HEALTH Man Heralded for Curing Cancer Seeks Asylum in Europe

KerryAnn

Inactive
Videos and more at the link. It sounds like he's making an essential oil from the hemp bud. Having used other essential oils in the past and knowing that they have some incredible properties, I can see where this could work.

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http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december052009/rick_simpson_bk.php

Dec-05-2009 00:42 Man Heralded for Curing Cancer Seeks Asylum in Europe

Bonnie King Salem-News.com Canadian authorities have still not laid charges ten days after the police action.
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Rick Simpson holding hemp oil. Photo: JackHerer.com​

(SALEM, Ore.) - There’s a man from Athol, Nova Scotia, Canada who has caused a stir around the world. About five years ago, he made the shocking claim to have cured cancer. As unbelievable as that sounds, there is viable evidence to support his claim.
You may not have heard of Rick Simpson, many people have not yet had the chance. He’s well known globally in the cannabis community, but the general public has been slow in receiving his whole story.
Simpson makes and distributes a medicinal cannabis extract popularly known as “hemp oil”. He does so without any profit motive. Many patients have claimed to be cured of their ailments, often terminal cancer, by this extract.
This pioneer for alternative health solutions was in Europe in November, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) took the opportunity to raid Simpson’s home in Canada. As his house, office, and garden were being trampled through by police, Simpson was accepting an International Freedom Fighter award, thousands of miles away.
“While he has been touring in Europe his residence was raided by the RCMP and rumor has it the DEA was involved as well,” explains friend Desmond Wynnd.
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January 2010 Issue

“The newest issue of "High Times" that came out a week or two ago has a lengthy article on his story and it's felt by many this is what prompted the latest raid. He is now seeking political asylum in Europe.”
The 22nd Annual High Times Cannabis Cup is held in Amsterdam annually, and Rick Simpson received the acclaimed honor of "Freedom Fighter of the Year". The special event came on the heels of a European tour Simpson had just completed.
Jack Herer, well-known as “the Hemperor”, author of Emperor Wears No Clothes, had anxiously awaited joining Simpson for the tour in early fall. Sadly, Herer was afflicted with a heart attack in September and is in recovery, but his assistant Chuck Jacobs was able to attend in his stead. Jack Herer and Rick Simpson are of like minds in that they truly believe hemp can save the world. One person at a time.
For five years, Simpson has been diligently working on the behalf of saving lives, challenging the traditional remedies for skin cancer and other cancers, diabetes, as well as many chronic illnesses. He aspires to enlighten the medical community and bring the discussion of curing cancer to a new level. That discussion is widely believed to be more politically motivated than cure goal-oriented.
Though Rick Simpson has helped so many, there are forces that want to stop him, at any cost.
As of December 3rd, Canadian authorities had still not charged Simpson, ten days after the police action. Initially there were discrepancies in available information from the two involved agencies that carried out this police action.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police first claimed that such an action would have been undertaken by the Amherst Police Department, as Simpson’s home falls within their jurisdiction. Amherst PD denied that they incited this action when reached for comment, and deferred inquiry for detail to the RCMP.
Rick Simpson wrote, “If I return home, I will be arrested and put in jail without bail or medicine. I am not afraid of their jails but I cannot go without my medicine, the system has nothing that could help me with my conditions. So for me to return to Canada would be like committing suicide. I would be thrown in jail and denied my medicine and a short time later you would hear in the news that ‘Rick Simpson died of natural causes’.”
"It seems the goal is to keep me from returning home and they succeeded. But to what end? All hemp magazines on this planet are now telling their readers how to heal themselves with this wonderful medicine. If governments want to live in denial, it will be short-lived. We are gaining tens of thousands of followers every day. You cannot stop the truth.”
“For the time being, it seems I will be seeking asylum in Europe.”
The Canadian government’s lack of tolerance for marijuana has been building the last few years, a reaction, some believe, to America’s own drug war. Canadians are feeling the brunt. “They're doing a great job directing hate toward Americans when it's undeserved. I haven't met a bad American yet. In the end, we have to take care of ourselves and each other,” Wynnd said.
One theory on limiting a person’s ability to share information is to incarcerate them. That’s a pretty easy solution. A fellow Canadian, Marc Emery, can vouch for that, out on bail for selling cannabis seeds. He is currently scheduled to be extradited to the United States for a sentence of five years in US federal prison.
Perpetrators of the incarceration strategy believe that eventually the subject may lose support of their advocates, the costs will mount up, and just getting through the drama of arrest, red tape and humiliation that follows will be enough to distract even the most passionate, motivated activists.
But Rick isn’t like “most” activists.
He’s been arrested twice in the past, and his medicinal Cannabis plants confiscated. Both times, he was able to reason with the judicial system and continue living freely. Where the maximum penalty has been 12 years imprisonment in one of these instances, the courts instead levied a $2,000 fine.
Most of us have been duped into completely and blindly accepting that there is no cure for cancer.
–Christian Laurette, producer

