The Health Effects of Cannabis - Informed Opinions

Enter any bar or public place and canvass opinions on cannabis and there will be a different opinion for each person canvassed. Some opinions will be well-informed from respectable sources while others will be just formed upon no basis at all. To be sure, research and conclusions based on the research is difficult given the long history of illegality. Nevertheless, there is a groundswell of opinion that cannabis is good and should be legalised. Many States in America and Australia have taken the path to legalise cannabis. Other countries are either following suit or considering options. So what is the position now? Is it good or not?

The National Academy of Sciences published a 487 page report this year (NAP Report) on the current state of evidence for the subject matter. Many government grants supported the work of the committee, an eminent collection of 16 professors. They were supported by 15 academic reviewers and some 700 relevant publications considered. Thus the report is seen as state of the art on medical as well as recreational use. This article draws heavily on this resource.
The term cannabis is used loosely here to represent cannabis and marijuana, the latter being sourced from a different part of the plant. More than 100 chemical compounds are found in cannabis, each potentially offering differing benefits or risk.
CLINICAL INDICATIONS
A person who is "stoned" on smoking cannabis might experience a euphoric state where time is irrelevant, music and colours take on a greater significance and the person might acquire the "nibblies", wanting to eat sweet and fatty foods. This is often associated with impaired motor skills and perception. When high blood concentrations are achieved, paranoid thoughts, hallucinations and panic attacks may characterize his "trip".

PURITY
In the vernacular, cannabis is often characterized as "good shit" and "bad shit", alluding to widespread contamination practice. The contaminants may come from soil quality (eg pesticides & heavy metals) or added subsequently. Sometimes particles of lead or tiny beads of glass augment the weight sold.

THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
A random selection of therapeutic effects appears here in context of their evidence status. Some of the effects will be shown as beneficial, while others carry risk. Some effects are barely distinguished from the placebos of the research.

• Cannabis in the treatment of epilepsy is inconclusive on account of insufficient evidence.
• Nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy can be ameliorated by oral cannabis.
• A reduction in the severity of pain in patients with chronic pain is a likely outcome for the use of cannabis.
• Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients was reported as improvements in symptoms.
• Increase in appetite and decrease in weight loss in HIV/ADS patients has been shown in limited evidence.
• According to limited evidence cannabis is ineffective in the treatment of glaucoma.
• On the basis of limited evidence, cannabis is effective in the treatment of Tourette syndrome.
• Post-traumatic disorder has been helped by cannabis in a single reported trial.
• Limited statistical evidence points to better outcomes for traumatic brain injury.
• There is insufficient evidence to claim that cannabis can help Parkinson's disease.
• Limited evidence dashed hopes that cannabis could help improve the symptoms of dementia sufferers.
• Limited statistical evidence can be found to support an association between smoking cannabis and heart attack.
• On the basis of limited evidence cannabis is ineffective to treat depression
• The evidence for reduced risk of metabolic issues (diabetes etc) is limited and statistical.
• Social anxiety disorders can be helped by cannabis, although the evidence is limited. Asthma and cannabis use is not well supported by the evidence either for or against.
• Post-traumatic disorder has been helped by cannabis in a single reported trial.
• A conclusion that cannabis can help schizophrenia sufferers cannot be supported or refuted on the basis of the limited nature of the evidence.
• There is moderate evidence that better short-term sleep outcomes for disturbed sleep individuals.
• Pregnancy and smoking cannabis are correlated with reduced birth weight of the infant.
• The evidence for stroke caused by cannabis use is limited and statistical.
• Addiction to cannabis and gateway issues are complex, taking into account many variables that are beyond the scope of this article. These issues are fully discussed in the NAP report.

CANCERThe NAP report highlights the following findings on the issue of cancer:

• The evidence suggests that smoking cannabis does not increase the risk for certain cancers (i.e., lung, head and neck) in adults.
• There is modest evidence that cannabis use is associated with one subtype of testicular cancer.
• There is minimal evidence that parental cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with greater cancer risk in offspring.

RESPIRATORY DISEASEThe NAP report highlights the following findings on the issue of respiratory diseases:

• Smoking cannabis on a regular basis is associated with chronic cough and phlegm production.
• Quitting cannabis smoking is likely to reduce chronic cough and phlegm production.
• It is unclear whether cannabis use is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, asthma, or worsened lung function.

IMMUNE SYSTEMThe NAP report highlights the following findings on the issue of the human immune system:

• There exists a paucity of data on the effects of cannabis or cannabinoid-based therapeutics on the human immune system.
• There is insufficient data to draw overarching conclusions concerning the effects of cannabis smoke or cannabinoids on immune competence.
• There is limited evidence to suggest that regular exposure to cannabis smoke may have anti-inflammatory activity.
• There is insufficient evidence to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis or cannabinoid use and adverse effects on immune status in individuals with HIV.

