DNA, PTSD, Abused Children, And Cannabis

At Cannabis For PTSD I had some videos on the uses of cannabis for those who suffer from PTSD. I thought it might be a good idea to go into the subject a little deeper from the aspect of abused children.

from Genome Advance of the Month - Child abuse leaves epigenetic marks By Roseanne Zhao, Ph.D. - NIH Medical Scientist Training Program Track 3 Scholar

In addition to harming the immediate wellbeing of the child, maltreatment and extreme stress during childhood can impair early brain development and metabolic and immune system function, leading to chronic health problems. As a consequence, abused children are at increased risk for a wide range of physical health conditions including obesity, heart disease, and cancer, as well as psychiatric conditions such as depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, high-risk behaviors and violence.

They are also more susceptible to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-a severe and debilitating stress-related psychiatric disorder-after experiencing other types of trauma later in life.

Part of the explanation is that child abuse can leave marks, not only physically and emotionally, but also in the form of epigenetic marks on a child's genes. Although these epigenetic marks do not cause mutations in the DNA itself, the chemical modifications-including DNA methylation-change gene expression by silencing (or activating) genes. This can alter fundamental biological processes and adversely affect health outcomes throughout life.

New research, published in the May 14, 2013, issue of the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, shows that PTSD patients who were abused as children have different patterns of DNA methylation and gene expression compared to those who were not.

Another good article on the subject: The Road to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Begins at the Intersection of DNA and Childhood Trauma

Our genetic predispositions are only part of the equation when it comes to determining our risk for developing psychiatric disorders. Exposure to stressful environments during critical periods of brain development plays a dramatic role in changing gene function and influencing response to traumatic events in adulthood.

The National Institute of Mental Health defines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an anxiety disorder arising in the aftermath of living through a dangerous or traumatic event. In PTSD the “fight-or-flight” response to fearful stimuli is activated in situations where it is not necessary for the body to defend itself from harm. It does not affect every individual who has been exposed to trauma. A major question in the field is how variations at the molecular level alter the likelihood that a person will develop PTSD.

In an insightful paper recently published in Nature Neuroscience, Klengel et al. shed light on the mystery of how genetic variability and life experiences alter our chances for developing neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. The authors identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (DNA sequence variations that differ across members of the population) in the FKBP5 gene. Variations in this gene alone were not enough to predict adult PTSD, but if the individual had been exposed to trauma as a child and had the genetic variation, the chances increased. Gene-environment interaction is a term used to explain situations where an individual’s likelihood of having a particular disorder or disease is dependent on a risk allele that arises from exposure to a specific environment early in life.

The researchers continued their quest by pinpointing the specific DNA change underlying the increased risk for developing PTSD later in life. During development, our DNA undergoes changes that result in the addition or removal of methyl groups. Methylation modifies DNA and can result in increased expression of a particular gene or gene silencing. Traumatic events can change DNA methylation beginning during development and continuing through adulthood. The researchers observed that FKBP5, which is a risk allele for a stress response regulator, had an altered methylation state in children exposed to trauma.

Some other links:

A video on the Limbic system - Hallucinations, PTSD

DNA of PTSD

PTSD and DNA Methylation in Select Immune Function Gene Promoter Regions: A Repeated Measures Case-Control Study of U.S. Military Service Members.

General use of cannabis for PTSD Symptoms

Endocannabinoids For Brain Injury

Neuroimmmune interactions of cannabinoids in neurogenesis - Abstract.

Thus the endocannabinoid system, which has neuroprotective and immunomodulatory actions mediated by IL-1 signalling cascades in the brain, could assist the process of proliferation and differentiation of embryonic or adult NSCs, and this may be of therapeutic interest in the emerging field of brain repair.

Cannabis For PTSD

More and More US Veterans are Smoking Weed to Treat Their PTSD

Veterans For Medical Cannabis

Combat Veteran Believes Medicinal Marijuana Can Help Treat PTSD

Marijuana may help PTSD. Why won’t the government find out for sure?

Cannabis Can Treat Bladder Pain, Inflammation

Cannabis for the bladder has this to say:

A new study published in the Journal of Urology has found that activation of the body’s CB2 receptors has the potential to treat bladder pain and inflammation, and can increase bladder urinary frequency.

For the study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison used mouse models to examine whether or not activation of CB2 receptors (something which cannabis does naturally) can treat serious bladder issues; the results were quite clear that it does.

Here is the study conclusion:

Treatment with a selective CB2 agonist reduced severity of established acrolein-induced cystitis and inhibited bladder inflammation-associated increased referred mechanical sensitivity and increased bladder urinary frequency. Our data indicate that CB2 receptor is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of painful inflammatory bladder diseases.

Note: an agonist enhances activity. An antagonist reduces activity.

Cannabidiol Reduces Tobacco Use

You can find the full report at Science Direct.

The role of the endocannabinoid system in nicotine addiction is being increasingly acknowledged. We conducted a pilot, randomised double blind placebo controlled study set out to assess the impact of the ad-hoc use of cannabidiol (CBD) in smokers who wished to stop smoking. 24 smokers were randomised to receive an inhaler of CBD (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12) for one week, they were instructed to use the inhaler when they felt the urge to smoke. Over the treatment week, placebo treated smokers showed no differences in number of cigarettes smoked. In contrast, those treated with CBD significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by ~ 40% during treatment. Results also indicated some maintenance of this effect at follow-up. These preliminary data, combined with the strong preclinical rationale for use of this compound, suggest CBD to be a potential treatment for nicotine addiction that warrants further exploration.

Michael J. Fox On Cannabis Oil For Parkinson's Disease

Michael shows up about 2 minutes into the video. Don't miss the beginning where a woman discusses how hemp oil helped with her husband's Parkinson's Disease. You can hear the "pine nut" reference at about 8:40 in.

Rick Simpson's Hemp Oil.

A Resource For Illinois

I had a long discussion this past Saturday with Steve Bloome of Illinois Medical Marijuana Network. Their main service is

CONNECTING PATIENTS WITH PROVIDERS
If you need help navigating the Illinois Medical Marijuana laws Steve's site is a good place to start.

Cancer Research Chemist Cured His Prostate Cancer

The interviewer is lousy but otherwise Biochemist Dennis Hill makes a very good case.

If you would like to read more about his treatment regimen may I suggest Biochemist Dennis Hill, who cured his stage 4 prostate cancer with Cannabis oil, explains how it works. Here is his latest report:

Most recent update from Dennis Hill (2.28.13):

My progress is good. Asked my doctor the meaning of my last three PSAs. He said: The PSA has not risen over 2.4 in nine months, we can presume the cancer is in remission. Music to my ears. Cannabinoid extract wins again. Huzzah!

Who is Dennis Hill?

Biochemist Dennis Hill graduated from the University of Houston and did his Graduate Work at Baylor Medical School. Dennis worked as a Cancer Researcher at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. When Dennis was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer, which had metastasized to other parts of his body, he started researching. Since Dennis has a family history of prostate cancer, and he often witnessed ineffective results while working in cancer research, he felt a new approach was in order.

After researching possible alternatives Dennis ran across information about Rick Simpson using cannabis concentrate, which is an extract of the essential oil which is extracted from marijuana and contains cannabinoids. Simpson was using the oil to treat a wide variety of illness, including cancer. The more Dennis researched, the more he understood how cannabis worked on cancer. He has included 2 papers for the review of anyone interested that go into the science of how cannabis kills cancer.

