Should marijuana be legal?

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" By that I mean ONLY for those with chronic conditions and having a valid doctor’s prescription (which must be renewed often like any other controlled drug)."

Tell me why I would need a prescription for something safer than Tylenol? Many people have died from tylenol but no one has ever died from cannabis use.
Cannabis is safe natural and is healthy for you. Look up the nutritional information on it its pretty incredible… “Cannabis’ seeds - traditionally called ‘hempseed’, contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. No other single plant source provides complete protein nutrition in such an easily digestible form, nor has the oils essential to life in as perfect a ratio for human health and vitality. Hempseed is the richest source in the plant kingdom of essential fatty acids.” - Lynn Osburn, researcher

You said something about the strength of it, well back to tylenol they sell tylenol extra strength so why should a cannabis user not be allowed to grow the best quality organic herb as possible? Also you said something about cannabis users and bacically how they stray from the community not helping build it up or something, I would argue just the opposite, I know many medical and non medical cannabis users including lawyers, doctors, even school teachers, they bust thier butts to help others in the community and donate alot of time and money to the community.

“In layman’s terms,” according to The New England Journal of Medicine, ”a smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.” [1] While that amount of consumption is certainly an impossible feat, in comparison, legal prescription medications cause thousands of deaths per year. [2] Common household drugs are much more lethal than marijuana. For instance, a lethal dose of caffeine is equal to about 100 cups of coffee. [3] In 1972, after reviewing the scientific evidence, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse concluded that while marijuana was not entirely safe, its dangers had been grossly overstated. [4] Since then, researchers have conducted thousands of studies on humans, animals and cell cultures. None of those describe any findings dramatically different from those described by the National Commission in 1972. [5] In 2008, The Canadian Medical Association Journal published a review of research spanning 30 years, concluding that there are no serious adverse effects of cannabis use.[6]

cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/2/8/759
The very last sentence says “Our study suggests that moderate marijuana use is associated with reduced risk of HNSCC”
 
“Uh-huh. The fact that current approaches to alcohol aren’t working doesn’t impress me as any reason to legalise cannabis.”

Harmless people are going to prison for having a joint on them soo if that isnt a reason to legalize i do not know what is. My friend had less than a ounce on him in a non medical state but he is a medical user, cops pulled him over and was charged w/ a felony. Now for the rest of his life he will not be able to get a good job, rent an apartment, etc etc all because he needed cannabis for his chrons disease. Its really sad and i have seen how these laws can ruin a persons life. He also had a 3.5 gpa in college was a patient at the mayo clinic, had a full time job supporting himtself, now in debt out of jail w/ a felony on his record his life here in the US just got 10x more difficult because he uses a natural plant for medicine…
 
Catholic102886 said:
“Uh-huh. The fact that current approaches to alcohol aren’t working doesn’t impress me as any reason to legalise cannabis.”

Harmless people are going to prison for having a joint on them soo if that isnt a reason to legalize i do not know what is. My friend had less than a ounce on him in a non medical state but he is a medical user, cops pulled him over and was charged w/ a felony. Now for the rest of his life he will not be able to get a good job, rent an apartment, etc etc all because he needed cannabis for his chrons disease. Its really sad and i have seen how these laws can ruin a persons life. He also had a 3.5 gpa in college was a patient at the mayo clinic, had a full time job supporting himtself, now in debt out of jail w/ a felony on his record his life here in the US just got 10x more difficult because he uses a natural plant for medicine…
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Speak on it!!!

I remember being arrested and expelled in the 7th grade for having a bag of weed on me (that just so happened to pop out of my pocket while reaching for my homework right in front of the math teacher). I had to go to court, I got a year of probation AND community service. It was absurd. And most importantly… I cried!
 
No,No & No!!! Why stop with marijuana?Make cocaine,heroin,glue sniffing,ice (all hospital pure grade, of course) legal too!! The road to hell is wide and open & many take it.
Now for the medical facts;The Lancet(noted medical journal) in an article researched by a Prof.Degenhardt,she quotes “one in ten users have cannabis dependence syndrome placing them at risk of chronic bronchitis and psychotic symptoms,especially in those with a family history of mental disorders” & “an increase in data that reflects problems related to cannabis use–so things like hospital admissions and the number of people arrested while they had cannabis on them” so you get the drift of the article!!.“The UN Office on Drugs & Crime estimates that cannabis was used by 166 million people or 3.9percent of the golbal population aged between 15 to 64 years of age”.-might does not make it right!!
Note-this is not a moral judgement, but medically well known facts from a doctors’ journal. I personally believe jail for offenders is not the answer, but a compulsory drug rehabilitation is more of a christian solution(which may include incarceration for drug pushers, as well as rehab).
Finally I believe the issue is a spiritual one,our hearts are empty without God, so we may be tempted to seek cheap alternatives to fill that void-sex,alchohol abuse,gambling,drugs etc,etc.The devil is a liar-he too would be all in favour of marijuana & yes he would tell us that it is good and healthy.The American Timothy Leary-likened taking LSD to taking holy communion(Politics in Ecstasy book)-it was a sacrilegious thing to write-God rest his soul.He was all for legalizing LSD(made millions $$$$ from it):did that come from God or the Evil one??Is smoking" pot" a sin?Subjectively it may not be but objectively,I think that it is a sin against our body.In a sense giving into sin is an act of madness and anyone who supports taking illegal drugs & legitimizing them would have to be mad!!!.Sorry, truth in charity-St Maximilian Kolbe please help those with drug related issues & pray for us! Amen.St Michael defend us against the evil one & erroneous thinking.
 
