Show Me the Facts

I have long believed that the best discussions and debates I’ve ever watched were on PBS. This follows that rule. The one comment I have to add is decriminalization is not the answer as it does not allow a market to be made surrounding marijuana in this country. It needs to be legalized and utilized. I also don’t agree with the ladies’ comment regarding “making it very expensive”. If you go through the hassle of legalization, putting an artificially inflated price tag on it will only make a nice cosey space for the underground markets to still exist.

"THE PROPER TREATMENT FOR MARY" - Pacific Drug Review - Nov. 1937

I get e-mail from time to time from readers; sometimes they are compliments, sometimes suggestions, and here and there disagreements (which usually end up turning into good conversations). Other times, I get heart-felt stories from marijuana users who appreciate what I am trying to do with this site.

The other day I was contacted by a reader with a joint disorder that causes inflammation and degradation of the mandable. Marijuana, as the reader is keenly aware, has great anti-inflammatory properties to help combat things such as joint inflammation. The reader went on to describe how he found out about it and how well it was working for him. Then he said something that made me really stop and think:

“I also decided to use marijuana because I didn’t have medical insurance and it was the best way to cope with the disorder without breaking my wallet.”

Think about that for a moment. Really let it settle in.

Prior to the dawn of the corporate pharmaceutical age, if you were sick or just didn’t feel well, what were your options? Well, chances are you went to the local drug store and picked up some medicine. Coincidentally, marijuana used to be a highly utilized drug prior to 1937/1938 and was available in many forms, for various conditions. Even the US Pharmacopoeia, a publication of doctor’s remedies started in 1820, endorsed marijuana from 1870 until 1942.

Eli Lilly Powdered Cannabis Extract

These days, if you were to suddenly find yourself in excruciating amounts of pain from, say, a kidney stone or back-strain, what would you do? Some of you may reach for an over-the-counter drug like Motrin®, Tylenol®, or Excedrin® and be completely satisfied with the results. If that fails to work, many of you would schedule an appointment with your physician in order to get yourself checked out and–ultimately–get your hands on a stronger, more effective drug like Vicodin® or Percocet®. However, these more effective drugs come with higher risks for abuse and even physical harm and because of this, you will need a doctor’s approval and prescription before being allowed to purchase them legally.

But what about those not fortunate enough to have medical insurance? What about those 46-million+ Americans who quite literally can not afford to get sick, yet alone afford prescription medication?

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(4/29/09: update added to end of article)

(6/1/09: update added to end of article)

So as the world slowly but surely begins to freak out about the new swine flu going around, I came across an interesting article about Cannabis Science Inc. reporting on a “prospective life saving treatment for H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Bird Flu”.

For those of you not aware, swine flu is highly virulent (meaning there is a reason behind the global interest in finding a way to stop it from spreading).

In walks Cannabis Science Inc. with their “whole-cannabis lozenge”. From the article:

Dr. Robert J. Melamede, Director and Chief Science Officer, stated, “The influenza virus has a unique genetic make up that, in combination with its replicative machinery, has an extraordinary capacity to mutate. As a result, the high lethality of some strains can be attributed to the resulting adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by an excessive immune inflammatory response driven by Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) that leads to the death of respiratory epithelial cells and resulting organ failure. Endocannabinoids are nature’s way of controlling TNF activity. Existing peer reviewed publications have shown that phytocannabinoids can prevent this cell death by mimicking the endocannabinoids that nature has selected to prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses.”

In other words, the reason swine flu is so dangerous is because it causes your immune system to go into overdrive. Marijuana, however, is a proven immune system suppressant which, in this case, may aid in survival.

So we have a non-toxic, safe, cheap, potential-treatment for a disease that has some people using the word “pandemic”. On top of that, Cannabis Science Inc. has “offered to produce up to 1 million doses” of its lozenge and “provide them to HSA (Homeland Security Administration) for distribution at cost.”

What is there to lose?

