Marijuana Addiction - Lies, Lies and a little Fantasy For Good Measure

Someone is at it again. Sourcing anti-marijuana drivel from another document library called 'ezine Articles'.

This one, titled 'Marijuana Addiction', has been posted on a blog called 'Health Medical Information - Useful Health Medical Articles for Every Health Resolution'.

Or, according to the 'About' page:-

themedicalcenters.com is a personal blog Information and global resources on all health topics. Here we have lots of useful articles will guide to enjoy your life in a healthy way.
kunfaiakun-at-gmail-dot-com

The 'Addiction Recovery Blog' also used this article back in June of 2009.

The original author of the article is apparently Anu Seth -

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Anu_Seth

Anu Seth says of herself:

I enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts and beliefs with others. Turning an uninteresting topic into a gripping article, with well researched facts and eloquent use of the english language, is my way of spending time fruitfully.

Below is the article in question. The one that the title of this post refers to. I have taken the liberty of correcting some of  Ms Seths errors. She may or may not wish to update her text to to correct the errors.

Marijuana is a tobacco-like substance, dull in colors like green, gray or brown, made up of dried leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant. Known by over 200 names, it is an addictive substance commonly referred to as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom and hashish is its stronger form. In whatever form it is taken, it alters the way the mind works as it contains an active chemical called THC, or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Initially used for medication and healing, it became dangerous, dreaded drug in the 1970s as its addictive powers gripped thousands and became a forbidden drug that was smuggled into countries...

Cannabis can be psychologically addictive for some people. It is not physically addictive.

Marijuana is terribly addictive and obsessive. It is smoked almost like a cigarette and gets absorbed into the body almost instantaneously. It reaches the brain and united with receptors of nerve cells, affecting that part of the brain, which controls pleasure, thought, concentration, memory and coordination. It then impedes these activities. A person gets addicted to it very easily and it is peddled so much that it is often easier to procure than alcohol. Addicts think about the drug all the time, where and how to get it, how to raise funds for it, forgetting values and principles just to be able to get marijuana, and the fear of not getting it in the future. The biggest problem of its addiction is the body's physical craving for marijuana, and more and more quantities are required to reach that level of bliss.

The above paragraph made me laugh. I think this might come straight from the script of 'Reefer Madness', that  1936 anti-pot propaganda film. I refuse to disprove text that is based on the authors opinion. The above paragraph is so far from the truth that it should be classed as fiction. Please Anu Seth, DO SOME RESEARCH *before* you attempt to write an 'authoritative' article on the subject.

Marijuana addiction is far tougher to shake off than alcohol. It is so addictive that the individual is unable to give up when he knows its ill effects and the consequences of its addiction. It gets him caught in the vicious circle of wanting to take it to escape the consequences of its consumption. The stigma attached to it engulfs family members as well.

 Is this article about Marijuana? Sounds more like it's describing chronic Heroin addiction, or a long term Methamphetamine addiction.

Firstly, Alcohol addiction is not only harder to break than cannabis dependency, alcohol is also poisonous to the body. This article, http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/6/1/35
 describes a small study that shows how cannabis can be an extremely effective in treating alcohol addiction.
Further, in terms of cannabis and addiction, the withdrawal effects have been ascertained to be less problematic than caffeine withdrawal.
There are some comparisons of different drugs and their addictiveness ratings available here at ProCon.org.
The comparisons are from medical professionals and consistently rate marijuana as the least addictive of the drugs, including caffeine.

Marijuana addiction leads to problems with remembering, incoherence, inability to learn and leads to absenteeism, lack of seriousness at work. This could culminate in losing one's job and earning capability. It would also turn him into a social outcast often disowned by friends, and sometimes even by family. A marijuana addict is even treated as a threat to society and many steer clear o him for fear of getting dragged into this addiction.

 Another paragraph from the Reefer Madness script. This must just be padding to get the word count up. Once again, I won't insult my readers' intelligence by pointing out the ignorance of this paragraph.

