cannabisnews.com: Pot May Ease Nerve Pain, Study Shows





Pot May Ease Nerve Pain, Study Shows
Posted by CN Staff on June 26, 2008 at 15:33:59 PT
By Miranda Hitti
Source: CBS News 
California -- New research on "medical marijuana" shows that smoking pot may ease nerve pain at the expense of certain mental skills. Researchers at the University of California, Davis report that news in the June edition of The Journal of Pain.They studied 38 adults with nerve pain (neuropathic pain) who had smoked pot in the past but abstained from smoking marijuana for 30 days before the study.
Participants visited the researchers' lab three times, where they smoked a marijuana cigarette made for research purposes, under the National Institute of Drug Abuse's supervision.During the sessions, which were held at least three days apart, participants either smoked a pot cigarette containing a high dose of THC (marijuana's active ingredient), a lower dose of THC, or no THC.Participants got specific instructions about when to light up, inhale, and exhale. They were supervised as they smoked and for two hours after that, and then taken home.Before and after smoking their assigned cigarette, participants rated their pain. Their pain ratings dropped more after smoking the THC cigarettes than the placebo cigarette lacking THC. The higher dose and lower THC doses had comparable effects, which began to wear off an hour or two after they stopped smoking.But participants had no change in their pain sensitivity to light touch or heat after smoking any of the cigarettes, the study shows.Participants also took tests of mental skills including memory and coordination before and after each smoking session. Their scores, many of which were low to begin with, showed the steepest decline after smoking the high-dose THC cigarette, followed by the low-dose THC cigarette.Researcher Barth Wilsey, MD, and colleagues aren't recommending medical marijuana for everyone with nerve pain.They urge "caution in the prescribing of medical marijuana for neuropathic pain," especially in light of the mental impact, and also in young patients, as pot use in adolescence "increases the risk of later schizophrenia -like psychoses, especially in genetically susceptible individuals."Note: Patients Report Less Neuropathic Pain After Smoking Marijuana Cigarettes.Reviewed by Brunilda NazarioSource: CBS News (US Web)Author: Miranda HittiPublished: June 26, 2008Copyright: 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc.CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on June 30, 2008 at 19:46:14 PT
BGreen
You're really funny. I really don't even allow myself to think about a McCain Administration. McCain isn't a bad guy but he just doesn't understand how fed up most of us are. More of the same just isn't acceptable.
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Comment #29 posted by BGreen on June 30, 2008 at 19:24:39 PT
President McCain? We're outta here!
FoM, Stick, Mrs. Green and anybody else that wants to join us. LOLI don't know where we would go but anywhere would be better than more of the same.I hear Mexico is pretty empty. :OThe Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on June 30, 2008 at 18:04:08 PT
Marijuana Vs. Migraines: Modern Medical Miracle
Dr. Phillip Leveque Salem-News.com June 30, 2008URL: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june302008/leveque_migraines_6-30-08.php
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on June 30, 2008 at 08:12:03 PT
afterburner
I can' t even allow my mind to think what life would be like under McCain. I look back over these past almost 8 years and I never want to see anything like this again. 
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Comment #26 posted by afterburner on June 30, 2008 at 08:02:08 PT
FoM
"I am counting on change."Me too!"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're [our] only hope." Princess Leia, Star Wars, "A New Hope" 
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on June 30, 2008 at 06:48:18 PT
afterburner
Thank you for the information. It really is hard to handle how corporatons seem to want total control. I am counting on change. 
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Comment #24 posted by afterburner on June 29, 2008 at 23:31:51 PT
FoM #23
We'd better hope it shows up in "herbal medicine aisle of health food stores." Check out the alternative:Health Freedom Warning: Drug Company Seeks to Outlaw Vitamin B6 to Protect Pharma Profits. 
