Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, law enforcement, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, medical research, medicine, Michigan, pot, research, skunk, stem cell, weed
Michigan — A majority of Michiganians is inclined to legalize marijuana for sick people, but a second statewide ballot proposal to relax restrictions on stem cell research in Michigan is a closer contest — and the advertising blitz has just begun on that measure.
The latest Detroit News-WXYZ Action News poll found that the voters, by a 59-37 margin, favor the ballot proposal to allow terminally and seriously ill people to legally use marijuana if a doctor certified the drug could ease their suffering.
The statewide poll was conducted for The News, WXYZ and three outstate television stations from Saturday to Monday by Lansing’s EPIC-MRA. It showed that the biggest backers were women (63 percent support), Metro Detroiters (60 percent) and Democrats (68 percent). Among men, the proposal garnered 51 percent support and 49 percent of Republicans favored it.
If Proposal 1 is approved by voters in November, Michigan would become the 13th state to legalize medical marijuana. Supporters estimate that as many as 50,000 Michigan residents would legally qualify for medical marijuana to treat a host of “debilitating” medical problems such as cancer, HIV /AIDS, hepatitis C, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease and chronic diseases or their treatments that produce wasting syndrome, severe pain, sever nausea, seizures or muscle spasms, such as those caused by multiple sclerosis.
“I’m all for it,” said poll participant Jeff Bergel, a 52-year-old wholesale representative and father of two from Walled Lake.
“I lost a brother-in-law to brain cancer last year and I think marijuana could have helped make his more comfortable. My dad has glaucoma and I understand it could help him as well.”
On the controversial issue of stem cells, poll respondents, by a 50-32 margin, favor amending the state Constitution to allow scientists to derive embryonic stem cells from human embryos for medical research. Support among women is 57 percent compared to 42 percent among men. Support is 56 percent in Metro Detroit, but 45 percent among voters in the rest of the state.
Michigan has one of the nation’s most restrictive laws on stem cell research; a scientist here who uses new human embryos for stem cell research can face a $10 million fine and up to 10 years in prison.
Supporters of embryonic stem cell research say research could lead to better therapies and possible cures for a host of diseases and injuries such as cancer, Parkinson’s, juvenile diabetes and spinal cord injuries. Opponents — including political heavy hitters Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference — say research on human embryos is morally wrong because it destroys life. Critics of the measure also say its adoption could lead to human cloning, although the proposal doesn’t seek to change state law that already bans cloning.
“I’ve thought about it a lot and I think stem cell research would be all right,” said Regina Gerling, a grandmother from Muskegon who took part in the poll.
“I’m a diabetic, so I wish they would find new cures.”Law enforcement groups are near unanimous in their opposition to medical marijuana, saying it’s part of a broader agenda to legalize marijuana for everyone. But there doesn’t appear to be any group ready to spend money on an ad campaign to defeat the measure.
Michael Opland, a 64-year-old father of three from Harrison Township, said he supports medical marijuana, although he believes a lot of people would get the marijuana even though their medical conditions wouldn’t warrant it.
“A certain number of people would probably take advantage of the law,” he said. “But it’s worth it to get marijuana to people who really need it.”
The stem cell campaign is likely to get red-hot in the coming weeks. Opponents of the proposal started running TV commercials this week, suggesting that Michigan taxpayers would shell out hundreds of millions of dollars for the research. The opposition group, Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation, filed a financial statement with the state on Thursday, showing it has rose about $595,000 — including $500,000 from the Catholic Conference — and had $233,000 on hand as of Sept. 18.
Supporters of stem cell research have not yet launched an ad campaign, although they are expected to shortly. They say the ballot proposal doesn’t direct a dime of state money to research.
Judith Maser, a retired clothing buyer from Novi, was originally opposed to stem cell research.
“Now I believe stem cell research could help a lot of people,” she said. “I think medicine has gotten so advanced that this is the future for our young people.”
Source: http://www.detnews.com/
Filed under: HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabinoids, cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, multiple sclerosis, NORML, pot, research, skunk, therapeutic use, weed
Cannabis May Halt Progression Of Multiple Sclerosis, Study Says
September 18, 2008 – London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom: Cannabinoids possess neuroprotective properties and may modify the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review published in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design.
Investigators at the London School of Medicine, Neuroscience Center reported that cannabinoids likely hold therapeutic value for MS patients beyond providing temporary symptomatic relief.
“Recent clinical trials may indeed suggest that cannabis has some potential to relieve, pain, spasms and spasticity in MS,” authors wrote. “In addition, CB(1) and CB(2) cannabinoid receptor stimulation may also have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potential. Therefore cannabinoids may not only offer symptom control but may also slow the neurodegenerative disease progression that ultimately leads to the accumulation of disability.”
A recent expert opinion paper published by the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society concluded that cannabis possesses the potential to treat MS symptoms as well as moderate disease progression, but stopped short of recommending that patients use it therapeutically.
