“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.”
“The finding is potentially valuable, the study authors said, given the ongoing debate over legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.”
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
“(CNN) — 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.”
“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….
“Hasn’t pot always been considered harmful?
Not at all. Marijuana, the dried form of the plant Cannabis sativa, was used as an herbal remedy for centuries in China, the Middle East, and Asia. William O’Shaughnessy, a physician for the East India Tea Company, brought it west in the 1830s as a treatment for rheumatism, tetanus, and rabies. It was commonly prescribed as a pain reliever in the U.S. until the 1930s, when its growing popularity caused such concern that the newly founded Federal Bureau of Narcotics reclassified it as a narcotic. The bureau soon launched a decidedly unscientific campaign claiming that marijuana use provoked insanity, homicidal tendencies, and uncontrollable lust. The marijuana user, the bureau asserted, “becomes a fiend with savage or ‘caveman’ tendencies. His sex desires are aroused, and some of the most horrible crimes result.””
“Was there any evidence for such claims?
None; in fact, the American Medical Association argued against marijuana prohibition in the 1930s, citing its therapeutic potential. But the bureau made its case that marijuana was “dangerous for the mind and the body,” and the federal government outlawed its use in 1937. It wasn’t until the 1970s that a campaign began to restore marijuana’s therapeutic reputation, and in 1996 California became the first state to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes. Psychiatrist Tod Mikuriya, a founding father in the medical marijuana movement, claimed that cannabis has none of the adverse side effects of opiates. “In fact,” he said, “it really enhances both quality of life and rehabilitation.””
More: http://theweek.com/article/index/236671/is-marijuana-bad-for-you
“For the first time, a study has found that cannabis use may be associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer, researchers reported at the American Urological Association 2013 annual meeting.
In a study of nearly 82,000 men, bladder cancer developed in 279 over an 11-year period. Subjects who smoked marijuana, but not tobacco, had a significant 45% decreased risk of bladder cancer compared with those who did not, after adjusting for age, body mass index, and race and ethnicity, according to lead investigator Anil A. Thomas, MD, a researcher with Southern California Permanent Medical Group in Los Angeles. Men who smoked tobacco, but not marijuana, had a significant 52% increased risk, a finding that is consistent with numerous previous studies. Men who smoked both had a 28% increased risk.
Of the 82,000 men, 41% reported ever using marijuana and 57% reported tobacco use; 27% reported used both tobacco and marijuana.”
http://www.renalandurologynews.com/bladder-cancer-risk-lower-in-pot-smokers/article/292174/#
You’d think it would have been very big news in June 2005 when UCLA medical school professor Donald Tashkin reported that components of marijuana smoke somehow prevent them from becoming malignant.
In other words, something in marijuana exerts an anti-cancer effect!”
More:http://www.alternet.org/story/142271/smoking_marijuana_does_not_cause_lung_cancer
“Comedian Tommy Chong has announced he has cured his prostate cancer by using cannabis.”
“The 74 year-old was diagnosed in June last year following a three year-period of being drug-free.
On the advice of a Canadian doctor Chong changed his diet to include special supplements and hemp oil before sessions with “world-renowned” Adam Dreamhealer .
The funnyman, who is one half of the constantly stoned duo Cheech and Chong, announced he had beaten the disease in a blog on Celebstoner.com.
He told his fans “I kicked cancer’s ass!” and has championed the use of cannabis oil for treating cancer.
The actor, writer and activist said: “With the diet, the supplements and the hash oil, plus a session with a world-renowned healer, Adam Dreamhealer, I’m cancer-free.
“That’s right, I kicked cancer’s ass!
“So the magic plant does cure cancer with the right diet and supplements.
“I’m due for another blood test, MRI, etc., but I feel the best I’ve felt in years.”
Chong then said he would be celebrating by smoking “the finest” cannabis from the Middle East.”