It's Medicine Jim, But Not As We Know It

A Good Read

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:51:00 +0000

Why I Came Out Of The Marijuana Closet Anyone who smokes or ingests cannabis should be reading this.

Non-Medicinal News

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:36:00 +0000

If you'r interested, the Choofer is updating what's happening in his world. It's a little wet:
http://choofin.blogspot.com

15 Deadly Drugs Big Pharma Pushes

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 10:57:00 +0000

Alternet exposes the facts behinds some of the most widely sold pharmaceutical drugs, including Lipitor and Yaz.

http://www.alternet.org/story/148907/15_dangerous_drugs_big_pharma_shoves_down_our_throats

Hemp Seed Oil Makes Good Biodeisel

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Physorg.com have an article about the results of trials conducted by the University of Connecticut on Hemp Seed oil.
UConn have found that Hemp Seed oil is a viable alternative to current biofuel crops. The beauty of hemp based raw material is that it can be grown in infertile ground, leaving arable land for food crops.
Further, Hemp seed oil is 97% convertible into biodeisel and is useable as fuel at lower temperatures than other food/seed based oils.

I would love to see the production of industrial hemp increased in Australia to develop Biodeisel products. Most Australian states have legalised Industrial Hemp, so we have an opportunity to create an environmentally friendly product that is an alternative to current fossil based fuels.

But that's not all...

This adds to the list of sustainable and healthy uses for Hemp and Hemp seed:

Hemp seed oil is very high in Omega-6 and 3 fatty acids. Apparently, the ratio of 3:1 respectively of those oils is perfect for humans.

About 30–35% of the weight of hempseed is an edible oil that contains about 80% as essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%).

The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon per day (15 ml) of hempseed oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs. Unlike flaxseed oil, hempseed oil can be used continuously without developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs. This has been demonstrated in a clinical study, where the daily ingestion of flaxseed oil decreased the endogenous production of GLA.

Hemp seed oil is readily absorbed by the skin and has been shown to be effective in treating eczema and other skin conditions.

The hemp plant has a plethora of uses. These include using the processed plant to strengthen concrete and as a replacement for glass fibre in vehicle building (fibreglass). Other products produced from Hemp include cloth, paper and plastic.

Given the usefulness and renewability of Hemp, we as Australians are doing ourselves a disservice by not pushing for more hemp based industries in this country.

The Alcohol Lobby and Cannabis Reform

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Borrowed from here

It is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the world, but the Alcohol industry doesn't want cannabis legalized for medicinal purposes, and especially not for private home use.
Now, call me cynical (or even a conspiracy theorist), but I don't think that the Alcohol Lobby opposes Cannabis reform for altruistic reasons.

The Alcohol Industry employs a lot of people and keeps a lot of people happy (or unhappy if you can't control your Alcohol intake).

According to Alternet, there is mounting evidence that the Alcohol Lobby and certain Police groups (in opposition to their members) are the primary financial backers to California's anti Prop-19 group 'Public Safety First'.

I'll repeat what I've read of other opinion pieces. The Alcohol sector stands to lose a lot of money if cannabis is legalized across Western cultures. The Pharmaceutical Industry, another anti-Prop 19 heavy-weight will also lose a lot if a non-patentable drug is available to grow in our homes. Lastly, it is widely rumoured that Narcotic divisions of certain Police Departments will have a hard time justifying expenses if their one 'easy catch' offence is no longer available.

Will every state or territory in every Western country have to fight this type of attack when they see the light and try to pass a legalization motion for cannabis?

Thanks to Chilli Man for permission to edit and reprint.

Outgoing UN Drug/Crime Director living in a Fantasy Land

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 04:12:00 +0000

An interesting post in the Vancouver Sun in regards to comments made by the outgoing Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa.

Some of Antonio's comments on Cannabis prohibition appear at the very least, dated. At worst, completely ignorant of facts.

Read the post here

Some of Neil Boyd's response is here:

The continuation of criminal prohibition is not the answer. We can demonstrate that rates of consumption of a drug as lethal and addictive as tobacco can be reduced without resorting to criminalization. Why are we continuing to waste costly police and enforcement resources on a drug as trivial as cannabis?

Apoptosis, Cannabinoids and Platelets

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:51:00 +0000

A Piece Of Mind: Platelets and Apoptosis

This article explains how platelets (simple explanation: blood clotting cells) break down in the system as a result of induced Apoptosis. It goes on to describe further research that shows how the activation of particular cannabinoid receptors can reduce apoptosis in platelets, thereby prolonging their life.

In laymans terms, and very prematurely, this could result in further research into using cannabinoids to reduce the incidence of uncontrolled bleeding.

Endocannabinoids and the Tolerance Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 07:42:00 +0000

New research shows that some endocannabinoids react differently to prolonged activation...

A short summary and press release is here.

The research paper is here.

A good layman's description is here.

1000's of Cannabis Convictions May be Based on Flawed Evidence

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:05:00 +0000

One of the most commonly used Cannabis detection methods may be responsible for the wrongful convictions of thousands of people.
According to AlterNet, the 'Duquenois-Levine' test, widely used by police forces as a screening test for Cannabis, is non-specific and may produce false positive. In fact, the manufacturers of the test stress that it should only be used as a preliminary screening test, prior to more specific testing methods.
Yet the test is routinely presented as the only evidence in cannabis use/possession charges.

Science Blog also covers this story.

Natural News ran a similar story back in 2009, stating cases where NIK tests were falsely flagging soaps and chocolates as narcotics and/or Cannabis.

Stop The Drug War ran the expose in 2009

The Australian Hemp Embassy is also re-reporting the story from AlterNet.

Electric Car Made From Hemp - I Love Canada!

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:51:00 +0000

Canadians are too clever.

They are developing an electric car ...not so special you say?

Well, this car is also going to have a composite Hemp body...not so special either? After all, Henry Ford built an ethanol powered Hemp bodied car years ago.

But, this car will have a motor that was developed and manufactured in Canada by TM4, a subsidiary of Hydro-Quebec, and the Hemp will be grown and processed in Canada. This has got to be good for the local economy, and should be a lesson to the rest of the planet. Do something local with some renewable resources and help the planet and your part of the Global Village.

From the source:

The Kestrel is one of five electric vehicles being developed by Project Eve, an automotive industry collaboration founded by Motive and Toronto Electric, an Ontario material handling and electric motor company, to boost the production of electric vehicles and electric vehicle components in Canada.

Read more: The Kestrel

References and sources:

1: CBC News: Cannabis Electric Car To be Made In Canada

2: Schaffer Library of Drug Policy (early news of Ford's Hemp Car): Extract from Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1941

3: Wikipedia: Reference to Henry Ford's advocacy of Ethanol and Hemp oil as vehicle fuels.

4: Marijuana Tipster.com: Henry Ford Hemp Car

5: World News: Links and video about Henry Ford and the Hemp Car

6: Hempcar.org: Facts About Hemp

7: Hempcar: The TransAmerica Homepage. Circling the US in a Hemp powered car.

8: University of Southern QLD ePrints: Environmentally friendly natural fibre composites with Qld. based vegetable oils
9: Michigan State University (WARNING-PDF link): Are natural fiber composites environmentally superior to glass fiber reinforced composites?
10: TM4 Electro Dynamic Systems: Home Page

CBDs help brain growth and learning - THC doesn't

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:57:00 +0000

Recent research has discovered that CBDs (a cannabinoid) assist in brain neurogenesis. They can assist learning and improve neurogenesis. However, THC can reduce learning, but does not negatively affect neurogenesis.

Basically, it helps to build evidence that cannabinoids from cannabis can be developed into safe neurological medicines.

Tea Tree Oil possible non melanoma skin cancer cure

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Scientists have been working with Tea Tree oil to treat non-melanoma skin cancers. But they warn we innocents not to go out and buy tea tree oil. After, the stuff they're using is 'special'.

Perhaps they haven't heard that people have been using tea tree oil on their skin for some time now...

Tea Tree oil is the best treatment bar none for tropical ulcers. Apply a few drops of pure tea tree oil to a developing ulcer three or four times a day and it will be gone within a week.

Apply pure tea tree oil to a developing cold sore and it will halt its development. The earlier you get it the better.

Tea Tree oil kills Tinea. A few drops in your boots/shoes, or on your socks is all you need to kill the fungus and prevent a recurrance.

Tea Tree oil is one of the best fungicides and bacteriacides(?) around. I hope the final research on its anti-cancer properties is positive.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/30/2941232.htm?section=justin

Devil cure hope in rainforest Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:23:00 +0000

I was chatting with a friend who told me of a tree in the North Queensland rainforest that was being used to cure carcinomas.

I was searching for for something completely different this morning and found this article:

Devil cure hope in rainforest Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

The rainforest drug, known as EBC-46, is extracted from the brushwood tree. It has had remarkable success in facial tumours in other animals.

Queensland life science company QBiotics Ltd chief executive Dr Victoria Gordon said the drug could definitely be used on the Tasmanian icon.

"There is potential for EBC-46 to be helpful in that area," Dr Gordon said.

"We have a strong interest in both conservation of the tropical rainforest and in native fauna and flora, that is what our team is all about, so certainly there is an interest from us.

"We are not currently working with the Tasmanian devil, but as a company we are happy to make the drug available to any researcher working with zoo or native animals."

EBC-46 has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of solid-tumour cancers in animals.

Clinical trials have resulted in more than 100 dogs, cats and horses being successfully treated for a diverse range of solid inoperable tumours including melanomas, sarcomas, carcinomas, mast cell tumours and sarcoids.

The drug which can be directly injected into the tumour or spread as a topical gel stimulates the immune system to destroy the tumour.

It is expected to be available for use on animals by veterinarians towards the end of this year and human trials will begin early next year.

Now this is great! Another plant based cancer cure. Of course, it goes without saying that this compound (EBC-46) has probably been patented by QBiotics. Which may not be a bad thing.

Comparing this to cannabis oil as a cancer cure would be unfair to EBC-46. You see, EBC-46 is injected or applied topically to cancers. It is (or can't) be ingested. The company states that it is not effective on metatastic cancer cells. That is, it is inneffective against rapidly spreading cancers. Cannabis oil on the other hand can be ingested and is highly effective against metatastic cancers. It can also be applied topically on carcinomas.

US Feds can't deny cannabis cancer cure

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 05:56:00 +0000

Marijuana poses a scientific challenge to the War on Drugs | CAIVN

Yep, American Feds are in a quandary. They know that cannabinoids were found to fight cancers back in '74. Oh dear, how will they step around this?

his classification designates that the drug has “no current use for medical treatment in the United States.” Besides a slew ofscientific studies controverting this assertion, it seems the Department of Health and Human Services didn't get the "pot-has-no-medicinal-value" memo when they applied for a patent on the preventive and curative properties of cannabis in 1999.
Patent (#6,630,507), was awarded to the agency based on research carried out by the National Institute of Health. What scientists discovered in those studies was evidence that cannabinoids – the active ingredients in the marijuana plant – are antioxidants, neuroprotectants and anti-inflammatory agents, useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, HIV dementia, stroke, trauma and auto-immune disorders. The government is currently licensing its cannabinoid patent.
More recent studies by the DHHS's own health research agency found that “cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic compound from the plant cannabis sativa, can inhibit the processes that allow breast cancer cells to grow and spread (metastasis).” It would be important to note that the NIH research has relegated itself to the 40% of the cannabis plant which does not contain the high-inducing compound known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), if there wasn't already a growing body of scientific literature extolling the anti-cancer properties of the psychotropic drug.
Steve Kubby, a writer for the Sierra Times, authored an article in the Fall of 2003 questioning the mainstream media's suppression of the "Cannabis-Cancer-Cure" during the previous 30 years. “That’s right, news about the ability of pot to shrink tumors first surfaced, way back in 1974,” writes Kubby, “Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice — lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.”

What BP Doesn't Want You To See From Their Oil Spill

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:36:00 +0000

What BP Doesn't Want You To See From Their Oil Spill

Sidetracking from medicinal cannabis. This environmental disaster/catastrophe/crime of nature just cannot be ignored...

I mean really, when are we as people going to stand up as ONE and say, "Enough! The society of economics and financial gain are destroying our planet. I mean FUCK! There are companies trying to patent DNA for Christ sakes! Wake UP! We are being taken for a ride by a select few people who believe that the person with the most peanuts is the most powerful.

Look at us:

We let our oceans get destroyed by oil spills because we are told that oil is the only way to produce fuel to power our lives (and Coal of course). Yetwe have a plethora (I love that word) of viable alternatives. Unfortunately no one has worked out how to make a cash flow from solar or tidal power to name a few.

We have a cure for cancer. Sadly, curing cancer would make many industries redundant, including the cancer 'societies' that were formed to help people come to terms with their 'incurable' disease.

We are told that in order to be 'successful' or to be a 'winner', we must have the latest and greatest of everything, plus a credit card and a mortgage. We are told this because if we have these things, the CEO's of the companies that produce these things will receive their 30+ million dollar salaries.

The really scary thing is...in a couple of weeks, the ongoing gulf disaster will no longer be newsworthy (that is, it will not sell papers or attract viewers), so it is possible that efforts to properly stem this flow, or to reclaim the oil spread across the gulf may be allowed to drag on for ages, purely because the public has become desensitised to the whole issue.

Sometimes I think we're becoming a bunch of mindless sheep...

Big Pharma denies the facts again - cannabis cures cancers

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:38:00 +0000

l

A typical response by commercial entities that stand to lose a LOT if this cure gets widespread exposure. Refer to my earlier post on how cannabis cures cancer

Enough of the Lies! Cannabis DOES Cure Cancer!

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 03:47:00 +0000

For many years, I have been reading and seeing documentaries about the cure for many cancers. I've read about it on pro-pot websites. I've seen documentaries about people who have been using cannabis to treat and cure cancers and other diseases. I've read countless research findings that show cannabinoids to be superior to all other cancer treatments. I'm not talking about relieving the symptoms of chemotherapy, which it is globally recognised to do. I'm not talking about cannabis and its analgesic effects for cancer pain and other conditions.

I am talking about cannabis CURING cancer. YES, CURING!!! Did you see that word. It says curing. It is derived from the verb 'cure'. To make healthy again.

Almost every day, new research is showing that cannabinoids can stop the spread of various types of cancers, AND 'kill' the surviving cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

Before I go onto the technical research jargon, in very simple terms this is basically how cannabinods kill cancer:

The cannabinoids somehow block the cancer cells ability to 'feed' and 'breath'. As with anything, cancer cells need to get nutrients in order to multiply. Cannabinoids not only prevent the cells from multiplying, but essentially starve the cells to death.

The kicker is that cannabinoids do not target healthy cells. Anyone who has experience with chemotherapy knows what damage that treatment does to healthy cells.

Let's look at some of the evidence. I'm going to take you on a little journey through scientific research and anecdotal accounts of how cannabis cures cancer. I'll also provide some food for thought as to why there hasn't been a global recognition and acceptance of cannabis as a cancer cure.

Research

I am going try to stick with research papers released in the past two years. Yes, there are many studies that have been conducted over the years. They've been reported many times in the pro-cannabis press and in this blog. I want to show you the new stuff. I'll also decipher the abstracts into human language...
This research has all been conducted in the last couple of years and reflects research conducted in past years. These studies also come from all over the globe.

From Korea:

Cannabinoids May Cure Gastric Cancer

Effect of a synthetic cannabinoid agonist on the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells

Although cannabinoids are associated with antineoplastic activity in a number of cancer cell types, the effect in gastric cancer cells has not been clarified. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a cannabinoid agonist on gastric cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 inhibited the proliferation of human gastric cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner and that this effect was mediated partially by the CB1 receptor. We also found that WIN 55,212-2 induced apoptosis and down-regulation of the phospho-AKT expression in human gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, WIN 55,212-2 treatment inhibited the invasion of gastric cancer cells, and down-regulated the expression of MMP-2 and VEGF-A through the cannabinoid receptors. Our results open the possibilities in using cannabinoids as a new gastric cancer therapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 321-332, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Translation (my comments in brackets):

These scientists knew that cannabinoids could effectively fight other cancer types, but no one had done any tests on gastric cancers specifically. So they got a hold of some synthetic cannabinoids (why synthetic? I assume because natural cannabinoids have such restrictions in terms of access for research).
They tested the cannabinoids on human gastric cancer cells at different doses and found that at a particular dose and balance of cannabinoids, the cancer cells died.

Definitions (from Wikipedia and Wordweb):

Neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue as a result of neoplasia. Neoplasia (new growth in Greek) is the abnormal proliferation of cells. The growth of the cells exceeds, and is uncoordinated with that of the normal tissues around it. The growth persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli. It usually causes a lump or tumor. Neoplasms may be benign, pre-malignant or malignant.

In modern medicine, the term tumor is synonymous with a neoplasm that has formed a lump. In the past, the term tumor was used differently. Some neoplasms do not cause a lump.

Antineoplastics are drugs that inhibit and combat the development of neoplasms.

Apoptosis
A type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival.
*******************
*******************
From Switzerland:

Cannabinoids Cure Muscular Cancers?

According to this research, yes:

Cannabinoid receptor 1 is a potential drug target for treatment of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma

Gene expression profiling has revealed that the gene coding for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) is highly up-regulated in rhabdomyosarcoma biopsies bearing the typical chromosomal translocations PAX3/FKHR or PAX7/FKHR. Because cannabinoid receptor agonists are capable of reducing proliferation and inducing apoptosis in diverse cancer cells such as glioma, breast cancer, and melanoma, we evaluated whether CB1 is a potential drug target in rhabdomyosarcoma. Our study shows that treatment with the cannabinoid receptor agonists HU210 and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol lowers the viability of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma cells through the induction of apoptosis. This effect relies on inhibition of AKT signaling and induction of the stress-associated transcription factor p8 because small interfering RNA–mediated down-regulation of p8 rescued cell viability upon cannabinoid treatment. Finally, treatment of xenografts with HU210 led to a significant suppression of tumor growth in vivo. These results support the notion that cannabinoid receptor agonists could represent a novel targeted approach for treatment of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(7):1838–45]

Translation:
These scientists tested cannabinoids against a particular muscular cancer and got the same results as the Koreans that tested them against gastric cancer.

************
************
From the United States of America

Let's Put an End to Breast Cancer

More and more studies are proving that cannabinoids actively fight breast cancers. WHY are women still having to have mastectomies?

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists inhibit tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer

Cannabinoids have been reported to possess antitumorogenic activity. Not much is known, however, about the effects and mechanism of action of synthetic nonpsychotic cannabinoids on breast cancer growth and metastasis. We have shown that the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are overexpressed in primary human breast tumors compared with normal breast tissue. We have also observed that the breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB231, MDA-MB231-luc, and MDA-MB468 express CB1 and CB2 receptors. Furthermore, we have shown that the CB2 synthetic agonist JWH-133 and the CB1 and CB2 agonist WIN-55,212-2 inhibit cell proliferation and migration under in vitro conditions. These results were confirmed in various mouse model systems. Mice treated with JWH-133 or WIN-55,212-2 showed a 40% to 50% reduction in tumor growth and a 65% to 80% reduction in lung metastasis. These effects were reversed by CB1 and CB2 antagonists AM 251 and SR144528, respectively, suggesting involvement of CB1 and CB2 receptors. In addition, the CB2 agonist JWH-133 was shown to delay and reduce mammary gland tumors in the polyoma middle T oncoprotein (PyMT) transgenic mouse model system. Upon further elucidation, we observed that JWH-133 and WIN-55,212-2 mediate the breast tumor-suppressive effects via a coordinated regulation of cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 signaling pathways and induction of apoptosis. These results indicate that CB1 and CB2 receptors could be used to develop novel therapeutic strategies against breast cancer growth and metastasis. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(11):3117–29]

Translation: Cannabinoids inhibit the spread of, and kill breast cancer cells.

***********
***********
Combined research from Italy and the US

Do you know someone with intestinal cancer? Has their doctor told them of this research?

Cannabinoids in Intestinal Inflammation and Cancer

Emerging evidence suggests that cannabinoids may exert beneficial effects in intestinal inflammation and cancer. Adaptive changes of the endocannabinoid system have been observed in intestinal biopsies from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Studies on epithelial cells have shown that cannabinoids exert antiproliferative, antimetastatic and apoptotic effects as well as reducing cytokine release and promoting wound healing. In vivo, cannabinoids – via direct or indirect activation of CB₁ and/or CB₂ receptors – exert protective effects in well-established models of intestinal inflammation and colon cancer. Pharmacological elevation of endocannabinoid levels may be a promising strategy to counteract intestinal inflammation and colon cancer.

I don't think I need to translate that abstract.

**************
**************
From The United Arab Emirates and the US

Mouth Cancer is highly resistant to accepted anti-cancer drugs. Cannabinoids kill it.

Cannabinoids Inhibit Cellular Respiration of Human Oral Cancer Cells

Background and Purpose: The primary cannabinoids, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) are known to disturb the mitochondrial function and possess antitumor activities. These observations prompted us to investigate their effects on the mitochondrial O2 consumption in human oral cancer cells (Tu183). This epithelial cell line overexpresses bcl-2 and is highly resistant to anticancer drugs. Experimental Approach: A phosphorescence analyzer that measures the time-dependence of O2 concentration in cellular or mitochondrial suspensions was used for this purpose. Key Results: A rapid decline in the rate of respiration was observed when Δ9-THC or Δ8-THC was added to the cells. The inhibition was concentration-dependent, and Δ9-THC was the more potent of the two compounds. Anandamide (an endocannabinoid) was ineffective; suggesting the effects of Δ9-THC and Δ8-THC were not mediated by the cannabinoidreceptors. Inhibition of O2 consumption by cyanide confirmed the oxidations occurred in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Δ9-THC inhibited the respiration of isolated mitochondria from beef heart. Conclusions and Implications: These results show the cannabinoids are potent inhibitors of Tu183 cellular respiration and are toxic to this highly malignant tumor.

Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel

Translation: (Surprise, surprise) cannabinoids kill mouth cancer cells.

*********
*********
From Italy

The following article covers recent research into the role of cannabinoids in anti-cancer therapies:

Use of cannabinoid receptor agonists in cancer therapy as palliative and curative agents

Cannabinoids (the active components of Cannabis sativa) and their derivatives have received renewed interest in recent years due to their diverse pharmacological activities. In particular, cannabinoids offer potential applications as anti-tumour drugs, based on the ability of some members of this class of compounds to limit cell proliferation and to induce tumour-selective cell death. Although synthetic cannabinoids may have pro-tumour effects in vivo due to their immunosuppressive properties, predominantly inhibitory effects on tumour growth and migration, angiogenesis, metastasis, and also inflammation have been described. Emerging evidence suggests that agonists of cannabinoid receptors expressed by tumour cells may offer a novel strategy to treat cancer. In this chapter we review the more recent results generating interest in the field of cannabinoids and cancer, and provide novel suggestions for the development, exploration and use of cannabinoid agonists for cancer therapy, not only as palliative but also as curative drugs.

***********
***********

I'll move on now. However, if you're interested in lung cancer research, look here
If glioma (brain cancers etc) is your thing, check this
There are many more studies that show how cannabis can cure and treat many diseases besides cancer. I'll expand on this in future posts.

Anecdotal, long term evidence.

There is so much junk on YouTube and other multimedia websites, that it can be hard to find real documented information in respect to cannabis. Yes, you can find lots of grow videos and other stuff, but the true stories are sometimes hard to find.
The following website and links to video content are about Rick Simpson, a man who has been treating his family and friends with cannabis oil for many years. He has seen first-hand the results that his oil has had on various forms of cancer and other diseases. Rick Simpson does not sell his product. He gives his medicine away. Rick is currently 'in exile' in Europe. If he returns to Canada, he may be jailed and denied the medicine he uses to keep him alive. I urge you to read his story and watch the documentary if you haven't before.

Rick Simpsons Website- Phoenixtears.ca

If I return home, I will be arrested and put in jail without bail or medicine. I am not afraid of their jails but I cannot go without my medicine, the system has nothing that could help me with my conditions. So for me to return to Canada would be like committing suicide. I would be thrown in jail and denied my medicine and a short time later you would hear in the news that Rick Simpson died of natural causes. I cannot tell the people of Canada who are depending on my presence to help their medical conditions how sorry I am. But it was not me who caused this situation.