Marijuana Users Are Thinner And Healthier

Marijuana Smokers Are Thinner And Healthier Than Non-Users.

A recent study published in the Journal of American Medicine has some conclusions that might make marijuana advocates pretty excited. According to the study, the potent plant usually known for causing the munchies might actually help people be thinner. Researchers looked at the effect of the drug on metabolic processes and discovered a correlation between smaller waist circumference and marijuana use.

The results showed that, in addition to being thinner, marijuana users appeared to be more healthy overall than those who have never used marijuana.

With the government taking over healthcare might there come a time when cannabis use is required? Wouldn't that be funny? I'm against forcing people to do anything except leave others alone.

Here is a link to the study: The Impact of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance among US Adults.

Autism and Cannabinoids

A Link Between Autism and Cannabinoids.

Two autism-related mutations in a synapse-adhesion protein lead to deficits in prolonged endocannabinoid signaling in mice. It’s a surprising connection that suggests such signaling problems could be implicated in autism spectrum disorders, according to a paper published today (April 11) in Neuron.

Tonic endocannabinoid signaling is long-lasting and contrasts with the brief pulses characteristic of phasic signaling. Endocannabinoid signaling in general affects memory formation, learning, pain, and other important processes, but the distinctions between tonic and phasic signaling have been poorly understood.

Some videos:








H/T patti is ticked for the link at the top of the page.

Dr. Bob Melamede On How Cannabis Works

How And Why Cannabis Can Cure Cancer

Narrated in part by my old buddy Peter Coyote.

NIH cites from Manuel Guzman.

THCV And Diabetes

From the NIH.

Cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor inverse agonists improve type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia but were discontinued due to adverse psychiatric effects. delta9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is a neutral CB1 antagonist producing hypophagia and body weight reduction in lean mice. We investigated its effects in dietary-induced (DIO) and genetically (ob/ob) obese mice.

First some explanation

Dyslipidemia is an abnormal amount of lipids (e.g. cholesterol and/or fat) in the blood. In developed countries, most dyslipidemias are hyperlipidemias; that is, an elevation of lipids in the blood. This is often due to diet and lifestyle. Prolonged elevation of insulin levels can also lead to dyslipidemia.

Hypophagia is reduced food intake.

OK. How about THCV?


From The Weed Blog:

THCV is found in largest quantities in Cannabis sativa strains. It is currently being developed as a treatment for metabollic disorders including diabetes. THCV has been shown to block the psychoactive effects of THC.

And this might also be helpful: Even More Science Suggesting That Cannabinoids May Halt Diabetes

Update: Rabbi Kahn

NBC News has a report on my old Rabbi who is opening a cannabis dispensary in Washington, D.C.

But not all religious leaders approve of the rabbi's new venture. Some believe marijuana is immoral. Kahn disputes that charge.

"Morality is not part of the issue," Kahn said. "And what we're dealing with here is getting sick people medicine. We're talking about easing suffering."

You can also read about Rabbi Kahn's visit to Rockford.

H/T The Weed Blog which is full of Jewish/cannabis jokes.

Endocannabinoids - Another Video

This one is not quite as technical as some others I have posted.

Obesity And Endocannabinoids

Obesity-driven synaptic remodeling affects endocannabinoid control of orexinergic neurons
Endocannabinoids act retrogradely at presynaptic sites to activate cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) receptors, thereby

inhibiting neurotransmitter release and fine-tuning synaptic transmission. In murine models of obesity with leptin deficiency, we report that orexin-A neurons undergo a shift from predominant control by CB1-expressing excitatory to CB1-expressing inhibitory inputs. In addition, endocannabinoid biosynthesis is increased in these neurons. CB1 activation by endocannabinoids reduces the inhibition of orexinergic neurons in obese mice, thereby enhancing orexin-A release in target brain areas and contributing to hyperphagia and increased body weight, as well as to alterations of hormone levels typical of obesity.

The Daily Mail (UK) has Cannabis-like chemical could help keep couch potatoes slim

A natural cannabis-like chemical in the brain may hold the key to keeping couch potatoes slim, early research suggests.

Scientists in the US found that blocking the compound allowed mice to gorge on high fat food and take little exercise without putting on weight or becoming unhealthy.

The genetically modified animals produced limited amounts of the endocannabinoid 2-AG, a chemical related to the active ingredient in cannabis.

THC and Brain Cancer

Guillermo Velasco and colleagues, at Complutense University, Spain, have provided evidence that suggests that cannabinoids such as the main active component of marijuana (THC) have anticancer effects on human brain cancer cells.

In the study, THC was found to induce the death of various human brain cancer cell lines and primary cultured human brain cancer cells by a process known as autophagy.

Consistent with the in vitro data, administration of THC to mice with human tumors decreased tumor growth and induced the tumor cells to undergo autophagy. As analysis of tumors from two patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (a highly aggressive brain tumor) receiving intracranial THC administration showed signs of autophagy, the authors suggest that cannabinoid administration may provide a new approach to targeting human cancers.

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From the NIH Hypothesis: cannabinoid therapy for the treatment of gliomas?

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Confirmation of the hypothesis: Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells

Autophagy can promote cell survival or cell death, but the molecular basis underlying its dual role in cancer remains obscure. Here we demonstrate that delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component of marijuana, induces human glioma cell death through stimulation of autophagy. Our data indicate that THC induced ceramide accumulation and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) phosphorylation and thereby activated an ER stress response that promoted autophagy via tribbles homolog 3-dependent (TRB3-dependent) inhibition of the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) axis. We also showed that autophagy is upstream of apoptosis in cannabinoid-induced human and mouse cancer cell death and that activation of this pathway was necessary for the antitumor action of cannabinoids in vivo. These findings describe a mechanism by which THC can promote the autophagic death of human and mouse cancer cells and provide evidence that cannabinoid administration may be an effective therapeutic strategy for targeting human cancers.

Full text of the report in pdf

Targeting the Endocannabinoid System to Treat Sepsis

From Signa Vitae:

ABSTRACT

The endocannabinoid system represents a potential therapeutic target in sepsis due to the presence of cannabinoid receptors (CB2) on immune cells. In this review we discuss how various targets within the endocannabinoid system can be manipulated to treat the immune consequences of sepsis. One of the targets outlined are the endocannabinoid receptors and modulation of their activity through pharmacological agonists and antagonists. Another therapeutic target covered in this review is the modulation of the endocannabinoid degradative enzyme’s activity. Modulation of degradative enzyme activity can change the levels of endogenous cannabinoids thereby altering immune activity. Overall, activation of the CB2 receptors causes immunosuppression and can be beneficial during the hyperactivated immune state of sepsis, while suppression of the CB2 receptors may be beneficial during a hypoimmune septic state.

