Medical Marijuana

Finally, some doctors have been given the OK to research something that could potentially help thousands of people, including children, world wide. The doctors in the UK have been allowed to start trails for the drug Epidiolex, for the very first time since there were promising trials released in the US. The treatment doesn’t contain any of the psychoactive ingredients of cannabis which cause the high. The medicine can reduce both the frequency and severity of seizures in children. 

 

 

“Many children with serious forms of epilepsy do not respond to the medications that we currently have available. We need new means of treating these conditions so that we can give back some quality of life to these children and their families,” says Dr. Richard Chin, a doctor at the Maxwell Epilepsy Center. Dr. Richard Maxwell, director of the Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centere said that the trials would only involve those children that didn’t respond to the existing medications. The trials will also involve a control group given a placebo. 

 

 

The focus of the study will be primarily on a potentially deadly form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. This affliction causes prolonged seizures that can cause other seizure types that hamper the development of the child. In some cases, it can even cause death. After the study with the children suffering from Dravet Syndrome is completed, there will be a second phase of children that will undergo the tests that have Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. 

 

 

Epiodiolex is based on the compound of cannabis known as CBD. It was developed by the British biotechnology company GW Pharmaceuticals, who is also responsible for funding and sponsoring the entire trial. The Royal Hospital For Sick Children in Glasgow and the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool are also pushing the study. There are more centers that are working towards doing the same research in the US, Poland, and France. With 40,000 children in the UK suffering from epilepsy, let’s keep our fingers crossed that these studies yield a glimmer of hope for these children and their families. 

What Is The Difference Between Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) And Cannabidiol (CBD)?

The cannabis plant contains dozens of cannabinoids. The most well known cannabinoid for a long time has been tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but as more scientific research is conducted involving cannabis and its ability to be used as a medicine, more and more people are learning about other cannabinoids, expecially cannabidiol (CBD). The last couple of years interest in CBD has grown exponentially, as it’s been featured on numerous television episodes showing how well it works in treating people who suffer from severe epilepsy. One of the most common questions I get asked these days is ‘what is the difference between THC and CBD?’

 

The most important thing that I try to get people to grasp is that THC will get you high (assuming you consume enough of it) and CBD will not. THC has psychoactive properties that affect your brain and give you a ‘buzz’ while CBD does not. I have talked to many, many people that avoided medical cannabis at all costs simply and only because they didn’t want to be high all the time. Once they understand that there are dozens of cannabinoids, and that they all don’t get you stoned (specifically CBD), they are much more open to the idea of trying medical cannabis.

 

A brief description of THC is below, via Wikipedia:

 

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or more precisely its main isomer (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( (6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), is the principal psychoactive constituent (or cannabinoid) of the cannabis plant. First isolated in 1964 by Israeli scientists Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni at the Weizmann Institute of Science[8][9][10] it is a water-clear glassy solid when cold, which becomes viscous and sticky if warmed.

 

A brief explanation of CBD is below, via Project CBD:

 

Cannabidiol — CBD— is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. The fact that CBD-rich cannabis doesn’t get one high makes it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and/or anti-spasm effects without troubling lethargy or dysphoria.

 

To sum up, if you want to get high, consume strains or products made from strains that are high in THC. If you don’t want to get high, but want to still get the medical benefits of cannabis, consume strains or products made from strains that are high in CBD. Be aware that all cannabinoids (THC, CBD, and beyond) have a medical benefit, and it’s important to research which strains contain which levels of cannabinoids, and what cannabinoids are best suited for the particular conditions you are trying to treat. I will be writing more articles moving forward on what strains work best for what conditions.

 

It’s worth noting that just because someone claims that ‘X’ strain is known to have a certain percentage of THC and CBD, doesn’t mean that every plant ever produced of that strain will always have those percentages and ratios of THC and CBD. Different grow methods and factors can change those levels, so always make sure what you are buying has been tested by a reputable testing facility if cannabinoid levels are important to you.

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/what-is-the-difference-between-thc-and-cbd/

Earlier this year, Georgia tried to pass a CBD bill that would allow patients access to this healing medicine. The bill died a sudden death but advocates are hoping that a similar bill will have more success come 2015. With election season over, there are two state legislators that have turned their eyes to cannabis reform in Georgia state. 

 

 

The first bill that will be presented is quite restrictive. Rep. Allen Peake is at the head of this one. It aims for CBD only legislation and not expansive medical or retail marijuana. As for the second bill, it is led by Senator Curt Thompson. This bill proposes all out legalization and is more unlikely but still being presented. Peake’s bill appears likely to make legislative rounds and while it’s a small step, it would be a step in the right direction. 

 

 

Allen Peake had this to say about HB-1; "We had two missions, really, since the end of last session. Very simply, bring Georgia families back home — those families who have become medical refugees to seek cannabis oil in other states. Secondly, we want to establish a safe, legal, effective and timely regulatory structure in Georgia for the growing, processing and dispensing of cannabis oil. We have to find a solution inside our own borders. There are certain parameters crucial to that. It’s medical cannabis oil. It’s in a non-smokable form. It has a low enough amount of THC to be effective but can’t get you high. We want to follow the guidelines Gov. Deal has said he would (need) to consider any medical marijuana bill: Is it safe? Is it legal? And is it recommended by doctors and supervised by doctors?”

 

 

Even though the bill doesn’t actually go for the full legalization of cannabis or even medical cannabis, it would definitely improve the quality of life for some children and other patients that need the healing help of CBD in order to live normally. Most states, however, that have passed a CBD related bill don’t allow for a place to produce or obtain the CBD medicine. Peake at least acknowledges this issue and has ideas on how to get the system moving. But like most CBD bills, it is expected to have a high fail rate in the long run.

 

 

And while Thompson’s bill is more unlikely to pass, the statement that he made about it is on point; "SR 6 puts the discussion of retail marijuana regulation and taxation on the table. We have an opportunity in Georgia to regulate sales and make available another revenue stream without raising existing taxes. Several states have approved this option, and the revenue generated is so large, tax rebates to citizens are being considered. Legalizing and regulating marijuana also allows us to reduce the strain on our public safety system and jails.In 2010, for example, marijuana possession arrests accounted for over 65 percent of drug arrests in Georgia. There were over 32,000 arrests for marijuana possession in that year alone. Legalizing and regulating marijuana would free up law enforcement to focus on more dangerous drugs and save taxpayers money by significantly reducing the number of people in our state’s prisons and jails.”

A new graphic from the Marijuana Business Daily illustrates the nation’s top five medical marijuana states, as measured by public participation.

 

Created by Jennifer Mann, the graph compares states based on the number of people enrolled per one thousand residents of the state. Colorado leads all states in terms of public participation with 22.3 patients per 1,000 residents.

 

California, the nation’s oldest medical marijuana program, ranks second with  19.30, followed by Oregon (17.9) and Washington State (16.5). Michigan ranked fifth with 12.3 medical marijuana patients per 1,000 residents.

 

The US has 23 states with medical marijuana programs, not all of which are in effect yet. The Marijuana Business Daily chart considered only those states with medical marijuana programs in operation for more than one year. The national average for participation in all states qualifying for the chart was 10 patients per 1,000 residents.

 

The participation level in the Great Lakes State may be lower than anticipated, considering the maturity of the program and the size of the state. Michigan’s medical marijuana program was instituted via public vote in 2008 and the state is 9th in population nationally.

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/michigan-in-the-top-five-medical-marijuana-states/

I have a friend that suffers from sever PTSD. She was the victim of some horrific circumstances, and she has tried everything to help cope with her PTSD. The only thing that works is medical marijuana. Unfortunately, Child Protective Services frowns upon medical marijuana, even in the most extreme cases, which has resulted in her kids being taken away. She is in the process of getting her kids back, but it comes on the condition that she never uses medical marijuana again while they live in her home, which is sad. She doesn’t smoke in front of her kids, and most of the time was using tinctures. But, sadly, she has to suffer from her PTSD without help from medical marijuana in order to get her kids back.

 

PTSD is a horrible thing to deal with. One of the worst parts is the PTSD-induced nightmares. A recent study shows that medical marijuana can help with PTSD-induced nightmares. Per The Joint Blog:

 

Subjects were “followed for 7 weeks and then, following a 2-week washout period, were titrated with the other study treatment and followed for an additional 7 weeks. The modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population, which included all treated subjects that met inclusion/exclusion criteria, was analyzed.”

 

Researchers found that; “In this small sample NAB provided significant relief for military personnel with PTSD, indicating that it shows promise as a clinically-relevant treatment for patients with nightmares and a history of non-response to traditional therapies.

 

If you know someone that suffers from PTSD-induced nightmares, suggest that they use medical marijuana. It might be what they need to help cope with such a debilitating condition.

 

Source:  http://www.theweedblog.com/marijuana-may-treat-ptsd-induced-nightmares/

The debate to allow veteran hospitals to prescribe cannabis as a treatment has been going on a long time. While these people fight for freedom, they come home to be stuffed full of dangerous pills that sometimes don’t even work. Suffering from nightmares, absent appetites, and a multitude of other issues, the veterans who do support medical marijuana and who use it see a big difference in their quality of life. It helps them to eat, sleep, and function a bit normally after experiencing the horrors of war and the things that they’ve seen. With the introduction of the Veterans Equal Access Act, introduced Thursday by Reps Earl Blumenauer (Oregon) and Dana Rohrabacher (California) and 10 bipartisan cosponsors, the ban over veteran doctors prescribing cannabis to vets would be lifted. This would allow those vets who live in medical marijuana states would be able to go through their veteran hospitals in order to obtain medical cannabis.

 

 

“Post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury are just as damaging and harmful as any injuries that are visible from the outside,” Blumenauer said. “Somethings even more so because of the devastating effect they can have on a veteran’s family. We should be allowing these wounded warriors access to the medicine that will help them survive and thrive, including medical marijuana, not treating them like criminals and forcing them in the shadows. It’s shameful.”

 

 

There are currently 23 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. Only 10 of those states allow doctors to recommend the use of medical cannabis in order to treat PTSD related symptoms. With nearly 30% of all vets from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD and depression, there needs to be more done to help these people. A study done recently showed that an average of 75% reduction was shown in PTSD symptoms. “A clinical trial needs to be done to see what proportion and what kind of PTSD patients benefit, with either cannabis or the main active ingredients of cannabis,” said Dr. George Greer, who was involved in the study. 

 

 

Federal health officials heard the clamor about vets deserving cannabis and signed off on a study that would examine the effects of five different strains of cannabis, either smoked or vaporized, on 50 veterans who are suffering from PTSD. Although the study was passed, the future of it is unclear as the only providers of marijuana to the federal government didn’t have the strains required to complete the study. Additionally, the study’s lead scientist was fired from the University of Arizona where the research was scheduled to take place. Seeing as how these people fought for our freedom, we can at least give them the respect of having a medicine that works.