MORTALITYThe NAP report highlights the following findings on the issue of the increased risk of death or injury:

• Cannabis use prior to driving increases the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident.
• In states where cannabis use is legal, there is increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries among children.
• It is unclear whether and how cannabis use is associated with all-cause mortality or with occupational injury.

BRAIN FUNCTIONThe NAP report highlights the following findings on the issue of cognitive performance and mental health:

• Recent cannabis use impairs the performance in cognitive domains of learning, memory, and attention. Recent use may be defined as cannabis use within 24 hours of evaluation.
• A limited number of studies suggest that there are impairments in cognitive domains of learning, memory, and attention in individuals who have stopped smoking cannabis.
• Cannabis use during adolescence is related to impairments in subsequent academic achievement and education, employment and income, and social relationships and social roles.
• Cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk.
• In individuals with schizophrenia and other psychoses, a history of cannabis use may be linked to better performance on learning and memory tasks.
• Cannabis use does not appear to increase the likelihood of developing depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.
• For individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorders, near daily cannabis use may be linked to greater symptoms of bipolar disorder than for nonusers.
• Heavy cannabis users are more likely to report thoughts of suicide than are nonusers.
• Regular cannabis use is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.

It must be reasonably clear from the foregoing that cannabis is not the magic bullet for all health issues that some good-intentioned but ill-advised advocates of cannabis would have us believe. Yet the product offers much hope. Solid research can help to clarify the issues. The NAP report is a solid step in the right direction. Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to researching this amazing drug. In time the benefits and risks will be more fully understood. Confidence in the product will increase and many of the barriers, social and academic, will fall by the wayside.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr_Edward_Brell_PhD/752275

