'Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind'
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind'
- Blowing in the wind, Bob Dylan
"Cannabis indica must be looked upon as one of the most important drugs of Indian Materia Medica."
- Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-95
'Evidence demonstrates benefit of CBMP [cannabinoid-based medical
products] in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, chemotherapy
induced nausea and vomiting, resistant paediatric epilepsy, anxiety and
insomnia. CBMP are well tolerated with few serious adverse events.
Additional clinical benefits are promising in many other resistant
chronic conditions. Pharmaceutical grade prescribed CBMP has proven
clinical benefits and provides another clinical option in the
physician's pharmacopeia.'
- Internal Medicine Journal
"Out
of a total of 1,193 European and Native witnesses before the
Commission, little less than two-thirds refer to the use of hemp drugs
by the Vedanti and Yunani schools of native physicians and native
doctors generally...If the number of witnesses who speak of this use in
each province may be taken as approximately indicating its extent, then
it would appear that the medicinal use is well known throughout India."
- Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-95
The role of cannabis in human evolution
Cannabis has been used as medicine for thousands of years, across cultures the world over. It is tried, tested, accepted and loved by humans. If it was harmful for us, we humans would have
developed evolutionary strategies to shun it and remove it from our recreational and medical options. Instead, humans have embraced the plant for so long now that we have evolved to live in symbiosis with it. The endocannabinoid system (ECS), discovered as recently as in the 1990s, is found in high concentrations in the regions of the human brain, skin, nervous system, stomach, etc.. The ECS has receptors, CBR1 and CBR2, that couple with cannabis' compounds to produce effects on the mind and body that modern science is just starting to unravel. Some people argue that the ECS evolved due to internal chemicals produced by humans, such as anandamide, i.e. that the ECS is a result of evolutionary changes in the internal human environment that has nothing to do with eternally introduced phytocannabinoids. But it is more likely that the ECS evolved because of cannabis usage by humans, besides other animals, over millions of years. The cannabis plant has existed for 28 million years, long before humans came down from the trees. Cannabis is a strong candidate, along with hallucinogenic mushrooms and other natural psychedelics, for why humans display the kind of brain development that the species has shown, in such a relatively short time after branching away from our closest relatives, the chimpanzees. References to cannabis usage can be found in ancient medical texts, and evidence in archaeological excavations from all over the world. The history of cannabis usage dates to as far back as we can see in the evolution of the modern human. New evidence is continuously emerging that sheds more light on the subject, despite the powerful proponents of the anti-cannabis narrative doing all they can to prevent it, including banning the plant, so that scientific research on it and its reintroduction stays an uphill task.
Importance of cannabis as medicine among 19th century Indian physicians
Cannabis usage was so widespread and popular among Indian physicians that it led the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, in its report of 1893-94, to state that - '"Out
of a total of 1,193 European and Native witnesses before the
Commission, little less than two-thirds refer to the use of hemp drugs
by the Vedanti and Yunani schools of native physicians and native
doctors generally...If the number of witnesses who speak of this use in
each province may be taken as approximately indicating its extent, then
it would appear that the medicinal use is well known throughout India...Cannabis indica must be looked upon as one of the most important drugs of Indian Materia Medica.'
Popularity of cannabis as medicine
Cannabis was regarded as universal medicine at one time, having stood the test of time for thousands of years. Despite of banning cannabis these days, officially, nearly 250 million persons consume cannabis and nearly all countries of the world cultivate it. The unofficial number of consumers are surely much higher than official figures indicate. Cannabis was consumed by all sections of Indian society in the past, and its use was not restricted to any particular demographic. In places where cannabis has been legalized in some form in recent times, its popularity can be gauged by the user profiles. Older people, sports persons, war veterans, women, cancer patients, musicians, scientists, the film industry, people from all walks of life, who are tired of the damage caused by prescription medication, are going back to cannabis and finding relief in it. In India, before it was prohibited by the British, cannabis was widely popular as the following extract from the Indian Hemp Commission Report indicates - 'There
are only about fifty witnesses [out of 1,193 European and Native
witnesses before the Commission] who assert that no benefit whatever can
be derived by consumers from the moderate use of any form of these
drugs. The vast majority assert that in some one or other of their forms
they may produce at least temporarily beneficial effects. Many even of
those who regard the use of the drugs as on the whole baneful admit such
temporary benefits.'
Today, 38 US states out of 50 have legalized cannabis for medical purposes at the time of writing. Germany is Europe's biggest medical cannabis market. Italy and the Netherlands are the next two biggest markets in Europe. Australia has one of the biggest federally regulated medical marijuana markets outside North America, but it’s still considered nascent.
Versatility of cannabis in the treatment of a wide range of diseases
Cannabis is medicine for the brain, heart, liver, lungs, skin, bones, kidneys, digestive system, to name just a few. The list of medical conditions
for which cannabis can be used as medicine in US states now numbers
more than 30, and new conditions are being
added on a regular basis. Cannabis is universal medicine used in the treatment of anxiety, arthritis, autism, cancer, dementia, diabetes, epilepsy, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pain, PTSD, sexual problems, sleep disorders, for animals, as an antibiotic, for Parkinson's Disease, infectious diseases and HIV, just to name a few.
If we look at the medical conditions for which cannabis is prescribed as
medicine, in US states and European countries where cannabis has been
legalized for these purposes, we find a number of conditions that
include, as well as are different from, those in 19th century India.
Some of the conditions are - intractable epilepsy, seizure disorders,
severe nausea, severe or chronic pain, cachexia (wasting syndrome),
anorexia, hospice or palliative care, terminal illness, sickle cell
anemia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease,
Huntington’s disease, neuropathies, damage to the nervous tissue of the
spinal cord, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, traumatic
brain injury (TBI), chronic renal failure requiring dialysis,
spasticity, muscle spasms, cramping, appetite loss, severe vomiting,
hepatitis C, glaucoma, pain lasting longer than two weeks, autism,
ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer’s disease, neural-tube defects, idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis, neurodegenerative diseases, dyskinetic and spastic
movement disorders, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Tourette’s
syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, lupus, diabetes, obstructive sleep
apnea, spasmodic torticollis (cervical dystonia), inclusion body
myositis, anxiety, migraines, muscular dystrophy, chronic pancreatitis,
Ehler’s Danlos syndrome, nail-patella syndrome, Lennox-Gestaut syndrome,
Dravet syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia, syringomyelia, Tarlov cysts,
Sjogren’s syndrome, post-concussion syndrome, neurofibromatosis,
myasthenia gravis, myoclonus, hydrocephalus, hydromyelia, interstitial
cystitis, CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome type II), dystonia,
fibrous dysplasia, causalgia, chronic inflammatory demyelinating
polyneuropathy, Arnold-Chiari malformation, epidermolysis bullosa,
mitochondrial disease, decompensated cirrhosis, osteogenesis imperfecta,
cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, post herpetic neuralgia, post
laminectomy syndrome with chronic radiculopathy, severe psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis...
Cannabis was used to treat a wide range of communicable and non-communicable diseases in 19th century India.
The range of diseases that it was used for are evidence of its medical
potential. Even though questions posed by the Commission regarding the
nature of diseases that cannabis treated were pointed and led
respondents down a certain path, and even though the majority of
respondents were not medically qualified to respond to these questions,
we find a mind-boggling range of diseases emerging. If the Commission
had interviewed practitioners of natural medicine extensively, instead
of the handful among largely western educated medical experts and
medically unqualified persons, we may have got a better picture of the
use of cannabis as medicine in 19th century India.
Communicable and infectious diseases
Among
communicable and infectious diseases, we find the use of cannabis for
remittent fever, ague, cholera, malaria, dysentery, syphilis, gonorrhea
and hydrophobia, both as prophylactics and treatment. One witness states
that "I have been informed of cases in which attacks of intermittent
fevers (ague) have disappeared by a single process of smoking
ganja—cases I mean of jungle fevers, in which the administration of even
large doses of quinine have failed to ward off the attacks or in
districts in which quinine is not obtainable." Numerous witnesses speak about the use of cannabis, in places of wet conditions and "bad water", by soldiers, mendicants, and the working and labouring classes, to keep infectious diseases and epidemics at bay. The fact that cannabis was analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, diuretic, diaphoretic, digestive,
carminative, and disinfectant, among other things, may have contributed
to its popularity in these places. Admitting that cannabis may be
useful in treating or warding off infectious and epidemic diseases, the
Commission states that "There are also many cases where in tracts
with a specially malarious climate, or in circumstances of hard work and
exposure, the people attribute beneficial effects to the habitual
moderate use of these drugs; and there is evidence to show that the
popular impression may have some basis in fact."
Non-communicable diseases
The
use of cannabis for the treatment of non-communicable diseases,
involving numerous body systems, was even more extensive. The following
kinds of non-communicable diseases used cannabis for treatment and
medicine:
- Diseases of the nervous system - headache, hysteria, neuralgia, sciatica, delirium tremens, muscular rheumatism, brain fever, paralysis, mania
- Diseases of respiratory system - hay-fever, asthma, bronchitis, and coughs, burning symptoms in phthisis
- Diseases of the digestive system - flatulence, diarrhea, dyspepsia, piles, prolapsus ani, to regulate salivation, for irritability of the bladder, piles, fistula of anus, dysentery, for stricture and ulcers, to moderate excessive secretion of bile
- Diseases of the urinary and reproductive system - diabetes, impotency, stricture, spermatorrhea, hydrocele, incontinence of urine, swellings of the testicles, orchitis, cramps, gleet, in impotency on account of its supposed aphrodisiac power, uterine affections such as loss of blood from uterus, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, strangulated hernia, gout, to restrain seminal secretions, and as a diuretic
- Skin diseases - scabies, guinea-worm, fresh wounds and sores, inflammations and cure of erysipelas, pruritus, and boils. An oil prepared from bhang and other ingredients is prescribed in white leprosy, for catarrhal and skin diseases,
- As an antidote - against the poisons of fish and scorpions, poisoning by orpiment
- As a parasiticide - it was used for ear-aches caused by the presence of worms, guineaworms, applied to the head as a wash removes dandruff and vermin, and for treating tetanus. The ashes of burnt charas were said to be used for sciatica and worms.
- As an anodyne/analgesic - for allaying neuralgic pains, rheumatism, and gout, to allay pain in the chest and sides, "to relieve burning symptoms in phthisis," erysipelas, as an anaesthetic in dentistry, etc.
- As an anti-bacterial in the treatment of tetanus
Beside all the above, hemp drugs were also stated to be prescribed in diseases of the heart, brain and spleen.
Today, based on the latest scientific findings, we know that the endocannabinoid system, discovered as late as in the 1990s, is located throughout the human body, with higher concentrations in the digestive system, skin, brain, etc. The uses in the 19th century correlate largely to diseases in these parts of higher endocannabinoid receptor concentrations. Mind you, the questions which asked about specific diseases led to a narrow band of responses, with many choosing to restrict their responses to the specific diseases addressed in the questions. This, I believe, as stated earlier, along with the exclusion of native practitioners of cannabis as medicine, shows only a partial picture of the medicinal uses that cannabis was being used for in reality. In spite of all these drawbacks, the picture that emerges of cannabis as medicine is quite impressive and helps one understand why the Commission states that "Cannabis indica must be looked upon as one of the most important drugs of Indian Materia Medica." In the light of all this information, it is bizarre to see that the US first banned cannabis nationally, and then through the UN, got it banned internationally, citing that it has no medicinal value. Federally, in the US, cannabis is still a Schedule 1 substance, the most restrictive category where dangerous drugs with allegedly no medicinal value are listed, as the US government continues to support the industries opposed to cannabis, citing international treaties that it forced nations worldwide to sign up to. The UN, on the other hand, de-scheduled cannabis from its most stringent Schedule IV, and moved it to its least restrictive Schedule I. That, on the ground, has no positive impact for the common man, as cannabis faces the same control and restrictions as before, in spite of the change in UN Schedule. Just the opposite nature of the US and UN schedule numbering system is sufficient to wreck vast confusion on the people of the world.
Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anesthetic action of cannabis
One of the most common uses of cannabis as medicine was for the relief of pain,
being used either as local or general anodynes. Bhang poultices were
frequently mentioned as soothing local applications to painful parts;
and poultices were used for inflamed piles and over the seat of pain in liver
and bowel diseases, and to check inflammation and erysipelas.
Fumigation with the smoke from burning ganja or bhang was also used as a
local sedative in piles. A small fragment of charas was placed in a
carious tooth to relieve toothache. In cases of circumcision the drugs
were used as anesthetics, and a witness mentions that native doctors on
rare occasions substituted ganja for chloroform in operations. The
tincture of cannabis was used as a local anesthetic in extracting teeth.
One witness states that hemp drugs were used as a substitute for opium. My thinking is that hemp drugs superseded opium in the Indian sub-continent in the treatment of pain,
as the usage of hemp was much more pervasive and ancient, opium having
arrived from outside in more recent times. Cannabis posed a very serious
threat to the use of opium for treating pain. Opium was more favored by the British, and the prohibition of cannabis enabled opium to become the world's leading analgesic that it is today, with numerous pharmaceutical companies benefiting from opioids, besides a rampant illegal trade and a burgeoning number of deaths from opioid addiction and overdoses.
Harm Reduction Journal reports that today - 'Pain medication (67.2%), antidepressants (24.5%), and arthritis medication (20.7%) were the most common types of drugs replaced with CaM [cannabis as medicine]'
Some of the most popular pharmaceutical drugs are drugs for pain and inflammation, as well as anesthetics. Opioids, along with NSAIDs, form the bulk of the medications in this class today. The opium industry, legal and illegal, is one of the biggest gainers of the prohibition of cannabis. Together, they bring in vast revenues for the synthetic pharmaceutical industry. They also are some of the key classes driving global drug addiction. The common path of drug addiction is prescription opioids, heroin, fentanyl, and eventually, death in the pursuit of medicines to treat pain.
Tonic, digestive, stimulant, antispasmodic, astringent, and alterative effects of cannabis
When William S Burroughs wrote in his book Junk, published in 1952, about the benefits of cannabis as an aid to building an appetite, he said - 'I once kicked a junk habit with weed. The second day off junk I sat down and ate a full meal. Ordinarily, I can't eat for eight days after kicking a habit.'This aspect of cannabis, as a restorative tonic for bodies and minds, is further supported by the findings of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission - '469. Among the beneficial effects attributed to the drugs is their
effect as a food accessory or digestive. This effect is more generally
attributed to bhang than to the other two forms. But there are a large
number of witnesses who attribute it also to the smoking of ganja. The
"cooling and refreshing" cup of bhang taken by the well-to-do,
especially in the hot weather, to stimulate their energies and to create
an appetite for food is frequently in evidence. There would seem to be a
very general use of bhang in moderation as a stimulant and digestive by
the middle classes, especially in advancing years. Some of the most
intelligent and enterprising classes of the community are among those
who thus use bhang. This use is generally spoken of without any marked
condemnation, and often even with approval; for it is the practice of
the respectable classes. But after all there seems quite equally good
ground for believing that the chillum of ganja taken by the labouring
man after his food with the object of allaying weariness and assisting
digestion is no more harmful; and there are many witnesses whose
evidence is in this sense. The use of bhang in the one case is sometimes
compared to the glass of wine taken at meals by a moderate consumer of
alcohol, and the use of ganja in the other case to the labouring man's
glass of beer or even to his pipe of tobacco. It is possible also that
the effects of hemp drugs in this respect may be to a certain extent
comparable with those of tea.'
In another section, the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report states that - '465. The tonic, digestive, stimulant, antispasmodic, astringent, and
alterative effects of the drugs are mentioned by some witnesses. It is
probably on account of the supposed hæmostatic effect that powdered
charas is used as an application to cuts to check bleeding and induce
healing, and possibly the use of the drugs in menorrhagia is based on
similar reasoning. In this connection, however, it is interesting to
note that Dr. R. L. Dey, a medical officer of the Eastern Bengal State
Railway, in 1866 reported the successful treatment of a number of cases
of obstinate menorrhagia with tincture of Indian hemp and liquid extract
of ergot, although he could obtain no benefit from the use of ergot
administered with sulphuric and gallic acids and other hæmostatics. The
use of the drug as an ecbolic is also mentioned. According to Stillé and
Maisch (National Dispensatory), there is evidence to show that Cannabis
appears capable, directly or indirectly, of causing uterine
contraction, as in many cases of uterine hæmorrhage, and it is also said
to cause contraction in the pregnant uterus with as much energy as
ergot, but with less persistent action. Some witnesses refer to the
purgative action; it is quite possible that a chillum of ganja may act
in the same way as the morning pipe does with many Europeans.'
Many are finding out today, after bitter experiences with the substitutes that modern society has provided for cannabis, that cannabis is a harm reduction alternative for recovering from the ravages to the body and mind through prolonged use of alcohol, methamphetamine,opioids, tobacco, cocaine, synthetic cannabis, novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and non-medical use of prescription drugs. Cannabis is increasingly being prescribed in western medical systems for the treatment of victims of these highly dangerous and addictive synthetic drugs.
Cannabis for staying power and to alleviate fatigue
Today, a number of elite sports persons use cannabis to recover quickly from pain, injuries, fatigue and to build up endurance. In the past, this aspect of cannabis was one of the key reasons why it was popular with the working and laboring classes in India until the end of the 19th century. In this regard, The Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report says - '470. The use of these drugs to give staying-power under severe exertion or exposure or to alleviate fatigue is very largely in evidence. Here it is ganja especially which is credited with these beneficial effects. For ganja is far more extensively used than bhang by the labouring classes. The latter is mainly used by persons like the Chaubes of Mathra, who are very frequently referred to, and professional wrestlers. Gymnasts, wrestlers and musicians, palki-bearers and porters, divers and postal runners, are examples of the classes who use the hemp drugs on occasions of especially severe exertion. Fishermen and boatmen, singhara cultivators working in tanks, dhobis and night watchmen, mendicants and pilgrims, are named as among those who use them under severe exposure. All classes of labourers, especially such as blacksmiths, miners, and coolies, are said more or less generally to use the drugs as a rule in moderation to alleviate fatigue.'
Cannabis as a febrifuge and diuretic in the treatment of fevers
There appears to be contradicting statements in the Indian Hemp Commission Report regarding the febrifuge properties of cannabis, though the report seems to agree that cannabis does possess diuretic properties that are beneficial in the treatment of fevers.'464. There appears to be but little doubt that when bhang is used by natives in fever, the benefit accrues on account of its diuretic action, and not because it possesses any real febrifuge properties. It is not known to possess the latter.' - Vol 1, Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895, https://digital.nls.uk/74464868
'471. There is also a large body of evidence showing that hemp drugs, both as smoked and as drunk, are used as a febrifuge or preventive of the diseases common in malarious tracts or arising from the use of bad water. This is the justification alleged for the habitual use of these drugs in certain localities. Here, of course, the experience of the witnesses is more limited; but the evidence is very considerable. Labourers in malarious tracts and cultivators of wet and marshy lands, jungle tribes, and those who have to work or reside in jungle tracts, are among those who are said to use the drugs for these purposes. It is impossible also to shut the eyes to the evidence which often comes up unexpectedly, showing that respectable and intelligent people going on duty to such tracts, and sepoys sent on foreign service or garrisoning comparatively unhealthy districts, often take to these drugs for these purposes.' - Vol 1, Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894-1895, https://digital.nls.uk/74464868
Immediate physical effects of cannabis
The immediate physical effects of cannabis are probably the reason why it is the most popular medicine, wrongly classified as a recreational drug along with dangerous synthetic drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine by the UN in its list of scheduled drugs, and by nearly all countries in their list of banned and controlled substances. The effects of cannabis are profound to say the least. Once legalized again, it is likely to surpass other stimulants such as tea, coffee, wine, beer and tobacco in its usage. It does so many good things for the individual that, in today's world, to get the equivalent amount of benefit, one would need to use a number of the existing stimulants, including synthetic stimulants, in combination. At the end of it, these substitute cocktails are more likely to kill you than stimulate you. As the Indian Hemp Commission Reports states - '485. Judging from the replies of several witnesses, the immediate effect of the moderate use of any of the hemp drugs on the habitual consumer is refreshing and stimulating, and alleviates fatigue, giving rise to pleasurable sensations all over the nervous system, so that the consumer is "at peace with everybody"—in a grand waking dream. He is able to concentrate his thoughts on one subject: it affords him pleasure, vigour, ready wit, capacity for hard work, and sharpness for business; it has a quieting effect on the nervous system, and removes restlessness and induces forgetfulness of mental troubles; all sorts of grotesque ideas rapidly pass through the mind, with a tendency to talk; it brightens the eyes, and, like a good cigar, gives content; the man feels jolly, sings songs, and tells good stories; it causes bravery in the brave and cowardice in the timid, and, like alcohol, brings out the real character of the man. In young men it may give rise to sensual thoughts, and aphrodisiac effects are mentioned.'
