Cannabinoids and cancer, auto-immune and anti-inflammatory diseases

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 Parkinsonâ??s disease and itâ??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 â??highâ?� 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 â??endocannabinoidsâ?�. 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 babyâ??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 benefitsâ??. Nevertheless, cannabinoids do have physically addicting capabilities. [3]
The government had been experimenting with cannabinoids since their 1950â??s attempt at using cannabis as a mind controlling agent, to the 1970â??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 1990â??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 1990â??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 Obamaâ??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 cannabinoidsâ?? 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 Parkinsonâ??s, Alzheimerâ??s, and Huntingtonâ??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 itâ??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]

References:
1.) Bifulco, Maurizio, Chiara Laezza, Simona Pisanti, and Patrizia Gazzerro. â??Cannabinoids and cancer: pros and cons of an antitumour strategy.â?� 2006. 2009. Cannabinoids and cancer: pros and cons of an antitumour strategy
2.) Amar, Mohamed Ben. â??Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential.â?� 2006. 2009. http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/...Analysis06.pdf
3.) Oliva, José M, Sergio Ortiz, Tomás Palomo, Jorge Manzanares. â??Spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal produces a differential time-related responsiveness in cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene expression in the mouse brain.â?� 2004. 2009. Spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal produces a differential time-related responsiveness in cannabinoid CB1 receptor gene expression in the mouse brain -- Oliva et al. 18 (1): 59 -- Journal of Psychopharmacology
4.) Eduardo Molina-Holgado, José M. Vela, Angel Arévalo-MartÃ*n, Guillermina Almazán, Francisco Molina-Holgado, José Borrell, and Carmen Guaza. â??Cannabinoids Promote Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Survival: Involvement of Cannabinoid Receptors and Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase/Akt Signalingâ?� Cannabinoids Promote Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Survival: Involvement of Cannabinoid Receptors and Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase/Akt Signaling -- Molina-Holgado et al. 22 (22): 9742 -- Journal of Neuroscience
5.) Pál Pacher, Sándor Bátkai and George Kunos. â??The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapyâ?� 2006. 2009. The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapy -- Pacher et al. 58 (3): 389 -- Pharmacological Reviews
6.) Ester Fride. â??The Endocannabinoid-CB Receptor System: Importance for development and in pediatric disease.â?� 2004. 2009. http://www.nel.edu/pdf_/25_12/NEL251204A01_Fride_.pdf
7.) Tibor Harkany, Manuel Guzmán, Ismael Galve-Roperh, Paul Berghuis, Lakshmi A. Devi and Ken Mackie. â??The emerging functions of endocannabinoid signaling during CNS development.â?� Volume 28, Issue 2, February 2007. March 2009. ScienceDirect - Trends in Pharmacological Sciences : The emerging functions of endocannabinoid signaling during CNS development
8.) McMahon, Lance R. â??Characterization of Cannabinoid Agonists and Apparent pA2 Analysis of Cannabinoid Antagonists in Rhesus Monkeys Discriminating 9-Tetrahydrocannabinolâ?� [As relates to R-CB1] 2006. 2009. Characterization of Cannabinoid Agonists and Apparent pA2 Analysis of Cannabinoid Antagonists in Rhesus Monkeys Discriminating {Delta}9-Tetrahydrocannabinol -- McMahon 319 (3): 1211 -- Journal of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics .
9.) Medical News Today. â??LSUHSC Research Reports New Method To Protect Brain Cells From Diseases Like Alzheimer's.â?� 23 Aug 2008. March 2009. LSUHSC Research Reports New Method To Protect Brain Cells From Diseases Like Alzheimer's
10.) Olivia Case. â??An assessment of medicinal hemp plant extracts as natural antibiotic and immune modulation phytotherapies.â?� November 2005. March 2009. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/usrfiles/module...1173679074.pdf
11.) [email protected] . â??Medical Uses of Cannabinoids.â?� Monday, December 3, 2007. March 15, 2009. Medical Uses of Cannabinoids | Evolutionism | Dr. Bob Melamede
12.) By Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer. â??Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection.â?� Friday, May 26, 2006. March 2009. Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection - washingtonpost.com
13.) Aaron Houston, AlterNet. â??Obama Makes a Good First Step on Medical Marijuana -- Here's What He Should Do Next.â?� February 9, 2009. March, 2009. Obama Makes a Good First Step on Medical Marijuana -- Here's What He Should Do Next | DrugReporter | AlterNet .
14.) AIDS TREATMENT NEWS. â??Medical Marijuana: Unpublished Federal Study Found THC- Treated Rats Lived Longer, Had Less Cancer.â?� Medical Marijuana: Unpublished Federal Study Found THC- Treated Rats Lived Longer, Had Less Cancer