Medical Marijuana For ADHD

By Katherine Ellison

At the Peace in Medicine Healing Center in Sebastopol, the wares on display include dried marijuana - featuring brands like Kryptonite, Voodoo Daddy and Train Wreck - and medicinal cookies arrayed below a sign saying, "Keep Out of Reach of Your Mother."
Several Bay Area doctors who recommend medical marijuana for their patients said in recent interviews that their client base had expanded to include teenagers with psychiatric conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"It's not everybody's medicine, but for some, it can make a profound difference," said Valerie Corral, a founder of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, a patients' collective in Santa Cruz that has two dozen minors as registered clients.
Because California does not require doctors to report cases involving medical marijuana, no reliable data exist for how many minors have been authorized to receive it. But Dr. Jean Talleyrand, who founded MediCann, a network in Oakland of 20 clinics who authorize patients to use the drug, said his staff members had treated as many as 50 patients ages 14 to 18 who had A.D.H.D. Bay Area doctors have been at the forefront of the fierce debate about medical marijuana, winning tolerance for people with grave illnesses like terminal cancer and AIDS. Yet as these doctors use their discretion more liberally, such support - even here - may be harder to muster, especially when it comes to using marijuana to treat adolescents with A.D.H.D.
"How many ways can one say 'one of the worst ideas of all time?' " asked Stephen Hinshaw, the chairman of the psychology department at the University of California, Berkeley. He cited studies showing that tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, disrupts attention, memory and concentration - functions already compromised in people with the attention-deficit disorder.
Advocates are just as adamant, though they are in a distinct minority. "It's safer than aspirin," Dr. Talleyrand said. He and other marijuana advocates maintain that it is also safer than methylphenidate (Ritalin), the stimulant prescription drug most often used to treat A.D.H.D. That drug has documented potential side effects including insomnia, depression, facial tics and stunted growth.
In 1996, voters approved a ballot proposition making California the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Twelve other states have followed suit - allowing cannabis for several specified, serious conditions including cancer and AIDS - but only California adds the grab-bag phrase "for any other illness for which marijuana provides relief."
This has left those doctors willing to "recommend" cannabis - in the Alice-in-Wonderland world of medical marijuana, they cannot legally prescribe it - with leeway that some use to a daring degree. "You can get it for a backache," said Keith Stroup, the founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Nonetheless, expanding its use among young people is controversial even among doctors who authorize medical marijuana.
Gene Schoenfeld, a doctor in Sausalito, said, "I wouldn't do it for anyone under 21, unless they have a life-threatening problem such as cancer or AIDS."
Dr. Schoenfeld added, "It's detrimental to adolescents who chronically use it, and if it's being used medically, that implies chronic use."
Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said she was particularly worried about the risk of dependency - a risk she said was already high among adolescents and people with attention-deficit disorder.
Counterintuitive as it may seem, however, patients and doctors have been reporting that marijuana helps alleviate some of the symptoms, particularly the anxiety and anger that so often accompany A.D.H.D. The disorder has been diagnosed in more than 4.5 million children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers have linked the use of marijuana by adolescents to increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia for people genetically predisposed to those illnesses. However, one 2008 report in the journal Schizophrenia Research suggested that the incidence of mental health problems among adolescents with the disorder who used marijuana was lower than that of nonusers.
Marijuana is "a godsend" for some people with A.D.H.D., said Dr. Edward M. Hallowell, a psychiatrist who has written several books on the disorder. However, Dr. Hallowell said he discourages his patients from using it, both because it is - mostly - illegal, and because his observations show that "it can lead to a syndrome in which all the person wants to do all day is get stoned, and they do nothing else."
Until the age of 18, patients requesting medical marijuana must be accompanied to the doctor's appointment and to the dispensaries by a parent or authorized caregiver. Some doctors interviewed said they suspected that in at least some cases, parents were accompanying their children primarily with the hope that medical authorization would allow the adolescents to avoid buying drugs on the street.
A recent University of Michigan study found that more than 40 percent of high school students had tried marijuana.
"I don't have a problem with that, as long as we can have our medical conversation," Dr. Talleyrand said, adding that patients must have medical records to be seen by his doctors.
The Medical Board of California began investigating Dr. Talleyrand in the spring, said a board spokeswoman, Candis Cohen, after a KGO-TV report detailed questionable practices at MediCann clinics, which, the report said, had grossed at least $10 million in five years.
Dr. Talleyrand and his staff members are not alone in being willing to recommend marijuana for minors. In Berkeley, Dr. Frank Lucido said he was questioned by the medical board but ultimately not disciplined after he authorized marijuana for a 16-year-old boy with A.D.H.D. who had tried Ritalin unsuccessfully and was racking up a record of minor arrests.
Within a year of the new treatment, he said, the boy was getting better grades and was even elected president of his special-education class. "He was telling his mother: 'My brain works. I can think,' " Dr. Lucido said.
"With any medication, you weigh the benefits against the risks," he added.
Even so, MediCann patients who receive the authorization must sign a form listing possible downsides of marijuana use, including "mental slowness," memory problems, nervousness, confusion, "increased talkativeness," rapid heartbeat, difficulty in completing complex tasks and hunger. "Some patients can become dependent on marijuana," the form also warns.
The White House's recent signals of more federal tolerance for state medical marijuana laws - which pointedly excluded sales to minors - reignited the debate over medical marijuana.
Some advocates, like Dr. Lester Grinspoon, an associate professor emeritus of psychiatry at Harvard University, suggest that medical marijuana's stigma has less to do with questions of clinical efficacy and more to do with its association, in popular culture, with illicit pleasure and addiction.
Others, like Alberto Torrico of Fremont, the majority leader of the California Assembly, argue for more oversight in general. "The marijuana is a lot more powerful these days than when we were growing up, and too much is being dispensed for nonmedical reasons," he said in an interview last week, bluntly adding, "Any children being given medical marijuana is unacceptable."
As advocates of increased acceptance try to win support, they may find their serious arguments compromised by the dispensaries' playful atmosphere.
OrganiCann, a dispensary in Santa Rosa, has a Web site advertisement listing the "medible of the week" - butterscotch rock candy - invitingly photographed in a gift box with a ribbon. OrganiCann also offers a 10 percent discount, every Friday, for customers with a valid student ID.

Katherine Ellison is a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter and author, most recently, of "Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention," to be published by Hyperion this fall. http://www.katherineellison.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katherine_Ellison

Medical Properties Of Medical Marijuana

The chemical components of Medical Marijuana, referred to as cannabinoids, play a major role in the realm of medicine known as CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). Medical Marijuana, also know as Medical Cannabis, has been employed for a wide array of medicinal uses for many centuries for its pharmacological effects on the CNS (Central Nervous System) and the immune system. Its anticancer properties and its ability to help the body cope with the side-effects of cancer as well as the treatment process through the activation of specific receptors throughout the body were discovered quite recently.
The non-psychtropic and modifying cannabinoid that has a number of different medical properties called Cannabidiol comprises 75% of the total cannabinoids content in a few rare strains of cannabis. This modifying cannabinoid called Cannabinol has low psychoactive properties. It is known to reduce the psychoactive effects of THC by degenerating it. Its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic, and antioxidant properties are well-known.
The cannabinoid, Cannabigerol that is found in Cannabis, particularly its medical marijuana and hemp varieties is the precursor form of other cannabinoids like THC and CBD. It is a bone stimulant with antibacterial and anti-proliferative properties.
Tetrahydrocannabivarin is found in cannabis along with THC. This psychoactive cannabinoid has numerous medical benefits in THC, which include decreased appetite and as the dosage gets larger, it is known to oppose the medicinal properties of THC. There are a number of THCV-based pharmaceuticals that are currently undergoing human trials to address the problems of obesity and Type II diabetes.
Akin to Tetrahydrocannabivarin is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, Cannabichromene that is usually found in cannabis and it also known to have a few medical properties. It is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, antimicrobial, analgesic properties, also stimulates the growth of bones and constricts blood vessels.
One of the principal psychoactive cannabinoid compounds found in marijuana is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC that occurs naturally as THC-A, its acidic form and is not absorbed readily by the body in its naturally occurring state. When heated, THC-A undergoes decarboxylation to a readily absorbable from that has a number of different medical benefits.
Both Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol have anxiolytic, antispasmodic, anti-proliferative anticancer, anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, antiemetic, and neuropathic analgesic properties. In addition, Cannabidiol is also a bone-stimulant and immunosuppressant with antibacterial, antipsychotic, antiepileptic, anti-ischemic, anti diabetic, anti psoriatic, and vasorelaxation properties while the antioxidant Tetrahydrocannabinol stimulates appetite, reduces the intraocular eye pressure, promotes the growth of new nerve tissue, also protects nerves from damage.