From the beginning of the paper:

Sepsis is a complex immune disorder that can affect the function of almost all organ systems in the body. This disorder is characterised by a malfunctioning immune response to an infection that involves both pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive mediators. This leads to severe damage and failure of vital organs, resulting in patient death (figures 1,2). Sepsis, septic shock, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome are the leading causes of mortality in surgical intensive care unit patients internationally. (1) Within the United States alone, the incidence of sepsis is around 750,000 annually, (2)resulting in more than 200,000 deaths.(3)

Older individuals with fragile immune systems are at a higher risk of developing sepsis after invasive surgical procedures. Concurrently, the proportion of our ageing population has been increasing steadily over the years with 8% of the population being over 60 years old in 1950, 11% in 2009, and predicted to be 22% in 2050. (4) As a result, the incidence of sepsis in North America is projected to rise along with the risk of patient mortality. (2) Unfortunately, current management of sepsis is limited to supportive care, and therapeutic intervention is mainly hindered by the complex pathophysiology and heterogeneous immuno-inflammatory nature of the disease. (5) Although supportive care is beneficial to septic patients, there are no specific therapeutic options available that target the immune system to eliminate septic related mortality. All of these facets have resulted in a significant cost to the heath care system. (2)

The current lack of viable therapeutic treatment options for sepsis underscores our insufficient understanding of this complex disease. The endocannabinoid system, a key regulator of essential physiological functions including the immune system, has recently emerged as a potential therapeutic target for sepsis treatment. The endocannabinoid system acquires its name from the plant Cannabis Sativa, which has been used medically to treat a variety of ailments, as well as recreationally for centuries. Cannabis Sativa contains more than 60 active phytocannabinoids with the primary phytocannabinoid 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), (6) activating both endogenous endocannabinoid receptors. (7)

The conclusion:

Conclusion
The endocannabinoid system modulates the immune response in experimental sepsis. Manipulating the endocannabinoid system may have potential therapeutic benefit in clinical sepsis where immune and inflammatory dysfunction can be detrimental. Multiple targets exist within the endocannabinoid system, e.g. the system can be targeted at the level of receptors by administration of synthetic compounds, similar to the endocannabinoids, which either increase or inhibit receptor activation to provide the desired therapeutic effect. Alternatively, the endogenous enzymes that degrade endocannabinoids or cannabinoid like lipids can also be targeted in order to manipulate the levels of endocannabinoids. Proper identification of the septic stage is crucial to determine the adequate therapeutic response that will be most beneficial. Due to the biphasic nature of sepsis immunopathology, immune suppression through endocannabinoid modulation can help mitigate the hyper-immune response during the early septic state, while immune activation may be beneficial in later stages.

There is more. Go to Signa Vitae and read the rest.

Marijuana Cured My Cancer

Los Angeles City Council member Bill Rosendahl: "I thanked God... ...medical marijuana has saved my life."

I don't understand why the endocannabinoid system isn't better appreciated.

NIH: Endocannabinoids in the immune system and cancer.

Modulation of the endocannabinoid system interferes with cancer cell proliferation either by inhibiting mitogenic autocrine/paracrine loops or by directly inducing apoptosis....

And that is only one cite among thousands.

Go to nih.gov and use their search function to search - endocannabinoid cancer - we know a lot. And we are learning more every day.

H/T The Weed Blog

Endocannabinoids And Autism

New Signaling Pathway found in individuals with Autism.

A recently released study found mutations in individuals with autism that block the action of molecules made by the brain.

The mutations refer to the endocannabinoid signaling pathway that act on the same receptors that are affected by the Marijuana drug. The findings implicate endocannabinoids, in the development of some autism cases and point to potential treatment strategies.

“Endocannabinoids are molecules that are critical regulators of normal neuronal activity and are important for many brain functions,” says first author Dr. Csaba Földy, of Stanford University Medical School. “By conducting studies in mice, we found that neuroligin-3, a protein that is mutated in some individuals with autism, is important for relaying endocannabinoid signals that tone down communication between neurons.”

“These findings point out an unexpected link between a protein implicated in autism and a signaling system that previously had not been considered to be particularly important for autism,” says senior author Dr. Thomas Südhof, also of Stanford. “Thus, the findings open up a new area of research and may suggest novel strategies for understanding the underlying causes of complex brain disorders.”

You can read more here and at Recovery from Autism and at Medical News Today.

Endocannabinoids And Obesity

Here is a report on a study of the endocannabinoid systems and obesity:

A switch that occurs in neurons within the hypothalamus could explain the body’s tendency to maintain higher, undesirable weight levels, rather than an ideal weight, according to new research. The switch involves receptors that trigger or inhibit the release of the orexin A peptide, which stimulates the appetite, among other behaviors.

The team of American and Italian neuroscientists found that in normal-weight mice, activation of this receptor decreases orexin A release. In obese mice, activation of this receptor stimulates orexin A release.

“The striking finding is that you have a massive shift of receptors from one set of nerve endings impinging on these neurons to another set,” says Ken Mackie, M.D., professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington. “Before, activating this receptor inhibited the secretion of orexin; now it promotes it. This identifies potential targets where an intervention could influence obesity.” Dr. Mackie’s team at the Gill Center for Biomolecular Science at IU Bloomington collaborates with Vincenzo Di Marzo, Ph.D.’s team at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Pozzuoli, Italy.

Both teams study the endocannabinoid system, which is composed of receptors and signaling chemicals that occur naturally in the brain and have similarities to the active ingredients in marijuana. This neurochemical system is involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain, mood, stress responses, and memory.

You can read the abstract at NIH: Obesity-driven synaptic remodeling affects endocannabinoid control of orexinergic neurons

Cannabis talk here will lighten up sooner or later

The Rockford Register Star used Cannabis talk here will lighten up sooner or later as the headline for an article to discuss a 4:20 gathering at Whiskey's Roadhouse that I attended. The article discusses the pessimism at the gathering while "everyone" else and especially Colorado is celebrating. I met the reporter at the gathering and discussed with her my interest in endocannabinoids.

Here is an e-mail (slightly amended) I sent her on the article with links added for Rockford For Safe Access.

Georgette,

1. Sick people are dying from lack of medicine - look up - endocannabinoid cancer
2. People are still going to jail for pot crimes - right here in Rockford
3. Medical marijuana is not legal in Illinois - so far only one chamber has passed the bill
4. The number of conditions allowed in the Illinois bill compared to what pot can treat is ridiculous. - The endocannabinoid system is a major regulator in the body implicated in almost all diseases including cancer.
5. There is still a fight on with a certain segment of the population that LOVES persecuting hippies and that segment may be small - but they are in charge. ALL pot users are hippies according to them.
6. How would you like being a Jew in Germany in July of 1944?

There is not much to celebrate here in Illinois. In addition the community here in Rockford - those that come out publicly - are mainly in need of medicine.

You did get that the majority of people at the meeting were very well educated in the science. Excellent. But you presented very little of the science.

If you want to do us some good write about the endocannabinoid system in the body. Write up the NIH (National Institute of health) endocannabinoid cites. Tell people about the Rockford for Safe Access blog. Get your health columnist involved and start educating. Go to any hospital in Rockford and corner a doctor and ask that doctor about the endocannabinoid system.

We are no where near the end of Prohibition. We are not even near the beginning of the end. We may be at the end of the beginning - with a whole host of casualties yet to come. And anyone at that meeting may yet be a casualty. A certain grimness at the meeting? To be sure. There is a LOT of grimness yet to come. The war on Jews (dopers in the common parlance) is not yet over. My Rabbi put it very well - he understands that what he is doing opens him to the power of the law. The Federals are arresting dispensary operators.

You did get lots of column inches. And a heads up (heh) at the top of the front page. Nice. But nothing on the www [the article is now up on the www - link above --> Rockford Register Star]. So what ever good you did with what you wrote is a one day thing. And even that was limited since you made no mention of monthly meetings. I hope to see you at Whiskey's on the second Saturday of the month - 10AM to noon. Saturday 11 May is the next one.

