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29 September 2011; 26 July 2012
Last Complete Link Check and Update: 26 January 2013 |
Medical Marijuana
Medicinal and Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis Sativa |
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This research page presents in-depth information on the medicinal use and therapeutic effects of marijuana in a broad range of diseases, disorders and conditions.
Content has been selected in an effort to consolidate authoritative sources of information for current and prospective users. State, provincial, and federal legislation governing
the use and availability of marijuana is also presented.
We firmly believe that the decision to work with this medicine rests with the individual, notwithstanding legislation to the contrary.
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'Gold Standard' Studies Show That Inhaled Cannabis Is Medicine
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The results of a series of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials assessing the efficacy of inhaled marijuana consistently show that cannabis holds therapeutic value
comparable to conventional medications, according to the findings of a 24-page report issued Wednesday to the California state legislature by the California Center for Medicinal Cannabis
Research (CMCR).
Four of the five placebo-controlled trials demonstrated that marijuana significantly alleviated neuropathy, a difficult to treat type of pain resulting from nerve damage.
"There is good evidence now that cannabinoids (the active compounds in the marijuana plant) may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment for ... neuropathy," said Dr. Igor Grant, Director of the CMCR, at a
news conference at the state Capitol. He added that the efficacy of smoked marijuana was "very consistent," and that its pain-relieving effects were "comparable to the better existing treatments" presently available by
prescription.
A fifth study showed that smoked cannabis reduced the spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. A separate study conducted by the CMCR established that the
vaporization of cannabis – a process that heats the substance to a temperature where active cannabinoid vapors form, but below the point of combustion – is a "safe
and effective" delivery mode for patients who desire the rapid onset of action associated with inhalation while avoiding the respiratory risks of smoking.
Two additional clinical trials remain ongoing.
The CMCR program was founded in 2000 following an $8.7 million appropriation from the California state legislature. The studies are some of the first placebo-controlled clinical trials to assess the safety and
efficacy of inhaled cannabis as a medicine to take place in over two decades.
Placebo-controlled clinical crossover trials are considered to be the 'gold standard' method for assessing the efficacy of drugs under the US FDA-approval process.
"These scientists created an unparalleled program of systematic research, focused on science-based answers rather than political or social beliefs," said former California Senator John Vasconcellos, who sponsored
the legislation in 1999 to launch the CMCR. Vasconcellos called the studies' design "state of art," and suggested that the CMCR's findings "ought to settle the issue" of whether or not medical marijuana is a safe and
effective medical treatment for patients.
"This (report) confirms all of the anecdotal evidence – how lives have been saved and pain has been eased," said California Democrat Sen. Mark Leno at the press conference. "Now we have the science to prove it." | |
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The Medicinal Use of Cannabis
This film explains the medical use and working of the Cannabis Sativa plant, also known as marijuana or hemp. Scientists, patients, a family doctor, a pharmacist, an anesthetist and a medicinal Cannabis producer give their views on this versatile plant and its medicinal effects.
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Medical Marijuana Application Forms & Info, CANADA
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Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids:
A Review of the Recent Scientific Literature, 2000 – 2012
Despite the ongoing political debate regarding the legality of medicinal marijuana, clinical investigations of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids are
now more prevalent than at any time in history.
Humans have cultivated and consumed the flowering tops of the female cannabis plant, colloquially known as marijuana, since virtually the beginning of recorded history. Cannabis-based textiles dating to 7,000 B.C.E have
been recovered in northern China, and the plant's use as a medicinal and mood altering agent date back nearly as far. In 2008, archeologists in Central Asia discovered over two-pounds of cannabis in the 2,700-year-old grave
of an ancient shaman. After scientists conducted extensive testing on the material's potency, they affirmed, "[T]he most probable conclusion ... is that [ancient] culture[s] cultivated cannabis for pharmaceutical,
psychoactive, and divinatory purposes."