This addiction is really like a disease, which needs to be treated over a period of time with medication and counseling. Behavioral therapy adopted by some organizations committed to eradicating marijuana addiction are known to get encouraging results in hundreds of cases. An example of one such organization is the Spencer Recovery Center, which hires professionals only to treat marijuana addicts and have a fantastic success rate due to their committed approach.

The final paragraph appears to be an endorsement fora rehab center. Maybe Anu is on commision to write articles like this. Nooooo.

Anu Seth, if you do happen to read this, please, please, please don't perpetuate the marijuana myths of the 30's. All it does is lower your credibility as an author and lead people to doubt the authority of any of the other articles you've written for 'ezine articles'.

Breakthrough Research Shows Cannabis' Strong Anti-cancer Potential Again

I was reading the NORML Stash Blog this morning, specifically this post. I did a little searching and came up with some more cannabis studies, including reports about US Govt research back in 1974 that showed the anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids. Of course, the government at the time didn't think the public should know about this, so they made every attempt to cover up these findings.

One of the most recent studies conducted by The Hebrew University in Israel, published in 'Molecular Cancer Therapeutics' and partly funded by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (yes, NIDA) backs up the 1974 studies.

There are a number of other relatively recent studies that I'll summarize here. Links to abstracts etc are at the end of this post.

The three studies I looked at today have shown that synthesized cannabidiol (CBD)  and other cannabinoids have halted the spread of, or killed the following cancers:

muscle tissue cancer (rhabdomyosarcoma)
skin/bowel/eye cancers (melanoma types)
brain cancers (glioma)
and especially aggressive breast cancer cells (metastatic breast cancer cells)

Another study has shown that a cannabinoid anti-cancer quinone (growth inhibitor) named HU-331 is more effective and far less dangerous to the heart than a common anti-cancer drug, Doxorubicin.
Most anticancer drugs have a cumulative toxic effect on the heart. HU-331 is not toxic to the body, only cancer cells. Scientists are saying that this cannabinoid may be the next big anticancer drug.

References/sources:

Cannabinoid receptor 1 is a potential drug target for treatment of translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma

(Molecular Cancer Therapeutics)

 Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells

 (Molecular Cancer Therapeutics)

A Cannabinoid Anticancer Quinone, HU-331, Is More Potent and Less Cardiotoxic Than Doxorubicin: A Comparative in Vivo Study

(The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics) 

 Marijuana cures cancer – US government has known since 1974 

(Patients For Medical Marijuana)

Study: cannabidiol proves effective in fighting brain cancer in the lab

(NORML) 

Australian Politicians - Are You Reading This?

Rather than get offensive, I'll start this by saying, Australian Cannabis laws are archaic.

We have six states and two territories (on the major continental islands). In every one it is illegal to grow medicinal grade cannabis. Granted, our industrial hemp laws are in some ways ahead of other countries. In three of our states (Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales), we can grow Industrial Hemp with varying degrees of monitoring and inspection. However, some other states have trialled the crop, but inconceivably rejected industrial use.

Right now we need to push for legal medicinal cannabis in Australia.

Canada has passed Medicinal Cannabis laws. Thirteen states in the US have medicinal cannabis laws. In Europe, many countries have decriminalised cannabis. In Australia? Nothing. It is still an illegal drug with wide and varied penalties, depending on where you live and what you possess/grow.

Current research shows cannabis to be a valuable, but underutilized medicine.

In previous posts I have reported on many of the recent research efforts into cannabis' medicinal value.
The following links are just a sample:

http://itsmedicinejim.blogspot.com/2010/01/treating-alcohol-and-drug-addictions.html

http://itsmedicinejim.blogspot.com/2009/12/cannabis-as-medicine-video-links.html


 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638490

 Australia has an opportunity to be at the forefront of medicinal cannabis research and development. We could lead the world in this industry if a few forward thinking politicians look beyond the 'marijuana madness' myths of the 30s and 40s, and start seeing cannabis as the valid medicine that it is and has been for 5000 plus years.

