Medical Claims for Marijuana—Just Blowing Smoke?--Not So Much!

A great article from MSN exposing the hypocracy of the Medical Marijuanan Industry in the United States.

Multiple sclerosis patients can get prescription pot to ease their painful muscle spasms—if they live in Great Britain, where regulators recently approved a mouth spray made from cannabis, or marijuana. GW Pharmaceuticals, which developed Sativex and is preparing for advanced clinical trials to test its ability to relieve pain for cancer patients, wants to bring it to the United States.

Don't expect the company will have it easy. As far as the federal government is concerned, marijuana has no place in medicine. The Drug Enforcement Administration considers marijuana—like heroin and '___'—a schedule I controlled substance. Schedule I drugs are likely candidates for abuse, with no recognized therapeutic benefits. (Cocaine is a schedule II. Cough syrup is a V.)

Yet the medical use of marijuana by Americans is spreading. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow patients to use marijuana—and in some states to grow it—for medical purposes. Shops legally sell medical pot in California, Colorado, and New Mexico. But federal prosecutors continue to target growers, distributors, and users even in states where medical marijuana is legal.

The legal quagmire has hampered research into marijuana's potential medical benefits. Small studies by the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego, demonstrate the pain-relieving ability of smoked marijuana in HIV and multiple sclerosis patients. Thousands of laboratory studies hint at a far greater range of medicinal properties, such as treating Alzheimer's disease, where it may inhibit an enzyme that leads to memory-robbing plaque formation in the brain, and fighting off MRSA infections, since certain compounds in cannabis have been shown to work against the superbug.

But moving beyond lab rats has been tough. Only a handful of doubleblind, placebo-controlled clinical studies—the gold standard of medical research—have been done. Those favoring human research say it demands uncommon patience and persistence. Researchers must be cleared by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the proposed study has to pass muster with the Food and Drug Administration, and then the U.S. Public Health Service conducts its own review of the study's scientific merit and design. The entire process can take years, according to Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group.

Americans can take synthesized THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, as Marinol, a capsule made by Unimed Pharmaceuticals. Margaret Haney, a professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University in New York, has studied HIV patients whose appetites were enhanced when they smoked marijuana. Her findings suggest that either smoking pot or taking Marinol stimulates appetite. But there are downsides to both. A dose of Marinol may take three hours to kick in while smoked marijuana's effects are almost immediate, she says. Smoking the plant, however, may harm the respiratory system and, especially in young heavy users, the brain. Haney, whose research focuses on marijuana dependence, thinks cannabis could have a place in medicine. "There are clear medical potentials with this plant," she says. "I am not anti-marijuana, I'm not pro-marijuana. I want to understand it." Haney expresses frustration at what she considers wrongheaded efforts by states to legalize medical marijuana. There is too much, she says, that scientists do not know.

The American Medical Association asked the government last November to review marijuana's schedule I status. Downgrading cannabis would acknowledge its medical potential and encourage research. But that's not likely to happen. Keeping marijuana under schedule I, says DEA spokeswoman Dawn Dearden, is based on a lack of scientific evidence showing marijuana can be used safely and effectively as a treatment.

Meanwhile, patients like Dan Pope, 45, a Colorado resident with muscular dystrophy, continue their use of medical marijuana. He says it helps control his muscle spasms and makes his pain tolerable. But when he recently went to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, where he is a volunteer, to ask for support in reclassifying marijuana, he was turned down. There isn't enough research, he was told, to show that it works.

Source

What are your thoughts ATS?

We all know that it's ridiculous to have Marijuana as a Class I drug when there are literally hundreds of study that prove it has medical value for treatments and cures of certain diseases and conditions.

We know that behind these problems lie the pharmaceutical industry, who because they cannot patent the plant (you can't patent nature) and the synthetic versions pale in comparison to using the actual herb; are fighting tooth and nail to prevent this from moving forward.

