My position on Legalization of Marijuana-Initiative 502 from a medical patient

I am against it.

Most patients who get serious about their treatment really are.  Local dispensaries are making every effort to discourage buying the marijuana on the street, from a neighbor, I personally feel that is the sort of behavior that criminalizes it-and it does.

That I take heat for using this daily?

Of course I do-it's like any other medication?

Not exactly.

Some cannot tolerate it-likely it's doe to not knowing things like the fact there are up to five ingredients, multiple types of marijuana plants, and not all of them are intended for "smoking weed" because there's much more to it.

And like the hydrocortisone creams-well, steroids got me into this mess folks-that the irony in the theory that this is autoimmune, I may not like the neurologist who told me that he doesn't think RSD/CRPS is autoimmune.

The effects of steroids are something my body is highly sensitive to.  The effects even from cannaboids that my system has found much more tolerable, compared with medicines like SoluMedrol, Decadron, and in a recent emergent visit to a hospital?

I was given both-with no regard to the fact that I am listing it as an allergy, that I told staff "no chemistry-I am here for ________________"  *hydration, I have GP, and even with marijuana, folks, it's not curable.

If you use the brains God gave you-sure I believe this is a viable option.

For some.  Take Kush for example.  I won't smoke, vaporize, whatever-I prefer smoking because frankly when taken with things like um, well-take tobacco, unless you smoke Hookah, then I am guessing there's about 2,000 carcinogens-and more each day that they add things like oh, well-the papers that burn slow?  Go out so idiots who fall asleep with a lit cigarette don't light themselves on fire?

Marijuana (hereafter, MMJ, for medical marijuana because it's ill advised to get-save maybe very few, maybe one person I know?  Unless you really know someone, it's not safe.

Dispensaries, or a "caregiver" is I feel the best way.

My overall pain levels have been huge-so an Indica split order-I got what is called "Fruity Pebbles" (2g and one gram-I have a couple days-I get a number of 12.42% of the dispensaries "top shelf" so cost containment was a necessity-living broke, however-is another issue-balancing what is an uncovered medical expense, one I can only deduct from state level care-since the laws of the state apply-but federal laws, until the Procon federal lawsuit is successful.

My main reason for a "No" on 502 in my own state, is the mere fact-children are given nearly free access, and that's a mistake.  Sure, they got to juvenile hall, but the behavior is the main point, and it's something I personally feel is not going to thrill a lot of people, but I seem to suceed at that one.

Try a visual-I am wiped out today.

LOL, Indica is great for sleep-Adding to my order (like from Rite Aid, however, these guys that come out?  Eye candy maybe, but listening to what they say you learn a lot from the delivery driver....cooking tips for when a diet can be advanced?

Well, sick doesn't mean my whole life went out and died, did it?

Anyhow, it's that really there's the following:
-THC
-dTHC
-CBD

Anyone follow the point?  Three smokeable plants, at least one or two others?

Know where I am headed?  You have a choice: get well, or stay sick.  But using information that largely if not in this blog-links provided when explored will find a lot of information: like any medications-you have to list it if use is going to be regular.

Do I take heat for it?  Pretty much daily.  Tolerating it is another story.

Giving back 2 separate opiate medications?  I consider it a victory-the stuff can be dangerous, however-when noted, genetic testing revealed I am not a canidate anyhow.

But stimulation of gut function, some relief from pain with using some coffee with my "pain medication" added-it also controls most of the worst symptoms, allows me far fewer medicines that come from what I call "the land of a chemistry set" and honestly I do feel that well, even if an opium plant made those-they come with their own set of problems.

Am I against the use of any other meds to control pain?  No.  Would I have considered signing PROP?  Definitely not.  I know one of the doctors-her partner actually-gave me a misdiagnosis, then proceeded with medices that gave me two tumors in my gut, and yes-what followed was an 18 month vomitng session.

You bet I own a water bong.  Use it faithfully and daily.

Spending all day glued to the sofa?  Or my chair-a Lazy Boy which has been an indespensible gift in keeping me propped up when I can't?  But I cannot comfortably sit in it all day, no.

But at any rate-this sums up how a lot feel.

Thanks for the read.

But force my views-well, you chose to read what I wrote-if your blood boils, well, it has helped me so much?  Recertification came with a dosage increase.

An additional diagnosis of gastroparesis, thrombocytopenia, and also a seizure disorder is sort of the reason that well-each is a qualifying condition.

That according to both the US government (yes, SSDI, but it's another nightmare, not always the perfect solution-and it's far from sitting pretty guys), but one benefit?  My dispensary?  Wonderful to work with.

Listening to the staff?  Even if you wonder about it?  They read to the bottom of the page-all of it when you send literature on what you have.

That is, however, unless you use someone that drives a beat up truck.

Lied about the marijuana-did the opposite?

Um, there's a lot there, eh?

Sativa and Gastroparesis

My own "experiment," if modern medicine wants to "criminalize" this bud-smoker then when the gastroenterologist has only medicines with black box warnings then I have a question.

As I previously said, I do have gastroparesis and have of course been labeled a drug addict for the mere diagnosis of gastropatesis, when a myriad of things can do it, multile abdominal surgeries when one alone can as well?

Tell me how I endure pain few do on less and less medical intervention but am taking further abuse from medicine for growing a brain and getting a quarter of a strong sativa with a great equivalent pain relieving Indica to offset the pain from the SUCCESSFUL (a house flower with 50/50split and almost 16% THC and minute CBD) activation of my gut, almost on nausea but hey it's only the ONLY thing to WORK, but I am a rot gut scum of the earth drug addict who " rationalizes" and who must be abiding it because this must be abusing water if I was allowed to?

Lol sadly I am listening to someone attempt to corner me into "admitting" I use it daily?

Listening to it of course I use it daily,  it also increased my tolerate so much crap while handling inordinate amount of pkl

For me to have any gut function then sure I plan to have at least have one bowl  a day, but to begin using a hemp cooking oil as well, I think if a person is helped by it and doesn't make it a state of being?

