Tag Archives: marijuana

Cannabis Treats Cancer and Epilepsy

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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

Fighting Drug Addiction With Marijuana – ABC News

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“For decades, Colombia has been searching for ways to treat people who are addicted to basuco, the nation’s version of crack cocaine. Now, the country’s capital, Bogota, is considering a new approach: transition users to marijuana.

BBC Mundo reports that the city is interested in trying a pilot program to see if pot helps mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal that basuco users experience. The goal is to minimize the social and health risks that accompany the drug.

Basuco isn’t the same as crack, but it’s an apt comparison. Like crack, it’s smokable and more common among a poorer segment of society.

When it comes to quality, basuco is some of the least pure cocaine out there. The base of the drug is an intermediary product that you get if you’re turning coca leaves into cocaine, and it can contain residue from the solvents used in that process, including kerosene. Dealers add things like ash and crushed bricks to give it bulk. For less than a dollar, you can get a short but powerful high.”

PHOTO: marijuana
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PHOTO: marijuana

Doug Menuez/Getty Images
“The mayor’s office in Bogota is considering a pilot program that would look to transition drug addicts from hard drugs to marijuana.” 

“One expert in Bogota estimates that the city has at least 7,000 “problem users,” which means they might take up to 15-20 hits a day, according to BBC Mundo.

To confront the issue, the city is planning to test out “controlled consumption centers,” where addicts of hard drugs will be able to consume in a safer environment, with the goal of kicking the habit.

Julián Quintero, from the Bogota-based non-profit organization Acción Técnica Social, which works on drug policy, told BBC Mundo how such centers will work:

“The first thing you do is to start to reduce the dose. After that, you begin to change the way that it’s administered: if you were injecting heroin, you move to smoking heroin; after smoking heroin, you move to combining it with cannabis; after that, you’re staying with the cannabis,” he said. “What you’re looking for is for the person to reach a point where they can stabilize the consumption and that the consumption doesn’t prevent them from being functional.”

Is anyone in the U.S. trying this kind of approach to hard drugs?

No, according to Amanda Reiman, a policy manager with the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that favors alternatives to current drug laws.

“Unfortunately, universities rely on grants from the federal government for research, so most of what they do is what the feds want done,” she said in an email. “As you can probably guess, the feds are not too interested in beneficial uses for marijuana, and even less interested in how to help people who are addicted to substances, so most of the research in this area occurs outside the U.S. or through private funding.””

http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/fighting-drug-addiction-marijuana/story?id=18851710

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

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“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

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“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/

Cannabinoids may be therapeutic in breast cancer.

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“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

Medical Marijuana: Sleeping Medicine

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“The most frequent comment by those ignorant of the medical properties of cannabis or those believing the U.S. Government’s propaganda, is that marijuana patients use it only to get “high” which incidentally can be somewhat like a Starbucks espresso jolt or maybe two or three martinis.

Anybody who knows anything at all about marijuana knows that it causes euphoria or a feeling of well being. After all, isn’t that why we take medicine when we are sick—to feel better?

At any rate, marijuana users, as medical patients of which there are at least 400,000 with legal permits, or as many as ten million “illegal” users who use it instead of alcohol, tobacco, prescription tranquilizers or antidepressants, have found it beneficial for a wide variety of illnesses and diseases.

It is certain that the euphoria or feeling of comfort is very important for all these conditions. If some ignorant people consider that to be getting high, no users will disagree.

Many medical patients use it only in the evening to enable them to sleep. This is true especially with those in chronic pain, which represents about 70 percent of patients. Pain frequently or even most usually prevents sleep and some patients tell me, “if I can get a decent night’s sleep, I can fight alligators all day”.

Sleeping pills are prescribed mostly for those in pain who cannot sleep without those pills. The crazy thing about this is that many or maybe most sleeping pills are as addicting as heroin. Valium, the most prescribed sleeping pill for many years, produced millions of addicts, and there are many valium-like drugs with similar problems.

In my experience with 4,000 plus patients, I was told by hundreds that by using marijuana they were able to cut down or eliminate completely most prescription sleeping pills.

The U.S. Government purports that marijuana is addicting. This is not so. If a person uses it frequently to relieve or control pain, the patient wants relief. Does that mean he is addicted to relief? If one takes aspirin everyday, is he addicted to aspirin? To me, the comparison is valid.

One of the critical signs of addiction is uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Most marijuana users will run out of their medicine once in a while. Do they get withdrawal symptoms? If so, they are very minor, like running out of aspirin.

It is known that very heavy marijuana use (which is uncommon because it costs more than gold) can cause mild withdrawal symptoms, such as disrupted sleep and nervousness (from Merck Manual).

I think the final coup de grace is also given by the Merck Manual “any drug which causes euphoria and diminishes anxiety can cause dependence” (not addiction—my comment).”-

Dr. Phillip Leveque

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june272007/marijuana_sleep_62707.php

Cannabis helped night worker sleep

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Mark Jackson has escaped without having a conviction recorded for his latest drug offences. 
“
Mark Jackson has escaped without having a conviction recorded for his latest drug offences.

