Medicinal Marijuana cannabis seeds for medical users

Medicinal Marijuana, a product having the properties of a medicine made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria or to relieve pain. The effects of Medicinal Marijuana vary with its strength and dosage and with the state of mind of the user. Typically, small doses result in a feeling of well-being. The intoxication lasts two to three hours, but accompanying effects on motor control last much longer.

'mounting arbitrary and vindictive assaults'
Glendale News-Press
April 29th 2005

When San Francisco's Board of Supervisors met Monday to discuss how to tighten oversight of the city's 43 medical marijuana dispensaries, Bush administration officials cheered, for all the wrong reasons. Drug Enforcement Administration agents should have been thrilled that the city is trying to fill the regulatory gulf created in 1996 when Californians passed Proposition 215, vaguely sanctioning marijuana for "any illness for which marijuana provides relief." The DEA should be offering to help cities draw a sharper line around legitimate medical use. But no. DEA agents hailed the effort because, they said, it would give them a paper trail to bust more patients and doctors. The agents' attitude captures the administration's pot policy: Rather than focusing on curbing harmful drug abuse, it's mounting arbitrary and vindictive assaults on both states' rights and patient care. In the next month, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the Justice Department has the right to prosecute patients and doctors who use medical marijuana in California and elsewhere. Full Trail..........................

'Your senses are heightened after you smoke'
Steven Chen, Daily Trojan
April 28th 2005

In an apartment near the Shrine Auditorium, two roommates laugh as they recall stories of their adventures since they started smoking marijuana. They tell stories of heightened senses, bursts of creativity, dealers with larger-than-life personalities and the guy they know who is "always stoned, even when he goes to class." Emma, one of the roommates, tells a story. "I remember being stoned once, and I had these shoes with texture at the bottom. I just kept touching the texture for like half an hour, because I just couldn't stop," she said before bursting into laughter. Kathy, the other roommate, nods in understanding. "Your senses are heightened after you smoke," she said. Full Tale...........

'hallucinations and paranoid ideas'
Dr Thomas Stuttaford
April 28th 2005

ABIGAIL WITCHALLS has been able to give a much fuller description of her assailant than had been expected. The police have also taken heed of Mrs Witchalls’s suggestion that the assailant appeared to be under the influence of drink or drugs.
If the attacker’s condition had been of sudden origin and was accompanied by symptoms of an acute psychotic breakdown, such as delusions, hallucinations and paranoid ideas, it is possible that these were precipitated by drugs. Until about seven or eight years ago the most common cause of admission to one London psychiatric unit for the treatment of an acute psychosis was over-indulgence in cannabis. At about this time cannabis’s lead position was usurped by crack cocaine. Recently there is anecdotal evidence that the increasing strength of the cannabis that is now readily Full Breakdown................

'cloud of noxious gasses'
Mark A.R. Kleiman
April 27th 2005:

Advocates of the use of marijuana as medicine point out that, before becoming a drug of widespread abuse, cannabis was a part of the traditional pharmacopoeia, and that its primary psychoactive component, delta-9-THC, is an approved drug under the tradename Marinol. Opponents point out that cannabis doesn't really look very much like a medicine. We expect our medicines to be consistent in composition, but cannabis from different plants, or from different parts of the same plant, or from a given part of a given plant at different times of harvesting or time since harvesting, can vary enormously in both the overall levels of psychoactive agents they contain and in the ratios of those agents. Moreover, smoking is an imprecise way to take a medication ("one puff" isn't nearly as well-defined a dosage as "one tablet"), aside from the problem of taking one's medicine in a cloud of noxious gasses and particulate matter. Full tablets...............

'not a slippery slope'
April 26th 2005.

The question of how to get a handle on The City's many medicinal marijuana clubs brought forth a wide range of comments Monday from government officials, neighbors, patients and advocates at a public hearing Monday. The number of clubs has shot up dramatically to 38 in the past year and a half, plus five delivery operations, and some residents say the clubs are unwelcome in their neighborhoods. But advocates urged city officials not to jeopardize the service. "Medicinal marijuana is not a slippery slope or a pretext for legalizing marijuana," said former District Attorney Terrence Hallinan. "The two issues should not be confused." More Sliding...........................