Marijuana Is Evil! (or...Time Tripping on the Interweb)

It's True! I read it on the Interweb! Cannabis, Marijuana, Hemp, Ganja, Weed...it doesn't matter what you call it, IT'S EVIL!!!

The good charitable folk over at 'How Do I Get Off Drugs' (dot com) told me so:

Call it Aunt Mary, Dope, Ganja, Gangster, Kif, Skunk, Weed, Hash, Maryjane or simply marijuana. These are some of the common names of the illegal drug, Marijuana. The campaigns against the use of marijuana are endless. It is true that they kill. People take it for the first time to be dared, second time if they feel low, third time at a party, fourth time for a good sleep and unfortunately after that it has to be taken till it turns them to the death bed. It is dangerous and it must be avoided.

 I just had another 'Twilight Zone' moment. Every time I read that paragraph, I feel like I'm back in the fifties.

Why is this type of outdated, ignorant fear-mongering still happening in 2010?
One answer could be that the owners of 'How Do I Get Off Drugs?' have a vested interest in convincing people that they need rehabilitation. After all, they are a rehab clinic themselves, offering 'competitive rates'

Think drug rehab is just for movie stars and politicians?  think again, we offer competitive rates,  we accept most insurance, female only and male only treatment centers, onsite and offsite locations and a confidential safe environment with highly trained, confidential staff members. PLEASE visit us today, it just might save a life.

This centre also provides an online questionnaire to help parents assess whether their child may be on drugs:

1 Do you find that your teen has had a recent change in his/her group of friends?
 
2 Do you find that your teen is careless with grooming?
 
3 Do you find that your teen has lost interest in activities or sports that they used to enjoy?
 
4 Do you find that your teen has been missing school?
 
5 Do you find that your teen has had declining grades?
 
6 Do you find that your teen is secretive about possessions, friends, or conversations?
 
7 Do you find that your teen seems guilty when you ask questions about his or her whereabouts?
 
8 Do you find that your teen lies to you about the places he or she’s been?
 
9 Has dramatic personality or mood changes?
 
10 Do you find that your teen seems more sluggish and run down than usual?
 
11 Do you find that your teen frequently makes excuses for not being able to attend family events or outings?
 
12 Do you find that your teen uses incense, room spray or perfumes to hide smoke or chemical odor?
 
13 Do you find that your teen uses secretive or "coded" language with friends?
 
14 Do you find that your teen has been taking/spending an increased amount of money with no explanation for where it’s going?
 
15 Has been in trouble — with family, at work or school, or with the police — because of drinking or drug use?
 
16 Have you found evidence of drug paraphernalia such as pipes, rolling papers, etc?
 
17 Have you found inhaling products (such as hairspray, nail polish, correction fluid, etc)? Or rags and paper bags that are sometimes used as inhalant accessories?
 
18 Have you found bottles of eye drops, which may be used to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils?
 
19 Have you found that he or she has come home after school or after being out with the smell of mouthwash or breath mints to cover up the smell of alcohol?
 
20 Have you found that you are missing prescription drugs?  

Now, I am a parent. I have five adult children and two entering their teens. If I were to answer that questionnaire, I'd be convinced my eldest were on drugs when they were teens before I got to question 9! That's puberty, not drug addiction.


I then got to thinking, where do these people get their information from?
A check with the online plagiarism checker (I'm beginning to really like this tool) led me to this page:

Free Articles For Reprint (Google cached page).

So, the evil weed warning was a straight copy and paste. The full article was written by someone who sells custom wall posters, hence the title of the post:

Drugs Posters: the Evil Must be Stopped

 Isn't there a law about inciting fear using falsehoods in order to make a financial gain?