(via MarketWatch)

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Update (4/29/09): Just to make it clear to anyone thinking, “Hey, smoking marijuana will keep me safe!” This research explicitly states that smoking marijuana will likely not provide the same medicinal affects that a lozenge would. The best affects are shown through absorption via the mouth (lozenge) or digestion (edibles).

Update (6/1/09): For those of you who are not aware–which based on the various comments made on this page is a lot of you–immune system suppression is not the same as a weakened immune system. The way the flu kills you is by causing your immune system to go into overdrive. Cannabinoids have been shown to keep the immune system from overreacting (supressing it) NOT by weakinging it by any means at all. So please stop making comments about this being “stupid” because it makes you weaker. If you belive this, you believe a fantasy.

What is Chrohn’s Disease?

Crohn’s disease (also known as granulomatous colitis and regional enteritis) is an inflammatory disease which may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms. It primarily causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody), vomiting, or weight loss, but may also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis and inflammation of the eye.

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease, caused by the immune systeminflammation in the gastrointestinal tract; it is classified as a type of inflammatory bowel disease. There appears to be a genetic link to Crohn’s disease, with the highest risk occurring in individuals with siblings who have the disease. Males and females are equally affected. Smokers are three times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease affects between 400,000 and 600,000 people in North America. Prevalence estimates for Northern Europe have ranged from 27–48 per 100,000. Crohn’s disease tends to present initially in the teens and twenties, with another peak incidence in the fifties to seventies, although the disease can occur at any age. attacking the gastrointestinal tract and producing

There is no known drug or surgical cure for Crohn’s disease; treatment options are restricted to controlling symptoms, maintaining remission and preventing relapse.

(Wikipedia)

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a blanket term for a variety of diseases causing discomfort in the gastro-intestinal tract. It is also called spastic colon, is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements. Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI) or a stressful life event. Other functional or pain disorders and certain psychological conditions are more common in those with IBS.

Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments which attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.

(Wikipedia)

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon, that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores, in the colon. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. Ulcerative colitis is, however, believed to have a systemic etiology that leads to many symptoms outside the intestine. Because of the name, IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (”IBS”), a troublesome, but much less serious condition. Ulcerative colitis has similarities to Crohn’s disease, another form of IBD. Ulcerative colitis is an intermittent disease, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Although the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can sometimes diminish on their own, the disease usually requires treatment to go into remission.

(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• Cannabis-based drugs could offer new hope for inflammatory bowel disease patients
  “Researchers investigating anecdotal evidence that cannabis relieves some of the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have discovered a potential new target for cannabis-derived drugs for treatment of the disease.” (secondary source)
  
• In the Human Colon: Cannabinoids Promote Epithelial Wound Healing
  “CB1 receptors are expressed in normal human colon and colonic epithelium is responsive biochemically and functionally to cannabinoids. Increased epithelial CB2-receptor expression in human inflammatory bowel disease tissue implies an immunomodulatory role that may impact on mucosal immunity.”
• Crohn’s Patients Report Symptomatic Relief From Cannabis
  “Patients with Crohn’s disease report subjective benefits from cannabis, including pain relief and increased appetite, according to survey data published in the autumn issue of O’Shaughnessy’s: The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice.”
• Cannabis Helps Ulcers And Crohn’s Disease
  “Researchers claim that cannabis may help combat problems such as intestinal ulcers and Crohn’s disease.”
• Bowel Study Backs Cannabis Drugs
  “The Bath University team found people with the gut disorder had an abundant number of a type of cannabinoid receptors in their body.”
  
• Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract: what are the key questions?
• Mayo Study: Marijuana’s THC Reduces Stomach Cramping
  “THC may relax the colon and reduce stomach cramping after eating, according to a study presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. The study compared the effects of dronabinol (THC) and placebo on colonic motility and sensation in healthy adults.”
• Anti-inflammatory compound from cannabis found in herbs
  “A compound found in cannabis as well as in herbs such as basil and oregano could help to treat inflammatory bowel diseases and arthritis, Swiss scientists believe.”
• Cannabidiol, extracted from Cannabis sativa, selectively inhibits inflammatory hypermotility in mice.
  “Cannabidiol selectively reduces croton oil-induced hypermotility in mice in vivo and this effect involves cannabinoid CB(1) receptors and FAAH. In view of its low toxicity in humans, cannabidiol may represent a good candidate to normalize motility in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.”
• Cannabinoids and gastrointestinal motility: animal and human studies.
  “Overall, modulation of the gut endogenous cannabinoid system may provide a useful therapeutic target for disorders of gastrointestinal motility.”

Anecdotal:

• Marijuana and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  “The following account is by a woman who has found marijuana more useful than any prescribed drug. “
• Marijuana and Crohn’s Disease by Marilyn Loskot
  “Using a regular supply of medicinal marihuana I was able to discontinue all of the prescriptions that had allowed me to just survive with the pain in Omaha.”
  

What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed. This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs causing shortness of breath. In contrast to asthma, the limitation of airflow is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

COPD is caused by noxious particles or gases, most commonly from smoking, which trigger an abnormal inflammatory response in the lung. The inflammatory response in the larger airways is known as chronic bronchitis, which is diagnosed clinically when people regularly cough up sputum. In the alveoli, the inflammatory response causes destruction of the tissues of the lung, a process known as emphysema. The natural course of COPD is characterized by occasional sudden worsenings of symptoms called acute exacerbations, most of which are caused by infections or air pollution.

The diagnosis of COPD requires lung function tests. Important management strategies are smoking cessation, vaccinations, rehabilitation, and drug therapy (often using inhalers). Some patients go on to requiring long-term oxygen therapy or lung transplantation.

Worldwide, COPD ranked sixth as the cause of death in 1990. It is projected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2020 due to an increase in smoking rates and demographic changes in many countries. COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S., and the economic burden of COPD in the U.S. in 2007 was $42.6 billion in health care costs and lost productivity.

(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• THC effective in appetite and weight loss in severe lung disease (COPD)
  “Mean treatment duration was 16 days resulting in a considerable improvement of appetite, general well-being and functional performance (36 per cent mean increase in walking distance) and an average gain in body weight of 1.5 kg, which is much regarding the short treatment period. Side effects were mild.”
• Heavy Long-Term Marijuana Use Does Not Impair Lung Function
  “Habitual marijuana smokers do not experience a greater annual rate of decline in lung function than nonsmokers, according to the latest findings by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine.”
• Researchers to test if cannabis ingredient can help COPD patients
  “The researchers believe the cannabinoids could be used to reduce the sensation of breathlessness without depressing the respiratory system.”
• Heavy Habitual Marijuana Smoking Does Not Cause an Accelerated Decline in FEV with Age (PDF Warning)

What is a Cough?

A cough, in medicine, is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defense reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. The cough reflex consists of three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. Coughing can happen voluntarily as well as involuntarily, though for the most part, involuntarily.(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• Cannabis Cough Cure (scroll down)
  “The US government’s National Institute of Health (NIH) has been paying the University of California in Oakland, US, to develop a cough cure based on this effect. Oakland has found that a recently discovered relative of THC – arachidonylethanolamide (anandamide) – can have a similar cough-quelling effect, but without also making users high.

  Anandamide can be puffed into a person’s airways from an aerosol inhaler and latch onto the same nerve cells as THC. But it binds so tightly to the cells that it will not get into the bloodstream.”

• Novel treatment for cough (Patent)
  “locally or systemically administered cannabinoid inactivation inhibitors can also be used to ameliorate cough. The present invention also defines conditions under which cannabinoid agents can be administered to produce anti-tussive effects devoid of bronchial constriction.”

What is Cystitis?