Adverse short and long terms effects of cannabis compared to current legally available replacements.
The immediate adverse side effects are few, as highlighted above in the section on Immediate physical effects of cannabis usage. A feeling of inebriation lasts for a few minutes, as the brain comes to terms with the plant's effects, before everything is crystal clear. This inebriation is most evident in novice users. With regular usage, the feelings of loss of control are reduced, as one knows what to expect and the dosage that is suitable for oneself. In terms of long term adverse effects from prolonged usage, the three adverse side effects from extensive usage consistently cited since investigations into the nature of cannabis began by modern society are - damage to lungs with increased probability of asthma or bronchitis, links with insanity and links with crime. All three alleged side effects have been repeatedly proven wrong, or controversial at the minimum, by scientific studies. Cannabis is regarded as medicine for the lungs. It can also be safely said that cannabis does not cause anywhere are much damage to the human lungs as the legally available tobacco which kills millions of people each year. Also the link with insanity and the link with crimes have been repeatedly disproved, with ample evidence emerging from recently legalized places like Uruguay and Canada, the US states with cannabis legalized in some form, and the numerous European countries now legalizing cannabis for medical use. All said and done, the strongest linkage with insanity and violent crime is that of the legally available alcohol. When we talk of prescription medicine, all medicines listed in the WHO's list of essential medicines have such devastating side effects that if used over reasonably long periods of time, as is the case in most instances where patients take prescription medicine daily for decades, the user is likely to end up with a damaged brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys or digestive system. The probability of contracting multiple forms of cancer is also very high. So that is where we stand with the short and long term
side effects of cannabis in comparison to tobacco, alcohol and synthetic
drugs - legal and illegal that have been provided as replacements for
cannabis as medicine.
Cannabis dosage and safety profile
The amount of a drug normally ingested to the amount that can prove fatal is known as its safe dosage to lethal dosage ratio, or its safety profile. For cannabis, its safe to lethal dosage ratio is in the order of around 1:40000, according to Lester Grinspoon, i.e. it is nearly impossible to ingest sufficient amounts of cannabis in a short time, resulting in an overdose. With most of the pharmaceutical drugs listed as essential medicine by the WHO, the ratio of safe to lethal dosage is often in the range of 1:5-10. With alcohol, it can be 1:6, and with fentanyl it could be 1:2, i.e. if you take even twice the normal amount, you could easily die. Considering that the normal amount of fentanyl, 50 times more potent than heroin, is about the size of a pin head, your margins for error are very low. The number of deaths due to cannabis since it began being used by humans tens of thousands of years ago is about zero whereas already the number of deaths from opioids run into hundreds of thousands per year and considering Covid, which is a mask for pharmaceutical drug overdose, the overall deaths every year run into tens of millions, at least.
It is widely acknowledged that most cannabis consumers are moderate users. Even for the persons labelled as excessive users (there being no scientific basis for classifying use as excessive), these persons have been found to suffer none of the extreme withdrawal symptoms that are evident if an excessive opioid user's supply is suddenly stopped.
Cannabis is suitable medicine for the elderly, women and children, besides men. It was widely used as medicine by all these demographics in India until the end of the 19th century. Cannabis can be safely administered to persons of all ages. Cannabis can be administered in a number of ways.
The legal status of cannabis today
The US classified cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, alongside the most dangerous substances that have no medical use and that require the highest control, through the Marihuana Act of 1937 and the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
Through these moves, cannabis was moved from the category of plant
medicine, where it had always been from as long back as humans could
remember, to the category of recreational drugs, along with cocaine and amphetamine, two highly dangerous synthetic drugs. The US also pushed though global cannabis prohibition through the UN, with the support of countries like Britain and Canada, two of the earliest nations to ban cannabis in their colonies in the hope of selling tobacco, alcohol and opium.
Through this, thousands of years of human medical knowledge from across
the world was overturned, and a subsequent war against one of the
world's foremost plant medicines started. The chief motivation behind
these actions was to protect a number of industries that viewed cannabis as a threat,
including the alcohol industry emerging from prohibition in the 1930s,
and the newly developing synthetic pharmaceutical industry in the USA, UK and Europe. The pharmaceutical industry and the medical community embraced opioids
and other synthetic compounds and made trillions producing, packaging
and prescribing them to billions of people worldwide. It took the opioid
and prescription drug epidemic in the US to shake it out of its opium
induced state of mind. Suddenly the realization that a large part of
American society was addicted to prescription medicine, opioids, novel psychotropic substances, synthetic cannabinoids and alcohol,
and that these addictions were causing fatal deaths in large numbers,
starting coming to the public notice. In parallel, many people who
understood and rejected synthetic medicine, continued to use cannabis
for medical purposes and demanded their right to use it as medicine. California
was the first US state to legalize cannabis for medical purposes. It
was soon followed by a number of other states. The result is that 38 states in the US have legalized cannabis for medical use at the
time of writing.
The state of modern medicine
Modern pharmaceutical drugs have a life history of not more than a few decades. Recently pharmaceutical companies
have started to completely shun plant based medicine. With plant based
medicine, there is only so much uniqueness that a pharma company can
bring to its drugs before they are copied by competitors. Patenting a
natural plant is not very feasible since the pharma company cannot lay
claim to nature. Through their research, these companies now come up
with molecules, containing unique compositions, that they can patent and
sell at high prices proclaiming the uniqueness of the medicine. Since
they are new compounds that the human body has not evolved with over
long periods of time, their long term effects are largely unknown. Many
of these drugs do not have life spans of more than a few years, by
which time research and studies on patients reveal their dangerous, and
often, fatal side effects. They are hastily researched, fast forwarded
through clinical trials and then released, marketed and prescribed to
the masses. Yet, the pharmaceutical companies
with hundreds of billions of dollars worth of capital, are able to grow
and thrive enslaving hundreds of millions of humans. These companies
enjoy widespread support from policy makers and the medical
industry, not because of the effectiveness of their products, but
because of the lobbying and money power that they wield. The
effectiveness of these medications are quite often measured on the basis
of their uniqueness, ability to capture market and revenue potential
rather than their treatment potential. With their clout, modern pharmaceutical industries have completely buried natural medicine. The entire system of medical education, medical practice, medical research and medical policy making is aligned to these synthetic pharmaceuticals. Vast amounts of money are pumped into medical education, teaching posts, jobs, research studies to completely destroy all forms of natural medicine. The narrative against natural medicine is so powerful today that the general public, media and policy makers completely trust modern synthetic medicine and look at natural medicine as the domain of quacks.
The
landscape of pharmaceuticals today strongly resemble the landscape of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. What chemical pesticides and
fertilizers have done to our environment, water and food, the modern
synthetic pharmaceutical industry has done to our health. It has taken
the human body out of its natural evolutionary mechanisms that have been
geared to face any natural threat, and plunged it into a world of
man-made synthetic drugs outside the realms of natural evolutionary
experience. Rachel Carson, in her seminal book, Silent Spring, wrote in
1962 about the dangers to human health with the continuation down the
path of synthetics but it appears that just as with chemical pesticides
and fertilizers, nobody has paid heed to her warnings regarding
synthetic drugs. The lethal and destructive nature of pharmaceuticals
have only increased exponentially with the discovery of new chemical
compounds, just as chemical fertilizers and pesticides have become
increasingly complex and potent.
She writes - 'The major features of cellular organization, including, for instance,
mitosis, must be much older than 500 million years old - more nearly
1000 million,' wrote Geroge Gaylord Simpson and his colleagues
Pittendrigh and Tiffany in their broadly encompassing book entitled
Life. 'In this sense the world of life, which is surely fragile and
complex, is incredibly durable through time - more durable than
mountains. This durability is wholly dependent on the almost incredible
accuracy with which the inherited information is copied from generation
to generation.' But in all the thousand million years envisioned
by these authors no threat has struck so directly and so forcefully at
that 'incredible accuracy' as the mid-20th century threat of man-made
radiation and man-made and man-disseminated chemicals. Sir Macfarlane
Burnet, a distinguished Australian physician and a Nobel Prize winner,
considers it 'one of the most significant medical features' of our time
that, 'as a by-product of more and more powerful therapeutic procedures
and the production of chemical substances outside of biological
experiences, the normal protective barriers that kept mutagenic agents
from the internal organs have been more and more frequently penetrated.'
The deaths from prolonged use of prescription medicine and other legal and illegal drugs is so high that they are now a pandemic of global proportions. For example, antibiotic resistance is now a global threat. To mask this synthetic drug pandemic that kills tens of millions each year globally, the synthetic pharmaceutical industry and medical industry,
in cohorts with governments and policy makers, have unleashed, in 2020,
a false narrative about a dangerous virus that mutates and kills,
unless one is, ironically, vaccinated with another of the same
pharmaceutical medicines that are the root cause of the problem in the
first place. All deaths from prescription drug misuse have been neatly
parked under the specially concocted disease, possibly originating from a natural virus tweaked for these purposes, to hoodwink the public, as
pharmaceutical companies, governments and the medical industry continue
to profit from these deadly synthetic drugs even as the death toll from their improper use mounts globally.
Globally, nations who are yet to wake up to the pharmaceutical catastrophe continue to keep the status of the plant illegal and actively oppose legalization. Some countries have legalized cannabis for medical use, even as they continue to oppose cannabis for recreational purposes. Germany, Israel, and a number of other countries fall in this category. Many physicians would like to support cannabis but they cite federal laws as barriers. Most physicians are well endorsed by pharmaceutical companies and are, hence, not just reluctant to recommend cannabis, but strongly opposed to it.
It is the patient who is driving the change, in terms of moving away from prescription medicines and towards cannabis as medicine. Harm Reduction Journal reports that - 'The final sample included 2.841 respondents of which the majority (91%) used non-prescribed cannabis, and more than half (54.6%) had used CaM [cannabis as medicine] with the purpose of replacing a prescribed drug. Compared to non-substitution users, substitution users were more likely to be women and to use CaM in the treatment of chronic pain and other somatic conditions. Pain medication (67.2%), antidepressants (24.5%), and arthritis medication (20.7%) were the most common types of drugs replaced with CaM. Among substitution users, 38.1% reported termination of prescription drug use, and 45.9% a substantial decrease in prescription drug use. The most frequent type of cannabis used as a substitute was CBD-oil (65.2%), followed by ‘hash, pot or skunk’ (36.6%). More than half (65.8%) found CaM much more effective compared to prescription drugs, and 85.5% that the side effects associated with prescription drug use were much worse compared to use of CaM.'
Legalizing cannabis for medical use is not enough
It is not enough to legalize cannabis for medical use only. Legalization of cannabis for medical use, results in cannabis becoming just another pharmaceutical drug, in the control of pharmaceutical industries, the medical industry and governments. Cannabis then becomes expensive and inaccessible to the majority of persons who need it the most as medicine, the poor and the indigenous communities, for whom cannabis was always their precious medicine, who cannot pay a doctor or a pharmacy the amount of money required to purchase cannabis as medicine. Cannabis must be legalized for all purposes and treated just like any other plant. Only then can people grow cannabis freely, making it inexpensive and universally accessible. Cannabis is grown in nearly all the countries of the world. It is one of the most natural and sustainable forms of medicine possible, unlike synthetic pharmaceutical drugs that cause vast damage to the environment through their entire cycle of manufacture, distribution, usage and disposal. Cannabis is universal preventive medicine that can preempt the occurrence of a vast number of illnesses, both natural and man-made. Hence it should be at the center of universal health care. Instead it finds itself outlawed due to the very same reasons. To the modern synthetic pharmaceutical industry and the medical industry that thrives on synthetic drugs, cannabis represents the worst nightmare. It can hugely dent all the plans and schemes of getting rich by these industries. Already the signs are ominous. Many patients in legalized scenarios are replacing dozens of prescription medicines with cannabis.
The health movement that is bringing about the revival of cannabis, however, is not a movement led by physicians or today's powerful institutions, it is a grassroots level movement driven by individuals who are making their own health decisions, even if it is contrary to what physicians, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, media and law enforcement are saying. It is this grassroots level movement that has brought legalization in some form in the 47 odd US states and in countries like Canada, Uruguay, Germany, France, Netherlands, South Africa, Israel, Spain, Italy, Norway, Thailand, Luxembourg, Switzerland, New Zealand, etc. It is this grassroots level movement worldwide that is the hope for humanity worldwide.
'Health is good - power, life, that resists disease, poison and all
enemies, and is conservative as well as creative. Here is question,
every spring, whether to graft with wax, or whether with clay; whether
to whitewash, or to potash, or to prune; but the one point is the
thrifty tree. A good tree that agrees with the soil will grow in spite
of blight, or bug, or pruning, or neglect, by night and by day, in all
weathers and all treatments. Vivacity, leadership, must be had, and we
are not allowed to be nice in choosing. We must fetch the pump with
dirty water, if clean cannot be had. If we will make bread, we must have
contagion, yeast, emptyings, or what not, to induce fermentation into
the dough; as the torpid artist seeks inspiration at any cost, by virtue
or by vice, by friend or by fiend, by prayer or by wine. And we have a
certain instinct that where is great amount of life, though gross or
peccant, it has its own checks and purifications, and will be found at
last in harmony with moral laws.'- Power, Emerson The Writings of
America's Sage
Related articles
The following set of articles taken from various scientific journals and news articles appearing in media speak about cannabis as medicine, its uses, hurdles, opposition and way forward. Words in italics are the thoughts and comments of yours truly at the time of reading the respective article. 'What are the potential benefits that are driving people to incorporate CBD products into their lifestyles?
“In general, we are seeing CBD products be helpful for things like pain — especially related to arthritic-related pain — fibromyalgia, migraine . . . endometriosis, pelvic pain, period pain,” said Dr. Sherry Yafai, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, cannabis specialist, and medical director at The ReLeaf Institute in Los Angeles
“We are seeing a huge spike in CBD hemp-based products usage in both the pediatric and the elderly populations, and for good reason. Those are both populations that historically we don’t have great medications for treatment of significant diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, pediatric seizures, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS,” Yafai added.'
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/30-percent-adults-are-interested-cbd
“In general, we are seeing CBD products be helpful for things like pain — especially related to arthritic-related pain — fibromyalgia, migraine . . . endometriosis, pelvic pain, period pain,” said Dr. Sherry Yafai, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, cannabis specialist, and medical director at The ReLeaf Institute in Los Angeles
“We are seeing a huge spike in CBD hemp-based products usage in both the pediatric and the elderly populations, and for good reason. Those are both populations that historically we don’t have great medications for treatment of significant diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, pediatric seizures, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS,” Yafai added.'
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/30-percent-adults-are-interested-cbd
The percentage of US adults who acknowledge possessing a doctor’s authorization to use cannabis products doubled between the years 2013 and 2020, according to data published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
A pair of researchers affiliated with Yale University School of Medicine assessed data provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. They reported that the percentage of adults who self-reported consuming cannabis under the authorization of their physician increased from 1.2 percent in 2013 to 2.5 percent in 2020.
Based on 2020 census data, that percentage calculates to approximately 8.3 million people.
Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Cannabis has established efficacy in the treatment of multiple conditions, including chronic pain, and it possesses a safety profile that is often superior to other controlled substances. So it is no wonder that an increasing number of Americans are choosing it as a therapeutic option, and in many cases, they are substituting cannabis in lieu of other potentially less effective and more harmful substances.”
The production and dispensing of cannabis products is currently regulated in 37 states and in the District of Columbia. Several additional states regulate access to low-THC/high-CBD formulations of cannabis.
https://norml.org/blog/2023/03/14/analysis-percentage-of-americans-acknowledging-medical-cannabis-use-has-doubled-since-2013/
Patients enrolled in the registry suffered from a variety of disorders, including chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions. Study participants consumed cannabis by either vaporizing marijuana flowers or by ingesting plant-derived extracts containing both THC and CBD. Researchers assessed subjects’ symptoms compared to baseline at one, three, six, and twelve months.
Authors reported that the majority of patients experienced sustained improvements following cannabis therapy. Adverse events associated with cannabis were typically mild, with the most frequently reported side-effects being dry mouth and fatigue.
They concluded: “This observational study suggests that initiating treatment with CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] is associated with an improvement in general HRQoL [health-related quality of life], as well as sleep- and anxiety-specific symptoms up to 12 months in patients with chronic illness. … Most patients tolerated the treatment well, however, the risk of AEs [adverse events] should be considered before initiating CBMPs. In particular, female and cannabis-naïve patients are at increased likelihood of experiencing adverse events. These findings may help to inform current clinical practice, but most importantly, highlights the need for further clinical trials to determine causality and generate guidelines to optimize therapy with CBMPs.”
https://norml.org/news/2023/03/09/study-cannabis-products-improve-health-related-quality-of-life-in-patients-with-chronic-illnesses/
A pair of researchers affiliated with Yale University School of Medicine assessed data provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. They reported that the percentage of adults who self-reported consuming cannabis under the authorization of their physician increased from 1.2 percent in 2013 to 2.5 percent in 2020.
Based on 2020 census data, that percentage calculates to approximately 8.3 million people.
Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Cannabis has established efficacy in the treatment of multiple conditions, including chronic pain, and it possesses a safety profile that is often superior to other controlled substances. So it is no wonder that an increasing number of Americans are choosing it as a therapeutic option, and in many cases, they are substituting cannabis in lieu of other potentially less effective and more harmful substances.”
The production and dispensing of cannabis products is currently regulated in 37 states and in the District of Columbia. Several additional states regulate access to low-THC/high-CBD formulations of cannabis.
https://norml.org/blog/2023/03/14/analysis-percentage-of-americans-acknowledging-medical-cannabis-use-has-doubled-since-2013/
Patients enrolled in the registry suffered from a variety of disorders, including chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions. Study participants consumed cannabis by either vaporizing marijuana flowers or by ingesting plant-derived extracts containing both THC and CBD. Researchers assessed subjects’ symptoms compared to baseline at one, three, six, and twelve months.
Authors reported that the majority of patients experienced sustained improvements following cannabis therapy. Adverse events associated with cannabis were typically mild, with the most frequently reported side-effects being dry mouth and fatigue.