karoleck said:
No,No & No!!! Why stop with marijuana?Make cocaine,heroin,glue sniffing,ice (all hospital pure grade, of course) legal too!! The road to hell is wide and open & many take it.
Now for the medical facts;The Lancet(noted medical journal) in an article researched by a Prof.Degenhardt,she quotes “one in ten users have cannabis dependence syndrome placing them at risk of chronic bronchitis and psychotic symptoms,especially in those with a family history of mental disorders” & “an increase in data that reflects problems related to cannabis use–so things like hospital admissions and the number of people arrested while they had cannabis on them” so you get the drift of the article!!.“The UN Office on Drugs & Crime estimates that cannabis was used by 166 million people or 3.9percent of the golbal population aged between 15 to 64 years of age”.-might does not make it right!!
Note-this is not a moral judgement, but medically well known facts from a doctors’ journal. I personally believe jail for offenders is not the answer, but a compulsory drug rehabilitation is more of a christian solution(which may include incarceration for drug pushers, as well as rehab).
Finally I believe the issue is a spiritual one,our hearts are empty without God, so we may be tempted to seek cheap alternatives to fill that void-sex,alchohol abuse,gambling,drugs etc,etc.The devil is a liar-he too would be all in favour of marijuana & yes he would tell us that it is good and healthy.The American Timothy Leary-likened taking LSD to taking holy communion(Politics in Ecstasy book)-it was a sacrilegious thing to write-God rest his soul.He was all for legalizing LSD(made millions $$$$ from it):did that come from God or the Evil one??Is smoking" pot" a sin?Subjectively it may not be but objectively,I think that it is a sin against our body.In a sense giving into sin is an act of madness and anyone who supports taking illegal drugs & legitimizing them would have to be mad!!!.Sorry, truth in charity-St Maximilian Kolbe please help those with drug related issues & pray for us! Amen.St Michael defend us against the evil one & erroneous thinking.
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Wait, glue is illegal? Where the hell have I been…
 
“Is smoking” pot" a sin?Subjectively it may not be but objectively,I think that it is a sin against our body.In a sense giving into sin is an act of madness and anyone who supports taking illegal drugs & legitimizing them would have to be mad"

sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060526083353.htm

Cannabis is a medicinal plant. It helps millions of people. I fully support the legalization of this Plant God created.

If this plant where to be discovered in sum rainforest today it would be one of the greatest discoveries ever.

How can it be a sin against ones body?
Is exedrine migrane a sin because I use it to relieve my migranes?
If i Choose not to use sum nasty chemicals that cause actual harm and opt for a natural plant that is safe i dont see the problem?
 
Catholic102886 said:
“Is smoking” pot" a sin?Subjectively it may not be but objectively,I think that it is a sin against our body.In a sense giving into sin is an act of madness and anyone who supports taking illegal drugs & legitimizing them would have to be mad"

sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060526083353.htm

Cannabis is a medicinal plant. It helps millions of people. I fully support the legalization of this Plant God created.

If this plant where to be discovered in sum rainforest today it would be one of the greatest discoveries ever.

How can it be a sin against ones body?
Is exedrine migrane a sin because I use it to relieve my migranes?
If i Choose not to use sum nasty chemicals that cause actual harm and opt for a natural plant that is safe i dont see the problem?
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This is off topic a little so I won’t go too far into, but the sin doesn’t come in the substance or even smoking it. The sin can come in depending why people smoke or use cannabis. Is it to escape this reality and find a place to forget about one’s troubles or is to relax/unwind enjoy, social settings, and medical treat certain conditions/diseases? The virtue of temperance tells us that the latter is most acceptable. You are certainly correct that God created plants for our use, but we must also examine our conscience to know we are not trying to fill any voids. Only the Blessed Sacrament can do that. 🙂
 
stringbeanduck said:
This is off topic a little so I won’t go too far into, but the sin doesn’t come in the substance or even smoking it. The sin can come in depending why people smoke or use cannabis. Is it to escape this reality and find a place to forget about one’s troubles or is to relax/unwind enjoy, social settings, and medical treat certain conditions/diseases? The virtue of temperance tells us that the latter is most acceptable. You are certainly correct that God created plants for our use, but we must also examine our conscience to know we are not trying to fill any voids. Only the Blessed Sacrament can do that. 🙂
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You are completely and 100 percent right!! 👍

People use all kinds of different things to “fill voids.” I know people who use video games to fill voids in their lives, rather than God. This is a problem! Truth is, it doesn’t matter if you are using marijuana, video games, knitting, or sex to fill those voids, it’s all sinful because you aren’t seeking GOD.
 
To legalize something has something to do with the COMMON GOOD of a nation.I know people who are given morphine for palliative care by a medical doctor.However for the common good of society, it is illigal for me to grow a crop of opium in my property.Why??Because if it was legal, others would grow it for “recreational” purposes and before long society would be paying the price of having a large unproductive addicted population.Why should marijuana be treated any differently?In a sense because of our fallen nature,the government’s laws at their best ,should reflect natural law written in our hearts by God our Creator, to protect the weak and defenceless in our society(teenages for one)
In a sense, the question of possible medical uses of cannibis sativa belongs to the medical experts.The most probable conclusion that I can gather, is that this plants’medical properties does not show much potential or it would have been in use years ago.Perhaps the side effects, out way the good results?One of the side effects of using "pot"is a state of psychosis,creating a paranoia that there is some sort of conspiracy to cover up the supposed great benefits of it!!! Because God created something good,does not mean that it cannot be misused.Perhaps God made jute to make rope, clothing and pipe sealing properties out of it!!!??Not to dull our minds and induce an unnatural lethargy causing morbid drowiness,torpid or apathetic state, including a want of interest and energy.With all due respect this is where the sin could lay, as it sins against our God given natural body & mind.He wants to be adored,praised & loved by our clear & pure hearts and minds.(harms health)
P.S. I am truely sorry that some people have serious health problems,may Our Lady-the health of the sick heal your minds,may Our Lady of Lourdes cure you! Please pray to her in your needs.
Someone was right about the glue-I was thinking on the lines of a legal medically supported glue sniffing set up—just kidding!! It is easy to pick flaws out than to refute an arguement intelligently.For example I mentioned sex to fill in an emptiness,I meant the sinful type ,not the God given good between a husband & wife!The glue guy could have picked on this as well!!(gambling also—I bet you a dollar that I hit the mark-not a sin except maybe in charity, but not excessive gambling-funny humour-not meant to cut up anybody)! Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood!! Give the bong the gong!!
 