They are not the one with no black box warnings.  Gee, I must be very foolish.  Or am I?

Well, one doctor doesn't think so-and a growing number are recognizing that maybe things are not what they seem.

Use does not denote abuse.

When someone obliterates themselves, that's one thing.

If it makes them sick or changes the better parts of them-or that you cannot find them anymore (those best parts?  Everyone has redeeming value).

But for some, it takes a life of searching.

That currently working. 

Do You Ever Consider a Medi-Set?

Well, you may start.

It is a good way to for one ensure you have enough medication for the entire month, you don't want it to dry out-then you get a fast route to your head-vaporization versus smoking is a fight I refuse to get into, though some may consider the vapor route if they like to cook-literally I mean, make your own oils, that kind of thing-the naturopath did agree that what is left inside the vaporizer is perfectly fine (and still fairly potent) to use in making of oils, be it to increase skin moisture, hair shampoo, whatever it is you are making, vaporized cannabis is a go.

But anyhow, I found two large-well, medium, but to me, they looked big.  So I have been doing salad bowls lately, so I put one "bud" of the Sativa-dominant hybrid in each of fourteen days (gets me TO payday) and then one each of my choice of three small amounts of Indica dominant-and there I am, safely passed through until payday!

Just a thought for loyal readers, but guys, we all have a living, bills to pay.  For me-gut function would rather be had via a more natural route.

Save Phenergan?  Everything my GI doc had to offer-well, safe to say when the words "Black Box Warning" are said, I generally after going through the Gastroparesis protocol?

I don't care what someone has done-whether you think something like that is fun to do to someone?

I would not wish the GP protocol on another human being.

And Erythromycin (oh, fabulous, spread and create new strains of MRSA?  Oh, where do I sign up?  Anyone remember taking it as a kid, and how sick you were later?  That why why it was taken off the market!!!!

My medi-sets work more gently, thanks.

And stuff works like it needs to.

Sheesh!

But through payday with all your meds-be it natural and not covered?  Well, there's always a state level deduction-tax and otherwise?

One full Year-Recertification Day and Multiple Meanings

May 16, 2013

Today was recertification day.

I was happy to oblige in order to continue working with my co-op, as when it comes to what goes into this body, since great shape is hardly what I would call this, LOL, but truthfully, though an extremely difficult and painful year-and sure, most of it is physical.

Being well-having realized that the whole medical team that I had-well, it hadn't amounted to anything other than a bad experience.  Tomorrow, a new beginning, in some ways, but I am moving my care to the University of Washington.  A different pain clinic, finally, but one not far from my new home.

In the "boondocks."

But in all reality looking back?  I wouldn't trade it for one thing.  Even looking as different as I do, I am still sick-but has hemp helped?

You must be kidding.

Today I began again treating my Gastroparesis with a new saladbowl of a 90% Indica (close-the numbers were slightly up) but at any rate, the other half is a quarter to begin-since only 2 weeks until pay day and I have weight to gain, with my teeth the disgusting mess, and needing to stimulate gut motility and also head off a flare-up
Where to begin?

LOL, a shot of Irish Cream anyone?  Nah, covering pain since it's function it's there for a reason-when that is all of what you feel, slowing it down with an Indica-but to try and hit the inflammatory process-I am playing a bit of with my numbers.  But if without and you can be okay with using that approach?  I don't recommend using alcohol to control pain for long.  And for some, likely an ill-advised move.

If you have people present for you-ask their help-if they can't, well, you still have the weed, right?

Anyhow, I decided at the beginning that each move I made would have it's purpose.  And so-to speak, the donation resulted in the following.

I got 2 "Loaded Sodas" which have:

180 calories
dTHC:  15.66%
CBD (Cannaboids as in steroids?) - 1.04%

I am upping my CBD count a bit, keeping THC (the painkiller-reliever, folks, it's still not a cure).  But I am hoping to head off a flare, and since the CBD's are found in the marijuana that has the most of it is Sativa, it's likely why even though a difficult time with gastroparesis, I hope that steroid will head off the flare.  Or help to.  Even that is best, I feel.  Totally trying to cover pain, always a mistake.

And setting yourself up to fail.  Would I love to add more vitamins, nutrition, I plan to.  I may not be able to add the control of the spinchters in the stomach, but one thing I can do is make sure that I am keeping food in, if that is a goal-use the motility from the Sativa, be grateful my gut is what it stimulates while chilling me out?

That works-the THC in my Sativa plus the Indica (for mostly pain, some nausea, but the reasons for nausea must also be looked at.

Opiate medications, which I have given back to a large degree-and the most toxic one, which sure, it is methadone, I can think of more than one person on it-and most hate it.  But folks, on that note, it's unnecessary to beat up on those who may have more to them than a diagnosis of RSD.  And to further say that we have "more pain" or RSD causes it, that is-kind of arrogant if you ask me, especially in the face of human fallability.

And some of us-friends of mine, and others with some wickedly painful disorders: scleroderma, MS, and things that I saw because I have medical training-so putting it to use, I did the lengthy "research" in my first few months considering medical marijuana, and then in getting the permit, and some bumps in the road.

Smooth sailing?  Not exactly.  A rollercoaster would be closer to the druth.

So I used an opportunity to see if a safe home-detox?  Yup, in just a few days, no coma necessary with ventilator support.  A bong, a lighter or two, and LOL, some water, and well, sure-a taper, I am not a masochist, but it was not a big deal for me.

And I feel better.  Do I take something for pain in terms of "pain meds"?  The answer is yes.  I take a combination of mostly anticonvulsants, a muscle relaxer, and well, sure some pain medication.  But in less than six months, I dropped the dose of one pain reliever, gave two back, one an as needed, added the "weed" and also dropped the NSAID that was ripping up my stomach.

