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Cannabis
Legalization Wins
Big On Election Day |
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Neither
Measure Amends The States' Existing Medical Marijuana Laws Washington,
DC, USA: Voters on Election Day
expressed unprecedented support for removing criminal penalties for cannabis
consumers. Voters in Colorado and
Washington approved ballot measures allowing for the personal possession and
consumption of cannabis by adults. In Colorado, 55 percent of voters decided in favor of Amendment 64,
which allows for the legal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and/or
the cultivation of up to six cannabis plants in private by those persons age
21 and over. In Washington, 55 percent of voters similarly decided in favor of Initiative 502,
removes criminal penalties specific to the adult possession of up to one
ounce of cannabis for personal use (as well as the possession of up to 16
ounces of marijuana-infused product in solid form, and 72 ounces of
marijuana-infused product in liquid form.) Both measures will take effect in
approximately 30 days. <continued on page 3 > |
Science &
Medicine Are Moving Reform Forward by
Dr. David Bearman for AAMC We have just seen the voters of
Washington and Colorado take a giant step forward for common sense. This is
based in part on what we have learned about cannabis, cannabinoids and the
endocannabinoid system. As we move forward we will be discovering even more
about the medical utility of this amazing plant and it's phytochemicals. <continued on page 3 > ___________________________________________ Case Report: Inhaled Cannabis Controls Convulsions In Epileptics
San
Francisco, CA, USA: Cannabis inhalation is
associated with significantly reduced incidences of convulsions in a pair of
epileptic patients, according to a forthcoming case
report in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior. Investigators at the University of
California, Epilepsy Center summarized the cannabis use history of a
43-year-old subject and a 60-year-old subject, both of whom suffered from
severe epileptic seizures. <continued on page 3 > |
DC
Court Hears Rescheduling Appeal, Requests More
Info
ASA Submits Brief on Patients' Right to
Sue in Landmark Federal Case
On October 16, the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit heard
oral arguments in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement
Administration, a legal challenge to the government's contention that
cannabis has no medical use. <continued on page 6 > _______________________________ Kids
and Cannabis, Kids on Cannabis; Debate Follows Media Coverage of 7-year old
Patient “Like
some cancer patients in states where it’s allowed, Mykayla Comstock uses
cannabis as part of her treatment. Comstock
is seven-years old. Her mother, a long time advocate for medical use of the
illegal drug, has been giving her a gram of oral cannabis oil every day.” <continued on page 7 > |
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* Volume 9, Issue 11 * November
* 2012 * www.MercyCenters.org *
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* The MERCY News * |
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_____________________ The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news,
announcements and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across
America and around the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1745 Capital
St. NE, Salem, Ore., 97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube!
in Salem,
Oregon area thru Capital Community Television, Channel 23.
Call In – 503.588-6444 - on Friday at 7pm, or See us on Wednesdays
at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and Saturdays at
06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and concerned
citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for those
involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the
Salem, Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective
marijuana laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower
voters to implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching
people to fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1745 Capital
Street NE, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to help folks get
their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a grower or
getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along other info
and resources depending on the issue.
visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1745 Capital Street NE,
Salem, 97301, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable deposit
required. Transportation and Delivery
Services available for those in need.
For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of Clinics
around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public –or-
Cardholders Only * visit: http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the
Medical Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
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<continued from CANNABIS LEGALIZATION, page 1 > Longer-term, both
Amendment 64 and I-502 seek to establish statewide regulations governing the
commercial production and distribution of marijuana by licensed retailers. State
regulators have up to a year to complete the rulemaking process regarding the
commercial production, sale, and taxation of cannabis.
Commenting on the historic votes, NORML Deputy Director
Paul Armentano said: "Amendment 64 and Initiative 502 provide adult
cannabis consumers with unprecedented legal protections. Until now, no state
law has defined cannabis as a legal commodity. Some state laws do provide for
a legal exception that allows for certain qualified patients to possess
specific amounts of cannabis as needed. But, until today, no state in modern
history has classified cannabis itself as a legal product that may be
lawfully possessed and consumed by adults." Armentano continued: "The passage of these
measures strikes a significant blow to federal cannabis prohibition. Like
alcohol prohibition before it, marijuana prohibition is a failed federal
policy that delegates the burden of enforcement to the state and local police.