They concluded: “This observational study suggests that initiating treatment with CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] is associated with an improvement in general HRQoL [health-related quality of life], as well as sleep- and anxiety-specific symptoms up to 12 months in patients with chronic illness. … Most patients tolerated the treatment well, however, the risk of AEs [adverse events] should be considered before initiating CBMPs. In particular, female and cannabis-naïve patients are at increased likelihood of experiencing adverse events. These findings may help to inform current clinical practice, but most importantly, highlights the need for further clinical trials to determine causality and generate guidelines to optimize therapy with CBMPs.”
https://norml.org/news/2023/03/09/study-cannabis-products-improve-health-related-quality-of-life-in-patients-with-chronic-illnesses/
'Since NORML issued the previous edition of this report in 2017, scientists have published thousands of studies relevant to the medicinal properties of cannabis. This is reflected in NORML’s latest publication, which highlights nearly 100 newly published studies — making it one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive compendiums on the utility of medical cannabis available.
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 3,600 papers. In all, PubMed now cites over 38,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/11/01/new-norml-book-summarizing-hundreds-of-studies-assessing-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-cannabis-for-patients-now-available-on-kindle/
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 3,600 papers. In all, PubMed now cites over 38,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/11/01/new-norml-book-summarizing-hundreds-of-studies-assessing-the-safety-and-efficacy-of-cannabis-for-patients-now-available-on-kindle/
'Research into the use of cannabinoids for disease treatment have led to FDA-approved drugs for seizures, nausea, and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy; and for decreased appetite and weight loss in people with HIV/AIDS. For a wide variety of conditions and symptoms (including chronic pain), cannabis has gained increasing acceptance in society. The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in pain pathways have been significantly elucidated. An increasing number of retrospective studies have shown a decrease in pain scores after administration of cannabinoids, as well as long-term benefits such as reduced opiate use. Yet, there is no FDA-approved cannabis product for headache or other chronic pain disorders. More is being done to determine who is likely to benefit from cannabis as well as to understand the long-term effects and limitations of the treatment.'
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-021-00974-z
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-021-00974-z
'Results: Most of the samples (n=65; 51.2%) reported use of CBG-predominant products solely for medical purposes (n=46; 36.2% reported use for medical and recreational purposes; n=8; 6.3% reported recreational use only, and n=8 were missing). The most common conditions the complete sample reported using CBG to treat were anxiety (51.2%), chronic pain (40.9%), depression (33.1%), and insomnia/disturbed sleep (30.7%). Efficacy was highly rated, with the majority reporting their conditions were “very much improved” or “much improved” by CBG. Furthermore, 73.9% claimed superiority of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional medicines for chronic pain, 80% for depression, 73% for insomnia, and 78.3% for anxiety. Forty-four percent of CBG-predominant cannabis users reported no adverse events, with 16.5% noting dry mouth, 15% sleepiness, 11.8% increased appetite, and 8.7% dry eyes. Around 84.3% reported no withdrawal symptoms, with sleep difficulties representing the most frequently endorsed withdrawal symptom (endorsed by two respondents).
Conclusions: This is the first patient survey of CBG-predominant cannabis use to date, and the first to document self-reported efficacy of CBG-predominant products, particularly for anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia. Most respondents reported greater efficacy of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional pharmacotherapy, with a benign adverse event profile and negligible withdrawal symptoms. This study establishes that humans are employing CBG and suggests that CBG-predominant cannabis-based medicines should be studied in randomized controlled trials.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/can.2021.0058
Conclusions: This is the first patient survey of CBG-predominant cannabis use to date, and the first to document self-reported efficacy of CBG-predominant products, particularly for anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia. Most respondents reported greater efficacy of CBG-predominant cannabis over conventional pharmacotherapy, with a benign adverse event profile and negligible withdrawal symptoms. This study establishes that humans are employing CBG and suggests that CBG-predominant cannabis-based medicines should be studied in randomized controlled trials.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/can.2021.0058
' Abstract
Medical use of Cannabis (or hemp) began thousands of years ago. In the 20th century, mechanisms of action were demonstrated with the discovery of its active substances, the phytocannabinoids, and its pharmacological targets, the endocannabinoid system. This system is composed of receptors, endogenous substances, and enzymes, and it participates in the modulation of physiological mechanisms in several species, including dogs. Studies indicate that changes in this system may contribute to the genesis of some diseases. Therefore, the use of substances that act on its components may help in the treatment of these diseases. The main phytocannabinoids described are delta9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In humans, the benefits of using CBD in several diseases have been demonstrated. The popularization of this type of treatment has also reached veterinary medicine, which on one hand was related to an increase in adverse event records, but on the other also allowed reports of anecdotal evidences of its effectiveness and safety in animals. Clinical studies published so far indicate that the use of CBD in dogs can be safe at given doses and can contribute to osteoarthritis and idiopathic epilepsy treatments. Clinical and pre-clinical studies and case reports were reviewed in this report to identify the main characteristics of hemp-based therapies in dogs, including its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy in the treatment of diseases.'
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34605042/
Medical use of Cannabis (or hemp) began thousands of years ago. In the 20th century, mechanisms of action were demonstrated with the discovery of its active substances, the phytocannabinoids, and its pharmacological targets, the endocannabinoid system. This system is composed of receptors, endogenous substances, and enzymes, and it participates in the modulation of physiological mechanisms in several species, including dogs. Studies indicate that changes in this system may contribute to the genesis of some diseases. Therefore, the use of substances that act on its components may help in the treatment of these diseases. The main phytocannabinoids described are delta9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In humans, the benefits of using CBD in several diseases have been demonstrated. The popularization of this type of treatment has also reached veterinary medicine, which on one hand was related to an increase in adverse event records, but on the other also allowed reports of anecdotal evidences of its effectiveness and safety in animals. Clinical studies published so far indicate that the use of CBD in dogs can be safe at given doses and can contribute to osteoarthritis and idiopathic epilepsy treatments. Clinical and pre-clinical studies and case reports were reviewed in this report to identify the main characteristics of hemp-based therapies in dogs, including its pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy in the treatment of diseases.'
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34605042/
'A small but growing number of states now permit eligible patients to be reimbursed for their medical cannabis-related costs through their workers’ compensation insurance (WCI) plans, according to an analysis of state policies conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Researchers affiliated with the federal agency assessed rules and regulations in 36 states permitting medical cannabis access. They identified six states – Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York – that explicitly allow for employees to have their medical cannabis expenses reimbursed. In three of those states – New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York – reimbursements were ordered by the courts earlier this year.
By contrast, authors identified six states where workers’ compensation insurance is expressly prohibited from reimbursing medical marijuana-related costs: Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, and Washington. '
https://norml.org/news/2021/09/23/analysis-growing-number-of-states-allow-medical-cannabis-costs-to-be-reimbursed-by-workers-compensation-insurance
Researchers affiliated with the federal agency assessed rules and regulations in 36 states permitting medical cannabis access. They identified six states – Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York – that explicitly allow for employees to have their medical cannabis expenses reimbursed. In three of those states – New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York – reimbursements were ordered by the courts earlier this year.
By contrast, authors identified six states where workers’ compensation insurance is expressly prohibited from reimbursing medical marijuana-related costs: Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, North Dakota, Ohio, and Washington. '
https://norml.org/news/2021/09/23/analysis-growing-number-of-states-allow-medical-cannabis-costs-to-be-reimbursed-by-workers-compensation-insurance
'Results. A total of 351 patients were located, and 319 completed the questionnaire. Mean age was 46 ± 12 years, 76% were female, 82% had fibromyalgia, ~9% had mechanical problems, ~4% had inflammatory problems, ~4% had neurological problems, and ~1% had other problems. The average monthly consumed dose of MC was 31, 35, 36, and 32g, with mean pain level reduction of 77%, 82%, 83%, and 57%, and mean sleep quality improvement of 78%, 71%, 87%, and 76% among patients with fibromyalgia, mechanical, neuropathic, and inflammatory problems, respectively. Mean THC and CBD contents were 18.38% ± 4.96 and 2.62% ± 4.87, respectively. The THC concentration, duration of MC consumption, and MC consumption dose had independent significant correlations with pain reduction while only the duration of MC consumption had an independent significant correlation with sleep quality improvement. Conclusions. MC had a favorable effect on pain level and quality of sleep among all spectrums of problems at the rheumatology clinic.'
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/prm/2021/1756588/
'This review highlights the chemistry, types and biological activities of the cannabinoids such as THC, CBD and CBN in focus with their anticancer activity, neuroprotective effect and nanoformulating the cannabinoid drugs.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135951132100266X
Updated Sep 09, 2021 9:35:26pm
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cannabis-researchers-seek-to-unlock-the-healing-power-of-pot-11630674984
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135951132100266X
Updated Sep 09, 2021 9:35:26pm
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cannabis-researchers-seek-to-unlock-the-healing-power-of-pot-11630674984
'High THC concentrations were observed in lungs, moderate concentrations were seen in the brain, heart, and kidneys, and low concentrations were noted in the liver. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was constructed to describe blood and tissue THC concentrations in rabbits following the administration of smoked cannabis by inhalation...The findings add substantially to our understanding of postmortem cannabinoid concentrations and can aid forensic toxicologists in the interpretation of cannabinoid findings in death investigations.'
https://shareok.org/handle/11244/330177
https://shareok.org/handle/11244/330177
'Raphael Mechoulam, one of the most esteemed cannabis researchers in history, calls cannabis a “neglected pharmacological treasure trove” in a 2005 paper. Neglected by researchers? Absolutely. But to some extent, by consumers like us, too.
For decades, cannabis has been regarded primarily as a vessel for the almighty high-bringer that is THC. Even in legal markets with a wide variety of options, many people still reach for the strain with the highest THC content.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/cannabis-entourage-effect-why-thc-and-cbd-only-medicines-arent-g
'While it is true that the revised provision, as was the case in the prior language, states that federal funds cannot be used to pay for marijuana, the spokesperson initially avoided commenting on the new deletion of the broader prohibition on grants going to entities that otherwise allow patients to use medical cannabis to treat substance use or mental disorders.
“You can see from our recent press releases that SAMHSA’s priorities are to expand opportunities for people to get into treatment, as well as to grow the behavioral health workforce,” he added in response to a follow-up question. “Funds from SAMHSA, a federal agency, cannot be used to purchase a federally prohibited substance.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-agency-loosens-marijuana-related-grant-funding-restrictions-for-mental-health-treatment/
For decades, cannabis has been regarded primarily as a vessel for the almighty high-bringer that is THC. Even in legal markets with a wide variety of options, many people still reach for the strain with the highest THC content.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/cannabis-entourage-effect-why-thc-and-cbd-only-medicines-arent-g
'While it is true that the revised provision, as was the case in the prior language, states that federal funds cannot be used to pay for marijuana, the spokesperson initially avoided commenting on the new deletion of the broader prohibition on grants going to entities that otherwise allow patients to use medical cannabis to treat substance use or mental disorders.
“You can see from our recent press releases that SAMHSA’s priorities are to expand opportunities for people to get into treatment, as well as to grow the behavioral health workforce,” he added in response to a follow-up question. “Funds from SAMHSA, a federal agency, cannot be used to purchase a federally prohibited substance.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-agency-loosens-marijuana-related-grant-funding-restrictions-for-mental-health-treatment/
'This updated edition reviews over 450 peer-reviewed studies assessing the safety and efficacy of either whole-plant cannabis or individual cannabinoids in 23 different patient populations, including autism, chronic pain, diabetes, fibromyalgia, migraine, and post-traumatic stress.
Since NORML issued the previous edition of this report in 2017, scientists have published thousands of studies relevant to the medicinal properties of cannabis. This is reflected in NORML’s new report, which highlights nearly 100 newly published studies — making it one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive compendiums on the utility of medical cannabis available.
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 2,600 papers. In all, PubMed.gov now cites over 37,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/28/revised-for-2021-norml-report-highlights-over-450-studies-assessing-the-therapeutic-efficacy-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids/
Since NORML issued the previous edition of this report in 2017, scientists have published thousands of studies relevant to the medicinal properties of cannabis. This is reflected in NORML’s new report, which highlights nearly 100 newly published studies — making it one of the most up-to-date and comprehensive compendiums on the utility of medical cannabis available.
Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientific interest in cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years. In 2020, researchers worldwide published a record 3,500+ scientific papers on the subject of cannabis, according to data compiled by the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. So far this year, scientists have published over 2,600 papers. In all, PubMed.gov now cites over 37,000 scientific papers on the topic of cannabis.'
https://norml.org/blog/2021/07/28/revised-for-2021-norml-report-highlights-over-450-studies-assessing-the-therapeutic-efficacy-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids/
'Chronic inflammation is considered to be a silent killer because it is the underlying cause of a wide range of clinical disorders, from cardiovascular to neurological diseases, and from cancer to obesity. In addition, there are over 80 different types of debilitating autoimmune diseases for which there are no cure. Currently, the drugs that are available to suppress chronic inflammation are either ineffective or overtly suppress the inflammation, thereby causing increased susceptibility to infections and cancer. Thus, the development of a new class of drugs that can suppress chronic inflammation is imperative. Cannabinoids are a group of compounds produced in the body (endocannabinoids) or found in cannabis (phytocannabinoids) that act through cannabinoid receptors and various other receptors expressed widely in the brain and immune system. In the last decade, cannabinoids have been well established experimentally to mediate anti-inflammatory properties. Research has shown that they suppress inflammation through multiple pathways, including apoptosis and inducing immunosuppressive T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Interestingly, cannabinoids also mediate epigenetic alterations in genes that regulate inflammation. In the current review, we highlight how the epigenetic modulations caused by cannabinoids lead to the suppression of inflammation and help identify novel pathways that can be used to target autoimmune diseases.'
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/14/7302
'Results
This review identified 12 cost-utility analyses conducted across a variety of diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) (N = 8), pediatric drug-resistant epilepsies (N = 2), and chronic pain (N = 2). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio varied widely from cost saving to more than US $451?800 per quality-adjusted life-year depending on the setting, perspectives, types of medicinal cannabis, and indications. Nabiximols is a cost-effective intervention for MS spasticity in multiple European settings. Cannabidiol was found to be a cost-effective for Dravet syndrome in a Canadian setting whereas a cost-utility analysis conducted in a US setting deemed cannabidiol to be not cost-effective for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Overall study quality was good, with publications meeting 70% to 100% (median 83%) of the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist criteria.
Conclusions
Medicinal cannabis-based products may be cost-effective treatment options for MS spasticity, Dravet syndrome, and neuropathic pain, although the literature is nascent. Well-designed clinical trials and health economic evaluations are needed to generate adequate clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence to assist in resource allocation.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1098301521015229
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/14/7302
'Results
This review identified 12 cost-utility analyses conducted across a variety of diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS) (N = 8), pediatric drug-resistant epilepsies (N = 2), and chronic pain (N = 2). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio varied widely from cost saving to more than US $451?800 per quality-adjusted life-year depending on the setting, perspectives, types of medicinal cannabis, and indications. Nabiximols is a cost-effective intervention for MS spasticity in multiple European settings. Cannabidiol was found to be a cost-effective for Dravet syndrome in a Canadian setting whereas a cost-utility analysis conducted in a US setting deemed cannabidiol to be not cost-effective for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Overall study quality was good, with publications meeting 70% to 100% (median 83%) of the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist criteria.
Conclusions
Medicinal cannabis-based products may be cost-effective treatment options for MS spasticity, Dravet syndrome, and neuropathic pain, although the literature is nascent. Well-designed clinical trials and health economic evaluations are needed to generate adequate clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence to assist in resource allocation.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1098301521015229
'Highlights
- CBD was able to reverse mechanical and thermal allodynia (cold) and hyperalgesia.
- Low doses of CBD were able to reverse anxiety behaviors induced by chronic pain.
- Subchronic treatment with CBD increased expression of CB1R and TRPV1 in corticolimbic circuit.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390821002677
- CBD was able to reverse mechanical and thermal allodynia (cold) and hyperalgesia.
- Low doses of CBD were able to reverse anxiety behaviors induced by chronic pain.
- Subchronic treatment with CBD increased expression of CB1R and TRPV1 in corticolimbic circuit.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390821002677
'Results
The final sample included 2.841 respondents of which the majority (91%) used non-prescribed cannabis, and more than half (54.6%) had used CaM [cannabis as medicine] with the purpose of replacing a prescribed drug. Compared to non-substitution users, substitution users were more likely to be women and to use CaM in the treatment of chronic pain and other somatic conditions.
Pain medication (67.2%), antidepressants (24.5%), and arthritis medication (20.7%) were the most common types of drugs replaced with CaM. Among substitution users, 38.1% reported termination of prescription drug use, and 45.9% a substantial decrease in prescription drug use. The most frequent type of cannabis used as a substitute was CBD-oil (65.2%), followed by ‘hash, pot or skunk’ (36.6%). More than half (65.8%) found CaM much more effective compared to prescription drugs, and 85.5% that the side effects associated with prescription drug use were much worse compared to use of CaM.
Conclusion
CaM is frequently used as a substitute for prescription drugs, particularly opioids. More research is needed on the long-term consequences of use of CaM, including the impact from low and high THC cannabis products on specific somatic and mental health conditions.'
https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-021-00520-5
The final sample included 2.841 respondents of which the majority (91%) used non-prescribed cannabis, and more than half (54.6%) had used CaM [cannabis as medicine] with the purpose of replacing a prescribed drug. Compared to non-substitution users, substitution users were more likely to be women and to use CaM in the treatment of chronic pain and other somatic conditions.
Pain medication (67.2%), antidepressants (24.5%), and arthritis medication (20.7%) were the most common types of drugs replaced with CaM. Among substitution users, 38.1% reported termination of prescription drug use, and 45.9% a substantial decrease in prescription drug use. The most frequent type of cannabis used as a substitute was CBD-oil (65.2%), followed by ‘hash, pot or skunk’ (36.6%). More than half (65.8%) found CaM much more effective compared to prescription drugs, and 85.5% that the side effects associated with prescription drug use were much worse compared to use of CaM.
Conclusion
CaM is frequently used as a substitute for prescription drugs, particularly opioids. More research is needed on the long-term consequences of use of CaM, including the impact from low and high THC cannabis products on specific somatic and mental health conditions.'
https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-021-00520-5
Evidence of its usage as medicine in the past can be found in the following topics:
- Cannabis usage in 19th century treatment of infectious diseases - https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/03/cannabis-usage-in-19th-century.html
- 19th Century usage of cannabis as medicine by Indian physicians - https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/03/19th-century-usage-of-cannabis-as.html
- References to medicinal cannabis in ancient texts - https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/03/references-to-medicinal-cannabis-in.html
'Our findings demonstrate that THC produced robust antinociception equivalent to the whole extract in models of thermal and inflammatory nociception. Thus, other cannabinoid constituents including terpenes do not add to the analgesic actions of cannabis beyond that of isolated THC.
