Tag Archives: treatment

Marijuana May Cure PTSD – NBC

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“Veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder may find help through marijuana.”

Cannabis Cup Cake Anyone?
  

“Could cannabis cure PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder, which can also affect civilians who undergo a traumatic episode, may be cured by using marijuana, according to an East Bay Express report.

A researcher at Yale University is conducting a long-term study with 120 people — veterans with “intractable cases of PTSD” — who he thinks can be cured of their dehabilitating condition with marijuana.

Most people suffering from PTSD go through a regimen of drugs or more-invasive “exposure therapy,” in which they dig as deeply as possible into their trauma for 12 weeks. Most drop out in Week 3, according to the report.

The theory of R. Andrew Sewell is that tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, one of the active ingredients in cannabis, can help the brain learn new information. This in turn helps people suffering from PTSD forget the old — as in bad — information.

This is called “extinction learning,” Sewell says. And such learning is made easier when a “switch” in the brain called CB1 is activated. It turns out cannabis is very good at activating the CB1 receptor.

“We’re talking about a cure,” said Sewell, who noted that after treatment, no drugs — not cannabis and not antidepressants — would be required.”

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Marijuana-May-Cure-PTSD-208900021.html 

What Is Marijuana? What Is Cannabis?

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“When talking about the drug, marijuana and cannabis both have the same meaning. When talking botanically – talking about the plant genus – we use the word Cannabis. Cannabis is a flowering plant genus that includes three acknowledged varieties:

  • Cannabis sativa
  • Cannabis indica
  • Cannabis ruderalis

The three types originally come from South and Central Asia.”

Bubba Kush

“Cannabis has been used for hundreds of years by humans, for fiber (hemp), seed oils, seed, medical treatment and recreationally.

This article focuses on cannabis’ medicinal and recreational aspects.”

Read more: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246392.php

Cannabinoids.

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“Since the discovery of an endogenous cannabinoid system, research into the pharmacology and therapeutic potential of cannabinoids has steadily increased. Two subtypes of G-protein coupled cannabinoid receptors, CB(1) and CB(1), have been cloned and several putative endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids) have been detected during the past 15 years. The main endocannabinoids are arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), derivatives of arachidonic acid, that are produced “on demand” by cleavage of membrane lipid precursors.

 Besides phytocannabinoids of the cannabis plant, modulators of the cannabinoid system comprise synthetic agonists and antagonists at the CB receptors and inhibitors of endocannabinoid degradation. Cannabinoid receptors are distributed in the central nervous system and many peripheral tissues, including immune system, reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts, sympathetic ganglia, endocrine glands, arteries, lung and heart. There is evidence for some non-receptor dependent mechanisms of cannabinoids and for endocannabinoid effects mediated by vanilloid receptors.

Properties of CB receptor agonists that are of therapeutic interest include analgesia, muscle relaxation, immunosuppression, anti-inflammation, antiallergic effects, improvement of mood, stimulation of appetite, antiemesis, lowering of intraocular pressure, bronchodilation, neuroprotection and antineoplastic effects. The current main focus of clinical research is their efficacy in chronic pain and neurological disorders. CB receptor antagonists are under investigation for medical use in obesity and nicotine addiction. Additional potential was proposed for the treatment of alcohol and heroine dependency, schizophrenia, conditions with lowered blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16266285

Marijuana is an Effective Treatment for Crohn’s Disease

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“A study published earlier this month on the government’s website National Institutes of Health found that marijuana has “significant benefits” for treating Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

“A short course (8 week) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active CD, compared to placebo, without side effects,” the study concluded.”

Read more: http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2013/05/marijuana-is-an-effective-treatment-for-crohns-disease-2488154.html

Study Suggests Marijuana Mitigates Symptoms Of Crohn’s Disease

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More and more, researchers are investigating the beneficial effects of marijuana on a variety of diseases. In Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology this week, researchers in Israel reported their findings from a study of how cannabis affects patients with Crohn’s disease.

Cannabis sativa has been reported to benefit inflammatory bowel diseases, the researchers wrote. The team wanted to see if it was possible to induce remission in Crohn’s patients through cannabis treatment…

… a short course (8 weeks) of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active CD, compared to placebo, without side effects,” the team wrote. “Further studies, with larger patient groups and a non-smoking mode of intake, are warranted.”

Read more: http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/15508/20130514/marijuana-thc-crohnsdisease-cannabis.htm

Marijuana May Smoke Out Crohn’s Disease Symptoms

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“Crohn’s Disease treatment in the form of medical marijuana may result in a complete remission of symptoms in some people. A new study researched the effects of marijuana on this chronic condition that affects the digestive tract.”

Medical marijuana products are displayed at a medical dispensary
 
“Symptoms of the bowel condition include persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps and pain. Crohn’s Disease can also cause severe vomiting, weight loss and arthritis. The feeling of low energy and fatigue is also common among people who suffer from Crohn’s Disease.
 
