Tag Archives: medicinal

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

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“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/

Cannabis tea revisited: a systematic evaluation of the cannabinoid composition of cannabis tea.

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“Cannabis is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and a large variety of biological activities have been described. The main constituents, the cannabinoids, are thought to be most important for these activities. Although smoking of cannabis is by far the most common way of consumption, a significant part of medicinal users consume it in the form of a tea.

However, not much is known about the composition of cannabis tea, or the effect of different parameters during preparation, handling or storage. In this study we used the high-grade cannabis available in Dutch pharmacies to study the cannabinoid composition of tea under standardized and quantitative conditions. Experimental conditions were systematically varied in order to mimic the possible variations made by medicinal users.

During analysis there was a specific focus on the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol and its acidic precursor, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. Also the role of non-psychoactive cannabinoids as components of cannabis tea are discussed.

The results obtained in this study provide a clear quantitative insight in the phytochemistry of cannabis tea preparation and can contribute to a better appreciation of this mode of cannabis administration.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17604926 

Cost effectiveness of oromucosal cannabis-based medicine (sativex®) for spasticity in multiple sclerosis.

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“Spasticity is common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is a major contributor to disability. Sativex®, an oromucosal spray containing cannabis-based medicinal products, has been found to be effective in reducing spasticity symptoms.

Our objective was to estimate the cost effectiveness of Sativex® plus oral anti-spasticity medicines compared with the current standard treatment for moderate or severe spasticity in MS in the UK.

CONCLUSIONS:

Using a willingness-to-pay threshold of £30 000 per QALY, Sativex® appears unlikely to be considered cost effective by UK funders of healthcare for spasticity in MS. This is unfortunate, since it appears that Sativex® use is likely to benefit some patients in the management of this common consequence of MS.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23072659

Cannabis compound can help cells

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“Cannabis has been used recreationally and for medicinal purposes for centuries, yet its 60 plus active components are only partly understood. Now scientists have discovered how a compound in cannabis can help cells to function in our bodies, and aid recovery after a damaging event.

In a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers report on their studies into cannabidiol – a naturally occurring molecule found in cannabis.

Also known as CBD, it is not the constituent that gives the high – that compound is called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC – and so may be more acceptable as a drug treatment.

Both compounds are currently used in a pharmaceutical medicine to help patients relieve pain and other symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

Now researchers have discovered how CBD actually works within brain cells.

By interacting with mitochondria – which are the power generators of all cells – it can help maintain normal levels of calcium allowing cells to function properly and providing a greater resistance to damage.

Disturbance of calcium levels has long been associated with a number of brain disorders. So the finding could have implications for the development of new treatments for disorders related to malfunctioning mitochondria.

Dr Bettina Platt, from the University’s School of Medical Sciences, said: “Scientists have known for a long time that cannabidiol can help with pain relief but we never really knew how it worked.

“However we have discovered what it actually does at the cellular level.

“We are hoping that our findings can instruct the development of cannabidiol based treatments for disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction such as Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease.”

More: http://phys.org/news154280470.html

The pharmacologic and clinical effects of medical cannabis.

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“Cannabis, or marijuana, has been used for medicinal purposes for many years. Several types of cannabinoid medicines are available in the United States and Canada. Dronabinol (schedule III), nabilone (schedule II), and nabiximols (not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved) are cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals.

Medical cannabis or medical marijuana, a leafy plant cultivated for the production of its leaves and flowering tops, is a schedule I drug, but patients obtain it through cannabis dispensaries and statewide programs. The effect that cannabinoid compounds have on the cannabinoid receptors (CB(1) and CB(2) ) found in the brain can create varying pharmacologic responses based on formulation and patient characteristics. The cannabinoid Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol has been determined to have the primary psychoactive effects; the effects of several other key cannabinoid compounds have yet to be fully elucidated. Dronabinol and nabilone are indicated for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. However, pain and muscle spasms are the most common reasons that medical cannabis is being recommended.

Studies of medical cannabis show significant improvement in various types of pain and muscle spasticity. Reported adverse effects are typically not serious, with the most common being dizziness. Safety concerns regarding cannabis include the increased risk of developing schizophrenia with adolescent use, impairments in memory and cognition, accidental pediatric ingestions, and lack of safety packaging for medical cannabis formulations. This article will describe the pharmacology of cannabis, effects of various dosage formulations, therapeutics benefits and risks of cannabis for pain and muscle spasm, and safety concerns of medical cannabis use.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23386598

Modulation of Cannabinoid Receptor Activation as a Neuroprotective Strategy for EAE and Stroke

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“These results provide evidence that alteration of the activation patterns of the various cannabinoid receptors warrant consideration for future therapeutic strategies.

Interest in the medicinal use of Cannabis sativa (marijuana) has a long historical record, extending back thousands of years. In comparison to the extensive history for medicinal applications of marijuana, the existence of an “endocannabinoid system”, with important homeostatic and pathologic functions, has only recently gained appreciation. The endocannabinoid system consists of endogenously produced cannabinoids, their receptors, and the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and degradation…

Although used in ancient Greece, Rome, and China for therapeutic purposes, concern about the use of cannabinoids as a drug of abuse has dampened interest in developing the potential therapeutic benefits of these compounds. However, a better understanding of the biologic effects has led recently to an upsurge in interest for the development of therapeutic drugs through modification of the endocannabinoid system. An additional incentive was provided by the development of synthetic cannabinoid analogs and specific inhibitors of cannabinoid receptors. Several excellent reviews cover the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids….