Modern cultures continue to indulge in the consumption of cannabis for these same purposes, despite a present-day, virtual worldwide ban on the plant's cultivation and use. In the United States, federal prohibitions
outlawing cannabis' recreational, industrial, and therapeutic use were first imposed by Congress under the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and then later reaffirmed by federal lawmakers' decision to classify marijuana -- as
well as all of the plant's organic compounds (known as cannabinoids) -- as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This classification, which asserts by statute that cannabis is equally as
dangerous to the public as is heroin, defines cannabis and its dozens of distinct cannabinoids as possessing 'a high potential for abuse, ... no currently accepted medical use, ... [and] a lack of accepted safety for
the use of the drug ... under medical supervision.' (By contrast, cocaine and methamphetamine -- which remain illicit for recreational use but may be consumed under a doctor's supervision -- are classified as
Schedule II drugs; examples of Schedule III and IV substances include anabolic steroids and Valium respectively, while codeine-containing analgesics are defined by a law as Schedule V drugs, the federal government's
most lenient classification.) In July 2011, the Obama Administration rebuffed an administrative
inquiry seeking to reassess cannabis' Schedule I status, and federal lawmakers continue to cite the drug's dubious categorization as the primary rationale for the government's ongoing criminalization of the plant and
those who use it.
Nevertheless, there exists little if any scientific basis to justify the federal government's present prohibitive stance and there is ample scientific and empirical evidence to rebut it. Despite the US government's nearly
century-long prohibition of the plant, cannabis is nonetheless one of the most investigated therapeutically active substances in history. To date, there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews in the scientific
literature pertaining to the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, nearly one-third of which were published within the last three years. This total includes over 2,700 separate papers published in 2009, 1,950 papers
published in 2010, and another 2,100 published to date in 2011 (according to a key word search on the search engine PubMed Central, the US government repository for peer-reviewed scientific research). While much of
the renewed interest in cannabinoid therapeutics is a result of the discovery of the endocannabinoid regulatory system
(which we describe in detail later in this booklet), some of this increased attention is also due to the growing body of testimonials from medical cannabis patients and their physicians.
The scientific conclusions of the overwhelmingly majority of modern research directly conflicts with the federal government's stance that cannabis is a highly dangerous substance worthy of absolute criminalization.
For example, in February 2010 investigators at the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research publicly announced the
findings of a series of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials on the medical utility of inhaled cannabis. The studies, which
utilized the so-called 'gold standard' FDA clinical trial design, concluded that marijuana ought to be a "first line treatment" for patients with neuropathy and other serious illnesses.
Among the studies conducted by the Center, four assessed smoked marijuana's ability to alleviate neuropathic pain, a notoriously difficult to treat type of nerve pain associated with cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS,
spinal cord injury and many other debilitating conditions. Each of the trials found that cannabis consistently reduced patients' pain levels to a degree that was as good or better than currently available medications.
Another study conducted by the Center's investigators assessed the use of marijuana as a treatment for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. That study determined that "smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in
reducing spasticity and pain in patients with MS, and provided some benefit beyond currently prescribed treatments."
Around the globe, similarly controlled trials are also taking place. A 2010 review by
researchers in Germany reports that since 2005 there have been 37 controlled studies assessing the safety and efficacy of marijuana and its naturally occurring compounds in a total of 2,563 subjects. By contrast, many
FDA-approved drugs go through far fewer trials involving far fewer subjects.
As clinical research into the therapeutic value of cannabinoids has proliferated so too has investigators' understanding of cannabis' remarkable capability to combat disease. Whereas researchers in the 1970s, 80s,
and 90s primarily assessed cannabis' ability to temporarily alleviate various disease symptoms -- such as the nausea associated with
cancer chemotherapy -- scientists today are exploring the potential role of cannabinoids to modify disease.
Of particular interest, scientists are investigating cannabinoids' capacity to moderate autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as their role
in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease.) In fact, in 2009, the American Medical Association (AMA) resolved
for the first time in the organization's history "that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of
cannabinoid-based medicines."
Investigators are also studying the anti-cancer activities of cannabis, as a growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that cannabinoids can
reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Arguably, these latter findings represent far broader and
more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago.
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HOW TO USE THIS REPORT
As states continue to approve legislation enabling the physician-supervised use of medical marijuana, more patients with varying disease types are exploring the use of therapeutic cannabis. Many of
these patients and their physicians are now discussing this issue for the first time and are seeking guidance on whether the therapeutic use of cannabis may or may not be advisable. This report seeks to
provide this guidance by summarizing the most recently published scientific research (2000-2012) on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids for 20 clinical indications.
