East Coast Cannabis News and Culture» Sensible Science

Medical Cannabis Helps ALS Patient Outlive her Own Doctors

Beth Mann — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:51:29 +0000

Medical Cannabis Helps ALS Patient Outlive her Own Doctors

Last month, Cathy Jordan sat on a panel at the Cannabis Therapeutics Conference in Arizona. Before taking the stage, she discussed the medical use of cannabis for ALS with Jahan Marcu, the Science Editor at Freedom is Green.

Cathy Jordan first noticed something was wrong in summer of 1985 when she couldn’t pick things up. Her muscles weren’t responding. In 1986, she was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is characterized by the death of motor neurons leading to loss of limb control, breathing, swallowing, speech and widespread cellular dysfunction. Most cases of ALS are sporadic; it is not a viral or autoimmune disease.

“Most people start using a feeding tube because they are afraid of choking to death”, says Cathy.

In 1986, she was given 3 – 5 years to live according to her neurologi st. Nearly 3 decades later, she is still alive and living with ALS.

“All my docs are retiring or dead. I’ve outlived 5 support groups and 4 neurologists,” said Cathy. This actually posed a problem for Cathy who lost her social security benefits because she lived passed her expiration date. The state of Florida said her ID and regular documentation wasn’t good enough to prove she was alive and to continue to receive benefits. She had to ask her neurologist to fill out paperwork to prove she was still alive.

Mrs. Jordan began using Cannabis from a Florida grower to treat her ALS in the late 80’s. “Donny Clark provided my medicine, grown in the Myakka River Valley…he was busted and sentenced to life in prison, and that strain of Cannabis was lost.

“You know, they say the fountain of youth is in Florida. Maybe it was something in the soil that made this plant helps me…and I don’t understand why doctors wouldn’t study me. But I still would like to know why this is helping me.”

At first, doctors wouldn’t accept Cathy’s that marijuana could be responsible for her extended life span. Other doctors thought that smoking anything would impair her lung function and even threatened to have this paralyzed women committed, simply based on the fact that she thought Cannabis was actually helping her.

“I visited a neurologist at Duke University. When I told him that I was smoking Cannabis, he didn’t know what to do with me. He was afraid. He wouldn’t even take my blood pressure because I was using an illegal drug.”

Cathy adds:

“I asked my docs if they would take a drug if it was neuroprotective, an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. They say ‘yes’ and ask me if I know of one. Cannabis, I tell them.”

Nearly three decades later, the science has caught up with this miracle patient. Scientists created a mouse with ALS, which was very exciting for Cathy. Research has shown that THC and other cannabinoids can benefit mice with ALS. The mounting evidence of cannabinoids halting the progression of ALS has started to change the attitudes of doctors and prominent researchers have recently called for ALS clinical trials with Cannabis or cannabinoids.

“They all agree today that I should smoke Cannabis,” says Cathy. Twenty six years later, my original neurologist fought [successfully] to make sure Cannabis is legal for patients in Delaware.”

Researchers think Cannabis may help ALS patients relieving pain, spasticity, drooling, appetite loss and has minimal drug-drug interactions and toxicity.

“There are ALS patients associations that fight for the right of patients to die with dignity. But what about my right to life?” asks Cathy. “Keeping my medicine illegal removes my right to life.”

Video: Tucson AZ – The Use of Cannabis for ALS – Jahan Marcu & Cathy Jordan

Cannabis and PTSD Clinical Trials Announced

Jahan Marcu — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:15:25 +0000

The International Association for Cannabinoid Medicine published a bulletin highlighting the preliminary results from an observational clinical trial studying the effects of Cannabis on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“According to an observational study by scientists of MaReNa Diagnostic and Consulting Center in Bat-Yam, Israel, presented at the Cannabinoid Conference 2011 in Bonn, Germany, the use of cannabis may improve symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. As a part of their routine consulting work, they assessed the mental condition of 79 adult PTSD patients, who applied to the Ministry of Health in order to obtain a license for the medical use of cannabis. Only part of them (about 50 per cent) got cannabis licenses and constitutes the study group. They were followed for a period of about two years.”