Alcohol prohibition fell when a sufficient number of states enacted
legislation repealing the state's alcohol prohibition laws. With state police
and prosecutors no longer engaging in the federal government's bidding to
enforce an unpopular law, the federal government had little choice but to
abandon the policy altogether. History is now repeating itself." Voters in several additional states also decided on
various statewide and local measures specific to cannabis. In Massachusetts,
63 percent of voters approved Question 3,
which eliminates statewide criminal and civil penalties related to the
possession and use of up to a 60-day supply of cannabis by qualified
patients. It also requires the state to create and regulate up to 35
facilities to produce and dispense cannabis to approved patients.
Massachusetts is the 18th state since 1996 to authorize the physician-recommended
use of cannabis. Massachusetts voters in over 40 municipalities -
representing approximately one-fifth of the electorate - also voted overwhelmingly in favor of |
local public policy questions in favor of ending the
criminalization of cannabis for adults. Voters in Burlington, Vermont also passed a similar non-binding legalization measure. In Michigan, voters in four cities
- totaling over a million people - also decided on Election Day to legalize
or depenalize the adult use of cannabis. Voters in Detroit approved Proposal M, removing local criminal penalties pertaining
to the possession on private property of up to one ounce of marijuana by
adults over age 21. In Flint, voters approved a citizens' initiative to amend the city code so
that the possession on private property of up to one ounce of marijuana or
cannabis paraphernalia by those age 19 or older is no longer a criminal offense.
Grand Rapids voters approved Proposal 2 to allow local law enforcement the
discretion to ticket first-time marijuana offenders with a civil citation,
punishable by a $25 fine and no criminal record. In Ypsilanti,
voters decided on a municipal proposal to make the local
enforcement of marijuana possession offenses the city's lowest law
enforcement priority. Not every marijuana law reform measure was
successful at the ballot box. Only 45 percent of Oregonians approved Measure 80, the Oregon
Cannabis Tax Act, which sought to allow for the state-licensed production and
retail sale of cannabis to adults. In Arkansas, voters narrowly (49 percent to 51 percent) rejected Measure 5, The Arkansas
Medical Marijuana Act of 2012, which sought to authorize the state-licensed
distribution of medical marijuana. In Montana, voters approved Initiated Referendum 124, which affirms
legislative restrictions
to the state's 2004 voter-approved medical cannabis law. For more
information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at
(202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from SCIENCE
& MEDICINE ARE MOVING REFORM FORWARD, page 1 > The
potential for human advancement through research on cannabis, cannabinoids
and the endocannabinoid system is enormous. Not only are we gaining a greater
understanding of the workings of the human mind and body but modern science
is documenting the wisdom of our ancestors about the therapeutic value of the
cannabis plant and the compounds in it. We are seeing cannabis being taken
more seriously as a medicine and that trend is likely to continue. The
medicinal value of cannabis and <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> cananbinoids is confirmed on a regular basis by clinical and research evidence. Science, knowledge, and medicine are driving the
increasing appreciation of the medicinal value of cannabis. Scientific
findings and clinical experience with medicinal cannabis are generating
changing attitudes and practices in the medical community and with the
general public. As most informed physicians, scientists and research organizations
believe, the federal government needs to reschedule cannabis to schedule II
to allow for more research. This increased ease in drug research on cannabis,
cannabinoids and terpenes will further unlock the tremendous therapeutic and
health benefits of cannabis. CANNABINOIDS THC:
Scientific
research has generated interest in cannabinoids for treatment of cancer.
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), considered by many to be the most
pharmacologically active constituent of Cannabis sativa. THC serves as an
appetite stimulant, analgesic and is effective against vomiting and nausea.