Cystitis is inflammation of the urinary bladder. The condition more often affects women, but can affect either sex and all age groups.(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• Cannabinoid rotation in a young woman with chronic cystitis
  “THC reduced pain with low side effects; nabilone caused strong psychic side effects”

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells, both good and bad, but specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer. In popular usage, it will usually refer to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen.

Chemotherapy acts by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of cancer cells. This means that it also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles; this results in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy–myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract) and alopecia (hair loss).

(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• Efficacy of dronabinol alone and in combination
  “Dronabinol was as effective as ondansetron in reducing nausea and vomiting.”
• Dronabinol for supportive therapy in patients with malignant melanoma and liver metastases
  “Loss of appetite and nausea due to liver metastases of malignant melanoma can be treated in individual cases supportively with Dronabinol.”
• An efficient new cannabinoid antiemetic in pediatric oncology
  “The THC treatment started two hours before each antineoplastic treatment and was continued every. 6 hrs for 24 hours. Vomiting was completely prevented. The side effects observed were negligible.”
• Dronabinol and prochlorperazine in combination
  “The combination was significantly more effective than was either single agent in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.”
• Marijuana as antiemetic medicine
  “Two hundred nine (21%) of oncologists reported that the available medicines provided inadequate relief to half or more of their patients (Fig 1). More than half (520, 54%) of the respondents reported that the available antiemetics caused significant problems with side effects in more than a “few” of their patients ( Fig 1). Slightly more than 70% (686) of respondents reported that at least one of their patients had used marijuana as an antiemetic and that they had directly observed or discussed marijuana’s medical use with that patient(s). Marinol had been prescribed by 557 respondents (57%).”
• Efficacy of tetrahydrocannabinol in patients refractory to standard anti-emetic therapy
  “THC decreased nausea and vomiting in 23 of 36 (64%) patients”
• Inhalation marijuana as an antiemetic for cancer chemotherapy.
  “Fifty-six patients who had no Improvement with standard antiemetic agents were treated and 78% demonstrated a positive response to marijuana.”
  
• Nabilone versus prochlorperazine
  “Nabilone effective as antiemetic drug for children” (secondary source)
  
• Antiemetic efficacy of nabilone and alizapride
  “Nabilone superior to alizapride.”
• Nabilone versus domperidone
  “Nabilone superior to domperidone”
• THC or Compazine for the cancer chemotherapy patient
  “nausea reduction was the main determinant of preference between THC and prochlorperazine”
• Comparison of nabilone and prochlorperazine
  “Nabilone is a moderately effective anti-emetic drug”
• Nabilone vs. prochlorperazine for refractory emesis
  “Severity of nausea and number of vomiting ejections and dry retching episodes were significantly less under nabilone.”
• Nabilone vs. placebo
  “Nabilone is an effective antiemetic agent for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.”
• Tetrahydroannabinol (THC) vs prochlorperazine as chemotherapy antiemetics.
  “THC 15 mg was the most effective against vomiting, prochlorperazine was the most effective antinauseant”
• Comparative trial of the antiemetic effects of THC and haloperidol
  “THC and haloperidol equally effective”
• Comparison of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and prochlorperazine
  “no nausea and vomiting in 36 of 79 courses of chemotherapy with THC compared to 16 of 78 courses in patients who received prochlorperazine; improved appetite with THC”
• Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in cancer chemotherapy.
  “Patients were remarkably free of adverse physiologic effects.”
• Antiemetic effect of tetrahydrocannabinol
  “no nausea and no vomiting (complete response) in 73% (40/55 courses) in THC group”
• Tetrahydrocanabinol versus metoclopramide and thiethylperazine
  “tetrahydrocannabinol given by mouth has an antiemetic effect of approximately the same order as thiethylperazine and metoclopramide”
• Effects of nabilone and prochlorperazine on chemotherapy-induced emesis
  “Both nabilone and prochlorperazine produced antiemetic effects”
• Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as an antiemetic in cancer patients receiving high-dose methotrexate
  “14 of 15 patients had decreased vomiting and nausea” (secondary source)
  
