Monthly Archives: July 2013

Cannabis Use, Effect And Potential Therapy For Alzheimer’s, MS and Parkinson’s

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“The illegal status and wide-spread use of cannabis made basic and clinical cannabis research difficult in the past decades; on the other hand, it has stimulated efforts to identify the psychoactive constituents of cannabis. As a consequence, the endocannabinoid system was discovered, which was shown to be involved in most physiological systems — the nervous, the cardiovascular, the reproductive, the immune system, to mention a few.

One of the main roles of endocannabinoids is neuroprotection, but over the last decade they have been found to affect a long list of processes, from anxiety, depression, cancer development, vasodilatation to bone formation and even pregnancy.

Cannabinoids and endocannabinoids are supposed to represent a medicinal treasure trove which waits to be discovered…

The endocannabinoid system acts as a guardian against various attacks on the mammalian body.

Conclusion

The above described research concerning the endocannabinoid-system is of importance in both basic science and in therapeutics:

  • The discovery of the cannabis plant active constituent has helped advance our understanding of cannabis use and its effects.
  • The discovery of the endocannabinoids has been of central importance in establishing the existence of a new biochemical system and its physiological roles — in particular in neuroprotection.
  • These discoveries have opened the door for the development of novel types of drugs, such as THC for the treatment of nausea and for enhancing appetite in cachectic patients.
  • The endocannabinoid system is involved in the protective reaction of the mammalian body to a long list of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease which raises hope for novel therapeutic opportunities for these diseases.”

More: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163644.htm

Marijuana may block Alzheimer’s

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“The active ingredient in marijuana may stall decline from Alzheimer’s disease, research suggests.” 

Brain

 

“Scientists showed a synthetic version of the compound may reduce inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s and thus help to prevent mental decline.

They hope the cannabinoid may be used to develop new drug therapies.”

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4286435.stm

Medical Marijuana Achieves ‘Complete Remission’ Of Crohn’s Disease; Drug Improves Appetite And Sleep Function, With No Side Effects

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“Smoking medical marijuana achieved remission in five of 11 subjects with Crohn’s disease who smoked twice a day for eight weeks, as part of a study.”

Crohn’s disease, one of several inflammatory bowel diseases, achieved “complete remission” in nearly half the subjects of one study that were exposed to smoking medical marijuana on a regular basis.

Published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the study examined the effects of consistent marijuana use on Crohn’s patients who suffered from severe cases of the disease. The results of the 21-subject study point toward the drug’s anti-inflammatory properties as being responsible for quieting symptoms in many patients, and even reaching total remission in others.”

More: http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/17529/20130718/medical-marijuana-crohns-disease-remission-anti-inflammatory-drug-inflammatory-bowel-disease.htm

“Study: Marijuana May Achieve Complete Remission of Crohn’s Disease”  http://blog.mpp.org/research/study-marijuana-may-achieve-complete-remission-of-crohns-disease/07192013/

 

“Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: a Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study... The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa has been reported to produce beneficial effects for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases… We performed a prospective trial to determine whether cannabis can induce remission in patients with Crohn’s disease…Complete remission was achieved by 5/11 subjects in the cannabis group…Three patients in the cannabis group were weaned from steroid dependency . Subjects receiving cannabis reported improved appetite and sleep, with no significant side effects.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23648372

Cannabis based spray approved for MS

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“Sativex licensed for spasticity in multiple sclerosis. MS charity calls it a ‘milestone’
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sad woman
 
“The cannabis-based mouth spray, Sativex, has been approved by the UK medicines regulator, MHRA, as a prescription only treatment for MS related spasticity.

Sativex is designed as an add-on treatment for moderate to severe MS spasms and cramping in people who receive inadequate relief from the standard oral anti-spasticity medicines or have experienced unbearable side effects whilst taking these medicines.

Sativex contains two cannabinoids or active ingredients – THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).  It is the first cannabinoid medicine derived from whole plant extracts from the cannabis sativa plant…”

More: http://www.webmd.boots.com/news/20100621/cannabis-based-spray-approved-for-ms

Pot smoking may help relieve symptoms of MS – NBC News

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“Smoking marijuana may improve some symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests.