Let me share my personal story with everyone. I went to a catholic grade school k-8 and learned alot about my Faith etc etc, at the end of 10th grade i started having abdominal spasms for no reasons with cramping which would induce extreme pain I mean extreme (multiple ER visits)… this has been going on since 10th grade im now 23 years old. I have been a patient at the mayo clinic for 2 years had every single test you can think (Colonoscopies, endoscopies, pill cam test, mri’s ct’s) and they cannot figure out what is wrong with me…im 6’0 weighed in at 150 during 11th grade… Im now 23 and weigh 123 pounds… NONE of the medicine they have given me has helped… They told me to try cannabis and since then my weight is up to 130, my spasms are happening less, my pain is lesss, etc etc. I have had numerous talks with my mayo clinic doctors about the safty of this plant and the say " it is safer than water" because you can actully die from drinking to much water as with cannabis you cannot die unless to much falls on your head from high shelf lol.

I dont condone the use of cannabis if the intent is wrong and only God knows that. Now that we know this plant is safe why lock people up for it? The Herion comparision really makes me angry as with all the harder drugs. There is no science to back up your comparision of Cannabis vs Herion(all hard drugs). They are not the same and never will be.

God Bless
 
Any doctor who can say that smoking pot is as safe as drinking water needs his head read!I suggest that the Mayo clinic should be avoided if this is a fact!! But then again some doctors kill babies in the womb and then deny that they are doing anything wrong!Self medication is always a very dangerous thing,perhaps changing doctors might help.But back to the question of Legalizing marijuana,below are the facts that convinces me that the common good would not be served by this-I have not voted in the poll as numbers don’t prove anything.

Effects of Marijuana on the Brain

Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is processed by the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a component of the brain’s limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that neurons in the information processing system of the hippocampus and the activity of the nerve fibers in this region are suppressed by THC. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate via this mechanism.

Recent research findings also indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse.

Effects of Marijuana on the Lungs

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to the marijuana users’ inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.

Effects of Marijuana on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Recent findings indicate that smoking marijuana has the potential to cause severe increases in heart rate and blood pressure The heart rate of the subjects in the study increased 29 beats per minute with marijuana .

Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior

A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 “heavy users,” who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 “light users,” who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour period of abstinence from marijuana and other illicit drugs and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. These findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.

Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used marijuana have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.

Research also shows more anger and more regressive behavior (thumb sucking, temper tantrums) in toddlers whose parents use marijuana than among the toddlers of non-using parents.

Effects of Marijuana on Pregnancy

Any drug of abuse can affect a mother’s health during pregnancy, making it a time when expectant mothers should take special care of themselves. Drugs of abuse may interfere with proper nutrition and rest, which can affect good functioning of the immune system. Some studies have found that babies born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller than those born to mothers who did not use the drug. In general, smaller babies are more likely to develop health problems.

A nursing mother who uses marijuana passes some of the THC to the baby in her breast milk. Research indicates that the use of marijuana by a mother during the first month of breast-feeding can impair the infant’s motor development (control of muscle movement).

Addictive Potential of Marijuana

A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, often uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. Marijuana meets this criterion. More than 120,000 people enter treatment per year for their primary marijuana addiction. In addition, animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence, and some people report withdrawal symptoms.
(Research paper-University of Michigan)

StMaximilian Kolbe please help those who suffer from drug abuse.Our Lady health of the sick,pray for the nice lady who suffers from cramps and please cure her, also the lady with the headaches.
 
One of my docs has had chrons disease for 38 years and the only medication that has worked for him is cannabis. Comparing my doc prescribing cannabis to abortion docs is ridiculous. How is what my doc did wrong? I was loosing weight rapidily ( 6’0 120 something pounds) and in chronic sever pain the 5 plus pills i was one was not working this was the LAST resort i have discussed this with many preists all who support medical cannabis…Did u see the tests i posted i had to go threw to get to where im at today? Its not fun having colonoscopies and endocsopies etc etc, I DID NOT CHOOSE THIS.

I have traveled accross country to the UF clinic they couldnt do anything soo they refered me to one the best in the world MAYO clinic, they are atleast are keeping me alive… I can attend church weekly now and have even enough energy to do many things i couldnt do in the past. I had a basketball scholorship but had to drop it because of my illness, i wouldnt wish this on anyone… I havnt picked up a ball in months which makes me cry every day, I used to beable to play 3+hrs everyday now none… but atleast im alive and can go out now thanks to my docs…

“More than 120,000 people enter treatment per year for their primary marijuana addiction”

Its either a treatment facility or jail … which would you choose?? Again our laws are forcing medical patients who dont live in med states who use and get caught by the police to go to rehab for something that is helping them… Most people who go to rehab for cannabis is because they rather not go to jail…the judge usually will give them that option.

The journal PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEWS [2] reports that decades of research prove that, “Compared with legal drugs…marijuana does not pose greater risks.” Yet based upon mortality statistics, we can safely conclude that cannabis is one of the safest medical drugs known, for, while prescription drugs, defined as safe by the FDA, kill up to 27,000 and aspirin up to 1,000 Americans per year, cannabis kills 0 per year [3].

