cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - January 24, 2008 NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - January 24, 2008 Posted by CN Staff on January 24, 2008 at 12:35:01 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML Updated NORML Report Highlights The Role Of Pot In Moderating Disease Progression -- ‘Emerging Clinical Applications’ Booklet Reviews Nearly 200 Studies On Therapeutic Use Of Cannabis January 24, 2008 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: Clinical and preclinical research on the therapeutic use of cannabis indicates that cannabinoids may curb the progression of various life-threatening diseases – including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease, and brain cancer, according to an updated report published today by the NORML Foundation. The revised report reviews nearly 200 scientific trials assessing the therapeutic utility of cannabinoids for the treatment of seventeen specific disease indications: Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), diabetes mellitus, dystonia, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, gliomas, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hypertension, incontinence, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, pruritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and Tourette's syndrome.NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, who authored the report, said: "Despite continued political debates regarding the legality of medicinal marijuana, clinical investigations of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids are now more prevalent than at any time in history. A search of the National Library of Medicine's website quantifies this fact. A keyword search using the terms ‘cannabinoids, 1996’ reveals just 258 scientific journal articles published on the subject for that year. If one performs this same search for the year 2007, one will find over 3,400 published scientific studies. "[This] emerging body of clinical and preclinical work … makes it clear that the US government's stance against the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids is based on politics, not science."Armentano stated that the findings from recently published studies indicate that cannabinoids may provide long-term therapeutic relief from symptoms associated with degenerative diseases such as MS or ALS. "Conditions such as multiple sclerosis are chronic, degenerative diseases; their symptoms become more severe over time," he said. "Therefore, one would assume that patients would increase their use of cannabis over time in order to maintain their initial levels of relief. That they are typically not doing so indicates that patients are not becoming tolerant to the drug’s therapeutic effects. More importantly, this result may also be evidence that cannabinoids are moderating the progression of some of these debilitating diseases."Armentano also stated that preclinical studies published this past year indicate that cannabinoids possess significant anti-cancer properties and can limit the spread of various types of malignant cell lines – including breast cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, cervical cancer, and pancreatic carcinoma. "Far from being a cancer causing agent, many experts now believe that cannabinoids may one day represent a new class of non-toxic anti-cancer drugs that can halt the spread and growth of various cancers without inducing the painful and life-threatening side effects of chemotherapy," he said. Full text of the report, "Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids: A Review of the Recent Scientific Literature, 2006 – 2008," is available online at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7459For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.orgDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7489 Idaho: City Council Snuffs Voter-Approved Pot Ordinances January 24, 2008 - Hailey, ID, USAHailey, Idaho: Hailey city council members voted last week to nullify the provisions of several voter-approved initiatives seeking to liberalize local marijuana law enforcement. Lawmakers alleged that the three initiatives conflicted with state and federal laws and therefore could not legally be implemented by the city. Voters had approved the measures in November.One of initiatives sought to direct local police to make activities related to the investigation, citation, and/or arrest of adult cannabis users their lowest law enforcement priority. Similar ‘deprioritization’ measures have been enacted in numerous cities nationwide, including Seattle, Washington; Santa Cruz, California; Missoula, Montana; Denver, Colorado; and Columbia, Missouri. A separate voter-approved initiative sought to exempt qualified medical cannabis users from local prosecution. Similar policies have been implemented in twelve states.The third measure sought to legalize the production of hemp as an agricultural crop. Hailey’s city attorney said that the city is not legally required to accept the outcome of voter initiatives.NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre strongly criticized the council’s decision. "Apparently the long-held democratic notion of a government ‘by the people for the people’ no longer applies in Idaho," St. Pierre said. "These lawmakers’ are willing to cast aside a democratic vote by their own constituents in order to bow at the alter of pot prohibition."For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7490 Cannabinoids Offer Novel Option For Brain Cancer Treatment, Study Says January 24, 2008 - Busto Arsivo, ItalyBusto Arsivo, Italy: Cannabinoids possess anti-tumor activity in glioblastoma cell lines and may offer a new therapeutic option for the treatment of brain cancer, according to a review published in the January issue of the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.Investigators at the University of Insurbia, Center of Neurosciene, wrote: "[C]annabinoids have been shown to exert antiproliferative effects on a wide spectrum of cells in culture. Of interest, cannabinoids have displayed a great potency in reducing glioma tumor growth either in vitro or in animal experimental models. … Moreover, cannabinoids appear to be selective antitumoral agents as they kill glioma cells without affecting the viability of nontransformed counterparts."In 2006, investigators at Complutense University in Spain reported that the intracranial administration of THC decreased recurrent GBM tumor growth in humans.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.org Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids as potential new therapy for the treatment of gliomas," appears in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7491Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: January 24, 2008Copyright: 2008 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by BUDSNAXZ on January 26, 2008 at 14:27:27 PT What? "Hailey’s city attorney said that the city is not legally required to accept the outcome of voter initiatives" Oh my god, will someone please remind me of which country I'm in again, I thought it was the USA.Peace to allMac [ Post Comment ] Post Comment