15.) â??ParaScope, Inc. â??Marijuana Timeline.â?� Marijuana Timeline

15.) Alexander Cockburn; Jeffrey St. Clair (1998). Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press. Verso. pp. 117â??118. ISBN 1859841392. Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs, and the Press - Google Book Search
16.) Sami Sarfaraz, Vaqar M. Adhami, Deeba N. Syed, Farrukh Afaq and Hasan Mukhtar. â??Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise.â?� January 15, 2008. Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise -- Sarfaraz et al. 68 (2): 339 -- Cancer Research
17.) Robert Ramer, Burkhard Hinz. â??Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1.â?� December 25, 2007. March 2009. Inhibition of Cancer Cell Invasion by Cannabinoids via Increased Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 -- Ramer and Hinz, 10.1093/jnci/djm268 -- JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute
18.) Paul Armentano, Deputy Director NORML. Washington, DC â??Recent Research on Medical Marijuana.â?� January 15, 2009. March 2009. Recent Research on Medical Marijuana - NORML
19.) New Agriculturist. March 2009. â??The New Age of Hemp.â?� New agriculturist: Focus on fibres: The New Age of Hemp
20.) Tibor Harkany, Manuel Guzmán, and Yasmin L. Hurd. Scotland, UK. Saturday, December 22, 2007. March 2009. â??Endocannabinoid Functions in Neurogenesis, Neuronal Migration, and Specification.â?� SpringerLink - Book Chapter
21.) J. -P. Terranova, J. -J. Storme, N. Lafon, A Pério , M. Rinaldi-Carmona, G. Le Fur and P. Soubrié. â??Improvement of memory in rodents by the selective CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist, SR 141716.â?� SpringerLink - Journal Article
22.) Croxford JL, Yamamura T. Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience. â??Cannabinoids and the immune system: potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases?â?� 2005 Sep. March 2009. Cannabinoids and the immune system: potential for ...[J Neuroimmunol. 2005] - PubMed Result
23.) KCBD News Channel 11. Dec 3, 2007. â??Could Marijuana Cure Breast Cancer.â?� KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock |Could Marijuana Cure Breast Cancer?
24.) Melamede , Robert PhD. Of the University of Colorado. 2006. March 2009. YouTube - Cancer Cure - Cannabis & Cannabinoids,by Robert Melamede,PhD
25.) Under the Influence: The ... - Google Book Search




YouTube - THC Kills Glioma Cancer Cells - Medical Miracles from Europe

niceeeeeeee

wondering why no one is commenting on this:jointsmile:

I scream, you scream, we all scream for cannabiniods:stoned::stoned::stoned:

a cloud of marijuana

i have a question, does marihuana contain hallucinating chemicals and is it possible to create a psychological disease?

Very informative! As a patient with an Auto-Immune disorder (Crohn's Disease) in a non- mmj state I found it particularly informative and possibly good ammunition to the nay-sayers who would rather I take dangerous man-made pharmaceuticals to treat my illness.

Thanks,

Pete

Very good! However, the research on the physical addiction potential of cannabis are dubious at best. There is research linking psychological dependence, but as for physical addiction, no.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MisterA

a cloud of marijuana

i have a question, does marihuana contain hallucinating chemicals and is it possible to create a psychological disease?

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Ey, I'm not sure about a hallucinating chemical. However, anadamine, your natural THC, and THC do bind to receptor sites in your brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, which causes an intoxication. Continually, anadamine/THC bind to seratonin/dopamine neurons, which also aids to the intoxicated effect brought on by cannabis.


Some people claim a rare disease for certain people who smoke cannabis. It's plausable. I cannot confirm or deny on that one.

Did recently find out about a new antagonist THC/anadamine receptor blocker drug that was attempted to be used in the USA. It didn't go to well, apparently, a lot of the people taking the drug became very depressed and many committed suicide. Can't recall the name of the drug.. Started with a "R".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thatpeteguy

Very informative! As a patient with an Auto-Immune disorder (Crohn's Disease) in a non- mmj state I found it particularly informative and possibly good ammunition to the nay-sayers who would rather I take dangerous man-made pharmaceuticals to treat my illness.

Thanks,

Pete

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NP.

I'd suggest you order some hemp seed oil. Omega fatty acids are used by your body to create endocannabinoids. It would help to reduce inflammation and pain, and get your metabolism up. As well, I'm sure many other positive things. It acts as cannabinoids/THC; however, doesn't have as strong as an effect as hash oil, and is a slower acting. But, it's legal.

-Cloud

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Purple Banana

Very good! However, the research on the physical addiction potential of cannabis are dubious at best. There is research linking psychological dependence, but as for physical addiction, no.

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I can't actually find any sources cited for addiction in there.. I'll look them up when I wake up. It's 4:16 here, I need to look at some glass ware, then take a nap.

And, I believe it was a study from Washington DC.. So, it may be fraudulant anyhow. Figured I'd include it to give cannabis a negative aspect.. I couldn't find any others.. Aside from their other claim that cannabis causes testicular cancer. LOL

From what I know of the endocannabinoid system, it's impossible. And, from what I've been told, it was a fraudulent study.. I'll read it later.