“Last time he was arrested, the judge wouldn't send him to jail because the judge believed it would be a crime to lock up Rick Simpson, it’s all public record,” said Wynnd. “During his last trial he had doctors and patients lining up to testify for him. Even Narcotic officers have sent people to Rick so he could help them.”
“Mr. Simpson is in an unusual position, because unlike other people engaged in the drug trade, he was not engaged in trafficking for financial gain," said Judge Carole Beaton. "He was engaged in an altruistic activity and was firm in his belief that he was helping others,” she said after Rick Simpson’s sentencing for his second offense in healing dying cancer patients with hemp oil.
Rick Simpson didn’t start out as a crusader to stamp out cancer. He started out as an average guy, first as a steel worker, then in maintenance at a hospital in the boiler room. In his early twenties, Simpson suffered through the loss of a cousin to cancer. That long, exasperating experience changed him forever. He heard some reports about hemp’s healing qualities, and wondered if things would have gone differently for his cousin, had hemp been an option.
For someone who had never even smoked marijuana, this was a very foreign, open-minded idea. The thought provoked some personal research though and later proved very beneficial.
After 25 years working at the hospital, Simpson was in a serious accident causing a temporary nervous-system shutdown, within hours he developed an unbearable ringing in his ears. The doctors tried to find a solution for over a year, and gave up. Not willing to accept his life sentence of daily drugs that altered his memory and other side effects, he asked about medical marijuana, to no avail. So, he began his own research, and experimented with making oil. What he discovered...worked.
To be clear, Rick Simpson's Hemp Oil isn’t hemp oil in the truest sense. Hemp is the Cannabis (marijuana) plant, specifically the stalk and leaves raised mainly for industrial use, with extremely low THC. Rick Simpson’s oil is made exclusively from the Cannabis flowers, or buds. Not to be confused with hemp seed oil, a very different product, Rick Simpson’s hemp oil is a very pure cannabis extract made from high quality buds with a very high THC content.
In 2003, Simpson had three spots on his skin that his doctor believed to be skin cancer. The doctor removed and biopsied one, which then became infected and didn't heal. Almost on a whim, Simpson applied hemp oil directly to that sore and the other two spots. In only four days, all three cancerous spots were gone. A miracle? Maybe so, but it isn’t a lone event.
Once he started sharing his success story with others, people lined up to try the hemp oil. Jack Herer is an avid supporter of Simpson’s, always ready to demonstrate his personal success as the oil healed many long-term diabetic lesions on his legs. Herer would be the first to say that Rick Simpson’s Hemp Oil is miraculous.
Rick Simpson has never charged a patient for the hemp oil he creates. He not only teaches people how to make the extract and provides it to the ailing folks who request it, but he also uses it for a variety of his own medical issues. He freely lists the recipe on his site.
What will happen next for Rick Simpson remains to be seen. One thing is for sure though, raiding and seizing his home does not make the police look like the good guys. This type of action only propogates further division in society, turning civilians and police away from one another.
“People are dying needlessly when there's a cure we all can grow on our own, or have provided to us,” Desmond Wynnd said. “This is all a waste of energy, when we could be helping sick people. That's all Rick is trying to do.”
“Why are all these people trying to avoid such a simple truth? If I am in some way wrong in what I have been saying then I invite the system to come and prove it. I would be happy to put on a public demonstration of what this (hemp) oil can do.” —Rick Simpson
 

denfoote

Inactive
There's to much money being made in "cancer research".
Everybody involved knows that as soon as a cure is found, the game will be over!!
That's why a "cure" will NEVER be found!!!
And ANYONE who DOES find a cure, well, to put it bluntly, their life will be TOAST!!!!
THIS GUY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SUICIDED!!!
 

Ender

Inactive
There's to much money being made in "cancer research".
Everybody involved knows that as soon as a cure is found, the game will be over!!
That's why a "cure" will NEVER be found!!!
And ANYONE who DOES find a cure, well, to put it bluntly, their life will be TOAST!!!!
THIS GUY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SUICIDED!!!

You got it.

