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Cannabinoids and the Immune System

Cannabinoids are immune system modulators, with the specific CB2 cannabinoid receptor found on most cells on the immune system, promoting the Th2 response while inhibiting the Th1 response. The Th1 immune response is critical for fighting infections caused by specific infectious agents while the Th2 response promotes the humoral arm of the immune system. It turns down the Th1 immune response, is characterized by antibody production, and is typically anti-inflammatory. The Th1 and Th2 pathways are functionally balanced to optimally meet the survival needs of an organism in its environment. Many autoimmune and other age-related diseases (such as MS, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and diabetes) are characterized by an excessive Th1-driven immune response at the site of the tissue damage involved.

Fiorello LaGuardia and The Truth About Marijuana (for Howard Zinn)

Zinn wrote his PhD dissertation on LaGuardia’s years as a Congressman representing the tenement dwellers of East Harlem (1917-1933, minus his stint in the Army and two years as President of the New York City Board of Aldermen). “LaGuardia in Congress,” published by Cornell University Press in 1959, established Zinn’s reputation as a historian. It debunked the prevailing text-book image of the 1920s. Its themes were encapsulated in an essay, “LaGuardia in the Jazz Age,” which Zinn published in “The Politics of History” (Beacon, 1970).

Iowa Medical Society Backs Effort to Reclassify Marijuana

The Iowa Medical Society is backing an effort to reclassify marijuana in the state to make it easier for scientists to study the drug’s potential benefits for sick people. The group represents around 4,600 physicians.

D.C. Council Approves Medical Marijuana

The D.C. Council unanimously approved a bill Tuesday to allow chronically ill patients to receive a doctor’s prescription to use marijuana and buy it from a city-sanctioned distribution center.

Under the bill, which passed without debate, a patient who suffers from HIV, glaucoma, cancer or a “chronic and lasting disease” may receive a doctor’s recommendation to possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana in a 30-day period.

Patients Out of Time Hold 6th National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics

In 2000, at the dawn of the new millenium, Patients Out of Time began a long-term series aimed to educate health care professionals and the general public about therapeutic cannabis, or medical marijuana. This biannual event celebrated their 10th Anniversary this past April 15-17 in Warwick, Rhode Island and was also sponsored by the University of California School of Medicine, and continuing education credits were also offered for physicians and nurses. The Rhode Island State Nurses Association, American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine and Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse were also on hand, amongst many of the world’s most renowned researchers and physicians on cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system and two of four remaining Federal Medical Marijuana Program were also in attendance.

"Cannabis: The Medicine Plant” By Al Byrne

by Al Byrne, co-founder, Patients Out of Time It has been 80 years since an…

Medical Marijuana - Appetite

Medical Marijuana 411 https://medicalmarijuana411.com interview with Robert, medical marijuana user, who was prescribed marijuana edibles to counteract his weight loss problem. After being prescribed different more mainstream drugs to suppress his immune system with no luck, Robert was prescribed a medicinal form of marijuana for his lymphoma. Never a recreational drug user, Robert was prescribed Marinol which utilizes synthetic THC to help increase appetite. Transcript to follow:
Blue Dream is one I am particularly fond of. Its, like I said, I need it for appetite. Its very good for that. Im able to eat when I use it! Concentration, focus its very good for that. I prefer Indicas, because I have a lot of sleep loss. I feel a Indica would be the best kush. YouTube Video

New Book Illustrates Dosage and Common Effects of Medical Marijuana

Chris Conrad’s new book Cannabis Yields and Dosage: A Guide to the Production and Use of Medical Marijuana is an all-encompassing guide for patients, physicians, lawmakers, and law enforcement. Part I of his book is filled with scientific facts about the yield, uses, and dosage of medical cannabis. In the second part of his book, he explains the legal settings for the first part of his book and Part III offers a model Safe Access Now ordinance for guidelines for the implementation of California’s Prop 215 [HS 11362.5] and SB 420 [HS 11362.7]. And in the last part of his book he offers other States’ laws as well as provides references and websites for his reader’s use (unfortunately our site came out after his book went to press).

Chris Conrad is a Court-qualified cannabis expert, director of Safe Access Now, author of Hemp: Lifeline to the Future and Hemp for Health, as well as the curator of the Hash-Marijuana-Hemp Museum in Amsterdam.

Endocannabinoid System - Vital Role In Human Body

Science has found two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2 (so far) as part of our ‘receptor’ category within the human endocannabinoid system but with further research we’ll soon begin to understand much more about this system (internal compounds much like marijuana). This system also includes degradation, synthesis, and transport. Some of these compounds date back roughly 600 million years and can be found in hundreds of life forms and it is through these life forms that this system evolved with us.

Iowa Board of Pharmacy Seeks Insight From Medical Marijuana Advocacy Group

As the Iowa Board of Pharmacy (BOP) listens to Patients Out Of Time, a medical marijuana patient advocacy group made up of physicians on the medicinal benefits of medical cannabis. Al Byrne, a member of the group, delivered some 50,000 pages of medical marijuana research supporting the effectiveness of marijuana as medicine, as part of a larger presentation to the Board. This extensive compilation of research is exactly the type of platform necessary for this type of dialogue because the Iowa BOP called public hearings throughout the state to help determine whether a reclassification of the plant so that marijuana may be used for research and treatment.