What say you ATS?

~Keeper

[edit on 7/21/2010 by tothetenthpower]

I have a brain tumour and have been trying to get prescribed Sativex. Unfortunately the county I live in is not going to be prescribing the drug, unlike the county only 20 miles from where I live. It is expensive , works out 11 british pounds, about 16$ a day, so very expensive. I have done quite a lot of research on marijuana on my particular tumour and believe i would benefit from using sativex.

www.springerlink.com...

www.webmd.com...

Sure I think marijuana has great medicinal benefits. From pain relief to stimulating appetite. But it's the over-the-top opponents like the above posts by Zaiger that raise such a stink I don't think it will be fully legalized/regulated universally in the US for medical reasons or recreational. I hope it does, but don't see it happening.

[edit on 21/7/2010 by Chamberf=6]

Just as MOST medications are derived from plants, so to Canibinoids will be allowed to enter the market place under patents derived from big pharma.

The government will make their cut. The AMA will make their cut. The Prison Industrial Complex will make their cut. The LEOs will make their cut.

And if you TRY to grow your own medication you will be thrown in prison or you will be fined for patent infringement.

The government WILL NOT allow you to have freedom and liberty without THEIR CUT!

It works (I can vouch for that). And on top of that it is a complete food, a source of biofuel, a source of plastics, rope, paper, cloth and so many other things that this plant is a gift from nature and it is criminal to keep it from the people.

And of course it used to be illegal NOT to grow it.

Why do the drug companies have to patent it? Why do they have to 'copy' it? Why can they not just manufacture medicines out of the real thing?

As for saying there is insufficient evidence that is just bull. They need to go out and get the evidence in that case. It would not be difficult.

Originally posted by endisnighe
Just as MOST medications are derived from plants, so to Canibinoids will be allowed to enter the market place under patents derived from big pharma.

I know, really. There's already Marinol, so why can't they just be happy with that? They sound so ungrateful for the miracles that modern science brings.

reply to post by zaiger


No rant. Marijuana should be legal.

If you want the reasons, they boil down to the costs of illegality in terms of money spent, degradation of police function, corruption, reduced trust, and individual hell.

[shrug]

It is "natural,' but that's not a good point. Some will say, "Poison ivy is 'natural,' so should we smoke it?" But that is a straw man. Compare the efficacy and side effects to the legal, unnatural substances and it is crystal clear that there is far less in the way of issues with marijuana vs. these other substances.

I could start ranting now, but I'll avoid it.

Can we keep to the Medical side of this conversation please?

I don't wanna be a downer but were gonna prove Zaiger right if this continues .

My husband is a doctor who is thinking of moving into oncology, he's currently a pediatrician but wants something a little different.

Anywhoo he's been studying the topic as of late as an alternate to the horrible pharmaceuticals given th Cancer patients for Nausea and other side effects.

From his professional medical opinion, he sees no reason why tests and trials should not be conducted, and done quickly at that.

~Keeper

reply to post by endisnighe


Yes, you are absolutely correct... I say eliminate the profit motive (via extracting from the zero point field ("Dark" Energy)) with infinite energy, removing the need for money - since money is in place merely to account for energy expended.

THEN no one will care about this most benign and beneficial of herbs.

Sorry... Tripple post! (egads!)

[edit on 7/21/2010 by Amaterasu]

(I have no clue how that happened, but I'm on an unfamiliar computer...)

[edit on 7/21/2010 by Amaterasu]

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Can we keep to the Medical side of this conversation please?

I don't wanna be a downer but were gonna prove Zaiger right if this continues

.

My husband is a doctor who is thinking of moving into oncology, he's currently a pediatrician but wants something a little different.

Anywhoo he's been studying the topic as of late as an alternate to the horrible pharmaceuticals given th Cancer patients for Nausea and other side effects.

From his professional medical opinion, he sees no reason why tests and trials should not be conducted, and done quickly at that.