PDF:
Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review of the Recent Scientific Literature (Fifth Edition)
Medical Conditions
Potential Therapeutic Uses of Medical Marijuana
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As clinical research into the therapeutic value of cannabinoids has proliferated — there are now an estimated 20,000 published papers in the scientific literature analyzing marijuana and its constituents
— so too has investigators' understanding of cannabis' remarkable capability to combat disease. Whereas researchers in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s primarily
assessed cannabis' ability to temporarily alleviate various disease symptoms — such as the nausea associated with cancer
chemotherapy — scientists today are exploring the potential role of cannabinoids to modify disease.
Of particular interest, scientists are investigating cannabinoids' capacity to moderate autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as their role in the
treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a.
Lou Gehrig's disease.) In fact, in 2009 the American Medical Association (AMA) resolved for the first time in the organization's history "that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be
reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines."
Investigators are also studying the anti-cancer activities of cannabis, as a growing body of preclinical and clinical data concludes that
cannabinoids can reduce the spread of specific cancer cells via apoptosis (programmed cell death) and by the inhibition of angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Arguably, these latter trends represent far
broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago.
THE SAFETY PROFILE
OF MEDICAL CANNABIS
Cannabinoids have a remarkable safety record, particularly when compared to other therapeutically active substances. Most significantly, the consumption of marijuana -- regardless of quantity or potency -- cannot
induce a fatal overdose. According to a 1995 review prepared for the World Health Organization, "There are no recorded
cases of overdose fatalities attributed to cannabis, and the estimated lethal dose for humans extrapolated from animal studies is so high that it cannot be achieved by ... users."
In 2008, investigators at McGill University Health Centre and McGill University in Montreal and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver
reviewed 23 clinical investigations of medical cannabinoid drugs (typically oral THC or
liquid cannabis extracts) and eight observational studies conducted between 1966 and 2007. Investigators "did not find a higher incidence rate of serious
adverse events associated with medical cannabinoid use" compared to non-using controls over these four decades.
That said, cannabis should not necessarily be viewed as a 'harmless' substance. Its active constituents may produce a variety of physiological and euphoric effects. As a result, there may be some populations that
are susceptible to increased risks from the use of cannabis, such as adolescents,
pregnant or nursing mothers, and patients who have a family history of
mental illness. Patients with
hepatitis C, decreased lung function (such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease), or who have a history of heart disease or
stroke may also be at a greater risk of experiencing adverse side effects from marijuana. As with
any medication, patients should consult thoroughly with their physician before deciding whether the medical use of cannabis is safe and appropriate. [...] |
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Find Clinical Studies and Case Reports |
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In the News...
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VANCOUVER, BC - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced today that after a broad consultation process, the Government of Canada intends to
make changes to the way Canadians access marihuana for medical purposes.
"Current medical marihuana regulations have left the system open to abuse," said Minister Aglukkaq. "We have heard real concerns from law enforcement, fire officials, and
municipalities about how people are hiding behind these rules to conduct illegal activity, and putting health and safety of Canadians at risk. These changes will make it far more difficult
for people to game the system."
In the past decade, Health Canada's Marihuana Medical Access Program has grown exponentially, from under 500 authorized persons in 2002 to over 26,000 today.
This rapid increase has had unintended consequences for public health, safety and security as a result of allowing individuals to produce marihuana in their homes.
The proposed new regulations will protect the health, safety and security of Canadians and their communities by eliminating the production of marihuana in homes.
The Government will no longer produce and distribute marihuana for medical purposes, opening up the market to companies which meet strict security requirements. Production will no longer
take place in homes and municipal zoning laws will need to be respected, which will further enhance public safety.
The current Marihuana Medical Access Program costs Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars each year. The $5/gram Health Canada charges to program participants who choose to purchase from
the department is heavily subsidized.
"An average of one in 22 grow operations (legal and illegal) catch fire, which is 24 times higher than the average home," said Stephen Gamble, President of the Canadians Association
of Fire Chiefs. "We applaud the Government of Canada for strengthening Health Canada's regulations for marihuana for medical purposes to enhance the safety of Canada's firefighters and
the communities they protect."
"Changes are necessary to reduce the risk of abuse and exploitation by criminal elements," said Chief Constable Jim Chu. "We very much appreciate the collaborative relationship
the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police enjoys with Health Canada and how they are responding to the unintended public safety impact through the proposed changes to the Marihuana Medical Access Program."
