The Medical "Benefits" of Smoking Marijuana

[ConservativChristian]

If we're talking about the medical uses of marijuana, here's a link to a fairly well done bit of research:

http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/CMCR_REPORT_FEB17.pdf

This is a good body of science and adds another tool in the development of an appropriate set of laws around marijuana. Next time somebody says that more research is needed on medical marijuana, point them to this document (or send them a copy; it's only about 30 pages, so you can mail it for a buck or two).
This isn't going to be the last word, but it's a powerful step in the right direction.

If we're talking about putting people in prison for using marijuana, I think we need to ask ourselves if that is truly the response Christ would expect of us as Christians, keeping in mind that under the current law, a person using or growing marijuana (even a single plant) can:
Be put in prison
Have their home, car, and other property confiscated by the police, who then sell the house and keep the money
Have their children taken away
Be deprived of financial aid for college (for life)
Be restricted from ever getting hired into certain jobs (for life, i.e., marijuan as an 18 year old means job restrictions as a 50 year old)

Is this really the approach Christ would have us support as Christians?

[matzz3rd]

Hi all, this is my first post. I am a Christian and believe in all of God's creations. I am in the medical field and enjoy helping others (most of the time, lol). God has blessed me with a beautiful family and and wonderful life, (it was not always wonderful but since I have put my life into his hands, it is now). I actually found this page doing more research on medical marijuana. I do believe God put everything on this earth for a purpose. Some choose to abuse and others to use as a benefit. I read the entirety of this thread and can perhaps enlighten or at least show some of you the progress of research since Rich's article, here is what is current, it is a long post, but I think it address a few of the subjects that were discussed in the thread. There are literally thousands of research studies that have been done and many more being conducted. I put the URL's after each brief abstract if you wish to research this information yourself. I do not condone smoking or recreational use, that is your choice, I will not judge you for that as I did that in my younger years. However, I felt compelled to post to this thread. Medical marijuana has many useful benefits and I believe the cure for cancer is at our finger tips. We just have to continue to separate the CBD's and CBN's from the psychoactive ingredient THC, although THC is involved with many therapies and treatments. The below posts are from well known medical research facilities and hospitals with the exception of the first post which is from the US patent office. Big pharmacy companies are controlling the media and favor in the government. Do the research and decide for yourself. I have put hundreds of hours into this topic and can only scratch the surface with one post, but here she goes....


United States Patent 6,630,507
Hampson , et al. October 7, 2003
Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants

Abstract
Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Pars ... %2F6630507

Recent US gov studies: www.clinicaltrials.gov, A service of the U.S. Institutes of Health

A preliminary controlled study to determine whether whole-plant cannabis extracts can improve intractable neurogenic symptoms.
Conclusions: Cannabis medicinal extracts can improve neurogenic symptoms unresponsive to standard treatments. Unwanted effects are predictable and generally well tolerated. Larger scale studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1261 ... t=Abstract

Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis? A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients.
Spasticity VAS scores were significantly reduced by CBME (Sativex) in comparison with placebo (P =0.001). There were no significant adverse effects on cognition or mood and intoxication was generally mild.

Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: a pilot study.
Although cannabis may have potential therapeutic value, inhalation of a combustion product is an undesirable delivery system. The aim of the study was to investigate vaporization using the Volcano((R)) device as an alternative means of delivery of inhaled Cannabis sativa. Eighteen healthy inpatient subjects enrolled to compare the delivery of cannabinoids by vaporization to marijuana smoked in a standard cigarette. One strength (1.7, 3.4, or 6.8% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) and delivery system was randomly assigned for each of the 6 study days. Plasma concentrations of Delta-9-THC, expired carbon monoxide (CO), physiologic and neuropsychologic effects were the main outcome measures. Peak plasma concentrations and 6-h area under the plasma concentration-time curve of THC were similar. CO levels were reduced with vaporization. No adverse events occurred. Vaporization of cannabis is a safe and effective mode of delivery of THC. Further trials of clinical effectiveness of cannabis could utilize vaporization as a smokeless delivery system.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1742 ... t=Abstract