Survey data indicates that an estimated one in four patients with MS use medicinal cannabis.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org
Full text of the study, “The endocannabinoid system and multiple sclerosis,” appears in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design.
Note: “Cannabinoids may not only offer symptom control but may also slow … disease progression”
DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7704
19th Annual Boston Freedom Rally Takes Place This Weekend
September 18, 2008 – Boston, MA, USA
Boston, MA: The Massachusetts chapter of NORML (MassCann) will hold the 19th annual Freedom Rally this Saturday, September 20, at the Boston Common in downtown Boston. The event is the largest marijuana law reform gathering on the east coast.
Speakers at this year’s event include NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, NORML founder Keith Stroup, author Steve Bloom (Pot Culture), High Times Magazine associate publisher Rick Cusick, and Congressional candidate John Cunningham.
MassCann NORML will also be holding an awards banquet in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Friday, September 19.
This November, Massachusetts’ voters will decide on a statewide ballot measure that seeks to replace criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana with a civil fine of no more than $100.
For more information on the Freedom Rally, please visit: http://www.masscann.org
DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7706
Less Than One-Month Left To Register For NORML’s 2008 National Conference
September 18, 2008 – Washington, DC, USA
Washington, DC: NORML’s 37th annual national conference is less than one-month away, but attendees still have time to take advantage of discounted pricing by visiting:
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7626
This year’s ‘extravaganja’ takes place in Berkeley, California on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18 at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.
Plenary sessions at this year’s conference include:
Getting the Story Wrong: How the Media Lie About Cannabis
The Legal Marijuana Generation: Growing Up In The Age of Legal Pot
The War On Pot Is a War On Young People
What If We Arrested 20 Million Americans And Nobody Noticed?
The Politics of Marijuana And Health
In addition, on Sunday, October 19, NORML’s Legal Committee and the faculty of Oaksterdam University will co-sponsor a special, third-day session, entitled “Cannabusiness 102.” This unique, one-day seminar will outline step-by-step how to establish a legally-compliant medical marijuana business in the state of California.
Mark your calendar now and plan to join us as we focus on the latest marijuana policy developments at the state and federal levels, celebrate our victories over the past year, and hear from the world’s leading activists and cannabis law reform organizations. Mingle with celebrities and members of NORML’s staff and Board of Directors in one of the most cannabis friendly cities in the world.
Additional details about this year’s national conference – including patient accommodations, vending and sponsorship opportunities, conference scheduling, and a guide to NORML social events – are now available online at NORML’s 2008 Conference Registration page here:
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7626
For more information, please call (202) 483-5500. Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), about this year’s NORML Conference.
Filed under: HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: bacteria, cannabinoid, cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, Massachusetts, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, pot, research, skunk, weed
Massachusetts — The mounting uses of medicinal marijuana got higher after researchers found compounds in marijuana can combat certain strands of bacteria. Despite these findings, many government organizations still prohibit the use of marijuana in research.
A recent study by Italian and U.K. scientists, which will be published in the Sept. Journal of Natural Products shows that cannabinoids, compounds found in marijuana, could be a potential answer to drug resistant strains of bacteria.
Researchers isolated five cannabinoids and tested them for their effectiveness against the bacteria present in drug resistant staph infections, like methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aurera, the bacteria responsible for difficult to treat staph infections. All five cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids proved successful against the bacteria, according to the study.
Center for Disease Control spokeswoman Christine Pearson said there are no numbers detailing how many MRSA infections occur in the U.S., but 12 million people visit their doctors for skin infections every year.
“The most recent study said that 85 percent of MRSA outbreaks are at hospitals or other health facilities,” said Pearson.
Pearson said she could not comment on the CDC’s stance on marijuana research or the European study that found cannabinoids to be successful at fighting MRSA.
However, David Rosenbloom, director of Join Together, a Boston University School of Public Health program devoted to “responsible” drug and alcohol policy, said he was not surprised by the effectiveness of cannabinoids on MRSA because a number of beneficial medicines come from plants.
Rosenbloom said the politics of marijuana use are interfering with the growth of substantial research.
“Neither the pro or con forces want reliable resources because they’re both convinced that their side is right,” Rosenbloom said.
Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Bruce Mirken said it is even difficult for researchers to get permission to use marijuana in their research.
“Unfortunately, in the U.S. medicinal marijuana has become a political problem,” Mirken said. “The federal government is deeply invested in demonizing marijuana and seems to be only paying lip service to any scientists that want to do serious research.”
The University of Mississippi is currently the only university in the U.S. allowed to grow marijuana for research. Any scientists who want to do research with marijuana must apply to the DEA for approval, Mirken said.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst researcher and professor Lyle Craker applied to the Drug Enforcement Agency to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes in in 2001 and was denied permission in 2004. Craker said it was difficult to do real research about potential medicinal benefits of marijuana because the government is committed to telling the public that marijuana is bad.
“In my opinion, we need to explore every avenue we have to protect our health and cure illness,” Craker said.