The Discovery of the Endocannabinoid System

I just came across a paper which discusses The Discovery of the Endocannabinoid System. From the opening:

Up until the late 1980s, Cannabis research remained a rather esoteric field involving a small number of scientists in the United States and abroad. Their efforts were circumscribed by the politicized agenda of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, which subsidized studies designed to prove the deleterious effects of cannabis while blocking inquiry into its potential benefits.

Rather than discrediting cannabis, NIDA inadvertently facilitated a series of major discoveries about the workings of the human brain. These breakthroughs —among the most exciting developments in brain chemistry of our time— spawned a revolution in medical science and a profound understanding of health and healing.

“By using a plant that has been around for thousands of years, we discovered a new physiological system of immense importance,” says Raphael Mechoulam, the dean of the transnational cannabinoid research community. “We wouldn’t have been able to get there if we had not looked at the plant.”

In the two decades following the identification and synthesis of THC by Mechoulam and his colleague Y. Gaoni in Israel in 1964, scientists learned a great deal about the pharmacology, biochemistry and clinical effects of cannabis. But no one really knew how it worked — what it actually did inside the brain on a molecular level to alter consciousness, stimulate appetite, dampen nausea, quell seizures, and relieve pain. No one understood how smoked marijuana could stop an asthma attack in seconds, not minutes. No one knew why it lifted one’s mood.

The Connection

This is a piece I wrote in 2006. The links are still good and the "news" could be very helpful to those who need it.

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I wrote an article about a year ago on how marijuana helps those suffering from diabetes and more recently how it helps those suffering from multiple sclerosis. It turns out there is a connection.

In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians.

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas.

Which is amazing. Now what is the connection to MS?

Dr. Dosch had concluded in a 1999 paper that there were surprising similarities between diabetes and multiple sclerosis, a central nervous system disease. His interest was also piqued by the presence around the insulin-producing islets of an "enormous" number of nerves, pain neurons primarily used to signal the brain that tissue has been damaged.

Suspecting a link between the nerves and diabetes, he and Dr. Salter used an old experimental trick -- injecting capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot chili peppers, to kill the pancreatic sensory nerves in mice that had an equivalent of Type 1 diabetes.

"Then we had the biggest shock of our lives," Dr. Dosch said. Almost immediately, the islets began producing insulin normally "It was a shock ? really out of left field, because nothing in the literature was saying anything about this."

It turns out the nerves secrete neuropeptides that are instrumental in the proper functioning of the islets. Further study by the team, which also involved the University of Calgary and the Jackson Laboratory in Maine, found that the nerves in diabetic mice were releasing too little of the neuropeptides, resulting in a "vicious cycle" of stress on the islets.

So the doctor noted a similarity. Which may explain why both MS sufferers and people with Type 1 diabetes report that marijuana helps.

They also discovered that their treatments curbed the insulin resistance that is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, and that insulin resistance is a major factor in Type 1 diabetes, suggesting the two illnesses are quite similar.

While pain scientists have been receptive to the research, immunologists have voiced skepticism at the idea of the nervous system playing such a major role in the disease. Editors of Cell put the Toronto researchers through vigorous review to prove the validity of their conclusions, though an editorial in the publication gives a positive review of the work.

"It will no doubt cause a great deal of consternation," said Dr. Salter about his paper.

The researchers are now setting out to confirm that the connection between sensory nerves and diabetes holds true in humans. If it does, they will see if their treatments have the same effects on people as they did on mice.

This is great news for the very near future if the research pans out. In the mean time for those of you waiting for new treatments to come on the market, I'll give you some adivice I was given a long time ago in the military while we were taking a break, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em." It just might help.

Amy at Diabetes Mine has more. Especially read the comments.

H/T Kesher Talk

Update: 21 Dec'06 0327z

More details on the research.

Medical Dictionary

I'm going to be posting to this link various medical terms in alphabetical order. There are a LOT of them in what I have been posting. If I miss one give me a heads up.


A
Autophagy - Autophagy (or autophagocytosis) is the basic catabolic mechanism that involves cell degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components

C
Catabolic - The metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, often resulting in a release of energy.

D
Dyslipidemia is an abnormal amount of lipids (e.g. cholesterol and/or fat) in the blood. In developed countries, most dyslipidemias are hyperlipidemias; that is, an elevation of lipids in the blood. This is often due to diet and lifestyle. Prolonged elevation of insulin levels can also lead to dyslipidemia.

G
Glioblastoma multiforme - the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans

H
Hyperphagia - Abnormally increased appetite for and consumption of food

Hypophagia is reduced food intake.

I
Ischemia - a restriction in blood supply to tissues

L
Lipid - Lipids constitute a group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The main biological functions of lipids include energy storage, signaling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes.[4][5]

M
Murine - relating to mice

N
Nociceptive - causing or reacting to pain

R
Reperfusion - Reperfusion injury is the tissue damage caused when blood supply returns to the tissue after a period of ischemia or lack of oxygen.

CBDs and Breast Cancer

Sean McAllister, PhD said: "CBD could spell the end of breast cancer".

delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a mixed CB1 and CB2 receptor agonist, is the primary active constituent of Cannabis sativa and is currently being used in a clinical trial for the treatment of aggressive recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Cannabinoids are also being used in clinical trials for purposes unrelated to their direct anticancer activity. The compounds have been reported to be well tolerated during chronic oral and systemic administration. In addition to delta9-THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG) are also present in reasonable quantities in Cannabis. CBN has low affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors, whereas the non-psychotropic cannabinoids, CBD and CBG, have negligible affinity for the cloned receptors. We have determined that these additional cannabinoids are also effective and inhibiting aggressive cancers. Importantly, we have discovered in vitro that a synergistic increase in the antiproliferative and apoptotic activity of cannabinoids can be produced by combining specific ratios of CB1 and CB2 receptors agonists with non-psychotropic cannabinoids.

We are currently determining the molecular mechanism that may explain the synergistic increase in anticancer activity that is observed with the combination treatments. We are also studying whether this combination strategy will lead to greater antitumor activity in vivo.

In addition to the combination therapy project, we are working in collaboration with Dr. Pierre Desprez to develop novel inhibitors of Id-1 using cannabinoid compounds. Id-1 is a helix-loop-helix protein that acts as an inhibitor of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that control cell differentiation, development and carcinogenesis. Past research of Id-1 expression in normal and cancerous breast cells, as well as in mouse mammary glands and in human breast cancer biopsies, demonstrated that increased Id-1 expression was associated with a proliferative and invasive phenotype. Specifically, it was found that Id-1 was constitutively expressed at a high level in aggressive breast cancer cells and human biopsies, and that aggressiveness was reverted in vitro and in vivo when Id-1 expression was targeted using antisense technology. Importantly, we have recently discovered that CBD, a nontoxic cannabinoid that lacks psychoactivity, can inhibit Id-1 gene expression in metastatic breast cancer cells and consequently their aggressive phenotype. The down-regulation of expression was the result of the inhibition of the endogenous Id-1 promoter and corresponding mRNA and protein levels. CBD and compounds based off of its structure can therefore potentially be used as therapeutic agents. CBD also inhibits breast cancer metastasis in vivo.

H/T High on Health: CBD in the Food Supply

The Pain In The Brain

I just learned something new today about pain (April 2007). What I learned is that Arthritis pain is processed in the brain's 'fear center'.