One of the oldest known medical uses for Cannabis is in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, as described in the ancient Ayurvedic texts from India (Russo 2005). This ancient medicinal claim is proving itself true through recent scientific studies. Scientists studying fear conditioning in animals discovered that the CB1 receptor is necessary for the extinction of adverse memories (Marsciano 2002). Researchers studied mice that are genetically bred without the CB1 receptors. These mice without CB1 receptors have an impaired ability to extinguish fear. Scientists have also tried using the drug Rimonbandt, which blocks the CB1 receptor and seen similar results (Lutz 2007).

The CB1 receptor is the most abundant protein in the human protein, and anyone who has activated this receptor with THC can tell you about its effect on memory. This memory impairment associated with Cannabis can be harnessed for medical uses.

The CB1 receptor is part of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a natural part of our body and among many things it controls things such as eating, sleeping relaxing, and memory. Conceptually, by adding THC to the brain, the ECS is turned on and begins to do its work. THC from the Cannabis plant and our body’s endocannabinoids may control the extinction of adverse memories by acting through the CB1 receptor. Adverse memories underlie or cause many anxiety disorders such as PTSD. You don’t have to be a veteran to receive relief from Cannabis for a psychiatric disorder. The extinction of adverse memories through the CB1 receptor is emerging as a universal mechanism in the brain.

Despite a vast amount of scientific information on the effect of cannabinoids on memory, the first clinical trial on Cannabis and PTSD is yet to be completed. This clinical trial is an obvious next step that will test the effect of CB1 receptor stimulation on adapting to fear. This is something scientists have not been successful at studying; researchers have only been approved to study the effect of CB1 receptors on anxiety disorders indirectly through genetically altered mice and by blocking the receptor.

Cannabis and cannabinoids may offer a benefit in the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as phobias (fears) or PTSD, and the pain that is often associated with them. The implications of the current scientific data suggest that Cannabis and cannabinoids can treat a wide range of anxiety orders. If you are feeling nervous about the speculation of using Cannabis to treat anxiety disorders, just remember the title from Nature magazine’s 2002 article, “Never Fear, Cannabinoids are Here (Sah, 2002).”

Bibliography

Lutz, B. (2007). The Endocannabinoid System and Extinction Learning. Molecuar Neurobiology, 36:92-101.

Marsciano, G. (2002). The Endogenous Cannabioid System Controls the Extinction of Adverse Memories. Nature, 530-534.

Russo, E. (2005). Cannabis in Inida: ancient lore and modern medicine. In R. Mechoulam, Cannabinoids as Therpeutics.

Birkhäuser Verlag/Switzerland. Sah, P. (2002). Never Fear, Cannabinoids are Here. Nature, 488-489.

Read more Science at Freedomisgreen.com

Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Questions? Contact science@freedomisgreen.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

Pot and Pumpkin Pie: Endocannabinoid System Enhanced by Vitamin E

Jahan Marcu — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:34:22 +0000

Could eating a better diet make for a better cannabinoid experience? The journal of Free Radical Biology and Medicine published a report, which identifies vitamin E as a “modulator of the cannabinoid system.”

Alpha-Tocopheral is considered the main ingredient of vitamin E, and is well known for its anti-oxidant properties and mood elevating abilities. Low levels of alpha-tocopheral in the brain are associated with health issues such as depression and neuronal degradation.

The authors demonstrated that the actions of vitamin E can be blocked, if the cannabinoid type 1 receptor is blocked by a drug AM251. AM251 can block cannabinoid receptors and prevent them from being activated.

The authors report that the vitamin E and cannabinoid receptor interactions are occurring in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus, which may help explain the benefits of vitamin E other than its anti-oxidant properties.

Vitamin E can have profound effects on brain function, and it is widely used as a food additive. Without vitamin E in the diet a number a symptoms can start to appear, such as anxiety or ataxia.

However, vitamin E does not directly activate cannabinoid receptors, like for example THC, instead alpha-tocopheral modulates the receptor. The receptor modulation from alpha-tocopheral may be an important part of normal cannabinoid receptor function. More research is need to fully understand exactly how alpha-tocopheral obtained from the diet can influence the cannabinoid system.

High-calorie, inexpensive, high-fat and nutritionally deficient diets are common in the United States. These bad diets are correlated to obesity and brain disease. A balance of omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin E can help us live longer and healthier. The mechanism of this wonderful benefit is due to an integrated response between these lipids such as from alpha-tocopheral and cannabinoid receptors.

