Cancer vs Me,Chemo and Marijuana

Just wanted to update my story. I am a 39yr old 6'2"male from Southern Ontario. I was diagnosed Adenocarcinoma (stomach cancer) late last December. I lost over 100lbs (was aprox. 270lbs) and could no longer eat any solids . I had x-rays and an altrosound done months earlier they didn't show the tumor so my family doc treated me for acid reflux.
Finally in November I got to see I specialist, by this time I was 75-80lbs lighter and getting weaker by the day, being a chef that can't eat and not having any energy was difficult to say the least. Mid December they gave me a CT scan and a scope down the throat (I forget the proper name of the test, chemo fog ) . That day the specialist and my new surgeon told me I was to have surgery right away to remove the "large mass" in my stomch and esophagus. December 29th I was admitted into the hospital, they put me on IV right away and started feeding me through it. The plan was to get my strength up so I could have the lithroscopy surgery on the 8th of January to remove the tumor.
I awoke from what I thought was the surgery to be told right away that the tumor was too large to operate on and that they installed a J-tube (Feeding tube that goes to my lower intestine). I remeber the tears started to flow down my cheeks I thought of my kids my family and thought I was going to die.
Then the new plan is to try and shrink the tumor with Chemotherapy for 12 weeks. A pic line (catheter from my arm to my stomach) has chemo going into it 24hrs a day and every third week I get a large dose of 2 different chemo medicines. If this does not shrink it enough we will try radiation as well.
Well now I have a CT scan scheduled for April the 6th to see how much the tumor has shrunk and determine the next course of action.
Ok now to get to the Marijuana part.....
Iam curently 200lbs dead on, LOL, I have gained aprox 35lbs. After the first day of Chemo I could start to eat again. With the help of using Marijuana ( I use maybe 2 to 3 grams a day) with a vapourizer then my wife makes brownies with the meds that have been vapped. (Shout out to Frank from Niagra Seed bank for the advice on that one). I haven't needed to use my J-Tube for close to 2 months now. I have told my oncologist my surgeons and my dietitian that I have been using marijuana to help stimulate my appitite, reduce nausia, help me sleep and give me a nice peace of mind. I was told to keep doing what I was doing cause it seems to be working.
I am doing well right now and living it up as much as possible. I haven't felt this good physically in close to a year, mentally it can be difficult knowing there is still a LONG road ahead but with the help of all my familly, friends, doctors, and meds (Marijuana being one of them) I will kick the snot out of Cancer!
I will keep everyone updated on my condition and if there is any way I can help the cause or anyone please let me know. Hope to meet some of u guys and gals in person at the expo!

One thing I forgot to add. If you plan on being your mothers care taker then see an attorney & have a contract written up to ensure you get compensated for your life. It may sound cold blooded now, but when she passes away, you will be thankful you did.

One of the first pharmaceuticals, digitalis, was derived from
the foxglove plant, a natural substance.

Welcome to www.THC-Foundation.org, The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation

Serving The Cannabis Community Since 1999

Contents Updated Last on 02/07/10

The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to truthfully educate the public concerning hemp and cannabis, as well as helping medical marijuana patients. We have clinics across the country where our doctors help patients obtain a permit for medical marijuana.

We have helped over 100,000 patients in nine states obtain a permit to legally possess, use and grow medical marijuana. We would be happy to help you. We are now scheduling appointments in 40 cities across the United States.

We see patients at our clinics in Oregon at Portland, Eugene, Bend, Grants Pass and Umatilla, in Washington state at Seattle/Bellevue, Olympia, Port Angeles, Spokane, Bellingham, Kennewick and Vancouver/Portland, in Michigan at Detroit/Southfield, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Flint, Saginaw, Marquette, Traverse City and Lansing, in Hawaii at Honolulu, Hilo and Kapaa, in Colorado at Denver, Durango and Glenwood Springs, in Nevada at Las Vegas and Reno, in Montana at Missoula, Helena, Bozeman and Billings, in New Mexico at Albuquerque and in California at Riverside.