Patients Out of Time will be holding their bi-annual medical marijuana conference this coming April 16-18 in Warrick, Rhode Island.

AMA Asks Federal Government to Redefine Marijuana to Possess Medicinal Values

In a landmark reversal, the American Medical Association urged the federal government to review marijuana’s schedule classification from a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no medicinal value, so that further ‘development of cannabinoid-based medicines’ can be achieved.

Since 1970, the only government-based research in the country was in the University of Mississippi, where medical marijuana has been grown and distributed, but with little research and control. With the AMA requesting marijuana be reclassified so that medicine can further the advancements of medical marijuana research and help determine the efficacy of medical cannabis for all it’s potential.

The Public Legitimization of Marijuana

What is currently front and center in our little corner of the world is the issue of medicinal marijuana—specifically, medpot collectives. As Council member Robert Garcia stated at the August 4th Council meeting, “The medical-marijuana movement is here, and it’s something we have to deal with and accept.”

Medical Marijuana 411.com Patient Story - Being vocal about budget cuts - Mieko & Joey - Pt. 2

I recently have been very vocal about budget cuts at the regional center. Because any day now Joey could loose health care, any day now I could loose respite for Joey and I don’t hear anyone speaking out. I know I am not the only parent effected, I know these organizations know this as well. Why do you think there are so many of these parents coming to these organizations saying we need help. It really makes me angry because God forbid my foundation makes enough money, I don’t want it. I would rather give it to the regional center so it can continue to help children. My foundation is not to fund me and my family. It is to fund those families that need help, need resources and they don’t need to go through a bunch of red tape. One weekend without having our respite person here at the agency that comes into our home to give us 6 hours of rest once a week, that person is so important to our life. That is the one day that I can go grocery shopping. For at least our state to remove any money from the regional center to me, people should be speaking a little bit louder.

Doctor Takes a Risk and Saves Autistic Boy

I sat in the doctor’s office and when I realized that Joey was not a candidate for a feeding tube because of the severity of his autism. I realized that he was 46 pounds…that day was, that was a long day for me. I could not understand how a doctor could walk into a room and tell me that my son was under weight, obviously, he was okay with the medication that he was on and tell me that he was not a candidate for a feeding tube, giving Joey (autistic child) more medication would make his condition worse. Well, that’s great…give me no answers and walk out and see another patient. Unbelievable. If you could have seen the fear in my eyes…I get a blow from the diagnosis of autism. And now, I am getting another blow to my gut for the medications associated with autism?? So matter what, my son is going to die? Or no matter what, his life is a waste and you are going to see your next patient?? Do we need to remind the doctors of the oath that they took when they become doctors? You see so many patients that you forget what it is like to be a parent, to be a mom, to be compassionate.

Autism - Making it to Joey's 11th Birthday Pt. 4 Medical Marijuana 411

eople are calling me and I have family’s contacting me, I have doctor’s contacting me, I have educator’s contacting me asking me not only how can I help but what did you do? Where did you find the research and how did you find the reseach? I have to direct them back to Joey. Not only is he the research but he is the cause. Every fight, everything I have ever done since he was born has led me up to this point. He is the reason. NO one should be thanking me anymore, they should be thanking Joey. He has pulled everything out of me, everything that I need to continue to lead. He is the reason I know who I am now and I know what I am here for. I don’t think that I have ever looked at autism as a bad thing. I don’t think I have ever looked at Joey and thought he is going to hold me back. Between autism and Joey (they) have made me a very strong person. Strong enough to pull other parents out of their desperate state. To lead the pack and let them know, I was were you were and I made it. If you can’t make it, I will grab your hand and take you with me. I owe it to Joey. I am a better parent. I have a healthy child now and I have a child that is here.

Dr. Bernard Rimland & Dr. Lester Grinspoon - Autism Research

Dr. Bernard Rimland, he is the founder of the Autism Society of America. I have read many books and have been a fan of his since Joey was diagnosed with autism. The day I came home and typed in autism and marijuana and his research came up. I was up all night. I was up until 5 o’clock in the morning. I could not believe that the doctor that I had admired, the doctor that I had researched and the doctor had felt if there is a protocol for autism…this guy is on it. To find that he had written the initial medical review and research on this (autism and marijuana) blew my mind. I am still struggling with why a few organizations have not stepped up to the plate and said she’s right. We should be honoring this man.

Medical Marijuana 411 Patient Story - Autism

I was 25 and my first child was okay and I was just coming out of a not so good relationship with their father. The diagnosis actually made me stronger. Looking back, that diagnosis .autism made me a better parent but it made me who I am today. It made me a very strong woman. You have to have thick skin in order to navigate through this factor. I moved back home and I said, you know this is the county I know, I am going to move back home and whatever I need to do, I will do it here. I had no idea about the regional center and did my own research and always wanted to place Joey on a bio med protocol and was very interested and I always thought that was the best way to treat autism after doing my research and placing him on the gluton free casion (SP) diet and that wasn’t successful. Joey started displaying a lot of behaviors in school at the age of five. A teacher had recommended medication or to see a doctor.