Currently I don't normally discuss specifics-becuase plenty of insanity exists, and borrowing trouble isn't my idea of fun.  But with an MRI that well-this you can have a peek, it's not great, that is for certain...LOL.



Everyone has some kind of pain.  And it can be whatever-if someone has bipolar-that's their "pain medicine" that they have, be it lithium, depakote, or whatever medicine the shrinks are passing out, I want no part of it-I doubt those meds, save a few were designed initially with lifetime use.

Marijuana has been around since before Jesus came-and well, it's a sturdy plant-in the right climate, and well, using hemp?  When cooking with it-using olive oil I have a way to add some amount of hemp to it (or it can be purchased with the marijuana cooked into the oils, corn, vegetable, and olive oil is available at most dispensaries-and is wise if you have GP, when your diet reaches a degree where you are even if pureed, getting some regular food, I can add this, and the direct application of whichever form of weed adds to what I am using in terms of "smoking" or as I prefer, medicating.  But sure, the CRPS is my primary target, and GP a very close second, since I find continual nausea worse than pain.

Anyhow, I am relieved, because I am beginning to feel better.  So far, today's meds, in summation:

1.  1 12ounce loaded soda, or THC and the natural cannaboid/steroid to begin targeting the cause of some amound of the RSD-related pain.  In it is your pain medicine, the "THC" or the most active usually in the medical marijuana-now to be referred to as MMJ- and our cannaboid, the natural steroid, and powerful antiinflammatory.  By raising the natural steroid, temporarily, I hope to offset the flare.  Much like when the doc gives a course of prednisone....

2.  A small (I pack the bowl in the morning, as my meds I take since liquid and its difficult to say but the taking is time-consuming) amount of Sativa (50% Sativa 50% indica, and about 15%  combined with a good Indica hybrid in one bowl-so the two plants, when pulled separately added to your bowl laid side by side, and what I mean by referring to a "salad bowl" is when more than one plant is in the bowl prepared for smoking-you stuff it in-but too tight, not much is going to happen, save some wasting-of medicine. (I usually set them next to each other, not on top.  The reason?  Bottom of the bowl guys!)

All top shelf, and because a membership, a sweatshirt in a new size, but it swims.  I hope to grow into it, but not all the way.

So far, I feel better, and for now, relatively normal-to the degree that I can.  It makes it liveable, and I couldn't ask for more.

With regard to the upping of CBD, this is testing a theory on my part-not of anything more.

What I have noted:  The Sativa calms me energy wise because of the ADHD, but in reality it does also help to keep track of what works, listen to staff when they recommend a product.

And for allodynia?  I have found a fantastic creame that I can compound myself: thanks, ketamine, but this stuff is amazing.  Professionally it's great at first.



Most labs, such as locally ones that make Rick Simpson Oil, much to my own disappointment, I have found that it works great.  I mean truly amazing, it was as close to a week's worth a a pain level daily of maybe a 4.  And functional?  I was able to undergo the extraction of two teeth before that whole thing went south.

But I believe that the salad bowls (just a bowl like any other, just 2 kinds of flower in it, not one.

It may not sound like a lot in the realm of what seems like with what is already a powerful NSAID effect, some versions of a medical marijuana product like the soda for example, can contain whatever is added (why you never, ever get off the street-some situations, like one RSD'er I know of has more grit than I do for certain, but in the state of Florida, they like neither marijuana-though  it's available just about anywhere, to be honest, but in one of the legal states (18/Washington, DC) it's more adviseable, since you can have lab tested, safely grown medication over something that may have too much , (or not enough) of something your body needs (pain meds, anti-nausea, muscle spasms that would have me laid out, but adding basically whatever I can afford-because not to abuse, I like feeling better more frequently is most of it.

So I decided to go with a new strain, 60% Sativa/40% Indica, and the THC is around 15-17%, as is the case in much of "House" product when it comes to straight flower.  I tend to be a traditionalist and smoke it out of a water bong: it's most effective-for me.  Though it pays to listen to the nice doc when she offers a tip to a cooker-one I am not allowed to publish, but nevertheless, vaporizing some of it can allow you to "recycle a bit" and TELL one how to do a thing, such as use (and highly effectively) even the dust in the bag or jar you have your medicine in: it's fair to say yes-I spend as much as I can afford.

Added in one bowl a day on average, I split the bud, use 1/2 of the "Crazy Twain" I believe it's called, and use the soda to up the natural cannaboid/steroid effect and have an even more powerful steroid effect by treating with one soda today, my usual (called "salad bowls" when you mix the "weed" as I fondly call it, and use 2 types of flower in one bowl when you load it to smoke.

Is this for everyone?  No, certainly not.  Can it save a person's life?  If it means allowing me to be able to eat when what modern medicine produces rots teeth, leaches bones of calcium, my Vitamin deficencies are appearing over the map, but gastroparesis is a nasty one.

It was in brief explained, but basically there is little to no motility or coordination of the spinchters (Both of them) of my stomach.  So unless awakened by the half presence of Sativa (which mellows out this one fast-Sativa, that is-but the wake up process does hurt, the hybrids I typically get can be quite strong, and though most are keps awake by the presence of Sativa, I suffer from ADHD, even in adulthood, so it helps that, expecially when in your morning coffee, with presence of caffiene, another relatively harmless (unless you overdo it like anything) substance (though you say every day, you get an addiction label: shoot, I could tell you one doc listed me as "addicted" to about anything he could think of?  I mean this is my meds, and if it saves them the trouble of a triplicate prescription, I'd be grateful.

Not passing out labels that can follow a person for a lifetime.  If they allow it.  Can marijuana be addictive?  For some, sure.  What is your goal?  Getting screwed up-if you are honest about it, I would say-give them that and leave it alone if it works.  If a person has no money is unable to work, I would say naturopathic medicine-in Florida it would be problematic, sure.

Massacheusetts, but well, some are willing, garaunteed.  If I move, it has to be in a legal state, because right now, the meds from modern medicine for Gastroparesis-well, I'd be hooked up to TPN otherwise (IV nutrition) and I guess if it's even out of pocket, I prefer to um, skip black box warnings, and almost everything for GP (short for gastroparesis) has one.  Reglan?  Check.  Phenergan will work, depending on dosage, in a pinch.

But it's nerve damage, and that typically is not coming back-can weed slow progression?  I hope it does, I've progressed into the atrophic stage, and folks, those who say that Stage Four doesn't exist-it's because it was written out of the literature guys, LOL, it's alive and well.  But the neuroprotectants present in some of this, well, I think a difference has been made.

I have put on some weight, and that's a positive sign.

A ways to go?  Certainly.  Can I be a Christian and use marijuana?  It depends on me, and since the pain from RSD is like burning in hell, I choose that it's not to be an eternity.

And I think that the cannabis saved my life.  When I got my certification, I was not doing well, the gastroparesis was so bad I couldn't do the empty study.  I am not sure which way I would empty-via gross but normal, or Part 2?  But now, with learning how to make something I can add to the food I eat not to get "f-d up, that leaves in for me--20-30 minutes, and I prefer a sharp cosnsciousness.

What's funny, the crew at the dispensary--they bail you out of enough jams, I wish I had been able to volunteer some time but I have finally been, just the wrong one.

Strife is everywhere we go.

LOL, but psychologically in spite of perhaps, someone crossing a huge line, and getting "in my head" so to speak, and well, when without your permission, I guess- like a normal doctor-patient relationship-the second one crosses the line, and then covers their mistake by use of a label, well, I have the only copy-save his, and likely his has been burned.  My own, limited as it is, as the email part-when they give you a personal one on yahoo?  It's very unprofessional, but to try and cover what not only is public record, by the way-and he had the truth in his own file.

Oddly during the stressor of that, and just after a holiday, the first part of 2013 before "Recert Day" was not smooth sailing, but the ride was better having the anxiety factor treatable in some way no matter what.

And a huge relief.

A good Seattle area lawyer reads this, send a note or post a phone number.  Robert Goren?  Skips Type I CRPS, but that isn't the basis of why some need suing so badly-but another issue.  It sim

I can now progress up to soft foods, and that is truly a blessing.  I don't find it thrilling that I will essentially be eating baby food, pureed foods, most likely for life-and sure, my side effects, I guess it doesn't bug me that much-my food just has to be made differently and not too rich.

Getting well depends on me as well-and I think that's the goal to begin with.

Smoked Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Smoked Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

test link:  http://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2012-05-14-smoked-cannabis-reduces-symptoms-of-multiple-sclerosis.aspx

The placebo-controlled trial also resulted in reduced perception of pain, although participants also reported short-term, adverse cognitive effects and increased fatigue.  The study will be published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on May 14.

Principal investigator Jody Corey-Bloom, MD, PhD, professor of neurosciences and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at UC San Diego, and colleagues randomly assigned participants to either the intervention group (which smoked cannabis once daily for three days) or the control group (which smoked identical placebo cigarettes, also once a day for three days).  After an 11-day interval, the participants crossed over to the other group.

“We found that smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in reducing symptoms and pain in patients with treatment-resistant spasticity, or excessive muscle contractions,” said Corey-Bloom.

Earlier reports suggested that the active compounds of medical marijuana were potentially effective in treating neurologic conditions, but most studies focused on orally administered cannabinoids. There were also anecdotal reports of MS patients that endorsed smoking marijuana to relieve symptoms of spasticity. 

However, this trial used a more objective measurement, a modified Ashworth scale which graded the intensity of muscle tone by measuring such things as resistance in range of motion and rigidity. The secondary outcome, pain, was measured using a visual analogue scale.  The researchers also looked at physical performance (using a timed walk) and cognitive function and – at the end of each visit – asked patients to assess their feeling of “highness.”

Although generally well tolerated, smoking cannabis did have mild effects on attention and concentration. The researchers noted that larger, long-terms studies are needed to confirm their findings and determine whether lower doses can result in beneficial effects with less cognitive impact.

The current study is the fifth clinical test of the possible efficacy of cannabis for clinical use reported by the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR). Four other human studies on control of neuropathic pain also reported positive results.

“The study by Corey Bloom and her colleagues adds to a growing body of evidence that cannabis has therapeutic value for selected indications, and may be an adjunct or alternative for patients whose spasticity or pain is not optimally managed,” said Igor Grant, MD, director of the CMCR, which provided funding for the study.

Additional contributors include Tanya Wolfson, Anthony Gamst, PhD, Shelia Jin, MD, MPH, Thomas D. Marcotte, PhD, Heather Bentley and Ben Gouaux, all from UC San Diego School of Medicine. 

SOME OF THE OTHER BENEFICIAL COMPOUNDS IN MARIJUANA

Re-post:  http://www.alternet.org/drugs/5-marijuana-compounds-could-help-combat-cancer-alzheimers-parkinsons-if-only-they-were-legal?paging=off

September 14, 2012  | 

 

 

 

 

Imagine there existed a natural, non-toxic substance that halted diabetes, fought cancer, and reduced psychotic tendencies in patients with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. You don’t have to imagine; such a substance is already here. It’s called cannabidiol (CBD). The only problem with it is that it’s illegal.

Cannabidiol is one of dozens of unique, organic compounds in the cannabis plant known as cannabinoids, many of which possess documented, and in some cases, prolific therapeutic properties. Other cannabinoids include cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). Unlike delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana, consuming these plant compounds will not get you high. Nonetheless, under federal law, each and every one of these cannabinoids is defined as schedule I illicit substances because they naturally occur in the marijuana plant.

That’s right. In the eyes of the US government, these non-psychotropic cannabinoids are as dangerous to consume as heroin and they possess absolutely no therapeutic utility. In the eyes of many scientists, however, these cannabinoids may offer a safe and effective way to combat some of the world’s most severe and hard-to-treat medical conditions. Here’s a closer look at some of these promising, yet illegal, plant compounds.

Cannabidiol

After THC, CBD is by far the most studied plant cannabinoid. First identified in 1940 (though its specific chemical structure was not identified until 1963), many researchers now describe CBD as quite possibly the most single important cannabinoid in the marijuana plant. That is because CBD is the cannabinoid that arguably possesses the greatest therapeutic potential.

A key word search on the search engine PubMed Central, the U.S. government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research, reveals over 1,000 papers pertaining to CBD – with scientists’ interest in the plant compound increasing exponentially in recent years. It’s easy to understand why. A cursory review of the literature indicates that CBD holds the potential to treat dozens of serious and life-threatening conditions.

“Studies have suggested a wide range of possible therapeutic effects of cannabidiol on several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory diseases, nausea and cancer.” That was the conclusion of researcher Antonio Zuardi, writing about CBD in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry in 2008. A 2009 literature review published by a team of Italian and Israeli investigators indicates that the substance likely holds even broader clinical potential. They acknowledged that CBD possesses anxiolytic, antipsychotic, antiepileptic, neuroprotective, vasorelaxant, antispasmodic, anti-ischemic, anticancer, antiemetic, antibacterial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and bone stimulating properties. Martin Lee, cofounder and director of the non-profit group Project CBD– which identifies and promotes CBD-rich strains of cannabis – agrees.  Cannabidiol is “the Cinderella molecule,” writes Lee in his new book, Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational, and Scientific (Scribner, 2012). “[It’s] the little substance that could. [It’s] nontoxic, nonpsychoactive, and multicapable.”

It’s also exceptionally safe for human consumption. According to a just published clinical trial in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design, the oral administration of 600 mg of CBD in 16 subjects was associated with no acute behavioral and physiological effects, such as increased heart rate or sedation. “In healthy volunteers, … CBD has proven to be safe and well tolerated,” authors affirmed. A 2011 literature review published in Current Drug Safety similarly concluded that CBD administration, even in doses of up to 1,450 milligrams per day, is non-toxic, well tolerated, and safe for human consumption.

Yet despite calls from various researchers to allow for clinical trials to assess the use of CBD in the treatment of various ailments, including breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and schizophrenia, a review of the website  – the online registry for federally supported federal trials worldwide – identifies only four US-based clinical assessments of CBD. Two of these are safety studies; the other two are evaluations of CBD’s potential to mitigate cravings for heroin and opiates.Sativex, a pharmaceutically produced, patented oromucosal spray containing extracts of THC and CBD, is also undergoing testing in North America for use as a cancer pain reliever under the name Nabiximols. The drug is already available by prescription in Canada, the United Kingdom, and throughout much of Europe for the treatment of various indications, including multiple sclerosis.

Presently, however, options for US patients wishing to utilize CBD are extremely limited. Most domestically grown strains of cannabis contain relatively little CBDand many smaller-sized cannabis dispensaries do not consistently carry such boutique varieties. A handful of prominent cannabis dispensaries, mostly in California and Colorado, do carry CBD-rich strains of cannabis or CBD-infused products. However, in recent months, several of these providers, such as Harborside Health Center in Oakland and El Camino Wellness in Sacramento, have been targeted for closure by the federal Justice Department, which continues to deny evidence of CBD’s extensive safety and efficacy.

Cannabinol

Cannabinol (CBN) is largely a product of THC degradation. It is typically available in cannabis in minute quantities and it binds relatively weakly with the body’s endogenous cannabinoid receptors. Scientists have an exceptionally long history with CBN, having first isolated the compound in 1896. Yet, a keyword search on PubMed reveals fewer than 500 published papers in the scientific literature specific to cannabinol. Of these, several document the compound’s therapeutic potential – including its ability to induce sleep, ease pain and spasticity, delay ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) symptoms, increase appetite, and halt the spread of certain drug resistant pathogens, like MRSA (aka ‘the Superbug’). In a 2008 study, CBN was one of a handful of cannabinoids found to be “exceptional” in its ability to reduce the spread MRSA, a skin bacteria that is resistant to standard antibiotic treatment and is responsible for nearly 20,000 hospital-stay related deaths annually in the United States.

Cannabichromene

Cannabichromene (CBC) was first discovered in 1966. It is typically found in significant quantities in freshly harvested, dry cannabis. To date, the compound has not been subject to rigorous study; fewer than 75 published papers available on PubMed make specific reference to CBC. According to a 2009 review of cannabichromine and other non-psychotropic cannabinoids, “CBC exerts anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and modest analgesic activity.” CBC has also been shown to promote anti-cancer activity in malignant cell lines and to possess bone-stimulating properties. More recently, a 2011 preclinical trial reported that CBC influences nerve endings above the spine to modify sensations of pain. “[This] compound might represent [a] useful therapeutic agent with multiple mechanisms of action,” the study concluded.

Cannabigerol

Similar to CBC, cannabigerol (CBG) also has been subject to relatively few scientific trials since its discovery in 1964. To date, there exist only limited number of papers available referencing the substance – a keyword search on PubMed yields fewer than 55 citations – which has been documented to possess anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-bacterial properties. According to a 2011 review published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, “[A] whole plant extract of a CBG-chemotype … would seem to offer an excellent, safe new antiseptic agent” for the treatment of multi-drug resistant bacteria. A more recentreview published this year in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics further acknowledges that CBG and similar non-psychotropic cannabinoids “act at a wide range of pharmacological targets” and could potentially be utilized in the treatment of a wide range of central nervous system disorders, including epilepsy.

Tetrahydrocannabivarin

Discovered in 1970, tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is most typically identified in Pakistani hashish and cannabis strains of southern African origin. Depending on the dose, THCV may either antagonize some of the therapeutic effects of THC (e.g., at low doses THCV may repress appetite) or promote them. (Higher doses of THCV exerting beneficial effects on bone formation and fracture healing in preclinical models, for example.) Unlike, CBD, CBN, CBC, CBG, high doses of THCV may also be mildly psychoactive (but far less so than THC).