We ask ourselves the same questions as before; Can our diet can influence our response to cannabinoids and Cannabis? Could the negative effects of cannabinoids be related to nutritionally-deficient diets, which are also associated with mental diseases, such as depression?

This study raises a number of radical ideas that warrant further studies.

By the way…pumpkins have a good amount of vitamin E for some (possible) seasonal cannabinoid receptor system adjustments!

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Please Welcome, Dr.Cannabinergy!

Jahan Marcu — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:51:22 +0000

Sunil Aggarwal

[Editor's Note from Jahan Marcu] – This guest post was written by Sunil Aggarwal, M.D., PhD. Sunil Kumar Aggarwal is a graduate of the University of Washington’s NIH-supported Medical Scientist Training Program. He received his M.D. in 2010 and his Ph.D. in Medical Geography in 2008. He completed his internship in Preliminary Internal Medicine at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington and is currently continuing his Residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at New York University’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.

As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Dr. Aggarwal conducted and published human studies of medical cannabis use under the first-ever granted federal Certificates of Confidentiality which protected 176 enrolled study subjects recruited both from sites of both cannabis delivery and medical consultation. He has authored or co-authored papers on cannabinoid medical science, dosing, and human rights published in journals of Pain medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, General Medicine, and Law, in addition to a book chapter for the general public.[Read More about Dr. Aggarwal]

Dear Readers of Freedomisgreen.com,

My friend and colleague, cannabinoid researcher and doctoral student Jahan Marcu of Temple Univeristy, has graciously invited me to write a blog post here introducing the launch of my new website, cannabinergy.com.

At its core, cannabinergy.com is a vehicle for public education to inspire, alight, and broadly educate internet users about basic and social scientific understandings regarding the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system and the cannabingeric properties of cannabis hempflowers. It seeks to be relevant to current policy debates and therefore aims to present the ecological politics, or political ecology, of cannabis, thereby giving visitors a broader understanding of the complex web of powerful actors and grassroots movements that are variously attempting to enclose, monopolize, ignore, or democratize this increasingly valued botanical resource. In this current scenario, a website such as cannabinergy.com is needed to help to stimulate and facilitate the public conversation regarding the status of this plant as a commons resource and its responsible use guided by science and green ethics.

The website accomplishes much of this by showcasing my own academic and personal journey as a bicultural physician-scientist and medical geographer who has, over time, come to understand the social and medicinal significance of the cannabis plant. This is illustrated through a online digital library of papers, public presentations, interviews, personal reflections, and photographs. The ultimate goal is to link this website up to another one called cannabisconversation.com which will allow a much greater degree of user participation and dialogue. I invite you to explore, learn, be inspired, and share at cannabinergy.com!

Thank you,

Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, M.D., PhD

aka “Dr. Cannabinergy”

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The CBD Research that Time Forgot

Jahan Marcu — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:43:13 +0000

7/28/2011 – Time magazine made a flawed, sensationalistic attempt at covering cannibinoid research in a recent article. The piece details the effects of a synthetic cannabinoid (called JWH-133) and its ability to deter cocaine addiction in an animal model by activating the CB2 receptor in the brain. The implications of this study imply that cannabinoids could be potentially used as an “exit” drug for cocaine users. But Time confused the synthetic drug used in the study with a natural substance called cannabidiol or CBD.

Unfortunately, the seemingly good news about CB2 receptors and the treatment of cocaine addiction was over-shadowed by a plethora of inaccurate scientific information.

Here are the three main points that Time forgot:

CBD does not activate CB2 receptors at a reasonable concentration. This crucial information was published in 1996. In test tube experiments, CBD can only activate the CB2 receptor at a concentration unachievable through any known or conventional route of administration. If, for instance, a patient had an IV hooked up to a vat of nearly pure CBD, then there might be enough CBD to affect receptor dynamics and thus lead to the activation of CB2 receptors. In short, CBD may be able to treat cocaine addiction, but not by acting through cannabinoid receptors.

