Tag Archives: cannabis

Most Docs Would Prescribe Marijuana to Cancer Patient

Posted on by

“The vast majority of doctors would prescribe medical marijuana to ease the pain of an older woman suffering from advanced breast cancer, according to a survey conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

In its February edition, the NEJM presented its readers with a hypothetical scenario of 68-year old patient named “Marilyn” whose breast cancer had metastasized to her lung and spine. Marilyn, who lives in a state where medical marijuana is legal, asked her primary care doctor if using marijuana would alleviate her chronic pain, nausea and fatigue.

The results of the online survey, published in the May 30 edition of the NEJM, found that 76 percent of the 1,446 doctors who responded would give Marilyn a prescription for medical marijuana.”

More: http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/most-docs-would-prescribe-marijuana-to-cancer-patient-8820152.html

Most Docs OK With Medical Marijuana: Survey – MedlinePlus

Posted on by
“Majority would give a prescription to an advanced cancer patient in pain.Three-quarters of doctors who responded to a survey about medical marijuana said they would approve the use of the drug to help ease pain in an older woman with advanced breast cancer.

….there are two FDA-approved prescription cannabinoid pills — dronabinol (Marinol) and nabilone (Cesamet) — that don’t begin working as quickly as smoked marijuana, but provide longer symptom relief without the high of marijuana.

 They also don’t appear to have any addictive properties, he said.

What many doctors would like to see, according to the survey, is more evidence on the use of marijuana as medicine, so they could make a better-informed decision one way or the other.”

More: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137301.html

Survey: 76 percent of doctors approve of medical marijuana use – CBS

Posted on by

“A majority of doctors would approve the use of medical marijuana, according to a new survey.”

“”We were surprised by the outcome of polling and comments, with 76 percent of all votes in favor of the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes — even though marijuana use is illegal in most countries,” the survey’s authors wrote.

The results appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 30. It included responses from 1,446 doctors from 72 different countries and 56 different states and provinces in North America. In addition, 118 doctors posted comments about their decision on the survey.

Doctors who said they would prescribe it talked a lot about the responsibility of caregivers to help minimize their patients suffering, their patients’ personal choice and the known dangers of prescription narcotics and painkillers. They also pointed out knowledge of personal cases where marijuana was able to help patients.”

More: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57587129/survey-76-percent-of-doctors-approve-of-medical-marijuana-use/

Medical Marijuana: 76% Of Doctors Would Prescribe It, Poll Finds – HUFFPOST

Posted on by

“Three out of four doctors would prescribe marijuana to a patient who was experiencing pain from cancer, according to the results of a poll published in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

Doctors Medical Marijuana

Most Docs OK With Medical Marijuana: Survey – US News and World Report

Posted on by

“Majority would give a prescription to an advanced cancer patient in pain. Three-quarters of doctors who responded to a survey about medical marijuana said they would approve the use of the drug to help ease pain in an older woman with advanced breast cancer.”

“The point of the vignette was to illustrate the kinds of patients that show up on our doorstep who need help. This issue is not one you can ignore, and some states have already taken matters into their own hands,” said Dr. J. Michael Bostwick, a professor of psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“There are no 100 percents in medicine. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that this is something we should study more. Forgive the pun, but there’s probably some fire where there’s smoke, and we should investigate the medicinal use of marijuana or its components,” Bostwick said.

Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It’s a dry, shredded mix of the plant’s leaves, flowers, stems and seeds. It can be smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe, or it can be added to certain foods, such as brownies.”

More: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/05/29/most-docs-ok-with-medical-marijuana-survey

HIGH HOPE ON CANCER

Posted on by

“MEN who regularly smoke cannabis may have a lower risk of developing bladder cancer, research suggests.”

MEN who regularly smoke cannabis may have a lower risk of developing bladder cancer
 

“Scientists found regular cannabis users were 45% less likely to get the disease compared with men who didn’t smoke the drug. 

Anil Thomas of Los Angeles Medical Centre in California tracked the incidence of bladder cancer among 82,050 men aged 45 to 69. 

Men who reported using cannabis once or twice had no reduction in the incidence of the cancer while those who had used the drug more than 500 times showed a reduction. 

Dr Thomas said: “Bladder cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in men. 

“The results could lead to further studies to determine if the active components of cannabis have biologic activity against bladder cancer.””