Medical Marijuana Inc Launches Educational Expo

Medical Marijuana Inc (PINKSHEETS: MJNA) is proud to announce the launch of its first National Educational Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Theatre Room on January 16 & 17, 2010. Featured prominent industry experts and celebrities include the former NORML Director and current CFO of Cannabis Science, and the founder, editor, & publisher of Marijuana News, Richard Cowan; and Medical Marijuana Inc Chairman, Bruce Perlowin. Special guest speaker and long suffering marijuana defendant, Robert Platshorn, author of "The Tuna Diaries" (featured in "The 35 Year Anniversary Issue of High Times Magazine") will regale you with tales of smuggling, federal court trial and "doing hard time" (3 decades in prison). Bobby's post release commitment to changing public opinion through education and information is engaging. Interact with The Executive Officers of MJNA, including the Director of Investor Relations, who will be present and available for consultation.

Medical Marijuana Incorporated Unveils a Sampling of Its All Star Cast of Industry Speakers to Appear at Upcoming National Educational Expo in the Los Angeles Convention Center

Cannabis: The Charitable Cash Crop

There are moves afoot to assimilate cannabis into the mainstream. That is, there is a campaign to Legalize cannabis in California (you know, in the United States). The proposal, which should go to vote in October or November may see cannabis legalized, regulated and taxed in that state.

Now, I have nothing against that. Anything that can help validate cannabis as a medicine is a good thing by me. Full legalization is one of those steps. However, I also would like the freedom to grow my own without being regulated.

Stephen DeAngelo argues that we as a society have a chance to turn the emerging commercial canaabis industry into an example to the world of how business can benefit the needy and less fortunate in the world.

So, what will the legal marijuana business in America come to look like? Something big and corporate? Something along the lines of Pepsi, RJ Reynolds, Starbucks, Pfizer, or Budweiser companies that market similar kinds of products??? Big profits, huge advertising budgets and lots of political cash….OR…should legal marijuana be something very different?

...

…right now, we have the opportunity to create a different cannabis delivery system that isn’t just about the performance on the quarterly bottom line, like it is in the ‘Pepsi’ paradigm, we can create a system that serves the public while at the same time it provides community service…something more along the business lines of Newman’s Own Salad Dressings from whose revenues have come donations of almost $300 million to charities…

George Rohrbacher (on NORMLs Board of Directors) discusses this and other issues on 'Opposing Views'.

Robbie Gennet: Mother Nature is My Middleman

This is brilliant. I do hope that some people who are ignorant of the real reason for cannabis' prohibition might see some sense in his argument.

Robbie Gennet: Mother Nature is My Middleman

Now you may at this point have deduced that I am pro-cannabis, and you'd be right. But it's not a recreational issue, though a fat spleef does have its pleasures. It is an issue of middlemen and the profits they make as well as the government and the taxes they collect. With alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals, there is always a middleman. With marijuana, there is only you and Mother Nature and she's a very generous middleman. Well, the term middleman may not apply here, for it conjures up thoughts of profit margins and goods transacting and that is not Mother Natures job. She's more of a conduit, giving of sunshine and water and fairly adept at helping seed grow. She's not a man and she's not in the middle and she requires no payment nor takes a profit. And this is a big reason why marijuana has remained illegal: no company or corporation need be involved for you to grow and enjoy it. Those who oppose legalization are those with the most to lose. And you know who are most opposed to legalizing marijuana? Middlemen.

Yet they forget that Americans are built on convenience and marketing. Who's gonna set up a grow room when they can buy high quality skunkbud at 7-11? "Um, give me the Marlboro Marijuana 100's, no filter, hemp paper, extra thick fatties with the Cheech and Chong trading cards and stick of gum." Even so, a large portion of people will simply get some seed, plant some weed and move about their lives, which on so many levels threatens the profit margins of middlemen.

Harms, Risks and Social Costs of Alcohol, Cannabis and Tobacco Vary Greatly - Fox 4 KC Community Blog post - Working For You

Harms, Risks and Social Costs of Alcohol, Cannabis and Tobacco Vary Greatly - Fox 4 KC Community Blog post - Working For You

A comparison of annual societal and social costs between the 'big three'', alcohol, tobacco and cannabis (Canada).