'Beggars Belief '
Marc Baker
April 25th 2005

Today we reveal the "respectable" face of cannabis use in Wales.
The illegal drug may be linked with teenagers hanging round street corners smoking joints. But there is a secret community of cannabis users in Wales - pensioners and people plagued with illness who use the drug for comfort and pain relief. Among them are a frail 92-year-old pensioner in Cardiff, a former county borough councillor in Swansea and Denbigh and a wheelchair-bound paraplegic. All three spoke out last night to tell how they are willing to break the law to help make their lives a little easier. Their stories will shock campaigners who are against legalising the drug. But the trio insist cannabis is their saviour as they continue to battle the odds on a daily basis. They receive their drugs weekly via the Rhyl-based medical cannabis co-operative Bud Buddies. The group is backed by Welsh cannabis campaigner Jeffery Ditchfield, who is standing in the General Election as a candidate for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance. The 45-year-old Rhyl businessman runs the Beggars Belief shop in the town's West End where he is willing to break the law, selling cannabis for medicinal purposes. More Disbelief.............

'fermented from marijuana leaves
a case for medicinal marijuana'?
India.
April 23rd 2005

Drunken Monkeys Terrorise Indian Villagers. A gang of drunken monkeys terrorised villagers in India last week after stealing alcohol from their homes. The animals became aggressive after drinking from containers containing 'pana', an alcoholic liquid fermented from marijuana leaves. The people of Baralapokhari, who had been preparing the drink for the Hindu New Year celebrations, were shocked when the monkeys rampaged through the village attacking them and breaking their possessions. In order to defend themselves, the terrified villagers armed themselves with sticks and drove the monkeys back into the forest. However, many of the monkeys had to be carried to the woods having passed out from the effects of the strong drink, Nice.

Medical marijuana on trial.'again'
By Dan Hurley
New-York Times
April 22nd 2005

As Supreme Court nears decision, benefits of drug remain in question
Medical marijuana is now legal in Washington and 10 other states, and bills to legalize it are pending in at least seven more. The drug is also at the heart of a case being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.Yet there remains much confusion over whether marijuana has any significant medical effect.
Diane Ballard smokes marijuana in her West Seattle home to help control pain and nausea caused by treatments she received for a rare form of cancer.
"People subjectively report benefits," said Dr. Joseph Sirven, an epilepsy specialist and associate professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Scottsdale, Ariz. "There's a whole Internet literature suggesting what a wonderful thing it is. But the reality is, we don't know."Diane Ballard is Full Trial..............

'Medicinal Marijuana Guru v the man'
April 21st 2005

Marco Renda the well known Medicinal Marijuana Guru had a visit from four drug enforcement units on Friday, and lost not only , the plants he was growing for a sick friend but his liberty too. Marco the founder and leader of one of the biggest online communities “Treating Yourself.com” ( www.treatingyourself.com ) was arrested and had 31 of the plants he was growing taken, along with his computer! His bail conditions do not permit him to have any dealings what so ever with his community or friends world wide. Will this stop the wonderful work that goes on quietly and in a non-profit way? No, of course it wouldn't! We are all supporting him and continuing his wonderful vision from all parts of the globe. We have to, we are all in the same boat, and we are all ‘Guilty' of using a benign herb to improve the quality of our lives. More Madness...................

Ms Victims to Get Cannabis Drug in Canada
By Emily Pennink, PA
April 20 2005

A cannabis-based medicine formulated by a UK company to help sufferers of multiple sclerosis has been approved for use for the first time – in Canada. Sativex oral spray was given the go-ahead in Canada to treat neuropathic pain in adults with MS, GW pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare announced today. The move has raised hopes that the drug will soon be available in the UK to thousands of patients, some of whom, a recent study suggested, have already resorted to using recreational cannabis. The UK medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency is expected to complete its review of the spray as a treatment for spasticity in MS in the summer. Sativex was produced as a result of research by UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals and marketed by Bayer HealthCare. Dr William Notcutt, pain consultant at James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “This is great news for MS sufferers in Canada.“In the UK thousands of MS patients suffer from neuropathic pain. Full Story.....................

'bipolar disorder and schizophrenia'.
April 19th 2005

The Western Australian Opposition has renewed its attack on the State Government's cannabis laws after the release of a new study warning of the dangers of the drug. The study by the Institute of Psychiatry in London found cannabis use increased the likelihood of psychosis in people already prone to illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Under Western Australian law, people caught with a small amount of the drug can escape a criminal conviction. The study is flawed, yet another case of vested interest.

'Proposition 215'
April 18 2005

More rules needed for pot clubs More rules needed for pot clubs / Problems caused by lack of regulations Nearly a decade after forward-thinking officials in several Bay Area cities approved laws allowing medical marijuana clinics, they must figure out how to regulate them -- because few people on either side of the debate deny that the clubs are running amok. More than 60 of the dispensaries operate in the region -- from Livermore to Belmont -- as a result of Proposition 215, which California voters approved in 1996 to make marijuana legal for medicinal purposes. Two examples highlighting the problem have come to light in the past week. In Union City, a pot club opened without proper business permits earlier this month, and when city officials found out, they shut it down. The City Council then voted to place a moratorium on medical marijuana outlets in the East Bay city until the city has looked for appropriate locations and come up with regulations to govern their operations. More Regulations....................