This analgesia across several pain models suggest a range of clinical applications for THC.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2018.0054
'The rapid spread of COVID-19 underscores the need for new treatments. Here we report that cannabidiol (CBD), a compound produced by the cannabis plant, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection. CBD and its metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, but not congeneric cannabinoids, potently block SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells. CBD acts after cellular infection, inhibiting viral gene expression and reversing many effects of SARS-CoV-2 on host gene transcription. CBD induces interferon expression and up-regulates its antiviral signaling pathway. A cohort of human patients previously taking CBD had significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence of up to an order of magnitude relative to matched pairs or the general population. This study highlights CBD, and its active metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, as potential preventative agents and therapeutic treatments for SARS-CoV-2 at early stages of infection. '
https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/resource/pt/ppbiorxiv-432967
https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/resource/pt/ppbiorxiv-432967
'Conclusion
This study on CBD-rich products demonstrates the potential of RWE(real-world evidence) for the advancement of medical cannabis research and practice guidelines, especially in a world where CBD use is exponentially increasing but scientific data are limited. It revealed that CBD-rich treatments have a beneficial impact on patients with self-reported moderate or severe symptoms of pain, anxiety, or depression and overall wellbeing but not in patients with mild symptoms. Further investigation is clearly required, but as of now the hyped, and often illegal, marketed claims of CBD as a wellness product are unsubstantiated. Our findings have important and novel implications to clinical practice, especially the examination of treatment plan adjustment during the first follow-up after initiation with CBD treatments. Improvements in access regimes, oversight, and clarification from regulatory agencies are also needed to improve the validity of RWE and assessment of the use of CBD-rich products'
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00078-w
This study on CBD-rich products demonstrates the potential of RWE(real-world evidence) for the advancement of medical cannabis research and practice guidelines, especially in a world where CBD use is exponentially increasing but scientific data are limited. It revealed that CBD-rich treatments have a beneficial impact on patients with self-reported moderate or severe symptoms of pain, anxiety, or depression and overall wellbeing but not in patients with mild symptoms. Further investigation is clearly required, but as of now the hyped, and often illegal, marketed claims of CBD as a wellness product are unsubstantiated. Our findings have important and novel implications to clinical practice, especially the examination of treatment plan adjustment during the first follow-up after initiation with CBD treatments. Improvements in access regimes, oversight, and clarification from regulatory agencies are also needed to improve the validity of RWE and assessment of the use of CBD-rich products'
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00078-w
'The objective of this report is to provide medical professionals and policymakers with an up-to-date, science-based perspective on the medicine of cannabis in the United States. It includes input from medical doctors, researchers, veterinarians, and policy experts, all committed to the development of a cannabis industry founded on scientific research, patient safety, and equitable access to safe products and clinical oversight. It includes a history of medical cannabis, an overview of the endocannabinoid system and the complex nature of the cannabis plant, and explores clinical uses as well as safety considerations. The paper also highlights the obstacles that currently hinder research, and includes policy recommendations to remove those barriers and promote evidenced-based therapeutic cannabis access and use.'
https://thecannabisindustry.org/press-releases/ncia-releases-overview-of-cannabis-medical-knowledge/
https://thecannabisindustry.org/press-releases/ncia-releases-overview-of-cannabis-medical-knowledge/
'Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that appears after chronic use of drugs that block dopaminergic receptors such as antipsychotics. Besides the motor symptoms, patients with TD also present cognitive deficits. Neuroinflammatory mechanisms could be involved in the development of these symptoms.
In conclusion, these results indicated that CBD could attenuate haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia and improve non-motor symptoms associated with TD by activating PPAR? receptors.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278584621001263?via%3Dihub
In conclusion, these results indicated that CBD could attenuate haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia and improve non-motor symptoms associated with TD by activating PPAR? receptors.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278584621001263?via%3Dihub
'Authors concluded: “This study is thus the first to show that terpenes and cannabinoids can produce an additive effect when combined. This study is also the first to identify the CB1 and A2a receptors as terpene targets and describe the role of these receptors in producing terpene cannabimimetic effects in vivo. … In principle, this suggests that terpenes could be used to enhance the analgesic properties of cannabis/cannabinoid therapy, without worsening the side effects of cannabinoid treatment. However, this must be confirmed using relevant phytocannabinoids like THC instead of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2 used in this study.”'
https://norml.org/news/2021/05/20/study-terpenes-and-cannabinoids-produce-additive-therapeutic-effects
https://norml.org/news/2021/05/20/study-terpenes-and-cannabinoids-produce-additive-therapeutic-effects
'Subsequently, the effectiveness of phyto- and synthetic cannabinoids mediated by cannabinoid receptors has been demonstrated in the treatment of inflammatory diseases including neurodegenerative diseases as well as gastrointestinal and respiratory inflammations. Another accepted property of cannabinoids is their anti-cancer effects. Cannabinoids were found to be effective in the treatment of lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, pancreas and hepatic cancers. The anticancer effects of cannabinoids were characterized by their anti-proliferative property, inhibition of cancer cells migration, suppression of vascularization and induction of apoptosis.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/193013/article
https://www.eurekaselect.com/193013/article
'As the major nonpsychotropic constituent of Cannabis sativa, cannabidiol (CBD) is regarded as one of the most promising therapeutic agents due to its proven effectiveness in clinical trials for many human diseases. Due to the urgent need for more efficient pharmacological treatments for several chronic diseases, in this review, we discuss the potential beneficial effects of CBD for Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and neurological cancers. Due to its wide range of pharmacological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties), CBD is considered a multimodal drug for the treatment of a range of neurodegenerative disorders, and various cancer types, including neoplasms of the neural system. The different mechanisms of action of CBD are here disclosed, together with recent progress in the use of this cannabis-derived constituent as a new therapeutic approach.'
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/4294
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/9/4294
NSAIDs for inflammation such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen increase risk of a range of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, kidney disease and adverse cardiovascular events. Large doses of NSAIDs significantly suppress the production of immune cells. By inhibiting physiological COX activity, all NSAIDs increase the risk of kidney disease and through a related mechanism, heart attack.
Higher doses of analgesics like paracetamol may lead to toxicity, including liver failure. Paracetamol poisoning is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world, and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. There is a consistent association of increased mortality as well as cardiovascular (stroke, myocardial infarction), gastrointestinal (ulcers, bleeding) and renal adverse effects with taking higher dose. Acetaminophen(paracetamol) treats pain mainly by blocking COX-2 and inhibiting endocannabinoid reuptake almost exclusively within the brain, but not much in the rest of the body.
Besides this, prolonged use of all opioids and NSAIDs cause multi-organ failure.
Source Wikipedia
Higher doses of analgesics like paracetamol may lead to toxicity, including liver failure. Paracetamol poisoning is the foremost cause of acute liver failure in the Western world, and accounts for most drug overdoses in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. There is a consistent association of increased mortality as well as cardiovascular (stroke, myocardial infarction), gastrointestinal (ulcers, bleeding) and renal adverse effects with taking higher dose. Acetaminophen(paracetamol) treats pain mainly by blocking COX-2 and inhibiting endocannabinoid reuptake almost exclusively within the brain, but not much in the rest of the body.
Besides this, prolonged use of all opioids and NSAIDs cause multi-organ failure.
Source Wikipedia
There is a new disease afflicting the insane in this country. Its called the Oxygen Shortage Disease. Since the insane are incapable of reasoning, they fail to see that this also is a result of excess and improper administering of synthetic pharmaceutical drugs to vulnerable individuals. So move over Covid, its time for the manufacturers of oxygen (no, not nature) to join the medical industry and pharma companies in milking the cattle...
Respiratory depression is the most serious adverse reaction associated with opioid use. Some opioids show toxicity with single use while others display toxicity build up over a period of time with chronic use.
The following are some opioids that cause respiratory depression - heroin, morphine, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, buprenorphine.
Besides this, prolonged use of all opioids and NSAIDs cause multi-organ failure.
May 05, 2021 2:48:21pm
Respiratory depression is the most serious adverse reaction associated with opioid use. Some opioids show toxicity with single use while others display toxicity build up over a period of time with chronic use.
The following are some opioids that cause respiratory depression - heroin, morphine, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, buprenorphine.
Besides this, prolonged use of all opioids and NSAIDs cause multi-organ failure.
May 05, 2021 2:48:21pm
'Results
The botanical remains were accurately identified as cannabis. More than 120 thousand fruits were found, which represents the largest amount of cannabis fruit remains that have been statistically analysed from any cemetery in the world thus far. The cannabis fruits are suspected to have been used for medical purposes in a secular context and were most likely used to stop severe bleeding of the uterus and treat lumbago and/or arthralgia.
Conclusions
The cannabis fruit remains reported here likely represent the first physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use for the treatment of metrorrhagia, severe lumbago, and/or arthralgia. This study emphasizes the importance of the evidence of the diseases suffered by the occupants of the tomb in determining the medicinal use of cannabis in a secular context and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ancient history of medicinal cannabis.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887412100341X?via%3Dihub
The botanical remains were accurately identified as cannabis. More than 120 thousand fruits were found, which represents the largest amount of cannabis fruit remains that have been statistically analysed from any cemetery in the world thus far. The cannabis fruits are suspected to have been used for medical purposes in a secular context and were most likely used to stop severe bleeding of the uterus and treat lumbago and/or arthralgia.
Conclusions
The cannabis fruit remains reported here likely represent the first physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use for the treatment of metrorrhagia, severe lumbago, and/or arthralgia. This study emphasizes the importance of the evidence of the diseases suffered by the occupants of the tomb in determining the medicinal use of cannabis in a secular context and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ancient history of medicinal cannabis.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887412100341X?via%3Dihub
'Results:
By 1 hour postconsumption, 96.4% of people had experienced symptom relief with an average symptom intensity reduction of -3.85 points on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale (SD=2.45, d=1.85, P<0.001). Symptom relief was statistically significant at 5 minutes and increased with time. Among product characteristics, flower and concentrates yielded the strongest, yet similar results; products labeled as Cannabis indica underperformed those labeled as Cannabis sativa or hybrid; and joints were associated with greater symptom relief than pipes or vaporizers. In sessions using flower, higher tetrahydrocannbinol and lower cannabidiol were generally associated with greater symptom relief (eg, within 5 min).'
https://journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/9000/The_Effectiveness_of_Common_Cannabis_Products_for.97442.aspx
By 1 hour postconsumption, 96.4% of people had experienced symptom relief with an average symptom intensity reduction of -3.85 points on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale (SD=2.45, d=1.85, P<0.001). Symptom relief was statistically significant at 5 minutes and increased with time. Among product characteristics, flower and concentrates yielded the strongest, yet similar results; products labeled as Cannabis indica underperformed those labeled as Cannabis sativa or hybrid; and joints were associated with greater symptom relief than pipes or vaporizers. In sessions using flower, higher tetrahydrocannbinol and lower cannabidiol were generally associated with greater symptom relief (eg, within 5 min).'
https://journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/9000/The_Effectiveness_of_Common_Cannabis_Products_for.97442.aspx
'While the expanding cannabis legalization movement shows that most of the world believes cannabis to be a relatively safe substance, the stigma around cannabis use, particularly the intoxicating high caused by THC, persists. But Ben Pollara, among others, argues that THC is one of the most beneficial aspects of the plant.
“THC is one of many chemicals in marijuana but is by far and away the most active one,” Pollara writes. “It is also the one which produces the most and strongest medicinal effects for patients.”'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/prohibitionists-want-thc-limit-laws-heres-why-patients-and-consumers-are-fighting-back
“THC is one of many chemicals in marijuana but is by far and away the most active one,” Pollara writes. “It is also the one which produces the most and strongest medicinal effects for patients.”'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/prohibitionists-want-thc-limit-laws-heres-why-patients-and-consumers-are-fighting-back
'Doctor-prescribed cannabis is becoming increasingly common, and at the same time, the line between medical marijuana and CBD is becoming increasingly blurred. Consumers interested in the medical benefits of cannabis without its psychoactive effects have long embraced CBD, but with increased social acceptance of cannabis, consumers are straying ever more into the high-THC realm. Among current cannabis consumers, 25% prefer products with some measure (between 2:1 and 5:1 ratios) more CBD than THC, and a small minority of them (6%) prefer much more (between 10:1 and 40:1 ratios) of CBD than THC.'
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/the-link-between-cbd-and-medical-cannabis/
https://newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/the-link-between-cbd-and-medical-cannabis/
'Results
65 primary articles (18 clinical, 47 pre-clinical) were reviewed. Several randomised controlled trials showed hempseed pills (in Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation MaZiRenWan) improving spontaneous bowel movement in functional constipation. There was also evidence suggesting benefits in cannabis dependence, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders. Pre-clinically, hemp derivatives showed potential anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-acne, and anti-microbial activities. Renal protective effects and estrogenic properties were also exhibited in vitro.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0245471
65 primary articles (18 clinical, 47 pre-clinical) were reviewed. Several randomised controlled trials showed hempseed pills (in Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation MaZiRenWan) improving spontaneous bowel movement in functional constipation. There was also evidence suggesting benefits in cannabis dependence, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders. Pre-clinically, hemp derivatives showed potential anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-acne, and anti-microbial activities. Renal protective effects and estrogenic properties were also exhibited in vitro.'
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0245471
'None of the 3,504 C. Elegans worms in the Canopy study died prematurely compared to a control group, even at significantly elevated doses -- a good sign for CBD’s safety, said Hunter Land, a senior director of science at Canopy. Better still, at doses in the range of human consumption, CBD extended the tiny roundworms’ lives by 18%, and they showed an increase in activity of 206%.
“As they aged, they moved more like young animals,” Land, who designed the study, explained in a phone interview. “Rather than seeing something toxic, we see the opposite -- it actually increases health parameters.”'
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-22/worm-study-shows-cbd-science-has-a-way-to-go-cannabis-weekly
“As they aged, they moved more like young animals,” Land, who designed the study, explained in a phone interview. “Rather than seeing something toxic, we see the opposite -- it actually increases health parameters.”'
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-22/worm-study-shows-cbd-science-has-a-way-to-go-cannabis-weekly
'Evidence demonstrates benefit of CBMP [cannabinoid-based medical products] in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, resistant paediatric epilepsy, anxiety and insomnia. CBMP are well tolerated with few serious adverse events. Additional clinical benefits are promising in many other resistant chronic conditions. Pharmaceutical grade prescribed CBMP has proven clinical benefits and provides another clinical option in the physician's pharmacopeia.'
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.15052
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imj.15052
'Results
The extract was generally well tolerated by participants when administered in either wafer or oil form, with some adverse events, including mild or moderate somnolence, sedation and altered mood.
The relative bioavailability of CBD after administration as a sublingual wafer was comparable with that of oil solution with 90% confidence interval of 83–131%. The median maximum concentrations of CBD after administration of oil solution and wafer was 9.4 and 11.9 ng mL-1, respectively. Maximum concentrations of CBD occurred 4 hours after administration, with an estimated terminal elimination half-life of 6 hours. There was no statistically significant difference between the AUC0-t of CBD after administration of oil solution or wafer compared with nabiximols oromucosal spray.
Conclusion
Oil solution and sublingual wafer formulations of the extract standardised with CBD were well tolerated and achieved equivalent concentrations of CBD when compared to an available commercial nabiximols formulation.'
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcp.14617
The extract was generally well tolerated by participants when administered in either wafer or oil form, with some adverse events, including mild or moderate somnolence, sedation and altered mood.
The relative bioavailability of CBD after administration as a sublingual wafer was comparable with that of oil solution with 90% confidence interval of 83–131%. The median maximum concentrations of CBD after administration of oil solution and wafer was 9.4 and 11.9 ng mL-1, respectively. Maximum concentrations of CBD occurred 4 hours after administration, with an estimated terminal elimination half-life of 6 hours. There was no statistically significant difference between the AUC0-t of CBD after administration of oil solution or wafer compared with nabiximols oromucosal spray.
Conclusion
Oil solution and sublingual wafer formulations of the extract standardised with CBD were well tolerated and achieved equivalent concentrations of CBD when compared to an available commercial nabiximols formulation.'
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcp.14617
'Delta-9-THC, the main drug in cannabis plants that gets people high, can also be a potent medicine. It can treat extreme nausea and stimulate appetite, which is especially helpful for people who have HIV or are going through chemotherapy. A synthetic version of THC, called Dronabinol, has been used to treat these conditions since the 1980s, although some people prefer their THC to come from the plant itself.
But while marijuana is a relatively mild drug with few side effects — at least, compared to alcohol or tobacco — too much Delta-9-THC has its downsides. It can sometimes spark paranoia and anxiety or trigger dizziness and headaches. And it’s worth noting that much of the cannabis sold legally in the U.S. contains a high THC concentration.
That’s why many cannabis consumers are turning to an obscure analogue of Delta-9-THC called Delta-8-THC. The difference between Delta-8 and Delta-9 is subtle: Both will get you stoned, but the former is about half as potent as the latter. Many people claim that Delta-8 is a smoother, less anxious psychoactive experience than the more familiar Delta-9. It also seems to have additional medicinal effects than regular THC, such as better pain relief, but these claims have yet to be weighed out in clinical trials.'
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/delta-8-thc-promises-to-get-you-high-without-the-paranoia-or-anxiety
But while marijuana is a relatively mild drug with few side effects — at least, compared to alcohol or tobacco — too much Delta-9-THC has its downsides. It can sometimes spark paranoia and anxiety or trigger dizziness and headaches. And it’s worth noting that much of the cannabis sold legally in the U.S. contains a high THC concentration.
That’s why many cannabis consumers are turning to an obscure analogue of Delta-9-THC called Delta-8-THC. The difference between Delta-8 and Delta-9 is subtle: Both will get you stoned, but the former is about half as potent as the latter. Many people claim that Delta-8 is a smoother, less anxious psychoactive experience than the more familiar Delta-9. It also seems to have additional medicinal effects than regular THC, such as better pain relief, but these claims have yet to be weighed out in clinical trials.'
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/delta-8-thc-promises-to-get-you-high-without-the-paranoia-or-anxiety
'Cannabis is widely used as a therapeutic drug, especially by patients suffering from psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the complex interplay between phytocannabinoids and their targets in the human receptome remains largely a mystery, and there have been few investigations into the relationship between the chemical composition of medical cannabis and the corresponding biological activity. In this study, we investigated 59 cannabis samples used by patients for medical reasons. The samples were subjected to extraction (microwave and supercritical carbon dioxide) and chemical analyses, and the resulting extracts were assayed in vitro using the CB1 and CB2 receptors. Using a partial least squares regression analysis, the chemical compositions of the extracts were then correlated to their corresponding cannabinoid receptor activities, thus generating predictive models that describe the receptor potency as a function of major phytocannabinoid content. Using the current dataset, meaningful models for CB1 and CB2 receptor agonism were obtained, and these reveal the insignificant relationships between the major phytocannabinoid content and receptor affinity for CB1 but good correlations between the two at CB2 receptors. These results also explain the anomalies between the receptor activities of pure phytocannabinoids and cannabis extracts. Furthermore, the models for CB1 and CB2 agonism in cannabis extracts predict the cannabinoid receptor activities of individual phytocannabinoids with reasonable accuracy. Here for the first time, we disclose a method to predict the relationship between the chemical composition, including phytocannabinoids, of cannabis extracts and cannabinoid receptor responses.'
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/15/3466
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/15/3466
'The full scope of the dangerous interaction of chemicals is as yet little known, but disturbing findings now come regularly from scientific laboratories. Among this is the discovery that that the toxicity of an organic phosphate can be increased by a second agent that is not necessarily an insecticide. For example, one of the plasticizing agents may act even more dangerously than another insecticide to make malathion more dangerous. Again, this is because it inhibits the liver enzyme that would normally 'draw the teeth' of the poisonous insecticide.
What of other chemicals in the normal human environment? What, in particular, of drugs? A bare beginning has been made on this subject, but already it is known that some organic phosphates (parathion and malathion) increase the toxicity of some drugs used as muscle relaxants, and that several others (again including malathion) markedly increase the sleeping time of barbiturates.'
- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'When you're sick, music is a great help. Once, in Texas, I kicked a habit on weed, a pint of paregoric and a few Louis Armstrong records.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953 - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
So governments, the pharmaceutical industry and the medical industry cut off the supply of natural intoxicants like cannabis, opium, coca and palm toddy. They create refined and much more potent extracts from these natural materials. They control the supply and stock of these chemical drugs. They use the doctor-pharmacist route to administer these drugs to the public legally and the peddler-narcotics agent-rehabilitation center route to administer these drugs illegally. The individual is not allowed to grow or procure these intoxicants from nature. He must rely on the system to get his intoxicant and pay the maximum price for it. To realize more and more profits the system creates more and more potent chemical intoxicants moving further and further away from natural territory into synthetic chemically constructed territory. As the toxicity and addictive power of these drugs increase, the public gets addicted to an even greater extent and pays even more for any available intoxicant. Profits rise and fuel the growth of the system tremendously. The individual pays for the system, pays for the synthetic drug, pays for the treatment which is further synthetic drugs and eventually pays with his life for the synthetic intoxicant. Legalize all natural drugs - opium, coca, cannabis and toddy to name a few. Most importantly, legalize cannabis, the universal drug of the world...