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Clinical Proof Supports Users Claims That THC Kills Cancer

In 1974, researchers at the Medical College of Virginia were given funding by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the immune system. Working on the assumption that they would find evidence to support the NIH's contention that THC damaged the immune system, the researchers discovered instead that the compound was shrinking tumors in the mice they were using for their tests. This was the first known study that showed that THC was possibly the cancer breakthrough the world was looking for.
The Virginia study was abruptly cut short by the FDA and the results of were suppressed. It wasn't until 1998 that a research group led by Dr. Manuel Guzman at Complutense University, Spain discovered the same thing. This time, they were able to complete their study and publish their results. The study concluded that THC shrank tumors through an anti-angiogenesis action. Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood vessels. Cancer cells require a blood supply in order to grow and spread. THC prevented the growth of blood vessels and thus destroyed the tumors.
In addition, they discovered that THC worked directly on the cancer by modulating key signal pathways and inducing cell death. For reasons that are still obscure, cancer cells grow into tumors because they are "programmed" for immortality. Unlike normal, healthy cells, they do not receive signals to die after they have divided and replicated. THC somehow repaired that deficit and induced cell death. As a result, the tumors shrank.
A later study, headed by Maria Salazar, also of Complutense University, came to the same conclusions. This study emphasized the ability of THC to induce autophagy. The literal translation of autophagy is "self eat." In the biological sciences, it refers to a phenomenon whereby cells digest themselves and die. Cancer researchers have been studying autophagy for decades, because this is how normal cells die, but cancer cells are not programmed to go through this process. Instead, they continue to divide and live. This is why cancer ultimately spreads so quickly: the tumor grows exponentially as cells divide.
There have been other clinical studies as well. In every case, THC is proven to be an effective treatment for cancer. If it weren't for the taboo against the psychoactive effects of cannabis, it is likely that it would already be in widespread use as a cure for cancer. Even though decades of research have debunked the theory that cannabis, when used medicinally, leads to addiction, criminal behavior or mental illness, the authorities continue to dig in their heels and it remains a Schedule 1 restricted substance.
There are signs of change, though. Increasing numbers of clinical studies are being undertaken and medical marijuana is being legally used in many U.S. states as a palliative. The more that people use it therapeutically, the more they discover about its remarkable value as a medicine. Perhaps the scales are about to tip and cancer sufferers will have access to the one proven cure for cancer without having to resort to breaking the law. There is a natural treatment for cancer. Come see for yourself.



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Conspiracy Or Not, The Banning of Medical THC is Killing Millions