Researchers at The University of Manchester have discovered that arthritis pain, unlike that induced as part of an experiment, is processed in the parts of the brain concerned with emotions and fear.

So repeated pain trains you. It causes your experience of pain to be more painful. Which is a good thing since it will tend to reduce the stress on the areas in pain. The more it hurts the less you use it.

"We thought that arthritic and acute experimental pain would be processed within the same areas of the pain matrix," Dr Kulkarni continued. "But, although both activated both the medial and lateral pain systems, arthritic pain prompted increased activity in the cingulate cortex, thalamus and amygdala within the medial system - the areas concerned with processing fear, emotions and aversive conditioning.

"This suggests that arthritic pain has more emotional salience than experimental pain for these patients, which is consistent with the unpleasantness scores they themselves gave. The increased activity in the areas associated with aversive conditioning, reward and fear, which are less commonly activated during experimental pain, suggests they might be processing fear of further injury and disability associated with the arthritic pain."

This is very important because I think fear, if it reaches a high enough level, is experienced as pain. On top of that it is likely that extreme fear memories can be experienced as pain as well.

Which points out something another study looks at. Fear memories are at the heart of PTSD as I discussed in PTSD and the Endocannabinoid System. One of the keys tying this all together is this study: Fear memories, the amygdala, and the CB1 receptor. It turns out that cannabinoids are a part of this signaling mechanism and that the strength of the signal is in part genetically determined.

All this corroborates what I have been saying for years. The idea that "drugs cause addiction" is superstition. People in chronic pain chronically take drugs for pain relief. It doesn't matter if the pain is from a broken bone or rape memories. The same drugs work to provide relief.

The drug war is a persecution of people in pain.

CB2

I was searching the www for material to back up

Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.

and came across this.

Changes in endocannabinoid levels and/or CB2 receptor expressions have been reported in almost all diseases affecting humans,[34] ranging from cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, bone, skin, autoimmune, lung disorders to pain and cancer. The prevalence of this trend suggests that modulating CB2 receptor activity by either selective CB2 receptor agonists or inverse agonists/antagonists depending on the disease and its progression holds unique therapeutic potential for these pathologies [34]

A crime against humanity might be too mild.

I spend some time every day at The Weed Blog and usually pass by their reviews of different strains of pot. I thought their differentiating the different stains by the diseases they were good for was nuts. Pot is pot. After reading the above article in its entirety I have changed my mind. Adjusting the cannabinoid ratios to fit the disease fits in well with what we know about the CB1 system and CB2 system in the body.

I have a few 5 or 6 minute videos up on the subject: CBD Science - HPLC Analysis which explains how the various cannabinoids work for those who need to rebalance them in their bodies. It discusses how different marijuana strains work to deal with different imbalances.

Endocannabinoids And Inflamed Wound Pain

Before you can understand the abstract you must know that "nociceptive" means pain.

... platelet by-products containing factors physiologically involved in wound healing, have been successfully used in the form of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for the topical therapy of various clinical conditions since it produces an improvement in tissue repair as well as analgesic effects. Measurement of endocannabinoids and related compounds in PRP showed a significant amount of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, palmitoylethanolamide and oleoylethanolamide. Investigation of the activity of PRP on the keratinocyte cell line NCTC2544 in physiological and inflammatory conditions showed that, under inflammatory conditions, PRP induced in a statistically significant manner the production of these compounds by the cells suggesting that PRP might induce the production of these analgesic mediators particularly in the physiologically inflamed wounded tissue. Studies in a mouse model of acute inflammatory pain induced by formalin injection demonstrated a potent anti-nociceptive effect against both early and late nocifensive responses. This effect was observed following intra-paw injection of: 1) total PRP; 2) lipids extracted from PRP; 3) an endocannabinoid-enriched lipid fraction of PRP. In all conditions, antagonists of endocannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, if injected in the paw, abrogated the anti-nociceptive effects strongly suggesting for this preparation a peripheral mechanism of action. In conclusion, we showed that PRP and PRP lipid extract exert a potent anti-nociceptive activity linked, at least in part, to their endocannabinoids and related compounds content, and to their capability of elevating the levels of these lipid mediators in cells.

Translation: endocannabinoids (and by extension cannabinoids) that shut down CB1 and CB2 receptors (antagonists) relieve pain caused by wound inflammation.

Endocannabinoids And Cancer

Some new research on cannabis and cancer.

The endocannabinoid system, comprising lipid-derived endocannabinoids, their G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and the enzymes for their metabolism, is emerging as a promising therapeutic target in cancer.

Which more or less confirms what we already know from anecdote.

Medical Marijuana Coming To Illinois - The Major Papers Chime In

The Chicago Sun Times has an editorial about Medical Cannabis.

After years of near-misses, medical marijuana finally may be coming to Illinois.

It is about time. Past time.

Advocates have tried to legalize medical marijuana here for years. They’ve finally constructed a bill that is sufficiently strict enough — the strictest in the nation, apparently. This leaves opponents without the wiggle room they’ve long relied on to avoid supporting a bill that would bring relief to seriously ill people.

The Chicago Tribune has an editorial about Medical Cannabis.

In 1976, the idea that marijuana could be a medicine was generally taken as laughable. Then a glaucoma patient named Robert Randall won a court ruling that he needed the drug to keep from going blind. His case started a movement that could finally make headway here.

The Journal-Standard has an editorial about Medical Cannabis.

If you have a loved one who is seriously ill you want that person to have access to any medication that can alleviate pain.

In 18 states and the District of Columbia that includes marijuana. Illinois could join those states if House Bill 1, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, finally is approved.

We think it’s long past time for Illinois to legalize medical marijuana.

Illinois lawmakers have discussed and voted on medical cannabis legislation for years, but a bill never has passed both chambers of the General Assembly. After every failure, lawmakers have increased the number of restrictions in the bill.

And our local Rockford Register Star? So far missing in action. Although I did get interviewed by Georgette Braun at the recent NORML gathering at Whiskey's Roadhouse on 20 April. We shall see.

H/T The Weed Blog.

Enocannabinoids, Omega 3s, And Crime

A few days ago I ran into an interesting paper on omega 3 fatty acids, endocannabinoids and crime. I had been meaning to blog it and so here it is.

Recent findings suggest that some criminal and aggressive behaviors are closely correlated with low serum omega-3 levels, which are linked to lower levels of altruism, honesty, and self-discipline. (13) These effects may be related to alterations in serotonin turnover, which controls impulsivity and aggression-hostility behaviors. (13)

There's solid data indicating that optimal omega-3 intake at all ages is a promising avenue for subduing aggression and hostility. (20), (21) For example, 1.5 grams of omega-3 supplementation (containing 840 mg EPA and 700 mg of DHA) in autistic children with severe tantrums, aggression, or self-injurious behavior produced significant improvements compared with placebo, without adverse effects. (22) And stressed but otherwise healthy volunteers given 1,500 mg/day of DHA reported a significantly improved rate of stress reduction compared to a no-treatment group, suggesting an adaptogenic role for omega-3s (adaptogens help the body respond to imposed stress in a variety of ways). (23)

Very interesting but what does this have to do with endocannabinoids? The body needs Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in oder to synthesize the body's own cannabinoids.

Endocannabinoids are synthesized from essential fatty acids – specifically from the Omega-6 fatty acid -aracidonic acid (AA). Since essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized in our bodies, we need AA in our diet to synthesize the eCB anandamide. Dietary supplementation with AA increases levels of anandamide and another eCB, 2-acyl-glycerol (2-AG)...

