Saturday, December 17, 2011

U.S. Government Licenses Patent for Medical Marijuana

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/US_Government_Licenses_Patent_for_Medical_Marijuana,201138687.aspx

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is About to Award

Exclusive Rights to Apply Marijuana as a Medical Therapeutic

Deadline for Comment: Monday, Dec. 19

LOS ANGELES, CA – Dec. 15, 2011--The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients has just discovered that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is about to award an exclusive license to KannaLife Sciences, Inc. of New York to develop medical therapeutics based on the chemistry of cannabis. According to the notice in the Federal Register, public comments will be accepted through Monday, December 19.

"We find it hypocritical and incredible that on the one hand, the U.S. Department of Justice is persecuting medical cannabis patient associations, asserting that the federal government regards marijuana as having absolutely no medical value, despite overwhelming clinical evidence," said Union director James Shaw. "On the other hand, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning to grant patent rights with possible worldwide application to develop medicines based on cannabis."

While the Union applauds the U.S. government's efforts into researching the medical value of cannabis, Shaw said, "they should have affirmatively rescheduled cannabis when they discovered it had medical efficacy and, of course, it makes no sense for the government to provide U.S. Patent 6,630,507, which the government owns, to a single company with exclusive rights." He urged medical cannabis patient associations and patients using marijuana for medical reasons to protest this giveaway to one pharmaceutical firm.

Comments need to be submitted in writing by next Monday to Betty B. Tong, Ph.D., Senior Licensing and Patenting Manager, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville MD 20852-3804, fax (301) 402-0220, or tongb@mail.nih.gov.

More information on this issue can be found at www.Unionmmp.org.

Scott Smith
The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients
Los Angeles, CA
310-254-4051

Jump To The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients Jump To The Union of Medical Marijuana Patients

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Medical Miracle You'll Get Arrested for Using


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/26/obama-war-on-weed.aspx?e_cid=20111126_DNL_art_1

Posted By
Dr. Mercola | November 26 2011 | 187,388 views


By Dr. Mercola

Marijuana was a popular botanical medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries, common in U.S. pharmacies of the time.

Yet, in 1970, the herb was declared a Schedule 1 controlled substance and labeled as a drug with a "high potential for abuse" and "no accepted medical use."

Three years later the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was formed to enforce the newly created drug schedules, and the fight against marijuana use began.

The Huffington Post has a concise history of marijuana prohibition, and the struggle for legalization, that is well worth reading -- but the most successful movement to date, and the one that is set to produce the first legal marijuana market in decades, is the medical marijuana movement.

Unfortunately, the feds have recently announced a blatant reversal on their previous pro-medical marijuana stance -- a move that is threatening to stop the industry cold.







Story at-a-glance

  • Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia have laws permitting medical marijuana, but the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has raided medical marijuana suppliers and even arrested patients, because on a federal level, possessing or distributing marijuana is still considered a criminal offense
  • In 2009, the U.S. Justice Department told federal prosecutors to lay off Americans producing and using medical marijuana in accordance with state laws, but this year in a blatant about-face, the Obama administration declared that only seriously ill patients and caregivers would be spared from arrest
  • Recently, a series of attacks against the medical marijuana industry have occurred, including threats against banks and landlords that do business with those in the industry. Also, the IRS has denied medical cannabis facilities in California the right to file standard expense deductions. These strong-arm tactics put the medical marijuana industry in jeopardy, and may force those who depend on it for medical purposes to resort to the black market
  • Research shows medical marijuana holds promise in the treatment of over 100 health conditions, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, pain, glaucoma, asthma, psychiatric conditions and high blood pressure.
  • Fifty percent of Americans now support the legalization of marijuana

Why are the Feds So Concerned About Medical Marijuana?

Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia have laws allowing medical marijuana.

In other words, in those states it is considered legal to consume, possess or distribute marijuana for medical use.

Up until 2009, the U.S. Justice Department essentially told federal prosecutors to lay off Americans producing and using medical marijuana in accordance with state laws.

But despite marijuana's legal status at the state level, historically it was common for the DEA to raid medical marijuana suppliers and even arrest patients.

This is because federal law overrides state law, defining the possession or distribution of marijuana as a criminal offense.

According to The State of the Medical Marijuana Markets 2011, the national market for medical marijuana is now worth $1.7 billion -- and could grow to close to $9 billion in the next five years -- if not for a stunning reversal by the Obama administration. In October 2011, the Obama administration released a letter to clarify their earlier position, which, as Seattle Weekly reports, indicates, "The only people safe from arrest were the "seriously ill" patients and their caregivers... Everyone else? Be forewarned."

The Obama administration has long been supportive of the medical marijuana movement, even stating during the presidential campaign that, "The basic concept of using medical marijuana... [is] entirely appropriate." However the Feds now appear to be launching a full-fledged attack against this legitimate industry, not only by threatening prosecution and arrest, but also by intimidating and coercing banks, land and store owners, as well as other business entities, that help keep the medical marijuana industry alive.

Feds Attempt to Force Medical Marijuana Industry Out of Business

In recent months there have been several blows to the various industries who support the medical marijuana market. Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, reported in U.S. News & World Report Opinion, these disturbing changes:

  • "The Department of Justice sent letters this past spring to state lawmakers that were debating legislation to allow for the licensed distribution of medical cannabis, threatening prosecution of those involved with said efforts if the measures went forward;
  • The IRS has assessed crippling penalties on taxpaying medical cannabis facilities in California by denying these operations the right to file standard expense deductions;
  • The Department of Treasury has strong-armed local banks and other financial institutions into closing their accounts with medicinal cannabis operators;
  • The Drug Enforcement Administration has rejected a nine-year-old administrative petition that called for hearings regarding the federal rescheduling of cannabis for medical use, ignoring extensive scientific evidence of its medical efficacy;
  • The National Institute on Drug Abuse rejected an FDA-approved protocol to allow for clinical research assessing the use of cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, stating, "We generally do not fund research focused on the potential beneficial medical effects of marijuana."
  • Most recently, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, along with the four U.S. attorneys from California, announced plans for a coordinated effort against operations in California that provide above-ground access to cannabis for those patients qualified to use the substance in accordance with state law."

The war on marijuana is indeed a strange one, considering the legality of cigarettes and alcohol -- products that have vastly greater potential to harm public health, without any of the medicinal benefits. Not to mention that the FDA approves drugs, prescribed by doctors every day, that kill over 100,000 Americans a year.