The United States government launched a highly successful anti-marijuana campaign back in the 1930's that led to the end of the hemp industry and the outlawing of medical marijuana. Since then, people opposed to the prohibition have asked why they did it. Most point their fingers at Big Business, particularly the pharmaceutical industry and other industries that were threatened by the hemp paper and textile industries. Others dismiss these critics as wild "conspiracy nuts." The fact is, it doesn't really matter why THC is illegal. What matters is the fact that millions of people needlessly suffer and die every year because they cannot make use of the safest and most effective proven cure for cancer the world has ever known: THC.
The Paper Industry Conspiracy Theory
Back in 1930, the U.S. government formed the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). The FBN instigated America's first "War on Drugs." Between 1930 and 1934, the bureau, under Harry Anslinger's leadership, focused its efforts on opiates. Then, for inexplicable reasons, it targeted marijuana, a substance the American public knew best as a medicinal herb and had no previous history of widespread abuse or addiction.
Helped by funding by business giants William Randolph Hearst and the Dupont Chemical Corporation, the FBN launched a major anti-marijuana propaganda campaign. The Hearst newspaper group printed lurid stories about hideous crimes that were being committed by crazed marijuana addicts. Suddenly, a previously disinterested public was in a panic over the evils of marijuana. The success of this campaign led to the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and hemp was no longer a threat to Hearst's pulp mills or Dupont's patented chemicals that are vital in the manufacture of paper from trees.
The Pharmaceutical Industry Conspiracy Theory
The case against "Big Pharma" is so exhaustive one cannot encapsulate it in a few words. The enshrining of synthetic drugs as mankind's only hope for medical salvation goes back to the Flexner Report of 1908, when the report's author, Abraham Flexner, advocated stricter criteria for entry into medical schools. While an argument can be put forward that this was a sincere attempt to improve medical training, Flexner was openly contemptuous of practitioners of plant based "folk medicine" and after his recommendations were accepted, all colleges and universities that taught traditional medicine were either closed or dropped it from their curriculum. By 1935, the number of medical schools in the United States was half what it was at the turn of the century. Today, all of the remaining schools depend on the pharmaceutical industry for their funding. As a result, the only kind of medicine a physician learns today is medicine that benefits the pharmaceutical industry and it is illegal for a physician to administer or even recommend alternative, plant based treatments for any disorder.
It would be nice to think that everyone in the medical establishment was working together for the public good, but the evidence overwhelmingly shows that our welfare is the least of their concerns. One glaring example of this is the 1974 study conducted by researchers at the Medical College of Virginia. When they discovered that THC was shrinking tumors in their laboratory mice, the FDA responded by shutting down their National Institute of Health funded program and suppressing the release of the clinical data. The NIH, in turn, responded by cutting off their funding, because they failed in their mission to find evidence that THC damaged the immune system.
The news that naturally extracted THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, cured cancer was so disturbing that President Nixon signed a law in 1976 prohibiting any researchers outside of the pharmaceutical industry from studying the medical benefits of cannabis. In the thirty years since then, these companies have concentrated their efforts on finding ways to make a synthetic THC that does not produce a "high" while they continue to market expensive and deadly chemical treatments for cancer.
The Theory of Evolution was not entirely Charles Darwin's discovery. Other scientists had been discussing it for centuries behind closed doors because they risked persecution if they publicly put forward their theories. Darwin just happened to come along at a time in history when the power of the church was on the wane. Today, those who have discovered that THC, a natural cancer treatment, is the world's safest and most effective treatment for cancer and its only known cure are fighting the same kinds of medieval prejudices evolutionary scientists faced in earlier centuries. Hopefully, one day we will all be laughing at the ignorance of the High Priests of medicine who have been working so hard to keep the truth from us for so long. In the meantime, though, over 1500 people in the United States continue to die from cancer each and every day.



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Marijuana and Cancer - Governmental Arrogance Buries Viable Cancer Therapies