$800 Tobacco

$167 Alcohol

$20 Cannabis

Treating Alcohol and Drug Addictions with Marijuana

 An interesting post on the Patients For Medical Cannabis site discusses Cannabis' use as an addiction treatment for opoids and alcohol. As well as providing a history of the drugs use as an addiction treatment, the article also provides links to recent research. For example, this study suggests that cannabis can reduce patients dependency on opiates, thus reducing the risk and discomfort of side effects associated with these drugs (constipation, nausea, depression).
The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
provides case studies backing up this study. 
The blog post also notes that as far back as 1943, scientists were experimenting with cannabis as a treatment for opium addiction.



Some observations as to why cannabis is wrongly considered addictive are also touched on:

The most avid publicizers of marijuana’s addictive nature are treatment providers who, in recent years, have increasingly admitted insured marijuana users to their programs. The increasing use of drug-detection technologies in the workplace, schools and elsewhere has also produced a group of marijuana users who identify themselves as “addicts” in order to receive treatment instead of punishment...

 A study conducted at Berkeley California shows promise for cannabis' role as a treatment for alcohol addiction:
http://www.physorg.com/news178868015.html

"Canabis is a Dangerous Drug" according to Aussie Politician

You know, just when I think that maybe people will soon be open to a medicinal cannabis debate in Australia, some ignorant, publicity seeking politician comes along and shows us just how uneducated some people are in terms of the 'dreaded weed'.

In the state of Victoria (in Australia), the government has decided to continue to allow the sale of bongs in shops. Much to the disgust of the opposition leader, Ted Baillieu. Or, in his words:

"As long as John Brumby (ED: The Premier of Victoria) allows bongs to be sold freely at more than 100 outlets across the state, Victoria's young people and families will continue to suffer from the damaging effects of cannabis."

and

"Cannabis is a dangerous drug which causes serious mental and physical damage to many Victorians every year,"

The Honorable Mr Baillieu, can you define 'many'? Is it two? Is it 10? Is it hundreds? As far as I am aware, the latest studies from New Zealand and Australia suggest that a defective gene that cannot control dopamine flow when affected by THC cannabinoids is the cause of the rare occurrence of psychotic episodes in cannabis smokers. In fact,only 2% of the population is believed to have this defective gene. Of that 2% of the population, statistics tell us that only 20% of those will ever try pot, let alone become a chronic adolescent smoker. I say adolescent because scientists believe the gene is extremely susceptible during the brains growth stages, ie; adolescence and young adulthood.
Remember though that it is still theory, not proven science.


In an effort to ensure that everyone knew how ignorant he was on the subject of cannabis, he further said that

...research showed cannabis was a gateway drug into more dangerous illicit drugs, with most heroin and cocaine users first experimenting with cannabis.

The Honorable Mr Baillieu, the theory of cannabis being a 'gateway drug' was disproved quite some time ago. The current consensus among  researchers is that cannabis is a terminus drug. A 'terminus drug' is one with which people begin using or move on to but never move on to stronger drugs. In fact, they may even stop using other drugs such as alcohol and stay with the terminus drug.

Cannabis is one such drug. If my memory serves correctly, some 80% of people who have tried cannabis *never* move on to harder drugs. However, it can be assumed that users of harder drugs will use cannabis at some point.

The following pages may help you get clued up on the subject of cannabis Mr Baillieu:

Marijuana Myths

Ten Cannabis Myths

For links to further studies in respect to cannabis, feel free to browse back through this blog. In particular, these posts:

A Doctors View on Medicinal Cannabis

Video Case Studies and Stories (1)

Video Case Studies and Stories (2)

Cannibinoids Fight MRSA Bugs

From the National Library of Medicine in the US, a study showing that moderate cannabis use may prevent some cancers:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638490

Finally, Mr Baillieu. Next time you talk of the evils of drugs, please be specific. I have no argument on the negative effects of any drug when abused. I also agree that certain drugs can be detrimental to growing brains. I think most of the Australian population would be aware of these risks.