In response to concerns from patients, the proposed new Marihuana for Medical Purposes
Regulations aim to treat marihuana as much as possible like any other narcotic used for medical purposes. Health care practitioners will be able to sign a medical document similar to a prescription, and then patients
can purchase the appropriate amount from an authorized vendor. The new system would cut red tape for individuals and ensure that they have access to marihuana for medical purposes produced under quality controls while
streamlining the process for applicants and health care practitioners.
"These changes strike the right balance between patient access and public safety," said Minister Aglukkaq.
It is the Government's intention to fully implement this new system by March 31, 2014. On this date, all authorizations to
possess and licences to produce issued under the current program would expire, and all individuals requiring marihuana for medical purposes would have to purchase it from licensed producers.
Details of the proposed new regulations are posted on our website. There will be a 75-day comment period and the Department
will be receiving comments until February 28, 2013. Health Canada will keep all stakeholders informed as we continue to move through the regulatory process.
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OTTAWA – The same day that voters in two U.S. states approved the legalization of marijuana, the Harper government in Ottawa was bringing into force tough new mandatory penalties for pot.
The states of Washington and Colorado both voted in favour of ballot-box propositions Tuesday removing criminal penalties for the possession and sale of recreational marijuana, while a similar provision in Oregon went down to defeat.
Tuesday was also the day that drug measures in the Conservative government’s omnibus Safe Streets and Communities Act, passed last spring, came into full force and effect.
Canada’s new law provides a mandatory six-month jail term for growing as few as six marijuana plants, twice the mandatory minimum for luring a child to watch pornography or exposing oneself on a playground.
"Today our message is clear that if you are in the business of producing, importing or exporting of drugs, you’ll now face jail time," Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said in a release Tuesday, well before the American polls closed.
By day’s end, Colorado had voted to permit adults over 21 to grow up to six pot plants in private, and Washington had voted to permit state-licensed growers to sell adult individuals up to an ounce of marijuana at a time.
Nicholson was not available Wednesday to comment on the American state votes but his spokeswoman reiterated in an email that "our government does not support the decriminalization or the legalization of marijuana."
Julie Di Mambro added that "the production and trafficking of illicit drugs is one of the single most significant sources of money for gangs and organized crime in Canada."
Contrast that with Geoff Plant, a former British Columbia attorney general who supports the Stop the Violence BC coalition that’s campaigning for legal changes.
"The take-away for politicians is to realize voters on both sides of the border are increasingly wanting this change, and that should make politicians both nervous about what will happen if they don’t listen to voters and also less nervous about the risk associated with change," said Plant.
In Mexico City, Luis Videgaray, the main adviser to Mexico’s president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto, said the Washington and Colorado votes will force the Mexican government to rethink its efforts on halting marijuana smuggling across the border.
And Sean McAllister, a former assistant attorney general in Colorado, told Britain’s Guardian newspaper Wednesday that "I really think this is the beginning of the end for marijuana prohibition, not only in the U.S., but in many countries across the world, including the UK. We didn’t just legalize it, we created a regulatory system."
The disconnect highlights a hemisphere-wide debate that is challenging the decades-long "war on drugs" that even the most staunch prohibitionist must concede has not succeeded in eradicating the illicit trade or use of drugs.
Eugene Oscapella, who teaches drug policy and criminology at the University of Ottawa, said one of the biggest impacts of Tuesday’s state legalization votes may be on Canadian perceptions.
He noted 14 states have decriminalized pot, plus two that have now legalized. [See Colorado, Washington first states to legalize recreational pot. Reuters. (7.11.12)]
"People have begun increasingly to realize the current system, the use of the criminal law, imports terrible, terrible collateral harms — and it doesn’t stop people from using drugs," Oscapella said in an interview.
The Colorado and Washington votes, he said, help undercut one of the most powerful arguments used in Canada to kill talk of relaxing the country’s pot laws — American border concerns and the implications on trade.
"It’s not a pro-pot measure," Oscapella said of the stateside votes.
"This is a pro-sensible drug policy measure, looking at minimizing the harms of drugs in our society."
The federal Liberals are the only party with a legalization policy, which came after delegates to last January’s party policy convention voted 77 per cent in favour of legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana for personal use.
