a cloud of marijuana
04-07-2009, 05:44 AM
Wrote a speech, figured I'd share.
Cannabinoids and Medicinal Benefits
Today, I will be covering some of the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids, or THC, the active ingredients in marijuana, or cannabis; additionally, the recent studies involving cannabinoids. Cannabis has 60 different therapeutic cannabinoids. [1] Each type of cannabinoid works in a different way, producing effects ranging from protective capabilities over a variety of organ systems, to treating ADHD, epilepsy, and reducing the size of several forms of cancer, and even preventing Parkinson??s disease and it??s progression. [2][3][4][19] Cannabinoids effects occur through receptor site activation. Currently, only 2 receptor types are well known for cannabinoids, CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptor is primarily located in the brain, and is responsible for the ??high? attributed by marijuana. Receptor CB2 on the other hand, is primarily located in the immune system, or lymph system, and is related to immune-modulation, or immune system regulation. Nevertheless, cannabinoid receptors are not just limited to the brain and immune system, but, are actually located on all parts of the human body. Cannabinoids effects are believed to be associated with rest, healing, protection, and the process of forgetting. [5][6][7] [Figure 1]
We have our own cannabinoids created within our bodies called ??endocannabinoids?. It appears we have had our endocannabinoid receptors in our brains since before we were born. In fact, life is only possible due to endocannabinoids which allows embryonic implantation, and neurogenesis and regulating of the developing brain, meanwhile protecting the developing brain from toxins and physical harm.[8] Continually, once the baby is born, the breast milk the baby feeds on contains endocannabinoids allowing for the baby to have an appetite and feeding. Continually, since endocannabinoids are in breast milk, this is precisely why smoking pot during pregnancy, and afterwards while breastfeeding can be harmful. It essentially causes impairments in the baby??s neural development by overdosing on the cannabinoids.
Medicinal cannabis should be used as a topical lotion, orally, in a vaporizer, a syringe or through a cannabinoid spray. Smoking marijuana is the least effective way of administering cannabinoids. Continually, smoking of anything is not recommended as it produces carbon monoxide; however, smoking marijuana will not lead to lung cancer, and may work as a lung protecting agent according to a study in 2006 at UCLA. [9][9a]Continually, Cannabis is a relatively harmless medicinal herb for most people. Granted, there are some negative effects of cannabinoids use. For example, the slowing of nerve impulses, and possible loss of nerve impulses, in addition to the inability to make neural connections in portions of the brain; however, the effects are only temporary, and they do not necessarily have to happen in all cannabinoid use to achieve the medicinal benefits??. Nevertheless, cannabinoids do have physically addicting capabilities. [3]
The government had been experimenting with cannabinoids since their 1950??s attempt at using cannabis as a mind controlling agent, to the 1970??s when the FDA found that high dose cannabinoids cause a reduction in tumor size of rats. [11] [12] continually, the FDA researched cannabinoids up till the early 1990??s when the FDA terminated the cannabis studies and determined that cannabinoids had no medicinal value, and is highly addictive and dangerous. [10] [Figure 2]
Relatively little is known about cannabinoids. Most of the promising research conducted on this 10,000 year old plant has been done in the past 10 years. [24] This is due to cannabis sativa being illegal and a schedule I narcotic, that has been deemed to have no medicinal value by the federal government, as such, research is difficult to conduct. The Ford administration in 1974 even banned the studying of cannabis. [11] Researchers have since been fighting the DEA for the right to conduct medical research on marijuana, and up till the late 1990??s it was a losing effort; however, now research is being allowed to be conducted in part due to the state medicinal marijuana laws and Obama??s orders. Nevertheless, specific permission by the FDA needs to be gained prior to doing any study relating to cannabinoids.
Nevertheless, other scientific organizations, predominately located in Canada, Israel, Japan, Italy, the UK, Spain, and even some universities within the US took up the cannabis studies. Granted, due to cannabis being a relatively new experimented on drug that is not entirely understood, human testing has been at a minimal. As such, most reliable studies pertaining to cannabinoids have been done on human tissue outside the body, and animal testing, as such; they may not apply to the human condition. Some studies of cannabinoids?? effects on cancer in the US were done by Harvard University, and Harvard Medical School in 2006 and 2007, where their research shown a 50% reduction in common lung tumor size in mice in 3 weeks. Continually, they concluded that cannabinoids stop blood vessel growth for tumors, and prevent the migration and growth of tumor cells in the lungs. [13][14] Continually, in 2007, an Italian Research Institute found cannabinoids acts as neuroprotective agents in part by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making cannabinoids a useful treatment for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson??s, Alzheimer??s, and Huntington??s disease. [15] The Hadassah University Hospital in Isreal in 2006 determined that cannabinoids decreased the incidence of diabetes in a mice experiment. [16] Prior to 2006, Hadassah University revealed data that showed that cannabinoids suppressed the autoimmune disease- arthritis. [17] [Figure 3]
Overall health benefits of cannabinoids may entail all disorders that have to do with inflammatory diseases, neurotoxins in the brain, autoimmune diseases, and many forms of cancer including types of cervical, breast, lymphoma, prostate, brain, neuroblastoma, thyroid, skin, Pancreatic, and lung. [18][19][20] In addition, cannabinoids have been shown to have numerous other beneficial properties in treating a very wide range of disorders involving cannabinoids protective abilities over the brain, lungs, pancreas, liver, and gastrointestinal tract and it??s abilities to regulate several other functions of the human body including the diameter of the airways, and blood vessels allowing for treatment of numerous other disorders including but not limited to asthma, atherosclerosis, cerebral ischemia, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and other chronic pulmonary obstructive disorders.[21][22][23] [Figure 4]
Cannabinoids and Medicinal Benefits
Today, I will be covering some of the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids, or THC, the active ingredients in marijuana, or cannabis; additionally, the recent studies involving cannabinoids. Cannabis has 60 different therapeutic cannabinoids. [1] Each type of cannabinoid works in a different way, producing effects ranging from protective capabilities over a variety of organ systems, to treating ADHD, epilepsy, and reducing the size of several forms of cancer, and even preventing Parkinson??s disease and it??s progression. [2][3][4][19] Cannabinoids effects occur through receptor site activation. Currently, only 2 receptor types are well known for cannabinoids, CB1 and CB2. The CB1 receptor is primarily located in the brain, and is responsible for the ??high? attributed by marijuana. Receptor CB2 on the other hand, is primarily located in the immune system, or lymph system, and is related to immune-modulation, or immune system regulation. Nevertheless, cannabinoid receptors are not just limited to the brain and immune system, but, are actually located on all parts of the human body. Cannabinoids effects are believed to be associated with rest, healing, protection, and the process of forgetting. [5][6][7] [Figure 1]
We have our own cannabinoids created within our bodies called ??endocannabinoids?. It appears we have had our endocannabinoid receptors in our brains since before we were born. In fact, life is only possible due to endocannabinoids which allows embryonic implantation, and neurogenesis and regulating of the developing brain, meanwhile protecting the developing brain from toxins and physical harm.[8] Continually, once the baby is born, the breast milk the baby feeds on contains endocannabinoids allowing for the baby to have an appetite and feeding. Continually, since endocannabinoids are in breast milk, this is precisely why smoking pot during pregnancy, and afterwards while breastfeeding can be harmful. It essentially causes impairments in the baby??s neural development by overdosing on the cannabinoids.
Medicinal cannabis should be used as a topical lotion, orally, in a vaporizer, a syringe or through a cannabinoid spray. Smoking marijuana is the least effective way of administering cannabinoids. Continually, smoking of anything is not recommended as it produces carbon monoxide; however, smoking marijuana will not lead to lung cancer, and may work as a lung protecting agent according to a study in 2006 at UCLA. [9][9a]Continually, Cannabis is a relatively harmless medicinal herb for most people. Granted, there are some negative effects of cannabinoids use. For example, the slowing of nerve impulses, and possible loss of nerve impulses, in addition to the inability to make neural connections in portions of the brain; however, the effects are only temporary, and they do not necessarily have to happen in all cannabinoid use to achieve the medicinal benefits??. Nevertheless, cannabinoids do have physically addicting capabilities. [3]
The government had been experimenting with cannabinoids since their 1950??s attempt at using cannabis as a mind controlling agent, to the 1970??s when the FDA found that high dose cannabinoids cause a reduction in tumor size of rats. [11] [12] continually, the FDA researched cannabinoids up till the early 1990??s when the FDA terminated the cannabis studies and determined that cannabinoids had no medicinal value, and is highly addictive and dangerous. [10] [Figure 2]
Relatively little is known about cannabinoids. Most of the promising research conducted on this 10,000 year old plant has been done in the past 10 years. [24] This is due to cannabis sativa being illegal and a schedule I narcotic, that has been deemed to have no medicinal value by the federal government, as such, research is difficult to conduct. The Ford administration in 1974 even banned the studying of cannabis. [11] Researchers have since been fighting the DEA for the right to conduct medical research on marijuana, and up till the late 1990??s it was a losing effort; however, now research is being allowed to be conducted in part due to the state medicinal marijuana laws and Obama??s orders. Nevertheless, specific permission by the FDA needs to be gained prior to doing any study relating to cannabinoids.
Nevertheless, other scientific organizations, predominately located in Canada, Israel, Japan, Italy, the UK, Spain, and even some universities within the US took up the cannabis studies. Granted, due to cannabis being a relatively new experimented on drug that is not entirely understood, human testing has been at a minimal. As such, most reliable studies pertaining to cannabinoids have been done on human tissue outside the body, and animal testing, as such; they may not apply to the human condition. Some studies of cannabinoids?? effects on cancer in the US were done by Harvard University, and Harvard Medical School in 2006 and 2007, where their research shown a 50% reduction in common lung tumor size in mice in 3 weeks. Continually, they concluded that cannabinoids stop blood vessel growth for tumors, and prevent the migration and growth of tumor cells in the lungs. [13][14] Continually, in 2007, an Italian Research Institute found cannabinoids acts as neuroprotective agents in part by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, making cannabinoids a useful treatment for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson??s, Alzheimer??s, and Huntington??s disease. [15] The Hadassah University Hospital in Isreal in 2006 determined that cannabinoids decreased the incidence of diabetes in a mice experiment. [16] Prior to 2006, Hadassah University revealed data that showed that cannabinoids suppressed the autoimmune disease- arthritis. [17] [Figure 3]
Overall health benefits of cannabinoids may entail all disorders that have to do with inflammatory diseases, neurotoxins in the brain, autoimmune diseases, and many forms of cancer including types of cervical, breast, lymphoma, prostate, brain, neuroblastoma, thyroid, skin, Pancreatic, and lung. [18][19][20] In addition, cannabinoids have been shown to have numerous other beneficial properties in treating a very wide range of disorders involving cannabinoids protective abilities over the brain, lungs, pancreas, liver, and gastrointestinal tract and it??s abilities to regulate several other functions of the human body including the diameter of the airways, and blood vessels allowing for treatment of numerous other disorders including but not limited to asthma, atherosclerosis, cerebral ischemia, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and other chronic pulmonary obstructive disorders.[21][22][23] [Figure 4]