Dr. Gardner and his team (referred to in the Time article) looked at the effects of a synthetic cannabinoid, not actual CBD, in relation to cocaine addiction. To be clear: JWH-133 activates CB2 receptors while CBD does not. (It’s essential to note that more JWH compounds are becoming illegal each day. In the last few months, several JWH compounds have been listed as either Schedule 1 of the federal Controlled Substances Act, placed on the DEA watch list or banned by new state laws.)

Time magazine glaringly overlooked the most relevant research done on the effects of actual CBD (not a synthetic cannibinoid like JWH-133) and cocaine addiction by Raphael Mechoulam, one of the most noted Cannabis researchers in history. Dr. Mechoulam is credited as the first scientist to isolate THC as the primary ingredient in Cannabis back in 1964 and he continues to produce groundbreaking cannabis research. His important 2004 study looked at CBD and cocaine addiction but the research cited by Time never even mentions CBD.

One of the most basic concepts in cannabinoid science is that THC activates CB1 and CB2 receptors, but CBD does not activate CB1 and CB2 receptors. To refute this fundamental understanding of cannabinoid receptors is an insult to the scientific community and ultimately does more harm than good. As a scientist, this type of research is extremely complex and all news organizations will need to do a better job when conveying information to the public.

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam - The scientist that Time forgot

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New Human Research on CBD, Endocannabinoids and Depression

Jahan Marcu — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:47:41 +0000

ICRS logo

8/8/2011 - The International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) meeting in Chicago last month showcased new data on cannabinoids gathered from human subjects. Most bio-medical science happens on rats or in petri dishes, so any studies on people are always notable. The ICRS is a unique and concentrated pool of cannabinoid scientists presenting the latest breakthroughs at our annual meetings.

The second day of the 2011 ICRS meeting had a Psychiatric Session that included these interesting topics:

Danieal Hauer, Ludwig-Maimilians University (Germany) discussed results from human subject who had undergone cardiac surgery. 23.5% percent of patients were thought to have diagnosable symptoms of depression after 6 months post-surgery. This population of depressed patients had lower blood levels of Anandamide, an endocannabinoid. The doctors suggest that patients with lower endocannabinoid levels during the peri-opertaive stage are at a higher risk of developing depression.

Mateus Bergamaschi, University Sao Paulo Brazil, showed results from a human study on the effects of pure CBD to treat people with social phobia. Participants were all healthy college undergraduates. They divided into different groups and were given 2 minutes to prepare a 4 minute oral presentation on “the public transportation system of your city.” The participants who received an oral of CBD had lower anxiety scores than the placebo group. The researchers conclude that this is another study which demonstrates the anti-anxiety effects of CBD and additional double blind, placebo controlled studies are needed.

Andrea Dlugos (University of Muenster, University of Chicago) presented the first data on human subjects which indicates that stress can increase the levels of many endocannabinoids. Acute stress increases N-Acylethanolamines, i.e., AEA, in healthy humans. Basla serum levels of AG and AEA were found to be lower in depressed women. Functional FAAH gene variants influence response to acute stress. eCB increases are correlated to circulating levels of stress indicators. Stress increases AEA, PEA, OEA but not 2AG, 2OG. Psychosocial specific stress increases some levels. Interestingly, Caucasians show an increase in certain cannabinoids that was not seen in African Americans and Asians. The authors note that cortisol and PEA share a common mechanism that warrants further study.

These three sets of research could have beneficial applications if they are developed. Testing the endocannabinoid levels to help identify those at risk for depression after heart surgery would be a simple way of averting this negative outcome. It is also exciting to see pure CBD used in a psychological experiment with humans demonstrating a promising treatment from an easily acquired extract.

The ICRS meeting was jam packed with amazing new science. We’ll have more from the presentations in future posts.

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New Study on Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoids Treating Headaches

Jahan Marcu — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:58:37 +0000

wikimedia - cluster headache

7/17/2011 – Dr. Uri Napchan was lead author on a commentary published by the American Headache Society, which discussed the possibility of using synthetic cannabinoids or natural Cannabis for the treatment of headaches. Given what scientists know about how Cannabis works, marijuana-like compounds or synthetic cannabinoids may be a promising treatment for acute, refractory, or cluster headaches.