However, cannabis is a valid medicine and is recognized as such in other countries such as Canada and The United States. It is time for people such as you Mr Baillieu, to start looking at the facts and encourage further research into a natural drug that could become a valuable commercial pharmaceutical crop.

(Source)

Must read. A doctor responds to negative medicinal Cannabis story

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091230/LETTER/912299982/1020&ParentProfile=1058

You really should read the full letter

Finally, most patients are eager to improve the quality of their health. The dispensaries and the growers work hard to supply patients with the highest quality products, all home grown in our beautiful mountain state. We are so lucky to live in one of the 14 states that give us the option of using the oldest herbal medicine known to mankind. Be well and medicate responsibly.

Dr. Wendy Zaharko

Cannabis will Destroy our Civilisation - Another Dumb Prohibition Argument

Mary Grabar, over at Pyjamas Media is warning us that in order to maintain heritage and values, cannabis must remain illegal. Mary must have hit the Eggnog early this year, as her prose appears to have been written under a confused, alcoholic state.

Mary. Cannabis has a 6000 year association with humans. Cannabis has been illegal for only 70 odd years.

Mary, 15% of new alcohol users become addicted to the drink, whereas only 9% of new cannabis users develop any type of dependence. In Great Britain alone, in over 60% of suicides, alcohol abuse was a contributing factor.

But then, maybe the joke is on me. I'm sure Mary *must* have had her tongue firmly in cheek when she penned this article...if not, she needs to research her subject some more.

The sanction for alcohol use goes back to the Bible. In the New Testament, references to its use in ceremonies like the Last Supper and the wedding at Cana appear. But Jesus also warns about excessive use. In the Old Testament, alcohol is shown to cloud the judgment of Lot. The Bible, in this way, tells us when and how we can use alcohol.

This means very little, though, in the arid moral climate of today’s libertarianism.
But I would argue that it should, not only from my position as a Christian, but from my position as a citizen of a country whose foundational values spring from the Judeo-Christian heritage. The sanction for alcohol use has lasted for millennia. It has become part of our rituals at meals, celebrations, and religious services. That is a large part of why Prohibition failed.
Marijuana, in contrast, has always been counter-cultural in the West. Every toke symbolizes a thumb in the eye of Western values. So it follows that in order to maintain our culture, we need to criminalize this drug.

The prohibition against marijuana is one brick in the foundation of our society. On a practical level the use of marijuana also works to knock out other bricks, like the work ethic, emotional engagement, sexual inhibition, and the ability to reason. For example, when one of my college students leads off in defense of the legalization of marijuana, he invariably does so in a disjointed manner, unable to muster the resources of reason and conviction to his argument. (He also does this in his essays.) One caller, “Dave,” to the Doc Washburn program displayed the same apathetic, but friendly, attitude.

Four Percent of the world population smokes cannabis

Canada.com reports that 'The Lancet' has an article stating that 4% of the world smokes pot.
The article is a somewhat interesting read.

http://www.canada.com/Technology/Four%20percent%20adults%20worldwide%20using%20cannabis%20Lancet/2110648/story.html?id=2110648

Around nine percent of people who ever use cannabis become dependent on it, says the paper. By comparison, the risk of addiction for nicotine is 32 percent, 23 percent for heroin, 17 percent for cocaine and 15 percent for alcohol.

The article also rehashes the old carcinogens in cannabis story, plus some other arguable points. However, on the whole, the article is well balanced.

"A high THC content can increase anxiety, depression and psychotic symptoms in naive (read-new) users, while increasing the risk of dependence and psychotic symptoms if regular users do not titrate [measure out] their dose."

I think Canada.com may be sitting on the fence in respect to this article.

Medicinal Cannabis Videos - Part Deux

Following on from my previous post, here are some more.