'If only free men would not rely on what has no power and is never free, that is, external force, but would trust in what is always powerful and free, that is, the truth and its expression!
If only men would boldly and clearly express the truth already manifest to them (of the brotherhood of all nations and the crime of exclusive devotion to one's own) that defunct, false, public opinion on which rests the power of governments and all the evil they produce, would slough off by itself like a dead skin and reveal that new, living, public opinion which now only awaits the shedding of the old husk that has confined it, in order to announce its demands clearly and powerfully and establish new forms of existence in conformity with the conscience of mankind.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
Happy Ganja Day to the lovers, friends and supporters of the divine herb. As we celebrate this day, let us not forget the millions who are imprisoned or face criminal action because of their association with the herb and its current worldwide illegal status. Let us not forget the millions who continue to suffer from physical and mental conditions and their lack of access to the medicinal properties of the plant. Let us not forget the millions who are addicted to heroin, methamphetamine, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco, novel psychoactive substances, synthetic cannabinoids and other dangerous substances without access to the natural, recreational herb. Let us hope that the opponents of the herb find reason and understanding in the coming days. Let us also look forward to the fast approaching inevitable day when the herb is finally free once again and available to every living being worldwide as it was always meant to be.
'Given the importance of patients knowing the laws regarding medical cannabis in the jurisdictions they visit, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the largest national member-based organization promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, has created The Medical Cannabis Patient’s Guide for U.S. Travel. This guide will help patients understand the laws in the states and territories in which they are eligible to obtain medical cannabis so that they may do so safely and legally'
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/travel
'A district judge in New Mexico made a final ruling ordering regulators to issue medical cannabis patient cards to qualifying out-of-state residents, but the governor’s office said it will appeal.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/judge-new-mexico-must-issue-medical-marijuana-cards-to-non-residents/
'Investigators from the John Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore and the Digestive Disease Institute in Cleveland compared the prevalence of UC complications during hospitalization in cannabis users versus matched controls. Researchers reported that cannabis users, on average, had shorter hospital stays compared to non-users and were far less likely to require either a partial or a total colectomy (a surgery to remove part or all of the colon). '
https://norml.org/news/2019/08/29/study-cannabis-use-associated-with-fewer-complications-in-patients-with-ulcerative-colitis
'The announcement by the three-time Super Bowl champion instantly raised the profile of a substance that is exploding in popularity, even as questions swirl about its legality and medical effectiveness. Though Gronkowski is the latest in a long line of celebrities to promote CBD, his endorsement could signal a key moment in the drug’s evolving acceptance among sports leagues and consumers.'
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/marijuana/2019/08/27/rob-gronkowski-announces-partnership-with-cbd-company-says-cbd-most-safe-alternative-for-pain/a5K8hCzCLuOWEm7CScdFFJ/story.html
'Overall, this study finds that the adoption and diffusion of [Medical Marijuana Laws]MMLs is mainly determined by the opinions of citizens rather than the political ideology of elected officials or the government’s fiscal health conditions.'
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01442872.2019.1656805
'They say people will be able to harvest their own hemp and then process it themselves to extract the CBD content, which can then be used in a variety of ways to use for the range of treatments it can provide.
“Make their own medicine," says Taryn.'
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/as-seen-on-tv/pick-your-own-hemp-field-a-sign-of-popularity-of-cbd/97-6454acfd-f382-4762-bcb2-643637f5ec52
'Fifty years ago, cannabis was known as the drug most emblematic of counterculture. Today, many people promote it as a fount of treatments for almost any ailment imaginable. This immense about-turn is reflected in changes in legal regimes: medicinal use of cannabis is now permitted in many countries, and some also allow the drug to be used recreationally. The times, they have a-changed.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02523-6
'Cannabidiol (CBD) is an illegal drug with no redeeming value. It is also a useful prescription medicine for epilepsy, with considerable potential for treating numerous other conditions. And it is a natural dietary supplement or ‘nutraceutical’ with countless evangelists in the health and wellness community. Although contradictory, all three statements are true from different perspectives, and clinical researchers are frustrated.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02524-5
'The technological provenance of cannabinoids might not matter as much to the pharmaceutical sector, where consumers tend to be less averse to genetic engineering. But according to Ethan Russo, director of research and development at the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute in Prague, biochemically derived cannabinoids, even when mixed and matched into therapeutic formulations, will probably never equal the botanical synergy of the hundreds of molecules that are found in cannabis.
The existence of this ‘entourage’ effect is not universally accepted. But to Russo, “The plant is nature’s design for this panoply of chemicals”.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02525-4
'The stereotypical image of a cannabis smoker is someone who sprawls on the sofa for hours surrounded by a haze of smoke and half-eaten snacks. The scene is played up for laughs in films, but social psychologist Angela Bryan thought it could be cause for concern. After all, cannabis is known to increase appetite and aid relaxation, which might put people at risk of health conditions such as obesity, says Bryan, who is at the University of Colorado Boulder.
But digging into health trends revealed the opposite. Nationwide US studies report that, compared to non-users, cannabis users actually have a lower prevalence of obesity.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0
'Proponents and doubters agree that further research, including double-blind clinical trials, is needed to confirm whether the entourage effect exists and, if so, to understand how it works. “That way, you are taking out bias and expectation,” Wilson-Poe says.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02528-1
'We know that even single exposures to these chemicals, if the amount is large enough, can precipitate acute poisoning. But this is not the major problem. The sudden illness or death of farmers, spraymen, pilots, and others exposed to appreciable quantities of pesticides are tragic and should not occur. For the population as a whole, we must be more concerned with the delayed effects of absorbing small amounts of pesticides that invisibly contaminate our world.
Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the hazard to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures received throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons the danger is easily ignored. It is human nature to shrug off what may seem to us a vague threat of future disaster. 'Men are naturally most impressed by disease which have obvious manifestations.' says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, 'yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and that the hazard to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures received throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons the danger is easily ignored. It is human nature to shrug off what may seem to us a vague threat of future disaster. 'Men are naturally most impressed by disease which have obvious manifestations.' says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, 'yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'A few things that do not work well should be phased out, including the excessively detailed labelling of cannabis products, a cap on the THC percentage that is permitted in such products and overzealous drug-awareness campaigns and messaging. These measures have had the opposite of their intended effects. The priority should be to facilitate research, which will help to inform education and policy agendas as the cannabis industry takes root.
Incremental progress is being made in pursuing policies that support crucial medical research that might unearth discoveries that could benefit millions of people and protect public health, in both the United States and abroad. Here’s to a dab of optimism about what the future could hold.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02531-6
'Let all the external improvements that religious and scientific people dream of be accomplished; let all men accept Christianity and all the improvements the Bellamys and Richets desire be accomplished with all possible additions and corrections, but if at the same time the hypocrisy remains that now exists, if people do not profess the truth they know but continue to feign belief in what they do not themselves believe and veneration for what they do not respect, the condition of people will not only merely remain what it is but will become worse and worse. The better men are materially provided for, the more telegraphs, telephones, books, papers and periodicals they have the more means there will be of spreading contradictory lies and hypocrisies, and the more disunited and consequently unhappy will men become, as indeed occurs now.
Let all those external alterations be realized and the position of humanity will not be bettered. But let each man according to the strength that is in him profess the truth he knows and practises in his own life - or at least cease to excuse the falsehood he supports by representing it as truth - and at once, in this very year 1893, such changes would be accomplished towards man's liberation and the establishment of truth on earth, as we dare not hope for in hundreds of years.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'With 332% growth year-on-year and $52 million in sales, cannabidiol (CBD) has taken the top spot as the best-selling herbal supplement in the natural channel, according to the 2018 HerbalGram Herb Market Report by the American Botanical Council.'
https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2019/09/23/CBD-supplement-sales-rocket-to-take-top-spot-in-the-US-natural-channel
'Highlights from laboratory studies and clinical trials.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02532-5
'To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have adopted medical cannabis laws, or MCLs, which legalize either home cultivation or dispensary-based sales of cannabis for qualifying medical conditions.
The researchers want to determine if MCLs alter the health behaviors of people living with chronic pain and whether they substitute or reduce traditional pain treatments while using medical cannabis.
The research project is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.'
https://news.uga.edu/researchers-to-study-medical-cannabis-and-chronic-pain/
'May was the top month for medical coverage for cannabis since the current regulatory framework was implemented in early 2017.
During that month, statutory health insurers covered 10.6 million euros of medical cannabis, surpassing the 10 million euro mark for the first time. The number fell to 9.5 million euros in June.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/analysis-german-sales-of-insured-medical-cannabis-soar-in-second-quarter/
Let all those external alterations be realized and the position of humanity will not be bettered. But let each man according to the strength that is in him profess the truth he knows and practises in his own life - or at least cease to excuse the falsehood he supports by representing it as truth - and at once, in this very year 1893, such changes would be accomplished towards man's liberation and the establishment of truth on earth, as we dare not hope for in hundreds of years.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'With 332% growth year-on-year and $52 million in sales, cannabidiol (CBD) has taken the top spot as the best-selling herbal supplement in the natural channel, according to the 2018 HerbalGram Herb Market Report by the American Botanical Council.'
https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2019/09/23/CBD-supplement-sales-rocket-to-take-top-spot-in-the-US-natural-channel
'Highlights from laboratory studies and clinical trials.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02532-5
'To date, 34 states and the District of Columbia have adopted medical cannabis laws, or MCLs, which legalize either home cultivation or dispensary-based sales of cannabis for qualifying medical conditions.
The researchers want to determine if MCLs alter the health behaviors of people living with chronic pain and whether they substitute or reduce traditional pain treatments while using medical cannabis.
The research project is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.'
https://news.uga.edu/researchers-to-study-medical-cannabis-and-chronic-pain/
'May was the top month for medical coverage for cannabis since the current regulatory framework was implemented in early 2017.
During that month, statutory health insurers covered 10.6 million euros of medical cannabis, surpassing the 10 million euro mark for the first time. The number fell to 9.5 million euros in June.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/analysis-german-sales-of-insured-medical-cannabis-soar-in-second-quarter/
'The fisheries of fresh and salt water are a resource of great importance, involving the interests and the welfare of a very large number of people. That they are now seriously threatened by the chemicals entering our waters can no longer be doubted. If we could divert to constructive research even a small fraction of the money spent each year on the development of even more toxic sprays, we could find ways to use less dangerous materials and to keep poisons out of our waterways. When will the public become sufficiently aware of the facts to demand such action? - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'It has also been submitted that while enacting the NDPS Act, the government failed to consider the medicinal benefits of the drug, including its effect as an analgesic, its role in fighting cancer, reducing nausea, and increasing appetite in HIV patients.'
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/delhi-high-court-seeks-centres-take-on-use-of-cannabis-after-a-petition-challenges-ndps-act
'Researchers interested in the history of marijuana and medicine will appreciate learning about the Tod Mikuriya Papers (1933–2015), a newly-available archival collection here at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Tod Mikuriya (1933–2007) was a psychiatrist and medical marijuana activist. In addition to his work in addiction medicine and biofeedback, he is well-known for compiling Marijuana: Medical Papers, 1839–1972, a master bibliography of historical resources on marijuana, and for campaigning for California Proposition 215 (Prop 215) which legalized medical marijuana in the state in 1996. Dr. Mikuriya conducted research on marijuana use and founded the California Cannabis Research Medical Group, a non-profit educational organization.'
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2020/02/25/tod-mikuriya-papers-now-available-for-research/
'Cannabis use is increasing among those ages 65 and older, according to data published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers affiliated with the New York School of Medicine assessed trends in self-reported cannabis use among seniors. They reported that 4.2 percent of seniors acknowledged engaging in past-year cannabis consumption in 2018, up from 2.4 percent in 2015 and 0.4 percent in 2006.
The study's findings are consistent with those of prior papers similarly reporting an uptick in marijuana use among older Americans. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, marijuana use among seniors is associated with self-reported improvements in pain management, day-to-day functioning, and in their overall health and quality of life'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/seniors-more-frequently-turning-to-cannabis
'Investigators with the Yale School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin assessed hospitalization rates among SCD patients with and without a history of cannabis use.
They reported that SCD patients who used cannabis daily had "1.8 fewer annual [hospital] admissions and 1.2 fewer emergency room (ER) visits" as compared to non-users.
Authors concluded, "We show that people with SCD with more severe pain crisis are more likely to use daily cannabis, yet have lower rates of hospital admission and ER use as compared with others with similar disease severity and pain impact."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/study-sickle-cell-disease-patients-who-use-cannabis-less-likely-to-require-hospitalization
'It has also been submitted that while enacting the NDPS Act, the government failed to consider the medicinal benefits of the drug, including its effect as an analgesic, its role in fighting cancer, reducing nausea, and increasing appetite in HIV patients.'
https://swarajyamag.com/insta/delhi-high-court-seeks-centres-take-on-use-of-cannabis-after-a-petition-challenges-ndps-act
'Researchers interested in the history of marijuana and medicine will appreciate learning about the Tod Mikuriya Papers (1933–2015), a newly-available archival collection here at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Tod Mikuriya (1933–2007) was a psychiatrist and medical marijuana activist. In addition to his work in addiction medicine and biofeedback, he is well-known for compiling Marijuana: Medical Papers, 1839–1972, a master bibliography of historical resources on marijuana, and for campaigning for California Proposition 215 (Prop 215) which legalized medical marijuana in the state in 1996. Dr. Mikuriya conducted research on marijuana use and founded the California Cannabis Research Medical Group, a non-profit educational organization.'
https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2020/02/25/tod-mikuriya-papers-now-available-for-research/
'Cannabis use is increasing among those ages 65 and older, according to data published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers affiliated with the New York School of Medicine assessed trends in self-reported cannabis use among seniors. They reported that 4.2 percent of seniors acknowledged engaging in past-year cannabis consumption in 2018, up from 2.4 percent in 2015 and 0.4 percent in 2006.
The study's findings are consistent with those of prior papers similarly reporting an uptick in marijuana use among older Americans. According to a 2019 study published in the journal Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, marijuana use among seniors is associated with self-reported improvements in pain management, day-to-day functioning, and in their overall health and quality of life'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/seniors-more-frequently-turning-to-cannabis
'Investigators with the Yale School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin assessed hospitalization rates among SCD patients with and without a history of cannabis use.
They reported that SCD patients who used cannabis daily had "1.8 fewer annual [hospital] admissions and 1.2 fewer emergency room (ER) visits" as compared to non-users.
Authors concluded, "We show that people with SCD with more severe pain crisis are more likely to use daily cannabis, yet have lower rates of hospital admission and ER use as compared with others with similar disease severity and pain impact."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/study-sickle-cell-disease-patients-who-use-cannabis-less-likely-to-require-hospitalization
'I had 1/16-ounce of junk with me. I figured this was enough to taper off, and I had a reduction schedule carefully worked out. It was supposed to take twelve days. I had the junk in solution, and in another bottle distilled water. Every time I took out a dropper of solution out to use it, I put the same amount of distilled water in the junk solution bottle. Eventually I would be shooting plain water. This method is well known to all junkies. A variation of it is known as the Chinese cure, which is carried out with hop and Wampole's tonic. After a few weeks, you find yourself drinking plain Wampole's Tonic.
Four days later in Cincinnati, I was out of junk and immoblized. I have never known one of these self-administered reduction cures to work. You find reasons to make each shot an exception that calls for a little extra junk. Finally, the junk is all gone and you still have your habit' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
Pharmaceuticalizing the plant...
'CBD is currently listed as a Schedule 4 substance in Australia and therefore available only with a prescription.
Under the proposed change, CBD would become a Schedule 3 substance, meaning no prescription would be required as long as the following conditions apply:
- The cannabidiol is plant-derived or, if it’s synthetic, is subject to certain conditions.
- The maximum recommended daily dose is 60 milligrams or less.
- The product is in packs containing not more than a 30-day supply.
- Cannabidiol comprises 98% or more of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation.
- Any cannabinoids, other than CBD, must be only those naturally found in cannabis and comprise 2% or less of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation
- The product is for adults 18 and older.'
The cannabis death count..
https://twitter.com/JohnFetterman/status/1253277973635117056
'The report's author concluded: "[T]his case demonstrates how the patient was able to significantly benefit from the introduction of medical cannabis into her mental health intervention for the treatment of vertigo and a generalized anxiety disorder. In this case, the benefits for the 88-year-old patient using medical cannabis as a treatment in the both the short term and longer-term far outweighed the potential risks that may require consideration for children or adolescents."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/04/23/case-report-88-year-old-patient-reports-cannabis-improves-symptoms-of-anxiety-vertigo
'The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applications to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) of special interest in grant applications to conduct rigorous research on cannabis and potentially addictive, psychoactive prescription drug use (specifically opioids and benzodiazepine) in older adults. This program will focus on two distinct older adult populations (over the age of 50): (1) individuals with earlier use onset of cannabis and the specified drug classes who are now entering older age, or (2) individuals who initiate use of cannabis and the specified drug classes after the age of 50. Insights gained from this initiative have the potential to inform the public and health care systems regarding use of cannabis and prescription opioids and benzodiazepines in older populations.'
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-20-014.html
'Agencies concerned with vector-borne disease are at present coping with their problems by switching from one insecticide to another as resistance develops. But this cannot go on indefinitely, despite the ingenuity of the chemists in supplying new materials. Dr. Brown has pointed out that we are traveling 'a one-way street. No one knows how long the street is. If the dead end is reached before control of disease-carrying insects is achieved, our situation will indeed be critical.
With insects that infest crops the story is the same.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Moreover, many of the studies have overlooked the proliferation of fentanyl as a driver of opioid overdose mortality in the United States, which may negate any potential effect of medical cannabis on overdose deaths. It can only be concluded that additional research might help to identify a range of alternative non-opioid medications and non-pharmacological treatments that could be effective in pain management. The issue of whether increased accessibility of cannabis could reduce the medical and non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids and their negative impact remains inconclusive.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
With insects that infest crops the story is the same.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Moreover, many of the studies have overlooked the proliferation of fentanyl as a driver of opioid overdose mortality in the United States, which may negate any potential effect of medical cannabis on overdose deaths. It can only be concluded that additional research might help to identify a range of alternative non-opioid medications and non-pharmacological treatments that could be effective in pain management. The issue of whether increased accessibility of cannabis could reduce the medical and non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids and their negative impact remains inconclusive.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'Hypocrisy in our time is supported by two things - pseudo-religion and pseudo-science - and has reached such colossal dimensions that were we not living in the midst of it, it would be impossible to believe, that men could reach such a degree of self-deception. They have now reached such a strange condition and their hearts are so hardened that though they have eyes they see not, and having ears they hear not, neither do they understand.
Men have long been living in antagonism with their conscience. If it were not for hypocrisy they could not continue to do so. Their present arrangement of life in opposition to their conscience only exists because it is masked by hypocrisy.
