cannabisnews.com: Research Leaves No Cloud In Medical Pot Debate










  Research Leaves No Cloud In Medical Pot Debate

Posted by CN Staff on October 18, 2007 at 21:05:01 PT
By Paul Armentano 
Source: Hawaii Reporter  

USA -- As the author of the recent publication, “Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review of the Scientific Literature,” I take umbrage with those politicians and law enforcement officials who argue, "Smoked marijuana is not medicine." This allegation -- most recently asserted on the DEA's new website - http://www.JustThinkTwice.com -- is false, plain and simple.
While writing the abovementioned booklet, I reviewed over 150 clinical and preclinical studies assessing the therapeutic value of cannabis and its active compounds to treat symptoms -- and in some cases moderate disease progression -- in a variety of illness, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, diabetes, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Nearly all of the studies cited in my work were published within the past six years.Additional scientific studies are being published in peer-reviewed journals everyday. For example, a recent review by investigators at the National Institutes of Health (“The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy,” Pharmacology Today) reported that compounds in pot “hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions,” including movement disorders, mental disorders, and cardiovascular disorders.This February, investigators at San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California’s Pain Clinical Research Center assessed the efficacy of inhaled cannabis as a treatment for HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. (Neuropathic pain – colloquially known as ‘nerve pain’ – affects an estimated one percent of the world’s population and is typically unresponsive to both opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.) Writing in the journal Neurology, researchers reported that patients who smoked low-grade cannabis three times daily experienced, on average, a 34 percent reduction in pain.Investigators at Columbia University in New York published clinical trial data in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes this summer that concluded, “Smoked marijuana ... has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive [patients] by increasing food intake and improving mood and objective and subjective sleep measures.” Researchers in the study compared the efficacy of inhaled cannabis to the Marinol -- a synthetic THC pill lauded by the DEA and many critics of medical marijuana -- but reported that the prescription pill was far less effective. In fact, patients in the study required eight times the daily recommended dose of Marinol to achieve the same therapeutic benefits provided by just a few puffs of weed, researchers reported.Finally, last month an investigative team from Trinity College in Ireland proclaimed in the British Journal of Pharamcology that pot-based therapies may offer greater hopes for staving off Alzheimer’s disease than do existing pharmaceutical therapies (“Alzheimer’s disease: taking the edge off with cannabinoids?”). Researchers wrote, “Cannabinoids offer a multi-faceted approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by providing neuroprotection and reducing neuroinflammation, whilst simultaneously supporting the brain's intrinsic repair mechanisms by augmenting neurotrophin expression and enhancing neurogenesis (the formation of new brain cells).” Can the Drug Enforcement Administration please name another plant with the power to achieve all this?Finally, unlike most politicians and law enforcement officials, I frequently interact with medical marijuana patients. Many of them write to me daily, as do their physicians. Often they tell me stories like this:"I was recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor inside the left the temporal lobe of my brain. I had surgery, and I've just started chemotherapy and radiation. The surgeon actually apologized for the fact that he could not write me a prescription for marijuana, but he told me it was safe to smoke. My prescriptions make me very dizzy and nauseous and I have ever-present headaches that top any of the worst hangover headaches anyone could possibly have. My brain is still so badly swollen. The swelling has actually gotten worse and is exacerbated by the radiation. Marijuana is saving my life right now; it has helped to kill my seizures, nausea, dizziness, and calm my headaches. If marijuana can help me with all my other problems in addition to possibly reducing the size of my tumor and extending my life, then why on earth would our government not allow me to have it?"Why indeed? Perhaps it's time for the DEA to "just think twice."Paul Armentano is the senior policy analyst for NORML and the NORML Foundation in Washington, DC. He is the author of “Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review of the Scientific Literature” (2007, NORML Foundation), which may be accessed online at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002 He may be contacted via e-mail at mailto:paul norml.org Source: Hawaii Reporter (HI)Author: Paul ArmentanoPublished: October 18, 2007Copyright: 2007 Hawaii Reporter, Inc.Contact: Malia HawaiiReporter.com Website: http://www.hawaiireporter.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help