I personally know people who had to run for their lives for finding cures for the "incurable".
 

energy_wave

Has No Life - Lives on TB
There's to much money being made in "cancer research".
Everybody involved knows that as soon as a cure is found, the game will be over!!
That's why a "cure" will NEVER be found!!!
And ANYONE who DOES find a cure, well, to put it bluntly, their life will be TOAST!!!!
THIS GUY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SUICIDED!!!


Chemo treatment is around 6 to 8 K per visit if not more. My aunt had over 100K in shots which the clinic made a ton of money off of. They just give the treatment and bill the insurance ATM machine.

Chemo killed my aunt. Not Cancer.
 

dissimulo

Membership Revoked
There are a lot of topical treatments that will remove the blemish caused by skin cancer without actually curing the cancer underlying the epidermis. For this reason, I would want to be very sure this works before trusting it to heal a type of cancer that conventional medicine has a very high success rate in treating.

When you try an alternative for something that conventional medicine is poor at treating, you are not substantially raising your risk. When you try an alternative for something conventional medicine is very good at treating, you are definitely raising your risk.
 

Cheval

Veteran Member
I know someone that was on chemo in the early 1980s and it made him so sick that he had to stop it. He didn't take it very long but I'm not sure an exact length of time.

He's still paying the bill for the chemo and it's nearly 30 years later.
 

Aardaerimus

Anunnaku
That's why a "cure" will NEVER be found!!!
And ANYONE who DOES find a cure, well, to put it bluntly, their life will be TOAST!!!!
THIS GUY WILL EVENTUALLY BE SUICIDED!!!

I think "suiciding" is a method of the past that has been largely (but not entirely) replaced by a new, treacherous technique - "Marginalization".

They may even take it right out in the spotlight for a few moments, either to ridicule or for the average Joe to "oooh and ahh", only to bury it very quickly by meaningless tripe, knowing full well that the public attention span is very, very short.

Remember the guy that was working on a very promising cancer cure, and even stumbled upon a way to literally burn common salt water - a discovery with enormous potential?

His amazing discoveries were spotlighted for a day, then just as suddenly, vanished into the white-noise of crap and cheap entertainment. We weren't even really informed of this genius' death. His amazing findings were swept under the carpet, and now we're on to more important things - like the next installment of Twilight...

Marginalization has been shown to be enormously effective in politics, so why not for medical discoveries of vast - and cheap - potential? There's no longer a need to create martyrs, when you can simply make them "old news" in the public eye.
 
...Chemo killed my aunt. Not Cancer.


The medical community knows full well that cancer often/usually happens due to a compromised immune system.

The cancer industry touts chemo and rad. as the "gold standards" for cancer treatment ... even tho' both are known to FURTHER compromise the immune system - thus inviting cancer in once again.

The 'new' cancer is then labeled just that - a whole NEW cancer that's not due to any previous treatment.

Vicious - and often deadly cycle.

Not really faulting the medical establishment - it's just how bad things REALLY are at this time regarding cancer treatment - consumers should be very wary and fully informed.
 
Cardinal wrote:I'd like to see a study of how, exactly the oil works. I'm not doubting it does, but I wonder how.

mmm

I doubt there are any relevant studies available. Nearly all research in the USA was halted when cannabis became listed as a schedule one drug. Especially research involving clinical trials.

Here's some related information - most on how the use of cannabis helps with the effects of Chemo:

http://www.drugscience.org/amu/amu_clinical_research.html



The 2002 Petition to Reschedule Cannabis (Marijuana)

Accepted Medical Use: Clinical Research

Results from clinical research demonstrate that both dronabinol and whole plant cannabis can offer a safe and effective treatment for the following illnesses: muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis, Tourette syndrome, chronic pain, nausea and vomiting in HIV/AIDS and cancer chemotherapy, loss of appetite from cancer, hyperactivity of the bladder in patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, and dyskinesia caused by levodopa in Parkinson's disease.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, several states conducted research programs comparing smoked marijuana to oral forms of THC. Musty and Rossi reviewed the data from research programs in 6 states. The results from only one of these research programs had been published in peer-reviewed journals before 1995 (Vinciguerra et al. 1988). In their 2001 review, Musty and Rossi wrote:

"Data were available on 748 patients who smoked marijuana prior to and/or after cancer chemotherapy and 345 patients who used the oral THC capsule.. . . Patients who smoked marijuana experienced 70-100% relief from nausea and vomiting, while those who used the THC capsule experienced 76-88% relief. . . . On the basis of these studies, it appears that smoked marijuana can be a very successful treatment for nausea and vomiting following cancer chemotherapy.. . .The development of smokeless inhalation devices could certainly reduce the potential harm from smoking marijuana.” (Musti & Rossi 2001)