The authors warn that it is premature to make strong clinical recommendations as there are only a small number of case reports and surveys suggesting a possible benefit from Cannabis for headache treatment. The authors do point out that Cannabis is a Schedule I drug and there is dispute over its value in different medical conditions among experts. Therefore, the authors imply that synthesizing a new cannabinoid specifically for headaches could be the best approach. This new chemical drug would not have anything from the natural Cannabis plant.

In a strange turn of events these scientists (and others like them) could see their research on a collision course with politicians in the United States. Ironically, the compounds that have the best possibilities are being swiftly prohibited. Under an “emergency” measure the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) moved several synthetic cannabinoids into the Schedule I category under federal laws.

Over the last year synthetic cannabinoids have been demonized in this country because of a new fad drug on the streets marketed as “K2″ or “Spice.” Although these packages sold as “incense” just as often contain synthetic opiates (that are still perfectly legal by the way), the cannabinoids are what public officials seem to rant about.

The compounds already targeted for prohibition, called JWH cannabinoids, were supposed to be the building blocks of a variety of promising research that should be explored further. They were regularly used in academic laboratories but are now much more difficult to obtain for legitimate research.

The authors of this study present a well-found notion of creating a non-psychotropic synthetic cannabinoid that could treat headaches. But while more states approve laws for whole-plant medical marijuana, even more are passing local laws banning synthetic cannabinoids. Politics alone could prove to be the most significant barrier for developing the science in this headache study.

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Live from ICRS: Cannabinoid Scientists Discuss Cancer, Pain, Arthritis

Jahan Marcu — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:55:17 +0000

ICRS logo

7/7/2011 by Jahan Marcu – The annual International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) meeting is taking place this week in Chicago. I’m here with over 250 researchers to take in 55 presentations on the subject of Cannabis and cannabinoids. This year I’m also honored to be presenting some of my recent work. The ICRS meeting is a unique and concentrated pool of cannabinoid science showcasing the latest breakthroughs.

The morning presentations on the opening day were devoted to the study of cannabinoids in learning and memory.

Indole derivatives such as WIN55212, a compound that is related to JWH-018, may disrupt learning and memory in a way that is much more distinct than THC.

The first talk was given via Skype with Dr. Robert Hampson from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. WIN55212 suppresses the encoding of new information but does not suppress memory recall. The research supports the role of cannabinoids in learning and memory, modulating the strength of neural encoding for long and short term storage. This research may help develop drugs for the treatment of PTSD or learning disabilities.

Next Marocoita Gilbert of East Carolina University gave a stunning presentation on the effects of cannabinoids on memory in birds (Finches). Birds and humans learn to communicate through vocal learning, imitating sounds of the parents. In birds the song can be passed down from parents to offspring. WIN55212 reduced the ability of birds to memorize songs, which was directly correlated with a down regulation in an important brain protein known as ARC. These finches tended to improvise the song! In a sense, the finches that were given a cannabinoid would preform jazz instead of classical.

Dr. Jerry Wright Jr. of Scripps Research Institute conducted a study on the effects of visual memory and learning in monkeys, using pure THC. The monkeys correct responses were affected by the number of stimuli given to the monkeys. Conceptually, if the monkeys were only doing one task, there was no difference. However, as the number of tasks increased, the monkeys incorrect responses increased. Interestingly, the psychomotor or coordination of monkeys was unaffected in raisin and pellet acquisition tests which required manual dexterity.

The research presentations then focused on pain and inflammation. In short, the following studies showed that Endocannabinoids such as PEA are effective in treating models of arthritis, pain, and inflammation.

Dr. Barbara Costa began by discussing that existing arthritis drugs are restricted to analgesics (pain management) with limited efficacy and lots of side effects. Cannabinoids may represent a reasonable approach to this chronic condition. PEA speeds recovery. Strong decreases could be found in inflammation, pain, and positive increase in peripheral nerves; where arthritis impairs movement. Dr. Costa suggested that endocannabinoids should be compared with a steroid; compared or co-applied with NSAIDS.

James Burton of the University of Nottingham showed that PEA was also able to inhibit immune cell migration, a hallmark of tissue damage and inflammation. Sharleen Yuan from the University of South Dakota complimented the pain research by showing data that outlined the mechanisms modulating EC signaling in neurons.

Ending the first symposium of the ICRS conference, Aron Lichtman from Virginia Commonwealth University shared research on a new drug, JZL184 which shares many properties of THC without motor skill effects.