Moreover, by shutting down reputable marijuana dispensaries, it will only force those who legitimately depend upon it to alleviate their suffering to enter the (sometimes dangerous) black market.

As Seattle Weekly wrote:

"Landlords, worried the feds will steal their property, will tell dispensaries to move out. Banks won't handle money for pot-themed businesses. Dispensaries will be taxed so heavily they won't be able to cover the payroll or pay the electric bill.

… An estimated one million people in California have obtained a doctor's recommendation to grow and use marijuana legally. Patient estimates in Washington are hazier, but the number is thought to be around 100,000.

If the feds shut down every dispensary in the country, all these people will still be able to legally possess marijuana—no matter where they bought it—under their state laws. The only difference is they'll be forced to go back to buying their weed from Mexican drug cartels, rather than from Americans who provide jobs and pay taxes."

What are the Medical Uses for Marijuana?

In order to really comprehend the movement behind medical marijuana, you must first understand that this herb truly does show outstanding promise as a medicinal plant. The studies conducted so far show significant potential for the use of cannabis in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of health conditions, including cancer.

For instance, in 2009 a study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found that marijuana smokers have a lower risk of head and neck cancers than non-marijuana smokers.

Harvard researchers also found that THC in marijuana cuts tumor growth in lung cancer while significantly reducing its ability to spread. There is also a wealth of research linking marijuana with pain relief and improved sleep. In one recent study, just three puffs of marijuana a day for five days helped those with chronic nerve pain to relieve pain and sleep better.

Americans for Safe Access also has links to research studies suggesting that cannabis may help in the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease and cancer, while the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine highlights the following medical uses:

Nausea Vomiting Anorexia Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
Spasticity Movement Disorders Pain Glaucoma
Epilepsy Asthma Dependency and Withdrawal Psychiatric Symptoms
Autoimmune Diseases Inflammation High Blood Pressure Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Lastly, the research site GreenMedInfo.com lists over 126 potential therapeutic applications for marijuana in disease prevention and treatment, further illustrating just how voluminous the scientific evidence really is in support of the medical marijuana movement.

Your Body is Hard-Wired to Respond to Cannabinoids in the Marijuana Plant

There are more than 60 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids in the marijuana plant. Cannabinoids interact with your body by way of naturally occurring cannabinoid receptors embedded in cell membranes throughout your body. There are cannabinoid receptors in your brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, immune system and more; both the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of marijuana occur when a cannabinoid (such as the THC produced by the cannabis plant) activates a cannabinoid receptor.

Your body also has naturally occurring endocannabinoids that stimulate your cannabinoid receptors and produce a variety of important physiologic processes, far beyond that of the traditional "highs" associated with THC.

What is amazing is that your body is actually hard-wired to respond to cannabinoids through this unique cannabinoid receptor system; research is still ongoing on just how extensive their impact is on our health, but to date it's known that cannabinoid receptors play an important role in many body processes, including metabolic regulation, cravings, pain, anxiety, bone growth, and immune function.

A report by Dr. Manuel Guzman in the journal of Nature Reviews suggests that these active components of cannabis and their derivatives are potential anti-cancer agents:

" … these compounds [cannabinoids] have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumour cells in culture and animal models by modulating key cell-signaling pathways. Cannabinoids are usually well tolerated, and do not produce the generalized toxic effects of conventional chemotherapies."

A report by the American College of Physicians (ACP) further notes that:

"Marijuana has been smoked for its medicinal properties for centuries. It was in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia until 1942 when it was removed because federal legislation made the drug illegal … Still, the overwhelming number of anecdotal reports on the therapeutic properties of marijuana sparks interest from scientists, health care providers, and patients.

Over the past 20 years, researchers have discovered cannabinoid receptors: CB1, which mediates the central nervous system (CNS), and CB2, which occurs outside the CNS and is believed to have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity.

These scientific developments have revealed much information supporting expansion of research into the potential therapeutic properties of marijuana and its cannabinoids."

Why Isn't Marijuana Being Studied?

This is the burning question, as even a quick review of the data suggests that cannabis deserves more than a passing glance as a potential treatment for various diseases. But in the United States – primarily for political reasons -- these studies are not being performed.

According to a report by Americans for Safe Access:

"In the past three decades, there has been an explosion of international studies designed to investigate the therapeutic value of cannabis (marijuana).

However, drastic restrictions on research in the U.S. have meant that few clinical trials are being conducted domestically and none are being conducted as part of a sponsor-funded drug development plan aimed at obtaining Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the prescription use of the botanical plant itself.

Meanwhile, research teams in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Israel, and elsewhere have confirmed - through case studies, basic research, pre-clinical, and preliminary clinical investigations - the medical value of cannabis … "

Of course, in the United States marijuana is so heavily controlled that even if you wanted to conduct a clinical trial, you would have a hard time getting a supply for research purposes. As the Safe Access report states:

" … the federal monopoly on the supply of cannabis has fundamentally limited FDA-approved clinical research to investigate its safety and efficacy in controlling symptoms of serious and chronic illnesses.

In the United States, research is stalled, and in some cases blocked, by a complicated federal approval process, restricted access to research-grade cannabis, and the refusal of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to license private production of cannabis for use exclusively in federally approved research."

The DEA appears to be behind many puzzling restrictions concerning the marijuana plant, including the fact that it is even illegal to grow hemp in the United States.

Contrary to popular opinion, hemp and marijuana are not the same. Both are members of the Cannabis sativa plant species, but they are two distinct varieties, with hemp generally being too low in THC (the compound responsible for the plant's notorious psychoactive effect) to create a "high." In fact, the THC is intentionally bred out of the plant in order to maximize its fiber, seeds and oil -- the constituents for which it is most commonly used.

Ironically, despite these differences, the DEA classifies all Cannabis sativa varieties as "marijuana." This is why the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world where growing industrial hemp is next to impossible. To do so requires a permit from the DEA -- and it is reportedly almost impossible to get one.

Could it be that the DEA has its own agenda for keeping marijuana a controlled substance?

Seattle Weekly speculates:

"Ignorance, false propaganda, and rank political posturing tend to be the foundation of the anti-marijuana argument. (Throw in bureaucratic turf protection as well. The DEA, for example, would need fewer agents if pot was decriminalized nationwide.)"