It seems the goal is to keep me from returning home and they succeeded. But to what end? All hemp magazines on this planet are now telling their readers how to heal themselves with this wonderful medicine. If governments want to live in denial, it will be short-lived. We are gaining tens of thousands of followers every day. You cannot stop the truth.

For me, going to the Cannabis Cup was a great adventure and I would like to thank Greenhouse Seeds for making this trip possible. To stand before hundreds of people and being crowned as the Freedom Fighter of the Year was a great honour. But it is an honour that comes with a price. Most people who have worn the tricorn hat have gone to jail for spreading the truth.

To have this honour bestowed on me and to join the ranks of people like Jack Herer and Eddy Lepp has given my life even more purpose.

Jack Herer believed as I do that the key to hemp´s complete legalisation is in the magnificent medicine this plant can produce. Once the public becomes aware of the fact that properly made hemp medicine can cure or control practically any medical condition, who is going to stand against the use of hemp?

Rick has a number of videos that are worth watching. The 'Run From The Cure' documentary is a must see:

Rick Simpson Videos

I hope this post opens the minds of many who were ignorant of cannabis as a cancer cure, and provides some information and entertainment for the already aware.

Big Joint

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:28:00 +0000

For those who have come in late; Part 2. The plan is point out the POTential revenue that would be raised by the HEMP revolution, please keep uppermost in mind we are not talking about a government tax on home grown cannabis for personal use, we are talking about the revenue that will be generated by the hemp Agri business - Fibre, Fuel and Food. Number One carbon scrubbing plant on the planet, I repeat, Hemp is the NUMBER ONE Carbon scrubbing plant on the planet. Hemp is stronger and requires far less fertilizer than, say, cotton; being naturally insect repellent, and having few insect predators capable of effectively attacking it, it needs little to no pe$ticide$. As food, hemp seed is right up there with the Soya bean for nutrition and a lot more versatile. Since Hemp seed is the only food source that has the vital Omega Acids 3, 6 and 9 it can help reduce humanities reliance on fish, currently the main source of omega acid. I should also add that cannabis has a growing reputation amongst cancer patients as a wonder drug and it's 'miracle cure' reputation for breast and prostate cancer has been scientifically verified since the last time we took the BigJoint to Canberra. Another example? How about old growth Tasmanian forest being sold as wood chips for a couple of dollars a tonne. Irreplaceable forest for a measly $2 per tonne. If the government were to legislate a redeployment of the 'woodchip' industry into the 'hemp industry, within a few years the HEMPchip industry will be churning out high quality pulp and what's left of the old growth could stay alive until someone wants to pay its real value; $200,000,000 a tonne. Since a hemp seed is 35% oil, containing the highest oil percentage of all seeds, hempseed is ideal for bio diesel and when the sustainability of a bio diesel industry is compared to the unstable future of the oil business, case closed, I mean the price of oil has never come down in my lifetime, hemp based fuel could save Australia billions and billions of dollars. Still yet another example? Hemp is being used in the Ukraine around Chernobyl to absorb radioactive isotopes from the soil. That's just some of the reasons. Stimulate the Economy, cure cancer, save the trees and fish, reduce our dependency on oil and clean up nuclear waste........... I am not making this up, cross check all this info on Google.

Bottom Line? We do not want cannabis legalized just so we can sit around and smoke pot all day long, we have common sense reasons why 'out door' cannabis should be relegalized so that all Australians can benefit from this wonderful plant, indeed, from a global perspective, no other country on earth stands to gain as much as Australia does by relegalizing the hemp plant in this time of Global Economic Turmoil. We have the acreage, the sunlight and the willing workers required to become the earths leading supplier of hemp for Fibre, Fuel, Food and Medicine.

Big Joint

NIDA Stifles Cannabis Research - NORML

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:41:00 +0000

Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML reports that NIDA has admitted that it discourages Medicinal cannabis research. Well, surprise surprise NIDA...I think the majority of us were already aware of your policy towards marijuana and research into medicinal use. After all, isn't it a part of the Czar's Job Description that he/she must actively attempt to discredit any valid medicinal use for cannabis?

From NORML:

NIDA spokeswoman Shirley Simson told the Times: "As the National Institute on Drug Abuse, our focus is primarily on the negative consequences of marijuana use. We generally do not fund research focused on the potential beneficial medical effects of marijuana."
NIDA presently oversees an estimated 85 percent of the world's research on controlled substances.
Commenting on NIDA's admission NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "NIDA has finally admitted to the world the 'Catch-22' that has been plaguing medical marijuana advocates and patients. Lawmakers demand clinical research regarding the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis, but the agency in charge of such research denies these studies from ever taking place. It's tragic that these public officials have let political ideology, not science, determine American's health decisions."