Comment #39 posted by whig on October 20, 2007 at 11:43:59 PT
Hope
Yes, I'm using a Macbook. I think sometimes when I click the touchpad my finger moves too quick and it double-clicks somehow.
[ Post Comment ]

 


Comment #38 posted by Hope on October 20, 2007 at 07:05:33 PT

Whig
Are you using a lap top? I was just wondering.It seems to me that a sensitive laptop causes my posts to "Hiccup", more than the desktop. When I was hiccuping all over the place a few weeks ago, I was using someone else's laptop instead of ole "Big Boy" here.
[ Post Comment ]



 


Comment #36 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 21:50:49 PT

Max Flowers
The bud I could get in Pittsburgh was definitely "mersh" by and large. Big Bud was the strain that was pretty much everywhere, and anything else was hard to find at any price.Don't know if that's still the case, or if I didn't know the right people (which is definitely the case, except for the people that I could have gotten better from that I didn't want to deal with).Anyhow if whatever pot you have works for you, I mean, it's good pot. There's no need for people to be comparing here.I have a lot of choices here, though, so I can have a cerebral sativa high in the morning and an strong bodied indica later in the evening, the effects are different. They both smell and taste wonderful, so I'm happy.People everywhere should be able to grow and use whatever cannabis works best for them, and share and enjoy with one another whenever possible, every strain has a different personality, different effects, different taste.It's like beer, there's good beer anywhere, or you can brew your own if you can't find anything else decent.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #35 posted by fight_4_freedom on October 19, 2007 at 21:43:02 PT:

Obama being interviewed
on pbs right now.And I agree. I think if we all do our part, we can get this changed. Which is why I'm going to bed after this interview so I can be fully prepared for my full day of petitioning at the flea market tomorrow :)Good night everyone
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #34 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 21:09:53 PT

fight_4_freedom
As long as each of us does something positive we might just win someday. That's my hope.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #33 posted by fight_4_freedom on October 19, 2007 at 20:57:47 PT:

I will surely continue FOM 
Thanks again for the encouragement, it's always appreciated. I also made a thread in the autism forum with a couple of stories claiming that once again, this plant acted nearly as a miracle drug for their child.
http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/5964?tstart=0
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #32 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 20:46:23 PT

Hope
Have a good nights rest. I lost a lot of sleep this week when the satellite went down and I made up my mind to turn it off but now I can sleep without worry. I don't like feeling totally out of control of my situation and that's a relief. Hope to talk with you tomorrow.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #31 posted by Hope on October 19, 2007 at 20:38:25 PT

Dankhank...
I kept looking for what Max said. Finally I just decided it was over my too tired head.:0)
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #30 posted by Hope on October 19, 2007 at 20:36:58 PT

Dankhank...
It happens to the best...obviously (if it happens to you).I'm too tired to be posting, too.Goodnight all.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #29 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 20:12:10 PT

fight_4_freedom 
Good job and on Oprah's board. Keep up the good work.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #28 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 20:10:47 PT

whas happening ...
I'm in the Twilight Zone ...gonna do something else for a while ...night ...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #27 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 20:07:56 PT

Dankhank
Low graded out? Too much! LOL!
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #26 posted by dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 20:06:47 PT

low-graded out ...
Paul, sorry for calling you Max.Question was for you ...'sheeeesh ...:-)
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #25 posted by dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 19:33:07 PT

yes, but ...
Max, Is there a production-cost justification for the high, heh, prices for the very best, or is it simply cost plus markup plus tariff added due to the nature of the business?I think I already know the answer, since I have visited Amsterdam in the 70's and the late 90's and noticed reasonable prices for some pretty stout stuff.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #24 posted by OverwhelmSam on October 19, 2007 at 19:23:25 PT