'sold marijuana to undercover agents, not good',
Mendocino.Calif.
April 17 2005

The authorities with a reputation for going easy on pot have been cracking down. In February, Mendocino County sheriff's deputies shut down a cannabis club near Ukiah that sold marijuana to undercover agents, and seized 845 plants. Earlier this week, police arrested two Berkeley residents who said the 44 pounds of pot in the trunk of their rented car were headed to an Alameda County cannabis club. "I was actually very surprised the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office would encumber someone who was bringing medical marijuana to a legitimate dispensary," said Bob Swanson, a spokesman for Alameda County Supervisor Nathan Miley. Swanson called authorities to lobby for the release of Winslow Norton, 24, owner of the Compassionate Collective of Alameda County, and his girlfriend, Jessica Gibson, 20. They'll remain in county jail at least until a hearing on Monday. More Pottering.......................

Medical marijuana bill for state delayed
Associated Press
Barger Brian , Producer April 15 2005

A plan to legalize medicinal marijuana in Tennessee appears to be going up in smoke. Senator Steve Cohen, the Memphis Democrat pushing the idea, says the state just isn't ready for prescription marijuana. Cohen said he will ask that his bill allowing medical marijuana be changed to set up a study committee to look into the idea before next session. But he said it's only a matter of time before Tennessee joins the ranks of states that allow the seriously ill to buy marijuana.

Data Show New Synthetic Delta-9-THC Inhaler Offers Safe, Rapid Delivery

MARIETTA, Ga., April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the results of a Phase I study evaluating the safety and tolerability of pulmonary dronabinol administered in a one-time dose using a pressurized metered dose inhaler. Dronabinol is a synthetic version of delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is one of more than 400 compounds found in the marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa L). The research was presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Miami, Fla. Full Details.....

Medical marijuana rally hits Capitol
Anthony Giovanini
State Hornet
April 14, 2005

Smoke rose from the steps of the state Capitol Saturday from individuals practicing their legal right to use medicinal marijuana. "This is a coming out rally for the medical marijuana community," said Peter Keyes, chief financial officer for Compassionate Coalition. The free rally was sponsored by Compassionate Coalition, a non-profit organization formed in support of medicinal marijuana. "I have a kidney transplant patient from Sacramento State who gets their medication from us," said Louis Fowler, owner of Alternative Specialties, a local medical cannabis provider. Medicinal marijuana doesn't seem to be a big concern to Sac State students as a whole. Out of 100 students who were randomly asked about their stance, 23 had no opinion, 56 were for medicinal marijuana and 21 were opposed. But many said it depended on the circumstances. "I'm personally against all illicit drugs," said Jeff Allen, a Sac State senior in management of information systems who is also former president of the College Republicans. Full Story.........................

'back cannabis for medical use’only cause i've got MS.
By Chris Story
April 14 2005

MS SUFFERER David Maclean has revealed he would back the legalisation of cannabis for medical use – if supported by solid advice.But the Conservative candidate for Penrith and the Border remains opposed to legalising the drug for recreational use.The issue is likely to be a hot topic during the general election campaign with the Legalise Cannabis Alliance contesting three Cumbrian constituencies. Mr Maclean told the News & Star he was keen to learn the findings of on-going studies into the drug’s medicinal effects. He said: “I would personally have an interest in these.“If cannabis is proven in legitimate studies to be useful for people with multiple sclerosis, should I say, then it should be available as a drug from a doctor or chemist when prescribed whether it is in inhaler or tablet form. Full Medicinal Effects............

'Insane'
April 13, 2005

ONE in four people carries genes that leave them vulnerable to psychotic illnesses if they smoke cannabis as teenagers, scientists have found. A common genetic profile that makes cannabis five times more likely to trigger schizophrenia and similar disorders has been identified, increasing pressure on the British Government to reverse the drug's reclassification from class B to class C. The increased risk applies to people who inherit variants of a gene named COMT and who smoked cannabis as teenagers. About a quarter of the population have this genetic make-up and up to 15 per cent of the group are likely to develop psychotic conditions if exposed to the drug early in life. Neither the drug nor the gene raises the risk of psychosis by itself. The study, led by Avshalom Caspi and Terrie Moffitt, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, gives the best explanation yet for the way cannabis has a devastating psychiatric impact some users but leaves most unharmed. Read On.............................