• THC as an antiemetic in patients treated with cancer chemotherapy
  “dronabinol superior to placebo (P<.01 for difference between groups at days 1 and 8 independently)”
• Amelioration of cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting by delta-9-THC
  “THC was effective in reducing nausea and vomiting but not in all patients”
• Superiority of nabilone over prochlorperazine
  “When both drugs were compared, both nausea and vomiting episodes were significantly lower in patients given nabilone.”
• Antiemetic effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
  “for patients completing the study there were 5 complete responses (no vomiting) and 7 partial responses (50% decrease of vomiting) of overall 15 courses”
• Therapeutic Aspects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids
  “Cannabis and some cannabinoids are effective antiemetics and analgesics and reduce intraocular pressure. There is evidence of symptom relief and improved well-being in selected neurological conditions, AIDS and certain cancers. Cannabinoids may reduce anxiety and improve sleep.”
• Oral vs. Inhaled Cannabinoids for Nausea/Vomiting from Cancer Chemotherapy
  “One-hundred-sixty-nine cancer patients received oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or smoked marijuana, to reduce nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. Both forms were effective with the inhaled form superior for vomiting only.”

Via: Libertarian Perspective: Respond to Medical Pot Raids with Legalization:

Activists are outraged over President Obama’s raid of Emmalyn’s California Cannabis Clinic in San Francisco (http://www.mpp.org/states/california/news/ca/dea-raids-pot-dispensary-in.html), but they should not be surprised.

Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, had promised to end federal medical marijuana raids as conducted by the Clinton and Bush administrations, leaving alone dispensaries operating legally under state law (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/policy-marijuana-judge-2345186-lynch-department). Obama broke the spirit of the promise, but not the letter. The excuse for this last raid was state law violations — supposedly, sales taxes were being evaded. Now the feds will probably prosecute under federal law.

The state government was not agitating for a crackdown. Sacramento was not complaining about sales tax evasion. San Francisco had given a permit to this dispensary.

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What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (new lat., fibro- fibrous tissue, Gk. myo- muscle, Gk. algos- pain), meaning muscle and connective tissue pain (also referred to as FM or FMS), is a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to gentle touchallodynia). Other core features of the disorder include debilitating fatigue, sleep disturbance, and joint stiffness. In addition, persons affected by the disorder frequently experience a range of other symptoms that involve multiple body systems, including difficulty with swallowing, functional bowel and bladder abnormalities, difficulty breathing, diffuse sensations of numbness and tingling (non-dermatomal paresthesia), abnormal motor activity (i.e. nocturnal myoclonus, sleep bruxism), and cognitive dysfunction. An increased prevalence of affective and anxiety-related symptoms is also well known.

(Wikipedia)

Marijuana Facts and Resources:

• Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency
  “On a practical level, once more there have been no formal clinical trials of cannabis or THC in treatment of fibromyalgia. However, 21 California patients listed fibromyalgia and 11 myofascial pain (1.3% of a clinical population of 2480 subjects) as primary diagnoses leading to their usage of clinical cannabis.”
• THC Reduces Pain in Fibromyalgia Patients
  “Oral administration of THC significantly reduces both chronic and experimentally induced pain in patients with fibromyalgia, according to clinical trial data to be published in the June 2006 issue of the journal Current Medical Research and Opinion.”
• Cannabis Science: Nabilone reduced chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia
  “In a placebo-controlled study conducted at the University of Manitoba, Canada, with 40 patients suffering from fibromyalgia nabilone reduced pain and improved quality of life.” (secondary source)
  

Anecdotal:

• Marijuana for Fibromyalgia
  “Cannabis Sativa or Medical Marijuana is a drug that may be used to relieve fibromyalgia symptoms.”
• Fibromyalgia: Effective Treatment with Medical Marijuana
  “I have about 100 fibromyalgia patients using marijuana/cannabis very effectively. It is known that cannabis has good analgesic, antispasmodic and euphoriant actions.”