THC is currently being tested in a clinical trial for the treatment of
aggressive recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). CBD has been shown to
have anti cancer effects. The compounds have been reported to be well
tolerated during chronic oral and systemic administration. In addition to delta-9-THC, cannabidiol (CBD),
cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG) are also present in reasonable
quantities in cannabis. In vitro studies by GW Pharmaceuticals have
determined that the cannbinoids CBN, CBD and CBG also are effective at
inhibiting aggressive cancers. They found that a synergistic increase in the
antiproliferative and apoptotic (cell killing) activity of cannabinoids can
be produced by combining specific ratios of CB1 and CB2 receptors agonists
with non-psychotropic cannbinoids. Cannabidiol (CBD): CBD cannabinoid was first
identified in 1940 and its specific chemical structure was identified in
1963. Conventional wisdom among many researchers is that CBD is the
cannabinoid that possesses the greatest therapeutic potential. Researchers Antonio Zuardi,
writing about CBD in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry in 2008, concluded
"Studies have suggested a wide range of possible therapeutic effects of
cannabidiol on several conditions, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's
disease, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, other
inflammatory diseases, |
nausea and cancer." A 2009 literature
review by a team of Italian and Israeli investigators found that CBD has
broad clinical potential. They wrote that CBD possesses anxiolytic,
anti-psychotic, anti-epileptic, neuro-protective, vasorelaxant,
antispasmodic, anti-ischemic, anticancer, anti-emetic, antibacterial,
anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and bone stimulating properties. Author of Smoke Signals, Martin Lee, and
director of the non-profit group Project CBD - wrote that "Cannabidiol
is the Cinderella molecule. "[It's] the little substance that could.
[It's] nontoxic, non-psychoactive, and multi-capable." Cannabinol (CBN): We first isolated the
compound in 1896. Cannabinol (CBN) is a product of THC degradation, is found
in cannabis in minute quantities, and weakly binds with humans' endogenous
cannabinoid receptors. CBN is a mildly psychoactive cannabinoid which
potentiates the effects of THC. There are 500 published papers in the
scientific literature specific to cannabinol. Several articles document CBN's
therapeutic potential - including its ability to induce sleep, ease pain and
spasticity, delay ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) symptoms, increase appetite, and
halt the spread of certain drug resistant pathogens, like MRSA (aka 'the
Super Bug'). Cannabichromene: (CBC):
Cannabichromene (CBC) was first discovered in 1963. Freshly harvested,
dry cannabis contains significant quantities of CBC. It has not been
extensively studied. There are no more than 75 published papers on PubMed
that make specific reference to CBC. A 2009 review of cannabichromene and other
non-psychotropic cannabinoids, "CBC exerts anti-inflammatory,
antimicrobial, and modest analgesic activity." CBC has also been shown
to promote anti-cancer activity in malignant cell lines. Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV): THCV is currently being researched as a
treatment for metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Medicinal properties
include: anoretic, bone-stimulant, and anti-epileptic. The British Journal of
Pharmacology, a peer-reviewed journal, published one of the over 65 studies
on cananbidivarin (CBDV), cannabis, which showed that cannabidivarin strongly
suppressed seizures in six different experimental models. These models are
commonly used in epilepsy drug discovery. Cannabidivarin (CBDV): CBCV has the potential to
prevent more seizures, with few of the annoying side effects (e.g.
uncontrollable shaking), <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> caused by many existing anti-seizure medication.
Cannabidivarin works when combined with drugs currently used to control
epilepsy and it is not psychoactive. Acidic Cannabinoids: The major cannabinoid constituents in raw
Cannabis come in the form of acids (e.g. THCA, CBDA, etc.) Research suggests
the acidic cannabinoids hold most of the anti-inflammatory properties that
Cannabis has to offer. Acidic cannabinodis show promise in the treatment of
IBS, Chron's and Leaky-Gut Syndrome. Acidic cannabinoids go through a
chemical change over time or with heat through a process called
decarboxylation to form their non-acidic counterparts. Pharmaceutical Potential: Clearly there is a market for these
remarkable cannabinoid compounds. The market potential both as an herbal and
an FDA approved pharmaceutical product. Expanded development of cannabinoid
medicine can dramatically lower our health care costs as Dr. Christopher