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/317889High-hope-on-cancer

Study claims marijuana tied to lower bladder cancer risk

Posted on by

“A new study compared the risk of bladder cancer in more than 83,000 men who smoked cigarettes only, marijuana only, or both substances. New research says smoking pot may be less likely to cause bladder cancer than smoking cigarettes.”

“The finding is potentially valuable, the study authors said, given the ongoing debate over legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.”

More: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/11/study-claims-marijuana-tied-to-lower-bladder-cancer-risk/2153019/

“Association Between Cannabis Use and the Risk of Bladder Cancer: Results From the California Men’s Health Study.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25623697

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/bladder-cancer/

Yourwellness Magazine Follows Up Cannabis Bladder Cancer Study

Posted on by

“With a new study finding that smoking cannabis may be less likely to cause bladder cancer than smoking cigarettes, Yourwellness Magazine investigated how soon it will be until cancer immunisations become a reality.

According to a new study, funded by the Kaiser Permanente Research and Evaluation Centre and yet to be published, smoking cannabis may be less likely to cause bladder cancer than smoking cigarettes. This was based on data from more than 83,000 men who smoked cigarettes only, marijuana (cannabis) only, or both substances. The investigators found that men who only smoked pot were the least likely to develop bladder cancer over the course of 11 years.

Study author Dr. Anil A. Thomas, a fellow in urology at Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in Los Angeles, who presented the findings May 6th at the American Urological Association annual meeting in San Diego, commented, “Cannabis use only was associated with a 45% reduction in bladder cancer incidence, and tobacco use only was associated with a 52% increase in bladder cancer.” He explained, “The theory is that there are receptors in the bladder that are affected by cannabis.”

More: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/6/prweb10758783.htm

“Association Between Cannabis Use and the Risk of Bladder Cancer: Results From the California Men’s Health Study.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25623697

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/bladder-cancer/

Melissa Etheridge: Pot changed my life, singer advocates legalization of marijuana

Posted on by
WPTV Melissa Etheridge
 

“My friends have always told me that rock stardom was wasted on me.

To them it seemed that being a rock star was a free ticket to debauchery. It was sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, and I was only taking advantage of two. Drugs were not a part of my rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. I wasn’t even much of a drinker. I have never thrown up from being over intoxicated.

What kind of rock star is that? I had certainly encountered drugs during the ’80s, mostly cocaine, but nothing about grinding my teeth and rambling on about myself appealed to me. During the ’90s, I smoked an occasional joint. Those were usually fun social occasions. My work was a drug-free zone.

Then in 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The chemotherapy that was prescribed was called “dose dense”: a harsher, stronger chemo than the usual because I had the benefit of not having to work during the treatment. My close friends told me that, as an alternative, medical marijuana was a natural way to help with the excruciating side effects of chemo.

It worked. The entire experience changed my life. It opened my mind to a new way of thinking about my body, my health and the future.

This herb, this weed that is so strong it grows wild by the side of the road, has always been with us. In ancient times it was highly regarded and has even been found in tombs. It has even been put forth from some biblical scholars that Jesus may have used cannabis oil to heal.

Now, this herb, marijuana, is at center of a debate within our society….

More: http://www.wptv.com//dpp/entertainment/melissa-etheridge-pot-changed-my-life-singer-advocates-legalization-of-marijuana

The Feds Finally Recognize The Anti-Cancer Potential Of Cannabis — 36 Years Too Late!

Posted on by

3-24-2011: “Scientific trials have for decades documented the anti-cancer properties of cannabis and its constituents. Yet it took until this week for the website of the National Institute of Cancer, a component of the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health, to finally acknowledged the herb’s therapeutic utility for patients living with disease or suffering from the adverse side-effects of cancer treatment.

In a newly added section to the website, entitled ‘Cannabis and Cannabinoids,’ the Institute states:

Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.”

…The potential benefits of medicinal cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.”

It’s a stunning acknowledgment, given that the NIH is a branch of the very same government that presently maintains that the cannabis plant and all of its naturally-derived components have ‘no accepted medical use.’ Yet it also begs the question: Where has the National Institute of Cancer been all these years?

After all, the anti-tumor activity of cannabinoids were initially documented in 1975! That’s right; it’s taken 36 years for the Institute to get with the program.

Hopefully it won’t take them another 36 years to demand that the Feds finally assess whether these preclinical results are replicable in human trials.”

by Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

http://blog.norml.org/2011/03/24/the-feds-finally-recognize-the-anti-cancer-potential-of-cannabis-36-years-too-late/