 Medical marijuana used as treatment has a significant effect on the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, according to a new study.
 

In the very first placebo-controlled trial, researchers found that medical marijuana can reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s disease or eliminate them all together. Results of the study were published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.”

Read more: http://www.itechpost.com/articles/9298/20130516/marijuana-smoke-out-crohns-disease-symptoms.htm

Marijuana may help patients with Crohn’s disease, study says

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“New research published earlier this month might have more patients with Crohn’s disease turning to medical marijuana for relief.”
 
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects around 500,000 people in North America.

 

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, an 8-week treatment regimen involving daily smoking of marijuana ‘cigarettes’ resulted in a reduction in overall disease severity in 10 of the 11 patients that were studied. 5 of these patients experienced complete remission of their disease.

 

The results were published online in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and authored by scientists at the Meir Medical Clinical in Israel. Israel has one of the most fastest growing medical marijuana programs in the world, with over 11,000 registered patients as of today — up from just 400 in 2009.

 

While the researchers say that their study was the first placebo-controlled trial — the “gold standard” when it comes to medical research — to investigate the effects of marijuana use on patients with Crohn’s disease, other studies have produced similar results.

 

Based on findings from both animal and human research, experts suggest that cannabis could play a role in the treatment of Crohn’s and other inflammatory bowel diseases by regulating intestinal hyperactivity, inflammation and pain.

 

Marijuana’s medical properties come directly from compounds known as cannabinoids, including the well-known tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) molecule. Interestingly, the cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant have been shown to mimic the activity of endocannabinoids – cannabinoids that are produced naturally by the human body.

 

Similarly, studies have identified a variety of digestive functions that can be modulated by cannabinoid activity, especially in inflammatory disease states.

 

Although the findings of the current study provide considerable support for the use of marijuana as a Crohn’s disease treatment, the authors call for more studies to “look into the role of cannabinoids in controlling inflammation and symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease.”

 

Indeed, larger studies may be able to provide stronger confirmation or perhaps refute the findings of the newest study, which failed to demonstrate complete remission of Crohn’s in the majority of the treatment group.

 

Still, the authors concluded their research by stating, “a short course of THC-rich cannabis produced significant clinical, steroid-free benefits to 11 patients with active Crohn’s disease, compared to placebo, without side effects.””

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/350495

Cannabidiol reduces cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers: Preliminary findings.

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“The role of the endocannabinoid system in nicotine addiction is being increasingly acknowledged. We conducted a pilot, randomised double blind placebo controlled study set out to assess the impact of the ad-hoc use of cannabidiol (CBD) in smokers who wished to stop smoking.

24 smokers were randomised to receive an inhaler of CBD (n=12) or placebo (n=12) for one week, they were instructed to use the inhaler when they felt the urge to smoke.

 Over the treatment week, placebo treated smokers showed no differences in number of cigarettes smoked.

In contrast, those treated with CBD significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by ~40% during treatment.

 Results also indicated some maintenance of this effect at follow-up.

 These preliminary data, combined with the strong preclinical rationale for use of this compound, suggest CBD to be a potential treatment for nicotine addiction that warrants further exploration.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23685330

Cannabis Compounds can Help Treat Obesity

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“Two cannabis compounds could be a new weapon in the fight against obesity, say researchers. Animal tests have shown these compounds can help treat type two diabetes while also lowering levels of cholesterol in the blood stream and fat in key organs like the liver.”

Cannabis Compounds can Help Treat Obesity

“Scientists also found the compounds also had an impact on the level of fat and its response to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels, the Telegraph reports.

THCV was also found to increase the animals’ sensitivity to insulin while also protecting the cells that produce insulin, allowing them to work better and for longer.

Steph Wright, director of research and development at GW Pharmaceuticals developing the drugs, said: “The results in animal models have been very encouraging. We are interested in how these drugs effect the fat distribution and utilisation in the body as a treatment for metabolic diseases…”

Mike Cawthorne, director of metabolic research at the University of Buckingham who has been conducting the animal studies, said: “Over all, it seems these molecules increase energy expenditure in the cells of the body by increasing the metabolism”.”
 
 

Smoking cannabis could reduce the risk of diabetes by controlling blood sugar

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“People who regularly smoke cannabis may have a lower risk of developing diabetes, new research suggests.”
 
Marijuana users had significantly lower levels of the hormone insulin - indicating better blood sugar control“Marijuana users had significantly lower levels of the hormone insulin – indicating better blood sugar control… could pave the way for the development of treatments using the plant’s compound active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Marijuana users had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than non-users.

They were also less likely to be insulin resistant and had smaller waists.

Previous research has found cannabis smokers are less likely to be obese.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2324743/Smoking-cannabis-reduce-risk-diabetes-controlling-blood-sugar.html