Max
Interesting thing about strains, I've smoked weed from all over the US and world and I still prefer the type of pot that is still shipped into the area where I grew up. Kind of a roots thing I guess.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #23 posted by Hope on October 19, 2007 at 19:20:42 PT

Thank you, Paul.
It's a great article. I was so happy to see it.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #22 posted by Max Flowers on October 19, 2007 at 18:13:32 PT

More about schwag
Keep in mind that many people use the word schwag about the pot they themselves are forced to smoke. It's not always a put-down, it is probably more often used as a simple epithet cursing one's lack of better connection to better weed.It's not a problem for me for a long time now, but I sure can remember lots of times in years past when schwag was the only thing available. We didn't have the word schwag yet though. And anyone about 35 or older very likely started on schwag (or "mersh", a shortening of "commercial").
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #21 posted by fight_4_freedom on October 19, 2007 at 17:45:13 PT:

Oprah's viewers should be getting a little
more educated by now. Hopefully more of them jump in the discussion though.
medical marijuana thread
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #20 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 15:17:07 PT

FoM
The comments on HuffPo are excellent!
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #19 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 14:02:53 PT

Article Also Posted on The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-armentano/research-leaves-no-cloud-_b_69177.html
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #18 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 12:30:01 PT

Dankhank
Your pot is good as far as I'm concerned. I've got no reason to believe anything otherwise.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #17 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 12:25:06 PT

Dankhank
I have much less access to good pot than most people, truly. What I can get is good, but what I can afford... that's another matter.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #16 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 12:23:19 PT

Whig
I'm sure you haven't ...this issue doesn't seem to be about me, I hope ... but a misconception about what "grade" of Cannabis is good ... and how we should describe the different potencies.think anyone who lives in an area not conducive to high production of Kind enjoys hearing that they are smokin' shit?Makes us all wanna get together ... eh?
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #15 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 12:10:00 PT

Dankhank
I don't want you to think I ever look down on you, my goodness. I think you are one of the people who helped to bring me back from death. I wouldn't have survived without you all.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #14 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 12:07:46 PT

potency
I agree that less potency could fuel higher intakes, but am not sure that mind-blowing is always to be desired.some of the best medical-grade may actually be high-CBD as opposed to high-THC. No-, or light-high, but efficacy.Vaporization or conversion to resin, oil, tincture ... et al, are other ways to improve "quality" of the intake, as we know.To suggest that a person is laboring under a handicap as regards their use of low-grade Cannabis is mean-spirited at best and thoughtless, at worst.Peace to those who care ...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #13 posted by whig on October 19, 2007 at 11:39:53 PT

Dankhank
I think the major disadvantage of "lower grade" cannabis is that you might need to use more to get the same effects, but at less cost. I don't have anything bad to say about anyone's pot, if it works for you, it's good. The pot I was able to get in Pittsburgh wasn't as potent or tasty as what I can get here in the Bay Area, but it was effective enough. A vaporizer makes even "lower grade" cannabis much better, I think.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #12 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 11:21:46 PT

Paul ...
while focused on particulars I ignored the whole.excellent essay asking prohibs questions they fear to answer.I saved it and will forward to some folks and orgs that need to see it ...thanks for working so hard for all of us.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #11 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 11:10:12 PT

Dankhank
Never would I point out anything to you about you. You wear a white hat in my book.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #10 posted by dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 10:53:45 PT

bite the tongue ...
by far the compassionate way to respond ...I lack your ineffable patience, and as such, am happiest when pointing out the hubris of the uncultured.I've had a field day, today ... much to my chagrin ...I imagine some would like to point out my lack of culture ... take your best shot ...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 10:37:40 PT

Dankhank
I am very sensitive about people who think they are the best. I don't pay any attention to what they have to say. I believe that people should bite their tongue and be kind instead of being egotistical. That turns me off right away when anyone for any reason acts that way.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #8 posted by paul armentano on October 19, 2007 at 10:36:57 PT