Patients with multiple sclerosis in the study had less muscle tightness, also called spasticity, and less pain after they smoked marijuana, compared with after they took a placebo…

More research is needed to confirm the findings and to investigate whether lower doses of marijuana may have similar benefits with fewer adverse effects, said study researcher Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, professor of neurosciences and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University of California, San Diego.

The study is published today (May 14) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Improved symptoms

Previous studies have suggested marijuana use may have benefits for MS patients, but most have investigated oral forms of the drug, including mouth sprays and capsules. In addition, most studies have asked patients to report changes in their symptoms, rather than having a researcher objectively assess them…

Participants were randomly assigned to receive treatment with a marijuana cigarette or a placebo cigarette, which did not contain delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient of marijuana. Participants smoked a marijuana cigarette once a day for three consecutive days under the supervision of a researcher. Eleven days later, participants repeated the procedure, but this time, they switched treatment groups so that everyone received the marijuana cigarette and placebo at some point in the study. On average, participants smoked four puffs of their cigarettes at each session.

Shortly after each treatment session, the researchers assessed participants with a test specifically designed to measure spasticity.

After smoking marijuana, participants experienced a 30 percent reduction in spasticity, compared with when they smoked the placebo cigarette, Corey-Bloom said.”

More: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/pot-smoking-may-help-relieve-symptoms-ms-771076

Cannabis eases multiple sclerosis (MS) stiffness per study published in neurology journal

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“The trial, led by John Peter Zajicek of Britain’s Clinical Neurology Research Group, says standardized doses of cannabis extract can be useful in easing pain and spasms in this disease.”

Use of cannabis extract helps ease painful muscle stiffness among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a large new trial.

“Use of cannabis extract helps ease painful muscle stiffness among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a large trial published on Tuesday in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry…”

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/cannabis-eases-multiple-sclerosis-ms-stiffness-study-article-1.1179450

 

Aylsham multiple sclerosis sufferer says cannabis-based drug ‘changed my life’

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“A new cannabis-based licensed drug has transformed the life of multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer Teresa Pointer from Aylsham.”

Teresa Pointer, from Aylsham, whose MS has been helped by using a new drug based on cannabis plant extracts. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

“Mrs Pointer, 42, spotted an advertisement in the EDP eight years ago, asking people to take part in treatment trials at the James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, and she has not looked back.

Today, thanks to two daily sprays of Sativex into her mouth, Mrs Pointer can sleep at night, walk for longer – and she has got her sense of humour back.

“I got in touch with Dr Willy Notcutt at the James Paget and then started on a clinical trial of Sativex. It was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s done so much for me. It really has given me my life back,” said Mrs Pointer, who lives with her husband and two daughters in Hungate Street.

She was diagnosed in 2004 with MS, a disease which affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

An increase in muscle tone, or “spasticity”, is a common symptom, causing involuntary muscle spasms, immobility, disturbed sleep, and pain.

Although MS is incurable, treatments and specialists can help sufferers manage their symptoms.

Within two weeks of starting the trial, Mrs Pointer, whose health problems forced her to retire from her job as an assistant cook at Aylsham’s Bure Valley School, began to notice an improvement.

“It doesn’t take any of the symptoms away but it relieves them,” she said. The drug relaxed her muscles, easing the pain, discomfort and spasms when her legs would “try and jump off the bed”, which stopped her sleeping.

“I had been getting so tetchy through lack of sleep. I was snappy and angry all the time. But, because it helped me sleep, I could laugh and smile again. I found the funnier side of life which I thought I’d lost forever.”

At a later point in the double-blind trial, which involved 18 local patients, Mrs Pointer, without her knowledge or that of the medical team, was given a placebo instead of Sativex. Her symptoms soon returned and she could not sleep.

After discussions with specialists, she was put back on the drug. “That night I slept like a baby again. The contrast was so stark,” she said.

Mrs Pointer said she had no previous experience of cannabis but Sativex only relaxed muscles, it did not generate the “high” sought by recreational drug users.

She also believes that, without the drug, she would be using her wheelchair far more often than she does at present as it relaxes her leg muscles enough to allow her to walk greater distances.