The second session focused on the effects of cannabinoids on the gut and intestinal disease.

Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are precursors to many important biological factors. Amino acids are thought to form conjugations with fatty acids to mediate important events related to neuro-transmission. Dr. Kitty Verhoeckx shared her team’s discovery of fatty acid serotonins which were able to inhibit the FAAH enzyme, which raises the levels of endocannabinoids in the body. The research studied the effect of various combinations of oils (fish, sunflower) on the metabolism of these N-Acyl serotonins in animals. The production of fatty acid seratonins was directly related to diet.

Erin Rock from the University of Guekph presented research on Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is usually the second most adundant cannabinoid on the Cannabis plant. CBD does not appear to activate the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 or CB2. Instead CBD appears to interact with serotonin receptors (5HT-1A) to reduce nausea and vomiting. CBD may be an effective anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs for cancer patients.

Steven Kinsey of the Virginia Commonwealth University showed that THC could block the formation of gastric hemmorages. Additonally, the protective effect of THC was mimicked by raising endocannabinoids through FAAH inhibition. FAAH is the enzyme that breakdown endocannabinoids. JZL184 knocked down and almost completely blocked hemorrhages, but tolerance developed after 6 days, if larger doses are administered chronically.

Dr. Alhouayek from the University of Louvain shared her work on inflammatory bowl disease (IBD) and cannabinoids. IBD occurs in about 10,000 people a year in developed countries. The root causes of IBD are unknown and a curative therapy remains elusive. Activating CB receptors is protective while blocking the receptors makes Colitis or IBD much worse. AEA is known for its protective effect but little is known about the effectiveness of 2-AG. Mice with IBD were effectively treated by raising the body’s own natural endocannabinoids, using synthetic compounds known as JZL184 and URB597. Colon tissue was shown to be protected by raising the levels of endocannabinoids. The protective effects were stopped by blocking by CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 and CB2 activity is important for a healthy colon. However, it was the elevated levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG that were thought to be responsible for the beneficial effects.

The day ended with a flurry of cancer research highlighting the effectiveness of CBD to treat wide variety of cancers.

Members of Cristina Sanchez’s and Manuel Guzman’s labs from Spain discussed mechanisms of cancers, demonstrating the role of CB2 and GPR55 in cancer pathogenesis.

Dr. Alessia Ligresti from the Italian Endocannabinoid Research Group looked at 12 different plant cannabinoids and found that CBD was a potent anti-cancer agent against prostate cancer.

Dr. Sean McAllister from the California Pacific Medical Center demonstrated the effectiveness of CBD to treat aggressive cancer cells that were removed from cancer patients.

Lastly, Gabriella Aviello from the University of Naples showed how CBD may prevent or treat colon cancer, one most common and deadliest forms of cancer in the western world.

CBD was the star of the show on opening day here at ICRS, demonstrating potent anti-cancer effects in a variety of cancer types. CBD shows great promise, and may be used in an upcoming clinical trial with breast cancer, organized in part by Dr. Sean McAllister.

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THC May Improve Driving Ability in Patients with Neurological Diseases

Jahan Marcu — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:13:12 +0000

dronabinol delta 9 - THC

6/21/2011 by Jahan Marcu - Since 2001, Dr. Kirsten Muller-Vahl and colleagues have published research articles demonstrating the safety of Delta9-THC in patients with Tourette’s Syndrome. This is a disease characterized by involuntary movement and vocalizations (a.k.a. tics). In 2003, the authors showed that, “Delta9-THC causes neither acute nor long-term cognitive deficits” in patients suffering from Tourette’s.

Recently this group of clinical researchers published a Letter to the Editor of Psychiatry Research outlining their findings in a Tourette’s patient given 15mg of delta9-THC per day. The authors measured the patient’s driving ability with a computerized test and compared it to the patients performance with and without delta9-THC. The author’s state, “In comparison with the drug-free phase (of the treatment), there was a clear improvement in concentration and visual perception during THC therapy.”

The patient, a 42 year old truck driver referred to as Mr.H, first displayed symptoms of this disease at age 6. When he appeared at the clinic for this study he was suffering from multiple tics of the head, arm and leg: Not good symptoms to have for a truck driver. Furthermore, Mr.H’s medical history showed that all available drug treatments were ineffective including dopamine blocking agents, alpha-2 drugs, clonazepam, and terabenazine. Within 2 weeks of delta9-THC treatment Mr.H’s symptoms were reduced by 75%.