Many Americans Have an Open Mind About Legalizing Marijuana

A new Gallup poll found that a record high number of Americans -- 50 percent -- favor legalizing marijuana use, which suggests that public pressure will continue to build for a (pun-intended) grassroots legislative overhaul of U.S marijuana laws...

Of course, there are certainly some downsides to marijuana use that need to be addressed, particularly if you are thinking of smoking it for recreational purposes.

Marijuana use can be addictive, and no doubt resources have been squandered, families have been broken up and jobs lost over its use. In the short-term, marijuana use can cause trouble with your ability to think clearly and may impair memory. Marijuana also leads to motor skill impairment and may adversely affect alertness, coordination and reaction time, which is why it should never be used prior to driving.

There is also some evidence that marijuana use can exacerbate psychotic symptoms in those with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, as well as serve as a "gateway" drug that eventually leads to the use of "harder" drugs like cocaine and heroine, although this is still a matter of debate.

Marijuana use among children and teens can also have dire consequences, as drug use of any kind may encourage risky choices and irresponsible behaviors.

Furthermore, while the vast majority of marijuana use is through the act of smoking it, it is worth noting that anytime you heat materials and inhale them you run the risk of introducing toxic elements into your system. Because of this it is always best to use an organic version; any pesticides that are on the material that is burned and inhaled will dramatically increase its toxicity.

It is possible to avoid these risks entirely by either using cannabis in hemp oil form or, as many medical marijuana patients advocate, by using a vaporizer. The device allows for the ingestion of marijuana without any combustion byproducts, eliminating rightful concerns about the cumulative harms associated with smoking it. It is also possible to minimize harm by eating marijuana (along with some fat, as THC is fat-soluble and will not dissolve in water).

It is important to note that in the United States today using marijuana for any reason is still considered an illegal activity that can result in serious legal consequences, including imprisonment.

Sadly, it is not the scientific evidence -- but rather politics and an increasingly insatiable privatized industrial-prison complex in need of more drug-convicted "criminals" -- which maintains the stranglehold on our freedom to choose wild growing plants as our medicine rather than soley FDA-approved drugs.

I think Willie Nelson said it well in the following quote:

I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?

Related Links:

Soy's New Competition: Hemp

Hemp Oil Dosage Information - Written by Rick Simpson

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Cannabinoid 'Completely' Prevents Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy, Study Says

link

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Philadelphia, PA: The administration of the non-psychotropic plant cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) 'completely prevents' the onset of nerve pain associated with chemotherapy treatment, according to preclinical data published in the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia.

Investigators at Temple University assessed the effect of CBD in an animal model of on paclitaxel-induced allodynia (pain resulting from an otherwise innocuous stimulus).

"We found that cannabidiol completely prevented the onset of the neuropathic, or nerve pain caused by the chemo drug Paclitaxel, which is used to treat breast cancer," said the study's lead investigator.

Researchers concluded, "Our preliminary findings therefore indicate that cannabidiol may ... therefore be effective at preventing dose-limiting paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in humans.

Cannabidiol has been previously shown to inhibit breast cancer metastasis in preclinical settings.

In 2010, a series of FDA-approved clinical trials concluded that inhaled cannabis significantly reduces neuropathy compared to placebo in human subjects. "There is good evidence now that cannabinoids may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment for ... neuropathy," researchers concluded.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabidiol prevents the development of cold and mechanical allodynia in paclitaxel-treated female C57Bl6 mice," appears in the October edition of journal Anesthesia and Analgesia.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Mayo Clinic Finds Massive Fraud In Cancer Research

Original Link

New Discovery Shakes the Foundation of Cancer Research

Posted By Dr. Mercola | October 15 2011 | 33,082 views

cancer research fraud
Story at-a-glance
  • Two widely cited, published cancer research studies contain fabricated data, will be retracted
  • The Mayo Clinic concluded that data about harnessing the immune system to fight cancer had been fabricated, resulting in the retraction of 17 papers in nine research journals
  • Cancer research in the United States needs to be scrutinized, as much is money-driven and based on developing new drugs

By Dr. Mercola

In a scandal that has reverberated around the world of cancer research, the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health found that a Boston University cancer scientist fabricated his findings. His work was published in two journals in 2009, and he’s been ordered to retract them. But important studies by other scientists like those at the Mayo Clinic, who based their work on his findings, could now make 10 years of their studies worthless, according to commentary in Gaia Health.

It seems fairly evident that the cancer industrial complex is a highly lucrative, well-oiled system that tends to support funding for expensive drug treatments that don't address the cause of the problem, and have yet to make a significant dent in the decrease of the overall cancer rate in the US despite investing hundreds of billions of dollars. Much of the support comes from flawed and biased "research" studies that support the use of expensive drugs as detailed in the featured articles.

Researchers, too, are well aware of the notoriety and money to be found in cancer research … particularly what may be deemed successful cancer research (which unfortunately is often measured by the discovery of new drug treatments). But, as with many areas of medical research, it's important to read between the lines of "scientifically proven" studies, even those that are well accepted.

Often what you'll find is the research gives the perception of science when really it is a heavily manipulated process designed to control and deceive. Case in point, here again we have an example of widely accepted, published research that turned out to be fabricated.

10 Years of Cancer Research Down the Drain

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) at the U.S. Department of Health reported in August 2011 that final action has been taken against Sheng Wang, PhD, of Boston University School of Medicine, Cancer Research Center. ORI states:

"The Respondent engaged in research misconduct by fabricating data that were included in two (2) published papers."

This includes:

  • Oncogene February 2009, which found that HIC1, a protein thought to suppress tumor growth, is a "central molecule in a novel mechanism controlling cell growth and that the disruption of this HIC1-mediated pathway may lead to abnormal cell proliferation and, ultimately, cancer."
  • Molecular Endocrinology December 2009, which found "reintroducing HIC1 into resistant breast cancer cells restored their sensitivity to the estrogen antagonists, indicating the existence of a novel regulatory mechanism for growth control of breast cancer cells."

Specifically, six of the eight figures in the Oncogene paper and six of the seven figures in the Molecular Endocrinology study were said to contain data from fabricated experiments. Though Wang is now required to retract the papers, and he reportedly stopped working for Boston University in July, he will only be ineligible for federal funding for 2 years.

Further, the fabricated research may continue to live on, as it has been cited by other studies and once a finding is accepted in the medical community, it's very hard to make it go away. Unfortunately, scientific retractions are actually becoming increasingly common.

