Marijuana Guide

By: skip

Could Ecstasy, LSD and magic mushrooms one day be legitimate prescription medicines? It sounds unlikely, but doctors and researchers in the US and across Europe believe it is possible and that new science will prove the case.

Second chances are rare in science. In the Fifties and Sixties, hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD, were hailed as the magic bullet to everything from alcoholism to migraine. But they became caught in the crossfire of the cultural wars of the times. Western politicians banned the use of psychedelics in research once they started to be used recreationally, and became associated with flower-power and the counter culture. The drugs were dangerous; the science was flawed; the researchers biased.

But a comeback has been under way for more than a decade. A new generation of researchers say that psychedelic drugs can treat conditions such as addiction, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and a type of headache called cluster headache.

Studies with Ecstasy and LSD are planned or are under way in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Spain and Israel. And so big is this scientific movement that researchers and speakers are gathered this weekend in Basel, Switzerland, for the inaugural World Psychedelic Forum. Here are some of the drugs they may be discussing. ECSTASY In the mid to late-Eighties, Ecstasy, or its chemical name MDMA, was used therapeutically by psychotherapists on the West Coast of the US. They were wowed by its ability to break down psychological barriers between patient and practitioner, and instil feelings of empathy and calm. It was found to be particularly useful in marriage counselling.

How it achieves its effect is not clear, but it is thought to affect the action of two moodenhancing brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. Proponents say that the drug allows people to open up and express themselves in ways that they otherwise might not be able to. They are also more relaxed and calm, which helps to stop them becoming traumatised again when they revisit painful memories. The drug is neurotoxic at high doses, but the debate continues as to whether a few low to medium doses causes permanent damage.

Supporters argue that any risk is outweighed by the possible benefits for people who have not responded to conventional treatments, and that limited exposure to the drug in moderate doses will not result in addiction or long-term memory problems. Michael Mithoefer, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, is finishing a study into MDMA’s effect on patients with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. He says the preliminary results are promising and that the therapeutic response “warrants our going on to larger studies”.

LSD

The “classic” hallucinogens, such as LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms), also affect the serotonin and dopamine systems in the brain. LSD causes hallucinations, commonly known as a “trip”. Researchers believe that it may be useful in treating severe headaches known as cluster headaches. These usually centre around one side of the head, and can occur several times a day for weeks, before stopping for long stretches of up to several months. Scientists believe that these can be treated with a sub-hallucinogenic dose of LSD, which does not cause the wild visual distortions associated with larger doses.

How can a hallucinogen prevent a type of headache? They have a similar chemical structure to serotonin and exert their effects by binding to some of the same receptors as serotonin, a property that is exploited by some mainstream migraine drugs, such as sumatriptan (Imigran) and methysergide.

Andrew Sewell and John Halpern, of McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, conducted interviews confirming that LSD and psilocybin were both more effective than conventional drugs at stopping a new cycle of headaches, and that psilocybin was the best drug of all to abort an attack. Halpern is developing full clinical trials. Studies are also under way in Switzerland and the US using LSD or psilocybin as a palliative care agent for patients with anxieties associated with terminal cancer.

KETAMINE

Ketamine is an anaesthetic developed in 1962 for human and veterinary medicine. It works on a wide range of receptors and sites within the brain, with recreational users reporting feelings of euphoria and out-of-body experiences. It is neurotoxic at high doses (at least in rats), but smaller doses could have safer medical benefits, and act as an antidepressant.

In 2006, scientists from the US National Institute of Mental Health injected 17 patients suffering from depression – and who had failed at least six previous drug treatments – with either a low dose of ketamine or a placebo. More than two thirds responded favourably to the drug within a day. However, its psychedelic effects may have to be smoothed out before it can be used therapeutically.

CANNABIS

Users say that cannabis makes them feel relaxed and congenial. It is also known to increase appetite. The drug, or its chemical derivatives (cannabinoids), is used in the US as an appetite stimulant for Aids sufferers and chemotherapy patients.

The cannabis-based medicine Sativex uses fewer psychoactive cannabinoids and is licensed in Canada as an under-the-tongue analgesic spray for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis and advanced cancer. It is also available in Spain and the UK on a case-by-case basis. Researchers are investigating the drug as a potential treatment for conditions such as glaucoma, obesity and diabetes, and as an agent against addiction and hypertension, as revealed recently by scientists at the University of Nottingham.

THE FUTURE?

Not everyone believes that using hallucinogenic drugs for medical purposes will be fruitful, or that it is warranted. “You have to look at research policy within the usual rules without giving way to passion or modern fashions,” says Griffith Edwards, the co-founder of the National Addiction Centre.