And that is not all.

Approximately 8% of the brain's weight is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids (3)--the building block for an estimated 100 billion neurons. (4) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) play a host of vital roles in neuronal structure and function, protecting them from oxidative damage, inflammation, and the cumulative destruction inflicted by other chronic insults. (5), (6)

Embedded in the omega-3-rich neuronal membrane are numerous proteins and complex molecules required for electrochemical transmission and signal reception. (4) Scientists have recently shown that the precise balance of fatty acids in brain cells helps determine whether a given nerve cell will be protected against injury or inflammation, or whether it will instead succumb to the injury. (7)

Omega-3s accumulate in the human brain during fetal development. The amount of the omega-3 DHA has been closely tied to intelligence and cognitive performance in infancy and childhood. (8) But the omega-3 content of brain cell membranes involved in essential memory-processing areas diminishes with advancing age and in certain chronic brain disorders. (9)

These findings have led scientists to suspect a role for omega-3 deterioration in development of typical age-related cognitive decline such as that seen in Alzheimer's and chronic disease. (10)

So could our diets be implicated in our dis ease?

Over the course of human evolution there has been a dramatic change in the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fats consumed in the diet. This change, perhaps more than any other dietary factor, has contributed to the epidemic of modern disease.

Throughout 4-5 million years of hominid evolution, diets were abundant in seafood and other sources of omega-3 long chain fatty acids (EPA & DHA), but relatively low in omega-6 seed oils.

Anthropological research suggests that our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of roughly 1:1. It also indicates that both ancient and modern hunter-gatherers were free of the modern inflammatory diseases, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, that are the primary causes of death and morbidity today.

At the onset of the industrial revolution (about 140 years ago), there was a marked shift in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in the diet. Consumption of n-6 fats increased at the expense of n-3 fats. This change was due to both the advent of the modern vegetable oil industry and the increased use of cereal grains as feed for domestic livestock (which in turn altered the fatty acid profile of meat that humans consumed).

Which leads me to ask - is the consumption of cannabis (other than for medical use) caused by poor diets?

So what is a good way to balance the omega 3s vs the omega 6s? Hemp oil.

A noteworthy feature of hemp seed oil is the ratio between the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids it contains. Most experts agree, reports Elson Haas, M.D., in his book "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," that the best ratio of dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ranges from 2:1 to 4:1. In hemp seed oil, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is about 3:1, or maybe slightly less, depending on the plant variety, notes Leson. This favorable ratio helps to compensate, at least partially, for the general overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids in the typical American diet.

Here is a look at the American diet today with respect to omega 3s and 6s.

...before trans fats and processed foods were added to our diets, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats was about 4:1—a ratio associated with a 70% decrease in total mortality rate in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.1

Today, one study found that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats consumed was closer to 16:1.1 Other researchers say that the typical American diet contains 11-30 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fats.2 And in a study of asthmatic patients, a 10:1 ratio was associated with adverse consequences.1

So it’s clear that, to stay healthy, we need to balance our consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. One expert suggests a 1:1 ratio—and never more than 2:1.(3)

What I find interesting is that we may have a generation or three dependent on cannabis due to dietary deficiencies. And those deficiencies may not be reversible. The only thing to do about it - other than changing the laws to stop arresting people - is to pay better attention to child nutrition starting with prenatal care. It is no good just seeing that mothers have enough to eat. We have to make sure (as best as we can without a police state) that they are eating the right stuff.

Here is another good resource on the subject which translates some of the medical talk into more easily understood words.

Medical Marijuana Is Coming To Illinois

The Illinois Medical Marijuana House Bill HB1 has passed. The Illinois Senate needs a companion bill.

Passage of HB1 by the House comes only a day after nearly 250 Illinois physicians pledged their support for legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Three physicians held a press conference Tuesday, calling on policymakers to push through legislation. Further indication that state officials are simply catching up with medical science and popular will was found in a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll released in February, showing that more than 63 percent of Illinois voters support the legalization of medical marijuana.

The vote was 61 to 57. The Reps. have been juggling for weeks in order to get enough votes for passage.

The Illinois Senate needs to pass a bill. It did pass a bill in 2009 but the House side failed to pass one.

Contract your State Senator and ask that person to support a medical marijuana bill. Here is an interactive map of State Senator districts. After you find your district you can find a list of State Senators with their district here.

You can read the bill at House Bill One.

FDA To Study Cannabis For PTSD

The video is not directly applicable to the subject at hand. It does feature one of the premier researchers in the field, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, who's work I discussed in a 2006 article PTSD and the Endocannabinoid System.

So what about the FDA?

PTSD is an extremely difficult medical condition to treat, and it currently effects around 7.8 percent of Americans. It is caused by exposure to dangerous and highly stressful situations, which can result in lasting symptoms that include disturbing flashbacks, distressful emotions, panic attacks, and nightmares.

On April 28th the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted MAPS' protocol design for their study of cannabis as a treatment for symptoms of PTSD in war veterans. This approval from the FDA represents another important step forward in PTSD research, although there is still a major hurdle to overcome before the research can actually begin. The FDA stated that MAPS’ current protocol successfully addresses all of their concerns, as long as the researchers can obtain cannabis for the study.

There is one slight problem. They have to get the marijuana from the government. And the government doesn't like to give pot to researchers who might undermine the drug war. There is a lot of money and a lot of jobs riding on the continuation of the drug war.

There is an interesting statistic in the above article excerpt. The statistic? About 7.8% of all Americans have PTSD. What is 7.8% of 310 million? About 24 million. That is right in line with government estimates that there are 30 million regular pot users in America. As I have been saying for years. The drug war is how we in America punish the traumatized. Like war veterans.

But the pot-versus-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder study is not happening yet.

According to California-based MAPS, the notoriously finicky National Institute on Drug Abuse -- apparently the only place to get legal weed for a federally approved study -- has to agree to sell some pot to researchers.

Sounds to us like MAPS isn't optimistic. It calls NIDA "a very different agency with explicitly political motivations and a monopoly on marijuana for research."

The study would ponder whether cannabis "can help reduce PTSD symptoms in fifty veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

There is anecdotal evidence from Omaha in the efficacy of pot for PTSD.

The focus, they say, is marijuana's medical abilities and why anyone who's sick should be free to use it.

"I don't need to medicate with pharmaceutical drugs that make me feel nauseous or sick. It alleviates all of my symptoms of PTSD," says Diana Wulf.

I guess I should explain how we got tens of millions of pot users when we only have a few million veterans of combat. Child abuse.

That is not the only drug used to treat PTSD according to Oprah Magazine MDMA more commonly known by its street name Ecstasy can also be useful.

On a February day in 2005, Sarah is reclining on a futon beneath a skylight, with Michael and Ann Mithoefer seated on either side of her. A half-hour earlier, Sarah swallowed a yellow capsule containing 125 milligrams of MDMA, and relaxing instrumental music plays softly as she waits, eyes closed, for the drug to take hold. The first signs are ripples of nausea—she thinks she might throw up, yet she also senses her body relaxing. The usual ringing in her ears vanishes. "That constant hyperawareness of my environment—it was receding," she says now.

At this point, she heard "the grinding of a pen." The sound of the nib bearing down on the page was magnified, "like it was hurting the paper, beating and pounding on it," Sarah recalls. In the alternate reality of MDMA, she says, "I thought Michael was drawing circles around me, making fun of me, laughing at me. I felt the anger rising in my body. I opened my eyes and—he was just sitting there, taking notes."