In an experimental study with 13 healthy volunteers, smoked cannabis was effective in reducing nausea and vomiting, but the 5-HT3 (serotonin) antagonist ondansetron was significantly more effective (Soderpalm et al. 2001). The study at the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Chicago examined the antiemetic effect of smoked marijuana cigarettes containing 8.4 and 16.9 mg THC compared to 8 mg ondansetron. Nausea and emesis were induced by syrup of ipecac. Marijuana significantly reduced ratings of nausea and slightly reduced the incidence of vomiting compared to placebo. Ondansetron completely eliminated the emetic effects of ipecac. These findings support and extend previous results, indicating that smoked marijuana reduces nausea and emesis. However, its effects were evaluated to be modest relative to the highly potent antiemetic drug ondansetron.

Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC), a cannabinoid with lower psychotropic potency than the main Cannabis constituent delta-9-THC, was administered at doses of 18 mg per square meter of body surface in edible oil, p.o., to eight children aged 3-13, undergoing cancer chemotherapy (Abrahamov et al. 1995). The children suffered from various hematologic cancers and were treated with different antineoplastic drugs for up to 8 months. The total number of treatments with delta-8-THC was 480. The THC treatment started two hours before each antineoplastic treatment and was continued every 6 hrs for 24 hours. Vomiting was completely prevented. Observed side effects from delta-8-THC observed were negligible.

THC (dronabinol) was not superior to megestrol acetate in improving appetite in cancer patients, according to a study published in January 2002 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Jatoi et al. 2002). U.S. and Canadian researchers found that 49 percent of those taking THC reported improved appetite, compared with 75 percent on megestrol acetate. Only 3 percent of the dronabinol group gained weight of more than 10 percent over baseline weight, compared with 11 percent following standard treatment with megestrol. A combination of both drugs did not improve the results received by megestrol acetate alone. Patients received either 800 mg megestrol acetate, 2 x 2.5 mg dronabinol, or both drugs. Overall, 469 cancer patients with weight loss had been enrolled in the study between December 1996 and December 1999. The study was conducted as a collaborative trial of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group and the Mayo Clinic.

Several new indications for cannabinoids have been and are under study, including neuroprotection in head trauma, antineoplastic effects for the treatment of cancers, effects against disturbed behavior in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Tourette syndrom, and nausea and vomiting associated with HIV therapy.

Recent research showed that THC was not only effective in reducing nausea and vomiting associated with antineoplastic medication in cancer, but also reduced nausea and vomiting associated with HIV therapy (PRNewswire of 23 October 2000). This research by Roger Anderson and colleagues of Anderson Clinical Research in Pittsburgh was presented in October 2000 at the Fifth Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection in Glasgow (Scotland). 85% (23/27) of HIV/AIDS patients who added dronabinol (THC), the most active cannabinoid, to their current antiretroviral therapy had a 50% improvement in symptoms of nausea and vomiting. The study enrolled patients who were on stable antiretroviral therapy. Twenty-seven patients were randomized to receive dronabinol 2.5 mg twice-daily within one hour of taking their antiretroviral medication (14 patients) or dronabinol 5.0 mg at bedtime (13 patients) for six weeks. At study start and at six weeks, patients were assessed by questionnaire for the number of minutes they did not feel well in the previous 48 hours, the number of episodes of vomiting, and the severity of nausea during the same period. Ninety-three percent (13/14) of patients in the group taking THC twice a day had a greater than 50% improvement in symptoms of nausea and vomiting, and 77% (10/13) of patients taking THC at bedtime had a greater than 50% improvement. The severity of nausea improved by at least one grade in 96% (26/27) of patients and no severe or very severe nausea was experienced in either group after six weeks.

Clinical research in patients with Tourette syndrome was stimulated by reports of patients that they had obtained relief from smoking cannabis. Research on the efficacy of dronabinol in Tourette syndrome included a study with one patient (Mueller-Vahl et al. 1999a), followed by a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial of delta-9-THC in 12 adults (Mueller-Vahl et al. 1999b). In the larger study, patients received single doses of 5, 7.5, or 10.0 mg THC. Using both self and examiner rating scales, there was a significant improvement in motor and vocal tics after treatment with THC compared with placebo. In addition, a self-rating scale demonstrated a significant improvement in obsessive compulsive behaviour. No serious adverse reactions occurred. Five patients experienced transient mild side effects such as headache, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, cheerfulness, tremble, dry mouth, and hot flush. All these side effects did not last longer than 6 hours. There were no significant differences after treatment with THC compared with placebo in verbal and visual memory, reaction time, intelligence, sustained and divided attention, vigilance, and mood. These studies have already been followed by a successful six-week study (unpublished, personal communication Kirsten Mueller-Vahl, 2002). 17 patients completed the entire six-week program. In some participants, THC caused a considerable decrease of symptoms, thus confirming results of the earlier study. Side effects usually were mild even with a dosage of 10 mg THC.

