10 diseases where medical marijuana could have impact - x post from GD

[Jesus Malverde]

AIDS/HIV

In a human study of 10 HIV-positive marijuana smokers, scientists found people who smoked marijuana ate better, slept better and experienced a better mood. Another small study of 50 people found patients that smoked cannabis saw less neuropathic pain.

Alzheimer's

Medical marijuana and some of the plant's chemicals have been used to help Alzheimer's patients gain weight, and research found that it lessens some of the agitated behavior that patients can exhibit. In one cell study, researchers found it slowed the progress of protein deposits in the brain. Scientists think these proteins may be part of what causes Alzheimer's, although no one knows what causes the disease.

Arthritis

A study of 58 patients using the derivatives of marijuana found they had less arthritis pain and slept better. Another review of studies concluded marijuana may help fight pain-causing inflammation.

Asthma

Studies are contradictory, but some early work suggests it reduced exercise-induced asthma. Other cell studies showed smoking marijuana could dilate human airways, but some patients experienced a tight feeling in their chests and throats. A study in mice found similar results.

Cancer

Animal studies have shown some marijuana extracts may kill certain cancer cells. Other cell studies show it may stop cancer growth, and with mice, THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, improved the impact of radiation on cancer cells. Marijuana can also prevent the nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy treatment used to treat cancer.

Chronic pain

Some animal and small human studies show that cannabinoids can have a "substantial analgesic effect." People widely used them for pain relief in the 1800s. Some medicines based on cannabis such as Sativex are being tested on multiple sclerosis patients and used to treat cancer pain. The drug has been approved in Canada and in some European countries. In another trial involving 56 human patients, scientists saw a 30% reduction in pain in those who smoked marijuana.

Crohn's disease

In a small pilot study of 13 patients watched over three months, researchers found inhaled cannabis did improve life for people suffering from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It helped ease people's pain, limited the frequency of diarrhea and helped with weight gain.

Epilepsy

Medical marijuana extract in early trials at the NYU Langone Medical Center showed a 50% reduction in the frequency of certain seizures in children and adults in a study of 213 patients recently.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness. Scientists have looked at THC's impact on this disease on the optic nerve and found it can lower eye pressure, but it may also lower blood pressure, which could harm the optic nerve due to a reduced blood supply. THC can also help preserve the nerves, a small study found.

Multiple sclerosis

Using marijuana or some of the chemicals in the plant may help prevent muscle spasms, pain, tremors and stiffness, according to early-stage, mostly observational studies involving animals, lab tests and a small number of human patients. The downside -- it may impair memory, according to a small study involving 20 patients.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/15/health/marijuana-medical-advances/

[RGinNJ]

1. Cluster Headaches

Opiates are a nonstarter for most of us so, at least for me it takes the edge off and helps with the anxiousness of dreading the next attack.

[Chathamization]

3. Apparently LSD and Psilocybin do wonders for cluster headaches

This:

The authors interviewed 53 cluster headache patients who had used psilocybin or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to treat their condition. Twenty-two of 26 psilocybin users reported that psilocybin aborted attacks; 25 of 48 psilocybin users and 7 of 8 LSD users reported cluster period termination; 18 of 19 psilocybin users and 4 of 5 LSD users reported remission period extension. Research on the effects of psilocybin and LSD on cluster headache may be warranted.

And this:

In other words, should a pharmaceutical company or investment firm sink the hundreds of millions of dollars into research and the process to get, for example, non-psychedelic 2-Bromo-LSD approved by the FDA as a legitimate prescription drug, they would want a guarantee that they’d have a significant return on that money. To sell three pills a year to less than half a million people… you don’t have to be a mathematician to see that the financial return on that would not exist.

In other words, “psychedelics work so well, you take fewer doses,” says Halpern. “That’s a problem. They work too well to attract the research.”

[napi21]

2. The State rulers need to be convinced of this.

The Ga. Governor jiust signed a bill authorizing medical MJ, however, it only is available for certain specific diseases.

new law makes it legal for people to possess up to 20 ounces of fluid cannabis oil. The cannabis oil can contain no more than 5% tetrahydrocannabinoil, or THC, the psychoactive agent.

The conditions covered under this law are:

Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness, recalcitrant nausea and vomiting.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
•Seizure disorders related to diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries.
•Multiple Sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
•Crohn’s Disease
•Mitochondrial Disease
•Parkinson’s Disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.
•Sickle Cell Disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage.

State health officials say doctors will have to sign off and submit required forms.

I'm actually shocked that GEORGIA even OKed some form of cannabis, but I really wish it woulkd cover all the ailments determined by the m medical community to be helpful.