Dr Notcutt, research and development director at the James Paget, said Mrs Pointer’s participation in the trial had been invaluable.

He added: “The results of these studies are being used all across the world as doctors and others look at the potential value of this medicine. Teresa and others like her locally have been pioneers in a therapy that has a huge potential in many different areas. Without more volunteers to help us explore, medical research will only make very slow progress.”

■ Around 100,000 people in the UK have MS. It is normally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40, and affects almost three times as many women as men.

■ Sativex, in the form of a mouth spray, contains the principal extracts delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol – found in the leaf and flower of the cannabis plant, and is the first cannabinoid preparation to be licensed in the UK for use in the treatment of muscle spasms in MS.”

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/mobile/news/aylsham_multiple_sclerosis_sufferer_says_cannabis_based_drug_changed_my_life_1_2276182

Marijuana: Miracle Cure For Crohn’s Disease?

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“Crohn’s disease is a autoimmunity deficiency in the gastronomical tract that can cause anything from mild stomach pains to vomiting and in extreme cases, chronic bloody diarrhea. There’s no cure for the disorder but now, researchers in Israel say they’ve found evidence that marijuana causes complete remission of the disease.

This news comes the Meir Medical Center in Israel, which treated 21 patients suffering from Crohn’s disease. 11 of the patients smoked two joints per day of cannabis sativa, which the researchers believed would provide anti-inflammatory relief, while the other (unlucky) 10 were only given a placebo. “The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa has been reported to produce beneficial effects for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, but this has not been investigated in controlled trials,” the researchers argued. “We performed a prospective trial to determine whether cannabis can induce remission in patients with Crohn’s disease.”

Five of the 11 patients who smoked the weed, the study, which was published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, states, acheived “total remission” of their disease, whereas only four of the 10 patients who didn’t smoke the pot reported only slight improvement of their condition. Needless to say, the study, while promising, only seems to suggest that more research should be undertaken. “Further studies, with larger patient groups and a nonsmoking mode of intake, are warranted,” the scientists argued.”

 http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/07/marijuana_miracle_cure_for_cro.php

[Marihuana and cannobinoids as medicaments].

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“Biological activity of cannabinoids is caused by binding to two cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Psychoactive is not only tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but also: cannabidiol, cannabigerol or cannabichromen.

Formerly, the usefulness of hemp was assessed in the relation to temporary appeasement of the symptoms of some ailments as nausea or vomiting.

Present discoveries indicates that cannabis-based drugs has shown ability to alleviate of autoimmunological disorders such as: Multiple sclerosis (MS), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or inflammatory bowel disease.

Another studies indicates that cannabinoids play role in treatment of neurological disorders like Alzheimer disease or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or even can reduce spreading of tumor cells.

Cannabinoids stand out high safety profile considering acute toxicity, it is low possibility of deadly overdosing and side-effects are comprise in range of tolerated side-effects of other medications.

In some countries marinol and nabilone are used as anti vomiting and nausea drug. First cannabis-based drug containg naturally occurring cannabinoids is Sativex. Sativex is delivered in an mucosal spray for patients suffering from spasticity in MS, pain relevant with cancer and neuropathic pain of various origin.

Cannabis side-effects varies and depend from several factors like administrated dose, rout of administration and present state of mind. After sudden break from long-lasting use, withdrawal symptoms can appear, although they entirely disappear after a week or two.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23421098

Therapeutic Utility of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 (CB2) Selective Agonists.

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“The cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), is a class A GPCR that was cloned in 1993 while looking for an alternate receptor that could explain the pharmacological properties of 9- tetrahydrocannabinol. CB2 was identified among cDNAs based on its similarity in amino-acid sequence to the CB1 receptor and helped provide an explanation for the established effects of cannabinoids on the immune system.

In addition to the immune system, CB2 has widespread tissue expression and has been found in brain, PNS and GI tract. Several “mixed” cannabinoid agonists are currently in clinical use primarily for controlling pain and it is believed that selective CB2 agonism may afford a superior analgesic agent devoid of the centrally mediated CB1 effects.

Thus, selective CB2 receptor agonists represent high value putative therapeutics for treating pain and other disease states. In this perspective, we seek to provide a concise update of progress in the field.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23865723