When we know the facts we can understand why in 1988, after extensive review of the scientific literature, the DEA’s own administrative judge Frances Young concluded that "Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances know to man.’’

The HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH LETTER [11] reports the findings of other major cannabis studies: In three major studies conducted in Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Greece, researchers have compared heavy long-term cannabis users with non-users and found no evidence of intellectual or neurological damage, no changes in personality, and no loss of the will to work or participate in society. The Jamaican study states that, even as cannabis use in Jamaica “is pervasive” and is used “in heavier quantities with greater THC potency than in the U.S.,” its use is “without deleterious social or psychological consequences.” [12]

What’s more, the three studies cited, the largest human cannabis studies to date, also revealed that heavy long term cannabis users scored slightly higher on IQ tests, had slightly lower rates of illness and cancer, and lived longer on average than non-users. Users also proved to be more relaxed and sociable than non-users [4][12][13]. The best evidence indicates, contrary to GovtMedia disinformation, that cannabis is safe and good for you.

The journal TOXICOLOGY LETTERS published a study that found no link between cannabis smoking and lung cancer. The seven researchers in the study concluded

It has been suggested that marijuana smoking is a proximal cause of respiratory cancer. However, these intimations have not been borne out by epidemiological investigation.
Not only is the evidence linking cannabis smoking to cancer negative, but the largest human studies cited indicated that cannabis users had lower rates of cancer than nonusers. What’s more, those who smoked both cannabis and tobacco had lower rates of lung cancer than those who smoked only tobacco – a strong indication of chemo-prevention [4][12][13]. Even more, in 1975 researchers at the Medical College of Virginia found that cannabis showed powerful antitumor activity against both benign and malignant tumors (the government then banned all future cannabis/cancer research) [4]. In fact, the NEW ENGLISH DISPENSATORY of 1764 recommends boiled cannabis roots for the elimination of tumors [19]. Powerful evidence that cannabis not only does not cause cancer, but that it may prevent and even cure cancer.

The few studies that the GovtMedia drums into the public mind over and over, which claim to show that cannabis is a harmful drug, are almost all the work of the the government’s top hired gun, Dr. Gabriel Nahas. The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE described Nahas’s work as “psychopharmacological McCarthyism that compels him to use half-truths, innuendo and unverified assertions.” The JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION also condemned his work, stating, “Examples of biased selection and…omissions of facts abound in every chapter.” [20]

Honestly I did not come to this forum to fight for medical marijuana i came to find more Catholics and discuss our faith but seeing the misinformation that is being written here I cannot let that happen.

God Bless
 
www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/reality/updatejl.html, for information on links between marijuana use and mental health risks.
www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/mrr/21.96.10.html, for more information on the indirect effects of marijuana on health
adf.org.au/drughit, the Australian Drug Foundation?s website
marijuananews.com/a_safe_ high_.htm, a reprint of New Science magazine?s “Marijuana Special Report: A Safe High?” with commentary
marijuananews.com/claim_four.htm, an article about the similarity of long-term marijuana use?s effect on the brain to that of “hard” drugs, with commentary
www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/iprc/misc/smokescreen.html, for general information on the health risks of marijuana.
health.org, the homepage of the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, for general information on marijuana.

The above links I believe are a fair summary why marijuana should not be legal.What ever good an individuals’ personal story may contain,the COMMON GOOD of society should be paramount;this is the issue.I do hope that people who are taking marijuana under ''doctors’orders" have it all in writing;So that if negative health problems do occur in the future ,they can sue to help pay for the on going medical treatment.Will the Mayo clinic treat these for free,( thought what good will that do) if they are wrong??Will the doctor who said using marijuana is as safe as drinking water be around to support them, if he just made a professional mistake.Doctors were so sure of the new “NO DISCOMFORT” pregnacy drug, Thameldahide( sorry I cannot remember how it was spelt–before my time ,thak God),after hundreds of thousands of deformed babies later, it turned out they rushed into it too early!The doctor in one of the above links just reflects this-- (THE INDIANA PAPER HAS CONCERNS THAT IT MY MAKE AN ILLNESS WORSE IN THE LONG RUN).Is it not a christian virtue to be prudent where the our health and our society is concerned?The point of the doctors & abortion was that unfortunately , medical professionals are not all trustworthy(which is a shame because the majority are very caring and good),I mentioned sometime back of the psychiatrist Professor Doctor Timothy Leary(may God have mercy on his soul)-a Harvard Lecturer who of all things wrote a wonderful paper on the effects of Lack of Affirmation and it’sdamage to the mind & personality problems(it turned out he wrote from his childhood experiences-- his own lack of love shown by his hard military father).Well unfortunatly, he was so obsessed with his synthetic drug LSD invention,that he went off the rails and took with him millions of the sixties generation,causing serious mental and moral wrecks(A founder of the Drug Culture ).The doctor was a respected person at Harvard ,teaching doctors on how to treat the mentally ill!!! Drop in(LSD)and Drop out was his flagship motto.
One of the most respected TV personalities in my opinion is Doctor Phil,whilst he would be very careing for people in this debate who are sick,I am sure that along with Dr.Lawless their blood would boil with righteous anger ,towards any doctor who claimed smoking pot is as safe as drinking water!!Who are they kidding!! I wonder if Bob Marley would have agreed with that statement as he lay dying of lung cancer at a catholic hospital called Bethlehem in the prime of his youth?/(fire,fire,fire— as his song goes)GIVE THE BONG THE GONG-VOTE NO TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA.
St.Maximilian Kolbe please pray for all the drug affected,especially whose who have contributed in this debate and pray for me.Our Lady health of the Sick please give comfort and peace to people suffering in mind or body,may your Son Jesus cure them.
P.S,I am sorry for my extensive previous post ; being a male, I read all instructions and rules afterwards,saw them last night;hence I will only include links rather than information gathered in the future & I will try to be brief!!sorry for my lack of sensitivity,though I do try!!
 
cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html

I just saw that the Indiana link has been taken off but the above HARVARD link gives the dangers of medically smoked marijuana.God Bless
 
Bob Marly has nothing to do with this… None of your links work? You really need to research cannabis more…

Breast Cancer

Cannabinoids Halt Pancreatic Cancer, Breast Cancer Growth, Studies Say.