Is effective in reducing or curing cancers..
.
The dual effects of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol on cholangiocarcinoma cells: anti-invasion activity at low concentration and apoptosis induction at high concentration.
THC is potentially used to retard cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and metastasis. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793

The endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide, induces COX-2-dependent cell death in apoptosis-resistant colon cancer cells.
Here, for the first time, we show that anandamide can induce cell death in the apoptosis-resistant HCT116 Bax-/- colorectal canceer cell line. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20514410

Anti-tumoral action of cannabinoids on hepatocellular (Liver) carcinoma: role of AMPK-dependent activation of autophagy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304

Cannabinoids reduce ErbB2-driven breast cancer progression through Akt inhibition: Our results show that both Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the most abundant and potent cannabinoid in marijuana, and JWH-133, a non-psychotropic CB2 receptor-selective agonist, reduce tumor growth, tumor number, and the amount/severity of lung metastases in MMTV-neu mice. Histological analyses of the tumors revealed that cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce cancer cell apoptosis, and impair tumor angiogenesis. Cannabinoid antitumoral action relies, at least partially, on the inhibition of the pro-tumorigenic Akt pathway. We also found that 91% of ErbB2-positive tumors express the non-psychotropic cannabinoid receptor CB2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20649976

The adverse effects of cannabis appear overall to be less serious than those of alcohol, in terms of neuropsychological and somatic effects, accidents and violence. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21462790

Chronic non-cancer pain conditions included neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and mixed chronic pain. Overall the quality of trials was excellent. Fifteen of the eighteen trials that met inclusion criteria demonstrated a significant analgesic effect of cannabinoid as compared to placebo, several reported significant improvements in sleep. There were no serious adverse effects. Adverse effects most commonly reported were generally well tolerated. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21426373

There are thousands more and at least 908 new studies since January of this year. God has blessed us with this plant, now it is up to us to use it the way He intended,,,,speaking of which, 90% of the medical value is wasted in smoking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God bless you all....Matt

[matzz3rd]

I have received quite a number of emails from Christians touting the benefits of using marijuana. Being in medical research, I have known for some time that the research does not support the idea that marijuana is a harmless recreational pastime. This is a summary of the medical research on the efficacy of marijuana as a treatment modality, along with its adverse side effects.

The Medical "Benefits" of Smoking Marijuana: a Review of the Current Scientific Literature

Rich, please give my previous entry some time to research yourself...it is the most current. I believe your information was from the late 90's. I agree that smoking marijuana is not good for anyone, there is great medical value being discovered.......Matt

[kmr]

The main idea I get from reading all of this seems simple enough... marijuana is a plant with a lot of potential that is being used in the wrong way. If the plant contains so many valuable chemicals, then refining, extracting and exploiting these chemicals could prove to be very valuable. But a lot of people want to legalize taking the entire plant unrefined, unrestricted, and unhealthy -- good chemicals and bad ones all mixing together with some pretty horrendous results. If you want "medical marijuana", you can have it... but please, just use the plant to gather the chemicals that are helpful, like every other drug that is already legal, instead of abusing it for recreation or just to alleviate pain when, honestly, there are far better solutions out there. In other words, add marijuana to the list of plants that actual, less-destructive drugs can be derived from and prescribed.

[SnowDrops]

The main idea I get from reading all of this seems simple enough... marijuana is a plant with a lot of potential that is being used in the wrong way. If the plant contains so many valuable chemicals, then refining, extracting and exploiting these chemicals could prove to be very valuable. But a lot of people want to legalize taking the entire plant unrefined, unrestricted, and unhealthy -- good chemicals and bad ones all mixing together with some pretty horrendous results. If you want "medical marijuana", you can have it... but please, just use the plant to gather the chemicals that are helpful, like every other drug that is already legal, instead of abusing it for recreation or just to alleviate pain when, honestly, there are far better solutions out there. In other words, add marijuana to the list of plants that actual, less-destructive drugs can be derived from and prescribed.

Basically, we have to carefully monitor how people use it. And that's quite a challenge, because people will often try and exploit the system.