It was an epiphany. "That's the moment when I discovered that my perception and reality were not always the same," Sarah recalls. She'd assumed that her caretaker was jeering at her, that she was an object of scorn and derision—a painful conditioned response imprinted by an abusive childhood. Sarah always had an intellectual grasp of how her early years had shaped her, "but this was physiological," she recalls. "That's when I knew I had to repair the connections, the chemicals that had gotten all screwed up when I was a kid."

So what about all the horror stories we hear about long term MDMA use? Bunk according to a study funded by one agency of our very own government.

New research suggests that the drug Ecstasy -- used on its own -- does not have residual effects on brain performance, according to a study published this week in the journal Addiction.

The Santa Cruz-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies [MAPS -ed] contributed $15,000 for an initial 2004 study on Ecstasy use. That work led to a $1.8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that was spearheaded by John Halpern of Harvard Medical School.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies has been conducting research on potential use of Ecstasy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, and researchers said the new study likely would prompt more research and understanding of the drug.

So will we ever treat drugs rationally? Not as long as there is so much money in it. There are tens of billions maybe hundreds of billions to be made from exploiting the traumatized. Best yet we have convinced most of them and the vast majority of Americans that it is their own fault. Drugs are bad don't you know? Well I don't know it. What i know is that some people chronically take pain relievers for chronic pain. A pain in the brain so there are rarely any wounds to validate the pain. So we don't have armies of traumatized people in America. We have dirty drug fiends who deserve what ever punishments that can be meted out to them.

Here is one doctors take on all that.

No recruit ever considered that basic training would be easy, and in a time of war, they quickly discover that combat is a far cry from Hollywood’s portrayal. Reality is what it is. Dr. Phil Leveque knows this to be true. He served in the US Army and lived through World War II- and bears the scars within to this day.

“We were psychologically and physically stretched beyond normal limits and many recruits died. A bunch more were permanently psychologically damaged and the end result was PTSD even during training.”

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder which can occur after witnessing or experiencing even one traumatic event, especially when it involves injury or death, or the threat thereof, so being in a war takes that trauma to new levels. It is important to note that PTSD can be, and usually is, a long term/lifetime problem.

A recent report estimated that up to 40% of the Middle East veterans would be victims of combination of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Maybe more.

As a regular general practice physician and later as a marijuana doctor, Dr. Leveque saw the devastating results of the effects on veterans for generations.

Frequently, during the post-trauma time, with no better idea at hand, Dr. Leveque says that many PTSD patients discover that alcohol “drowns ones sorrows”.

Also during this post-trauma time, some caregiver will say to himself,”let’s treat this patient’s PTSD” and here come a mélange of medications. The various and numerous treatments leave very much to be desired; in fact their treatments have far more failures than successes.

“Those same pseudo-doctors and paper-pushers decry the use of marijuana,” says Dr. Leveque. “The veterans use it preferentially, to the zombifying and/or addicting drugs prescribed wholesale by those ’caregivers’, who then blame the victim for using a medication which works: Marijuana.” Dr. Leveque was convinced that there was a better way. And in the state of Oregon, it was so.

“I was asked by a healthcare professional at the Portland VA Hospital if I would help PTSD Veteran Victims to get permits to use legalized medical marijuana. I already had some Veteran patients from WWII, Korea and Vietnam, so I obliged.

“Within two weeks I had more than 50 Nam Vets requesting my help. As part of their medical history I asked what previous medicines they had been given or prescribed.

“There were two main types: strong pain killers (like Oxycontin, Morphine and every related pain killer), and anti-depressants.

“I was flabbergasted to read the anti-depressant list of many patients; Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, on through the whole list of about 12; but nothing shocked me like the dangers they admit to! The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says they can cause very bad adverse side effects including anxiety, depression, addiction, severe withdrawal, homicidal rage and suicide.”

It makes one wonder why they should be given to a psychologically fragile PTSD patient.

I wrote an article on why the pharmaceutical companies might be anti-pot back in 2002 in my article Addiction or Self Medication? In it I said:

It turns out that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in the United States. They are worth $46 billion a year to the pharmaceutical industry. You don't suppose this fact has any thing to do with the pharmaceutical industries being in the forefront of the Drug Free America campaign do you? Of course not. They are just trying to keep you from being addicted to natural products at the cost of 1/10th of a cent per dose when they are more than willing to sell you an FDA and doctor approved, pharmacy sold product that will do the job for a dollar a dose. They have only your best interests at heart. Just ask their accountants.

I have been looking around and what do you know? The above video might be relevant after all according to this article on the forthcoming MAPS study.

The study also calls for veterans to smoke weed with differing levels of active cannabinoids THC and CBD to determine if one, the other, or a balance of both proves more effective. Veterans will also either smoke or vaporize the plant to better test effects from different administrations of the drug.

Doblin said he was surprised that the FDA approved the study. He did not think the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) had the appropriate CBD-rich pot for the study, and that would force the FDA to reject it. NIDA controls the one federally legal pot farm in the nation, which is based in Mississippi and provides government-grown pot to a handful of federal patients, as well as researchers approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

But if history is any guide, NIDA will ultimately block the FDA-approved study from ever happening, said Doblin. NIDA must approve all research on pot, and their political goal is to ensure it never becomes legal, he said. NIDA states on its web site that it believes smoked marijuana is not a medicine, despite more than three thousand years of recorded medicinal use.

We have a government that is actively working against the American people and for the cartels - legal and illegal. So what else is new?

What can be done about all this? Gary Johnson for President. And guess what? Willie Nelson endorses Johnson. I think that speaks for itself. But how about a few words from the article?

Ron Paul has classified marijuana as a states' rights issue; Johnson, on the other hand, calls for outright legalization

I like Ron Paul on quite a few issues but he is so last century. A man once ahead of his time who is now falling behind the times. Good. Because I'm tired of a drug war that finances criminals at home and terrorists abroad. Not to mention punishing the traumatized.

Cannabinoid System in Neuroprotection

 
Professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Mechoulam gives a brief history of Medical Cannabis, then describes the role of Cannabinoids as anti-inflammatory for arthritis, as neuroprotectant for brain injury and as a possible treatment for PTSD. Dr. Mechoulam first isolated THC in 1964.

Marijuana IS Medicine

I recently posted some videos about marijuana as medicine. I got some criticism saying that the usefulness of marijuana for so many conditions was unbelievable. I will do some more posting including some articles that I haven't yet cross posted here. But I thought it might be worthwhile to do a links mostly post to familiarize people unaware of the vast literature currently available on the subject. First some educational links that explain why cannabis is useful in the treatment of so many conditions.

Cannabinoids "The current understanding recognizes the role that endocannabinoids play in almost every major life function in the human body."

Endocannabinoid system

Anandamide

Cannabinoid receptor

There is enough material there to keep you busy for a few hours. Or a few years. Depending.

Cannabis, Diabetes, and Multiple Sclerosis

The War On Cancer Patients

Conditions treatable by cannabis with links to the medical literature.

Marijuana for Chronic Pain

DEA Judge Rules On Medical Marijuana. The Judge says, "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."

PTSD and the Endocannabinoid System

Marijuana Reduces Some Cancer Risks says the The National Institute of Health (NIH)

Marijuana may protect against lung cancer and cure brain tumors. "In 1976 Gerald Ford forbade the US Government's sponsorship of any public research on marijuana and its effect on cancer."