As the Wall Street Journal reported:

"Just 22 retraction notices appeared in 2001, but 139 in 2006 and 339 last year. Through seven months of this year, there have been 210, according to Thomson Reuters Web of Science, an index of 11,600 peer-reviewed journals world-wide …

At the Mayo Clinic, a decade of cancer research, partly taxpayer-funded, went down the drain when the prestigious Minnesota institution concluded that intriguing data about harnessing the immune system to fight cancer had been fabricated. Seventeen scholarly papers published in nine research journals had to be retracted. A researcher, who protests his innocence, was fired. In another major flameout, 18 research journals have said they are planning to retract a total of 89 published studies by a German anesthesiologist …"



read more at here...

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Two Words You Should Never Utter to Your Doctor

Link
Posted By Dr. Mercola | September 24 2011 | 52,718 views
Next

Cut Poison Burn from Nehst on Vimeo.



Important! The producers of this powerful film are allowing a full and FREE preview through TODAY! Please tell everyone you know to watch this film in its entirety TODAY. Please support the film by purchasing a copy for only $10 below!


Story at-a-glance
  • In the US, parents, shockingly, can lose their children if they refuse conventional cancer therapy. Child Protective Services are routinely called in to charge parents who want a "second opinion" - perhaps to investigate alternative therapies, charging them with child abuse and neglect when refusing conventional treatment.
  • The documentary film Cut Poison Burn follows the tragic case of Jim and Donna Navarro, who fought the medical monopoly in an effort to save their son, Thomas, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of four.
  • Four primary organizations making life and death decisions about you and your family include the FDA, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the child services system. These are the white-collar bureaucrats whose primary objective is to protect Big Pharma profits and the cancer industry itself.
  • To address this kind of medical injustice, educate yourself and become familiar with your local representatives so you can educate them. Also help support Navarro's legislation to protect Patient's Rights, soon to be reintroduced.

By Dr. Mercola

You may recognize Jim Navarro from the documentary film Cut Poison Burn, which I recently posted. You can watch the entire film for free. If you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to take the time to view it now.

Jim is the father of Thomas Navarro, who at the age of four was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. The family ended up in a protracted battle against the medical monopoly after objecting to the conventional treatment, choosing instead to seek out less invasive, less damaging, and less life threatening approaches. However, the medical system's response was swift and callous.

In fact, in the months that followed Thomas' diagnosis, the family went into hiding to keep their son away from the authorities who threatened to take him into custody, charging Jim and Donna Navarro with child abuse and neglect.

The Navarro's wanted to use Dr. Burzynski's non-toxic, highly successful antineoplaston treatment instead of conventional chemotherapy and radiation. However, the FDA went to great lengths to prevent Thomas from receiving the therapy, and only after extensive legal wrangling, great expense, and being forced to submit to conventional treatment first did the family finally receive approval to use Dr. Burzynski. Unfortunately, at that point it was too late. The damage from the chemo was too great, and he lost his battle with cancer at the tender age of six. His death certificate states the cause of death as:

Respiratory failure due to chronic toxicity of chemotherapy



Thomas Navarro death certificate

Since the death of his son, Jim Navarro has been championing a patient's rights act to prevent this tragic injustice from occurring again.




For full article please follow link at the top

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Guest Post: Power over Cancer

submitted by David Haas


Power over Cancer


Not too long ago, cancer patients did not have the luxury of joining a cancer support group.; Now, cancer patients can join online groups and still receive the same benefits as in-person groups. However, some people do not understand just how important these support groups are to cancer patients. There are groups that help people have or have gone through all different types of cancer including but not limited to breast cancer, colon cancer, and even rare cancers such as mesothelioma.


Often times, when patients undergo extensive cancer
treatment, their positive sense of well-being diminishes. Moreover, their body has to work extra hard to repair the healthy tissues and cells that the surgery and radiation treatment kills. These combined, can really hurt a person's sense of well-being, optimism, and positive outlook.

However, studies show that there is power in numbers, and this also applies to cancer support groups. Here are a few ways that cancer support groups help cancer patients.

It allows them to talk about their feelings

It is not healthy to bottle up your feelings and worries. Cancer support groups, like the
American Cancer Society, are designed to help patients express what is on their mind, helping them to explain their worries. After talking about their fears, patients can feel relief knowing they have told someone else what they are feeling who is going through the same thing.

It helps them understand their condition

Patients in remission can teach new patients what they should expect and what it will be like. Knowing this can help patients be prepared mentally and emotionally for their future, something doctors can rarely do for patients. Additionally, some patients don't understand everything their doctor tells them, usually because of stress and worry. In a relaxed setting, other patients can answer the new patient's questions, helping them even more to feel comfortable about their condition.

It is therapeutic

Patients who are in remission often have a sense of obligation to help new patients. Therefore, cancer support groups are just as much for patients who are in remission and also cancer-free. It allows them the opportunity to have closure about their condition and help new patients at the same time. This article from
cancer.about.com, also details how cancer support groups are therapeutic.

Conclusion

Virtually anyone can attend a cancer support group, even friends and family of people with cancer, or people who just want to learn more about cancer. Additionally, patients can also join online support groups, making it very easy to find a community of people who are going through the exact same cancer treatment.


By: David Haas




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Cancer Drug Price May Top $100,000

Seattle Genetics cancer drug price may top $100,000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The price of Seattle Genetics Inc's blood cancer drug Adcetris could top $100,000 for a course of treatment, becoming the latest cancer medicine to come at a high cost.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday gave its nod to Adcetris, the first drug specifically indicated for anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and the first one approved for Hodgkin's lymphoma since 1977.

Seattle Genetics on Monday said the drug will cost $4,500 per vial. In its clinical trials, the company said, patients on average received three vials per dose and between seven and nine doses per treatment.

The total price would then generally vary from $94,500 to $121,500 per patient, within Wall Street's expected range.

The drugmaker's shares were down 2.3 percent to $14.70 in afternoon trading on Nasdaq, underperforming the Nasdaq Biotech index, which was down 0.3 percent.

"Seattle Genetics' decision to price Adcetris north of $100,000 seems to be causing some concern in the investment community following the recent failure of Dendreon's Provenge to live to up to sales expectations," said Morningstar Inc analyst Lauren Migliore.

Adcetris is the latest cancer drug to hit the market with a hefty pricetag to the discontent of patient groups.