The authors call for more research on driving ability in patient’s with Tourette’s while they are under the effect of delta9-THC . The authors do not discuss the possibilities of Cannabis or delta9-THC on the driving ability of patients with other neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

It is safe to assume that if you can stop chronic muscle spasms and involuntary jerking motions in a patient then you have made them a better driver. This new patient data comes after the DMV in California changed its policy on Medical Cannabis patients when it was successfully sued by American’s for Safe Access. CA DMV refused to renew the license of a medical cannabis patient, despite a “sparkling clean driving record.”

The implications for these findings adds to the on going argument regarding THC levels in the blood and driving ability. While there is still a great debate on the effects of Cannabis and driving in healthy subjects, it appears that persons suffering neurological disorders may have an improved ability to drive.

Despite the remarkable effects delta9-THC can have on the driving ability in a patient with Tourette’s, don’t expect law enforcement or the DMV to treat medical cannabis patients any differently from recreational users.

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THC Tunnel Vision Limits Therapeutic Cannabis Variety

Jahan Marcu — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:02:43 +0000

Medical marijuana growing in CA

6/2/2011 - The most common plant varieties of Cannabis in North America are THC-rich strains. These have have dominated the underground market for 100 years because THC is the main cause of the euphoric effect or ‘high.’ But the Cannabis plant is more than just tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is a treasure trove of potentially therapeutic compounds (Mechoulam 2005).

‘THC tunnel vision’ in America has prevented the identification and capitalization of the other, extremely valuable cannabinoids. Scientists are now taking on more research to look closer at the mechanics of these no-high cannabinoids.

The Cannabis plant can produce a rich mixture of active ingredients, these unique compounds are called cannabinoids. Everyone knows THC, but it is important to be aware of some other 3-letter compounds that are showing great promise for medical applications. These include: cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC) and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), to name only a few. Many of these compounds have been shown in laboratory studies to produce greater therapeutic effects than THC, without unwanted side effects (Russo-Guy 2006).

CBD varieties possess many ancient and unique genetics required to produce medically relevant cannabinoids. Plants containing a high amount of CBD have also become the second most popular choice in the supply of medical cannabis. A recent surge in demand for CBD-rich medical cannabis has also spurred an even greater interest in the identification and exploration of other cannabinoid varieties.

CBG has been shown to have pain-relieving and anti-depressant effects that are greater than THC (Evans 1991, Musty-Deyo 2006). CBG does not interact with CB1 and CB2 receptors like THC but instead interacts with different receptors, some that multi-billion dollar drugs target. These include adrenoreceptors and serotonin (5-HT_1A) receptors (Cascio 2010).

Even though CBG was first isolated in 1964, the first report of a high CBG-producing plant wasn’t until the 1980’s, when it was discovered in a French hemp population. In 2005, a team of researchers identified a CBG plant in Italy.

They crossed this CBG plant with other THC and CBD plants of “good breeding value.” With the help of genetic analysis and chromatography, they were crossbred with different varieties and cultivars, until they identified a strain that produced high amounts of CBG, with little to no THC (de Meijer et al.2005).

Today, the only known high-yielding CBG variety is presently in the greenhouses of GW Pharmaceuticals, where CBG makes up a small but consistent portion of Sativex, a cannabinoid mouth spray. So while CBG and other varieties exist, they’re current exploration and usage seem to be sparse or under lock and key.

In America, there is a proliferation of cultivars (clones) of THC varieties given many different names (e.g., Skunk, Silver Haze, White Widow). Patients are given the illusion of variety where there may be none.

Fortunately, CBG, THCV and other unique strains may organically surface, either directly from the natural proliferation of CBD varieties or due to the plant’s “hypermorphic genetics” which can jump around spontaneously – Cannabis is a weed after all.

Potency testing may be able to identify cannabinoid compounds post-harvest, but only genetics and careful selection will allow the medical cannabis industry to track heritability. This will greatly enhance the generation of new and therapeutically useful strains of Cannabis, just like those that have been created over the last 20 years in Europe.

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