraging is that while THC has psychoactive properties and is responsible for the ‘high’ people experience when using cannabis, cannabidiol, which has also proved effective in restoring membrane integrity, does not possess such properties.”

The British Pharmacological Society (BPS) – the primary UK learned society concerned with research into drugs and the way they work – is hosting its annual Winter Meeting in London, attracting experts from across the world.

The three-day conference, running from 15 to 17 December 2009, will hear presentations on the latest pharmacological developments to tackle a range of conditions and diseases.”

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091217/Cannabis-for-Ulcerative-Colitis-and-Crohns-Disease-treatment.aspx

Active Component Of Marijuana Has Anti-Cancer Effects, Study Suggests

Posted on by

“Guillermo Velasco and colleagues, at Complutense University, Spain, have provided evidence that suggests that cannabinoids such as the main active component of marijuana (THC) have anticancer effects on human brain cancer cells.

In the study, THC was found to induce the death of various human brain cancer cell lines and primary cultured human brain cancer cells by a process known as autophagy.

Consistent with the in vitro data, administration of THC to mice with human tumors decreased tumor growth and induced the tumor cells to undergo autophagy. As analysis of tumors from two patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (a highly aggressive brain tumor) receiving intracranial THC administration showed signs of autophagy, the authors suggest that cannabinoid administration may provide a new approach to targeting human cancers.”  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401181217.htm

“Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells” https://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948

 

Antitumor Effects of THC.

Posted on by

“1-Trans-[delta.sup.9]-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the main active component of marijuana, has been shown to exhibit anticancer activity.

Galve-Roperh et al. reported that intratumoral administration of THC induces apoptosis of transformed neural cells in culture, and also induces a considerable regression of malignant gliomas in Wistar rats and in mice… These authors suggest that their “results may provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas.”

Thus, in our studies, rats and mice that received THC for 2 years exhibited body weight reductions, enhanced survival rates, and decreased tumor incidences in several sites, mainly organs under hormonal control.

These earlier experimental carcinogenesis results on THC clearly lend further validity to the notion that cannabinoids may indeed be anticarcinogenic.”

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Antitumor+Effects+of+THC.-a068148345

“Antitumor effects of THC.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11097557

Study: THC Not Cancer-Causing

Posted on by

“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

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

Posted on by

“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/