Source: Daily Free Press
Filed under: Hemp&Law, HempTherapy, hemp in general | Tags: cannabis, ganja, hashish, hemp, marijuana, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, neuropathia, pain, pot, research, skunk, weed
HealthDay News — Medicinal marijuana helps relieve neuropathic pain in people with HIV, says a University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine study.
It included 28 HIV patients with neuropathic pain that wasn’t adequately controlled by opiates or other pain relievers. The researchers found that 46 percent of patients who smoked medicinal marijuana reported clinically meaningful pain relief, compared with 18 percent of those who smoked a placebo.
The study, published online Aug. 6 in Neuropsychopharmacology, was sponsored by the University of California Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR).
“Neuropathy is a chronic and significant problem in HIV patients as there are few existing treatments that offer adequate pain management to sufferers,” study leader Dr. Ronald J. Ellis, an associate professor of neurosciences, said in an UCSD news release. “We found that smoked cannabis was generally well-tolerated and effective when added to the patient’s existing pain medication, resulting in increased pain relief.”
The findings are consistent with and extend other recent CMCR-sponsored research supporting the short-term effectiveness of medicinal marijuana in treating neuropathic pain.
“This study adds to a growing body of evidence that indicates that cannabis is effective, in the short-term at least, in the management of neuropathic pain,” Dr. Igor Grant, a professor of psychiatry and director of the CMCR, said in the UCSD news release.
Note: Cannabis was well-tolerated, effective when added to existing meds, study finds.
More information:
The American Medical Association has more about medical marijuana.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13625.html
Source: U.S. News & World Report (US)
Website: http://www.usnews.com/
USA — Once again the cancer diagnosis of a well-known national figure — in this case Sen. Ted Kennedy — has sparked a flurry of interest in efforts to treat and cure this frustrating, complex and deadly illness. One of the most promising areas of research involves a group of chemicals whose origins may seem shocking.
The chemicals, called cannabinoids, are the active components in marijuana.
Yes, marijuana, the very same drug that seems to generate endless controversy here and abroad, and that our government still claims causes cancer — a claim that appears to stand reality on its head.
The first solid data showing the anti-cancer effects of cannabinoids was developed by U.S. government researchers and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute back in 1975. The scientists found that THC, the component that produces marijuana’s “high,” inhibits the growth of lung-cancer cells in the test tube and in mice.
In a world that made sense, this discovery would have set off a frenzy of new research. After all, President Richard Nixon had declared “war on cancer” just a few years before, and vast sums of money were being spent investigating new approaches. But Nixon had also declared “war on drugs,” with marijuana at the top of the demon-drugs list, so our government — by far the world’s largest source of medical research funding — never pursued these remarkable findings. Research ground to a near-complete halt until the late 1990s.
Since then, THC and other marijuana components have been shown to block growth not only of lung tumors but a variety of other cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and cancers of the breast and skin. These effects seem to occur through a variety of different cellular mechanisms.
As Spanish researcher Dr. Manuel Guzman, one of the world’s leading experts in the field, wrote in a 2003 review in the journal Nature Reviews: Cancer, “Cannabinoids are selective anti-tumor compounds, as they can kill tumor cells without affecting their non-transformed counterparts. It is probable that cannabinoid receptors regulate cell-survival and cell-death pathways differently in tumor and non-tumor cells.”
That is exactly what you want in a cancer drug: Something that kills the malignant cells without harming healthy cells. It’s because most chemotherapy drugs aren’t selective enough that they cause such terrible nausea, vomiting, hair loss and other side effects.
One of the most fruitful areas of research has involved gliomas, the same type of brain tumor that Sen. Kennedy is battling. A search of PubMed, the U.S. government’s medical database, using the search terms cannabis (the scientific name for marijuana), cannabinoid, and glioma turned up 94 scientific-journal articles, most of them published since 2000.
Most are lab or animal studies, demonstrating various mechanisms by which these marijuana chemicals kill glioma cells or stop glioma tumor growth. Amazingly, despite all this evidence, there has been only one, tiny, human study thus far, conducted by Dr. Guzman.
Guzman and colleagues injected THC directly into brain tumors in a handful of patients with recurring, inoperable gliomas — patients considered terminal. It was primarily a safety study, and the THC injections proved completely safe.
Although the researchers concluded that the injection method they used may not have adequately distributed the medicine to all parts of these large tumors, two patients seemed to show definite (albeit temporary) improvement because of the treatment. The researchers urge that additional trials testing THC and other cannabinoids in this and other types of tumors be undertaken.
This is an exciting area of research, but one that has been needlessly — and perhaps lethally — slowed down by the U.S. government’s slavish devotion to anti-marijuana dogma. That most of the work testing these marijuana derivatives as anti-cancer drugs is occurring outside the United States is a sad commentary indeed.
Bruce Mirken, a longtime health journalist, serves as director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project: http://www.mpp.org/
Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