And the more the divergence between reality and men's conscience increases, the more is that hypocrisy extended. But hypocrisy has its limits. And it seems that in our day those limits have been reached.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'Out of the nearly 9,000 respondents, 5 per cent reported ever using cannabis and had used opioids in the past year, among whom 43 per cent had used opioids daily and 23 per cent had used cannabis in the past 30 days. Although the results are based on a small number of respondents, of the 450 who reported ever using cannabis and past-year opioid use, 41 per cent reported a decrease or cessation of opioid use as a result of cannabis use, 46 per cent reported no change in opioid use and 8 per cent reported an increase in opioid use' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'More than half of the studies, however, have shown that cannabis and alcohol are substitutes, meaning that the increased use of one substance reduces the use of the other. Other researchers have also suggested that cannabis, especially cannabis for medical use, may serve as a substitute for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, including prescription drugs.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'While most cannabis users had used more than one product, over three quarters of users purchased and consumed dried cannabis flower or leaf for smoking. Although the sale of edibles and extracts started only at the end of 2019, a substantial share of cannabis users reported using edible cannabis products (26 per cent), cannabis oil or vape pens (19 per cent), hashish (16 per cent) and solid cannabis concentrates (14 per cent) during the same year.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
Men have long been living in antagonism with their conscience. If it were not for hypocrisy they could not continue to do so. Their present arrangement of life in opposition to their conscience only exists because it is masked by hypocrisy.
And the more the divergence between reality and men's conscience increases, the more is that hypocrisy extended. But hypocrisy has its limits. And it seems that in our day those limits have been reached.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'Out of the nearly 9,000 respondents, 5 per cent reported ever using cannabis and had used opioids in the past year, among whom 43 per cent had used opioids daily and 23 per cent had used cannabis in the past 30 days. Although the results are based on a small number of respondents, of the 450 who reported ever using cannabis and past-year opioid use, 41 per cent reported a decrease or cessation of opioid use as a result of cannabis use, 46 per cent reported no change in opioid use and 8 per cent reported an increase in opioid use' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'More than half of the studies, however, have shown that cannabis and alcohol are substitutes, meaning that the increased use of one substance reduces the use of the other. Other researchers have also suggested that cannabis, especially cannabis for medical use, may serve as a substitute for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, including prescription drugs.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'While most cannabis users had used more than one product, over three quarters of users purchased and consumed dried cannabis flower or leaf for smoking. Although the sale of edibles and extracts started only at the end of 2019, a substantial share of cannabis users reported using edible cannabis products (26 per cent), cannabis oil or vape pens (19 per cent), hashish (16 per cent) and solid cannabis concentrates (14 per cent) during the same year.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'There were three shots a day. One at seven a.m., when we got up, one at one p.m., and one at nine p.m. Two old acquaintances had come in during the afternoon, Matty and Louis. I ran into Louis as we were lining up for the evening shot.
"Did they get you?" he asked me.
"No. Just here for the cure. How about you?"
"Same with me," he answered.
With the evening shot, they gave me some chloral hydrate in a glass. Five new arrivals were brought to the ward during the night. The ward attendant threw up his hands. "I don't know where I'm going to put them. I've got thirty-one dope fiends in here now." - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'There is a considerable level of overlap between the medical and non-medical use of cannabis products in Canada, although the proportion varies by age group. In the second and third quarters of 2019, 52 per cent of cannabis users aged 65 and older reported using cannabis for medical purposes (with or without proper documentation for such use). On the other hand, nearly 60 per cent of cannabis users aged 15–24 reported the use of cannabis products for non-medical purposes, and one third of respondents in that age group reported using those products for both medical and non-medical reasons.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'Current users and PU [past users] took MC [Medical Cannabis] to address pain (65.30%), spasms (63.30%), sleeplessness (32.70%), and anxiety (24.00%), and 63.30% reported it offered “great relief” from symptoms. Participants reported that MC is more effective and carries fewer side effects than prescription medications.
Conclusions
Medicinal cannabis is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for a number of SCI[Spinal Cord injury]-related symptoms.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41394-019-0208-6
"Did they get you?" he asked me.
"No. Just here for the cure. How about you?"
"Same with me," he answered.
With the evening shot, they gave me some chloral hydrate in a glass. Five new arrivals were brought to the ward during the night. The ward attendant threw up his hands. "I don't know where I'm going to put them. I've got thirty-one dope fiends in here now." - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'There is a considerable level of overlap between the medical and non-medical use of cannabis products in Canada, although the proportion varies by age group. In the second and third quarters of 2019, 52 per cent of cannabis users aged 65 and older reported using cannabis for medical purposes (with or without proper documentation for such use). On the other hand, nearly 60 per cent of cannabis users aged 15–24 reported the use of cannabis products for non-medical purposes, and one third of respondents in that age group reported using those products for both medical and non-medical reasons.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'Current users and PU [past users] took MC [Medical Cannabis] to address pain (65.30%), spasms (63.30%), sleeplessness (32.70%), and anxiety (24.00%), and 63.30% reported it offered “great relief” from symptoms. Participants reported that MC is more effective and carries fewer side effects than prescription medications.
Conclusions
Medicinal cannabis is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for a number of SCI[Spinal Cord injury]-related symptoms.'
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41394-019-0208-6
'Today we find our world filled with cancer-producing agents. An attack on cancer that is concentrated wholly or even largely on therapeutic measures (even assuming a 'cure' could be found) in Dr. Heuper's opinion will fail because it leaves untouched the great reservoirs of carcinogenic agents which would continue to claim new victims faster than the as yet 'elusive' cure could allay the disease.
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
Why have we been so slow to adopt this common-sense approach to the cancer problem? Probably 'the goal of curing victims of cancer is more exciting, more tangible, more glamourous and rewarding than prevention,' says Dr. Heuper. Yet to prevent cancer from ever being formed is 'definitely more humane' and can be 'much more effective than cancer cures'. Dr. Heuper has little patience with the wishful thinking that promises 'a magic pill that we shall take every morning before breakfast' as protection against cancer. Part of the public trust in such an eventual outcome results from the misconception that cancer is a single, though mysterious disease, with a single cause and, hopefully, a single cure. This of course is far from the known truth. Just as environmental cancers are induced by a wide variety of chemical and physical agents, so the malignant condition itself is manifested in many different and biologically distinct ways.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The Kingdom of God can only be reached by effort, and only those who make such effort reach it. And it is just by this violent effort to rise above external conditions and reach the acknowledgement and announcement of the truth, that the Kingdom of God is taken. And this effort can and should be made in our time.
Men need only understand this, they need only cease to be troubled by general and external affairs in which they are not free, and devote even a one-hundredth part of the energy they now expend on those material affairs, to the affair in which they are free - that is, to the recognition and the realization of the truth that is before them and to liberating themselves and others from the lies and hypocrisy which hide that truth - and without violence and conflict there would at once be an end to the false organization of life which makes men miserable and threatens them with still greater calamities. Then the Kingdom of God - or at least that first stage of it for which men are now ready in their consciousness - would be realized.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'Results
Cannabis use was consistently two to three times higher among those with high anxiety compared to those with some or no anxiety and was higher in states with RML [Recreational Marijuana Legalization] compared to MML [Medical Marijuana Legalization] or no MML/RML. Cannabis use has increased over time among those with and without anxiety overall, in MML states, and in states without MML/RML; with a faster increase in cannabis use among those with high anxiety compared to lower anxiety in states with MML.
Conclusions
Cannabis use is increasing among American adults overall, yet is disproportionately common among Americans with anxiety especially among those residing in states where cannabis has been legalized.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871620303288
'The purpose of this systematic review was to explore available peer-reviewed evidence related to the use of cannabis as a potential alternative to opioids in the treatment of chronic pain. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model was used to review 32 peer-reviewed articles published between 2008 and 2018. Findings suggest cannabis as a promising alternative to opioids and supports the medical use of cannabis as a safer first-line pharmacological treatment for chronic pain compared to opioids. The use of cannabis as a safer alternative to opioids can promote social change directly and indirectly across a variety of social and economic dimensions due to increased access to medication at reduced cost, elimination of opioid-related death due to overdose, diminished individual and social harms related to cannabis. A medical alternative to opioids may also lead to a reduction of the inequitable incarceration of cannabis users across demographic categories of ethnicity and race.'
https://search.proquest.com/openview/a69d6774a45ea04c630c10a84ea2cc8e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Men need only understand this, they need only cease to be troubled by general and external affairs in which they are not free, and devote even a one-hundredth part of the energy they now expend on those material affairs, to the affair in which they are free - that is, to the recognition and the realization of the truth that is before them and to liberating themselves and others from the lies and hypocrisy which hide that truth - and without violence and conflict there would at once be an end to the false organization of life which makes men miserable and threatens them with still greater calamities. Then the Kingdom of God - or at least that first stage of it for which men are now ready in their consciousness - would be realized.'
- Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God and Peace Essays
'Results
Cannabis use was consistently two to three times higher among those with high anxiety compared to those with some or no anxiety and was higher in states with RML [Recreational Marijuana Legalization] compared to MML [Medical Marijuana Legalization] or no MML/RML. Cannabis use has increased over time among those with and without anxiety overall, in MML states, and in states without MML/RML; with a faster increase in cannabis use among those with high anxiety compared to lower anxiety in states with MML.
Conclusions
Cannabis use is increasing among American adults overall, yet is disproportionately common among Americans with anxiety especially among those residing in states where cannabis has been legalized.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871620303288
'The purpose of this systematic review was to explore available peer-reviewed evidence related to the use of cannabis as a potential alternative to opioids in the treatment of chronic pain. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model was used to review 32 peer-reviewed articles published between 2008 and 2018. Findings suggest cannabis as a promising alternative to opioids and supports the medical use of cannabis as a safer first-line pharmacological treatment for chronic pain compared to opioids. The use of cannabis as a safer alternative to opioids can promote social change directly and indirectly across a variety of social and economic dimensions due to increased access to medication at reduced cost, elimination of opioid-related death due to overdose, diminished individual and social harms related to cannabis. A medical alternative to opioids may also lead to a reduction of the inequitable incarceration of cannabis users across demographic categories of ethnicity and race.'
https://search.proquest.com/openview/a69d6774a45ea04c630c10a84ea2cc8e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
'The bulk of tramadol seized in the period 2014– 2018 was seized in West and Central Africa (notably in Nigeria, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and the Niger), followed by North Africa (notably Egypt, Morocco and the Sudan) and the Near and Middle East (notably Jordan and the United Arab Emirates). In some instances, countries in Western and Central Europe (notably Malta and Greece) have been used as transit countries for tramadol destined for North Africa (Egypt and Libya), although some of the tramadol seized in Europe (in particular Sweden) was also intended for the local market. For the first time ever, significant seizures of tramadol were reported in South Asia (India) in 2018, accounting for 21 per cent of the global total that year, which reflects the fact tramadol was put under the control of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of India in April 2018.
As the full-scale scheduling of tramadol in India took place in 2018, and India had been the main source for (illegal) tramadol shipments, the decline in seizures outside India in 2018 may have been the result of a disrupted market. By contrast, and probably as a result of the control in India, seizures of tramadol in that country increased greatly in 2018, and thus in South Asia as a whole (more than 1,000-fold compared with a year earlier).' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
As the full-scale scheduling of tramadol in India took place in 2018, and India had been the main source for (illegal) tramadol shipments, the decline in seizures outside India in 2018 may have been the result of a disrupted market. By contrast, and probably as a result of the control in India, seizures of tramadol in that country increased greatly in 2018, and thus in South Asia as a whole (more than 1,000-fold compared with a year earlier).' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'Lexington and Forth Worth are the only two public institutions in the U.S. that give reduction cures. Both are usually full. According to bureaucratic regulations, anyone seeking admission to either hospital must send an application (in triplicate, of course) to Washington and wait several months to be admitted. Then he must stay at least six months. In Louisiana a man could be arrested as a drug addict if he applied for the cure.'
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The 2019 drug use survey in India estimated that nearly 1 per cent of the population aged 10–75 had misused pharmaceutical opioids in the past year and that an estimated 0.2 per cent of the population (2.5 million people) were suffering from drug use disorders related to pharmaceutical opioids. Although the breakdown by type of pharmaceutical opioids misused in India is not available, buprenorphine, morphine, pentazocine and tramadol are the most common opioids misused in the country.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'The non-medical use of tramadol among other pharmaceutical drugs is reported by several countries in South Asia: Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In 2017, 130,316 capsules containing tramadol and marketed under the trade name “Spasmo Proxyvon Plus (‘SP+’)” were seized in Bhutan. In Sri Lanka, about 0.2 per cent of the population aged 14 and older are estimated to have misused pharmaceutical drugs in the past year. Among them, the non-medical use of tramadol is the most common, although misuse of morphine, diazepam, flunitrazepam and pregabalin have also been reported in the country. The misuse of more than one pharmaceutical drug (including tramadol) is also a common pattern among heroin users who may use them to potentiate the effects of heroin or compensate for its low level of availability. Recent seizures of tramadol suggest the existence of a market for the drug: in April and September 2018, 200,000 and 1.5 million tablets of tramadol were respectively seized by customs in Sri Lanka.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020,
https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The 2019 drug use survey in India estimated that nearly 1 per cent of the population aged 10–75 had misused pharmaceutical opioids in the past year and that an estimated 0.2 per cent of the population (2.5 million people) were suffering from drug use disorders related to pharmaceutical opioids. Although the breakdown by type of pharmaceutical opioids misused in India is not available, buprenorphine, morphine, pentazocine and tramadol are the most common opioids misused in the country.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'The non-medical use of tramadol among other pharmaceutical drugs is reported by several countries in South Asia: Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In 2017, 130,316 capsules containing tramadol and marketed under the trade name “Spasmo Proxyvon Plus (‘SP+’)” were seized in Bhutan. In Sri Lanka, about 0.2 per cent of the population aged 14 and older are estimated to have misused pharmaceutical drugs in the past year. Among them, the non-medical use of tramadol is the most common, although misuse of morphine, diazepam, flunitrazepam and pregabalin have also been reported in the country. The misuse of more than one pharmaceutical drug (including tramadol) is also a common pattern among heroin users who may use them to potentiate the effects of heroin or compensate for its low level of availability. Recent seizures of tramadol suggest the existence of a market for the drug: in April and September 2018, 200,000 and 1.5 million tablets of tramadol were respectively seized by customs in Sri Lanka.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020,
https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'The current vogue for poisons has failed utterly to take into account these most fundamental considerations. As crude a weapon as the cave man's club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life - a fabric on the one hand delicate and destructible, on the other miraculously tough and resilient, and capable of striking back in unexpected ways. These extraordinary capacities have been ignored by the practitioners of chemical control who have brought to their task no 'high-minded orientation', no humility before the vast forces with which they tamper.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'The trafficking and availability of tramadol for its non-medical use is a public health concern, but limited distribution of tramadol for medical use would also pose a public health concern, in particular in Africa, where there is a chronic shortage of pain medications. There are no data on the availability and use of tramadol for medical purposes, but data on internationally controlled substances clearly highlight the gaps in the accessibility of pain medications. The general lack of access to opioid-related pain medications under international control is a specific problem for developing countries, which is even more pronounced in countries in West and Central Africa than in other parts of the world.
Against this background of a de facto non-availability of internationally controlled opioids for pain medication for large sections of the population in West and Central Africa, tramadol – even though it is under national control in some West African countries – is in fact a widely available opioid in those countries, used for both medical purposes (including outside prescription) and for non-medical purposes' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'The trafficking and availability of tramadol for its non-medical use is a public health concern, but limited distribution of tramadol for medical use would also pose a public health concern, in particular in Africa, where there is a chronic shortage of pain medications. There are no data on the availability and use of tramadol for medical purposes, but data on internationally controlled substances clearly highlight the gaps in the accessibility of pain medications. The general lack of access to opioid-related pain medications under international control is a specific problem for developing countries, which is even more pronounced in countries in West and Central Africa than in other parts of the world.
Against this background of a de facto non-availability of internationally controlled opioids for pain medication for large sections of the population in West and Central Africa, tramadol – even though it is under national control in some West African countries – is in fact a widely available opioid in those countries, used for both medical purposes (including outside prescription) and for non-medical purposes' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'It would seem that junk is the only habit-forming drug. Cats cannot be addicted to morphine, as they react to an injection of morphine with acute delirium. Cats have a relatively small quantity of histamine in the blood stream. It would seem that histamine is the defense against morphine, and that cats, lacking this defense, cannot tolerate morphine. Perhaps the mechanism of withdrawal is this: Histamine is produced by the body as a defense against morphine during the period of addiction. When the drug is withdrawn, the body continues to produce histamine.'
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The legal status of marijuana in the century since the cabinet was produced has gone through dramatic shifts, of course. What was once a standard herb regarded for its medical value became a strictly prohibited controlled substance decades later. But flash-forward to the modern era and while cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, it’s regained its legal status for medical use in a majority of states.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-was-in-100-year-old-medical-cabinet-on-antiques-roadshow-but-owners-brother-smoked-it/
Traditional medicine is built on ritucharya, or living in accordance with the seasons. The strength of the human body rises and falls according to the seasons. In India, as the sun's intensity increases, the human body's strength decreases and vice versa. The human body is said to be strongest at the end of winter and weakest at the end of summer. As autumn and winter set in and the sun's intensity decreases, the human body gathers strength till it peaks at the start of spring. Then as the sun intensifies, it saps out the strength gained through winter until the body is at its weakest at the start of the monsoons. As immunity and digestive powers drop with the heating up and weakening of the body in summer, minimal physical activity and methods for cooling and refreshing the body such as lemonade, butter milk and bhang and light food is recommended. Early monsoon, when infectious diseases rise and the body is at its weakest, is the time of caution. Switching to warm drinks, fermented grains and oil baths are suggested. Winter is the time to indulge in soups, meats, strong liquor and physical activity heating up the body and building strength. With prohibition lifted, consuming vast amounts of hard liquor now is ill advised. To binge on hard liquor, wait for winter...
May 5, 2020, 4:45 PM
There are fatal flaws in the global healthcare system. It is dominated by pharmaceutical drugs created in a chemist's labs and physicians trained only on these drugs. Traditional plant medicine figures nowhere in the scheme of things. The money involved ensures that all governing bodies, pharmaceutical companies, physicians and medical institutions work together to promote this system. It is a sports league completely dominated by one club who owns the players, officials, governing body and the rules of the sport. The audience i.e. the public must play along. A truly global healthcare system must be a balance of all medical systems. I recommend that the WHO be reorganized into at least two entities, the World Pharmaceutical Drugs Control Board (WPDCB) and the World Disease Control Board (WDCB). Other entities such as the UNODC and the INCB should merge with the WPDCB. Its focus should only be on synthetic drugs emerging from the chemist's lab. Natural medicine such as cannabis, the opium plant and psilocybin must be removed from its scope. All physicians must be trained and knowledgeable in both. Controls to prevent bias towards chemical medicine must be in place. Emphasis must be more on natural medicine to ensure universal access, affordability and sustainability.
May 5, 2020, 4:48 PM
'Results: HDL cholesterol significantly improved in the Hemp group (p=0.004; ES = 0.75). No other statistically significant group x time interaction effects were observed. Statistical tendencies for between-group differences were found for ‘I Get Pleasure From Life’ (p=0.06, ES = 0.48) and ‘Ability to Cope with Stress’ (p=0.07, ES = 0.46). Sleep quality (Hemp, p=0.005, ES = 0.54) and sleep quantity (Hemp, p=0.01, ES = 0.58) exhibited significant within-group changes. All values for hepato-renal function, cardiovascular health, fasting blood lipids, and whole blood cell counts remained within normal clinical limits with no between-group differences over time being identified.
Conclusions: Hemp supplementation improved HDL cholesterol, tended to support psychometric measures of perceived sleep, stress response, and perceived life pleasure and was well tolerated with no clinically relevant safety concerns.'
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19390211.2020.1765941?journalCode=ijds20
Get rich...at warp speed...warped indeed...