HOSPITALITY manager Mark Jackson has been fined for possessing marijuana, which he smoked after night work to help him get some sleep.

Jackson has a history of drug use dating back to 2000, when the Supreme Court gave him a suspended jail sentence for supplying drugs.

However, his last drug-related offence was in 2005.

Jackson, a 48-year-old who supports four dependents, pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrate’s Court yesterday to the unlawful possession of a small amount of marijuana and a pipe last October 20.

Police executed a search warrant at his Andergrove home at 12.45am and Jackson was the sole occupant, prosecutor Constable Janelle Young said.

Asked if he had anything to declare, he said he had a bong beside his bed.

A homemade pipe and a small amount of marijuana were found.

He told police he had smoked some marijuana that morning, after night work, because it helped him to sleep.

The items were seized and he was issued with a property receipt.

Duty lawyer John Aberdeen said Jackson “holds a managerial position in hospitality” and did mostly night work.

His previous convictions in 2000 and 2005 were acknowledged but the new offences involved only a small amount of drugs for personal use, Mr Aberdeen said.

Mr Aberdeen asked for no conviction to be recorded because of the length of time that had elapsed since the last offence.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer imposed a fine of $600 and ordered that no conviction be recorded.”

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/marijuana-helped-night-worker-get-some-sleep/1228013/

The role of the CB1 receptor in the regulation of sleep.

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“During the 1990s, transmembranal proteins in the central nervous system (CNS) that recognize the principal compound of marijuana, the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC) were described. The receptors were classified as central or peripheral, CB1 and CB2, respectively. To this date, it has been documented the presence in the CNS of specific lipids that bind naturally to the CB1/CB2 receptors.

The family of endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids comprises oleamide, arachidonoylethanolamine, 2-arachidonylglycerol, virodhamine, noladin ether and N-arachidonyldopamine. Pharmacological experiments have shown that those compounds induce cannabimimetic effects. Endocannabinoids are fatty acid derivates that have a variety of biological actions, most notably via activation of the cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoids have an active role modulating diverse neurobiological functions, such as learning and memory, feeding, pain perception and sleep generation.

Experimental evidence shows that the administration of Delta9-THC promotes sleep.

 The activation of the CB1 receptor leads to an induction of sleep, this effect is blocked via the selective antagonist.

Since the system of the endogenous cannabinoids is present in several species, including humans, this leads to the speculation of the neurobiological role of the endocannabinoid system on diverse functions such as sleep modulation.

This review discusses the evidence of the system of the endocannabinoids as well as their physiological role in diverse behaviours, including the modulation of sleep.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18514375

[Marihuana and cannabinoids as medicaments].

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“Biological activity of cannabinoids is caused by binding to two cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Psychoactive is not only tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but also: cannabidiol, cannabigerol or cannabichromen. Formerly, the usefulness of hemp was assessed in the relation to temporary appeasement of the symptoms of some ailments as nausea or vomiting.

 Present discoveries indicates that cannabis-based drugs has shown ability to alleviate of autoimmunological disorders such as: Multiple sclerosis (MS), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or inflammatory bowel disease. Another studies indicates that cannabinoids play role in treatment of neurological disorders like Alzheimer disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or even can reduce spreading of tumor cells.

 Cannabinoids stand out high safety profile considering acute toxicity, it is low possibility of deadly overdosing and side-effects are comprise in range of tolerated side-effects of other medications.

In some countries marinol and nabilone are used as anti vomiting and nausea drug. First cannabis-based drug containg naturally occurring cannabinoids is Sativex. Sativex is delivered in an mucosal spray for patients suffering from spasticity in MS, pain relevant with cancer and neuropathic pain of various origin. Despite the relatively low acute toxicity of cannabinoids they should be avoid in patients with psychotic disorders, pregnant or breastfeeding woman. Cannabinoids prolong a time of reaction and decrease power of concentration that’s why driving any vehicles is forbidden.

 Cannabis side-effects varies and depend from several factors like administrated dose, rout of administration and present state of mind. After sudden break from long-lasting use, withdrawal symptoms can appear, although they entirely disappear after a week or two.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23421098

[Cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis — therapeutically reasonable?].

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“For centuries extracts from the Cannabis sativa plant have been used for recreational use and as remedies. Anecdotal reports from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experiencing relief of their spasticity and pain after smoking marihuana have prompted discussions about a potential therapeutic application of cannabis preparations in MS.

Only recently the first large, multicenter, double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted evaluating the use of cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to MS.

 Based on this trial and previous uncontrolled observations together with insights from basic research and animal experiments there is reasonable evidence for the therapeutical employment of cannabinoids in the treatment of MS related symptoms.

 Furthermore, data are arising that cannabinoids have immunomodulatory and neuroprotective properties. However, results from clinical trials do not allow the recommendation for the general use of cannabinoids in MS.

This article summarizes the present knowledge of clinical and experimental research regarding the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for the treatment of MS”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16052440