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| Marijuana Derivatives May Provide MS Treatment |
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Posted by CN Staff on December 07, 2005 at 15:42:13 PT By Reuters Source: Reuters 
New York -- Marijuana derivatives or "cannabinoids" taken for one year for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) may reduce muscle spasms and other aspects of disability, results of a UK study suggest.Dr. J. P. Zajicek, from Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth and colleagues previously reported that cannabinoids taken for 14 weeks appeared to improve mobility and patients' perception of their MS symptoms. In an extension study, 80 percent of subjects agreed to continue on the medication for up to 52 weeks. The results are reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The analysis included more than 500 patients who were randomly assigned to receive various cannabinoids or an inactive "placebo." Treatment with delta-9-THC, a synthetic cannabinoid, seemed to relieve muscle spasms. In addition, patients treated with this drug and other cannabinoids reported improvements in sleep and pain. Zajicek's group concludes that "there is now an urgent need to construct a long-term study in progressive MS to establish whether delta-9-THC has a role in long-term disease." Dr. J. Killestein and Dr. B. M. J. Uitdehaag, writing in a related editorial, agree with Zajicek's team about the need for more long-term trials. The editorialists, from VU Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, add that "these trials should also focus on different cannabinoid products." SOURCE: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, December 2005. Source: Reuters Health (Wire) CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #14 posted by FoM on December 10, 2005 at 10:35:19 PT |
| It's hard to enjoy the holidays when we know all the bad that is going on in the world but I at least we should try. We just got a really wonderful CD today by John Lennon and his Christmas song is playing now. That song is so beautiful. No matter what is happening we all can find something good to dwell on at least for a while. That is how I get my strength renewed. It's a good thing. Happy Holidays. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #13 posted by Toker00 on December 10, 2005 at 10:25:34 PT |
| Sorry, Hope. That was not a very cheerful post. It's the holidays, and I just want you and FoM to know that writing about what you are doing for the holidays makes me smile and glad to be a part of it. My wife and I both work hard but have found the time to decorate and have warm drinks and fun movies. Our hound dogs (dachshunds) seem to sense change in the atmosphere the holidays bring. I'm going to visit a nice, I'll say, older couple we made friends with in Arkansas. They need work done around their house for weatherizing and a few other things. The nicest people you could know. They were a regular customer of mine when I lived up there. I built up and repaired their property for years. It should be a good visit. Hope everyone has plenty of "Green" for the holidays. Runruff, a special salute for the holidays and beyond my brother. Herbdoc, so glad you're doing well. Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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| Comment #12 posted by Toker00 on December 10, 2005 at 09:13:19 PT |
| Exactly. What we need to learn to do is reward those who stand up instead of punish them. As a people, I think we would do that. But our government thinks the opposite. Their motto is WE THE ELITE. They pass laws to protect themselves from us at every turn. Since our government is a representative of Capitalistic Power and Elite, the Cruel Minority, we have no protection from them other than forcefully removing them from power. No easy job. Especially when vote count fraud runs rampant worldwide. But still, if we react with violence, we will be shown even greater violence. Don't think the U.S. Military Commanders don't have itchy fingers to do away with dissenters. The truth makes their job of falsely representing the People that much harder. Money rules their world, Truth rules ours. We are watching the collision of these two worlds. It ain't gonna be pretty. Let us pray that good science can come up with some miraculous answers. Our Leaders are da*n sure not. Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by FoM on December 09, 2005 at 20:34:13 PT |
| I think like you. We go thru life but one time. We have times of youth and times of being parents and a time for us as we get older. We change as we age and that is why I believe there aren't as many that speak out that are raising children. Fear and example are two reasons I believe. Kids don't want to disappoint their parents but parents also don't want to disappoint their children. It's hard for people with children at home to be an activist for a cause like ours. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young By Graham Nash You who are on the road Must have a code that you can live by And so become yourself Because the past is just a good bye. Lyrics: http://tinyurl.com/dw4tv [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by Hope on December 09, 2005 at 20:15:45 PT |
| You're right. Families, homes, and careers are everything to people, so they don't say anything, pay the fine and try to live it down. The choice between losing one or the other over standing up, makes it easy to choose. But children grow up and careers get retired from. That's why so many of us who do speak out against the injustice are older. No one in their right mind wants to lose their career over something like this and certainly no one wants to put themselves in danger of losing their child or children. People shouldn't be put in such a situation due to puritanical prohibitionist laws. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 09, 2005 at 09:25:25 PT |
| Roll Another Number For The Road is just a great song to me. I was in Neil Heaven when he ended the concert with Roll Another Number. I didn't came back down to earth for days! LOL! ROLL ANOTHER NUMBER (FOR THE ROAD) It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition, And the mornin' sun is yet to climb my hood ornament. But before too long I might see those flashing red lights Look out, mama, 'cause I'm comin' home tonight. *** Think I'll roll another number for the road, I feel able to get under any load. Though my feet aren't on the ground, I been standin' on the sound Of some open-hearted people goin' down. *** I'm not goin' back to Woodstock for a while, Though I long to hear that lonesome hippie smile. I'm a million miles away from that helicopter day No, I don't believe I'll be goin' back that way. *** Think I'll roll another number for the road, I feel able to get under any load. Though my feet aren't on the ground, I been standin' on the sound Of some open-hearted people goin' down. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on December 09, 2005 at 09:15:22 PT |