Madrid, Spain: Compounds in cannabis inhibit cancer cell growth in human breast cancer cell lines and in pancreatic tumor cell lines, according to a pair of preclinical trials published in the July issue of the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. In one trial, investigators at Complutense University in Spain and the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) in France assessed the anti-cancer activity of cannabinoids in pancreatic cancer cell lines and in animals. Cannabinoid administration selectively increased apoptosis (programmed cell death) in pancreatic tumor cells while ignoring healthy cells, researchers found. In addition, “cannabinoid treatment inhibited the spreading of pancreatic tumor cells … and reduced the growth of tumor cells” in animals.

“These findings may contribute to … a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” authors concluded.

In the second trial, investigators at Spain’s Complutense University reported that THC administration “reduces human breast cancer cell proliferation [in vitro] by blocking the progression of the cell cycle and by inducing apoptosis.” Authors concluded that their findings “may set the bases for a cannabinoid therapy for the management of breast cancer.”

Previous preclinical data published in May in the Journal of Pharmacological and Experimental Therapeutics reported that non-psychoactive cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), dramatically halt the spread of breast cancer cells and recommended their use in cancer therapy.

Separate trials have also shown cannabinoids to reduce the size and halt the spread of glioma (brain tumor) cells in animals and humans in a dose dependent manner. Additional preclinical studies have demonstrated cannabinoids to inhibit cancer cell growth and selectively trigger malignant cell death in skin_cancer_cells, leukemic_cells, lung cancer cells, and prostate_carcinoma_cells, among other cancerous cell lines.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of both studies, “Cannabinoids induce apoptosis of pancreatic tumor cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes” and “Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits cell cycle progression in human breast cancer cells through Cdc2 regulation” are available in the July 1, 2006 issue of Cancer Research, available online at: cancerres.aacrjournals.org/

Additional information on cannabinoids’ anti-cancer properties is available in NORML’s report, “Cannabinoids as Cancer Hope,” online at: www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6814

Lung Cancer
Preet et al. 2008. Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol inhibits epithelial growth factor-induced lung cancer cell migration in vitro as well as its growth and metastasis in vivo. Oncogene 10: 339-346.
nature.com/onc/journal/v27/n3/abs/1210641a.html

Cervical Cancer –
Ramer and Hinz. 2008. Inhibition of cancer cell invasion by cannabinoids via increased cell expression of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 100: 59-69.
jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djm268v1

Breast Cancer –
McAllister et al. 2007. Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 6: 2921-2927.
mct.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/6/11/2921
 
Turned-off Cannabinoid Receptor Turns on Colorectal Tumor Growth

New preclinical research shows that cannabinoid cell surface receptor CB1 plays a tumor-suppressing role in human colorectal cancer, scientists report in the Aug. 1 edition of the journal Cancer Research.

CB1 is well-established for relieving pain and nausea, elevating mood and stimulating appetite by serving as a docking station for the cannabinoid group of signaling molecules. It now may serve as a new path for cancer prevention or treatment. “We’ve found that CB1 expression is lost in most colorectal cancers, and when that happens a cancerpromoting protein is free to inhibit cell death,” said senior author Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice president of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells.
McAllister, S.D. , Christian, R.T., Horowitz, M.P., Garcia, A. and Desprez. P (2007
Molecular Cancer Therapeutics Nov. 6 (11).

Abstract: Invasion and metastasis of aggressive breast cancer cells is the final and fatal step during cancer progression, and is the least understood genetically. Clinically, there are still limited therapeutic interventions for aggressive and metastatic breast cancers available. Clearly, effective and nontoxic therapies are urgently required. Id-1, an inhibitor of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, has recently been shown to be a key regulator of the metastatic potential of breast and additional cancers. Using a mouse model, we previously determined that metastatic breast cancer cells became significantly less invasive in vitro and less metastatic in vivo when Id-1 was down-regulated by stable transduction with antisense Id-1. It is not possible at this point, however, to use antisense technology to reduce Id-1 expression in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Here, we report that cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid with a low-toxicity profile, could down-regulate Id-1 expression in aggressive human breast cancer cells. The CBD concentrations effective at inhibiting Id-1 expression correlated with those used to inhibit the proliferative and invasive phenotype of breast cancer cells. CBD was able to inhibit Id-1 expression at the mRNA and protein level in a concentration-dependent fashion. These effects seemed to occur as the result of an inhibition of the Id-1 gene at the promoter level. Importantly, CBD did not inhibit invasiveness in cells that ectopically expressed Id-1. In conclusion, CBD represents the first nontoxic exogenous agent that can significantly decrease Id-1 expression in metastatic breast cancer cells leading to the down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(11):2921-7]
Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 6, 2921-2927, November 1, 2007. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-07-0371

British Journal of Cancer (2006) 95, 197-203. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603236 Published online 27 June 2006
A pilot clinical study of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme

M Guzmán1, M J Duarte2, C Blázquez1, J Ravina2, M C Rosa2, I Galve-Roperh1, C Sánchez1, G Velasco1 and L González-Feria2
Correspondence to: Professor M Guzmán, E-mail: mgp@bbm1.ucm.es or Professor L González-Feria, E-mail: lgferia@yahoo.es
Revised 15 May 2006; accepted 5 June 2006; published online 27 June 2006

Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids inhibit tumour growth and angiogenesis in animal models, so their potential application as antitumoral drugs has been suggested. However, the antitumoral effect of cannabinoids has never been tested in humans. Here we report the first clinical study aimed at assessing cannabinoid antitumoral action, specifically a pilot phase I trial in which nine patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme were administered THC intratumoraly. The patients had previously failed standard therapy (surgery and radiotherapy) and had clear evidence of tumour progression. The primary end point of the study was to determine the safety of intracranial THC administration. We also evaluated THC action on the length of survival and various tumour-cell parameters. A dose escalation regimen for THC administration was assessed. Cannabinoid delivery was safe and could be achieved without overt psychoactive effects. Median survival of the cohort from the beginning of cannabinoid administration was 24 weeks (95% confidence interval: 15-33). Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol inhibited tumour-cell proliferation in vitro and decreased tumour-cell Ki67 immunostaining when administered to two patients. The fair safety profile of THC, together with its possible antiproliferative action on tumour cells reported here and in other studies, may set the basis for future trials aimed at evaluating the potential antitumoral activity of cannabinoids.

nature.com/bjc/journal/v95/n2/abs/6603236a.html

Inhibition of Glioma Growth in Vivo by Selective Activation of the CB2 Cannabinoid Receptor1
Cristina Sánchez2, Maria L. de Ceballos2, Teresa Gómez del Pulgar2, Daniel Rueda, César Corbacho, Guillermo Velasco, Ismael Galve-Roperh, John W. Huffman, Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Manuel Guzmán3
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain [C. S., T. G. d. P., D. R., G. V., I. G-R., M. G.];
Neurodegeneration Group,
Cajal Institute, CSIC, 28002 Madrid, Spain [M. L. d. C.];
Department of Pathology, Clinica Puerta de Hierro, 28035 Madrid, Spain [C. C., S. R. y C.];
and Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-1905 [J. W. H.]
 
The development of new therapeutic strategies is essential for the management of gliomas, one of the most malignant forms of cancer. We have shown previously that the growth of the rat glioma C6 cell line is inhibited by psychoactive cannabinoids (I. Galve-Roperh et al., Nat. Med., 6: 313-319, 2000). These compounds act on the brain and some other organs through the widely expressed CB1 receptor. By contrast, the other cannabinoid receptor subtype, the CB2 receptor, shows a much more restricted distribution and is absent from normal brain. Here we show that local administration of the selective CB2 agonist JWH-133 at 50 µg/day to Rag-2-/- mice induced a considerable regression of malignant tumors generated by inoculation of C6 glioma cells. The selective involvement of the CB2 receptor in this action was evidenced by: (a) the prevention by the CB2 antagonist SR144528 but not the CB1 antagonist SR141716; (b) the down-regulation of the CB2 receptor but not the CB1 receptor in the tumors; and (c) the absence of typical CB1-mediated psychotropic side effects. Cannabinoid receptor expression was subsequently examined in biopsies from human astrocytomas. A full 70% (26 of 37) of the human astrocytomas analyzed expressed significant levels of cannabinoid receptors. Of interest, the extent of CB2 receptor expression was directly related with tumor malignancy. In addition, the growth of grade IV human astrocytoma cells in Rag-2-/- mice was completely blocked by JWH-133 administration at 50 µg/day. Experiments carried out with C6 glioma cells in culture evidenced the internalization of the CB2 but not the CB1 receptor upon JWH-133 challenge and showed that selective activation of the CB2 receptor signaled apoptosis via enhanced ceramide synthesis de novo. These results support a therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas devoid of psychotropic side effects.

Vol. 299, Issue 3, 951-959, December 2001- Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Anti-tumoral action of cannabinoids: involvement of sustained ceramide accumulation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation.
Galve-Roperh I, Sanchez C, Cortes ML, del Pulgar TG, Izquierdo M, Guzman M.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology, Complutense University, 28040-Madrid, Spain.

Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active component of marijuana, induces apoptosis of transformed neural cells in culture. Here, we show that intratumoral administration of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and the synthetic cannabinoid agonist WIN-55,212-2 induced a considerable regression of malignant gliomas in Wistar rats and in mice deficient in recombination activating gene 2. Cannabinoid treatment did not produce any substantial neurotoxic effect in the conditions used. Experiments with two subclones of C6 glioma cells in culture showed that cannabinoids signal apoptosis by a pathway involving cannabinoid receptors, sustained ceramide accumulation and Raf1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. These results may provide the basis for a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignant gliomas.
PMID: 10700234 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

1: Biochem Pharmacol 2001 Sep 15;62(6):755-63 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Last year, five scientific journals published prominent articles trumpeting cannabinoids (compounds in marijuana) as potential anti-cancer agents.

These include:

Clinical trial data published in January 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Clinical Investigation that found cannabinoids significantly inhibit skin tumor growth in mice. Investigators of the study concluded, “The present data indicate that local cannabinoids administration may constitute an alternative therapeutic approach for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.”
Clinical trial data published in the March 2003 issue of The FASEB Journal that found that the “local administration of a non-psychoactive cannabinoid inhibits angiogenesis (tissue growth) of malignant gliomas (brain tumors).”
A clinical review in the October 2003 issue of the prestigious journal Nature Reviews Cancer that concluded that cannabinoids’ “favorable drug safety profile” and proven ability to inhibit tumor growth make them desirable agents in the treatment of cancer. According to the review’s author, tumors inhibited by cannabinoids include: lung carcinoma, glioma, thyroid epithelioma, lymphoma/leukemia, skin carcinoma, uterus carcinoma, breast carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, and neuroblastoma (a malignant tumor originating in the autonomic nervous system or the adrenal medulla and occurring chiefly in infants and young children).
Clinical trial data published in the November 2003 issue of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics that found the administration of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits the growth of human glioma cells both in vitro (e.g., a petri dish) and in animals in a dose-dependent manner. Investigators concluded, “Non-psychoactive CBD produce a significant antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting a possible application of CBD as an antineoplastic agent (something which prevents the growth of malignant cells.)”
And finally, a clinical review in the December 2003 issue of the journal Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets that summarized “the demonstrated antitumor actions of cannabinoids,” and elaborated on “possible avenues for the future development of cannabinoids as antitumor agents.”
 