A spokesman for the Liberal party’s youth wing, David Valentin, said a policy group in B.C. is working to flesh out a fully developed proposal.
Bob Rae, the interim Liberal leader, said the Conservative government is swimming against the tide.
"Any public opinion poll I’ve seen shows that Canadians believe there’s a profound futility in the current punitive approach of the law, that we’re filling our jails with people who shouldn’t be there, and that the law does not serve a practical purpose," Rae said outside the Commons.
Legalization, he said, is "a direction the country needs to take and will take over time."
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Selected Reports and Academic Presentations
Medical Marijuana Briefing Paper - 2011
For thousands of years, marijuana has been used to treat a wide variety of ailments. Until 1937, marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) was
legal in the United States for all purposes. Presently, federal law allows only four Americans to use marijuana as a medicine.
On March 17, 1999, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that "there are some limited circumstances
in which we recommend smoking marijuana for medical uses." The IOM report, the result of two years of research that was funded by the White House drug policy
office, analyzed all existing data on marijuana's therapeutic uses. [→ http://www.mpp.org]
MEDICAL VALUE
Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically
active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a
wide variety of therapeutic applications, including:
- Relief from nausea and appetite loss;
- Reduction of intraocular (within the eye) pressure;
- Reduction of muscle spasms; and
- Relief from chronic pain.
Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of the following conditions:
AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by
various AIDS medications. Observational research has found that by relieving these side effects, medical marijuana
increases the ability of patients to stay on life-extending treatment. (See also CHRONIC PAIN below.)
HEPATITIS C. As with AIDS, marijuana can relieve the nausea and vomiting caused by treatments for
hepatitis C. In a study published in the September 2006 European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
[October 2006;18(10):1039-1042],
patients using marijuana were better able to complete their medication regimens, leading to a 300%
improvement in treatment success.
GLAUCOMA. Marijuana can reduce intraocular pressure, alleviating the pain and slowing — and sometimes
stopping — damage to the eyes. (Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It damages
vision by increasing eye pressure over time.)
CANCER. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side
effects of chemotherapy treatment.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as
relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among
young and middle-aged adults in the United States.)
EPILEPSY. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.
CHRONIC PAIN. Marijuana can alleviate chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and
injuries. Since 2007, three published clinical trials have found that marijuana effectively relieves neuropathic pain (pain cause by nerve injury),
a particularly hard to treat type of pain that afflicts millions suffering from diabetes, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other illnesses.
Each of these applications has been deemed legitimate by at least one court, legislature, and/or government agency in the United States.
Many patients also report that marijuana is useful for treating arthritis, migraine, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction, and depression and other debilitating mood disorders.
Marijuana could be helpful for millions of patients in the United States. Nevertheless, other than for the four people with special permission from the federal government, medical marijuana
remains illegal under federal law!
People currently suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above, for whom the legal medical options have proven unsafe or ineffective, have two options:
- Continue to suffer without effective treatment; or
- Illegally obtain marijuana — and risk suffering consequences directly related to its illegality, such as:
- an insufficient supply due to the prohibition-inflated price or scarcity; impure, contaminated, or chemically adulterated marijuana;
- arrests, fines, court costs, property forfeiture, incarceration, probation, and criminal records.
[Read More] |
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Warning:
This writer, responsible scientists and doctors advise:
There is no pharmacological free lunch in cannabis or any drug. Negative reactions can result. A small percentage of people
have negative or allergic reactions to marijuana. Heart patients could have problems, even though cannabis generally relieves
stress, dilates the arteries, and in general lowers the diastolic pressure. A small percentage of people get especially high
heart rates and anxieties with cannabis. These persons should not use it. Some bronchial asthma sufferers benefit from
cannabis; however, for others it may serve as an additional irritant.
For the overwhelming majority of people, cannabis has demonstrated literally hundreds of
therapeutic uses... [Read more]
Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, Chapter 7, Therapeutic Use of Cannabis | | |
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This Web site is an excellent resource on the medical use of marijuana, presenting, 'in an unbiased, primarily pro/con format, responses to the related and core question: "Should marijuana be a medical option now?"' Here you can find information on
the medical value and use of marijuana, the medical risks of use, diseases and conditions in which marijuana is used, U.S. government policies and medical marijuana, legal issues, and non-smoked marijuana. There's
also a fascinating section that provides a three-part overview of the history of marijuana as medicine, from 2737 B.C. to the present. |
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Cannabis Vaporization
Vaporization is a technique for avoiding irritating respiratory toxins in
marijuana smoke by heating cannabis to a temperature where the psychoactive
ingredients evaporate without causing combustion.