We are now scheduling appointments for all of our clinics across the United States. Contact us at (800)723-0188 for locations and details.


Under state law in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington medical marijuana has helped hundreds of thousands of patients enjoy a better quality of life. Medical marijuana assists many in stopping or reducing habit-forming medications and allows them and their families to lead fuller and more active lives.

All of our physicians are fully licensed, experienced, well informed and compassionate. Our staff explains each state's unique program and helps patients locate community resources so they can best benefit from their state's medical cannabis law.

Our Doctors:

* Thomas Orvald, MD - (Cardiac Surgeon) - Licensed in WA, OR, HI, CO, CA
* Sandra Camacho, MD - (Nuclear Medicine) - Licensed in OR
* David Dodge, MD - (Pathologist) - Licensed in OR
* Rabia Ahmed, MD - (Internal Medicine) - Licensed in OR, CA, HI, NV
* Eric Eisenbud, MD - (Ophthalmologist) - Licensed in CO, MI, MT, WA
* Paul Ironside, MD - (Cardiothoracic Surgeon) - Licensed in CA


Marijuana is much safer, more effective and less costly than many alternatives currently in use. The Drug Enforcement Administration's own top administrative law judge, Francis L. Young, dismissed the drug warriors' untrue propaganda when he ruled in 1988 that, "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."



Becoming a Patient

Our physicians require that each patient have current medical records that document the existence of one of the conditions for which medical marijuana is authorized under their state law. You must either obtain your medical records yourself (which may involve a fee) and bring them in to us, or you may authorize that your medical records be faxed or mailed to one of our offices. Please BE SURE to clarify with the doctor's office that you only need 2-3 visits of chart notes pertaining to your qualifying condition, NOT your entire medical record. Have them include any relevant x-ray or MRI reports (not actual film), and also YOUR name and phone number.

Since our doctors are consulting with patients solely about their qualification for medicinal cannabis, and can not act as a patient's primary physician, we require that all of our patients have at least one other current physician. What to Expect at Your Appointment

After checking in, we must copy your state identification card for our file, pull your medical records, and create our THCF medical file. You can expect to fill out some questionnaire forms whether you are a new or returning patient. There is a 20 minute orientation video to educate you about your state's medical marijuana program, and then you will have time to ask a staff member any remaining questions you may have. What follows will be a non-invasive exam by an RN or NP, a meeting with our MD who will review your entire situation, make his determination, and fill out necessary forms. Once we both have copies of all necessary information and permit forms filled out, you will be ready to go!

CBD and Cancer
Storm Crow for Salem-News.com


(NORTHERN Calif.) - There is a lot more to cannabis than just THC. Although the press and science have focused on THC because of its effects on the brain, the other cannabinoids are potent medicines in their own right. Studies reveal that CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, may affect cancer cells of many types. Breast cancer, leukemia and glioma (a rather nasty brain cancer) are all slowed, or even killed by CBD.

I usually put in something amusing into my articles, but I find nothing amusing about cancer. Both of my grandmothers died of it. So please forgive me if I do not amuse you this time, but "cut straight to the chase".

In 2006, a study called "Anti-tumor activity of plant cannabinoids with emphasis on the effect of cannabidiol on human breast carcinoma," (see: Breast cancer: Antitumor Activity of Plant Cannabinoids with Emphasis on the Effect of Cannabidiol on Human Breast Carcinoma) compared the effect of five different compounds found in cannabis on an aggressive breast cancer. CBD was the clear winner.

In a short article about the study, it was stated "Cannabidiol (CBD) was the most potent cannabinoid in inhibiting the growth of human breast cancer cells injected under the skin of mice. (see: Science: Cannabidiol inhibits tumour growth in leukaemia and breast cancer in animal studies)

CBD also reduced lung metastases deriving from human breast cancer cells that had been injected into the paws of the animals." To put it simply, CBD slowed the growth of the breast cancer and kept it from spreading into the lungs.