Earlier this month, Dendreon Corp lost two-thirds of its market value when it could not deliver on promised sales of its prostate cancer vaccine Provenge, which costs about $93,000 per course, as doctors weren't confident enough about getting reimbursed.

"I think you get a reason for pushback (against highly-priced cancer drugs) because many of these cancer drugs are really not that effective, but in this case I think it's one of the most effective drugs out there," Leerink Swann analyst Howard Liang said of Adcetris.

"I would think that the pricing is high but it's not outrageous compared to other cancer drugs."

In March, U.S. regulators approved Bristol Myers Squibb Co's Yervoy for patients with advanced melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. A course of treatment with Yervoy costs about $120,000.

Earlier in August the FDA approved another melanoma drug, Zelboraf by Roche Holding, which costs about $56,400 for a six-month course of treatment.

"Life science companies are aware of the debt and deficit situation in Washington, D.C., and that indirectly limiting Medicare and Medicaid drug prices could be on the horizon," said Ipsita Smolinski, senior health policy analyst at Capitol Street.

For Adcetris, however, the patient population is generally younger and so more likely to rely on private insurance than federal programs, making the pricetag less controversial, analysts said.

About 9,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and 3,000 with ALCL.

(Reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Medicinal THC: “This is a miracle, “His doctors can’t explain it…”

Medicinal THC: “This is a miracle, “His doctors can’t explain it…”

July 5, 2011
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Desert Star Weekly | A Modern Day Shaman | June 30,2011

The time may be here when we can finally remove the first two words from the question, “What if cannabis cures cancer?” For years, I had heard about the pioneering work being done by a superhero named Rick Simpson in treating various forms of cancer with a super concentrated form of hash oil, but I had never encountered anybody who had tried the treatment – until now.

A recently discovered “friend of a friend” who lives in a nearby community has been making the oil for several years and has some amazing success stories to relate. Because he is a teacher, he needs to keep his identity on the “down-low,” so for this story, we will refer to him as The ShaMan, or SM.

ShaMan’s story started out innocently enough when he observed a close neighbor moving some equipment from his garage. His neighbor assumed SM would know the purpose of the equipment, but the future ShaMan didn’t have a clue his neighbor was a medical marijuana patient and had been growing marijuana right next door to him for over a year. His curiosity regarding the legality of this activity, and even more important, the stated health benefits, started SM’s quest to learn as much as he could about MMJ.

Being a teacher by profession and nature, ShaMan learned of the many different ailments that cannabis seemed to help; but what really caught his attention, was the effectiveness of the cannabinoids found in marijuana in shrinking various types of cancer tumors. His research eventually led him to Rick Simpson’s website (www.phoenixtears.ca) which detailed how to make the oils used in treating many types of cancer and other diseases.

SM’s neighbor supplied him enough raw material to make up a small batch of oil, but, oddly, he had a difficult time finding anyone with cancer who was willing to try the treatment. “Most people are afraid to try any treatment outside of chemo and radiation even though some cancers have a zero percent chance of success like pancreatic cancer,” says The ShaMan.

Patient #1, a gentleman in his late 50’s, decided to use the oil as a last resort after his doctors sent him home with the expectation that he wouldn’t live for more than two weeks. By this time, his colon cancer had metastasized to Stage IV and had spread to both his lungs and liver. His immune system was ravaged from the effects of the chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

This patient was taught how to make the oil and was supplied with enough cuttings to make his medicine at home. According to SM, patient #1 began to feel better almost immediately. He still isn’t entirely cancer free, but two years later he is able to live a normal life and his cancer continues to improve.

“This is a true miracle,” says SM. “His doctors can’t even explain it. When he told them what he did, they said, ‘I don’t condone the treatment but I can’t argue with the results.”

Another success story is Patient #3, a co-worker, who had part of her bladder removed due to cancer. Her doctor recommended standard treatment consisting of chemotherapy and radiation “just to be sure” they got it all. She refused their treatment options and decided to use the oil instead. Her blood test results improved week by week to the point that she was told that she didn’t need to return to the clinic for 8 months for another test because her results had returned to normal. When she told her doctor of her alternative treatment, he said, “Keep it up. It’s working.”

The saddest case involved a woman who had been part of a clinical trial. Her cancer was not responding to the treatment and she was literally “melting away” in front of her concerned family and friends. Sleep was impossible and eating was a distant memory until she began using the oil.

She reports that she slept “like a rock” the very first night she tried the oil and awoke ravenous. Suddenly she was eating every couple hours when previously she couldn’t even look at food. In thirty-five days, she was cancer free.

You’d have thought her doctors would be jubilant at her recovery, but that was not the case. “They were soooo mad,” she exclaims. “They said they wasted $200,000 on me and if I wanted to cure myself, I should have done it before entering their research project. How crazy is that?” she asks.

Unfortunately for most patients, the oil is hard to come by due to the restrictions in place by the Federal government’s hard-line stand on marijuana. It’s time to put politics aside and let people chose for themselves the type of treatment they prefer. Americans for Safe Access have an excellent website for information, www.safeaccessnow.org. By clicking on the “Take Action” button, you can easily address lawmakers on a number of topics regarding medical marijuana.

Note: Many charlatans are jumping on the hash oil bandwagon, so buyer beware. Also some people are trying to cash in on Rick Simpson’s good name by using websites that are similar to his. He warns that www.phoenixtearsplus.com has no connection to him whatsoever even though they are using his name.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Latest Lab testing Results


Thank you CW Analytics for great service as always.
Edit: The reason we do not do Microbiological screening, is the oil is made using solvents at very high temperature (200 F +) which will kill any harmful pathogens.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Boy, two, with brain cancer is 'cured' after secretly being fed medical marijuana by his father


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1383240/Boy-brain-cancer-cured-secretly-fed-medical-marijuana-father.html#ixzz1LP04KYy6

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 3:16 PM on 4th May 2011

A desperate father whose son was suffering from a life-threatening brain tumour has revealed he gave him cannabis oil to ease his pain. And he has now apparently made a full recovery.

Cash Hyde, known as Cashy, was a perfectly healthy baby when he was born in June 2008 but became sick shortly before his second birthday.

At first he was misdiagnosed with glandular fever before his parents Mike and Kalli, from Missoula in Montana, were given the devastating news he had a serious brain tumour.