| That's true FoM. Sure can't fault Mr. Young for lack of activism. I used to perform a lot of his songs as a young man learning to play the guitar. Old Man was the first song I learned to do all the way through. Harvest, Heart of Gold, Needle and the damage done. He is a master at three cord rock and roll. Easy to learn his songs. Not that they don't get technically complicated, but his songs don't need a lot of "filler". Natural and easy. Neil, you da man. Rooooolllll...another Number...for the Road... Just for the passenger EJ, not the driver. : ) Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 09, 2005 at 07:44:21 PT |
| Maybe one of the reasons I like Neil Young so much is because he sings about marijuana in many of his songs. One song is called: Homegrown's All Right With Me *** Can't remember the title of this song but it's a good song. He got 7 years for selling what I've been smoking all my life. *** The two concerts that we saw Neil Young his last song was: Roll Another Number for The Road [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by Toker00 on December 09, 2005 at 03:46:18 PT |
| Yeah, Hope, I agree. That many influential people getting "embarrassed" by the cops should create a storm of protest. But you know what? These people make their living in an industry that can destroy them through blackballing. Being embarrassed like this is one thing. Having their names splashed all over the press defending an illegal activity takes too much courage. With the exception of a few great (but already rich and famous) celebrities like Harrelson, Etheridge, Williams, and not too many more, most will remain quiet, and their "embarrassing moment" will pass. Hey, I would love to see a parade (us poor folks would call it a rally) down Sunset Strip of all the "celebrities" who ACTUALLY are pro-pot, but choose to keep it in a closet out of FEAR. Imagine if all the people in the Nation suddenly spoke out in unison through E-mail, snail mail, phone calls, and street rallies against cannabis prohibition. But that would take more guts than Americans have at this time. Voting these prohibitionists out of office in '06 will help build more courage, though, I believe. Let's do that, K? Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by Hope on December 08, 2005 at 22:10:49 PT |
| "The call center averaged 600 calls a day from 50,000 phone numbers..." That's a lot of people. Do you suppose they're ready to stand up for themselves and others? Is that twenty five thousand or so new voices? Is that ten thousand new soldiers for the truth? I''ve heard of stuff like this before, large numbers of people implicated, including "prominent citizens and celebrities", and nothing really happened that said that anyone among the many people involved stood up against an unjust law. It should be interesting to see what they do and what happens this time. It seems odd that absolutely no one would speak out from such a large group of people. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by jared3602 on December 08, 2005 at 13:01:27 PT |
| One more delivery service down. This stinks our last mayor made it so we couldn't go to the park (undercover agents will stop and pat you down if you talk to someone while walkin in the park) and now that are hitting the big boys. Its bad enough that they took their main mode of transportation away. They used to travel by subway but now they search bags so that is out. This just might make prices go up. But I doubt it because I bet someone has allready taken this rings place. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 08, 2005 at 09:14:32 PT |
| That's good news. Thanks! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by siege on December 08, 2005 at 09:03:47 PT |
| Good news! Thanks in part to letters from you and other subscribers, Congress has cut $20 million from the White House drug czar's ad campaign. These ads have featured stoned teenagers driving over a little girl on a bicycle, one stoned teenager shooting another in his parents' den, another stoned teenager date-raping another, and a teenager who gets pregnant because she smoked marijuana. Another ad claimed that people who buy marijuana are funding terrorism. The Marijuana Policy Project has lobbied for years to eliminate all funding for these outrageous and deceptive ads. And, thanks to MPP's and allied organizations' steady pressure, Congress has cut the ad budget every year since 2002, from $180 million in 2002 to $100 million in 2006 — an overall cut of 44% over the span of five fiscal years. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on December 07, 2005 at 22:12:53 PT |
By Tom Hays, Associated Press Writer December 7, 2005 NEW YORK -- A sophisticated drug ring delivered high-grade marijuana to the doorsteps of thousands of regular customers _ including celebrities _ during the last six years in Manhattan and on Long Island, authorities said Wednesday. Since Nov. 17, federal and local agents have arrested 12 suspects on money laundering and drug conspiracy charges, including John Nebel, the alleged head of the organization known as the Cartoon Network. A call to Nebel's attorney was not immediately returned. Authorities said they suspect customers included the rich and famous but refused to give any names. Electronic surveillance intercepted one conversation in October in which a courier boasted to a possible recruit about the ring's clientele, court papers said. "We know comedians. We know celebrities," he said. "So you might meet a rapper, a singer. We go to a lot of people." Authorities estimate that between 1999 and this month, the ring made a fortune by distributing more than a ton of hydroponic marijuana grown in Canada. An indictment seeks forfeiture of $22 million in cash, homes, cars, motorcycles and a boat. Customers placed orders by calling a pager number. A roving call center, sometimes located in a hotel room, would then contact the customer, confirm his or her identity on a computerized database and take orders averaging between $100 and $500. The call center averaged 600 calls a day from 50,000 phone numbers, court papers said. The marijuana was packaged in plastic containers _ sometimes referred to as "jars of sauce" _ and delivered to the customers' doors by a team of couriers. Investigators said they have seized $837,000 worth of drugs and $685,000 in cash. During a raid on one stash house, agents found "more than 30 pounds of marijuana, in open and plain view, and already packaged for retail holiday delivery to Cartoon Network customers," court papers said. The packages featured the network's cartoon character logo and a warm greeting: "Happy Holidays From Your Friends at Cartoon!" Copyright: 2005 Newsday Inc. [ Post Comment ] |
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