THC Blocked by Chemical - Stops High and Even Reverses it

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:45:00 +0000

I just read an abstract about some experiments conducted on rats and monkeys back in 1995. Scientists found a compound that locks onto THC receptors and prevents the high associated with cannabis. Further studies showed that the compound may even reverse the effects of THC.

This is a good sign for the development of cannabis based medicine 'without the high'. However, one wonders if this could upset the balance of the THC/CBD synergy for some treatments.

Read the abstract here:

Antagonism of the discriminative stimulus effects of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in rats and rhesus monkeys.

THC and CBD are Synergistic - It's Natures Way, Man

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:35:00 +0000

Cannabis...It's all about being natural. Haven't the hippies been telling us this for years?

It's lack of balance that makes skunk cannabis do harm - 20 January 2010 - New Scientist

This article starts off looking like your typical 'Pot Psychosis' rant, until you get into it a bit further.

The good scientists are actually advising that THC and CBD work in synergy. Their studies (on humans and other animals), show that THC by itself, eg; high THC strains, pure THC medicines, can raise the risk of psychosis in at risk subjects. However, when combined with CBD, the psychosis risk subsides. It appears that CBD has anti-psychotic properties that temper the effects of THC.

In another recent study entitled, 'Cannabidiol enhances the inhibitory effects of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on human glioblastoma cell proliferation and survival', it has been found that CBD enhances the cancer fighting capabilities of THC in respect to glioblastoma (brain cancer) cells. The two work as a team to kind of starve the cancer cells to death.

Both of these studies should help the Medicinal Cannabis industry to develop more effective treatments for specific ailments. These and future studies will be extremely important in the development of strains to treat schizophrenia, psychosis and depression, as well as potent, yet safe anti-cancer drugs. Who knows? Chemotherapy may one day be assigned to the history books along with blood-letting and other relics of bad medicine.

Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:14:00 +0000

I was reading a blog post that was in my Google Alerts today and thought it worth linking to. I should say though, that the blog is on the 'Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers' web site, so you can read into that whatever you wish. However, the post was well thought out, well referenced, and produced good arguments for medicinal cannabis.

The post covers some interesting topics and I'd recommend you read the full article. Here is a sample:

Marijuana is not only useful in treating cancer patients. It has also been shown to help people with glaucoma, AIDS, neurological disorders, muscle spasticity, seizure disorders, and chronic pain. This evidence alone shows that it cannot honestly be classified as a Schedule I drug. It definitely does have some therapeutic value. Instead of blindly forbidding the use of marijuana in the United States, the government could look at how its use, with a doctor’s prescription, can benefit many members of society. This way, doctors and patients could make educated choices about the right medications to use in their treatment, without legal restrictions, and patients would be able to get the best possible medication; however, legalizing marijuana, even only for medicinal uses, would be hard to do in this country mainly because of the widely held belief that marijuana is a gateway drug to harsher and more dangerous substances. If oncologists would stress the upside of legalizing marijuana for their patient, that would add legitimacy to the argument. Testimonials by cancer patients what would illustrate the relief they would gain by smoking marijuana would also have impact. A public awareness campaign including both print and television media would also be beneficial. The case would have to be made to those who are not presently suffering the effects of chemotherapy, as well as to those who are. This case should be easy to make because no one is immune from cancer and most everyone is afraid of the pain and sickness associated with the disease and its treatment, or knows someone who is. The campaign to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes and the eventual legalization of marijuana for these purposes would greatly benefit a large number of people who are currently suffering from this disease, and people who may develop this disease in the future.

New Zealand Cannabis Laws Challenged in Court

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:03:00 +0000

UPDATE:
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/decision-reserved-cannabis-advocate039s-stay-application/5/35834

A judge deciding whether cannabis laws breached the rights of a cannabis campaigner has reserved her decision.
Judge Ann Kiernan said she wanted to carefully consider an application by Dakta Green for a stay of proceedings on charges he faces of possession of cannabis and possession for supply.

The original post:

This is something we Aussies should be taking a lead from.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/landmark-cannabis-hearing-today-auckland-district-court/5/35722

Dakta Green, founder of New Zealand's most prominent cannabis club will today argue that cannabis laws are a fundamental breach of his rights.
Mr Green is arguing for a stay of proceedings on charges of possession and possession for supply and will argue before Judge Keirnan that cannabis laws
discriminate against cannabis users and that the severity of the penalties breach the Bill of Rights Act.
The hearing will see the Misuse of Drugs Act challenged using the Bill of Rights Act
"Alcohol and tobacco are dangerous drugs but are legally available. Cannabis causes less harm to our community", says Green...

The illegality of cannabis may well be a breach of the Australian Constitution as well. However, our politicians respect our Constitution in much the same way as a person respects a dog turd on the footpath. They recognize the danger of standing in it and give it a wide berth. For all intents and purposes, our Constitution doesn't exist when it comes to the Law.

Having said that, it may be worthwhile looking into a challenge to The Courts over here.
I'll post an update to this as soon as the results of the hearing are heard.