The glioma studies (see: Glioma apoptosis: Inhibition of Glioma Growth in Vivo) and (Glioma apoptosis: Cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells) are very interesting, since the CBD attacked only the cancerous brain cells while leaving healthy brain cells untouched. Gliomas are one of the most malignant forms of cancer, resulting in the death of affected patients within 1–2 two years after diagnosis. Current therapies for glioma treatment are usually ineffective or just palliative. So how does CBD work to inhibit gliomas and other cancers?

Cells normally die through a process called apoptosis. Normal cells die after going through their programmed lifetime--but cancer cells refuse to die and begin to multiply rapidly. CBD "tells" the abnormal cancer cells that it is time to die by setting off the normal chain of events in programed cell death. The normal cells don't need to be "told" and are left alone.

But CBD doesn't stop there with putting a halt to gliomas. One of the things cancers do is to grow a lot of extra blood vessels to support their rapid growth. This is why a mole that bleeds when you scratch it may be suspected of being skin cancer. In a Spanish study, (see: Glioma blood vessels: Cannabinoids Inhibit the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pathway in Gliomas) two glioma patients (stage IV) received CBD injected directly into their tumors, for 16 and 19 days respectively, before their tumors were removed surgically. Both showed evidence of regression of the blood vessels to the tumors. The authors considered the results as "promising" and worthy of further study.

A third area where CBD is "promising" is in the treatment of leukemia. In the study "Cannabidiol-Induced Apoptosis in Human Leukemia Cells", (see: Leukemia: Cannabidiol-Induced Apoptosis in Human Leukemia Cells) we find this in the abstract- "Exposure of leukemia cells to cannabidiol led to cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2)-mediated reduction in cell viability and induction in apoptosis. Furthermore, cannabidiol treatment led to a significant decrease in tumor burden and an increase in apoptotic tumors in vivo." Which is a fancy way of saying CBD killed the leukemia cells and reduced the number of tumors. And again, the authors urge further study.

Aside from feeling relaxed, there are no noticeable effects from CBD, even with very large doses.

On the other hand, modern medicine's chemotherapy is the practice of using poisons that are slightly more toxic to cancer cells than healthy cells. The idea is to poison you just enough so all the cancer cells die, while you, as an organism, live. A lot of healthy cells die in the process. Some patients die in the process. Even at its best, chemotherapy makes you feel very sick.

CBD or chemo? Which treatment sounds better to you?

Of course, these studies are just preliminary and need to be duplicated, refined and studied further. We need to examine the effects of CBD on these and other cancers. Until then, we are stuck with chemotherapy and all of its side effects. We must reschedule cannabis for research.

I cook stuff in boiling water, wait a bit & then inhale it. Why couldn’t cannabis be used this way?

Also never used any …hmm, how to call them.. Let’s say it this way: So far, my only drugs ever were music & love. OK, & religion :) So you will understand, that I’m a bit skeptic or rather say frightened about the vaporizer thing.

As I understand from reading slove sites, there exist 2 sorts of hemp: Eatable hemp (Cannabis sativa or called also “indian”) & “that other” hemp. What’s about it?

I think I'm gonna seed it in my garden. Yeah!

Manitoba Harvest Improves Hemp Oil Packaging


2010-02-09 - Manitoba Harvest

(Winnipeg, Manitoba – February 9, 2010) – People throughout the world are becoming aware that the choices they make regarding culinary oils in their diet can have a profound impact on their health. Omega-rich hemp oil is one of the emerging nutritious oils being sought out by health-minded consumers, as well as foodies seeking flavorful oils that add an interesting flavor, color and texture to recipes. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils™ has announced that they have improved their hemp oil packaging, which features a convenient no-drip spout.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Oil has a rich nutty flavor and is a nutritious addition to healthy recipes such as salad dressings, soups, sauces, juices and smoothies. You can substitute hemp oil for virtually any other oil in recipes that are not heated above 350º F. Hemp oil can also be drizzled on top of cooked foods for added taste and nutrition. A tasty hemp oil recipe for Hempini Dressing is included below, and more can be found at www.manitobaharvest.com/recipes .