The present review is focused on the effects of CB2 receptor activation in models of multiple sclerosis (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) and stroke (middle cerebral occlusion/reperfusion).

In summary, selective CB2 receptor agonists and CB1 receptor antagonists have significant potential for neuroprotection in animal models of two devastating diseases that currently lack effective treatment options.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855650/

Endocannabinoids and obesity.

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“A safe and effective antiobesity drug is needed to combat the global obesity epidemic. The discovery of cannabinoids from medicinal herbs has revealed the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in animals and humans, which regulates various physiological activities such as feeding, thermogenesis, and body weight (BW).

Although cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1) antagonists have shown antiobesity efficacies in animal models and in the clinic, they failed to establish as a treatment due to their psychological side effects.

 Recent studies indicate that CB1 in various peripheral tissues may mediate some of the therapeutic effects of CB1 antagonists, such as improved lipid and glucose homeostasis.

 It rationalizes the development of compounds with limited brain penetration, for minimizing the side effects while retaining the therapeutic efficacies. A survey of the literature has revealed some controversies about how the ECS affects obesity. This review summarizes the research progresses and discusses some future perspectives.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23374723

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the potential of cannabinoid receptor stimulation in the treatment of dystonia.

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“Cannabis may have medicinal uses in a variety of diseases. The neural mechanisms underlying dystonia involve abnormalities within the basal ganglia-in particular, overactivity of the lateral globus pallidus (GPl). Cannabinoid receptors are located presynaptically on GABA terminals within the GPi, where their activation reduces GABA reuptake. Cannabinoid receptor stimulation may thus reduce overactivity of the GPl and thereby reduce dystonia. A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover study using the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist nabilone in patients with generalised and segmental primary dystonia showed no significant reduction in dystonia following treatment with nabilone.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11835452

Medicinal plants and Alzheimer’s disease: from ethnobotany to phytotherapy.

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“The use of complementary medicines, such as plant extracts, in dementia therapy varies according to the different cultural traditions. In orthodox Western medicine, contrasting with that in China and the Far East for example, pharmacological properties of traditional cognitive- or memory-enhancing plants have not been widely investigated in the context of current models of Alzheimer’s disease. An exception is Gingko biloba in which the gingkolides have antioxidant, neuroprotective and cholinergic activities relevant to Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms. The therapeutic efficacy of Ginkgo extracts in Alzheimer’s disease in placebo controlled clinical trials is reportedly similar to currently prescribed drugs such as tacrine or donepezil and, importantly, undesirable side effects of Gingko are minimal. Old European reference books, such as those on medicinal herbs, document a variety of other plants such as Salvia officinalis (sage) and Melissa officinalis (balm) with memory-improving properties, and cholinergic activities have recently been identified in extracts of these plants. Precedents for modern discovery of clinically relevant pharmacological activity in plants with long-established medicinal use include, for example, the interaction of alkaloid opioids in Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) with endogenous opiate receptors in the brain. With recent major advances in understanding the neurobiology of Alzheimer’s disease, and as yet limited efficacy of so-called rationally designed therapies, it may be timely to re-explore historical archives for new directions in drug development. This article considers not only the value of an integrative traditional and modern scientific approach to developing new treatments for dementia, but also in the understanding of disease mechanisms. Long before the current biologically-based hypothesis of cholinergic derangement in Alzheimer’ s disease emerged, plants now known to contain cholinergic antagonists were recorded for their amnesia- and dementia-inducing properties.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10411211

Medical Marijuana For Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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“Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule 1 narcotic since the 1960’s, which means it is deemed by the federal government to have no medicinal value and heavy risk. However, there is an increasing body of research to show that marijuana can be helpful for certain debilitating conditions and 15 states have now legalized it for medicinal usage. One of those conditions research is showing marijuana’s medicinal value is multiple sclerosis (MS) and another is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). They are both diseases involving neurologic deterioration.

Approximately 200 individuals per week are diagnosed with MS, with the usual onset between 20 and 40 years of age. The disease has no known cure and involves a neuro-degeneration in which the brain and spinal cord nerves undergo a gradual destruction of its protective tissue called myelin.

Myelin covers these regions in what’s called a Myelin sheath, and as the sheath degenerates symptoms include painful muscle spasms, numbness, impaired vision, loss of coordination, tremors, weakness, and imbalance (ataxia). The disease is progressive and can become incapacitating and lead to death.

MS patients may find that marijuana relieves symptoms of spasticity, tremors, imbalance, depression, and fatigue. Numerous studies have looked at Sativex, which is an oral cannabis spray developed in the UK. It has been shown to relieve pain, spasticity, depression, fatigue, and incontinence.

THC appears to have some immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory effects. This may be beneficial to MS patients. Long term studies need to be completed to see if this is for real and a disease modifying effect is real.

Lou Gehrig’s disease, also called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, involves the ongoing loss of the brain’s motor neurons. It is rapidly progressive, and usually fatal. There is no known cause. The usual age of onset is 40 to 60 years, and men are more commonly affected.

The most well known person with ALS is Stephen Hawking, a physicist who has lived for over 40 years after being diagnosed. He is the exception, the unfortunate usual prognosis is grim, with about half of patients dying with 2.5 years of onset.

The cannabinoids in medical marijuana may protect against glutamate toxicity. This may be very helpful because ALS involves excessive glutamate in the brain tissue, spinal fluid, and serum of those suffering.

By lowering the chance of glutamate toxicity, there is a chance that marijuana may have a neuroprotective effect. In addition, patients describe alleviation of pain and spasms, improvement of appetite, and less drooling issues which is a common problem with ALS.”

By David L. Greene