Laboratory studies by California NORML and MAPS have found that vaporizers can efficiently
deliver cannabinoids while eliminating or drastically reducing other smoke toxins.
Like tobacco, marijuana smoke contains toxins that are known to be hazardous to the respiratory system. Among them are the highly carcinogenic polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons, a prime suspect in cigarette-related cancers. These toxins are essentially a byproduct of combustion, separate from the
pharmaceutically active components of marijuana, known as cannabinoids, which include THC. Although there is no proof that marijuana smoking causes cancer,
chronic pot smokers have been shown to suffer an elevated risk of bronchitis and respiratory infections. Respiratory disease due to smoking may therefore rightly
be regarded as the primary physiological hazard of marijuana.
Cannabis vaporizers are designed to let users inhale active cannabinoids while avoiding harmful smoke toxins. They do so by heating cannabis to a
temperature of 180 - 200° C (356° - 392° F), just below the point of combustion where smoke is produced. At this point, THC and other medically active
cannabinoids are emitted with little or none of the carcinogenic tars and noxious gases found in smoke. Many medical marijuana patients who find smoked
marijuana highly irritating report effective relief inhaling through vaporizers. Users who are concerned about the respiratory hazards of smoking are strongly
advised to use vaporizers. Alternative devices, such as waterpipes, have been shown to be ineffective at reducing the tars in marijuana smoke
(Report).
Many models of vaporizer are currently on the market. A review of the various types can be found at www.vaporinfo.com. [...]
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MedicalMarijuana.ca
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The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation - Medical Marijuana Clinics
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Teen smokers who rationalize their use of cigarettes by saying, "At least, I'm not doing drugs," may not always be able to use that line. New research supports the theory that cigarettes are a gateway drug to marijuana. |
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is notorious for hiding within certain types of cells, where it reproduces at a slowed rate and eventually gives rise to chronic inflammation, despite drug therapy. But researchers recently discovered that synthetic anti-inflammatory substances distantly related to the active ingredient of marijuana may be able to take the punch out of HIV while inside one of its major hideouts -- immune cells called macrophages. |
Anxiety and alcohol use significantly predict emotional connectedness to Facebook, a new study suggests. According to one of the researchers, alcohol use is generally viewed as normative, or socially acceptable, among college students, so increased alcohol use may cause an increase in emotional connectedness to Facebook. Researchers also found that marijuana use predicted the opposite: a lack of emotional connectedness with Facebook. |
People with mental illnesses are more than seven times more likely to use cannabis weekly compared to people without a mental illness, according to new research. |
How does the brain suppress pain? For the first time, it has been shown that suppression of pain during times of fear involves complex interplay between marijuana-like chemicals and other neurotransmitters in a brain region called the amygdala. |
Cannabis is second only to alcohol for causing impaired driving and motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, 12.8% of young adults reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and in the 2007 National Roadside Survey, more drivers tested positive for drugs than for alcohol. These cannabis smokers had a 10-fold increase in car crash injury compared with infrequent or nonusers after adjustment for blood alcohol concentration. |
Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes. |
Marijuana use may double the risk of stroke in young adults. The New Zealand findings are the first from a case-controlled study to indicate a potential link between marijuana and stroke. |
Though still controversial, medical cannabis has been gaining ground as a valid therapy for cancer, PTSD, and chronic pain. Now a specialist says that residents of an Israel nursing home experienced dramatic physical and mental improvements following cannabis therapy and that the therapy significantly reduced the need for chronic medications for many of them. |
The pain relief offered by cannabis varies greatly between individuals, a brain imaging study suggests. The researchers found that an oral tablet of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tended to make the experience of pain more bearable, rather than actually reduce the intensity of the pain. |
Continued high use of marijuana by the United States' eighth, 10th and 12th graders combined with a drop in perceptions of its potential harms was revealed in this year's Monitoring the Future survey, an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. The survey was carried out in classrooms around the country earlier this year, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. |
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