Available preliminary data from research currently conducted in the UK with a cannabis extract that is taken sublingualy supports the analgesic effects of natural cannabis preparations in chronic pain from various causes (Notcutt et al. 2001a-c). A double blind "N of 1" study also showed that a cannabis extract containing equal amounts of THC and CBD was superior to THC with regard to side effects (Notcutt et al. 2001d). The main pain problems of a patient with multiple sclerosis were severe urethral pain and a pain deep within her pelvis. She achieved almost total pain control with the cannabis extract. Psychological side effects were predominantly seen during the periods when she used THC alone. During the periods when she used a 1:1 mixture of THC and CBD, the incidence of side-effects fell dramatically, compared to the same THC dose taken without CBD.

Preliminary results of clinical research conducted in the UK and in Switzerland show that cannabis and THC are able to reduce hyperactivity of the bladder in patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury (Hagenbach et al. 2001, Brady et al. 2001). The Swiss study conducted at the REHAB in Basel under the guidance of Ulrike Hagenbach includes 15 patients with spastic spinal cord injury who received oral or rectal THC (Hagenbach et al. 2001). Compared to placebo there was an improvement of some parameters of bladder activity, e.g. maximum capacity of the bladder (MCC, maximum cystometric capacity). The British study conducted at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London under the guidance of Ciaran Brady and Clare Fowler included patients with advanced multiple sclerosis and problems with bladder function who received a sublingual cannabis spray. Maximum bladder capacity increased and frequency of need to urinate decreased both during day and night (Brady et al. 2001).

The therapy of Parkinson's disease using levodopa may cause dyskinesia, a movement disorder. In a pilot study with seven patients, a research group at the University of Manchester, Scotland, showed that nabilone, a synthetic THC derivative, significantly reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease (Sieradzan et al. 2001).

In eight glaucoma patients resistant to conventional therapies, administering the synthetic cannabinoid-1-receptor agonist WIN55212-2 decreased the intraocular pressure by between 20 and 30% (Porcella et al. 2001). These data confirm that CB1 receptors that have been found in the ciliary body of the eye have direct involvement in the regulation of human intraocular pressure. THC binds to the CB1 receptor which explains the intraocular pressure lowering effects of cannabis.

In a Swiss study at the Clinic Montana under the guidance of Claude Vaney, the effects of capsulated cannabis extract in 57 patients with multiple sclerosis were investigated (Fortissimo 2002). In a crossover design, one half of the patients received a placebo first and then the extract, while the other half received cannabis first. The dose was adjusted according to individual tolerance. The maximal daily doses ranged from 7.5 to 30 mg THC. Muscle tone assessed with the Ashworth Scale was not significantly influenced by cannabis compared to placebo. However, subjectively the number of muscle spasms and the intensity of spasticity were reduced. Mobility as measured with the Rivermead-Mobility-Index (RMI) was improved with cannabis. Sleep was not significantly influenced. In general, the medication was tolerated well. Neither cognitive nor motor performance were significantly influenced by the cannabis medication.

Another study by a Dutch team using both a cannabis extract and THC in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrated that THC is not effective in MS when given in low oral doses of 2.5 or 5 mg oral twice daily (Killestein et al. 2002). In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 16 patients with MS who presented with severe spasticity, the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of oral THC and oral cannabis were investiagted. Compared with placebo, neither THC nor cannabis reduced spasticity at the doses applied (2.5 or 5 mg administered orally twice daily). Ungerleider et al. (1987) of the University of California in Los Angeles already noted in their 1987 study that "the 7.5 mg dose is required to achieve significant spasticity reduction" and in 1999 Pertwee recommended "a degree of flexibility with respect to dose level" in studies on THC in multiple sclerosis and to start with 2.5 or 5 mg twice daily.

All six neurosurgical intensive care units in Israel were involved in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety of intravenous dexanabinol in treating severe head injury (Knoller et al. 2002). 67 patients aged 16-65 years received a single administration of dexanabinol (48 or 150 mg) or only the vehicle. A highly significant reduction in the percentage of time during which pressure in the head of more than 25 mmHg occurred; perfusion pressure within the brain of below 50 mmHg and systolic blood pressure of below 90 mm Hg were observed in the drug-treated group. A trend toward faster and better neurological effect on the Glasgow outcome scale was also observed after 3 and 6 months. Dexanabinol is a non-psychotropic THC-derivative with neuroprotective properties. The neuroprotective properties of the natural plant cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are similar to those of dexanabinol (Hampson 2002).

