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Fresh perspectives on health benefits of marijuana CHUKWUMA MUANYA and WOLE OYEBADE The Guardian, Nigeria Thursday 09 Jan 2014 • Cannabis cures 80-year-old dying patient • Commercial sales begin in Colorado, Uruguay Stan and Barb Rutner had already had bouts with cancer earlier in their lives. Barb overcame breast cancer with orthodox treatments and her version of visualization twice. And Stan managed to get through non-Hodgkin lymphoma after six months of treatment. But this time, they were older, and it looked like the end for Stan. Stan Rutner, a retired dentist and storage facilities owner, was diagnosed with lung cancer, which had metastasized into his brain. The diagnosis had surprised him. He thought he had come down with the flu with his chronic cough. He was in his late 70s, and coping with orthodox cancer treatments was going to be harder than it was before. This time, the radiation and chemo treatments wore him down completely. He could barely write anymore, and his short-term memory was completely shot. He was suffering from extreme weight loss, muscular atrophy, insomnia and a lack of energy, as orthodox cancer treatment side effects combined with cancer’s cachexia (wasting away). After a round of unsuccessful treatments, his condition worsened with pneumonia from radiation inflammation, and he was hospitalised and put on oxygen 24/7. Stan was told that it was time for hospice. Normally, hospice is designated for those with a prognosis of six months or less to live. But Stan’s doctors told him he would be gone in a couple of weeks. Both Barb and Stan had used alternative techniques to a limited extent as adjuncts to their orthodox treatments. But what Stan’s daughter Corinne suggested after her husband John’s research was marijuana, also called cannabis. Fortunately, the Rutners reside in Northern California, the first state to legally recognize marijuana for medical purposes. Of course, this marijuana was not to be smoked. California is where a lot of research has isolated the other cannabinoids of cannabis for healing beyond THC, the psychotropic element of marijuana that produces the high. Hemp agricultural research has created a variety of strains that offer different compositions of cannabinoids as well as different ways to take in the plant’s benefits. The human body contains receptors throughout, known as the endocannabinoid system, that await cannabis’ cannabinoids, including THC, to lock in and heal whatever needs to be healed and harmonised. Of course, this was largely unknown until the gate was opened for medical marijuana in some states and research went beyond “getting high.” Too bad Rick Simpson’s hemp or cannabis oil was ignored by the cancer industry a few years ago. What John and Corrine discovered was easy for Stan to take in was coconut oil-infused cannabis capsules. Soon after starting, he was able to sleep and eat in a matter of days and no longer needed tank-supplied oxygen. He began feeling more energetic and hopeful. Then he began walking with a walker, and then without the walker. His turn around was amazingly rapid. By January of 2013, Stan’s MRI results read: “Impression: No evidence of recurrent disease.” His lung and brain cancer were totally gone. Stan still uses lesser amounts of cannabis capsules for maintenance. Several testimonies like this now feature in findings on medical marijuana, influencing legalisation debates and approval in some countries. Today, Pot shops could sell legal marijuana for recreational use in Colorado, United States and in all nooks and crannies of Uruguay. New research out of Spain suggests that THC — the active ingredient in marijuana — appears to prompt the death of brain cancer cells. The finding is based on work with mice designed to carry human cancer tumors, as well as from an analysis of THC’s impact on tumor cells extracted from two patients coping with a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Explaining that the introduction of THC into the brain triggers a cellular self-digestion process known as “autophagy,” study co-author Guillermo Velasco said his team has isolated the specific pathway by which this process unfolds, and noted that it appears “to kill cancer cells, while it does not affect normal cells.” Velasco is with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the School of Biology at Complutense University in Madrid. The Spanish researchers focused on two patients suffering from “recurrent glioblastoma multiforme,” a fast-moving form of brain cancer. Both patients had been enrolled in a clinical trial designed to test THC’s potential as a cancer therapy. Using electron microscopes to analyze brain tissue taken both before and after a 26- to 30-day THC treatment regimen, the researchers found that THC eliminated cancer cells while it left healthy cells intact. The team also was able, in what it described as a “novel” discovery, to track the signaling route by which this process was activated. These findings were replicated in work with mice, which had been “engineered” to carry three different types of human cancer tumor grafts. “These results may help to design new cancer therapies based on the use of medicines containing the active principle of marijuana and/or in the activation of autophagy,” Velasco said. Outside experts suggested that more research is needed before advocating marijuana as a medicinal intervention for brain cancer. Dr. John S. Yu, co-director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Programme in the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said the findings were “not surprising.” “There have been previous reports to this effect as well,” he said. “So this is yet another indication that THC has an anti-cancer effect, which means it’s certainly worth further study. But it does not suggest that one should jump at marijuana for a potential cure for cancer, and one should not urge anyone to start smoking pot right away as a means of curing their own cancer.” But that’s exactly what many brain cancer patients have been doing, said Dr. Paul Graham Fisher, the Beirne Family director of Neuro-Oncology at Stanford University. “In fact, 40 per cent of brain tumor patients in the U.S. are already using alternative treatments, ranging from herbals to vitamins to marijuana,” he said. “But that actually points out a cautionary tale here, which is that many brain cancer patients are already rolling a joint to treat themselves, but we’re not really seeing brain tumors suddenly going away as a result, which we clearly would’ve noticed if it had that effect. So we need to be open-minded. But this suggests that the promise of THC might be a little over-hoped, and certainly requires further investigation before telling people to go out and roll a joint.” In a related development, researchers from the University of South Carolina said tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal constituent of marijuana, might have another medical use - treating those with autoimmune disorders. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known to have analgesic effects so can be used to treat pain. It also aids relaxation and can reduce feelings of nausea and stimulate appetite, making it useful for those undergoing chemotherapy. Now, a new study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, explores how microRNAs are influenced by THC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNAs that play a vital role in regulating gene expression. And the authors claim that the ability to alter miRNA expression may be the key to successful treatment for many autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, arthritis and Type 1 diabetes. The researchers, from the university’s School of Medicine, injected mice with THC and analyzed their RNA. Of the 609 miRNAs tested, the researchers identified 13 that were highly altered by the THC. MiRNAs greatly influence the immune system, acting as “brakes” that target more than 60 per cent of all gene expression. Since miRNAs usually suppress the expression of genes, when a miRNA is over-expressed, the affected gene gets silenced. But when a miRNA is turned off, the affected gene is expressed at a higher level. The report states that the regulation of gene expression by miRNAs is thought to be vital in a wide range of biological processes. The authors point to emerging evidence that suggests miRNAs “regulate the development, differentiation and function of a variety of immune cells including myeloid cells.” For this study, the researchers also explored one specific miRNA - miRNA-690 - that was greatly over-expressed by the presence of THC and targets an important protein called C/EBP?. This protein, in turn, triggers myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), which suppress inflammation. When the researchers successfully knocked out the miRNA-690, the effect of THC was reversed. The current study, led by Dr. Venkatesh Hegde, suggests the effects of marijuana may be “a double-edged sword.” Its ability to supress inflammation provides effective treatment against inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, but that very action may leave the body open and vulnerable to other diseases. Lead authors Drs. Prakash and Mitzi Nagarkatti have studied how marijuana can alter immune functions and inflammation for over a decade. They were the first to show that marijuana components trigger MDSC to suppress inflammation. Dr. Mitzi Nagarkatti, chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at USC’s School of Medicine, says the latest study demonstrates that understanding how to control microRNA expression holds tremendous potential for new medical breakthroughs. She explains: “MicroRNA therapeutics is an important, rapidly growing area with major pharmaceutical companies getting into this discovery and development. While our study identifies the molecular mechanism of immune-altering effects of marijuana, select microRNA identified here could serve as important molecular targets to manipulate MDSC activity in cancer and inflammatory diseases.” This is not the first study to herald the medicinal qualities of marijuana. Medical News Today reported last month that chemicals within the plant may protect the body against multiple sclerosis. Uruguay became the first country to legalize the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana in December 2013, a pioneering social experiment that will be closely watched by other nations debating drug liberalization. A government-sponsored bill approved by 16-13 votes in the Senate provides for regulation of the cultivation, distribution and consumption of marijuana and is aimed at wresting the business from criminals in the small South American nation. Cannabis consumers will be able to buy a maximum of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) each month from licensed pharmacies as long as they are Uruguayan residents over the age of 18 and registered on a government database that will monitor their monthly purchases. Uruguayans will also be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year. Registered drug users should be able to start buying marijuana over the counter from licensed pharmacies in April. “We begin a new experience in April. It involves a big cultural change that focuses on public health and the fight against drug trafficking,” Uruguay’s first lady, Senator Lucía Topolansky said. Uruguay’s attempt to quell drug trafficking is being followed closely in Latin America where the legalization of some narcotics is being increasingly seen by regional leaders as a possible way to end the violence spawned by the cocaine trade. Rich countries debating legalisation of pot are also watching the bill, which philanthropist George Soros has supported as an “experiment” that could provide an alternative to the failed U.S.