The little boy had to have arduous chemotherapy treatment to reduce the growth, which had drastic side effects including seizures and a blood infection.

Scroll down for video

Mike Hyde with his son Cash who was diagnosed with a severe brain tumour

Mike Hyde with his son Cash who was diagnosed with a severe brain tumour

Cash had to have high-dose chemotherapy which made him very ill

Cash had to have high-dose chemotherapy which made him very ill

His distraught parents were repeatedly told he was likely to succumb to the illness because the condition was so bad.

After one bout of high-dose chemotherapy, Cash was so weak he could not lift his head and was too sick to eat any solid food for 40 days.

It was at this point that Mr Hyde decided to take action and go down the route of medical marijuana to try to help his young son.


Cash's doctors refused to even discuss the option but his father went and sought authorisation elsewhere and then secretly administered it through his son's feeding tube.

He also told doctors to stop giving Cash the cocktail of anti-nausea drugs he had been taking - although he never told them what he was doing.

Mr Hyde told KXLY News that his son started looking better right away.

Cash's father secretly gave him medical marijuana through a feeding tube

Cash's father secretly gave him medical marijuana through a feeding tube

The youngster with his older brother Colty as he is treated in hospital

The youngster with his older brother Colty as he is treated in hospital

Mr Hyde said: 'He hadn't eaten a thing in 40 days - and, it was really incredible to watch him take a bite of a piece of cheese. It shows that he wants to live'.

He credits the cannabis oil with helping his son get through the chemo, and say Cash has now been declared cancer free by doctors.

The boy is now back and home and living the life of a typical young boy, playing with his elder brother Colty.

Medical marijuana is legal in some states, including Montana, but its use for children is poorly understood and quite rate.

The US federal government does not recognise the legality of using the drug for medical reasons and frequently clashes with states over the issue.

Mr Hyde told KXLY: 'It's very controversial, it's very scary. But, there's nothing more scary than losing your child.'

Cash is now at home and able to live like a normal little boy

Cash is now at home and able to live like a normal little boy


Thursday, March 31, 2011

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says Cannabis has "antitumor effect"

something we here have known for a bit eh?

Federal Agency Proclaims Cannabis can treat cancer


Federal agency proclaims medical use for marijuana

By Kyle Daly | 03.24.11 | 4:08 pm

As federal battles over medical marijuana across the country heat up, a statement from one federal agency may be a huge asset for medical marijuana dispensaries that have been targeted by the various arms of the U.S. Department of Justice and the IRS.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a division of the National Institute of Health, which is itself one of the 11 component agencies that make up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Last week, the NCI quietly added to its treatment database a summary of marijuana’s medicinal benefits, including an acknowledgment that oncologists may recommend it to patients for medicinal use.

The summary cites clinical trials demonstrating the benefit of medical marijuana. Part of it reads:

The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal Cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.

Although 34 states have passed laws recognizing marijuana’s medicinal properties and 15 states, plus Washington, D.C., have legalized it for medical use, this is the first time a federal agency has recognized it as medicine. Despite recent developments, Attorney General Eric Holder said in 2009 that the Justice Department would not raid medical marijuana facilities, but at no point did he acknowledge their legitimacy as distribution centers for medicine. A 2001 Supreme Court ruling, meanwhile, declared that medical use of marijuana cannot be considered in any federal court deliberating on a marijuana possession or distribution case.

The new NCI assessment could have an impact on the classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the harshest possible drug classification, which has resulted in a prison population in which 1 in 8 prisoners in the U.S. is locked up for a marijuana-related offense. One of the principal criteria for a Schedule I determination is that there be “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” The U.S. Justice Department may have a hard time maintaining that claim if challenged, considering a federal agency now recognizes marijuana’s medical use in cancer treatment.

From the other side of the argument comes a new white paper (PDF) from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) censuring the prescription of marijuana by doctors in states where its medical use is legal. The ASAM takes issue with the fact that marijuana is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and therefore not subject to the same standards as other medicines. The white paper also cites as a health risk the fact that the most common method of using marijuana is smoking it.

Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, believes that the ASAM paper is a direct response to the new NCI evaluation and that ASAM physicians have a vested interest in keeping marijuana illegal in all cases.

“These doctors are making a fortune off of marijuana prohibition,” he says. “They have a financial, proprietary interest to maintain the status quo.”

St. Pierre argues that addiction specialists would be losing a major revenue source if marijuana were legalized, decriminalized or simply recognized as medicine in federal court. Without the massive number of arrests and convictions based on marijuana-related offenses, there would be a sharp drop in the number of patients referred to a doctor for marijuana addiction counseling by judges.

“The NCI statement? Fascinating. The AMAS reply? Pathetic. And predictable,” says St. Pierre.

Dr. Andrea Barthwell, former president of AMAS, claimed in an AMAS press release that the white paper had its origins in a concern for doctor liability and responsibility.

“Allowing cannabis to circumvent FDA approval sets a dangerous precedent and puts us on a slippery slope,” she said.



The Feds Finally Recognize The Anti-Cancer Potential Of Cannabis — 36 Years Too Late!

March 24th, 2011 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
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Scientific trials have for decades documented the anti-cancer properties of cannabis and its constituents. Yet it took until this week for the website of the National Institute of Cancer, a component of the U.S. government’s National Institutes of Health, to finally acknowledged the herb’s therapeutic utility for patients living with disease or suffering from the adverse side-effects of cancer treatment.

In a newly added section to the website, entitled ‘Cannabis and Cannabinoids,’ the Institute states:

Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.”

…The potential benefits of medicinal cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. In the practice of integrative oncology, the health care provider may recommend medicinal cannabis not only for symptom management but also for its possible direct antitumor effect.”

It’s a stunning acknowledgment, given that the NIH is a branch of the very same government that presently maintains that the cannabis plant and all of its naturally-derived components have ‘no accepted medical use.’ Yet it also begs the question: Where has the National Institute of Cancer been all these years?

After all, the anti-tumor activity of cannabinoids were initially documented in 1975! That’s right; it’s taken 36 years for the Institute to get with the program.

Hopefully it won’t take them another 36 years to demand that the Feds finally assess whether these preclinical results are replicable in human trials.

