cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Drug May Help Fight Obesity Cannabis Drug May Help Fight Obesity Posted by CN Staff on January 30, 2007 at 09:08:15 PT By Amie Ferris-Rotman Source: Reuters London -- Human trials of an experimental treatment for obesity derived from cannabis, which is commonly associated with stimulating hunger, are scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, Britain's GW Pharmaceuticals Plc announced Tuesday.Several other companies, such as Sanofi-Aventis, which is investigating Acomplia, are working on new drugs that will switch off the brain circuits that make people hungry when they smoke cannabis. GW Pharma, however, says it has derived a treatment from cannabis that could help suppress hunger. "The cannabis plant has 70 different cannabinoids in it and each has a different affect on the body," GW Managing Director Justin Gover told Reuters in a telephone interview."Some can stimulate your appetite, and some in the same plant can suppress your appetite. It is amazing both scientifically and commercially," he said.Drugs have to pass three stages of tests in humans before being eligible for approval by regulators in a process that takes many years.Sanofi-Aventis' Acomplia, which it believes can achieve $3 billion in annual sales, is already on sale in Europe and it is waiting for a U.S. regulatory decision in April.Several other big drug companies also already have similar products to Acomplia in clinical trials.GW is best known for developing Sativex, a treatment derived from cannabis that fights spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients. Sativex, an under-the-tongue spray, has been approved in Canada, but has hit delays with regulators in Britain.GW submitted Sativex for assessment by several European regulators in September, and hopes to secure approval for the UK, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands in the second half of this year at the earliest, the company said on Tuesday.GW's marijuana plants are grown indoors in a secret location in Southern England.Source: Reuters (Wire)Author: Amie Ferris-RotmanPublished: January 30, 2007Copyright: 2007 Reuters LimitedRelated Articles & Web Site:GW Pharmaceuticalshttp://www.gwpharm.com/ Respectable Reefer - Mother Joneshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21203.shtmlAn Interview With Lester Grinspoon, M.D. http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21197.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 19:05:20 PT potpal That's good to read. Thank you. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by potpal on January 31, 2007 at 19:03:42 PT funny thing My local FOX affiliate news just primed the pump with the story 'cannabis use in treating obesity'. It's 'cannabis' now...! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 10:17:03 PT Hope I didn't see him when he had his talk show often. He is a fired up person these days. I think he is on a mission. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Hope on January 31, 2007 at 10:06:28 PT The broccoli remark came from his old show that was on every week day in the afternoons. It's been years ago, before his MSNBC show. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Hope on January 31, 2007 at 10:04:53 PT Donahue I liked him, too and watched him regularly.That broccoli remark really irritated me...but he was one of the early ones to have Keith Stroup on and would actually talk about it, and hear both sides, probably before anyone else on national tv would. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 31, 2007 at 09:45:20 PT Hope I really liked Donahue when he was on MSNBC and was bummed out when they took him off the air. I don't remember the brocolli comment though. I saw Donahue on C-Span the other night and someone brought up how they missed him when MSNBC cancelled him and he said that he was scaring General Electric who benefits from the war so they booted him and put on some radical person ( I can't remember his name) and then he got cancelled. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Hope on January 31, 2007 at 07:50:20 PT Years ago on an afternoon TV talk show. Donahue was the name of the program.They were talking about "marijuana". The host, Donahue, said something that irritated the thunder out of me. He said, mockingly, "Why is that you will ALWAYS find raw broccoli in the refrigerators of marijuana users?"Being a fan of raw broccoli and nearly always having some...and having Donahue say that to the effect...that you might recognize users by their broccoli, I got mad.My daughter, who could say amazing things, and not realize why she said it, and often amazing herself, said, "Don't worry, Mama. The children of peace know what's good for them." I'd never used the term "Children of peace". I'd never heard of it. Neither had she. But that's what came out of her mouth.No. She wasn't possessed. It was her voice, of course. Several notable times over the years, even as a little child, she could say the wisest most amazing things, seemingly out of nowhere. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Hope on January 31, 2007 at 07:41:36 PT Cannabis and weight control.... It's true for me, too. Part of it was, for me, the stimulating effect of a sativa. You just have to move, to dance...to do something, accomplish things, good things, and you become stronger and more body and health concious. That and not having night terrors and nightmares was the most wonderful thing about using cannabis for me.Somewhere, back in the volumes of comments C-News has accumulated, we've talked about this before. Some of us could see this effect as plain as day and many people saw it years and years ago.Which reminds me of a story I've told here before. But I'm going to tell it again. Next comment. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by freewillks on January 30, 2007 at 18:24:12 PT Whole Cannabis? Could whole cannabis then be self regulating? It stimulates appitite but supresses the urge to over eat? WOW did not see this one coming. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by unkat27 on January 30, 2007 at 14:15:04 PT Living Proof Heck, I am living proof that cannabis fights obesity. I've gained almost 20 pounds since my regular access was cut off over 2 years ago. I know for a fact that I become easily bored and depressed when I don't have cannabis and tend to eat more junk food to fill in the meaningless, tedious hours. I also drink more alcohol, and we all know that adds to the fat.I haven't had any cannabis for almost 3 years now and I've gained almost 20 pounds during that time. Yes, if i had regular access to cannabis, I'm quite sure I wouldn't eat so much junk food or drink so much alcohol. Quite sure of it.But don't expect the DEA or ONDCP or FDA to pay attention to scientific facts. They enjoy making fools of the people while raking in the profits used to destroy people's lives. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on January 30, 2007 at 13:26:04 PT Press Release from The Drug Policy Alliance CT Residents: Support Medical Marijuana in Connecticut!***January 30, 2007As you know, this year our agenda in Connecticut includes winning medical marijuana and school zone reforms. I have some important information to share with you about recent developments in the Connecticut General Assembly, and I want to ask for your help in passing important legislation! URL: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/ctmmj01302007.cfm [ Post Comment ] Post Comment