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 by: Mike Adams (see all articles by this author) | Key concepts: vitamin B6, the FDA and freedom 
http://www.naturalnews.com/023514.htmlExcerpts: {
Medicure Pharma, Inc., has been studying the clinical effects of Vitamin B6 (which they call "MC-1") on humans. This is part of a process for receiving FDA approval on MC-1 as a "drug," and then marketing this drug through the conventional medical system (and selling it at markups that can reach 500,000% over the cost of the actual ingredients). ...Obviously, it is in the financial interest of Medicure Pharma, Inc. to not only receive FDA approval for their "MC-1" version of Vitamin B6; it's also crucial to eliminate the competition. After all, if people knew MC-1 was just Vitamin B6, they could go out and buy it on their own, for a fraction of the price of a prescription drug. This is most likely why Medicure Pharma petitioned the FDA to outlaw Vitamin B6 supplements: It's the simplest and easiest way to eliminate the competition and guarantee profits! ...So what's the logic behind banning Vitamin B6? It's simple: Medicare Pharma wants the FDA to declare Vitamin B6 to be "adulterated" because it contains a drug. Which drug does it contain? Well, MC-1, of course!Do you see the circular reasoning here? Vitamin B6 is a naturally-occurring vitamin, but if a drug company gets FDA approval on Vitamin B6 (with a different name), then that very same drug company can petition the FDA to ban Vitamin B6, claiming it contains their drug!
}Corporule strikes again!
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on June 29, 2008 at 17:29:48 PT
Some Proof that Marijuana is a Powerful Medicine
June 29, 2008http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/proof-that-mari.html
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Comment #22 posted by charmed quark on June 29, 2008 at 08:12:11 PT
sorry, meant ripit
My keypad keeps messing up :-(
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Comment #21 posted by charmed quark on June 29, 2008 at 08:10:26 PT
ripti - what's your condition
Curious as to the underlying condition that causes your pain and spasms.Mine is CIDP. Even my very conservative pain doctor has come around on the use of cannabiboids based on my response and recent studies. Using marinol allows me to eliminate/minimize four powerful drugs- a drug for spasticity, a nerve pain drug, and an antiinflammatory. As well as keeping me off immune supressants.  All three have physical and cognitive side effects. The marinol almost none.I imagine if I could use whole cannabis I'd get even better results.
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on June 28, 2008 at 19:09:08 PT
konagold
I have a little headache so I really didn't understand it. I will check it out tomorrow again. Thank you for the link.
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on June 28, 2008 at 19:07:52 PT
konagold 
We have been away today so I only now had a chance to look at the article. 
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Comment #18 posted by konagold on June 28, 2008 at 13:38:46 PT:
OT: FOM Check this out patients locations given
to media reverse sequentially read comments from readers at bottom of article please http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/articles/2008/06/28/local/local07.txt
http://www.thereligionofjesuschurch.org
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on June 28, 2008 at 06:21:00 PT
Hope
You're very welcome. I do hope you have a very nice weekend. I can't find any news again today. This is a really slow time for news. I think writers are on vacation. We are hoping to get away today too. 
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on June 28, 2008 at 05:49:41 PT
Thank you, FoM.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.All of you... thank you.You all are a "Light on a hill".
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on June 28, 2008 at 05:34:52 PT
BGreen and Fight4Freedom...
Thank you.Your prayers and blessings speak so well of who you are and the belief, and hope, and concern that we share here.I am feeling better, BGreen. Thank you and thank you, Mrs. Green. Your prayers have, indeed, given me strength and caused me to see more Grace, goodness, mercy, and light than I could have without them or you.On another thread I saw where our Paul Armentano has a new baby. Wonderful! Congratulations, Paul. We fight with Light and Grace for that child's future and freedom from injustice and oppression. We all really do have "light sabers"... and we employee them with all kinds of powers, including the electricity and wires and signals running through these computers. Amazing stuff.These computers are weapons of light. We here are using them well for the advancement of grace, mercy, freedom, and increased sanity throughout the world. I'm very thankful for them and those who wield them so well.Touche.
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on June 28, 2008 at 05:28:13 PT
Hope
You know how happy I am for you and your family. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and get a chance to relax a little. 
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Comment #13 posted by fight_4_freedom on June 28, 2008 at 04:20:32 PT:
That's good to hear Hope!
Glad to hear she is back at home and doing well. I hope She continues to recover well. God Bless
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Comment #12 posted by BGreen on June 27, 2008 at 23:38:17 PT
Granny's got spunk
I'm so happy to hear the good news, Hope. Mrs. Green and I tried our best to lift all of you up through prayer and positive energy.Keep us up on her progress.BTW, are you feeling any better? I hope so.Bro. Bud
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on June 27, 2008 at 22:01:31 PT
Thank you, Greenmed.
I really appreciate your kindness. A kind word soothes and comforts the soul. Thank you.
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Comment #10 posted by greenmed on June 27, 2008 at 20:56:37 PT
Hope
That is great news to hear!