“There are six key advantages that hemp oil has over other oils and EFA sources,” says company President and co-founder Mike Fata. “Hemp oil offers the highest level of EFAs of any vegetable source, provides optimal balance between omega-6 and omega-3 EFAs, is a rare source of GLA, contains many other key nutrients beyond the EFAs, has a delicious flavor and culinary versatility, and is derived from sustainable agriculture,” notes Fata. “Many people are seeking to gain their EFAs from delicious functional foods instead of supplement pills,” add Fata.

A summary of hemp seed health and nutrition research presented to the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance
(www.hemptrade.ca ) at their annual conference in November 2009 by Kelly Fitzpatrick, M Sc., demonstrates the emerging science behind this superfood. The key points backed by referenced research in her report are:

- Hemp oil contains an extremely healthy fatty acid profile with the highest total level of important essential fatty acids: 55% linolenic acid (LA); and 19% alpha linolenic acid (ALA);

- Hemp oil is a rare plant source of the vital omega-6 EFA gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and another unique omega- fatty acid called stearidonic acid (SDA);

- Hemp oil is very low in saturated fats;

- Omega-6 and omega 3 EFAs work synergistically at the cellular level to ensure effective metabolism. Hemp oil has a 3:1 ratio – the oil closest to an ideal recommended omega 6 and 3 ratio;

- Hemp oil contains antioxidants including natural Vitamin E (tocopherols) at higher levels than other oils;

- Hemp seeds are rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium, and are a very good source of important B vitamins including pantothenic acid, niacin and Vitamins B1, B2 and B6; and

- A variety of phytosterols are found in hemp oil, these substances have a positive effect on blood lipids.

“In addition to its high concentration of omega-3, hemp oil is a rare source of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), which is a unique and extremely important Omega-6,” notes Meghan Atkinson CN, a certified nutritionist based in Los Angeles, California. Obtaining GLA in the diet can be challenging. “Other than hemp, there are only 3 significant natural sources of GLA - Evening Primrose, Borage, and Black Courant -and unlike hemp, none of the others are a whole food source with a wide variety of culinary functions,” adds Atkinson. Hemp Oil contains 420mg of GLA in one tablespoon.

To create Manitoba Harvest Hemp Oil, hemp seeds are cold pressed to ensure that valuable enzymes are not destroyed and nutrients such as chlorophyll and vitamin E remain intact. Unlike conventional vegetable oil refining, the “FRESH PRESSED™” process used by Manitoba Harvest does not subject the oil to poisonous chemicals or destructive heat. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Oil is packed in light-resistant bottles that are nitrogen flushed to ensure freshness.

Sales of products from Manitoba Harvest are spreading fast throughout North America and into Europe, Asia and other regions of the world. The need to create packaging that is appealing to a broad world audience is one of the factors that led Manitoba Harvest to refresh their brand look and packaging. The company’s popular line of Hemp Oil has received a new look and more convenient no-drip spout that is sure to attract the growing throngs of consumers that are seeking out healthy hemp foods. “Our fresh new look is designed to appeal to a broader mainstream audience while providing valuable health and nutrition information,” says Fata.

Manitoba Harvest offers two varieties of hemp oil in a variety of sizes of their attractive new packaging: certified organic (8-ounce SRP $9.99; 16-ounce SRP $16.99) and pesticide-free (12-ounce for $9.99; 32-ounce $23.99). Both varieties contain no additives or preservatives, and they are Gluten-Free and Nut-Free.

Founded in 1998, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils is the world’s largest vertically-integrated, farmer owned hemp food manufacturer. The company strives to create the healthiest hemp foods, to educate the public about healthy lifestyle choices, and to support sustainable and organic agriculture. Manitoba Harvest is proud to partner with Renewable Choice Energy to reduce their environmental impact through wind power and carbon offsets. For more information, please visit www.manitobaharvest.com .