Marijuana Stops Lung Cancer

Marijuana and colon cancer

That ought to keep you busy for a few more hours.

Update: NIH - Cannabinoids and Cancer

NIH - Cannabinoids and Heart Disease

I particularly liked this one: CB(2) cannabinoid receptor activation is cardioprotective in a mouse model of ischemia/reperfusion. Translation: if you are predisposed to heart disease regular cannabis use may improve your odds of living.

Patients Out Of Time

Patients Out of Time is pleased to be a contributer to Len Richmond's important new film, "What if Cannabis Cured Cancer", which features video of Raphael Mechoulam, PhD and Robert Melamede, PhD from our 2004 National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics. Patients Out Of Time - cancer

Nice video on the endocannabinoid system here FDA To Study Cannabis For PTSD. Here is the video:

Cannabis For Life Extension

I knew the narrator Peter Coyote back in the day.

Patients Out Of Time - medicalcannabis.com

Patients Out of Time is pleased to be a contributer to Len Richmond's important new film, "What If Cannabis Cured Cancer", which features video of Raphael Mechoulam, PhD and Robert Melamede, PhD from our 2004 National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics. Patients Out Of Time - cancer

Here are some text resources:

NIH - Cannabinoids and Cancer

NIH - Cannabinoids and Heart Disease

Also see Marijuana IS Medicine for more links.

That should give you some resources for further research.

Holistic Biochemistry of Cannabinoids

 
Not too difficult technically

CBD Science - HPLC Analysis

I used to do electronics design for and also some assembly work on HPLC equipment for Chromatronix in Berkeley, CA. About '67.

SC Laboratories.

A video about HPLC, which when I worked in the field was High Pressure Liquid Chromatography.


Another CBD video. delta9-THC - appetite enhancer. Lists a number of uses for the compound and side effects. Dr Raphael Mechoulam is the Israeli doctor who discovered delta9-THC.


CB2

Changes in endocannabinoid levels and/or CB2 receptor expressions have been reported in almost all diseases affecting humans,[34] ranging from cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, bone, skin, autoimmune, lung disorders to pain and cancer. The prevalence of this trend suggests that modulating CB2 receptor activity by either selective CB2 receptor agonists or inverse agonists/antagonists depending on the disease and its progression holds unique therapeutic potential for these pathologies [34]

Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.

Pass it on.

Update: A different CBD - cannabidiol.


Also see this post CBD - Chalotte's Web.

Update: 20 Feb 2013 1741z

The electronic side of HPLC analysis.

Endocannabinoids And Cancer - NIH Publication

I came across this from the NIH this morning.

The endocannabinoid system consists of an array of endogenously produced bioactive lipids that activate cannabinoid receptors. Although the primary focus of endocannabinoid biology has been on neurological and psychiatric effects, recent work has revealed several important interactions between the endocannabinoid system and cancer. Several different types of cancer have abnormal regulation of the endocannabinoid system that contributes to cancer progression and correlates to clinical outcomes. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system by pharmacological agents in various cancer types reveals that it can mediate antiproliferative and apoptotic effects by both cannabinoid receptor-dependent and -independent pathways. Selective agonists and antagonists of the cannabinoid receptors, inhibitors of endocannabinoid hydrolysis, and cannabinoid analogs have been utilized to probe the pathways involved in the effects of the endocannabinoid system on cancer cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, adhesion, and invasion. The antiproliferative and apoptotic effects produced by some of these pharmacological probes reveal that the endocannabinoid system is a promising new target for the development of novel chemotherapeutics to treat cancer.

Whew. Well that is going to require a translation. The short version - cannabinoids that increase or decrease activity of the cannabinoid receptors can cure cancer. They do this by preventing cancer cells from dividing, from moving around in the body (metastasis), from adhering to body tissue, and a number of other things cancer cells do in the body.

Obviously a look at chemotherapeutics is in order. Here is a video narrated by Peter Coyote (a friend in a different life over 40 years ago) posted here previously but I'm doing it again because it fits:
 
What if Cannabis Cures Cancer? 

 

Cannabis Cures Cancer! Rick Simpson: Run From The Cure
Here is Rick Simpson's site Phoenix Tears.

Things have come a ways since Rick made the video in 2008. We now know that different ratios of he different cannabinoids in the cannabis plant have different effects. Some enhance receptor operation some suppress it. Thus different strains of cannabis will have varying efficacy depending on what you want to use it for. I go into that some at: CBD Science - HPLC Analysis.

This may also be helpful: Endocannabinoids - The Science. The endocannabinoid system is a major regulator in the body implicated in almost all diseases including cancer.

How To Make Cannabis Oil

Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.

Pass it on.

Update: Spanish study confirms cannabis oil cures cancer. Lots of text and video. Plus good comments. You can find papers by Dr. Manuel Guzman at this NIH link.

Heart Surgeon Discusses Medical Marijuana

Medical cannabis for stroke.

Dr. David Allen says: "Cannabis is an essential part of the human diet."

Medical Marijuana prohibition is a crime against humanity and a violation of the religious precept - heal the sick.

Dr. Allen on Facebook.

Endocannabinoid Receptors

About two minutes. If you want some text to go with it may I suggest: Endocannabinoids The Science. Heart surgeon Dr. David Allen considers cannabis an essential nutrient for heart health. This video is a layman's view of the subject.

An interesting fact from the video: There are more cannabinoid receptors in the body than any other receptor type.

Endocannabinoid Videos

The above video is suitable for pre-med students.

The above video is also suitable for pre-med students.

Visualization of the Endocannabinoid System was a 2011 Master’s Research Project by Leanne Chan.
Also have a look at Endocannabinoid Science which is not quite so technical.

Who In Their Right Mind?

 
Who in their right mind would outlaw an anti-aging drug that kills cancer and is found in mother’s milk?

Dr. Robert Melamede Associate Professor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, discussing cannabis/marijuana.
 

Illinois HB1 Needs Your Support

The Illinois Medical Marijuana Bill - HB1 needs your support.

If you live in the Rockford area Chuck Jefferson is probably your representative. Contact him through the link.

If you live elsewhere in Illinois here is a list of Representatives with their districts - contact information is a click away. You can find your district with this interactive map.

Rabbi Kahn In Rockford

Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn was interviewed by WREX TV. I had the great honor of meeting him at Friday night services and at a Saturday afternoon symposium.

You can read more about the Rabbi here: Rabbi Jeffrey Kahn

and here:

DC Medical Marijuana Rabbi Comes To Rockford.

The Rabbi discussed Medical Marijuana and how as a clinic operator he might be incarcerated by the Obama administration for operating a dispensary. As happened to Aaron Sandusky who is serving a 10 year sentence under Federal law for operating a dispensary.

The Rabbi was most engaging and discussed a number of topics including Harvard Professor Lester Grinspoon and how he got involved with medical marijuana.

Visit Rockford For Safe Access which is working to make medical marijuana a reality in Illinois and specifically Rockford.

Update: 27 April 2013 1242z

NBC Washington has an article up with this quote:

But not all religious leaders approve of the rabbi's new venture. Some believe marijuana is immoral. Kahn disputes that charge.

"Morality is not part of the issue," Kahn said. "And what we're dealing with here is getting sick people medicine. We're talking about easing suffering."

Should Grandma Smoke Pot?

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