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder of unknown origin that is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and learned behavior. Patients with Alzheimer’s are also likely to experience depression, agitation, and appetite loss, among other symptoms. Over 4.5 million Americans are estimated to be afflicted with the disease. No approved treatments or medications are available to stop the progression of AD, and few pharmaceuticals have been FDA-approved to treat symptoms of the disease.

A review of the recent scientific literature indicates that cannabinoid therapy may provide symptomatic relief to patients afflicted with AD while also moderating the progression of the disease.

Writing in the February 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, investigators at Madrid’s Complutense University and the Cajal Institute in Spain reported that the intracerebroventricular administration of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 prevented cognitive impairment and decreased neurotoxicity in rats injected with amyloid-beta peptide (a protein believed to induce Alzheimer’s). Additional cannabinoids were also found to reduce the inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease in human brain tissue in culture. “Our results indicate that … cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease,” investigators concluded.[1]

Investigators at The Scripps Research Institute in California in 2006 reported that THC inhibits the enzyme responsible for the aggregation of amyloid plaque — the primary marker for Alzheimer’s disease — in a manner “considerably superior” to approved Alzheimer’s drugs such as donepezil and tacrine. “Our results provide a mechanism whereby the THC molecule can directly impact Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” researchers concluded. “THC and its analogues may provide an improved therapeutic [option] for Alzheimer’s disease [by]… simultaneously treating both the symptoms and the progression of [the] disease.”[2]

Most recently, investigators at Ohio State University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, reported that older rats administered daily doses of WIN 55,212-2 for a period of three weeks performed significantly better than non-treated controls on a water-maze memory test. Writing in the journal Neuroscience in 2007, researchers reported that rats treated with the compound experienced a 50 percent improvement in memory and a 40 to 50 percent reduction in inflammation compared to controls.[3]

Previous preclinical studies have demonstrated that cannabinoids can prevent cell death by anti-oxidation.[4] Some experts believe that cannabinoids’ neuroprotective properties could also play a role in moderating AD.[5] Writing in the September 2007 issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, investigators at Ireland’s Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience concluded, “[C]annabinoids offer a multi-faceted approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by providing neuroprotection and reducing neuroinflammation, whilst simultaneously supporting the brain’s intrinsic repair mechanisms by augmenting neurotrophin expression and enhancing neurogenesis. … Manipulation of the cannabinoid pathway offers a pharmacological approach for the treatment of AD that may be efficacious than current treatment regimens.”[6]

In addition to potentially modifying the progression of AD, clinical trials also indicate that cannabinoid therapy can reduce agitation and stimulate weight gain in patients with the disease. Most recently, investigators at Berlin Germany’s Charite Universitatmedizin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, reported that the daily administration of 2.5 mg of synthetic THC over a two-week period reduced nocturnal motor activity and agitation in AD patients in an open-label pilot study.[7]

Clinical data presented at the 2003 annual meeting of the International Psychogeriatric Association previously reported that the oral administration of up to 10 mg of synthetic THC reduced agitation and stimulated weight gain in late-stage Alzheimer’s patients in an open-label clinical trial.[8] Improved weight gain and a decrease in negative feelings among AD patients administered cannabinoids were previously reported by investigators in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry in 1997.[9] Additional study of the use of cannabinoids and Alzheimer’s would appear to be warranted.

REFERENCES

[1] Ramirez et al. 2005. Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease pathology by cannabinoids. The Journal of Neuroscience 25: 1904-1913.

[2] Eubanks et al. 2006. A molecular link between the active component of marijuana and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Molecular Pharmaceutics (E-pub ahead of print).

[3] Marchalant et al. 2007. Anti-inflammatory property of the cannabinoid agonist WIN-55212-2 in a rodent model of chronic brain inflammation. Neuroscience 144: 1516-1522.

[4] Hampson et al. 1998. Cannabidiol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are neuroprotective antioxidants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 95: 8268-8273.

[5] Science News. June 11, 1998. “Marijuana chemical tapped to fight strokes.”

[6] Campbell and Gowran. 2007. Alzheimer’s disease; taking the edge off with cannabinoids? British Journal of Pharmacology 152: 655-662.

[7] Walther et al. 2006. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol for nighttime agitation in severe dementia. Physcopharmacology 185: 524-528.

[8] BBC News. August 21, 2003. “Cannabis lifts Alzheimer’s appetite.”

[9] Volicer et al. 1997. Effects of dronabinol on anorexia and disturbed behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 12: 913-919.
 
The human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that invades cells in the human immune system, making it highly susceptible to infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, over 500,000 Americans have died from HIV/AIDS and over one million US citizens are living with the disease.

Survey data indicates that cannabis is used by as many one in three North American patients with HIV/AIDS to treat symptoms of the disease as well as the side-effects of various antiretroviral medications,[1-4] with one recent study reporting that more than 60 percent of HIV/AIDS patients self-identify as “medical cannabis users.”[5] Patients living with HIV/AIDS most frequently report using cannabis to counter symptoms of anxiety, appetite loss, and nausea, and at least one study has reported that patients who use cannabis therapeutically are 3.3 times more likely to adhere to their antiretroviral therapy regimens than non-cannabis users.[6]

Clinical trial data indicates that cannabis use does not adversely impact CD4 and CD8 T cell counts,[7] and may even improve immune function.[8-9]

In 2007, investigators at Columbia University published clinical trial data in 2007 reporting that HIV/AIDS patients who inhaled cannabis four times daily experienced “substantial … increases in food intake … with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance.” They concluded, “Smoked marijuana … has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive [subjects]”[10]

That same year, investigators at San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California’s Pain Clinical Research Center reported in the journal Neurology that inhaling cannabis significantly reduced HIV-associated neuropathy compared to placebo. Researchers reported that inhaling cannabis three times daily reduced patients’ pain by 34 percent. They concluded, “Smoked cannabis was well tolerated and effectively relieved chronic neuropathic pain from HIV-associated neuropathy [in a manner] similar to oral drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain.”[11]

In 2008, researchers at the University of California at San Diego reported similar findings. Writing in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, they concluded: “Smoked cannabis … significantly reduced neuropathic pain intensity in HIV-associated … polyneuropathy compared to placebo, when added to stable concomitant analgesics. … Mood disturbance, physical disability, and quality of life all improved significantly during study treatment. … Our findings suggest that cannabinoid therapy may be an effective option for pain relief in patients with medically intractable pain due to HIV.”[12]

As a result, many experts now believe that “marijuana represents another treatment option in [the] health management” of patients with HIV/AIDS.[13]

REFERENCES

[1] Woolridge et al. 2005. Cannabis use in HIV for pain and other medical symptoms. Journal of Pain Symptom Management 29: 358-367.

[2] Prentiss et al. 2004. Patterns of marijuana use among patients with HIV/AIDS followed in a public health care setting [PDF]. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 35: 38-45…

[3] Braitstein et al. 2001. Mary-Jane and her patients: sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of HIV-positive individuals using medical marijuana and antiretroviral agents. AIDS 12: 532-533…

[4] Ware et al. 2003. Cannabis use by persons living with HIV/AIDS: patterns and prevalence of use. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 3: 3-15…

[5] Belle-Isle and Hathaway. 2007. Barriers to access to medical cannabis for Canadians living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Care 19: 500-506.

[6] de Jong et al. 2005. Marijuana use and its association with adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected persons with moderate to severe nausea. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 38: 43-46.

[7] Chao et al. 2008. Recreational drug use and T lymphocyte subpopulations in HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected men. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. (E-pub ahead of print).

[8] Abrams et al.2003. Short-term effects of cannabinoids in patients with HIV-1 infection: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 139: 258-266.

[9] Fogarty et al. 2007. Marijuana as therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS: social and health aspects 19: 295-301.

[10] Haney et al. 2007. Dronabinol and marijuana in HIV-positive marijuana smokers: caloric intake, mood, and sleep. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 45: 545-554.

[11] Abrams et al. 2007 op. cit.

[12] Ellis et al. 2008. op. cit.

[13] Fogarty et al. 2007. op. cit.
 
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and motor cortex. An estimated 30,000 Americans are living with ALS, which often arises spontaneously and afflicts otherwise healthy adults. More than half of ALS patients die within 2.5 years following the onset of symptoms.

A review of the scientific literature reveals an absence of clinical trials investigating the use of cannabinoids for ALS treatment. However, recent preclinical findings indicate that cannabinoids can delay ALS progression, lending support to anecdotal reports by patients that cannabinoids may be efficacious in moderating the disease’s development and in alleviating certain ALS-related symptoms such as pain, appetite loss, depression and drooling.[1]

Writing in the March 2004 issue of the journal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders, investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reported that the administration of THC both before and after the onset of ALS symptoms staved disease progression and prolonged survival in animals compared to untreated controls.[2]

Additional trials in animal models of ALS have shown that the administration of other naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoids can also moderate ALS progression, but not necessarily impact survival.[3-4] One recent study demonstrated that blocking the CB1 cannabinoid receptor did extend life span in an ALS mouse model, suggesting that cannabinoids’ beneficial effects on ALS may be mediated by non-CB1 receptor mechanisms.[5]

Preclinical data has also shown that cannabinoids are neuroprotective against oxidative damage both in vitro[6] and in animals.[7] Cannabinoids’ neuroprotective action may be able to play a role in moderating ALS, which is characterized by excessive glutamate activity in the spinal cord.[8] At least one cannabinoid, delta-9-THC, has been shown to protect cultured mouse spinal neurons against excitotoxicity.[9]

As a result, some experts now recommend that “marijuana … be considered in the pharmacological management of ALS,”[10] and they believe that “further investigation into the usefulness of marijuana and … synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists is warranted.”[11]

REFERENCES

[1] Amtmann et al. 2004. Survey of cannabis use in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care 21: 95-104.

[2] Raman et al. 2004. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: delayed disease progression in mice by treatment with a cannabinoid. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders 5: 33-39.

[3] Weydt et al. 2005. Cannabinol delays symptom onset in SOD1 transgenic mice without affecting survival. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders 6: 182-184.

[4] Bilsland et al. 2006. Increasing cannabinoid levels by pharmacological and genetic manipulation delay disease progression in SOD1 mice. The FASEB Journal 20: 1003-1005.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Raman et al. 2004. op.cit.

[7] Hampson et al. 1998. Cannabidiol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are neuroprotective antioxidants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 95: 8268-8273.

[8] Carter and Weydt. 2002. Cannabis: Old medicine with new promise for neurological disorders. Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs 3: 437-440.

[9] Abood et al. 2001. Activation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor protects cultured mouse spinal neurons against excitotoxicity. Neuroscience Letters 309: 197-201.

[10] Carter and Rosen. 2001. Marijuana in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care 18: 264-70.

[11] Carter et al. 2003. Drug therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Where are we now? The Investigational Drugs Journal 6: 147-153.
 
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