Fichtner argues in his book Cannabinoics. Here is a list on what research has
shown are symptoms and conditions addressed by just some of the components of
cannabis. Analgesic: CBC, CBD, CBGA,
D9-THC, D8-THC, THCA-C4, THCVA, CBLA, CBNA, Linalool, Myrcene - Relieves pain Anorectic: THCV - Weight loss. Antibacterial: CBD, CBGA, CBG -
Slows bacteria growth. Anti-Diabetic: CBD - Reduces blood
sugar levels. Antidepressant: Limonene - Relieves
symptoms of depression. Anti-Emetic: D9-THC, CBD -
Reduces vomiting and nausea. Anti-Epileptic: THCV, CBD, Linalool
- Redues seizures and convulsions. Antifungal: CBCA, Carophyllene
Oxide, Limonene - Treats fungal infection. Anti-Inflammatory: CBDA, CBD, CBCA,
CBC, CBGA, Alpha-Pinene, Myrcene, Trans-Carophyllene - Reduces inflammation. Anti-Insomnia: THCA, CBG - Aids
sleep. Anti-Ischemic: CBD - Reduces risk
of artery blockage. Anti-Proliferative: THCA, CBDA, CBD,
CBC, CBG, Limonene - Inhibits cancer cell growth. Antipsioratic: CBD - Treats
psoriasis. Antipsychotic: CBD, Linalool,
Myrcene - Tranquilizing. Antispasmodic: THCA, D9-THC, CBD,
Myrcene - Suppresses muscle spasms. Anxiolitic: CBD, Linalool,
Limonene - Relieves |
anxiety. Appetite Stimulant: D9-THC - Stimulates
appetite. Bone Stimulant: THCV, CBD, CBC, CBG
- Promotes bone growth. Gastro-Ooesophageal Reflux: Limonene - Reduces
acid reflux. Immunostimulant: Limonene -
Stimulates the immune system. Immunosuppressive: CBD - Reduces
function in the immune system. Intestinal Anti-Prokinetic: CBD - Reduces small
intestine contractions. Neuroprotective: CBD - Retards
nervous system degeneration. Vasorelaxant: CBD - Redues
vascular tension. Endocannabinoid Deficiency: Dr. Ethan Russo, the nation's top medical
expert on cannabis and cananbinoids, recognizes the adverse effects of an
endocannabinoid deficiency. He writes that, "Migraine, fibromyalgia, IBS
and related conditions display common clinical, biochemical and
pathophysiological patterns that suggested an underlying clinical
endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid
medicines." Entourage Effect: Russo postulates that there is a combined
"entourage effect" of many of the compounds found in cannabis:
cannabinoids, terpenes and flavinoids. This synergy of
phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects is why the plant is likely more
effective therapeutically than any single synthetic or extracted cannabinoid. Research
is demonstrating a combined effect of cannabidiol (CBD) and other
phytocannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabigerol and
cannabichromene, potentially being greater than even the additive of effect
of these chemical compounds. These substances exert additional effects of
therapeutic interest. In his article he suggests the therapeutic importance
of other phytotherapeutic agents. These include the cannabis terpenoids:
limonene, myrcene, a-pinene, linalool, ß-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide,
nerolidol and phytol. Terpenoids share a precursor with phytocannabinoids. We
find terpenes in all the "flavour and fragrance components common to
human diets that have been designated Generally Recognized as Safe by the US
Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies." Russo
points out that, "Terpenoids are very potent. They can affect animal
and human behaviour when inhaled from ambient air at <continued on next page> |
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<continued
from previous page> serum levels in the single
digits ng/mL. He suggests that terpenes may contribute to the entourage (e.g.
combined) effects of cannabis- based medicinal extracts. He
suggests that this synergy may be present in respect to treatment of pain,
inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and
bacterial infections (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
Phytocannabinoid-terpenoid synergy, if proven, increases the likelihood that
an extensive pipeline of new therapeutic products is possible from this
venerable plant." Prohibition Makes Bad
Policy If we look at our dysfunctional drug policy it
makes you scratch your head. One would think that alcohol prohibition had
proved that Prohibition is a bad policy. That doesn't work and has too many
unacceptable unintended negative consequences. The American public wants to
know what has happened to common sense, a respect for law and the
Constitution. We have now so twisted the Constitution that we
can prohibit drugs without a Constitutional Amendment. This is an assault on
states rights. It violates the 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution, the
U.S. Supreme Court 1925 Linder decision, and the 1938 Food, Cosmetic and Drug
Act. This is not a secret. Justices Rheinquist, Thomas and Sandra Day
O'Connor pointed this out in their dissent in 2005 in the Gonzales v. Raich
case. We can all agree that cannabis is an herb that
has medicinal value and has been used as a medicine for at least 5,000 years.