To date, fewer than 30 papers available on PubMed specifically reference THCV. Over half of these were published within the past three years. Some of these more recent studies highlight tetrahydrocannabivarin’s anti-epileptic and anticonvulsant properties, as well as its ability to mitigate inflammation and pain – in particular, difficult-to-treat neuropathy.

Like CBD, THCV is on the radar of British biotech GW Pharmaceuticals (makers of Sativex). According to its website, the company has expressed interest in the potential use of tetrahydrocannabivarin in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and other related metabolic disorders. Though the compound has been subject to Phase I clinical testing, a keyword search on clinicaltrials.gov yields no specific references to any ongoing studies at this time.
 

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and is the co-author of Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink (2009, Chelsea Green).

MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

test link:  http://norml.org/library/recent-research-on-medical-marijuana

MEDICAL USE OF MARIJUANA

Humans have cultivated and consumed the flowering tops of the female cannabis plant, colloquially known as marijuana, since virtually the beginning of recorded history. Cannabis-based textiles dating to 7,000 B.C.E have been recovered in northern China, and the plant's use as a medicinal and mood altering agent date back nearly as far. In 2008, archeologists in Central Asia discovered over two-pounds of cannabis in the 2,700-year-old grave of an ancient shaman. After scientists conducted extensive testing on the material's potency, they affirmed, "[T]he most probable conclusion ... is that [ancient] culture[s] cultivated cannabis for pharmaceutical, psychoactive, and divinatory purposes."

Modern cultures continue to indulge in the consumption of cannabis for these same purposes, despite a present-day, virtual worldwide ban on the plant's cultivation and use. In the United States, federal prohibitions outlawing cannabis' recreational, industrial, and therapeutic use were first imposed by Congress under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and then later reaffirmed by federal lawmakers' decision to classify marijuana -- as well as all of the plant's organic compounds (known as cannabinoids) -- as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This classification, which asserts by statute that cannabis is equally as dangerous to the public as is heroin, defines cannabis and its dozens of distinct cannabinoids as possessing 'a high potential for abuse, ... no currently accepted medical use, ... [and] a lack of accepted safety for the use of the drug ... under medical supervision.' (By contrast, cocaine and methamphetamine -- which remain illicit for recreational use but may be consumed under a doctor's supervision -- are classified as Schedule II drugs; examples of Schedule III and IV substances include anabolic steroids and Valium respectively, while codeine-containing analgesics are defined by a law as Schedule V drugs, the federal government's most lenient classification.) In July 2011, the Obama Administration rebuffed an administrative inquiry seeking to reassess cannabis' Schedule I status, and federal lawmakers continue to cite the drug's dubious categorization as the primary rationale for the government's ongoing criminalization of the plant and those who use it.

Nevertheless, there exists little if any scientific basis to justify the federal government's present prohibitive stance and there is ample scientific and empirical evidence to rebut it. Despite the US government's nearly century-long prohibition of the plant, cannabis is nonetheless one of the most investigated therapeutically active substances in history. To date, there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific literature pertaining to the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, nearly one-third of which were published within the last three years. This total includes over 2,700 separate papers published in 2009, 1,950 papers published in 2010, and another 2,100 published to date in 2011 (according to a key word search on the search engine PubMed Central, the US government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research). While much of the renewed interest in cannabinoid therapeutics is a result of the discovery of the endocannabinoid regulatory system (which we describe in detail later in this booklet), some of this increased attention is also due to the growing body of testimonials from medical cannabis patients and their physicians.

The scientific conclusions of the overwhelmingly majority of modern research directly conflicts with the federal government's stance that cannabis is a highly dangerous substance worthy of absolute criminalization.

For example, in February 2010 investigators at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research publicly announced the findings of a series of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials on the medical utility of inhaled cannabis. The studies, which utilized the so-called 'gold standard' FDA clinical trial design, concluded that marijuana ought to be a "first line treatment" for patients with neuropathy and other serious illnesses.

Among the studies conducted by the Center, four assessed smoked marijuana's ability to alleviate neuropathic pain, a notoriously difficult to treat type of nerve pain associated with cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injury and many other debilitating conditions. Each of the trials found that cannabis consistently reduced patients' pain levels to a degree that was as good or better than currently available medications.

Another study conducted by the Center's investigators assessed the use of marijuana as a treatment for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. That study determined that "smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in reducing spasticity and pain in patients with MS, and provided some benefit beyond currently prescribed treatments."

Around the globe, similarly controlled trials are also taking place. A 2010 review by researchers in Germany reports that since 2005 there have been 37 controlled studies assessing the safety and efficacy of marijuana and its naturally occurring compounds in a total of 2,563 subjects. By contrast, many FDA-approved drugs go through far fewer trials involving far fewer subjects.

As clinical research into the therapeutic value of cannabinoids has proliferated so too has investigators' understanding of cannabis' remarkable capability to combat disease. Whereas researchers in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s primarily assessed cannabis' ability to temporarily alleviate various disease symptoms -- such as the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy -- scientists today are exploring the potential role of cannabinoids to modify disease.

Of particular interest, scientists are investigating cannabinoids' capacity to moderate autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as their role in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease.) In fact, in 2009, the American Medical Association (AMA)resolved for the first time in the organization's history "that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines."

Investigators are also studying the anti-cancer activities of cannabis, as a growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that cannabinoids can reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Arguably, these latter findings represent far broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago.

THE SAFETY PROFILE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS

Cannabinoids have a remarkable safety record, particularly when compared to other therapeutically active substances. Most significantly, the consumption of marijuana -- regardless of quantity or potency -- cannot induce a fatal overdose. According to a 1995 review prepared for the World Health Organization, "There are no recorded cases of overdose fatalities attributed to cannabis, and the estimated lethal dose for humans extrapolated from animal studies is so high that it cannot be achieved by ... users."

