Scant Evidence That Medical Pot Helps Many Illnesses

[edu]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/321864/study-scant-evidence-that-medical-pot-helps-many-illnesses.html

Study: Scant Evidence That Medical Pot Helps Many Illnesses
(Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015)
 
 Medical marijuana has not been proven to work for many illnesses that state laws have approved it for, according to the first comprehensive analysis of research on its potential benefits.

The strongest evidence is for chronic pain and for muscle stiffness in multiple sclerosis, according to the review, which evaluated 79 studies involving more than 6,000 patients. Evidence was weak for many other conditions, including anxiety, sleep disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome and the authors recommend more research.

The analysis is among several medical marijuana articles published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. They include a small study suggesting that many brand labels for edible marijuana products list inaccurate amounts of active ingredients. More than half of brands tested had much lower amounts than labeled, meaning users might get no effect.

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Highlights from the journal:

THE ANALYSIS

The researchers pooled results from studies that tested marijuana against placebos, usual care or no treatment. That’s the most rigorous kind of research but many studies found no conclusive evidence of any benefit. Side effects were common and included dizziness, dry mouth and sleepiness. A less extensive research review in the journal found similar results.

It’s possible medical marijuana could have widespread benefits, but strong evidence from high-quality studies is lacking, authors of both articles say.

“It’s not a wonder drug but it certainly has some potential,” said Dr. Robert Wolff, a co-author and researcher with Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd., a research company in York, England.

EDIBLE PRODUCTS

Researchers evaluated 47 brands of medical marijuana products, including candy, baked goods and drinks, bought at dispensaries in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

Independent laboratory testing for THC, marijuana’s leading active ingredient, found accurate amounts listed on labels for just 13 of 75 products. Almost 1 in 4 had higher amounts than labeled, which could cause ill effects. Most had lower-than-listed amounts. There were similar findings for another active ingredient. Products were not identified by name.

Johns Hopkins University researcher Ryan Vandrey, the lead author, said he was surprised so many labels were inaccurate. The researchers note, however, that the results may not be the same in other locations.

MARIJUANA LAWS

Twenty-three states and Washington, D.C. have laws permitting medical marijuana use. Approved conditions vary but include Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, kidney disease, lupus and Parkinson’s disease.

An editorial in the journal says approval in many states has been based on poor quality studies, patients’ testimonials or other nonscientific evidence.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law and some scientists say research has been stymied by government hurdles including a declaration that marijuana is a controlled substance with no accepted medical use.

But in a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register, the Department of Health and Human Services made it a little easier for privately funded medical marijuana research to get approved. The department said that a federal Public Health Service review of research proposals is no longer necessary because it duplicates a required review by the Food and Drug Administration.

THE FUTURE

Colorado, one of a few states where recreational marijuana use is legal, has pledged more than $8 million in state funds for several studies on the drug’s potential medical benefits, including whether it can reduce veterans’ symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. That study may begin recruiting participants later this year, said Vandrey, one of that study’s leaders.

Vandrey said there’s a feeling of optimism in the research community that “we’ll start to get a good science base” for the potential medical uses of marijuana.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

The editorial by two Yale University psychiatrists suggests enthusiasm for medical marijuana has outpaced rigorous research and says widespread use should wait for better evidence. Federal and state governments should support and encourage such research, the editorial says.

“Perhaps it is time to place the horse back in front of the cart,” Drs. Deepak Cyril D’Souza and Mohini Ranganathan wrote in the editorial.

They note that repeated recreational marijuana use can be addictive and say unanswered questions include what are the long-term health effects of medical marijuana use and whether its use is justified in children whose developing brains may be more vulnerable to its effects.

[Yehudayaakov]

The Torah forbids the use of drugs! not know anything about marijuana cigarettes anything in drug form hoever anything that disconnect prevent from being connected with Highness high above isn't welcomed thus which is sure it is not the motive org official ruling over the land forbid marijuana!

[angryChineseKahanist]

The Torah forbids the use of drugs! not know anything about marijuana cigarettes anything in drug form hoever anything that disconnect prevent from being connected with Highness high above isn't welcomed thus which is sure it is not the motive org official ruling over the land forbid marijuana!

That's what I said before. Jews are not allowed to smoke this garbage.

[muman613]

This is bunk. I have posted before and will post again that there is plently of evidence  that THC (the active drug in pot) has many anti-cancer properties. This is acknowledged by many of the best cancer doctors today. I know this because my step-father has cancer and his doctors have recommended that he use it to help reduce the cancer and to increase appetite (which he is losing due to the chemo).

From the governments Cancer information site (NIH):

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq

Cannabis and Cannabinoids–for health professionals (PDQ®)

Overview

This complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) information summary provides an overview of the use of Cannabis and its components as a treatment for people with cancer -related symptoms caused by the disease itself or its treatment.

This summary contains the following key information:

*    Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

*    By federal law, the possession of Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is illegal in the United States; however, a growing number of states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to legalize its medical use.
*    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved Cannabis as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.

*    Chemical components of Cannabis, called cannabinoids, activate specific receptors found throughout the body to produce pharmacologic effects, particularly in the central nervous system and the immune system.

