cannabisnews.com: Medical Value of Marijuana Needs To Be Determined





Medical Value of Marijuana Needs To Be Determined
Posted by FoM on December 16, 2001 at 08:07:52 PT
By Mona Hughes, Sentinel Correspondent
Source: Orlando Sentinel
The issue of legalizing the medical use of marijuana continues to generate news and debate. Does marijuana have medicinal qualities that warrant legalizing its use by those with serious illnesses?Or, is it strictly a recreational drug that should remain criminal to grow or use? Hawaii, Arizona, California, and Washington have laws allowing medicinal use of marijuana, or cannabis.
Last year, the University of California at San Diego established a Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research and is sharing $3 million for scientific research with several universities and research centers throughout California to assess the use of marijuana for treating specific medical conditions.Some of the conditions researchers say may be helped by the use of cannabis are nausea associated with cancer and its treatment, severe loss of appetitebecause of HIV infection and other medical conditions, chronic pain that results from certain types of injuries and diseases and severe muscle spasticity caused by diseases such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries.Some patients tout the drug's effectiveness, and animal research supports their arguments that marijuana may not be any more harmful than standard medicines.Unless substitute synthetic medicines can be developed that don't rely on the cannabis plant for ingredients, there will be a continued fight about using it legally -- at least until the Supreme Court decides differently.Should researchers prove that cannabis does have useful medicinal properties, it's doubtful marijuana cigarettes will show up on the shelves of pharmacies.Drug manufacturers can't patent the drug, and pharmaceutical companies won't pay for the costly tests required by law to gain approval from federal regulators.In one report from The Associated Press, Igor Grant, head of the University of California at San Diego's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, said, "It's not going to be easy to sell marijuana cigarettes as a medicine, even if it could be shown there are particular benefits. It seems that if these things are indeed useful, we would have to find a way to deliver them in a manner that is prescribable."Nonsmokers have found it difficult to inhale the marijuana smoke. Also, some studies have found the smoke may be as harmful to lungs, if not more so, as cigarette smoke. In fact, there is even the possibility of toxicity in some methods of use.Some experts think marijuana's "real future" is definitely in the drug's ingredients THC and about 60 other cannabinoids (it isn't just one drug, but a variable and complex mixture of biologically active compounds -- containing more than 400 chemicals), which can be isolated, improved and patented.We may one day find a spray in local pharmacies that will have some of these ingredients and does provide relief for a variety of ailments.However, the cost of a prescription may be far more expensive than buying illegal marijuana, which could contain pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or be infected with molds, fungi or bacteria.Only time will tell on this, but it's a sure bet the only way cannabis will ever be legalized is if states agree on the issue and the laws are changed nationally. If you want to know more about cannabis, check with:  National Institutes of Health, 5600 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD 20892.National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 888-644-6226 (Voice) 866-464-3615 (TTY) -- http://www.nccam.nih.gov/National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 5213 Bethesda, MD 20892-9561, 301-443-1124; e-mail: Information lists.nida.nih.gov -- Web site -- http://www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages/marijuana.htmlComplete Title: Medical Value of Marijuana Still Needs To Be DeterminedSource: Orlando Sentinel (FL)Author: Mona Hughes, Sentinel CorrespondentPublished: December 16, 2001Copyright: 2001 Orlando Sentinel Contact: insight orlandosentinel.com Website: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:CMCR http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/Medical Marijuana Information Links http://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmAfter Two-Decade Halt, Marijuana Research Is Set http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11578.shtmlDEA Approves UC San Diego Marijuana Study http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11450.shtmlResearchers Seek Answers on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10648.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by dddd on December 17, 2001 at 01:09:23 PT
Bruce42
....Please,,,dont apologize for the "huge arse post"....I thought it was excellent,and quite enjoyable!.. keep 'em coming........dddd
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Comment #3 posted by bruce42 on December 17, 2001 at 00:54:37 PT
Addressing disinformation
The last bit of the article really seems to harp on the negative aspects of MJ. This is a good old propoganda or media ploy- simply leave out half of the story to make a better "message."Article:
  "Some patients tout the drug's effectiveness, and animal research supports their arguments that marijuana may not be any more harmful than standard medicines."What's the Problem? :
  Simple statistics. How many people died from using "standard" (commercialized) drugs last year? Thousands. Using pot? ZERO. Stop wasting our time Mona.Article:
  "Unless substitute synthetic medicines can be developed that don't rely on the cannabis plant for ingredients, there will be a continued fight about using it legally -- at least until the Supreme Court decides differently."What's the problem? :
  Why do we need synthetic substitutes? The plant works just fine. Leave it the f**k alone. So unless a bloated pharmaceutical company can get some big money it has to be illegal? God bless Amerika, eh?Article:
  "Should researchers prove that cannabis does have useful medicinal properties, it's doubtful marijuana cigarettes will show up on the shelves of pharmacies."What's the problem? :
  Number one: research HAS shown medical benefit. Number two: Once again, we drag big tobacco into the picture by mentioning cigarettes. Mona kinda glosses over risk reduction devices and oral consumption and shoots sqaurely for negative association.Aritlce:
  "Drug manufacturers can't patent the drug, and pharmaceutical companies won't pay for the costly tests required by law to gain approval from federal regulators."What's the problem? :
  And we're supposed to feel sorry for drug manufactuers? GET F'ING REAL! I'm sick of hearing corporate drug lords whine about not getting a slice of the pie. Once agian marijuana is clumped together with purple pills. Is it too much to suggest we set up state funded and montored local clubs that provide marijuana grown under specific conditions and a controlled, public environment where people can use their medicine?Article:
  "In one report from The Associated Press, Igor Grant, head of the University of California at San Diego's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, said, "It's not going to be easy to sell marijuana cigarettes as a medicine, even if it could be shown there are particular benefits. It seems that if these things are indeed useful, we would have to find a way to deliver them in a manner that is prescribable...."What's the problem? :
  Well Igor, where the hell have you been, and what the hell are you doing with your research money? Yo, oblivitor the destroyer, fire up cnews once a week and you'd be set on the latest news. It's not hard. Stoners do it every day. And this whole prescribable thing? What the hell happened to interaction between the patient and doctor? You can't take half an hour to sit down with your patient and show them how to operate a vaporizor? It's not like you can OD on pot. If that is the guy's worry, he really needs to get another job cause he obiviously is not in touch with reality.Aritcle:
  "Nonsmokers have found it difficult to inhale the marijuana smoke. Also, some studies have found the smoke may be as harmful to lungs, if not more so, as cigarette smoke. In fact, there is even the possibility of toxicity in some methods of use."  Here's an idea: compare MJ with unfilterd tobacco or maybe test pot smoke filtered through a water pipe or multi-chambered bong. Besides, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that inhaling smoke is bad for you. Use a vaporizor or eat a cookie. Duh.Article:
  "Some experts think marijuana's "real future" is definitely in the drug's ingredients THC and about 60 other cannabinoids (it isn't just one drug, but a variable and complex mixture of biologically active compounds -- containing more than 400 chemicals), which can be isolated, improved and patented."What's the problem? :
  Once again we need pills to appease the sheeple. Anything else just isn't proper Western medicine, right? Let's simple ignore millions of year's of evolutionary perfection. There is existing technology that has been in use for thousands of years proven effective in the delivery of marijuana to the body. It is called a pipe. OOOooOOOooOOOoo high tech s**t! This 1950's "better living through chemicals" Amerikan stigma needs to go. Article:
  "We may one day find a spray in local pharmacies that will have some of these ingredients and does provide relief for a variety of ailments."What's the problem? :
  Well that's just fine and dandy, but for know how about we let people just smoke their damn weed. It's seems to work well for them and as long as they don't complain, why should we?Article:
  "However, the cost of a prescription may be far more expensive than buying illegal marijuana, which could contain pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or be infected with molds, fungi or bacteria."What's the problem? :
  As long as the anti's insist on funding the black market by keeping pot out of the hands of responsible, law abiding Americans, there will be the problem of nasty schwag. This is a lame, self-generated excuse. "Oh-no! Watch out for those street corner drug dealers!" The anti's cry. Well a**holes, if a person could buy pot legally in the corner coffeeshop from liscensed businessmen, there probably wouldn't be any worries. The Dutch did it, why can't we?My god I got carried away there. Sorry everyone. Just ignore my huge arse posts in the future. Your eyes will thank me.
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on December 16, 2001 at 09:21:13 PT
alcohol and tobacco
They are legal because they are the most addictive.Actually, I think alcohol (liquor) sales are slow and flat. The reason for a new advertising campaign.Marijuana cuts into those sales. L-eagle eyes
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Comment #1 posted by Lehder on December 16, 2001 at 08:43:54 PT
Hatred and Bigotry
Does marijuana have medicinal qualities that warrant legalizing its use by those with serious illnesses?Or, is it strictly a recreational drug that should remain criminal to grow or use?Does alcohol have medicinal qualities that warrant its legal use by those with serious illnesses?Or, is it strictly a recreational drug that should remain criminal to distill or use?What is the problem here? It's nothing but hypocrisy and bigotry. It seems to bother drug warriors that a natural herb, with many proven benefits, should offer a little bit of a pleasant feeling. But it's okay to get drunk. In fact alcohol commercials are returning to TV, as reported by Peter Jennings last week. They are to be prefaced by four months of advertising that supposedly teach responsible alcohol use. The first of these will sponsor Saturday Night Live shows and will urge that drinkers should arrange for a non-drinking "designated driver." In effect, such a message appproves and encourages people to drink to the point of disabling themselves so that they cannot handle a car. Yet if people choose to stay s home and use s a beneficial herb, which does not disable, "intoxicate" or make them obnoxious, then they are subject to imprisonment, property and children forfeiture and destruction of their lives by drug warriors who drink and smoke.Do cigarettes have medicinal qualities that warrant their legal use by those who seek serious illnesses?Or, are tar and nicotine strictly recreational drugs that should be criminal to grow or use?These are questions that should not even be asked. They are nothing but propaganda. The problem is hatred and intolerance, attitudes which are unAmerican and ILLEGAL. This war will not be over until its prosecutors have been neutered and tried for their crimes. Ignorance is no excuse for the destruction of the productive lives of responsible people.
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