The FDA is there to protect us from potentially dangerous MANUFACTURED
drugs sold to the general public for profit. Many citizens of all political
persuasions believe that the government should have NO authority to
control what we grow in our own vegetable garden for our own personal use. How can one make sense of a government that
approves a drug - dronabinol (THC) which is the most euphorogenic compounds
in the cannabis plant, but say cannabis is illegal? With our government
trillions in debt we squander twenty billion dollars a year on the ONDCP. If
the states decide to regulate this medicine let the states not the federal
government spend this money. Further making it illegal is a fool's errand. As
the AMA pointed out in their 1937 testimony opposing the Marijuana Tax Act,
cannabis is a weed that is impossible to eradicate. |
And why would we want to eradicate cannabis.
Cannabis is safer, has fewer side effects, cheaper and more effective than
the FDA approved dronabinol. Marinol (dronabinol) is synthetic THC combined
with gelatin, glycerin, iron oxide red, iron oxide yellow, titanium dioxide
and is marketed for profit. It's legal. Growing an herb in your backyard is
illegal. With this kind of thinking it's no wonder no one
trusts Congress and we're trillions in debt. SOURCE = American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC). November 2012 Newsletter * Contact them at 44500
Tide Ave · Arch Cape, OR 97102 or by visiting
- http://www.letfreedomgrow.com _____________________________________________________________ <continued from DC COURT
HEARS RESCHEDULING APPEAL, page 1
> The
panel of three federal judges focused on the question of legal standing,
whether the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit have a right to sue the
government because they were directly injured by the current classification.
Following the oral arguments, the court requested additional briefing on the
harm sustained by plaintiff and disabled U.S. Air Force veteran Michael
Krawitz as a result of the federal government's policy on medical marijuana. Krawitz,
a disabled veteran, was denied treatment by the US Department of Veterans
Affairs because he was using cannabis on the advice of a physician to treat
pain, trauma and an eye disease. That forced him to pay out of his own pocket
for medical care to which he would otherwise be entitled through the VA. The
VA has a policy of denying pain management care to <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> "The court's request for clarification is a sign
that this case is being taken very seriously," said ASA Chief Counsel
Joe Elford, who argued the case. "The experience of plaintiff Michael
Krawitz being denied treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs is real
and emblematic of many other patients caught up in the federal government's
harmful policy on medical marijuana." ASA argues that the DEA acted arbitrarily and
capriciously in ignoring scientific evidence of the commonly employed
therapeutic uses of cannabis. The suit contends that the federal government's
intransigence is keeping cannabis out of reach for millions of Americans who
would otherwise benefit from its therapeutic value. The previous legal challenge to the
classification of cannabis was rejected by the D.C. Circuit in 2002 after the
court concluded the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the suit. No
medical cannabis patients were part of that case. Americans for Safe
Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration includes several patient
plaintiffs, and ASA also argues that the organization has standing because it
incurs significant costs countering the government's false claims with valid
scientific information. The landmark case is an appeal of the DEA's
decision last year to deny the 2002 rescheduling petition by the Coalition
for Rescheduling Cannabis, of which ASA is a member. It marks the first time
in nearly 20 years that a federal court has heard arguments on the
classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance, a category reserved for
drugs with a high potential for abuse and no current accepted medical use
that cannot be used safely even under medical supervision. A decision from the court on whether the case
can proceed is expected within the next several months. "The current classification of cannabis is
based more on politics than science," said Elford. "This is an
historic opportunity for patients and doctors to confront politically
motivated decision-making with the scientific evidence that cannabis is a
safe, effective medicine that can meet the needs of millions of
patients." SOURCE = Americans for Safe Access (ASA) - Monthly Activist Newsletter - NOVEMBER 2012; Volume 7, Issue 11 * * 1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402
* Oakland, CA 94612 * info@AmericansForSafeAccess.org*
510-251-1856 * AmericansForSafeAccess.org * For More
information: ASA's supplemental brief on standing, Affidavit of plaintiff Michael Krawitz, ASA rescheduling appeal brief, CRC rescheduling petition |
<continued from CASE
REPORT: INHALED CANNABIS CONTROLS CONVULSIONS IN EPILEPTICS, page 1 > In the first subject, cannabis inhalation
reportedly reduced the frequency of nighttime seizures from an average of
five-to-six per evening to an average of one-to-two. After the subject ceased
using cannabis, the subject experienced ten evening seizures. Following
dosing with oral cannabis, the subject subsequently reported only a single
nighttime seizure. The
second subject reported inhaling six – to - eight cannabis cigarettes daily.