Hempini Dressing
(Makes: 1 1/2 cups; Prep Time: 5 min.)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hemp Seed Butter
1/2 Cup Hemp Oil
1/4 Cup Tamari
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

Directions:
Combine Hemp Oil and Hemp Seed Butter in a bowl. Stir until creamy and smooth. Add tamari and maple syrup. Mix well. Will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container. This is a high protein dressing that is ideal for salads, rice or veggies.

linical Studies and Case Reports

On this site you will find clinical studies with cannabis or single cannabinoids in different diseases and case reports on the use of cannabis by patients.
You may search for diseases (indications), authors, medication, study design (controlled study, open trial, case report etc.) and other criteria.

If you want to add a study or a case report please click here. Studies and case reports will be checked by the IACM before publication in this database. Please do not forget to enter your e-mail address in the field "address of author" for any request.

[Back to Overview] [IACM Homepage]
Title Effects of smoked marijuana on food intake and body weight of humans living in a residential laboratory.
Author(s) Foltin RW, Fischman MW, Byrne MF.
Journal, Volume, Issue Appetite 1988;11(1):1-14.
Major outcome(s) Increases in body weight during periods of active marijuana smoking were greater than predicted by caloric intake alone.
Indication Appetite loss/weight loss Abstract
Medication Cannabis

Six adult male research volunteers, in two groups of three subjects each, lived in a residential laboratory for 13 days. All contact with the experimenter was through a networked computer system and subjects’ behaviors, including food intake, were continuously reported. During the first part of the day , subjects remained in their private rooms doing planned work activities, and during the remainder of the day, they were allowed to socialize. Two cigarettes containing active marijuana (2-3% Delta-9-THC) or placebo were smoked during both the private work period and the period of access to social activities. Smoked active marijuana significantly increased total daily caloric intake by 40%. Increased food intake was evident during both private and social periods. The increase in caloric intake was due to an increased consumption of snack foods as a consequence of an increase in the number of snacking occasions. There was no significant change in caloric consumption during meals. The principal increase within the category of snack foods was in the intake of sweet solid items, e.g., candy bars, compared to sweet fluid, e.g., soda, or savory solid items, e.g., potato chips. Increases in body weight during periods of active marijuana smoking were greater than predicted by caloric intake alone.

Marijuana ineffective as an Alzheimer's treatment: UBC-Vancouver Coastal Health research

The benefits of marijuana in tempering or reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease have been challenged in a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

The findings, published in the current issue of the journal Current Alzheimer Research, could lower expectations about the benefits of medical marijuana in combating various cognitive diseases and help redirect future research to more promising therapeutics.

Previous studies using animal models showed that HU210, a synthetic form of the compounds found in marijuana, reduced the toxicity of plaques and promoted the growth of new neurons. Those studies used rats carrying amyloid protein, the toxin that forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's victims.

The new study, led by Dr. Weihong Song, Canada Research Chair in Alzheimer's Disease and a professor of psychiatry in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, was the first to test those findings using mice carrying human genetic mutations that cause Alzheimer's disease -- widely considered to be a more accurate model for the disease in humans.

"As scientists, we begin every study hoping to be able to confirm beneficial effects of potential therapies, and we hoped to confirm this for the use of medical marijuana in treating Alzheimer's disease," says Song, a member of the Brain Research Centre at UBC and VCH Research Institute and Director of Townsend Family Laboratories at UBC.

"But we didn't see any benefit at all. Instead, our study pointed to some detrimental effects."

Over a period of several weeks, some of the Alzheimer's-afflicted mice were given varying doses of HU210 -- also known as cannabinoids -- which is 100 to 800 times more potent than the marijuana compounds. Their memory was then tested.

The mice treated with HU210 did no better than untreated mice, with those given low doses of HU210 performing the worst. The researchers also found that HU210-treated mice had just as much plaque formation and the same density of neurons as the control group. The group given higher doses actually had fewer brain cells.

"Our study shows that HU210 has no biological or behavioural effect on the established Alzheimer's disease model," says Song, the Jack Brown and Family Professor and Chair in Alzheimer's Disease. "More studies should be done before we place much hope in marijuana's benefits for Alzheimer's patients."