Cannabis as Medicine - Video links

I have seen several amateur videos that document the medicinal benefits that cannabis has had on a number of people. Here are some links that are worth watching:

Moderate Cannabis use may Reduce Cancer Risk

I don't want to make too much of this study, but thought it worth posting about, if only to counter some of the negative stories about cannabis being given preferential media coverage.

The journal 'Cancer Prevention Research' has recently published the results of a population based study that is promising news for the medicinal cannabis supporters. It appears that long term moderate cannabis use reduces the risk of certain head and neck cancers:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638490

NORML covers the story here:
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7944

The Adolescent Brain And Cannabis

Hi folks (well, those of you who have persevered over the past 6 months of nothing).

I am back online for a little while and have been moved to comment about the not so latest headlines warning of adolescent brain damage from chronic cannabis use.

Well DUH! 

ANY  abuse of a mind altering substance will adversely affect a developing brain. 

 

Alcohol will. 

Morphine will.

LSD will.

Anti-depressants will.

Should I list the hundreds of drugs that will affect a growing brain?

 

Now, let's look at the abstract of the study, courtesy of 

Science Direct 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNK-4XVRYK2-3&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=42b4676341d0111d7ac82bec33c321a2

 

ABSTRACT:

 

 

Chronic exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence but not during adulthood impairs emotional behaviour and monoaminergic neurotransmission

References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

Francis Rodriguez Bambico^a, Nhu-Tram Nguyen^a, Noam Katz^a and Gabriella Gobbi^{, a,}

^a Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 1033 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Canada H3A1A1

Received 9 October 2009; 

revised 21 November 2009; 

accepted 26 November 2009. 

Available online 5 December 2009.

Abstract

The pathophysiological neural mechanism underlying the depressogenic and anxiogenic effects of chronic adolescent cannabinoid use may be linked to perturbations in monoaminergic neurotransmission. We tested this hypothesis by administering the CB₁ receptor agonist WIN55,212-2, once daily for 20 days to adolescent and adult rats, subsequently subjecting them to tests for emotional reactivity paralleled by the in vivo extracellular recordings of serotonergic and noradrenergic neurons. Chronic adolescent exposure but not adult exposure to low (0.2 mg/kg) and high (1.0 mg/kg) doses led to depression-like behaviour in the forced swim and sucrose preference test, while the high dose also induced anxiety-like consequences in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. Electrophysiological recordings revealed both doses to have attenuated serotonergic activity, while the high dose also led to a hyperactivity of noradrenergic neurons only after adolescent exposure. These suggest that long-term exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence induces anxiety-like and depression-like behaviours in adulthood and that this may be instigated by serotonergic hypoactivity and noradrenergic hyperactivity.

Keywords: Cannabinoids; Adolescence; Serotonin; Norepinephrine; Anxiety; Depression

 OK, that study was conducted on rats. The study linked below was conducted on real humans, not rats:

Delta-9-THC in the Treatment of Spasticity Associated with Multiple Sclerosis

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a904727658

Here is the abstract:

Marijuana is reported to decrease spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis. This is a double blind, placebo controlled, crossover clinical trial of delta-9-THC in 13 subjects with clinical multiple sclerosis and spasticity. Subjects received escalating doses of THC in the range of 2.5-15 mg, five days of THC and five days of placebo in randomized order, divided by a two-day washout period. Subjective ratings of spasticity and side effects were completed and semiquantitative neurological examinations were performed. At doses greater than 7.5 mg there was significant improvement in patient ratings of spasticity compared to placebo. These positive findings in a treatment failure population suggest a role for THC in the treatment of spasticity in multiple sclerosis.

While I agree that abuse of phycoactives is bad for a growing brain, I cannot understand why we are using animals to make assumptions (postulate theories) about how cannabis affects humans. Past and current human based studies show that the medicinal value of cannabis in controlled doses is a valuable and effective medicine for a wide range of conditions from neural pain to depression.

Cannabis needs to be validated as a medicine, rather than a 'stoner drug'.