Researchers at the Clinic for Anaesthesiology of the University of Cologne (Germany) reported their first experience with THC in pain management (Elsner et al. 2001). All patients treated with THC from February 1998 to January 2000 were evaluated. In six individuals suffering from chronic pain, THC was used in daily doses of 5-20 mg. Sufficient pain relief was achieved in three patients. The remaining three suffered from intolerable side effects such as nausea, dizziness and sedation without a reduction of pain intensity.

Overall recent clinical research shows that cannabis, THC and other agonists of the CB1 receptor are effective in a wide range of symptoms. Effectiveness may also vary widely among patients. THC or cannabis are often not the best medication available for one symptom but the combination of several of its effects may be very useful in a range of chronic illnesses that often present with several symptoms. This was clearly stated by the Institute of Medicine:

"In cases where symptoms are multifaced, the combination of THC effects might provide a form of adjunctive therapy; for example, AIDS wasting patients would likely benefit from a medication that simultaneously reduces anxiety, pain, and nausea while stimulating appetite" (Joy et al. 1999).

Thus, cannabis has been proposed for treatment of several diseases, among them amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cystic fibrosis. Carter & Rosen (2001) of the University of Washington School of Medicine stated:

"Marijuana is a substance with many properties that may be applicable to the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These include analgesia, muscle relaxation, bronchodilation, saliva reduction, appetite stimulation, and sleep induction. In addition, marijuana has now been shown to have strong antioxidative and neuroprotective effects, which may prolong neuronal cell survival. In areas where it is legal to do so, marijuana should be considered in the pharmacological management of ALS. Further investigation into the usefulness of marijuana in this setting is warranted" (Carter & Rosen 2001).

Ester Fride (2002) analyzed the possible application of cannabis prepartions in the treatment of cystic fibrosis:

"Cannabis stimulates appetite and food intake. This property has been exploited to benefit AIDS and cancer patients suffering from wasting disease, by administering the whole plant or its active ingredient [delta-9]-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). (...)

Lack of appetite resulting in malnutrition is a contributing factor to mortality in many Cystic Fibrosis patients. It is proposed here for the first time to administer THC to CF patients. It is hoped that the cannabinoid will alleviate malnutrition and thus help prevent wasting in CF patients. (...)

Recent findings suggest that a lipid imbalance (high arachidonic acid/low DHA) is a primary factor in the etiology of CF and that defective CFTR (CF transmembrane conductor regulator) that characterized the CF condition is responsible for the dysregulation. Endocannbinoids are all fatty acid derivatives. Therefore, it is further proposed here that the CFTR gene product also modulates endocannabinoids and by elevating these levels, symptoms may improve. Indeed, a number of physiological mechanisms of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids coincide with the pathology of CF. Thus it is suggested that potential benefits from THC treatment, in addition to appetite stimulation, will include antiemetic, bronchodilating, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal and hypoalgesic effects” (Fride 2002).

Ethan Russo has examined marijuana’s potential in the treatment of migraines. His investigations show that modern neurological research lends new credibility to historical and anecdotal reports on the efficacy of cannabis in this area:

"Cannabis, or ‘marijuana,’ has been employed in various forms throughout the millennia for both symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine.

In modern times, ethnobotanical and anecdotal references continue to support the efficacy of cannabis for headache treatment, while biochemical studies of THC and anandamide have provided scientific justification for its use via anti-inflammatory, serotonergic and dopaminergic mechanisms, as well as by interaction with NMDA and endogenous opioid systems. These are examined in detail.

The author feels that this collective evidence supports the proposition that experimental protocols of cannabis usage in migraine treatment should go forward employing modern controlled clinical trials” (Russo 2001).