Thanks Dongero...
But you should be thanking Ms. Brenda Chabot whose ignorant and mean-spirited words in the Daily Bulletin inspired me to pull together this op/ed. Look for this elsewhere soon...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #7 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 10:30:30 PT

Schwag ...
It is a putdown used by the folks that have access to the "kind" that is the norm on the coasts. Commonly, it likely is a reference to the compressed product that enters from the Southern region of North America.http://www.reference.com/search?r=13&q=SchwagIt is a way to feel superior, much in the way brandy aficionados will sneer at wine drinkers, or French chefs will sneer at American chefs. It can only serve to maintain an undercurrent of disdain for the object of denigration and concomitantly, disdain for those who would use that puerile appellation and doesn't advance peace and harmony.for those who only have access to the less expensive kind, it's a constant slap in the face for being less fortunate ... a dig at the poor or marginalized. Why some delight in this is beyond me ...
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 19, 2007 at 10:07:04 PT

Dankhank
What the heck is schwag and who determines what schwag actually is? Are there test meters to compare different kinds? I know this must sound dumb but I really don't know. I have heard people use the word schwag when they want people to think their kind is better. So it was more of a putdown word to me. 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on October 19, 2007 at 09:40:27 PT

oh yea?
Writing in the journal Neurology, researchers reported that patients who smoked low-grade cannabis three times daily experienced, on average, a 34 percent reduction in pain.so ... It appears that the Cannabis that some seem to delight in calling "schwag" has a useful effect on Pain. Feel free to apologize, you who know who you are, and mayhap we can move on beyond the tendency to alert the less-fortunate to the "low-quality" of their medicine.Some of us knew this instinctively as a result of experimentation and use. Those who didn't know, or chose to ignore, will be dragged kicking and screaming to the table, sure that nothing but "kind" is suitable. Sorry for the apparent myopia ...my·o·pi·a   /maɪˈoʊpiə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahy-oh-pee-uh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.	Ophthalmology. a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused in front of the retina, objects being seen distinctly only when near to the eye; nearsightedness (opposed to hyperopia).
2.	lack of foresight or discernment; obtuseness.
3.	narrow-mindedness; intolerance.Can we all just get along?
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #4 posted by dongenero on October 19, 2007 at 06:28:03 PT

great article Paul!
This should be carried by AP and Reuters.
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #3 posted by The GCW on October 19, 2007 at 06:19:45 PT

if you had an extra $42 billion
The War on PotAmerica's $42 billion annual boondoggleBy Rob KampiaSource: Shepherd Express (Milwaukee, WI)Oct. 18http://www.shepherd-express.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-10-18&-token.story=178622.113121&-token.subpub=

[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #2 posted by Storm Crow on October 19, 2007 at 06:13:58 PT

If you are are in need of studies or just curious 
You can find many studies and articles here....http://www.treatingyourself.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=23136The 150 studies that Paul Armentano mentions are just the tip of the iceberg! There are thousands of studies out there- how they can say it has "no medical value"? That is one of the biggest lies our government has ever told! And heaven knows, they have told some real whoppers in the past! 
[ Post Comment ]


 


Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on October 19, 2007 at 05:57:24 PT

Biggest Crime Ever Perpetrated On Humanity...
Yes, dear Paul and all those who read this. Cannabis is simply deemed too useful by our rulers and masters and we cannot have it. Heck we are not even allowed to grow hemp in the USA, that should tell you something.Nothing will change unless we can breakdown gov't propaganda and get more (outraged) people on our side. And if and until this happens, current policies will continue to kill and make people suffer and die needlessly all over the world. Actually all those that die and suffer currently are doing this to enrich the US Pharmaceutical Industries and the lobbyists and the monies paid to keep things the way they are.
On a mission from God!
[ Post Comment ]





  Post Comment