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration and is the most common form of dementia.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that the disease affects close to 300,000 Canadians and accounts for two-thirds of all cases of dementia. Approximately $5.5 billion per year is spent caring for persons with Alzheimer's and related dementias in Canada. By 2031, about 750,000 Canadians will suffer from Alzheimer's and related dementias.

The Alzheimer's Association in the U.S. estimates there are approximately 500,000 Americans younger than 65 with Alzheimer's or other dementia.

The research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Jack Brown and Family Alzheimer's Research Foundation, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a donation from the David Townsend Family.

Townsend Family Laboratories was established at The University of British Columbia with a donation of $7.5 million from the David Townsend Family. The research centre is dedicated to integrating the basic and clinical research for finding the underlying mechanism and novel diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease and developing interventions to prevent and treat this devastating disease.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine provides innovative programs in the health and life sciences, teaching students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and generates more than $200 million in research funding each year. In 2007/08, out of the total UBC research endeavour, 53 per cent, or $247 million, came from academic and clinical teams in the Faculty of Medicine. For more information, visit www.med.ubc.ca.

The Brain Research Centre comprises more than 200 investigators with multidisciplinary expertise in neuroscience research ranging from the test tube, to the bedside, to industrial spin-offs. The centre is a partnership of UBC and VCH Research Institute. For more information, visit www.brain.ubc.ca.

Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is the research body of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which includes BC's largest academic and teaching health sciences centres: VGH, UBC Hospital, and GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre. In academic partnership with the University of British Columbia, VCHRI brings innovation and discovery to patient care, advancing healthier lives in healthy communities across British Columbia, Canada, and beyond. www.vchri.ca.

Link:

http://www.ubc.ca[ quote]

The thing with this testing is that they didnt use real cannabis . They used HU210 which is 100 to 800 times more potent then cannabis itself.
{quote] Facts: HU210, sold commercially as Spice, is a powerful full agonist at receptor CB1. Cannabis is a partial weak agonist. To help explain this graphically, picture an adult African Lion, then picture a fluffy little kitten sitting pretty.
In case anyone was wondering, mice do not get Alzheimer's. And lab rats given Thalidomide don't get birth defects.

Firstly , why are you suggesting that kids should be smoking dope ?
Secondly , how many doctors are doing research in a prison cell ?

I would love to know why you think dope is going to save the world and is worth giving up your life for . Seriously , you're not thinking logically at all here notwithstanding how selfish your expectations are. Are YOU going around palliative care wards selling weed ? If not then stop telling doctors what they should risk

know why you think dope is going to save the world and is worth giving up your life for . Seriously , you're not thinking logically at all here notwithstanding how selfish your expectations are.

First of all , PROVE that old Mary Jane can cure cancer.

It's pretty obvious that you can't go a day without a joint here but even if that's not the case , it's dope buddy , not the answer to every question ever posed. Seriously , you need to lay off that stuff or something since apparently it's all you think about.

apparently it's all you think about.

hey, would putting a big telescope on the moon be dumb?

Sorry I'm not completely down with your awesome subculture

But thanks for the vote of confidence! It means a lot to me considering that I already work at an actual hospital in the field of public health, where it is our mission to research, teach, and promote health and safety.

May 24, 2006 - San Diego, CA, USA



San Diego, CA: Smoking cannabis, even long-term, is not positively associated with increased incidence of lung-cancer, according to the findings of the largest population-based case-control study performed to date. Lead investigator Donald Tashkin of the David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, at the University of California-Los Angeles, presented the results this week at the 2006 International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Investigators assessed the possible association between cannabis use and the risk of lung cancer in middle-aged adults (ages 18-59) living in Los Angeles. Researchers conducted interviews with 611 subjects with lung cancer and 1,040 controls matched for age, gender and neighborhood. Data was collected on lifetime marijuana use, as well as subjects' use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, diet, occupation, and family history of cancer. Investigators used a logistical regression model to estimate the effect of cannabis smoking on lung cancer risk, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, education, and cumulative tobacco smoking and alcohol use.

"We did not observe a positive association of marijuana use -- even heavy long-term use -- with lung cancer, controlling for tobacco smoking and other potential cofounders," investigators concluded. Their data further revealed that one subset of moderate lifetime users (10-<30 "joint years") actually had an inverse association between cannabis use and lung cancer. The study did report a 20-fold increased risk in heavy tobacco smokers.

Investigators also did not report a positive association between cannabis use and increased incidence of upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers. The five-year trial was sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said that Tashkin's findings reaffirm the results of prior case-control studies dismissing a causal link between cannabis use and certain types of lung and upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers. These include: a 2001 John Hopkins University hospital-based case-control study that found neither "lifetime use" nor "ever use" of cannabis were associated with head, neck or lung cancer in younger adults; a 2004 University of Washington case-control study that found "no association" between cannabis use and incidents of oral cancer, regardless of how long, how much or how often individuals had used it; and a 1997 Kaiser Permanente retrospective cohort study that found that cannabis use was not associated with increased risks of developing tobacco-use related cancers of the lung and upper aerodigestive tract or other cancers in men and women who used marijuana but did not smoke tobacco.

"The most remarkable aspect of this study is that its findings are, in fact, unremarkable," Armentano said. "As has been previously reported by the US Institute of Medicine and others, there is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including those cancers generally related to tobacco use."

Armentano suggested that cannabis consumers who desire the rapid onset of action associated with inhalation but who are concerned about the potential harms of noxious smoke can dramatically cut down on their intake of carcinogenic compounds by engaging in vaporization rather than smoking.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Additional information on cannabis and cancer is available in NORML's report, "Cannabis Smoke and Cancer: Assessing the Risk," available online at:
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6891.

Are YOU going to risk your career to advocate the use of narcotics

You can make any claims about medical marijuana that you want to ,

don't blame your doctors , blame your legislators.

They do . Every day in fact. The other alternatives are plain old junk science

people who pay for that crap don't seem to mind remaining ignorant of just how useless these purported "medicines" are.

How so ? Because they haven't found a cure yet ?

Because they don't promise the same nonsense or lies that homeopaths et al do ?

Why not just eat candy and tell yourself it's medicine...

might even provide some calories at a time when they're needed.

I know it is my right in Canada here to grow, but I must get a doctor to support me.

Toronto Compassion Centre (TCC) - www.tccentre.org

Also see CMPA Release from Liability form

Visit the Health Canada website for up-to-date application forms for the MMAR program

Dear Dr. ______________,


I’m writing you this letter as a follow up to our discussion on (date) regarding my use of marihuana for medical purposes and my desire to obtain a legal exemption from Health Canada.. As we discussed, marihuana is an important part of my treatment program for controlling my chronic problems with __________. My purpose in writing you today is to persuade you to sign my Health Canada application for an exemption, or to obtain from you a written statement as to why you will not sign my application.

I have enclosed with this letter several peer-reviewed studies that show the real medical benefits of marihuana in controlling the symptoms of ________ in an effective manner.

Although I get good relief from smoking marihuana, I can understand your reluctance in endorsing any form of smoking. Fortunately, I don’t need to smoke my marihuana anymore, due to the development of vaporizers that convert the marihuana to a smokeless vapor.

Also, I would ask that you consider the health consequences for me if you do not sign my Health Canada Exemption. Without an exemption, I could be arrested, jailed and exposed to serious health consequences. With an exemption, I am treated like any other patient who has a legal right to use their medicine. I would ask that you balance whatever health risks might be associated with marihuana use, verses the very real health risks that comes with being forced into an illegal behavior just to obtain medical relief for my illness.

If you are still unable to sign my exemption, I ask that you tell me why in writing so if I am arrested, I can explain to the judge why I was unable to get a Health Canada exemption and was forced to continue using my medical marihuana without the protection that would be afforded from the exemption.

Sincerely,

___________________
.

Pharmeceutical companies and so called cancer specialists have lots to answer for

I can't wait until they legalize it. Then I can grow a big swatch of it for my own use

Chemotherapy is very effective on tumours

Aside from the possibility of blowing up your hemp "lab" by the application of several highly flammable solvents to your raw materials, what I found really frightening was the claim by Rick Simpson that hemp oil will cure diabetes, followed by the tacit claim that you could subsequently go off your diabetic meds.

This looks like it's worth looking into, probably not a straight up cure but it positively will affect prognosis.

even though to be honest, I'm glad to see it gone, before too many other people develop false hope and refuse conventional treatment as a result.

How would you take hemp oil?

How do you know where to get the best hemp oil on the market and name brand.

How can it help with obesity?

If anyone knows...

I think the OP has an agenda

the OP has little knowledge or understanding of neuroscience.

I think that most people don't know neuroreceptors even exist, let alone any two particular receptors,

let alone any two particular receptors,

outrage over not being informed of a particular two out of God knows how many known is kind of childish

And I think that if OP were a regular listener to NPR he would have learned of the existence of said receptors years ago

The primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC, tetrahydrocannabinol. Smoking or eating marijuana and its complex****ail of compounds may rarely trigger episodes of depersonalisation, derealisation and psychosis. Sometimes it can induce paranoia, particularly in advocates of The War Against Drugs. More commonly, marijuana just leaves the user pleasantly and harmlessly stoned. It's fun. Sleepiness, pain-relief and euphoria are typical responses. Cannabinoid CB(1) receptor agonists are potential antidepressants. Indeed cannabinoids may be neuroprotective against the effects of stress. Conversely, cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonists/inverse agonists, like the new EC-licensed diet-drug rimonabant (Acomplia), may cause depression and anxiety. Indeed the first brain-derived substance found to bind to our cannabis receptors was christened "anandamide", a derivative of the Sanskrit word for internal contentment. Getting high may thus serve as an innocent recreational pastime in an uncaring world

WORKING FOR A DRUG-FREE FUTURE
Suppose, for a moment, that the reproductive success of our DNA had been best served by coding for ecstatically happy vehicles rather than malaise-haunted emotional slum-dwellers. If this had been the case, then none of the pharmacological interventions discussed in The Good Drug Guide would be necessary. Life-long well-being would seem only "natural". We would all enjoy gloriously fulfilled lives. Each day would be animated by gradients of bliss. Unpleasant states of mind would be viewed as a tragic aberration. Bad thoughts and bad feelings could be diagnosed as a freakish but clinically treatable type of psychopathology.

Of course, it didn't work out that way. Instead, the inclusive fitness of our genes has been served by the "natural" manufacture of some of the most vicious psychological adaptations imaginable. Sadness and anxiety are "normal". Discontent is "adaptive". Everyday emotional pain is part of "what makes us human".

The rot goes deeper. Selfish DNA can count on innumerable dupes to act as its distal representatives even today as the biotech revolution unfolds. The need for "character-building" emotional pain gets justified with all manner of sophistries, both religious and profane. Suffering is good for you, one may be told. It's all part of life's rich tapestry.

Actually, suffering exists only because it was good for our genes. Conditionally-activated negative emotions were fitness-enhancing in the ancestral environment. In the current era, apologists for mental pain are serving as the innocent mouthpieces of the nasty bits of code which spawned them. If pressed, primordial DNA's unwitting spokesmen would presumably disavow any such connection. Yet if one were purposely building an intelligent robotic survival-machine, then endowing it with the illusion of free-will would prove a highly fitness-enhancing adaptation. It's a trick which our genes stumbled upon; and then blindly exploited.

Fortunately, over the next few centuries humanity will be able to outwit its ancient genetic masters. Our present status as throwaway genetic vehicles will finally be subverted. When gradients of heavenly well-being become the genetically predestined norm of mental health, then the very notion of tampering with our new-won "natural" condition and feeling "drugged" may come to seem immoral. It may also seem perverse. Why should anyone want to contaminate the divine ecstasy of their spirituo-biological soul-stuff with chemical pollutants? No thanks.

what's the worry.

As far as the hemp oil is concerned, I would not know where to purchase the stuff? But I'll check out that thread for sure...

But I'll pass, thanks