He says that the risk to the individual of experiencing drug-induced negative effects must be considered. It may be that a new generation of psychotherapists are viewing the past with kaleidoscope eyes, and that the medical benefits may be a mirage based on bad science in the past when risks were under-reported and follow-ups inadequate.

While scientists and medics do not dispute the catastrophic effects that these drugs can have on physical and mental health when taken recreationally, the pace of research into the medical benefits of such substances, when taken in a controlled setting, shows no signs of slowing down.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3593278.ece

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By: skip

By BushyOldGrower
Author of “Bonanza of Green”

In my previous article for Treating Yourself, “Sacrament or Medicine?” the case was made that Cannabis is reasonable to consider as real medicine or sacrament. Let’s consider a few aspects of the medical use and its place in medicine.

First of all you must ask yourself “What is Real Medicine?” In reality there are many forms of medicine practiced in the past and present. To many people the term “Western Medicine” has come to mean the only form of medicine. There are many forms of medicine within “western medicine” because it evolved from older methods.

“Alternative Medicine” has become the term for many older forms of medicine as well as new ideas in medical evolution. Most people realistically assume that “Modern Medicine” is a product of scientific progress and much has been learned. However, the new knowledge didn’t invalidate much of the old knowledge but instead added to it.

My background in emergency medicine and 16 years of in-hospital experience taught me the value of modern science. This medical experience included treatment of psychiatric disorders. Believe me when I tell you that working with the sick, dying and the mentally ill, it teaches you compassion.

People suffer in many ways and they have always tried to find ways to ease their suffering and cure their ills. Hospital work is rewarding but sad to see at times. The best medicine would be a combination of many forms of therapies. Drugs are valuable but often too much emphasis in “Western or Modern Medicine” is on drugs and certain approved therapies. Things could be better.

In Alternative Medicine the idea of Medical Marijuana is often scoffed at due to fear or ignorance. My experience included training at a Naturopathic College run by some very good and spiritual people. Their view about Cannabis were driven by their desire to be legitimate medicine themselves. Alternative Medical Practitioners often fear prosecution for practicing medicine without a license. Some still believe Cannabis to be an addictive drug despite the science to the contrary. No one dies from Cannabis usage.

My goal has always been to help people. The best way I can do that is by my own example and in helping good people see that they are all on the same side. Most medical people, of whatever sort, want to help. What I found in a time of crisis for a patient to be helpful was often as little as a gentle hand on their shoulder and a word of reassurance. That they could feel safe that we had things under control.

Being “Human” means loving each other and what makes a suffering person feel better is good medicine. Cannabis has several medical properties including pain control. Cannabis also stimulates appetite, decreases nausea and helps us sleep and relax. THC receptors in our brains get THC from many foods but Cannabis is very high in THC. Other chemicals are also formed when Cannabis is ingested. Here are some suggestions for relief of pain without narcotics. There is nothing wrong with opiates really but consider them for later when you really need them. Opiates constipate you and drag you down.

Moderate pain and even fairly severe pain can be treated with Ibuprofen 1800-2400 mg per day, and then when combined with Cannabis can be potentiated to take the pain away. To do this you will need to maintain a considerably higher THC level than normal. However, even small amounts of THC can create a state of mind in which the pain is forgotten for a time.

When pain is severe and a higher level of THC is desired a good addition to smoking or vaping is the eating of Cannabis edibles. They can be purchased from most Cannabis clubs and you can easily make your own edibles. Edibles can be as simple as a cookie and as complex as a truffle. The reason for the edible is that a more potent form of THC is released when Cannabis is taken by mouth. Edibles are great in the evening to relax and help you sleep well.

Medical Doctors have been prescribing non-narcotic pain relievers like Celebrex and still are despite the proof that these types of medicines actually cause heart attacks! How safe are new medicines when compared to the old herb Cannabis? The usages once prescribed for Cannabis have proven true and the safety of Cannabis is now clear.

All herbal medicines, homeopathic medicine, body works, hands on healing methods, etc. are safe and often effective. We must unite all of medicine in the “One Love” we share. My teachings on how to grow Cannabis have been known to the online world in the past and I want to teach you to grow your own medical marijuana if you decide to.

My book, “Bonanza of Green” is my simple “BOG” method of indoor organic growing. The book is available at www.fsbookco.com or in E-book form right on the MJ Guide. I made the book simple to understand with lots of pictures. See you next time with more on the Sacramental and spiritual side of Cannabis.
One Love, BOG 

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