Upon cessation of his Authors
concluded, "These cases ... suggest that, for at least a subset of
patients with focal epilepsy, marijuana use may provide an anticonvulsant
effect. We believe this possibility warrants further study." To date,
only two small double-blinded placebo-controlled studies are available in the
scientific literature assessing the use of cannabinoids in patients with
epilepsy. In both studies, the subjects received daily doses of oral cannabidiol
(CBD), a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis. In one study, CBD
administration over a 30-day period was associated with a
significant reduction in convulsions in 7 out of 8 patients. However, a
second study reported no significant change in seizure frequency among
epileptic subjects. For more
information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.
Full text of the study, "Seizure exacerbation in two patients with focal
epilepsy following marijuana cessation," will appear in Epilepsy &
Behavior. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from KIDS ON
CANNABIS, page 1 > “Despite the fact
that medical marijuana is legal in Oregon, where Comstock lives, the idea of giving it to a child still gives
pause to many adults who associate the drug with recreational use that breaks
the law. As
reported by ABC News,
Mykayla was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in July. Against her
doctor’s wishes, her mother, Erin Purchase, began giving her lime-flavored
capsules filled with cannabis oil after she had a poor response to her
initial chemotherapy treatment. Her doctors suggested a bone marrow
transplant, but while she was taking the medical marijuana, she went into <continued on next page> |
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<continued from KIDS ON
CANNABIS, previous page> remission
in August. She continues to rely on cannabis to ease pain
and nausea and her mother plans to continue giving her the drug during the
additional two to three years of chemotherapy she still faces. Purchase,
believes that certain components in marijuana, which show anti-cancer
activity in many early studies,
helped spark the remission. Mykayla’s current doctor knows she takes the
capsules, but doesn’t discuss the marijuana as part of her medical therapy. Experts like Igor Grant of the
University of California’s Center for Medical Cannabis Research warn that the effects of
the drug on child development are unknown. But the same is true for other
medications used to fight pain and nausea that are currently given to
children with cancer, as well as for powerful antipsychotic drugs that are
used in long term treatment of childhood mental illnesses. Opioid drugs like
morphine and Oxycontin, which are sometimes used to treat the severe pain
that accompanies life-threatening cancer and other diseases, for example, can
cause overdoses. Although marijuana can be
addictive, addiction rates are often lower than those to opioid drugs, and discontinuing
opioids is associated with severe physical withdrawal symptoms not seen with
marijuana. While opioids can cause nausea and vomiting, marijuana reduces the
risk of these symptoms that frequently plague cancer patients as side effects
of radiation or chemotherapy. Advocates like Purchase argue that if opioids
are acceptable to treat youngsters’ cancer pain, then marijuana should be as
well. The American Academy of
Pediatrics, however, disagrees, and opposes the use of marijuana to treat
young children, citing its addictive potential and the many unknowns about
how it may affect developing bodies. The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a
scientific group of experts consulted by Congress, analyzed the available
data and since 1999 has acknowledged that certain legitimate
medical uses of marijuana are worth additional study. While the panel noted
that many effective treatments already exist to relieve nausea and cancer
pain, it recognized that for some patients who may not respond to these
therapies, the components in marijuana may be helpful. The group’s main
objection to the drug was its use in smoked preparations, which is not an
issue in this case. The IOM’s report
highlights the need for much more research into understanding medicinal uses
of marijuana—including for which symptoms or conditions it might be most
effective, and for which patients. |
Those concerns are magnified when it comes to treating children like
Comstock, who often are not included in clinical
trials because of their young age, and who may have many more years to
contend with any possible side effects of the drug. Some experts point out that not
all of marijuana’s components, and their effects on the body, have been
studied, not to mention well understood. Without more research, both doctors
and parents will continue to face the difficult decision of giving youngsters
a compound and hoping it will do more good than harm.” From “As Is Medical Marijuana Safe for Children?”, By
Maia SzalavitzNov. 28, 2012 - Read
more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/28/is-medical-marijuana-safe-for-children/#ixzz2Dr21OcU8 _____________________________________________________________ Harnessing
Our Power for Victory - Americans for Safe Access National Medical Cannabis
Unity Conference ASA
is pleased to announce Harnessing Our Power for Victory – Americans for Safe
Access National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference, taking place February 22nd
- 25th at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.
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mercycenter@hotmail.com > (503)
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