Cannabis compound tackles blood vessel disease
April twelve 2005

The main compound in cannabis can prevent blood vessels from developing atherosclerosis, an inflammatory condition that is the primary cause of heart disease and stroke in the developed world. A study in this week's Nature shows that disease progression is halted when mice are given low doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Full Story.....................

Local cannabis dispensaries have both friends and foes
By Karen Holzmeister,
April twelve 2005

ASHLAND — The Health Center appears to represent the best and the worst of medical marijuana dispensaries.
On the positive side, business is thriving, customers praise its service and prices, and a neighboring business manager says center employees have helped her with unruly customers.
On the negative side, other business operators and property owners claim some of the center's customers urinate on and vandalize nearby buildings, clog the area More THC.................

Clean pee: stay free
Monday April 11, 2005
The Guardian

It's hard not to feel a sneaking sympathy for Tom Sizemore. An actor of moderate talents and bad habits, Tom is one of the hundreds of thousands of Californians obliged to take a daily drug test. In his case it's a condition of probation. Clean pee: stay free. For others, with no criminal record, the morning bottle is as routine as the metal detector and full-body wipedown at the airport. The amount of urine provided daily by the drug-tested of California would float the Queen Mary (currently at anchor in Long Beach). Schoolchildren are tested. So are transport employees, job applicants, athletes, cops, prisoners; indeed, any employee in a "drug-free workplace" that intends to protect itself against negligence suits. For his daily sample, Sizemore slung an artificial penis called the "Whizzinator" round his loins and whizzed hopefully. No luck. The probation officer wasn't fooled (perhaps there was more size than usual). There is plentiful lore among kids about how to pass, fake or spoil the test. In the days when I was an anxious parent in California, one knew that drug-wise offspring often used LSD in preference to marijuana because "fry" was flushed out of the system in a day, whereas weed lingered in the urine for a month. Clean piddle is traditionally supplied by girlfriends. Keeping the stuff at a precise 95 degrees is a problem (the canny parent wields a thermometer). Ten seconds in the microwave will do it - but that can be awkward. There is matching awkwardness for the parent. Prince Charles might have no qualms about a flunky pressing a flask to HRH John Thomas, but few adults like to accompany children to the toilet and fiddle with their private parts - it can lead to ugly accusations. More Piss Taking.............

Medical alert for pot smokers
April eight 2005

CBC News VANCOUVER -- Health officials in Vancouver have issued a warning about the danger of sharing marijuana joints, after the practice was linked to several recent cases of meningococcal disease. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority spokesperson Viviana Zanocco says there have been at least five cases in the region since November. "Of those, four were regular pot users and pot smokers. And when we say that, we mean people who shared pot with friends in their own social circles," she says. "The alarming thing is two of those people died as a result of their infection. so we're a little concerned." LINK: Vancouver Coastal Health Authority announcement (pdf) Zanocco says the meningococcal bacteria can also be passed through saliva from a Full Disease..................

Cannabis chemical 'helps heart'
Source BBC: April six 2005

The cannabis chemical helps ward of heart disease, scientists say
A chemical in cannabis can help ward off strokes and heart disease, scientists believe.
Swiss researchers found THC, one of 60 cannabinoids in the drug, helped stop the narrowing of arteries to the brain and heart in a study of mice. But the team, from Geneva University Hospital, said smoking cannabis did not produce the same effect. However UK experts warned more research was needed before firm conclusions could be drawn. Deaths :Blocked arteries - a condition known as atherosclerosis - are estimated to be responsible for up to 50% stroke and heart disease deaths in developing countries each year. More Help.................

"take a vacation" from her MS.
By Steve Andison
April six 2005

This is in response to proposed legislation Senate Bill 74 and House Bill 96. My wife and I met in Elfin Cove in 1984 while she was doing whale research. We are both biologists. One year after our marriage she was in a wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis. Today she can barely speak and is virtually a quadriplegic lady with a strong will and mind. Recently she wrote to Alaskans about her medicinal use of marijuana. Though I do not use marijuana, when I saw her suffering from extreme spasticity, pain, loss of vision, and tremors, I became open to the idea of allowing her to. Nancy had never smoked a cigarette, let alone a joint. I was reluctant to find a source to buy from, but my compassion for her drove me to purchase some. She had difficulty inhaling the irritant; initially it had no effect. With persistence, she finally experienced relief from chronic pain. We had been considering having some tendons severed since no medical approach gave her relief. Her jiggling eyes became still, and she could actually read for the first time in years. She felt like she could "take a vacation" from her MS. Full Story.................