-led policies of the long “war on drugs.” The bill gives authorities 120 days to set up a drug control board that will regulate cultivation standards, fix the price and monitor consumption. The use of marijuana is legal in Uruguay, a country of 3.3 million that is one of the most liberal in Latin America, but cultivation and sale of the drug are not. Other countries have decriminalised marijuana possession and the Netherlands allows its sale in coffee shops, but Uruguay will be the first nation to legalize the whole chain from growing the plant to buying and selling its leaves. Several countries such as Canada, the Netherlands and Israel have legal programmes for growing medical cannabis but do not allow cultivation of marijuana for recreational use. Last year, the U.S. states of Colorado and Washington passed ballot initiatives that legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Nearly a week into Colorado’s unprecedented foray into marijuana legalization, it’s all going smoothly. Possessing and using recreational marijuana has actually been legal for a full year in both Washington and Colorado. But January 1 marked the first time that the drug could be sold commercially to nonmedical customers. At least a couple dozen stores are already operating around the state, legally selling marijuana for recreational use to adults. The biggest concerns of critics – whether the new policy will increase teen use or lead to marijuana trickling out of the state, for instance – may take months or years to assess. But so far, the biggest snarls have revolved around shortage of supply and long lines at the handful of dispensaries. Since Colorado, for now, requires marijuana businesses to grow most of the cannabis they sell, supply and demand could be tricky, especially in these early months. It’s no coincidence that marijuana legalisation support has surged with the growth of social media. The voices of the Reefer Madness era are silenced daily as studies and testimonials continue pouring in about this often misunderstood plant. Ignorance still remains, however, and this fight won’t be won without continued education of the masses. Tim Cullen, co-owner of Evergreen Apothecary in Denver, Colorado said his shop has had about 400 customers a day since January 1 – more than four times the 70 or 75 medical customers they were serving before that. When the shop opens at 8 a.m., there’s usually a line at least an hour long; at 5 p.m., the store hands out 80 numbers to the people remaining in line and sends everyone else home. To keep supplies from running out, the store has limited customers to buying a quarter of an ounce for now, but the current pace isn’t sustainable, even with the added help of five new employees, Cullen said. On Sunday, he closed at 3 p.m. “just to give our employees a little time to reintroduce themselves to their families.” “We will not be able to do this forever,” he added. “I’m hoping more stores open up here soon, which I’d never imagine I’d say. We need more stores to open up to even this out a little bit.” The industry expected such shortfalls might exist, but it has also been advocating a slow ramp-up to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. “It’s frustrating that we’re dealing with the shortage and things aren’t moving faster, but this is very much in line with what we’d been calling for, which is this slow controlled growth,” says Mike Elliott, executive director of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, which represents marijuana businesses in the state. “It’s going slower than a lot of people would like, but I think it shows we’re on a strong path forward.” AT this point, I think it should be becoming clear that the real reason for this discussion is to be able to get the message across without any controversy that the concept of Heaven is far more meaningful than just representing an abode outside the material world. When we have this important imputation at our disposal, we will be able to appreciate in what other ways Heaven can be interpreted especially in view of the many ways that Jesus Himself had referred to the concept of Heaven. When you come to have a flexible understanding of what the concept of Heaven is all about, you will begin to have a clear understanding of the cardinal role of the concept of mind in our practical understanding of the concept of Heaven. Then the dynamic role of faith in particular in the linkage between mind and Heaven and how this linkage transforms into the kind of practical benefits that God gives to all its creatures, which do not necessarily require religious rituals to achieve. What I am trying to say is that you will come to have a practical understanding of what Jesus was trying to say when He said that ‘you should seek first the kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness and everything that you need will be added unto you’. Everybody everywhere will have a rational understanding of the fact that this is a statement that can be empirically and scientifically proved to the benefit of mankind, which on its own, is independent of whatever you may call the Christian religion and therefore doesn’t depend on the Christian religious rituals for anybody to realise its import. People will come to appreciate that statement of Jesus in the Lord’s prayer, which says ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’. They will know there is nothing peculiarly Christian about it. It is a message holding the key to the truth of survival for everything in nature and not just even man and this truth could always be scientifically substantiated for the understanding of all and also invariably make all of us to appreciate that significant truth in the bible, which says that it is ‘in God that we live, move and have our being’. This statement, that also of ‘seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven’ and ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’ are all cardinal to the spiritual and material wellbeing of man that are not depending on any religion at all to recommend them. This is the teaching of the new covenant of the future that will bind all of humanity together in the proper understanding of the Will of God as it unites all of us on the principle of symbiosis. It is a scientific process of understanding and in that process of understanding you will get to understand the meaning of the kingdom of Heaven in the variety of ways that it has been used. That kingdom is about the functions of intelligence. That is why it could be said that creation operates on the platform of intelligence. Through the function of man, we know that mind manufactures intelligence. So the Ruler of the Kingdom of the Heaven could be appropriately named Universal Mind or Supreme Intelligence. The functions of Heaven should be seen in this context. Ayo-Vaughan, a psychologist, lives in Lagos http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/sunday-magazine/living-wellbeing/142936-fresh-perspectives-on-health-benefits-of-marijuana
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