A considerable number of clinical studies are under way to further study the effects of natural
cannabis preparations. (Source: Online Bulletins of the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine 1999-2002, www.cannabis-med.org)

Some of these studies are being conducted by GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK. By 2004, the company intends to obtain approval for a cannabis extract to be sprayed under the tongue. The main focus of this research is on chronic pain in patients with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, nerve damage and cancer. GW Pharmaceuticals has expanded its studies to Canada. Under the guidance of the Institute for Oncological and Immunological Research in Berlin (Germany), a multicenter trial with several hundreds of patients is under way in Germany, Switzerland and Austria to test the effectiveness of an oral capsulated cannabis extract in comparison with THC in anorexia and cachexia of cancer patients. The same capsuled extract is used in a study with multiple sclerosis patients in the UK under the guidance of John Zajicek of Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. In total, 660 people will participate in the three-year program, which will involve 38 hospitals across Britain and is funded with £1.2 million pounds (U.S.$1.8 million) by the Medical Research Council (MRC). The study protocol was developed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

A Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research has been set up at the University of California funded with several millions of dollars by the state, focusing on the use of marijuana in cancer and AIDS patients, but also for relieving spasticity and tremors in patients with multiple sclerosis. A study with smoked cannabis in neuropathy (nerve pain) associated with AIDS started under the guidance of Donald Abrams in San Fransisco. Initially, this pilot study, which began in March 2002, involves 16 volunteers. Each participant will stay in the hospital for nine days, smoking marijuana three times a day on seven of those days. If results of the pilot stady are encouraging, a larger study involving up to 100 subjects will follow. The study is double-blinded and uses THC free cannabis cigarettes as placebos. In San Diego, another researcher wants to examine how repeated treatment with cannabis affects driving ability of patients with HIV-related neuropathy or multiple sclerosis. The patients will be tested using a driving simulator. Another San Diego scientist will study how smoking marijuana might ease the uncontrollable muscle spasms and pain in multiple sclerosis.

In March 2002, a group of Spanish researchers started the first clinical study of cannabinoids in the treatment of cancer at the Hospital of La Laguna (Tenerife). The objective of the phase I-II trial is to evaluate the effects of THC on glioblastoma multiforme, a malignant brain tumor, for which there is currently no effective treatment. The study will be also the first study to investigate intracranial application of THC, an application directly into the brain. It will start with five patients. If the treatment is tolerated well, nine more patients will be added, divided into three groups, each receiving a different dose. THC will be administered for two to eight weeks and doses will depend on tolerance. Those patients will be selected whose tumors are accessible by means of surgery. The study is scheduled to last three years.

In 2002, the Office for Medicinal Cannabis of the Dutch Ministry of Health announced that it will conduct a clinical study on smoked cannabis in 16 multiple sclerosis patients. Results are expected to be available in the second half of 2003.

Health Minister Allan Rock, and Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced on 26 July 2001 a Government of Canada contribution of $235,000 to fund a clinical study that will examine the therapeutic uses of cannabis. This is the first clinical trial related to the medical use of marijuana to be funded by Health Canada. Researchers at the Pain Centre of McGill University will conduct a one-year pilot study of smoked cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain at the General Hospital of Montreal. The study will also be the world's first peer-reviewed clinical trial examining the effects of smoked cannabis in a non-HIV or multiple sclerosis population. While other studies have tested the effects of cannabis constituents on pain, this will be the first trial in which participants will smoke the substance as outpatients.

This clinical research provides further evidence of that cannabis provides safe and effective treatment for several illnesses. Cannabis also has tremendous potential for the treatment of a wide variety of conditions as well.

References:

Abrahamov A, Abrahamov A, Mechoulam R. An efficient new cannabinoid antiemetic in pediatric oncology. Life Sci 1995;56(23-24):2097-102.
Brady CM, DasGupta R, Wiseman OJ, Berkley KJ, Fowler CL. Acute and chronic effects of cannabis based medicinal extract on refractory lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients with advanced multiple sclerosis - early results. 2001 Congress on Cannabis and the Cannabinoids, Cologne, Germany: International Aaasociation for Cannabis as Medicine, p. 9,
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Hampson A. Cannabinoids as neuroprotectants against ischemia. In: Grotenhermen F, Russo E, editors. Cannabis and cannabinoids. Pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutic potential. Binghamton (NY): Haworth Press, 2002: 101-10.
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and

http://www.medmjscience.org/Pages/science.html

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES

Overview of new & ongoing research


Summary of Results of State-sponsored Medical Marijuana Studies
There have been a series of six studies conducted by state health departments under research protocols approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is a quick summary of each of those studies. by Kevin B. Zeese, Esq., attorney in federal marijuana rescheduling cases. This is a small part of a larger overview.