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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/68/2/339.abstract


Cannabinoids for Cancer Treatment: Progress and Promise

Abstract

Cannabinoids are a class of pharmacologic compounds that offer potential applications as antitumor drugs, based on the ability of some members of this class to limit inflammation, cell proliferation, and cell survival. In particular, emerging evidence suggests that agonists of cannabinoid receptors expressed by tumor cells may offer a novel strategy to treat cancer. Here, we review recent work that raises interest in the development and exploration of potent, nontoxic, and nonhabit forming cannabinoids for cancer therapy. [Cancer Res 2008;68(2):339–42]

Articles citing this article

Curing Cancer With Cannabis Extract: a Journal by Dennis Hill

*Update* Video Interview with Dennis
Produced by Ava Marie Heric




Readers of this blog may remember the article posted by Dennis Hill several months ago, Understanding How THC Kills Cancer in Humans by Dennis Hill


Well, he journaled his own voyage with cancer and Hemp Oil, and here is the final write up. The good news, he is now cancer free

Curing Cancer With Cannabis Extract:
a Journal

Quote
Yes, I was shocked when the urologist gave me the pathology report from my prostate biopsy: aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma. The good news was that it had not yet spread to bone or other tissues, apparently. But unfortunately later found that the cancer did get loose and invaded the seminal vesicles and maybe to the bladder, making it a stage three adenocarcinoma.

My profound disappointment arose from the feeling of betrayal. I had always taken the best care of this body; conscientious diet, daily exercise, yoga, meditation. What went wrong; where did I miss something?

In high school I opted to take a Physiology elective to learn the science of the human body. Every class was the thrill of discovery, and it set the course for my career in health sciences. Following a degree in Biochemistry, I spent ten years in cancer research at a world famous university hospital. I watched so many people die from cancer and its treatment, which deepened my resolve to do whatever it took to avoid this devastating demise.

It is common knowledge in the scientific community that some cancers can be heritable, in that our genetically programmed physiology has some factors to predispose neoplastic formations. The men closest to me in my family line have all developed prostate cancer. Perhaps it’s not my fault, it’s in the genes. That’s convenient, but I’m still not happy about it. So now, what to do?

The customary treatment options for this disorder are all inhumane, radical, aggressive, and insufferable. The life expectancy of traditionally treated prostate cancer is only three percent greater than no treatment at all; and incurs great expense and great suffering for the patient as well as the family.

Does the picture look any better for alternative treatments? There is really no way to know, statistically; as there is no reliable tracking of these data and comparison with traditional interventions. However, alternative modalities do offer hope even though science is lacking, and testimonials are often inflated or misleading.

One approach to this conundrum might be to take a measure of each and perhaps the outcome might turn in your favor. At this point I have chosen the least invasive and most effective options in traditional treatment: hormone therapy plus radiation. The hormone therapy consists of Lupron injections that inhibit androgen production that drives cancer cell growth and replication. That seems reasonable; it’s not cytotoxic and does not interfere with life in general. Radiation is not as traumatic and invasive as surgery, but the downside is that healthy tissue proximal to the prostate can get burned and cause life-altering damage. And we all know that radiation does cause cancer, which is disturbing.

What is the promise of alternative therapies that live on the fringes of traditional modalities? We don’t really know until we try them, but there are uncountable possibilities. It’s best to just start with what we know. I know something about nutrition, and there are numerous nutritional supplements that are known to be therapeutic in cancer. So I take them. There are herbal remedies also, and I take some of that too. Now I see there is cannabis extract, with many saying they are cured. Well, why not? I want to be cured as well. I understand that the cannabinoids have a modulating influence on perhaps all physiological systems. Modulation, here, means regulation, or optimization. There are more than 65 different cannabinoids in cannabis, each with it’s specific job at cellular regulation sites, where biological processes are optimized to bring metabolic balance to maintain healthy tissues. This is a very good thing.

As the body, its organs and tissues, fall out of balance or become diseased, cannabinoids have a restorative effect wherever the tissues are damaged, bringing optimal health in all structures and functions in the body. To illustrate this, one particular cannabinoid detects proliferation of tumor cells, binds to the appropriate receptor site (CB2), and causes cancer cell death, leaving normal cells untouched.1 This effect is shown easily in the lab, but is this scalable to the human condition? We shall see.

In my high school physiology course, the first important concept I learned was homeostasis, the persistent tendency of the body to maintain metabolic balance. It does this through several related systems; so we see that the body likes to be healthy and happy. That is its nature.

Why does the body allow these foreign cannabinoids to come in and take control of such essential physiological processes, without some kind of reaction? It is simply because this modulation system is already set up, and has been functional for millions of years; it’s in the DNA of all living creatures. Only it’s called the endocannabinoid system. Let’s look and see what this system is all about. In the Journal of Neuroimmunology we find a succinct summary:

The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands and enzymes for synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids and represents a local messenger system within and between the nervous and immune system. Apparently, the endocannabinoid system is involved in immune control and neuroprotection.2

This is amazing. Our own endocannabinoid system covers all cells and nerves; it is the messenger of information flowing between our immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). It is responsible for neuroprotection, and micro-manages the immune system. This is the primary control system that maintains homeostasis; our well being.

Just out of curiosity, how does the work get done at the cellular level, and where does the body make the endocannabinoids? Here is a quick look:

In standard neurotransmission, the pre-synaptic neuron releases neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft which binds to cognate receptors expressed on the post-synaptic neuron. Upon binding, the neuron depolarizes. This depolarization facilitates the influx of calcium into the neuron; this increase in calcium activates an enzyme called transacylase which catalyzes the first step of endocannabinoid biosynthesis.3

Here we see that endocannabinoids have their origin in nerve cells right at the synapse. When the body is compromised through illness or injury it calls insistently to the endocannabinoid system to direct the immune system to bring healing. If these homeostatic systems are weakened, it should be no surprise that hemp cannabinoids are therapeutic. It helps the body in the most natural way possible.

To see how this works we visualize the cannabinoid as a three dimensional molecule, where one part of the molecule is configured to fit the nerve or immune cell receptor site just like a key in a lock. There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptor sites, CB1 (CNS) and CB2 (immune). In general CB1 gives us the buzz, and CB2 activates the immune system, but it’s much more complex than this. Both THC and anandamide activate both receptor sites. Other cannabinoids activate one or the other receptor sites.4 Among the strains of Cannabis, C. sativa tends toward the CB1 receptor, and C. indica tends toward CB2. So sativa is better for buzz, and indica is better for healing. Another factor here is that sativa is dominated by THC cannabinoids, and indica is predominately CBD (cannabidiol).