The Stigma of Medical Marijuana

Medications work for some children and then there is medications that are not effect in some children. In this case, in our case the medications were ineffective with Joey. I know Joey is not the only child because I receive the emails, the phone calls and people tracking me down…and I am shopping, mothers come up to me and say thank you. They don’t want anyone else in the store to know what they are talking about. I had a mother come up to me and say thank you. And my daughter said, why did she say thank you. Because of the stigma of marijuana she couldn’t discuss it with me. That is the reason why I am moving forward. That stigma could save another child’s life. That parent could not ask me any questions for fear of over hearing.

Lack of Resources for parents with Autistic Kids

One day I was working at an attorney service and I had to choose between taking Joey to the doctor or going to work. We needed to get Joey into the regional center, so we could get some resources for him. My boss, who was single, I was younger than her….she had no concept of what a single mother goes through or had no concept of a mother who has special needs children

Cannabis in early textbooks and treatment of migraines

Actually I was very skeptical rather than opposed. The first person who introduced me to the possibility that cannabis was medicinal was my father who was a pharmacist. We were talking about prohibition and he mentioned that when he was a freshman in pharmacy school at the University of Minnesota in 1928 and one of their assignments was to make tincture of cannabis. He said, we had to be very careful because the alcohol was illegal. I’ve got his 1927 Remmington’s Textbook of Pharmacy and on page 999 and 1000 it tells you how to make tincture of cannabis. It also says that it is useful for relief of pain and a tranquilizer. In the process of marginalizing quackery we also tended to marginalize homeopaths, naturopaths, osteopaths all of whom placed greater importance on herbal medicine that allopathic doctors, the doctors that we today called MD’s. There still was interest in plant based medicine but there was a problem that it was not standardized. However, as late as 1937 the AMA testified against the marijuana tax act. First off, they said we don’t have any idea why you are not calling this cannabis obviously we need to explore that why was it called marijuana when that’s not what it was called at that time. And secondly he said, yes, this is decreasingly being prescribed by physicians because of lack of standardization.

Cannabis, Cannabinoids - ADD & Tourettes

Earlier you mentioned that maybe I was opposed to medical marijuana and I said no I was just dubious. And I certainly was dubious about the use of cannabis in treating ADD/ ADHD. But that was because I didn’t know anything and when I looked into it, I found out that there were at least 40 papers written before 2000 dealing with the endo-cannabinioid system, cannabis, and ADD/ ADHD. And that as early as 1998 efforts had been made in Oregon to add ADD/ ADHD to the list of conditions for which cannabis was appropriate or legal in the state of Oregon. I began to have people mention that they were able to focus and concentrate more with cannabis. I had people tell me that their grades went from Ds and Fs to As and Bs when they started using marijuana in Jr High School. I had one patient come in and attributed their graduating from the maritime academy to smoking marijuana. And another person who said that they were able to get their PHD as a result of smoking marijuana. I started looking into this and found that there were hundreds of research studies that had been done which provided some of the information as to why this might work.

David Bearman - Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis

There are a group of researchers around the world, that are very interested in the endocannabinoid system, interested in how that works, how it functions. Elger is one of those people. He and another PHD named Nichol wrote an article that appeared in Scientific America which I believe is entitled The Brains on Marijuana. We have discovered, we meaning scientists not me, at least two endocannabinoids, two different 21 carbon molecules that have receptor sites that can be stimulated by Cannabis. And Cannabis of course, has 66, at least 66 cannabinoids and those are 21 carbon molecules that may have different side chain and every time you have a different side chain you have a different substance.

Medical Cannabis and Ritalin

David Bearman, M.D., author of “Demons, Discrimination and Dollars,” discusses with MedicalMarijuana411.com the effects of Cananbis and Ritalin. Some people use Cannabis instead of Ritalin, Dexadrine or other sympathomedic drugs other people use Cannabis with Ritalin because the side effects of Ritalin can include: depressed appetite, difficulty sleeping and jitteriness and Cannabis has the exact opposite effect, in addition to helping people to focus and concentrate more.

How Cannabis can have positive effects on ADD

The usual situation with a teenager is that they started using the cannabis recreationally and incidentally noticed that it helped them with their focus and concentration. I want to make one thing clear, if a teenager is using cannabis excessively, it may interfere with their education. It is not always something that is helpful. But in the cases that I have seen where people have come in and I have attention deficit disorder I tried Ritalin either it didn’t work or I didn’t like the side effects. I noticed with marijuana or cannabis that I could focus, I could concentrate and my grades went up with this. So, for most people, certainly with people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) most of them, Cannabis has been helpful. Now some people use the cannabis instead of Ritalin, Concerta or Adderall and other people use it in conjunction with it because one of the problems with the sympathomimetic drugs which is what Ritalin or Dexodrine or the other conventional medications for ADD, they have a side effect profile which is unacceptable to some people. As a stimulant it interferes with your appetite, it can interfere with sleep, cause jitteriness and cannabis has the opposite effect.