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on June 27, 2008 at 20:43:24 PT
way off topic...
My grandmother made it and is home.Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts, again.
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Comment #8 posted by mykeyb420 on June 27, 2008 at 13:17:37 PT
netherland law
I've been their many times. It is illegal to possess more than 5 grams, but it is MORE illegal to search you to find it. And they could not hold you for just possesion,, they MUST release you right away.What a beautiful country it is.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 27, 2008 at 08:09:30 PT
Understanding The Netherlands' Marijuana Policy 
By Jeffrey Stinson, USA TodayJune 27, 2008Cannabis is technically an illegal substance in the Netherlands, although you won't get arrested for buying or smoking it in a coffee shop.The Dutch have adopted a policy of "gedogen," or blind eye, to its sale and use since 1976. The government distinguished between so-called "soft" cannabis drugs and "hard" drugs such as heroin or cocaine. That's when coffee houses sprang up to sell and let people smoke.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-06-27-amsterdam-marijuana_N.htm
 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 27, 2008 at 07:08:05 PT
Off Topic: SNL George Carlin
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/index.shtmlhttp://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/?cat=35458#main
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Comment #5 posted by OverwhelmSam on June 27, 2008 at 06:19:54 PT
Most Republicans are Evil
Can you believe the Republican administration gets away with this level of dishonesty, criminality and abuse of authority?http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5245645&page=1http://harpers.org/archive/2007/11/hbc-90001593http://firedoglake.com/2008/06/24/breaking-oig-and-opr-confirms-politicization-of-hiring-at-doj/http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Itemid=9http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Rove_refuses_to_deny_contacting_DOJ_0525.html
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Comment #4 posted by ripit on June 27, 2008 at 05:29:59 PT:
load of bullsh
even on methadone and norcos i have no change in pain when it comes to temp or touch!when i used(i haven't for almost 2 years now)it was to stop all the cramps and spasms that i have every minute of every day and nite! and yes i know it works they can not lie to me! and i'm not to fond of the fact they claim most of the tests scores were low to begin with? what stopped them from say they were all black or hispanic or going to end up committing crimes against gramma? ohh wait! they did on the second part!
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on June 26, 2008 at 19:44:16 PT
Pigeons busted.
The real jailbirdsDespite sophisticated equipment used to search visitors at a prison in Marilia, Brazil, the jail has seen a sharp increase in drugs and cell phones among prisoners — something that puzzled officials, who questioned how inmates could be acquiring the illicit contraband. That is, until they spotted distressed pigeons fighting to remain in the air. It turns out that prisoners, motivated by the lure of getting high and texting their BFFs, came up with a low-tech but effective scheme to bypass prison security. Inside the prison, inmates bred and trained carrier pigeons to smuggle phones and drugs on their little bird bodies via cell-phone sized pouches strapped to their backs. 
Cont.http://www.boulderweekly.com/20080626/incaseyoumissedit.html
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Comment #2 posted by observer on June 26, 2008 at 17:45:08 PT
So Very Cautious
They urge "caution in the prescribing of medical marijuana for neuropathic pain," especially in light of the mental impact, and also in young patients, as pot use in adolescence "increases the risk of later schizophrenia -like psychoses, especially in genetically susceptible individuals."Cannabis "increases the risk of later schizophrenia"? I don't think any such causal link has been established. I know that prohibitionist tabloids and the yellow press have been eagerly and hopefully pushing such a supposed link. And notice how they trip one over another to "caution" us not to use cannabis. No such "caution" about being used as propaganda for a fascist police state that happily jails cannabis users. No "caution" over jailing someone. Isn't that interesting? A thousand cautions that cannabis must not be used never, ever: and nary a word about pointing a gun at grandpa's head and jailing grandpa for years for a little grass. It is as if the jail part doesn't exist and never hurts a sole. Certainly not worth a "caution" or even a mention in stories like this one. 
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Comment #1 posted by charmed quark on June 26, 2008 at 17:31:50 PT
dopamax vs pot?
I wish they had compared the effectiveness and side effects of the standard nerve pain treatments like topomax to cannabis.The nickname of topamax is dopamax. It gives you round-the-clock cognitive difficulties. I use cannabiboids at bedtime. Once a day gives me good reduction of nerve pain and spasms that last all day and has no noticeable side effects during the day.Topomax didn't work as well and had horrible side effects.
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