*    Commercially available cannabinoids, such as dronabinol and nabilone, are approved drugs for the treatment of cancer-related side effects.

*    Cannabinoids may have benefits in the treatment of cancer-related side effects.

Many of the medical and scientific terms used in this summary are hypertext linked (at first use in each section) to the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms, which is oriented toward nonexperts. When a linked term is clicked, a definition will appear in a separate window.

Reference citations in some PDQ CAM information summaries may include links to external Web sites that are operated by individuals or organizations for the purpose of marketing or advocating the use of specific treatments or products. These reference citations are included for informational purposes only. Their inclusion should not be viewed as an endorsement of the content of the Web sites, or of any treatment or product, by the PDQ Cancer CAM Editorial Board or the National Cancer Institute.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279571.php

The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis - tetrahydrocannabinol - could be used to reduce tumor growth in cancer patients, according to an international research team.

Previous studies have suggested that cannabinoids, of which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one, have anti-cancer properties. In 2009, researchers at Complutense University in Spain found that THC induced the death of brain cancer cells in a process known as "autophagy."

The researchers found that administering THC to mice with human tumors initiated autophagy and caused the growth of the tumors to decrease. Two human patients with highly aggressive brain tumors who received intracranial administration of THC also showed similar signs of autophagy, upon analysis.

The team behind the new study - co-led by Complutense University and the University of Anglia (UEA) in the UK - claims to have discovered previously unknown "signaling platforms" that allow THC to shrink tumors.

The researchers induced tumors in mice using samples of human breast cancer cells. When the tumors were targeted with doses of THC, the researchers found that two cell receptors were particularly associated with an anti-tumor response.

"THC, the major active component of marijuana, has anti-cancer properties. This compound is known to act through a specific family of cell receptors called cannabinoid receptors," says Dr. Peter McCormick, from UEA's School of Pharmacy.
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http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/chemotherapyeffects/marijuana-and-cancer

Marijuana and Cancer

Marijuana is the name given to the dried buds and leaves of varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant, which can grow wild in warm and tropical climates throughout the world and be cultivated commercially. It goes by many names, including pot, grass, cannabis, weed, hemp, hash, marihuana, ganja, and dozens of others.

Marijuana has been used in herbal remedies for centuries. Scientists have identified many biologically active components in marijuana. These are called cannabinoids. The two best studied components are the chemicals delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (often referred to as THC), and cannabidiol (CBD). Other cannabinoids are being studied.

At this time, the US Drug Enforcement Administration lists marijuana and its cannabinoids as Schedule I controlled substances. This means that they cannot legally be prescribed, possessed, or sold under federal law. Whole or crude marijuana (including marijuana oil or hemp oil) is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any medical use. But the use of marijuana to treat some medical conditions is legal under state laws in many states.

Dronabinol, a pharmaceutical form of THC, and a man-made cannabinoid drug called nabilone are approved by the FDA to treat some conditions.
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How can marijuana affect symptoms of cancer?

A number of small studies of smoked marijuana found that it can be helpful in treating nausea and vomiting from cancer chemotherapy.

A few studies have found that inhaled (smoked or vaporized) marijuana can be helpful treatment of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damaged nerves).

Smoked marijuana has also helped improve food intake in HIV patients in studies.

There are no studies in people of the effects of marijuana oil or hemp oil.

Studies have long shown that people who took marijuana extracts in clinical trials tended to need less pain medicine.

More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells growing in laboratory dishes. Some animal studies also suggest certain cannabinoids may slow growth and reduce spread of some forms of cancer.

There have been some early clinical trials of cannabinoids in treating cancer in humans and more studies are planned. While the studies so far have shown that cannabinoids can be safe in treating cancer, they do not show that they help control or cure the disease.

Relying on marijuana alone as treatment while avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.

There are many more articles which express the initial findings that THC is beneficial for cancer treatment.

There are also many studies which show it's effect on pain management.

I also challenge anyone to show where in the Torah this is forbidden. Nowhere is it mentioned explicitly, and the Torah surely permits the consumption of alcohol (in moderation). In the case where it is used as a medicine against fatal condition then certainly it's use is permitted.

[angryChineseKahanist]

OK to fight cancer.

But not OK for people who have no lives and think its "fun" or that its "recreational". For those people, Indonesia has the answer for them.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

You know what happens when a potential new drug fails a placebo controlled trial?  (Btw the trial also needs to be randomized.  Was that even the case here?)   In most cases the company developing it will scrap the program because they know a marketing application would be rejected.  Or, if they are dumb enough to apply for FDA approval anyway, the fda will reject it because they cannot approve as a legal medicine something that failed to prove a benefit in clinical trials.  Selling something like that would be like selling snake oil.  So they do not allow it.

[syyuge]

Graviola is finding similar vortex treatment in treatment of Cancer. Such substances really need real scientific researches and tests and not only placebo business tests.

http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/graviola.html

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Why are all my fellow JTFers so intolerant? It's common knowledge that smoking weed cures cancer, fights the HIV virus, regrows dead lung cells, and prevents dementia. 

[Israel Chai]

You can't spell because you're a pothead retard.

Maybe I can, maybe i can't. I have friends and sex though and you don't, so I'll take it. Here's an inspirational song to help in your depression: