Tag Archives: treatment

New Study: Cannabinoids Protect the Brain and Heart From Injury

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“Cannabis is in the news again for its purported medicinal benefits, with researchers in Israel last week indicating it may help prevent trauma to the brain in certain circumstances and may also help with cardiac problems. A few months ago an English pharmaceutical company that manufactures cannabinoids announced it was developing a new treatment for epilepsy using them.”

Los Angeles City Council Votes To Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

“Prof. Yosef Sarne in the Adelson Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Tel Aviv University says that cannabis has neuro-protective qualities. He has found that extremely low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC- the psychoactive component of marijuana- can protect the brain from long-term cognitive damage in the wake of injury from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), seizures, or toxic drugs.”

More: http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2013/06/09/new-study-cannabinoids-protect-the-brain-and-heart-from-injury/

GW Pharmaceuticals: Giving New Meaning To ‘High Potential’

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“GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) is an UK-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of cannabinoid-based products for a wide range of indications. GW has established a technology platform based on genetically modified cannabis plants and has become a leader in plant-derived cannabinoid therapeutics.

 GW’s lead program is Sativex, a cannabis extract based oromucosal spray whose main actives are the cannabinoids delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD). It is approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity in 21 countries outside of the U.S and already marketed in seven countries (eight following Italian launch in Q213).

…While MS spasticity has provided proof-of-concept in the worldwide approvability of Sativex, a more meaningful commercial opportunity is in the treatment of opioid-refractory cancer pain. Sativex has been tested in two Phase II trials in cancer pain. The trials have demonstrated that Sativex is safe and effective when used in addition to opioids in patients whose cancer pain is not sufficiently managed by opioids alone. Based on these results, GW has initiated three Phase III trials. The first two are expected to complete during 2014 and support an FDA filing.”

More: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1490392-gw-pharmaceuticals-giving-new-meaning-to-high-potential

Marijuana Spray Proves Effective as Cancer Pain Treatment

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“A mouth spray containing cannabinoids is effective in reducing pain in cancer patients who are still in pain despite using opioid medicines, according to a new study published in The Journal of Pain.”

 
“The oral mucosal spray known as nabixmols, which is marketed under the trade name Sativex, contains a formulation of cannabinoids, marijuana’s most active ingredients.”
 

More: http://americannewsreport.com/nationalpainreport/marijuana-spray-proves-effective-as-cancer-pain-treatment-8814518.html

A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Pilot Trial With Extension Using an Oral Mucosal Cannabinoid Extract for Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

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“Neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy limits dosing and duration of potentially life-saving anti-cancer treatment and impairs quality of life. Chemotherapeutic neuropathy responds poorly to conventional treatments, and there is an urgent medical need for new treatments. Recent preclinical studies demonstrate that cannabinoid agonists suppress established chemotherapy-evoked neuropathy.

This was a pilot trial to begin to investigate a currently available cannabinoid agent, nabiximols (oral mucosal spray containing cannabinoids), in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

CONCLUSION:

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is particularly resistant to currently available treatments. This pilot trial found a number needed to treat of five and an average decrease of 2.6 on an 11-point NRS-PI in five “responders” (as compared with a decrease of 0.6 with placebo) and supports that it is worthwhile to study nabiximols in a full randomized, placebo-controlled trial of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23742737

Study: Cannabinoids Offer Likely Therapeutic Option For Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress

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“Future research targeting cannabinoids and their receptors may lead to evidence-based treatments for patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to clinical trial data published in May in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Investigators at the New York University School of Medicine reported that subjects diagnosed with PTSD typically possess elevated quantities of endogenous cannabinoid receptors in regions of the brain associated with fear and anxiety. Investigators also determined that many of these subjects experience a decrease in their natural production of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter, resulting in an imbalanced endocannibinoid regulatory system.

Researchers speculated that an increase in the body’s production of cannabinoids would likely restore subjects’ natural brain chemistry and psychological balance. They affirmed, “[Our] findings substantiate, at least in part, emerging evidence that … plant-derived cannabinoids such as marijuana may possess some benefits in individuals with PTSD by helping relieve haunting nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD.”

Authors concluded: “The data reported herein are the first of which we are aware of to demonstrate the critical role of CB1 (cannabinoid) receptors and endocannabinoids in the etiology of PTSD in humans. As such, they provide a foundation upon which to develop and validate informative biomarkers of PTSD vulnerability, as well as to guide the rational development of the next generation of evidence-based treatments for PTSD.”

More: http://norml.org/news/2013/05/30/study-cannabinoids-offer-likely-therapeutic-option-for-patients-with-post-traumatic-trauma

[From cannabis to selective CB2R agonists: molecules with numerous therapeutical virtues].

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“Originally used in Asia for the treatment of pain, spasms, nausea and insomnia, marijuana is the most consumed psychotropic drug worldwide. The interest of medical cannabis has been reconsidered recently, leading to many scientific researches and commercialization of these drugs.

Natural and synthetic cannabinoids display beneficial antiemetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in numerous diseases, however accompanied with undesirable effects due to the CB1 receptor. Present researches focus on the design of therapeutical molecules targeting the CB2 receptors, and thus avoiding central side effects and therefore psychotropic effects caused by the CB1 receptor.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23732102

Study: Cannabis may prevent brain damage – FOX

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“Marijuana continues to be a paradox as it makes its way from illicit drug to wonder medicine being used to treat a number of symptoms and disorders more safely than traditional pharmaceuticals.”

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“In the latest news, cannabis, which has been associated with long-term cognitive deficits in chronic users, is now being tested as a treatment to preserve brain function after traumatic injury.

…some reports have shown that cannabis has neuroprotective effects. Studies have suggested that it has protective effects in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”

More: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/study-cannabis-may-prevent-brain-damage/

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/study-cannabis-may-prevent-brain-damage/#ixzz2VXJJw9yc

Melissa Etheridge: Pot got me through – CNN

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Singer Melissa Etheridge became <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/16/ac360.etheridge/index.html'>an advocate for the use of medical marijuana</a> after her 2004 breast cancer diagnosis. She's one of several stars who have battled cancer or been affected by the disease. 
 

“(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.” 

Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge
 
 

Marijuana first plants cultivated by man for medication (Update)

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“Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the first plants cultivated by man. Shrouded in controversy, the intriguing history of cannabis as a medication dates back thousands of years before the era of Christianity.

Scientists believe the hemp plant originated in Asia. In 2737 B.C., Emperor Shen Neng of China prescribed tea brewed from marijuana leaves as a remedy for muscle injuries, rheumatism, gout, malaria, and memory loss. During the Bronze Age in 1400 B.C., cannabis was used throughout the eastern Mediterranean to ease the pain of childbirth and menstrual maladies.

More than 800 years before the birth of Christ, hemp was extensively cultivated in India for both its fiber and healing medicinal properties. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, an Irish physician famous for his investigative research in pharmacology, is credited with introducing the therapeutic, healing properties of cannabis to Western medicine. During the 1830’s Dr. O’Shaughnessy, working for the British in India, conducted extensive experiments on lab animals. Encouraged by his results, Dr. O’Shaughnessy commenced patient treatment with marijuana for pain and muscle spasms. Further experiments indicated that marijuana was beneficial in the treatment of stomach cramps, migraine headaches, insomnia and nausea. Marijuana was also proven to be an effective anticonvulsant.

From the 1840s to the 1890s, hashish and marijuana extracts were among the most widely prescribed medications in the United States The 1850 United States Census records 8,327 marijuana plantations, each larger than 2000 acres. Recreational use of marijuana was not evident until early in the 20th century. Marijuana cigarettes became popular, introduced by migrants workers that brought marijuana with them from Mexico. With the onset of Prohibition, recreational use of marijuana skyrocketed. During the early 1930s, hash bars could be found all across the United States.

Although protested by the American Medical Association, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act banned the cultivation and use of cannabis by federal law. Under the law, cultivation, distribution and consumption of cannabis products for medicinal, practical or recreational was criminalized and harsh penalties were implemented.”

More: http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/marijuana-first-plants-cultivated-by-man-for-medication/

marijuana

A Brief History of Medical Marijuana – TIME

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“Should Professors Cheech and Chong ever receive university tenure teaching the medical history of their favorite subject, the course pack would be surprisingly thick.

As early as 2737 B.C., the mystical Emperor Shen Neng of China was prescribing marijuana tea for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, malaria and, oddly enough, poor memory. The drug’s popularity as a medicine spread throughout Asia, the Middle East and down the eastern coast of Africa, and certain Hindu sects in India used marijuana for religious purposes and stress relief. Ancient physicians prescribed marijuana for everything from pain relief to earache to childbirth…

By the late 18th century, early editions of American medical journals recommend hemp seeds and roots for the treatment of inflamed skin, incontinence and venereal disease. Irish doctor William O’Shaughnessy first popularized marijuana’s medical use in England and America. As a physician with the British East India Company, he found marijuana eased the pain of rheumatism and was helpful against discomfort and nausea in cases of rabies, cholera and tetanus.”

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1931247,00.html