It seems that nearly everyone in government fancies himself superior to the rest of us in knowledge and judgment. There is no telling how much beneficial, not to mention vital, research and knowledge have been lost as a result of the arrogant whims of the few who consider themselves the elite among us, simply on the basis of having engineered themselves into a position of power. A depressing example of this arrogance is reflected in the fiasco surrounding research into the medical benefits of marijuana.
Way back in 1974, the National Institute of Health funded research at Medical College of Virginia. Their mission was to prove the contention that marijuana damages the immune system. In funding this research, the NIH was destined to be roundly disappointed - they effectively shot themselves in the foot. Rather than receiving confirmation and supporting evidence of their contention, the NIH people were annoyed to learn that the MCV researchers found instead, that THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, undeniably slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice.
Since this failed miserably in bolstering the government's case against marijuana, in their view the most noxious of all weeds, and in fact proved just the opposite, the DEA came charging into the fray, banners flying, trumpets blaring. They shut down the Virginia study along with all other cannabis tumor research.
Not to be outdone in the public assault on a useful albeit often misused plant and substance, President Gerald Ford got on the bandwagon in 1976, and put an end to all cannabis research while simultaneously granting that right exclusively to the maniacally delighted pharmaceutical industry.
Then again, in 1983, in accommodation to intense lobbying and reception of massive campaign contributions, the Reagan/Bush administration tried hard to persuade American Universities and researchers to destroy all of the 1966-76 cannabis research work, including compendiums in libraries. They were partially successful. Large amounts of information have disappeared.
But all this negative effort is like trying to hold back the dawn. The facts keep cropping up in spite of the best efforts of vested interests to bury them. In February of 2000, another confirmation of marijuana's cancer fighting abilities came out of Madrid. Researchers there had destroyed incurable brain cancer tumors in rats by injecting them with THC. This confirmed the earlier Virginia study.
The news of this discovery has been virtually non-existent in the United States. The New York Times ignored the story. So did the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. These papers receive major advertising revenues from the pharmaceutical industry, which by the way, employs two lobbyists for each and every member of congress.
As public pressure to allow the use of medicinal marijuana continues to build, more and more politicians are being induced to taking a closer look at the facts. Its strong support by patients and medical professionals is beginning to be felt. More and more states are adopting compassionate laws toward medicinal marijuana as many patients clamor for the substance to relieve the symptoms and side effects of chemo.
The nausea, vomiting, pain, and insomnia that are typically a consequence of conventional cancer therapy, cripple a patient's quality of life. Marijuana, smoked, vaporized, infused in teas, or baked in foods, can dramatically restore a patient's place in the world. Noting this has induced the entire oncology community to endorse its use.
The pharmaceutical companies, hard pressed to compete against this tidal wave of sentiment, have isolated the active compound in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrolcanabinol, THC, and made a synthetic version of it available by prescription. But it doesn't work nearly as well as plain old marijuana, it doesn't work at all on some people, it takes from 45 minutes to 2 hours to take effect when it does work, and it will set a patient back about $ 800.00 a month. Not really a good alternative.
Medicinal marijuana is not without its own side effects. Anxiety, drowsiness, dry mouth, slow reaction times, and loss of short term memory are among them. Patients using this substance for medicinal purposes will experience varying side effects. Everyone reacts differently to its use and it is very important to buy marijuana from an authorized source. Other drugs or harmful substances are often added by unscrupulous criminal dealers.
Doctors treating cancer patients are in critical need to be kept informed of all drugs taken by their patients, including marijuana, over-the-counter, prescription, or homeopathic remedies. It's very important to keep in mind that marijuana, at this point, is not a form of treatment and is not curative. It is used only to treat cancer symptoms like pain, and to relieve the side effects of treatment.
Fourteen states have legalized the use of medicinal marijuana. They are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Each state has its own rules and regulations regarding its use and these need to be complied with. Most states require registration with supporting documentation and certification by a physician. This should by no means be construed as an endorsement for the indiscriminate use of marijuana. The substance has some very serious negative side effects and needs to be treated like any other drug. If you don't need it, stay away from it.



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Proven Facts on the Benefits of Marijuana For Arthritis Patients

Proven Facts on the Benefits of Marijuana for Arthritis Patients
Any number of marijuana users, whether medicinal or recreational, will tell you that "Mary J" is great for relaxation. In fact, you would probably receive a list of problems the drug has helped relieve or alleviate all together.
As an arthritis patient looking for alternatives to synthesized medicines, unable to use traditional medications or physically unreceptive to traditional medication, you may be skeptical. You may be disbelieving. You may, in fact, consider marijuana users to be a little lacking in the intelligence quotient, merely trying to make their drug use acceptable.
However, as the title of this article indicates, there is scientifically proven evidence that medicinal marijuana can, indeed, provide relief from arthritic pain.
What is Medicinal Marijuana?
First, it must be noted that there are two major differences between medicinal marijuana and commercial or "street" marijuana.
1. Commercial marijuana can come from any number of cannabis strains. Different strains have varying pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, etc. potencies. The potency of commercial marijuana can't be guaranteed. Medicinal marijuana strains, on the other hand, are chosen for specifically for their potency and effects.
2. Some commercial marijuana has been fertilized with unsafe fertilizers. These fertilizers may contain metal derivatives and other toxic substances or by-products. Medicinal marijuana is fertilized carefully, with the health of the patient in mind, with nontoxic fertilizers.
It is not recommended that one buy commercial marijuana (or marihuana) to replace a prescription for medicinal marijuana.
Proven Benefits of Marijuana for Arthritis Patients
Although the legal aspects in many countries, funding and other issues inhibit the number of studies on the therapeutic aspects of marijuana, there is still a surprising amounts of information available. The facts so far are clear:
- Marijuana has shown to be an anti-inflammatory

- The potential for cannabis use to help inflammation and muscle spasms have been proven for several illnesses

- Marijuana has been used as a pain treatment for hundreds of years, if not thousands (some records date back to B.C.)

