Doctor: Marijuana is a needed option

Posted on August 26, 2013 by David

“There was a personal reason why Dr. Gary Blick became one of the nearly 100 physicians in the state who are licensed to prescribe medical marijuana.”I did this because my 91-year-old mother, who has glaucoma,” he said. “Her glaucoma eye drops had failed to produce the desired results and she was facing surgery.”

Glaucoma is a disease in which the eye typically has excessive internal pressure, damaging the nerve fibers of the retina, the delicate tissue at the back of the eye that’s sensitive to light and color.

“She was needing surgery to repair her eyes,” he said. “But after we started her on medical marijuana, her pressures dropped, and when she stopped smoking marijuana, the pressures went back up again.”

He said her testimony in Hartford last year had the legislative committee considering the bill “in stitches,” even though her testimony countered testimony of the president of the Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians, who said marijuana would not be helpful to glaucoma patients.

“So one of the senators said, `Are you aware of Gloria Blick‘s testimony?’ To which he replied, `Well, I guess it would help some people.’ To which the senator replied, `Isn’t that what we’re here for?’ ”

Blick sees medical marijuana as just one of the arsenal of options that physicians should have to ease pain and provide relief for various diseases.”

More: http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Doctor-Marijuana-is-a-needed-option-4740995.php#src=fb

Cannabinoid Receptor CB2 Modulates Axon Guidance.

Posted on August 21, 2013 by David

“Navigation of retinal projections towards their targets is regulated by guidance molecules and growth cone transduction mechanisms. Here, we present in vitro and in vivo evidences that the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) is expressed along the retino-thalamic pathway and exerts a modulatory action on axon guidance….

Overall, this study demonstrates that the contribution of endocannabinoids to brain development is not solely mediated by CB1R, but also involves CB2R.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23951024

Poly-ε-caprolactone microspheres as a drug delivery system for cannabinoid administration: development, characterization and in vitro evaluation of their antitumoral efficacy.

Posted on June 19, 2013 by David

“Cannabinoids show promise for the treatment of various medical conditions such as emesis, anorexia, pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma.

The objective of the present work was to assess the feasibility of developing cannabinoid loaded poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) microparticles prepared by the oil-in-water emulsion-solvent evaporation technique as a suitable dosage form for their administration.

In vitro cell viability studies demonstrated the antitumoral activity of CBD released from microparticles. After 4 and 7 days of incubation, CBD in microspheres significantly inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells by 60% as compared to the 50% attained with free drug.

The results suggest that PCL microparticles could be an alternative delivery system for long-term cannabinoid administration, showing potential therapeutic advantages over free drug.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22580111

An Effective Prodrug Strategy to Selectively Enhance Ocular Exposure of a Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1/2) Agonist.

Posted on June 7, 2013 by David

“Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness, with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) a prominent risk factor. IOP can be efficaciously reduced by administration of topical agents. However, the repertoire of approved IOP-lowering drug classes is limited, and effective new alternatives are needed. Agonism of the cannabinoid receptors CB_1/2 significantly reduces IOP clinically, and experimentally. However, development of CB_1/2 agonists has been complicated by the need to avoid cardiovascular and psychotropic side effects. Compound A is a potent CB_1/2 agonist that is highly excluded from the brain. In a phase I study, compound A eyedrops were well tolerated and generated an IOP-lowering trend, but were limited in dose and exposure due to poor solubility and ocular absorption. Here we present an innovative strategy to rapidly identify compound A prodrugs that are efficiently metabolized to the parent compound, for improved solubility and ocular permeability, while maintaining low systemic exposures.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23738526

The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.

Posted on May 24, 2013 by David

Image result for Nat Rev Drug Discov.

“The term ‘endocannabinoid’ – originally coined in the mid-1990s after the discovery of membrane receptors for the psychoactive principle in Cannabis, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and their endogenous ligands – now indicates a whole signalling system that comprises cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands and enzymes for ligand biosynthesis and inactivation. This system seems to be involved in an ever-increasing number of pathological conditions. With novel products already being aimed at the pharmaceutical market little more than a decade since the discovery of cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoid system seems to hold even more promise for the future development of therapeutic drugs. We explore the conditions under which the potential of targeting the endocannabinoid system might be realized in the years to come.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15340387

http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v3/n9/full/nrd1495.html

Study: THC Not Cancer-Causing

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David

“A federal study completed more than two years ago reportedly found that marijuana’s main ingredient did not cause cancer in laboratory animals. A 126-page report on the $2 million study has not been published, although expert reviewers found in June 1994 that the scientific methods used and the conclusions reached were sound, The Boston Globe reported today.

The findings go against the contention of some federal officials that marijuana is carcinogenic. The study will likely add grist to the debate over using marijuana for medical treatment.

A spokesman for White House drug policy adviser Barry R. McCaffrey said his office was not aware of the study.

The Globe said the National Toxicology Program study was revealed earlier this month in a newsletter called AIDS Treatment News.

According to the probe, high doses of the main active ingredient in marijuana, _ tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC _ were put directly into the stomachs of mice and rats daily for two years.

“We found absolutely no evidence of cancer,” said John Bucher, deputy director of the National Toxicology Program.