'When the news broke yesterday that Operation Warp Speed had selected five experimental COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track through testing and, potentially, mass-scale production, it was news even to some top scientists involved with the White House–led program. “It’s been so chaotic, and it’s not even transparent to those of us who are trying to help out,” says a source linked to Warp Speed who asked not to be named.
The New York Times reported that according to “senior officials,” the Trump administration program had chosen vaccines from Moderna, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck for the crash development program, which aims to have enough safe and proven product to vaccinate 300 million Americans by January 2021. The government’s Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) had already singled out all four for what could amount to more than $2 billion in funding if they hit milestones. The fifth vaccine flagged by The New York Times is made by Pfizer, whose CEO, Albert Bourla, said on 28 May at a media briefing that the company doesn’t want funding from any government because “We believe we can move faster if we don’t have to involve a third party.”'
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/top-us-scientists-left-out-white-house-selection-covid-19-vaccine-shortlist
'Authors further reported that cannabis therapy was associated with a reduction in subjects' use of prescription medications – a finding that is consistent with prior studies. Overall, participants discontinued taking a total of 39 prescription medicines during the study period. Patients were most likely to eliminate their use of opioids, anxiolytics, and anti-depressants after initiating cannabis therapy.
They concluded, "We found an overall improvement in the patients, including of their symptoms and medical conditions, cessation or reduction of traditional drug usage, and a general improvement in life quality. ... Overall, 39 dosages of prescription drugs were cancelled for the 19 elderly individuals included in this research, indicating that medical cannabis can be an effective treatment that also reduces environmental drug load."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/study-medical-cannabis-therapy-reduces-prescription-drug-use-among-nursing-home-patients
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'The legal status of marijuana in the century since the cabinet was produced has gone through dramatic shifts, of course. What was once a standard herb regarded for its medical value became a strictly prohibited controlled substance decades later. But flash-forward to the modern era and while cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, it’s regained its legal status for medical use in a majority of states.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-was-in-100-year-old-medical-cabinet-on-antiques-roadshow-but-owners-brother-smoked-it/
Traditional medicine is built on ritucharya, or living in accordance with the seasons. The strength of the human body rises and falls according to the seasons. In India, as the sun's intensity increases, the human body's strength decreases and vice versa. The human body is said to be strongest at the end of winter and weakest at the end of summer. As autumn and winter set in and the sun's intensity decreases, the human body gathers strength till it peaks at the start of spring. Then as the sun intensifies, it saps out the strength gained through winter until the body is at its weakest at the start of the monsoons. As immunity and digestive powers drop with the heating up and weakening of the body in summer, minimal physical activity and methods for cooling and refreshing the body such as lemonade, butter milk and bhang and light food is recommended. Early monsoon, when infectious diseases rise and the body is at its weakest, is the time of caution. Switching to warm drinks, fermented grains and oil baths are suggested. Winter is the time to indulge in soups, meats, strong liquor and physical activity heating up the body and building strength. With prohibition lifted, consuming vast amounts of hard liquor now is ill advised. To binge on hard liquor, wait for winter...
May 5, 2020, 4:45 PM
There are fatal flaws in the global healthcare system. It is dominated by pharmaceutical drugs created in a chemist's labs and physicians trained only on these drugs. Traditional plant medicine figures nowhere in the scheme of things. The money involved ensures that all governing bodies, pharmaceutical companies, physicians and medical institutions work together to promote this system. It is a sports league completely dominated by one club who owns the players, officials, governing body and the rules of the sport. The audience i.e. the public must play along. A truly global healthcare system must be a balance of all medical systems. I recommend that the WHO be reorganized into at least two entities, the World Pharmaceutical Drugs Control Board (WPDCB) and the World Disease Control Board (WDCB). Other entities such as the UNODC and the INCB should merge with the WPDCB. Its focus should only be on synthetic drugs emerging from the chemist's lab. Natural medicine such as cannabis, the opium plant and psilocybin must be removed from its scope. All physicians must be trained and knowledgeable in both. Controls to prevent bias towards chemical medicine must be in place. Emphasis must be more on natural medicine to ensure universal access, affordability and sustainability.
May 5, 2020, 4:48 PM
'Results: HDL cholesterol significantly improved in the Hemp group (p=0.004; ES = 0.75). No other statistically significant group x time interaction effects were observed. Statistical tendencies for between-group differences were found for ‘I Get Pleasure From Life’ (p=0.06, ES = 0.48) and ‘Ability to Cope with Stress’ (p=0.07, ES = 0.46). Sleep quality (Hemp, p=0.005, ES = 0.54) and sleep quantity (Hemp, p=0.01, ES = 0.58) exhibited significant within-group changes. All values for hepato-renal function, cardiovascular health, fasting blood lipids, and whole blood cell counts remained within normal clinical limits with no between-group differences over time being identified.
Conclusions: Hemp supplementation improved HDL cholesterol, tended to support psychometric measures of perceived sleep, stress response, and perceived life pleasure and was well tolerated with no clinically relevant safety concerns.'
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19390211.2020.1765941?journalCode=ijds20
Get rich...at warp speed...warped indeed...
'When the news broke yesterday that Operation Warp Speed had selected five experimental COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track through testing and, potentially, mass-scale production, it was news even to some top scientists involved with the White House–led program. “It’s been so chaotic, and it’s not even transparent to those of us who are trying to help out,” says a source linked to Warp Speed who asked not to be named.
The New York Times reported that according to “senior officials,” the Trump administration program had chosen vaccines from Moderna, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck for the crash development program, which aims to have enough safe and proven product to vaccinate 300 million Americans by January 2021. The government’s Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority (BARDA) had already singled out all four for what could amount to more than $2 billion in funding if they hit milestones. The fifth vaccine flagged by The New York Times is made by Pfizer, whose CEO, Albert Bourla, said on 28 May at a media briefing that the company doesn’t want funding from any government because “We believe we can move faster if we don’t have to involve a third party.”'
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/top-us-scientists-left-out-white-house-selection-covid-19-vaccine-shortlist
'Authors further reported that cannabis therapy was associated with a reduction in subjects' use of prescription medications – a finding that is consistent with prior studies. Overall, participants discontinued taking a total of 39 prescription medicines during the study period. Patients were most likely to eliminate their use of opioids, anxiolytics, and anti-depressants after initiating cannabis therapy.
They concluded, "We found an overall improvement in the patients, including of their symptoms and medical conditions, cessation or reduction of traditional drug usage, and a general improvement in life quality. ... Overall, 39 dosages of prescription drugs were cancelled for the 19 elderly individuals included in this research, indicating that medical cannabis can be an effective treatment that also reduces environmental drug load."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/study-medical-cannabis-therapy-reduces-prescription-drug-use-among-nursing-home-patients
'Withdrawal symptoms are allergic symptoms: sneezing, coughing, running at the eyes and nose, vomiting, diarrhea, hive-like conditions of the skin. Severe withdrawal symptoms are shock symptoms: lowered blood pressure, loss of body fluid and shrinking of the organism as in the death process, weakness, involuntary orgasms, death through collapse of the circulatory system. If an addict dies from junk withdrawal, he dies of allergic shock.'
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Researchers reported that those taking CBD experienced improved HDL (high-density lipoprotein aka "good") cholesterol levels as compared to controls. Subjects consuming the extract also acknowledged improvements in sleep and an overall improvement in their quality of life. No significant adverse events were reported.
Authors concluded, "Overall, these findings suggest that supplementation with this hemp extract at the provided dosage in the men and women studied exhibited improvements in HDL cholesterol, tended to support psychometric measures of perceived sleep quantity and stress response, perceived life pleasure, and is well tolerated in healthy human subjects."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/clinical-trial-hemp-derived-cbd-supplement-associated-with-improved-hdl-cholesterol-levels
'Regulators have expanded the pool of patients eligible for medical cannabis access to include those with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and persistent (lasting more than six-months) chronic pain.
Physicians in Connecticut have the option of recommending cannabis therapy for patients suffering from over 30 distinct conditions, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress. Over 41,000 residents are registered with the state to obtain and consume medical cannabis products.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/connecticut-lawmakers-expand-patient-pool-eligible-for-medical-cannabis
'“People in the high concentration group were much less compromised than we thought they were going to be,” said co-author Kent Hutchison, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder who also studies alcohol addiction. “If we gave people that high a concentration of alcohol it would have been a different story.”
One reason that higher THC blood levels didn’t translate to higher highs could be that the body’s finite number of cannabinoid receptors, which THC molecules bind to, become saturated regardless of whether higher- or lower-THC products are used. Any excess THC in consumers’ blood plasma, in that case, would be metabolized and not contribute to further impairment'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/do-highly-potent-marijuana-concentrates-get-users-more-high-not-exactly-study-finds/
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Researchers reported that those taking CBD experienced improved HDL (high-density lipoprotein aka "good") cholesterol levels as compared to controls. Subjects consuming the extract also acknowledged improvements in sleep and an overall improvement in their quality of life. No significant adverse events were reported.
Authors concluded, "Overall, these findings suggest that supplementation with this hemp extract at the provided dosage in the men and women studied exhibited improvements in HDL cholesterol, tended to support psychometric measures of perceived sleep quantity and stress response, perceived life pleasure, and is well tolerated in healthy human subjects."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/clinical-trial-hemp-derived-cbd-supplement-associated-with-improved-hdl-cholesterol-levels
'Regulators have expanded the pool of patients eligible for medical cannabis access to include those with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and persistent (lasting more than six-months) chronic pain.
Physicians in Connecticut have the option of recommending cannabis therapy for patients suffering from over 30 distinct conditions, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress. Over 41,000 residents are registered with the state to obtain and consume medical cannabis products.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/11/connecticut-lawmakers-expand-patient-pool-eligible-for-medical-cannabis
'“People in the high concentration group were much less compromised than we thought they were going to be,” said co-author Kent Hutchison, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder who also studies alcohol addiction. “If we gave people that high a concentration of alcohol it would have been a different story.”
One reason that higher THC blood levels didn’t translate to higher highs could be that the body’s finite number of cannabinoid receptors, which THC molecules bind to, become saturated regardless of whether higher- or lower-THC products are used. Any excess THC in consumers’ blood plasma, in that case, would be metabolized and not contribute to further impairment'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/do-highly-potent-marijuana-concentrates-get-users-more-high-not-exactly-study-finds/
'Thus, through the circumstances of their lives, and the nature of our own wants, all these have been our allies in keeping the balance of nature tilted in our favor. Yet we have turned our artillery against our friends. The terrible danger is that we have grossly underestimated their value in keeping at bay a dark tide of enemies that, without their help, can overrun us.
The prospect of a general and permanent lowering of environmental resistance becomes grimly and increasingly real with each passing year as the number, variety, and destructiveness of insecticides grows. With the passing of time we may expect progressively more serious outbreaks of insects, both disease-carrying and crop-destroying species, in excess of anything we have ever known.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Results: Cannabis Users self-reported significantly better QOL [quality of life] [t(1054)=-4.19, p<0.001], greater health satisfaction [t(1045)=-4.14, p<0.001], improved sleep [children: t(224)=2.90, p<0.01; adults: [t(758)=3.03, p<0.01], lower average pain severity [t(1150)=2.34, p<0.05], lower anxiety [t(1151)=4.38, p<0.001], and lower depression [t(1210)=5.77, p<0.001] compared with Controls. Cannabis Users reported using fewer prescription medications (rate ratio [RR]=0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77–0.96) and were less likely to have a past-month emergency department visit (RR=0.61; 95% CI: 0.44–0.84) or hospital admission (RR=0.54; 95% CI: 0.34–0.87). Controls who initiated cannabis use after baseline showed significant health improvements at follow-up, and the magnitude of improvement mirrored the between-group differences observed at baseline.
Conclusions: Cannabis use was associated with improved health and QOL. Longitudinal testing suggests that group differences may be due to the medicinal use of cannabis. Although bias related to preexisting beliefs regarding the health benefits of cannabis in this sample should be considered, these findings indicate that clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of defined cannabinoid products for specific health conditions are warranted.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2019.0096
The prospect of a general and permanent lowering of environmental resistance becomes grimly and increasingly real with each passing year as the number, variety, and destructiveness of insecticides grows. With the passing of time we may expect progressively more serious outbreaks of insects, both disease-carrying and crop-destroying species, in excess of anything we have ever known.' - Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Results: Cannabis Users self-reported significantly better QOL [quality of life] [t(1054)=-4.19, p<0.001], greater health satisfaction [t(1045)=-4.14, p<0.001], improved sleep [children: t(224)=2.90, p<0.01; adults: [t(758)=3.03, p<0.01], lower average pain severity [t(1150)=2.34, p<0.05], lower anxiety [t(1151)=4.38, p<0.001], and lower depression [t(1210)=5.77, p<0.001] compared with Controls. Cannabis Users reported using fewer prescription medications (rate ratio [RR]=0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77–0.96) and were less likely to have a past-month emergency department visit (RR=0.61; 95% CI: 0.44–0.84) or hospital admission (RR=0.54; 95% CI: 0.34–0.87). Controls who initiated cannabis use after baseline showed significant health improvements at follow-up, and the magnitude of improvement mirrored the between-group differences observed at baseline.
Conclusions: Cannabis use was associated with improved health and QOL. Longitudinal testing suggests that group differences may be due to the medicinal use of cannabis. Although bias related to preexisting beliefs regarding the health benefits of cannabis in this sample should be considered, these findings indicate that clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of defined cannabinoid products for specific health conditions are warranted.'
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2019.0096
'When you give up junk, you give up a way of life. I have seen junkies kick and hit the lush [alcohol] and wind up dead in a few years. Suicide is frequent among ex-junkies. Why does a junkie quit junk of his own will? You never know the answer to that question. No conscious tabulation of the disadvantages and horrors of junk gives you the emotional drive to kick. The decision to quit junk is a cellular decision, and once you have decided to quit you cannot go back to junk permanently any more than you could stay away from it before. Like a man who has been away a long time, you see things different when you return from junk.'
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Meiri is best known for his work matching specific components of cannabis to affect different types of cancer. But when the interviewer asked the Israeli researcher which areas of medicine he thought cannabis offered the most promise, the answer was surprising.
On top of what is already known and treated… pain, sleep, epilepsy, anxiety and these kinds of things, I think that one of the things that is still not being treated with cannabis … and I really, really believe in it, and in my lab I have phenomenal results, is dementia and Alzheimer’s.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2020/06/18/notes-from-the-cutting-edge-israeli-researcher-dedi-meiri-on-cannabis-alzheimers-and-dementia/
'The current public discourse around cannabis tends to conflate the non-medical use of cannabis products containing high levels of THC (vapes and concentrates) with medical use of preparation such as dronabinol and nabiximols containing THC and CBD for treating and managing health conditions, including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and spasticity symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances associated with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Personal testimonies on the use of cannabis products to self-medicate and alleviate health conditions cannot be heeded in lieu of rigorous clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabis products in treating certain health conditions. Moreover, CBD, a cannabinoid that is not a psychoactive agent and is often promoted as a health and wellness product, should not be confused with THC, a very different and psychoactive cannabinoid, or with cannabis per se, which contains many different compounds. Policy, legislation and public debate would do well to address these very different issues with greater clarity.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_1.pdf
Going through the executive summary of the UNODC 2020 World Drug Report, I find that there is no change in tune from the world drug control agencies. The report says that abuse of all forms of synthetic drugs are rapidly growing including opioids, amphetamines and benzodiazepines. It also says that Covid 19 is likely to exacerbate drug usage and that novel psychotropic substances synthesized in labs are growing rapidly. It says that national budgets for drug control have been slashed significantly over the last few years. Along with all this it also continues to say that cannabis was the most consumed and largest seized drug in the world. It also shows that the majority of persons in jail are for cannabis. It also seems more focused on curbing cannabis cultivation by poor farmers than focusing on synthetic drugs that kill. It talks about how 80% of the world suffers without access to pain medication and then goes on to say that cannabis needs to be closely monitored and claims of its use are only personal testimonials without clinical trial backing. It also does not miss the opportunity to say that THC is not as benign as CBD even though no statistic of cannabis related deaths exist. It says that adolescent use in places where cannabis has been legalized have not increased, states that alcohol is much more responsible for violence than drugs, but expresses concern about big tobacco and alcohol companies looking to enter cannabis businesses...how typical...
Jul 3, 2020, 4:18 PM
'The increase in treatment demand related to cannabis use disorders in some regions warrants special attention. There is great variability in the definition and practice of what constitutes treatment of cannabis use disorders. Treatment at present consists of behavioural or psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (in which irrational, negative thinking styles are challenged and the development of alternative coping skills is promoted) and motivational interviewing (in which a user’s personal motivation to change their own behaviour is facilitated and engaged). These interventions may vary from one-time online contact or screening and brief intervention in an outpatient setting, to a more comprehensive treatment plan including treatment of other comorbidities in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Some of the factors that may influence the number of people in treatment for cannabis use disorders include changes in the number of people who actually need treatment; changes in the treatment referral system; changes in awareness of potential problems associated with cannabis use disorders; and changes in the availability of and access to treatment for cannabis use disorders.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'Parents sought medical cannabis as a treatment because of a perceived unmet need stemming from the failure of antiepileptic drugs to control their children's seizures. Medical cannabis was viewed as an acceptable treatment, especially compared with adding additional antiepileptic drugs. After learning about medical cannabis from the media, friends and family, or other parents, participants sought authorization for medical use. However, most encountered resistance from their child's neurologist to discuss and/or authorize medical cannabis, and many parents experienced difficulty in obtaining authorization from a member of the child's existing care team, leading them to seek authorization from a cannabis clinic. Participants described spending up to $2000 per month on medical cannabis, and most were frustrated that it was not eligible for reimbursement through public or private insurance programs.'
https://www.epilepsybehavior.com/article/S1525-5050(20)30299-7/pdf
- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Meiri is best known for his work matching specific components of cannabis to affect different types of cancer. But when the interviewer asked the Israeli researcher which areas of medicine he thought cannabis offered the most promise, the answer was surprising.
On top of what is already known and treated… pain, sleep, epilepsy, anxiety and these kinds of things, I think that one of the things that is still not being treated with cannabis … and I really, really believe in it, and in my lab I have phenomenal results, is dementia and Alzheimer’s.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2020/06/18/notes-from-the-cutting-edge-israeli-researcher-dedi-meiri-on-cannabis-alzheimers-and-dementia/
'The current public discourse around cannabis tends to conflate the non-medical use of cannabis products containing high levels of THC (vapes and concentrates) with medical use of preparation such as dronabinol and nabiximols containing THC and CBD for treating and managing health conditions, including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and spasticity symptoms, as well as sleep disturbances associated with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Personal testimonies on the use of cannabis products to self-medicate and alleviate health conditions cannot be heeded in lieu of rigorous clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabis products in treating certain health conditions. Moreover, CBD, a cannabinoid that is not a psychoactive agent and is often promoted as a health and wellness product, should not be confused with THC, a very different and psychoactive cannabinoid, or with cannabis per se, which contains many different compounds. Policy, legislation and public debate would do well to address these very different issues with greater clarity.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_1.pdf
Going through the executive summary of the UNODC 2020 World Drug Report, I find that there is no change in tune from the world drug control agencies. The report says that abuse of all forms of synthetic drugs are rapidly growing including opioids, amphetamines and benzodiazepines. It also says that Covid 19 is likely to exacerbate drug usage and that novel psychotropic substances synthesized in labs are growing rapidly. It says that national budgets for drug control have been slashed significantly over the last few years. Along with all this it also continues to say that cannabis was the most consumed and largest seized drug in the world. It also shows that the majority of persons in jail are for cannabis. It also seems more focused on curbing cannabis cultivation by poor farmers than focusing on synthetic drugs that kill. It talks about how 80% of the world suffers without access to pain medication and then goes on to say that cannabis needs to be closely monitored and claims of its use are only personal testimonials without clinical trial backing. It also does not miss the opportunity to say that THC is not as benign as CBD even though no statistic of cannabis related deaths exist. It says that adolescent use in places where cannabis has been legalized have not increased, states that alcohol is much more responsible for violence than drugs, but expresses concern about big tobacco and alcohol companies looking to enter cannabis businesses...how typical...