News about the only clinical study of medical marijuana now under way
UCSF researcher Donald Abrams waited 5 years to study AIDS and marijuana

Peer-reviewed results of New York State-sponsored cancer/marijuana studies
"Inhalation Marijuana as an Antiemetic for Cancer Chemotherapy" by Vincent Vinciguerra, MD; Terry Moore, MSW; Eileen Brennan, RN

Report on New Mexico cancer/marijuana study

"Oral VS. Inhaled Cannabinoids for Nausea/Vomiting from Cancer Chemotherapy" Report of New Mexico State Dept. of Health

Early scientific comparison of oral THC and smoked marijuana for nausea
"Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannibinol as an Antiemetic in Cancer Patients Receiving High-Dose Methotrexate" December 1979; Annals of Internal Medicine

Fact sheet: 21 states have authorized medical marijuana research
Six states cleared all the hurdles and implemented programs



New, emerging evidence of marijuana's medical value
Cannabinoids
are being considered for pain, MS, and stroke relief


====

It's highly doubtful any study will have been published relating to the use of cannabis as a cure for cancer. If they were performed they'd likely never see the light of day.

This is similar situation to a group of studies performed by the Canadian Government in British Columbia on native botanicals.

The purpose of the hugely expensive undertaking was to test and identify for efficacious compounds which would lead to synthesizing for patented production - at the pharmaceutical level. Think Valerian becomes Valium.

The studies identified power hitters, some which I retail; Devils Club, Red Alder Catkins and a few more.

Aside from the expense and time involved (taxol for instance took mega-bucks which we as taxpayers paid for, and twenty years), the industry cannot meet the competition (natural agents) on a level playing field. The pharmaceutical industry took a pass on those studies. Canada blew the money, they thought the papers were buried.... ;^)

Cancer is perhaps the most politicized of all forms of disease and the idea of a pound of high THC content cannabis flowers can lead to a cure - well if history is any sort of guide, it's doomed.

At the same time - it's morning in Montana as it appears the wild west is opened back up. We're watching the development of these new business enterprises carefully.

See post 5 of The AMA eases its stance on marijuana :
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=348604

===


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dissimulo

Membership Revoked
As always, extraordinary claims need extraordinary proofs. Because cancer has so many causes, it would be astounding to find a single treatment that cures all of them. It would be like learning someone has found a cure for infection. You might ask, what kind of infection? Viral, bacterial, of the blood, of the bone, of the brain? If the reply is "all of the above" that is certainly a bold claim. It would be like discovering that the key to your house also starts your car, opens your office, your mailbox, and the homes and cars of everybody on your street.

Cancer is similarly complex and we will probably never see any kind of cross-the-board cancer cure. The genetic and biochemical processes that drive each type of cancer will have to be mapped out (something we are making some good progress at) and then treated specifically.
 

RCSAR

Veteran Member
All studies since it has been scheduled are defunded as soon as they show it does something good. Funding continues for the study if it shows you start to howl at the moon.

The gov will not fund a study that starts to show it does good.
 

penumbra

centrist member
As always, extraordinary claims need extraordinary proofs. Because cancer has so many causes, it would be astounding to find a single treatment that cures all of them. It would be like learning someone has found a cure for infection. You might ask, what kind of infection? Viral, bacterial, of the blood, of the bone, of the brain? If the reply is "all of the above" that is certainly a bold claim. It would be like discovering that the key to your house also starts your car, opens your office, your mailbox, and the homes and cars of everybody on your street.

Cancer is similarly complex and we will probably never see any kind of cross-the-board cancer cure. The genetic and biochemical processes that drive each type of cancer will have to be mapped out (something we are making some good progress at) and then treated specifically.

So you are saying essentially that we have the technology to stop a person in their tracks by beaming sounds into their head, that we can replace limbs, organs, and regrow skin, but we can't have a cure for these things? That's absurd. We should be up to the high-tech Star Trek medical care by now.
 

dissimulo

Membership Revoked
So you are saying essentially that we have the technology to stop a person in their tracks by beaming sounds into their head, that we can replace limbs, organs, and regrow skin, but we can't have a cure for these things? That's absurd. We should be up to the high-tech Star Trek medical care by now.

I don't know what information you would base such a judgement on, but needless to say, I disagree. We've only progressed in the last 20 years to the point where we can really begin to understand what is going on at a genetic level that contributes to cancer. We can now decode an entire genome, but we still don't know what most of it does. The cutting edge of biology is the painstaking process of discovering what proteins are created by each set of genes, how those proteins may vary in structure, and most importantly, how those proteins interact in the body. All of this is crucial to a real understanding of cancer.

You appear to be under the impression that while the bulk of the scientific world has labored painstakingly to produce incremental gains in knowledge, some other group of people have made giant leaps while keeping it secret. I suppose that is possible, but I think it is more likely that you underestimate the complexity of the problems that need to be solved.
 
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