Because the animals were not exposed to marijuana smoke, the potential of inhaled marijuana to cause cancer was not looked at.

The study was overseen by the Federal Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute and other federal agencies.

Bucher said publication of the report was overdue, but his agency had not been pressured to bury it. A personnel shortage caused the delay, he said.

The New England Journal of Medicine has come out in favor of allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for medical purposes.

Some doctors believe marijuana can relieve internal eye pressure in glaucoma, control nausea in cancer patients on chemotherapy and combat the severe weight loss seen in AIDS patients.

However, Clinton administration officials note that such uses of marijuana have not been proved.”

Associated Press, Jan 30, 1997 BOSTON

http://www.ukcia.org/research/cancer.php

Pot patch considered medical breakthrough

Posted on February 17, 2013 by David

“Advocates are fighting to legalize marijuana. The University of Mississippi has the only legally grown marijuana crop in the nation.Faculty members and student researchers have now developed a new patch that could potentially provide help to patients who need it.

The patch developed at Ole Miss could help patients overcome problems associated with taking the drug in pill form. The patch is placed above the gum line.

“In addition to pain, it will include things like reducing intraocular pressure and therefore would be good for glaucoma. [It] will be good for alleviating the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy; it would also be good for appetite stimulation for patients suffering from the syndrome, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-anxiety,” explains Dr. ElSohly.”

More: http://www.myfoxal.com/story/21116615/pot-patch-offers-medicinal-marijuana-treatment-at-ole-miss

The endocannabinoid nervous system: unique opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Posted on January 18, 2013 by David

“The active principle in marijuana, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been shown to have wide therapeutic application for a number of important medical conditions, including pain, anxiety, glaucoma, nausea, emesis, muscle spasms, and wasting diseases. Delta(9)-THC binds to and activates two known cannabinoid receptors found in mammalian tissue, CB1 and CB2. The development of cannabinoid-based therapeutics has focused predominantly on the CB1 receptor, based on its predominant and abundant localization in the CNS.

Like most of the known cannabinoid agonists, Delta(9)-THC is lipophilic and relatively nonselective for both receptor subtypes.

Clinical studies show that nonselective cannabinoid agonists are relatively safe and provide therapeutic efficacy, but that they also induce psychotropic side effects. Recent studies of the biosynthesis, release, transport, and disposition of anandamide are beginning to provide an understanding of the role of lipid transmitters in the CNS. This review attempts to link current understanding of the basic biology of the endocannabinoid nervous system to novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

This new knowledge may facilitate the development of cannabinoid receptor-targeted therapeutics with improved safety and efficacy profiles.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11448725

From cannabis to the endocannabinoid system: refocussing attention on potential clinical benefits.

Posted on November 20, 2012 by David

“Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest herbal remedies known to man. Over the past four thousand years, it has been used for the treatment of numerous diseases but due to its psychoactive properties, its current medicinal usage is highly restricted. In this review, we seek to highlight advances made over the last forty years in the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the effects of cannabis on the human body and how these can potentially be utilized in clinical practice. During this time, the primary active ingredients in cannabis have been isolated, specific cannabinoid receptors have been discovered and at least five endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitters (endocannabinoids) have been identified. Together, these form the framework of a complex endocannabinoid signalling system that has widespread distribution in the body and plays a role in regulating numerous physiological processes within the body. Cannabinoid ligands are therefore thought to display considerable therapeutic potential and the drive to develop compounds that can be targeted to specific neuronal systems at low enough doses so as to eliminate cognitive side effects remains the ‘holy grail’ of endocannabinoid research.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23155985

A molecular basis of the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of cannabis (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol).

Posted on November 13, 2012 by David

Abstract

“All of the therapeutic properties of marihuana (analgesic, antiemetic, appetite stimulant, antiglaucoma) have been duplicated by the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) molecule or its synthetic derivatives. Today, the molecular mechanisms of action of these compounds have led to a general understanding of the pharmacological effects of marihuana and of its therapeutic properties. These mechanisms involve the specific binding of THC to the 7-transmembrane (7TM) domain G protein-linked receptor, a molecular switch which regulates signal transduction in the cell membrane. The natural ligand of the 7TM receptor is an eicosanoid, arachidonylethanolamide (AEA), generated in the membrane and derived from arachidonic acid. THC acts as a substitute ligand to the 7TM receptor site of AEA. THC would deregulate the physiological function of the 7TM receptor and of its ligand AEA. As a result, the therapeutic effects of the drug may not be separated from its adverse psychoactive and cardiovascular effects. The binding of THC to the 7TM receptor site of AEA induces allosteric changes in the receptor sites of neurotransmitter and opiates resulting in variable interactions and pharmacological responses. The pharmacokinetics of THC with its prolonged storage in fat and its slow release result in variable and delayed pharmacological response, which precludes precise dosing to achieve timely therapeutic effects. The experimental use of THC and of its synthetic analogues, agonists, and antagonists has provided novel information in the nature of molecular signaling in the cell membrane. As a result, the relationships between allosteric receptor responsiveness, molecular configuration of proteins, and physiological regulation of cellular and organ function may be further investigated.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12188105

www.thctotalhealthcare.com

Category Archives: Glaucoma