Jul 3, 2020, 4:18 PM
'The increase in treatment demand related to cannabis use disorders in some regions warrants special attention. There is great variability in the definition and practice of what constitutes treatment of cannabis use disorders. Treatment at present consists of behavioural or psychosocial interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (in which irrational, negative thinking styles are challenged and the development of alternative coping skills is promoted) and motivational interviewing (in which a user’s personal motivation to change their own behaviour is facilitated and engaged). These interventions may vary from one-time online contact or screening and brief intervention in an outpatient setting, to a more comprehensive treatment plan including treatment of other comorbidities in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Some of the factors that may influence the number of people in treatment for cannabis use disorders include changes in the number of people who actually need treatment; changes in the treatment referral system; changes in awareness of potential problems associated with cannabis use disorders; and changes in the availability of and access to treatment for cannabis use disorders.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_Booklet_2.pdf
'Parents sought medical cannabis as a treatment because of a perceived unmet need stemming from the failure of antiepileptic drugs to control their children's seizures. Medical cannabis was viewed as an acceptable treatment, especially compared with adding additional antiepileptic drugs. After learning about medical cannabis from the media, friends and family, or other parents, participants sought authorization for medical use. However, most encountered resistance from their child's neurologist to discuss and/or authorize medical cannabis, and many parents experienced difficulty in obtaining authorization from a member of the child's existing care team, leading them to seek authorization from a cannabis clinic. Participants described spending up to $2000 per month on medical cannabis, and most were frustrated that it was not eligible for reimbursement through public or private insurance programs.'
https://www.epilepsybehavior.com/article/S1525-5050(20)30299-7/pdf
'I knew that I did not want to go on taking junk. If I could have made a single decision, I would have decided no more junk ever. But when it came to the process of quitting, I did not have the drive. It gave me a terrible feeling of helplessness to watch myself break every schedule I set up as though I did not have control over my actions.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Results With this systematic review, we can conclude that its therapeutic application in areas such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and in the relief of some cancer patient’s symptoms is promising. Its apparent anti-tumour activity in various types of cancer is of increasing scientific interest as current treatments in these situations are scarce.
Conclusion The future of cannabis therapy is getting closer. It is therefore necessary to study and develop new synthetic analogues of THC, with better separation between therapeutic and side effects. Scientific advances show that Cannabis sativa is a treatment option for many conditions. With this systematic review we can conclude that its therapeutic application in areas such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and in the relief of some symptoms in cancer patients is promising. Its apparent anti-tumour activity in various types of cancer is also of increasing scientific interest.'
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article-abstract/30/Supplement_2/ckaa040.015/5862080
'While Grinspoon’s accolades and leadership positions in medicine played a major role in how important his voice was to the cause, it was also the voice of a father who had deeply personal experiences with medical cannabis. As his son Danny battled terminal cancer, Grinspoon witnessed the benefits of medical cannabis to someone going through an aggressive chemotherapy regime.
Danny lost his life to leukemia, but the lessons his father learned in helping him live a better quality of life would go on to help millions. As cannabis rose to prominence in the last 20 years, it’s undeniable the tale of a Harvard Medical School professor and his son went a long way to calming nerves around what was still a very illicit substance in the eyes of so many.'
https://www.laweekly.com/the-cannabis-world-mourns-dr-lester-grinspoon/
'Results With this systematic review, we can conclude that its therapeutic application in areas such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and in the relief of some cancer patient’s symptoms is promising. Its apparent anti-tumour activity in various types of cancer is of increasing scientific interest as current treatments in these situations are scarce.
Conclusion The future of cannabis therapy is getting closer. It is therefore necessary to study and develop new synthetic analogues of THC, with better separation between therapeutic and side effects. Scientific advances show that Cannabis sativa is a treatment option for many conditions. With this systematic review we can conclude that its therapeutic application in areas such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and in the relief of some symptoms in cancer patients is promising. Its apparent anti-tumour activity in various types of cancer is also of increasing scientific interest.'
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article-abstract/30/Supplement_2/ckaa040.015/5862080
'While Grinspoon’s accolades and leadership positions in medicine played a major role in how important his voice was to the cause, it was also the voice of a father who had deeply personal experiences with medical cannabis. As his son Danny battled terminal cancer, Grinspoon witnessed the benefits of medical cannabis to someone going through an aggressive chemotherapy regime.
Danny lost his life to leukemia, but the lessons his father learned in helping him live a better quality of life would go on to help millions. As cannabis rose to prominence in the last 20 years, it’s undeniable the tale of a Harvard Medical School professor and his son went a long way to calming nerves around what was still a very illicit substance in the eyes of so many.'
https://www.laweekly.com/the-cannabis-world-mourns-dr-lester-grinspoon/
'Unfortunately for all of us, opportunities for this sort of thing to happen are legion. A few years ago a team of Food and Drug Administration scientists discovered that when malathion and certain other organic phosphates are administered simultaneously a massive poisoning results - up to 50 times as severe as would be predicted on the basis of adding the toxicities of the two. In other words, 1/100 of the lethal dose of each compound may be fatal when the two are combined.The discovery led to the testing of other combinations. It is now known that many pairs of organic phosphate insecticides are highly dangerous, the toxicity being stepped up or 'potentiated' through the combined action. Potentiation seems to take place when one compound destroys the liver enzyme responsible for detoxifying the other. The two need not be given simultaneously. The hazard exists not only for the man who must spray this week with one insecticide and the next week with another; it exists also for the consumer of sprayed products.
The common salad bowl may easily present a combination of organic phosphate insecticides. Residues well within the legally permissible limits may interact.'
- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Wealthier families and those who can successfully raise funds pay about £2,000 a month to access full-leaf cannabis medicines via private prescription for children with rare forms of treatment-resistant epilepsy, while poorer parents are unable to afford the prescriptions.
Experts say that, despite the drug’s legality, rigid prescribing guidelines for doctors set by the British Paediatric Neurological Association – which cite a lack of clinical research and reference disputed theories about the mental health effects of cannabis – make getting hold of the medicine on the NHS difficult in practice.'
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/01/anger-at-nhs-failure-to-prescribe-cannabis-oil-medicines
'Join NORML's Founder Keith Stroup, Executive Director Erik Altieri, and a number of special guests who knew and worked with Lester for a conversation honoring his life and contributions to the cannabis reform movement.
Lester Grinspoon, M.D., the longtime Harvard professor, psychiatrist, and author of twelve books — including Marihuana Reconsidered, the single most comprehensive and thoughtful and convincing explanation of the crucial need to end marijuana prohibition and establish a legal marijuana market — passed away on June 25th. He was 92 years old.
His extraordinary personal commitment to advancing both marijuana policy and the NORML organization demonstrated his deeply held belief that we all have an obligation to fight injustice whenever and wherever we find it.'
https://www.facebook.com/norml/videos/196873921743486/
'Ninety percent of those currently using cannabis for pain management said that it provided either moderate or significant relief and 40 percent of subjects reported having decreased their consumption of other analgesic medications following their initiation of cannabis therapy. Pain patients most frequently reported consuming products high in CBD rather than THC.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/07/09/survey-one-in-five-patients-report-using-cannabis-products-for-musculoskeletal-pain
The common salad bowl may easily present a combination of organic phosphate insecticides. Residues well within the legally permissible limits may interact.'
- Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962
'Wealthier families and those who can successfully raise funds pay about £2,000 a month to access full-leaf cannabis medicines via private prescription for children with rare forms of treatment-resistant epilepsy, while poorer parents are unable to afford the prescriptions.
Experts say that, despite the drug’s legality, rigid prescribing guidelines for doctors set by the British Paediatric Neurological Association – which cite a lack of clinical research and reference disputed theories about the mental health effects of cannabis – make getting hold of the medicine on the NHS difficult in practice.'
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/01/anger-at-nhs-failure-to-prescribe-cannabis-oil-medicines
'Join NORML's Founder Keith Stroup, Executive Director Erik Altieri, and a number of special guests who knew and worked with Lester for a conversation honoring his life and contributions to the cannabis reform movement.
Lester Grinspoon, M.D., the longtime Harvard professor, psychiatrist, and author of twelve books — including Marihuana Reconsidered, the single most comprehensive and thoughtful and convincing explanation of the crucial need to end marijuana prohibition and establish a legal marijuana market — passed away on June 25th. He was 92 years old.
His extraordinary personal commitment to advancing both marijuana policy and the NORML organization demonstrated his deeply held belief that we all have an obligation to fight injustice whenever and wherever we find it.'
https://www.facebook.com/norml/videos/196873921743486/
'Ninety percent of those currently using cannabis for pain management said that it provided either moderate or significant relief and 40 percent of subjects reported having decreased their consumption of other analgesic medications following their initiation of cannabis therapy. Pain patients most frequently reported consuming products high in CBD rather than THC.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/07/09/survey-one-in-five-patients-report-using-cannabis-products-for-musculoskeletal-pain
'There was a raw ache in my lungs. People vary in the way junk sickness affects them. Some suffer mostly from vomiting and diarrhea. The asthmatic type, with narrow and deep chest, is liable to violent fits of sneezing, watering at eyes and nose, in some cases spasms of the bronchial tubes that shut off the breathing. In my case, the worst thing is lowering of blood pressure with consequent loss of body fluid, and extreme weakness, as in shock. It is a feeling as if the life energy has been shut off so that all the cells in the body are suffocating. As I lay there on the bench, I felt like as if I was subsiding into a pile of bones.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'Authors reported: “Results of this analysis indicated that compared to older adult non-users, older adult cannabis users had lower BMI at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that it may be easier for older adults who endorse using cannabis to increase and maintain their exercise behavior, potentially because cannabis users have lower body weight than their non-using peers. At minimum, the evidence suggests that cannabis use does not hinder older adults’ ability to engage in physical activity, to participate in a supervised exercise program, or to increase their fitness as a result of physical activity.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/07/09/study-history-of-cannabis-use-associated-with-lower-bmi-greater-exercise-frequency-in-those-age-60-and-older
'Cannabis has been prohibited in all sports during competition since the World Anti-Doping Agency first assumed the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the list of prohibited substances in sport 15 years ago. In 2018, however, CBD was removed from the Prohibited List, presumably on the basis of mounting scientific evidence that the cannabinoid is safe and well-tolerated in humans, even at very high doses (e.g. 1500 mg·day-1 or as an acute dose of 6000 mg). While several recent reviews have described the impact of cannabis on athlete health and performance, the influence of CBD alone has yet to be addressed.
The aim of this narrative review was to explore evidence on the physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects of CBD that may be relevant to sport and/or exercise performance and to identify relevant areas for future research. Given the absence of studies directly investigating CBD and sports performance, this review draws primarily on preclinical studies involving laboratory animals and a limited number of clinical trials involving non-athlete populations.'
https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0
'The study of herbal medicine spans the knowledge of biology, history, source, physical and chemical nature, and mechanism of action, traditional, medicinal and therapeutic use of drug. This article also provide knowledge about macroscopically and microscopically characters of Cannabis sativa with geographical sources. The well known cannabinoids are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabichromene (CBC) and their pharmacological properties and importance have been extensively studied. Hence, efforts are required to establish and validate evidence regarding safety and practices of Ayurveda medicines.
Conclusion: These studies will help in expanding the current therapeutic potential of C. sativa and it also provide a strong support to its future clinical use as herbal medicines having safe in use with no side effects'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/183226/article
'Results and conclusion: Through a detailed analysis of the available resources about the origins of C. sativa we found that its use by ancient civilizations as a source of food and textile fibers dates back over 10,000 years, while its therapeutic applications have been improved over the centuries, from the ancient East medicine of the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C. to the more recent introduction in the Western world after the 1st century A.D. In the 20th and 21th centuries, Cannabis and its derivatives have been considered as a menace and banned throughout the world, but nowadays they are still the most widely consumed illicit drugs all over the world. Its legalization in some jurisdictions has been accompanied by new lines of research to investigate its possible applications for medical and therapeutic purposes.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/182145/article
'Authors reported: “Results of this analysis indicated that compared to older adult non-users, older adult cannabis users had lower BMI at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that it may be easier for older adults who endorse using cannabis to increase and maintain their exercise behavior, potentially because cannabis users have lower body weight than their non-using peers. At minimum, the evidence suggests that cannabis use does not hinder older adults’ ability to engage in physical activity, to participate in a supervised exercise program, or to increase their fitness as a result of physical activity.”'
https://norml.org/news/2020/07/09/study-history-of-cannabis-use-associated-with-lower-bmi-greater-exercise-frequency-in-those-age-60-and-older
'Cannabis has been prohibited in all sports during competition since the World Anti-Doping Agency first assumed the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the list of prohibited substances in sport 15 years ago. In 2018, however, CBD was removed from the Prohibited List, presumably on the basis of mounting scientific evidence that the cannabinoid is safe and well-tolerated in humans, even at very high doses (e.g. 1500 mg·day-1 or as an acute dose of 6000 mg). While several recent reviews have described the impact of cannabis on athlete health and performance, the influence of CBD alone has yet to be addressed.
The aim of this narrative review was to explore evidence on the physiological, biochemical, and psychological effects of CBD that may be relevant to sport and/or exercise performance and to identify relevant areas for future research. Given the absence of studies directly investigating CBD and sports performance, this review draws primarily on preclinical studies involving laboratory animals and a limited number of clinical trials involving non-athlete populations.'
https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0
'The study of herbal medicine spans the knowledge of biology, history, source, physical and chemical nature, and mechanism of action, traditional, medicinal and therapeutic use of drug. This article also provide knowledge about macroscopically and microscopically characters of Cannabis sativa with geographical sources. The well known cannabinoids are Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabichromene (CBC) and their pharmacological properties and importance have been extensively studied. Hence, efforts are required to establish and validate evidence regarding safety and practices of Ayurveda medicines.
Conclusion: These studies will help in expanding the current therapeutic potential of C. sativa and it also provide a strong support to its future clinical use as herbal medicines having safe in use with no side effects'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/183226/article
'Results and conclusion: Through a detailed analysis of the available resources about the origins of C. sativa we found that its use by ancient civilizations as a source of food and textile fibers dates back over 10,000 years, while its therapeutic applications have been improved over the centuries, from the ancient East medicine of the 2nd and 1st millennium B.C. to the more recent introduction in the Western world after the 1st century A.D. In the 20th and 21th centuries, Cannabis and its derivatives have been considered as a menace and banned throughout the world, but nowadays they are still the most widely consumed illicit drugs all over the world. Its legalization in some jurisdictions has been accompanied by new lines of research to investigate its possible applications for medical and therapeutic purposes.'
https://www.eurekaselect.com/182145/article
'Cole did not have a habit at this time and he wanted to connect for some weed. He was a real tea head. He told me he could not enjoy himself without weed. I have seen people like that. For them, tea occupies the place usually filled by liquor. They don't have to have it in any physical sense, but they cannot have a really good time without it.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'There is evidence that the number of polydrug users has increased in the United States and in the United Kingdom because in both countries the ratio of the aggregated number of users of individual drugs compared with the total number of drug users has followed an upward trend. It is still difficult, however, to assess the actual impact of this trend in terms of health consequences.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'However, polydrug trafficking is not limited to Europe and can also be found in other regions and subregions, including North America, South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa. For a number of years, for example, polydrug trafficking organizations have been dismantled in the United States. A recent example was the dismantlement in July 2019 of an organization involving more than 50 people selling counterfeit oxycodone pills (containing fentanyl), methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and benzodiazepine pills, as well as various types of weapons.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'There is evidence that the number of polydrug users has increased in the United States and in the United Kingdom because in both countries the ratio of the aggregated number of users of individual drugs compared with the total number of drug users has followed an upward trend. It is still difficult, however, to assess the actual impact of this trend in terms of health consequences.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'However, polydrug trafficking is not limited to Europe and can also be found in other regions and subregions, including North America, South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa. For a number of years, for example, polydrug trafficking organizations have been dismantled in the United States. A recent example was the dismantlement in July 2019 of an organization involving more than 50 people selling counterfeit oxycodone pills (containing fentanyl), methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and benzodiazepine pills, as well as various types of weapons.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf
'In no category did less than a majority of medical professionals support legalizing recreational or medical marijuana.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/most-doctors-nurses-and-pharmacists-support-legalizing-marijuana-poll-finds/
'The Schedule I classification persists—politically entrenched but medically absurd, legally questionable and morally wrong. After Danny’s death, I began to think about how many other people like him might enjoy similar physical and emotional relief from marijuana. Maybe this medicine had advantages over conventional drugs in more than one way. In the years since, I have been able to pursue this question.'
http://rxmarijuana.com/playart8-98.htm
'Greater than 70% of physicians who took this survey believed that MMJ [medical marijuana] should be an option available to patients. Many have patients who inquired about or already used cannabis for symptom control; however, the respondents' familiarity with the NY program and the eCB system was modest.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5899285/
'The dolophine suspends the sickness, but when the medication stops the sickness returns. "You don't kick your habit in the shooting gallery," an inmate told me. "You kick it over here in population." - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953
'A physician who once served at the U.S.’s top medical official is speaking out for the legalization of marijuana, saying that mere decriminalization is not good enough.
“The war on marijuana exacerbates poverty, which is strongly correlated with— among other problems—reduced access to health care. The unjust prohibition of marijuana has done more damage to public health than has marijuana itself,” Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who served as U.S. surgeon general during the Clinton administration, wrote in a new article in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/former-surgeon-general-legalize-marijuana-decrim-not-good-enough/
'Forty nine percent (68/140) of schools and colleges completed the survey and 62% (44/68) include medical marijuana content in their curriculum. Of the schools and colleges that do not include it, 23% (6/26) plan to incorporate medical marijuana topics within the next 12 months. In regards to perceived importance of specific topics related to medical marijuana, all topics received a median score of three on a scale of one to five, with one being of high importance.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877129718301266
'According to Shreekumar Menon, University Registrar, and CEO, Mission Angel Dust, the cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use in different cultures. The whole unprocessed marijuana plant and its basic extracts are used to treat a variety of ailments.'
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/seminar-to-explore-medicinal-values-of-marijuana-today/article18211064.ece
'A physician who once served at the U.S.’s top medical official is speaking out for the legalization of marijuana, saying that mere decriminalization is not good enough.
“The war on marijuana exacerbates poverty, which is strongly correlated with— among other problems—reduced access to health care. The unjust prohibition of marijuana has done more damage to public health than has marijuana itself,” Dr. Joycelyn Elders, who served as U.S. surgeon general during the Clinton administration, wrote in a new article in the November issue of the American Journal of Public Health.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/former-surgeon-general-legalize-marijuana-decrim-not-good-enough/
'Forty nine percent (68/140) of schools and colleges completed the survey and 62% (44/68) include medical marijuana content in their curriculum. Of the schools and colleges that do not include it, 23% (6/26) plan to incorporate medical marijuana topics within the next 12 months. In regards to perceived importance of specific topics related to medical marijuana, all topics received a median score of three on a scale of one to five, with one being of high importance.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877129718301266
'According to Shreekumar Menon, University Registrar, and CEO, Mission Angel Dust, the cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use in different cultures. The whole unprocessed marijuana plant and its basic extracts are used to treat a variety of ailments.'
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/seminar-to-explore-medicinal-values-of-marijuana-today/article18211064.ece
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