- Studies suggest that marijuana may not only help inflammation, but may lower the actual growth of the disease itself
Dr. Tom Mikuriya, a member of Mensa and several well-known organizations studying medicinal marijuana, wrote in 2002:
"Clinical interviews of over 6500 members at cannabis buyers clubs and patients in my office practice lead to this generalization: Many illnesses or conditions present with both inflammation and muscle spasm. Cannabis is both an antispasmodic and anti inflammatory."
Well known and respected as an authority on the therapeutic uses of marijuana, Dr Mikuriya also states "Chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis and lumbosacral disease responds well to cannabis compared with other analgesics."
In 2005, Rheumatology Advance Access online published a study by Dr. Blake et al of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath. Noted as "the first controlled trial of a CBM [cannabis based medicine] in the symptomatic treatment of RA in humans", the study was based on several facts:
- Marijuana has historically been used as a pain treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, although its therapeutic potential has never been evaluated in a clinical study.
- THC and CBD, the two main components of marijuana, have been recognized as "key therapeutic constituents that act synergistically together and with other plant constituents."
- THC has shown pain relieving abilities for both nociceptive and neropathic pain.
- CBD has shown the ability to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, while both THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory effects.
"In comparison with placebo, the CBM produced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, DAS28 and the SF-MPQ pain at present component. There was no effect on morning stiffness but baseline scores were low. The large majority of adverse effects were mild or moderate, and there were no adverse effect-related withdrawals or serious adverse effects in the active treatment group."
Due to the surprising responses, the researchers ended the study with a call for more studies. "We believe this to be the first controlled study of a CBM in rheumatoid arthritis, and the results are encouraging. The beneficial effects occurred in the context of a dosing regime restricted to evening dosing in order to minimize any possible intoxication-type reactions. However, 24-h dosing with this CBM (Sativex) using a self-titration regime in the context of multiple sclerosis resulted in only minimal intoxication scores [9]. Larger, more prolonged studies of CBM in rheumatoid arthritis are indicated."
In 2006, the Center of Drug Discovery in Boston, Massachusetts published a study entitled The Cannabinergic System as a Target for Anti-inflammatory Therapies. With habitual cannabis use proven to affect the immune system, endocannabinoid research has helped to understand the effects through cell-based or in vivo animal testing.
According to the study, these tests "suggest that regulation of the endocannabinoid circuitry can impact almost every major function associated with the immune system.... the results suggest therapeutic opportunities for a variety of inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, allergic asthma, and autoimmune diabetes through modulation of the endocannabinoid system."
Although many a naysayer mentions the potentials for overdose, it must be noted that there has never been one documented case of someone overdosing on marijuana, whether through recreational or medicinal use. As well, many are concerned about cancer-causing agents through inhaling the smoke, but a comprehensive study in 2006 could show no proof of marijuana causing lung cancer.
Finally, remember that medical marijuana should not be smoked. Using it in baking or with a vaporizer will offer the therapeutic benefits needed to alleviate arthritis symptoms.



About The Author: Health Canada grants access to marijuana for medical use to those who are suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses and those with chronic conditions. Medicinal-Marijuana.ca helps connect qualified patients with designated growers across Canada, providing information, support and resources to all Canadians who would like to access the medical marijuana program of Canada. Visit online today.

A List Of The Many Benefits Of Medical Cannabis

Listing the medicinal benefits of marijuana is like wanting to list all stars within the sky. With the assist of technologies, the medical attributes of marijuana are increasingly getting incorporated into the fabric of societies everywhere. It has been applied as a holistically successful medication on every continent by different kinds of individuals for a large number of years. Illegal or not, a lot of people has attributed to its healing effects on several illnesses. Legal marijuana use is on the rise and for excellent reason.

A single in the primary benefits which are linked with medicinal marijuana will be the relief of neuropathic and chronic discomfort. In a study conducted in HIV patients with neuropathic pain showed that 46 percent of patients who were administered with it knowledgeable 30 percent discomfort reduction. On the other hand, only 18 percent of those administered with placebo got comparable outcomes. Marijuana use also increases the appetite. It stimulates the metabolism from the body and may result in the user an knowledge of appetite enhance. For those patients who experience decreased appetite as a result of a particular disease, marijuana could aid in appetite stimulation. It might signal a craving for food within the body with the patient and encourages one particular to eat so that you can supply energy for the body.

Yet another benefit of marijuana is that it decreases nausea. Most patients experience nausea and vomiting due to specific illnesses or therapies, like chemotherapy. The THC, an active marijuana ingredient could lower the nausea and vomiting symptoms in cancer patients. Controlling nausea improves the top quality of life of a patient and could make them additional receptive towards the treatment. Furthermore, marijuana is also good for muscle relaxation. Inhalation with the smoke relaxes the body muscles. Patients who experience muscle twitching or tightness normally have a hard time completing normal each day chores. These patients could benefit from the use of medicinal marijuana given that it may aid cut down the signs and symptoms of muscular pains or aches. This therapy could increase the potential of a patient to move commonly and promotes a positive superior of life.

In all probability a single with the benefits of marijuana is that it can be an herb, grown from the earth and is not some thing which is refined or processed or enhanced chemically. Moreover, it does not have lots of complicated to pronounce ingredients that are designed to manipulate the signs and symptoms of illnesses. It's a all-natural medicine with out the liver-damaging unwanted side effects of prescription drugs. Marijuana has no permanent damage even on long-term use and most patients opt not to smoke it. It may be employed in butters, baked goods, and also other all-natural indicates that makes it the easiest medicine to swallow.

