Medical Cannabis, people and research links for New Zealand
ie:
David M. Fergusson PhD – Medical Marijuana – ProCon.org
Jun 30, 2008 … “Tests of Causal Likages Between Cannabis Use and Psychotic Symptoms,” … E-Mail: david.fergusson@chmeds.ac.nz Website: University profile …
Searching for Otago turns up some useful links as well
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›
ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219
Medical Cannabis ‘bud’
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — After meeting with law enforcement leaders, Washington’s Health Department has cut its suggested two-month supply of medical marijuana by nearly a third – a change that riled patients’ advocates and sparked threats of a lawsuit.
On Tuesday, the state Health Department laid out its suggestion for a 60-day supply of medical marijuana at 24 ounces of usable pot, along with six mature plants and 18 immature plants. That mirrors the limits used in Oregon, and is a significant drop from the 35 ounces and 100 square feet of growing area the agency was considering after gathering volumes of comment from people around the state.
If only New Zealand had this dilemma!
Despite the woeful ignorance of many politicians who believe the crap Police dole out to them when they mockingly have declared “there is no one in jail for cannabis!”, Medicinal use remains unresolved. A bill before the ‘house of representatives’ has been languishing for years under the legislative tables.
The worst offenders are not those who use medpot, rather they are the gaumless and morally illiterate politicians who pander to ignorance AND dishonor the parliamentary prayer everyday.
Not one of these people should be re-elected ever.
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“Cannabinoids may therefore offer a therapeutic option in the treatment of highly invasive cancers. “
see http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/djm268v1
Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 / Robert Ramer, Burkhard Hinz
Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
Cannabinoids, in addition to having palliative benefits in cancer therapy, have been associated with anticarcinogenic effects. Although the antiproliferative activities of cannabinoids have been intensively investigated, little is known about their effects on tumor invasion.
Example of a Invasive Squamous Cell Cancer, in this case on the cervix. Those at increased risk for cervical neoplasia include women with multiple sexual partners, HPV infection (particularly the high risk HPV types), cigarette smokers and those with impaired immune systems. There is more to Cannabis Therapuetics than just the emerging treatment research. The New Zealand Health Select Commitee in 1998 identified that the law surrounding cannabis was an imediment to broader health promotion issues. These include teen sexual health and other risk taking behavours notably binge alcohol and early tobacco uptake.
Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
A compound found in cannabis may stop breast cancer spreading throughout the body, US scientists believe. The California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute team are hopeful that cannabidiol or CBD could be a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy. Unlike cannabis, CBD does not have any psychoactive properties so its use would not violate laws, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics reports.
In a unanimous vote, the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association has approved a strongly worded statement supporting legal protection for patients using medical marijuana with their doctor’s recommendation.
A major move by one of the nation’s top medical groups, they are backing medical marijuana and they want the [US] federal government to leave doctors alone.
‘This is a very large and important medical organization, it isn’t some fringe group,’ ‘This move debunks a lot of the nonsense from some of the anti-medical marijuana groups. They have been aggressively using false information tactics. These groups allege that there are various links between mental illness and marijuana, ignoring the fact that it is well documented that medical marijuana can be therapeutic’.
Bruce Mirken, Marijuana Policy Project [MPP] .
APAA Unanimously Backs Medical Marijuana – Salem-News.Com: Tim King Salem-News.com
Cannabis / marijuana medicines were at one time the “drugs of choice” in the United States, until they were declared illegal. They had been used for 100 specific medical problems through the use of about 30 prescription medicines.
Medical Marijuana: The Replacement for Very Dangerous Drugs
Dr. Phillip Leveque for Salem-News.com (MOLALLA, Ore.)
When I was ordered before the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners, the first question I was asked by Dr. Spokas, the chairman, from Ontario, Oregon, was “Dr. Leveque don’t you know that marijuana is very addicting and very dangerous?”
Frankly, I didn’t know or believe this and all of my experience with fifty years study and 4000 patients told me this was totally false, but when one is facing a “Spanish inquisition” with psychological “thumb screws” or “hanging”, I decided to answer “maybe for some people”. I didn’t believe a word of it. I didn’t dare ask where he got his information but I assumed it came from the U.S. government, which has produced false propaganda for 70 plus years.
Marijuana is less addictive and less dangerous than Starbuck’s espresso.
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Law allows the use of marijuana for Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s rage, Glaucoma, chronic pain, chronic nausea, chronic spasms, Multiple Sclerosis and seizures.
As a retired Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, I accepted this with a grain of salt but when I started seeing patients, I was astonished and pleased that indeed the above conditions were “miraculously” alleviated by the use of medical marijuana.
I was further astonished when I was told by the patients “marijuana is much better than any prescription I have been given”. Further questioning of patients indicated it was better that the morphine-like painkillers, such as Oxycontin, Percodan or Demerol. It was also better than the Valium-like tranquilizers, such as Xanax, and Ambien, etc. and even the anti-depressants, such as Elavil, Trazadone, etc. and the really heavy anti-depressants, such as Prozac, Zoloft, etc.
Another, almost strange, report was that it was preferred to Aspirin and Tylenol, etc. because it worked faster with no stomach or liver damage.
For a retired Professor of Pharmacology, the patient’s reports were really a “blockbuster”. The biggest surprise came really quickly by Viet Nam veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They had been given every kind of medication, which gave minimal, if any, relief and many suffers simply turned to alcohol stupefaction to blot out PTSD battle stress.
The latter had become a tragedy for many as they had discovered in Viet Nam the marijuana was an excellent tranquilizer, better than any standard such drug or alcohol.
Literature review for current Marijuana Therapy led me to “O’Shaughnessy, The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice”, a newspaper-like magazine published by a group of California Marijuana Specialists, which are providing the cutting edge for information on the subject.
California is the leading marijuana state with about 300,000 legal marijuana patients. I am not / was not surprised to see that the reports of the fifteen doctors in the journal correspond with my own experiences. In fact, Dr. Tod Mikuriya has found that marijuana provides relief for about 200 specific diseases. It seems like marijuana could be / should be the first choice drug rather than the last.
Cannabis / marijuana medicines were at one time the “drugs of choice” in the United States, until they were declared illegal. They had been used for 100 specific medical problems through the use of about 30 prescription medicines.
Dr. Phillip Leveque is a Combat Infantryman, Physician and Toxicologist. He served with distinction in World War II, at one time taking 26 Nazi officers into custody that he and one other soldier discovered.
(this ‘off label’ use is of course, completly discounted in discussions regarding New Zealands Therapuetics ‘debate’… those pot advocates are looney tunes!, and discredit our argument.)
see http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/2007/04/vitamin-bill-anti-cannabis.html and http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0705/S00342.htm
Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.com
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