Medical Marijuana Bill In Legislature
April six 2005

"Vomiting in cycles from 10, 15, to 20 times
It's a subject that can be a political taboo. Using medical reasons as a legal defense for having marijuana got its first hearing in the Texas Legislative session.There was a House committee hearing on it Tuesday. Supporters say all they want is medical use of marijuana to be a valid defense in court if someone's arrested for possession. "I went to sniper school in 1993, went to Ranger school in 1991," "Steve" said. News 36 is hiding his identity, but around Steve's apartment in Austin, you see signs of high level discipline. "I spent 11 years in the military travelling all over the world. I was a jump master, Ranger, sniper," "Steve" said. He also worked undercover narcotics. So it's ironic a man who has a marijuana eradication patch, would now own a bong. He says he uses pot because of cyclic vomiting syndrome that once dropped his weight to 98 pounds."Vomiting in cycles from 10, 15, to 20 times. More sickness.........

Bush Should Feel Doctors' Pain
Radley Balko is a policy analyst with the Cato Institute.
April Five 05

Since the late 1990s, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has allied with state and local law enforcement agencies to stamp out abuse of the painkiller OxyContin. Citing rises in emergency room episodes and overdoses associated with the drug (both of which have been roundly disparaged by critics), the DEA insists its "Operation OxyContin" is a necessary reaction to the diversion of the prescription narcotic for street use. Unfortunately, despite frequent robberies and burglaries of pharmacies, doctors' offices, and warehouses where prescription medications are stored and sold, the DEA has focused a troubling amount of time and resources on the prescriptions issued by practicing physicians. It's easy to see why. Doctors keep records. They pay taxes. They take notes. They're an easier target than common drug dealers. Doctors also often aren't aware of asset forfeiture laws. A physician's considerable assets can be divided up among the various law enforcement agencies investigating him before he's ever brought to trial. More Pain.........

Extensive Research
BMC Psychiatry April 3rd.

Painkiller produced worse effects than are caused by smoking the drug, according to a new study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry this week. Two men taking part in a clinical trial into the effects of an orally-administered cannabis-based drug, which has been developed for use as a painkiller for cancer patients in the US, said they felt extremely anxious and reported having paranoid delusions. One of the men described the effects as "worse than those experienced after smoking cannabis". Dr Bernard Favrat and colleagues at the Institut Universitaire de MC(c)decine Legale in Switzerland carried out the research and said in their report that the psychotic effect may have been brought on by the drug being ingested rather than inhaled.
The two volunteers, students who were occasional cannabis users, were withdrawn from the controlled study after they suffered the ill-effects. Shame........

THC is one of 60 cannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant

April 1, 2005

Cannabis-based medicines can cause paranoia and anxiety in some people, a study has suggested. Swiss researchers found two out of eight men given drugs containing THC, a chemical extracted from cannabis, developed psychotic effects.
The University of Lausanne team said the public needed to be aware cannabis medicine could have such side effects.
The possibility of using THC to treat multiple sclerosis and pain relief is currently being explored.
GW Pharmaceuticals, the firm granted a UK licence to develop cannabis-based drugs, said: "The levels of THC used in this study would not be used in our medicines. "We, and everyone else in this field, are aware that THC can lead to psychosis."
During the study, one man reacted to dronabinol, which is licensed for medical use in the US as it is a synthetic, and another to a liquid form of natural THC, the journal BMC Psychiatry reported. There is strong evidence that cannabis can help to treat a range of conditions DrugScope spokeswoman Within hours of taking the drugs orally, both men started displaying psychotic symptoms. Neither had a history of psychiatric problems. Report author Dr Bernard Favrat said the findings were surprising as the doses used were relatively mild.
"We were not expecting these results. The drugs had a great impact on the people and we have to recognise that drugs which are developed using THC have this risk. "I am not saying we should not develop them, but just that we need to proceed with caution." Full Story.................

What is it about medical marijuana that makes everyone act so funny?

By R. V. Scheide April 1, 2005

Marijuana can make people do funny things. Take journalists, for instance. For the past several weeks, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat has run a series of news stories and opinion pieces that have taken a decidedly negative slant on Santa Rosa's three medical marijuana dispensaries, more popularly known as cannabis clubs. In a March 17 column titled "Death to the Medical Cannabis Club," columnist Chris Smith wrote that "the needs of legitimate patients are overshadowed by the inevitable comings and goings of fakers, rip-offs, dealers and recreational pot-heads."Strong words, and one might presume that Smith had visited at least one of the three clubs before making such a harsh judgment. After all, one of the dispensaries, Resource Green Caregiver and Good Tale.....................