In 2008, investigators at McGill University Health Centre and McGill University in Montreal and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver reviewed 23 clinical investigations of medical cannabinoid drugs (typically oral THC or liquid cannabis extracts) and eight observational studies conducted between 1966 and 2007. Investigators "did not find a higher incidence rate of serious adverse events associated with medical cannabinoid use" compared to non-using controls over these four decades.

That said, cannabis should not necessarily be viewed as a 'harmless' substance. Its active constituents may produce a variety of physiological and euphoric effects. As a result, there may be some populations that are susceptible to increased risks from the use of cannabis, such as adolescents,pregnant or nursing mothers, and patients who have a family history of mental illness. Patients withhepatitis C, decreased lung function (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or who have a history of heart disease or stroke may also be at a greater risk of experiencing adverse side effects from marijuana. As with any medication, patients should consult thoroughly with their physician before deciding whether the medical use of cannabis is safe and appropriate.

HOW TO USE THIS REPORT

As states continue to approve legislation enabling the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana, more patients with varying disease types are exploring the use of therapeutic cannabis. Many of these patients and their physicians are now discussing this issue for the first time and are seeking guidance on whether the therapeutic use of cannabis may or may not be advisable. This report seeks to provide this guidance by summarizing the most recently published scientific research (2000-2012) on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids for 20 clinical indications.

In some of these cases, modern science is now affirming longtime anecdotal reports of medical cannabis users (e.g., the use of cannabis to alleviate GI disorders). In other cases, this research is highlighting entirely new potential clinical utilities for cannabinoids (e.g., the use of cannabinoids to modify the progression of diabetes.)

The conditions profiled in this report were chosen because patients frequently inquire about the therapeutic use of cannabis to treat these disorders. In addition, many of the indications included in this report may be moderated by cannabis therapy. In several cases, preclinical data and clinical data indicate that cannabinoids may halt the advancement of these diseases in a more efficacious manner than available pharmaceuticals.

For patients and their physicians, this report can serve as a primer for those who are considering using or recommending medical cannabis. For others, this report can serve as an introduction to the broad range of emerging clinical applications for cannabis and its various compounds.

Paul Armentano
Deputy Director
NORML | NORML Foundation
Washington, DC
March 14, 2012

* The author would like to acknowledge Drs. Dale Gieringer, Dustin Sulak, Gregory Carter, Steven Karch, and Mitch Earleywine, as well as Bernard Ellis, MPH, former NORML interns John Lucy, Christopher Rasmussen, and Rita Bowles, for providing research assistance for this report. The NORML Foundation would also like to acknowledge Dale Gieringer, Paul Kuhn, and Richard Wolfe for their financial contributions toward the publication of this report.

** Important and timely publications such as this are only made possible when concerned citizens become involved with NORML. For more information on joining NORML or making a donation, please visit: http://www.norml.org/join. Tax-deductible donations in support of NORML's public education campaigns should be made payable to the NORML Foundation.

Treating one of my "Qualifying Conditions" known as? Gastroparesis

I have this year been diagnosed also with gastroparesis: for me, it doesn't matter how it was gotten to me, and with a very all too often feeling with many, it's something that really is frustrating: pain wise, it's hard to treat, and hard not to.

For me, I use a variety of things, depending on budget, but we'll look at gastroparesis first.

But below are listed multiple treatments.  What is disturbing to me is the safety profile on the medications-I use something for heartburn, but my best treatment are manual manipulations by a naturopathic physician who is very good at doing them: and also diagnosed an additional hiatial hernia, and since I am not a canidate for any further surgery-nor do I want any-I have decided to make a level best effort on my side to learn to use the medical marijuana to treat it.  I simply feel that the treatments below are too invasive, and also I hate the idea of black box warnings, when a less toxic medication-though sure, anyone can have an allergy, an adverse reaction-even to a bit of MMJ, it's not hard to be one that is uncertain-if you had a bad reaction, my first question would be what happened.

All to often, the answer is clear when I learn that even my own case, I had a bad reaction-buying it on the street, someone had with good intent, but a friend with a not so good intent was the one who somehow added or what have you, something that would put anyone in the emergency room.

And yet-I figured with the safety of having labs and so forth-to ensure safety, unless you live in Michigan, or know how to grow this yourself-and know well how to do it, then sure, I would say absolutely make sure you have a permit, live only in one of the 18 Legal states, and last?

Have those present in your life who will keep you honest.

Anyhow, I have until recently been what I call an "Indica Girl", and though Indica's (a type of useable/smokeable plant-there is also the Sativa, and then most predominantly an indica/sativa hybrid makes up the highest number of marijuana plants.

Through a year of treatment, I have found that being able to pare down a list of medications that was embarassingly wrong I find it funny-of note, a friend informed me Stage Four doesn't exist.

Sure it does.  But really?  With the joke of access to treatment to both RSD and for the gastroparesis, I decided to go ahead and try the Sativa my dispensary had sent with a delivery about a month ago.  I consumed about maybe during the day?  Perhaps one bowl.  The next 24 hours were fairly uncomfortable, and I treated with an Indica-dominant hybrid.

The Sativa I forget the name, but was of the following values:

Sativa 70%/Indica 30%
THC-17%
CBD-2.3

The Indica is a local house plant, Indica-dominant-

Indica 90%/Sativa 10%
THC:  19%
CBD-undetectable


What I figured on day 3, as I began to feel really the benefits of my treatment settle in as this time, I was putting together as half the bowl-the Sativa dominant, and the other half, side by side for me, and I then found less discomfort because the effect of the Sativa for me was not the stimulation, or even a tendancy of a sativa to cause this but actually I felt the following:

• I felt far more calm, mellowed out
• Sleep was improved
• My stomach began to pass food into the gut, and I was able to eat, and to hold in medications (though less toxic ones) that were less toxic on my system.