IL-2? Cannabis? '(THC) decreases the number of high and intermediate affinity IL-2 receptors of the IL-2 dependent cell line NKB61A2 '? WTF?

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:18:00 +0000

This study has me confused. You see, I'm not an immunopharmacologist. I'm just a half smart medicinal smoker who is learning more and more every day about research into cannabinoids via the Interweb.

I've read this abstract and, due to my inexperience in this field, I had to search for what an 'IL-2' is.

An IL-2 is, according to the knowledgeable folk who contribute to Wikipedia:

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an interleukin, a type of cytokine immune system signaling molecule, which is a leukocytotrophic hormone that is instrumental in the body's natural response to microbial infection and in discriminating between foreign (non-self) and self. IL-2 mediates its effects by binding to IL-2 receptors, which are expressed by lymphocytes, the cells that are responsible for immunity.

In English (I'm getting good at deciphering medical speak), it means:

IL-2 is produced by the body to help fight infections or foreign bodies in OUR bodies. It induces the immune response in humans (if I'm wrong, some medico will set me straight I'm sure).

OK, now the study (in laymans terms) says that THC reduces the effectiveness of these IL-2s.

Now, in terms of fighting infections etc, one would think that this could be a bad thing. However, anti-rejection drugs do the same thing. They are 'immunosuppressives'. That is, they weaken the immune system so that a transplant recipient's body doesn't attack the new organ. THC (according to this study) has the potential to do the same thing, as well as acting against the common side-effects of other immunosuppressives. For example, THC does not damage vital organs and acts as a cancer fighting agent (see earlier posts). Modern Immunosuppressive drugs are indiscriminate. They reduce the bodies ability to fight ANY attack (including cancerous cells). Cannabis could potentially reduce transplant rejection with minimal side-effects due to its broad spectrum medicinal qualities.

In my experience, I've found that if I maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle (ie, get some sun and don't become a couch potato), it doesn't matter how much pot I smoke, I remain healthy. I don't get flu or colds (even though I work in an industry that is exposed to wide and varied contact with many people), and I don't get infections.
As I said, I smoke for medicinal reasons at a dose that is 'right' for me.

I'll be following this study to find out what the boffins are saying.

Baby Steps For Medicinal cannabis In Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Indica Man) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 02:13:00 +0000

A Doctor from the Royal Melbourne Hospital's neurology department is leading the push to have Sativex approved for medicinal use in Australia.
Sativex (for those of you who don't know) is a cannabis based nasal spray, used to relieve neurological pain and MS symptoms amongst others.

According to GW Pharmaceuticals, the developer of Sativex:

Sativex is GW's lead cannabinoid pharmaceutical product, standardized by both composition and dose, that is being developed for the treatment of conditions such as cancer pain, neuropathic pain of various origins, and symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
Sativex is administered as an oral spray which is absorbed by the patient’s mouth. It is composed primarily of a 1:1 ratio of two cannabinoids-CBD (cannabidiol-a non-psychoactive cannabinoid) and THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The CBD:THC formulation is believed to enhance the pain relief of THC while modulating the unwanted psychotropic and other THC-related side effects, such as tachycardia. The spray delivery system keeps THC from entering the blood too rapidly and also minimizes the development of unwanted psychotropic effects.

Now, this is a good step in the right direction for medicine in Australia. However, if Sativex, a foreign owned drug can be approved in Australia, why can't Tony Bower have his tincture tested and approved for medicinal use in Australia? After all, his product has convincing anecdotal proof that it works as effectively, if not more effectively than Sativex.

From the Northern Rivers Echo:

Tony has developed a way of extracting the psychoactive substance THC from the plant and putting it into tinctures that can be taken orally. From his van in Nimbin he is giving it away to people he thinks it will help, as long as they show him a doctor’s certificate confirming their condition...

...
For the past 18 months Tony has been trying to have his product tested and approved by the relevant government authorities, but despite jumping through all of the legal and bureaucratic hoops that have been placed before him, he has been frustrated every step of the way.
“I tried to get it tested through a university but they called me up and said, ‘we’ve got pressure from up high and we can’t involve ourselves’... Every time I try to get a test done the government stops it,” he said. “I’m not going to sit back and be treated like a criminal when these other people (drug companies) are allowed to bring it in. I’ve done all the stuff they asked me to do – let me get it tested!”
Tony’s legal adviser Debra Sands is planning to take the matter before the Supreme Court later this year...

I urge you to read the full article.

For you folks who are unaware of what's happening world wide in respect to medicinal marijuana, I'll fill you in on a little of what's happening in the US and Canada.

First, there are now 14 states in the US that have passed laws allowing the use of cannabis for medicinal use. That number is expected to rise to 26 this year.

In California, a bill has been approved to legalize the adult use of cannabis.

In Canada, cannabis can be grown for medicinal use. There are also pushes in Canada for full legalization.

Finally, when you consider that the value of the cannabis industry in California alone is estimated to 14 BILLION dollars annually (far and above that of corn), full legalization is a wise economic step.