~Keeper

Sorry. It's just that I have seen so much evil in the world created specifically by the illegality. And all the more heinous because of the awesome medical benefits that continue to pop up in testing.

A short list includes treatment for:

Stress
Glaucoma
Anorexia
Multiple Sclerosis
Alheimer's
Pain
Depression
Nausea
...

And if any would conclude my comments are merely the "ravings of a stoner..." I have to estimate that they want to see that and are prejudiced, lacking an open and rational approach. [smile]

Cannabis was used in medicines for eons...until 1938. It is not a metter of whether or not cannabis has medical value, that has been proven many times and to anyones honest satisfaction. It just happened to be closely related to hemp, that was its downfall.

The proven conspiracy that made hemp illegal, well documented and undeniable, also caused all benefits of non-industrial cannabis to be lost to science as a result of the restrictions.

The Feds were sued by patients who showed a definite need for cannabis and the feds agrees to supply the program with product. It still goes on to this day, although Bush Sr. halted any new applicants due to political chicanery. But even the Feds were forced to admit to the medical efficacy and supply a low grade supply to the patients monthly.

So how can the feds say that it has no medical benefit when they supply it to qualified patients right now? Talk about hippocracy!!

In all of history, cannabis has only been illegal for less than a century, and only due to criminal conspiracies among politicians and big business bosses to insure that hemp would never replace pulp paper from trees. if you were like randolph Hearst and had vast hundreds of thousands of acres or trees bought to supply paper for your newspapers, etc., you would do anything to make sure that a more efficient and cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, plant, like hemp, would never be allowed to squash your profits.

Any honest review of the record shows that the prohibition of cannabis/hemp is a criminal sham and nothing but lies support its continuation.

All I'm saying to this....... its illegal to grow it, smoke it, etc etc... and now since its a big subject, there are going to be companies that are going to want to profit from the plant as in a "pill" form. This is just sickens me in my eyes as a med. marijuana user for chronics pains. Why cant they just make it legal and regulate it, I wouldn't mind paying taxes for it which this economy needs (example: Cali) , a whole lot better than paying big corps for it. All they going to do is modified it and make it less than a value.

And as far from HEMP, it also should be legal ... Imagine if hemp wasnt illegal... Would that BP Oil Spill happen on a large scale? Would we still be taking out of our natural resources and limited as years pass? ... We got to face it... These plants are harmless and would be a good benefit for mankind, our planet and there wouldn't be no "accident" leak of anything that could damage all of us...

We all know all these companies profiting from almost everything and making themselves richer while we suffer with bills,illness, treatments that wont cure us, just to sustain us so we can go back and forth to them.

If you anti-marijuana then sorry to say you aren't well educated and just bias to something that you know very little about and what the government says about it.

There's is a great benefit with this one little plant that can be grown in acres of fields in less than 6 months and replace it for natural resources. We would never run out of it.

everything that is wrong should be replaced by Alternative resources and materials and hemp/marijuana is one of those.

By the way... Hemp oil (dont get it confused with Hemp SEED oil, totally different) can replace all these unwanted,unsafe drugs and you can easily make it in your homes ... Thats something THEY dont want you to know about.. so you can depend on them and profit from you and this threat/article is just a perfect example of it.

[edit on 21-7-2010 by MilzGatez]

[edit on 21-7-2010 by MilzGatez]

[edit on 21-7-2010 by MilzGatez]

reply to post by richierich

Cannabis was used in medicines for eons...until 1938. It is not a matter of whether or not cannabis has medical value, that has been proven many times and to anyone's honest satisfaction. It just happened to be closely related to hemp, that was its downfall.

No Cannabis IS hemp. Cannabis Sativa L is the hemp plant. There are various varieties and not all produce the chemicals for the high in great quantities.

reply to post by PuterMan


Male and Female.

Female produces THC and buds, males do not..

~Keeper