I hadn't expected any of those effects, but thee I was.

When your stomach can't move on it's own, it's far more difficult to take in nutrients naturally and ones that in fact were more natural, I was very uncomfortable for about a day.  When I realized that perhaps using a combination in one bowl to treat both the RSD-related pain with the Indica-the Sativa had the unexpected effect of waking up my gut.

I plan to discuss more of using medical marijuana, and though direct advice I clearly cannot share, experience and information, that is another story.....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GASTROPARESIS

Gastroparesis is a condition in which your stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal

fashion. It is caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which regulates thedigestive system. A 

damaged vagus nerve prevents the muscles in the stomach and intestine from functioning, 

preventing food from moving through the digestive system properly. Often, the cause of 

gastroparesis is unknown.

However, the causes of gastroparesis can include:

• Uncontrolled diabetes

• Gastric surgery with injury to the vagus nerve

• Medications such as narcotics and some antidepressants

• Parkinson's disease

• Multiple sclerosis

• Rare conditions such as: Amyloidosis (deposits of protein fibers in tissues and organs) 

  and scleroderma (a connective tissue disorder that affects the skin, bloodvessels, 

  skeletal muscles, and internal organs)

What Are the Symptoms of Gastroparesis?

There are many symptoms of gastroparesis, including:

• Heartburn or GERD

• Nausea

• Vomiting undigested food

• Feeling full quickly when eating

• Abdominal bloating

• Poor appetite and weight loss

• Poor blood sugar control

What Are the Complications of Gastroparesis?

Some of the complications of gastroparesis include:

• Food that stays in the stomach too long can ferment, which can lead to the growth of bacteria.

• Food in the stomach can harden into a solid collection, called a bezoar. Bezoars can cause obstructions in the stomach that keep food from passing into the small intestine.

• People who have both diabetes and gastroparesis may have more difficulty because blood sugar levels rise when food finally leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, making blood sugar control more of a challenge.

How Is Gastroparesis Diagnosed?

To diagnose gastroparesis, your doctor will review your symptoms and medical history. He or she will also give you a physical exam and may order certain blood tests, including blood sugar levels. Other tests used to diagnose and evaluate gastroparesis may include:

• Barium X-ray: You drink a liquid (barium), which coats the esophagus, stomach, and 

  small intestine and shows up on X-ray. This test is also known as an upper GI 

  (gastrointestinal) series or a barium swallow.

• Radioisotope gastric-emptying scan (gastric scintigraphy): You eat food that contains a 

  very small amount of radioisotope (a radioactive substance), then lie under a scanning 

  machine; if the scan shows that more than 10% of food is still in your stomach 4 hours 

  after eating, you are diagnosed with gastroparesis.

• Gastric manometry: A thin tube that is passed through your mouth and into the stomach 

  measures the stomach's electrical and muscular activity to determine the rate of 

  digestion.

• Electrogastrography: This test measures electrical activity in the stomach using 

  electrodes placed on the skin.

• The smart pill: This is a small electronic device that is swallowed. It sends back 

  information about how fast it is traveling as it moves through the digestive system.

• Ultrasound: This is an imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of body 

  organs. Your doctor may use ultrasound to eliminate other diseases.

• Upper endoscopy: This procedure involves passing a thin tube (endoscope) down the 

  esophagus to examine the lining of the stomach.

What Is the Treatment for Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is a chronic (long-lasting) condition. This means that treatment usually 

doesn't cure the disease. But there are steps you can take to manage and control the 

condition.

Some patients may benefit from medications, including:

• Reglan (metoclopramide): You take this drug before eating and it causes the 
  
  
  stomach muscles to contract and move food along. Reglan also decreases the 
  
  
  incidence of vomiting and nausea. Side effects include diarrhea, drowsiness, 
  
  
  anxiety, and, rarely, a serious neurological disorder.
• Erythromycin: This is an antibiotic that also causes stomach contractions and 
  
  
  helps move food out. Side effects include diarrhea and development of resistant 
  
  
  bacteria from prolonged exposure to the antibiotic.
• 
  
  Antiemetics: These are drugs that help control nausea.

People who have diabetes should try to control their blood sugar levels to minimize 

the problems of gastroparesis.

Dietary Modifications for Gastroparesis

One of the best ways to help control the symptoms of gastroparesis is to modify your 

daily eating habits. For instance, instead of three meals a day, eat six small meals. In 

this way, there is less food in the stomach; you won't feel as full, and it will be easier 

for the food to leave your stomach. Another important factor is the consistency of 

food; liquids and low residue foods are encouraged (for example, applesauce should 

replace whole apples with intact skins).

You should also avoid foods that are high in fat (which can slow down digestion) and 

fiber (which is difficult to digest).

Other Treatment Options for Gastroparesis

In a severe case of gastroparesis, a feeding tube, or jejunostomy tube, may be used. 

The tube is inserted through the abdomen and into the small intestine during surgery. 

To feed yourself, put nutrients into the tube, which go directly into the small intestine; 

this way, they bypass the stomach and get into the bloodstream more quickly. 

Using an instrument through a small incision, botulinum toxin (such as Botox) can be 

injected into the pylorus, the valve that leads from the stomach to the small intestine. 

This can relax the valve, keeping it open for a longer period of time to allow the 

stomach to empty.  

Another treatment option is intravenous or parenteral nutrition. This is a feeding 

method in which nutrients go directly into the bloodstream through a catheter placed 

into a vein in your chest. Parenteral nutrition is intended to be a temporary measure 

for a severe case of gastroparesis.

Electrical stimulation for Gastroparesis

Electrical gastric stimulation for gastroparesis uses electrodes that are attached to the 

stomach wall and, when stimulated, trigger stomach contractions. Further studies are 

needed to help determine who will benefit most from this procedure. Currently, only a 

few centers across the country perform electrical gastric stimulation.