The Advantages Of Medical Marijuana

Listing the medicinal benefits of marijuana is much like attempting to list all stars inside the sky. With the aid of technology, the medical characteristics of marijuana are progressively being integrated into the material of communities everywhere. It's been used like a naturally productive medication on each region by a number of types of people for a lot of years. Illegal or otherwise, many individuals has credited to the healing effects on numerous ailments. Legal marijuana use is rising and permanently purpose.

One in the primary rewards which are associated with medicinal marijuana might be the relief of neuropathic and chronic discomfort. In the study carried out in Aids patients with neuropathic discomfort demonstrated that 46 percent of patients who was simply given by using it experienced 30 % discomfort reduction. However, only 18 percent of individuals given with placebo got comparable results. Marijuana use also boosts the appetite. It encourages the metabolic process from the physique and can result in the consumer an understanding of appetite improve. For those individuals patients who experience decreased appetite because of a particular disease, marijuana may help in appetite stimulation. It could signal a food craving within the body within the patient and encourages someone to consume to ensure that you are able to give energy towards the physique.

Yet another advantage of marijuana is always that it decreases nausea. Most sufferers expertise vomiting and nausea due to certain ailments or remedies, like chemotherapy. The THC, an energetic marijuana component could lessen the vomiting and nausea signs and signs and symptoms in cancer patients. Controlling nausea enhances the very best quality of existence of the patient and may make sure they are extra receptive towards the remedy. Additionally, marijuana can also be fantastic for muscle relaxation. Inhalation within the smoke relaxes your body muscles. Patients who understanding muscle twitching or rigidity frequently possess a difficult time finishing normal day-to-day chores. These patients may need using medicinal marijuana since it may help reduce the signs and signs and symptoms of muscular pains or aches. This therapy could enhance the capacity of the patient to maneuver ordinarily and encourages an optimistic superior of existence.

In most probability just one with the benefits of marijuana is it truly is definitely an plant, grown in the earth and isn't some factor that's certainly refined or processed or enhanced chemically. In addition, it does not have plenty of hard to pronounce components which are produced to control the signs and symptoms of ailments. It is a all-natural medicine without getting the liver-harmful undesirable results of prescription medications. Marijuana doesn't have permanent damage even on lengthy-term use and many patients opt to not smoke it. It may be utilized in butters, baked goods, along with other all-natural implies that can make it the simplest medicine to swallow.

Alternative Medicine As an Effective Migraine Treatment

A migraine is really a chronic headache that is mainly triggered through the spasm and thinning of microscopic bloodstream ships which carries bloodstream towards the brain. The headache is severe and debilitating and may occur from annually or as frequently as four occasions per week. It's indicated by nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, aura but first and foremost with a throbbing discomfort on either sides from the mind. Several factors happen to be recognized as triggers for any migraine attack for example stress, anger, caffeine, nicotine and hormonal discrepancy.

Medicinal marijuana has lengthy been shown to be very effective treatments for migraines. Its primary component, THC, is better noted for its analgesic and neuroprotective effects that may give relief towards the discomfort caused with a migraine attack. Due to marijuana's good reputation for illegality, it is not marketed as a good migraine treatment alternative. People are also apprehensive in making use of medicinal marijuana due to the wrong impression that smoking is the only method of utilizing it. You will find however other delivery techniques you can use for example vaporization, food items that is made by infusing food with cannabis, or through tinctures taken sublingually (underneath the tongue).

Another factor that attempts people by using medicinal marijuana is that they believe that obtaining a medicinal marijuana card is complicated and costly. That's in which the many Colorado medicinal marijuana shops can help you. They are able to provide patients with assistance within the entire medicinal marijuana card application. Colorado marijuana shops have over time sprouted all around the city regardless of the slump in economy. So large the medical cannabis industry is becoming that several measures along with a moratorium happen to be passed to curb and control Colorado medical cannabis shops.

Medical cannabis being made legal ought to be a welcome development to migraine sufferers who avoid taking their prescription medications due to the unwanted effects the drugs have. The most typical of those unwanted effects are fatigue, drowsiness, racing heartbeat, nausea, difficulty in thinking and numbness. Pain relievers which dull the throbbing discomfort of the migraine could cause long-term dependence on it. It's unlucky that patients aren't made conscious of these dangerous results of prescription medications and you will find no alternative remedies given to them.

Not just has migraine patients found relief for that discomfort that's sign of the problem, additionally they learned that advantages of medical cannabis like enhanced sleep and reduced stress can prevent its onset and therefore reduce instances of migraine. The standard of existence of migraine patients that prescription medications can deny them is viewed to possess been enhanced rather by medicinal marijuana.