Ian Barry - Cannabis Crusader or naughty boy?

I reckon he deserves a pat on the back for being brave and standing up for what he believes. I bet he didn't think he'd be world famous by the end of the week though.

G'day from Australia Ian!

If you don't know who or what I'm talking about, Ian presented a speech at his school last week about legalising cannabis. Half way through his speech he lit a joint and smoked it. If not for that small joint, none of would have heard of him. I should have done that when I presented my cannabis speech at Uni a few years ago. Bugger!

Heres a few links to articles about the incident, and Ians speech:

Here is a transcript of his presentation:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/312/story/768930.html

An interview on Cannabis news:
http://www.cannabisnews.org/united-states-cannabis-news/teen-accepts-penalty-for-marijuana-speech/

This is the first article that I read about this:

Student Allegedly lights joint in class

I think it's about time I started a QLD chapter of NORML. I'm getting tired of the plethora of anti-pot hysteria that is a carry over from our grandparents days (as in our meaning us 40+ year old folk).

Cannabis and Insomnia

Every day, more and more people are coming out of the closet to describe their cannabis experiences to the world. This article, 'The cannabis Closet: Insomnia' gives an insight into how hard it is for someone to use their chosen medicine under archaic laws and prejudices.

This quote says so much about the stigma attached to cannabis use in countries where the use of cannabis is still illegal:

In my twenties, I had a cigar box full of marijuana that I left in a drawer by my bed. (I was never a recreational user, since smoking in the company of others made me feel paranoid.) If I woke up in the middle of the night, I would smoke a little, go back to sleep and wake up feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed. But I stopped smoking when I met my now husband, since he didn't approve. Now my insomnia has gotten much worse since the birth of my child, with all the attendant middle of the night awakenings.

Ten Cannabis Myths

I was going through my Google Alerts and found this blog:
Homeless on the High Desert. There was an interesting post (click on the title of this post) about the Ten Myths about Cannabis.

It got me to once again thinking that the more myths debunked about cannabis, the more ridiculous the government funded anti-marijuana rhetoric becomes.

Then I got to thinking about how much do *I* do to get the message out. Well, besides this and another blog, not much...but then...

Here is scene that may or may not have occured some time in the past...

Location: The wide, shaded verandah of a farm house in the semi-outback of Australia on a small 150 acre block.

What's happening: A get together barbeque.

Who is there: About twenty people, mostly couples ranging in age from mid thirties to late sixties.

The conversation in regards to pot starts around the barbeque. Everyone has some sort of alcoholic beverage in their hand. One bloke says to another:

Joe (J): "The neighbours got raided again last week"

Bill (B): "They get busted with a crop again Joe?"

J: "Yeah. Bloody ferals. It'd be alright if they were just growin' a few for 'emselves, but they're growing acres of the shit. Then you get cars up the road in the middle of the night, collecting their stash or whatever they do".

B: "Then you get the coppers hanging around all the time. You can't drive home after a beer at your mates because the drug squad might pull you up 'cause you live on the same road".

Indicaman (I): "I reckon the government should legalize it and issue a growers license for personal use. Then you wouldn't have to worry about strange cars or cops."

J: "Then you'd have every bastard stoned and driving around."

I: ""Bit like now with everyone on the piss hey? You'd probably find half your neighbours have a little crop somewhere. If it was legal, they'd come out of the woodwork slowly. You'd be surprised at the medicinal uses it has".

J: "I don't care what anyone does on their land, so long as it doesn't make life hard for me. I heard it's good for glaucoma".

I: "and depression in certain doses, and MS and chemo pain, and neuropathic pain and cancer,..."

B:"Does give you a hard on? My missus would buy a kilo of the stuff if it did."

...and the conversation goes from 'ferals' to medicine and no-one notices. That's how I try to get the message out. By the time the conversation changes subject, I've given out web addresses to the more interested people...

But then, that conversation may not have happened.

After all, I'm a Stoner remember?