It is known that THC and CBD are biomimetic to anandamide, that is, the body can use both interchangeably. Thus, when stress, injury, or illness demand more from endogenous anandamide than can be produced by the body, its mimetic exocannabinoids can be administered. If the stress is transitory, then the treatment can be transitory. If the demand is sustained, such as in cancer, then treatment needs to provide sustained pressure of the modulating agent on the homeostatic systems. This is why ************ recommends twice daily doses of hemp oil extract (C. indica), for three months, in the case of cancer.

Typically CBD gravitates to the densely packed CB2 receptors in the spleen, home to the body’s immune system. From there, immune cells seek out and destroy cancer cells. Interestingly, it has been shown that CBD cannabinoids have the ability to kill cancer cells directly without going through immune intermediaries. CBD hijacks the lipoxygenase pathway to directly inhibit tumor growth.5 As a side note, it has been discovered that CBD inhibits anandamide reuptake. This means that cannabidiol helps the body preserve its own natural endocannabinoid by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down anandamide.6

Coincidentally, it is not only CBD that is specifically cytotoxic to cancer cells, THC takes a different approach the task:

THC achieves this wizardry by binding to protein receptors on a cancerous cell’s surface. Once attached, the THC induces the cell to make a fatty substance called ceramide, which prompts the cell to start devouring itself. “We see programmed cell death,” Velasco says. What’s more, noncancerous cells don’t make ceramide when they come into contact with THC. The healthy cells don’t die.7

Just for clarity, endogenous ceramide (a signaling sphingolipid) disrupts the mitochondrial function of making ATP (adenosine triphosphate), thus the cancer cell becomes energy starved. ATP is the energy donor for all essential cell functions. Once the mitochondria shut down, the cell dies.8

Endogenous ceramide’s day job is to speed destruction of already stressed or senescent cells. We seen now that in the presence of THC, ceramide senses cancer cells as stressed or senescent, thus speeding their death. 8

Before leaving this topic it is important that we differentiate between plant based ceramide (phytosphingosine) and mammalian ceramide (endogenous sphignosine). Plant ceramide has a slightly different molecular structure but very different bioactivity. Ingested, it is a moisturizing lipid that supports the skin (stratum corneum) enhancing the moisture barrier that keeps epidermis from drying out. This is good, you should get some. I tried it and liked it.

July 8, 2010

Might as well just jump in and do what needs to be done. Fortunately, California is more lenient than other states regarding medical cannabis. I went to the local franchise, MediCann, to get certified to use medical cannabis. I’ve acquired a small supply of concentrated resin for daily use. It is so nice to sleep through the night again. This amount of cannabinoid is a shock to the system and it has taken about a week to acclimate to it. Now I’m up to the full strength dose, about one gram per day in two divided doses. I’ve noticed that blood pressure is down 20 - 40 points, that is, back to normal. Perhaps I can quit taking the BP meds. Overall, this daily intake of cannabinoids slows me down some, but I don’t mind. It doesn’t restrict me in the least. For some reason I don’t want to drive as fast on the freeway, but this is a good thing. It’s a nice feeling to be a little more laid back. I’m very aware of the anxiolytic and anti-spasmodic qualities of cannabis; this makes me very happy for lots of reasons. For example...

One of the complications of adenocarcinoma is prostate enlargement that causes compression of the bladder and urethra, creating numerous dangerous urinary tract issues. Anti-spasmodic cannabis brings enough tissue relaxation that urgency, frequency, and urethral stricture is substantially alleviated. Certainly there are pharmaceuticals that will do this, but they are expensive, and have serious or even fatal side effects.

The well known anxiolytic property of cannabis provides an improvement in quality of life in all facets of living in the world. It is so sublime to feel contented well-being going through this process of healing. Sure beats life in a hospital.




August 8, 2010

I’m really surprised that there is so much good information on the internet about medical cannabis. Even though many are taking the curative powers of cannabis quite seriously, there are still no controlled studies on the effectiveness of cannabis treatment of cancer. There are numerous anecdotal cases that are grounds for optimism but I would like to see some good science with controlled variables. Mostly I would like to see strain potency standards for the various cannabinoids used therapeutically for cancer and other health concerns. Fortunately there is a lab in Oakland that specializes in cannabinoid profiling (CW Analytical Labs). They have an analytics library of common strains and also do custom analyses. Good start.

To bring some clarity to my own experimental treatment I’m trying to evaluate the cannabis biology of the supply I have currently in use. The name of the strain is not known, but subjectively it feels like a blend of C.sativa and C.indica. Given that the butter is highly concentrated extract from bud, resin, and leaf, I’m just guessing that the butter is about one percent the concentration of the popular ************ Hemp Oil, making dosage one tablespoon concentrated cannabis butter per day. This is totally unscientific, but it’s what I have. We’ll see, in the end, how it all works out. Until them, the butter is very tasty spread on rice cakes, brownies, etc.

It may be useful to see the preparation of the extract....

Extraction starts with:

one ounce of highest quality shake,

three ounces of butter, mixed with

three ounces of polyunsaturated oil (olive, canola, etc.)

one crock pot

cheese cloth and containers

Water wash all materials with hot rinse water for 30 minutes; then dry thoroughly. Everything that tastes bad in cannabis is water-soluble. The water wash is to bring good taste to green stuff. Grind shake in a food processor to a fine consistency. Melt butter in a crock pot set on low; stir in the trim powder while stirring constantly to mix. Cook in covered crock pot on the lowest setting for 2 - 4 hours. Add two ounces of high proof alcohol (Everclear, or comparable) to help extract cannabinoids early in the cook. The butter/oil will be a very dark green. Before it cools, pour the mix through a cheese cloth and squeeze into containers. Or, you might use a juicer to separate the roughage from the nectar (I like the Champion Juicer for the horsepower). Seal tight and store in the freezer. The residue from the pressing can be used to bake very potent brownies or cookies.

I also have a small supply of genuine Hemp Oil, created by a master herbalist, exactly from the recipe of ************. The strain is Northern Lights. One drop the size of a rice grain has the same effect as a tablespoon of my cannabutter, so I’m confident that the therapeutic effect is the same in the two different concentrations of high quality oil, even though the Hemp Oil is processed from buds, and cannabutter from shake (leaves and bud trim). Buds will generally give more THC, and the shake, more CBD.

Oops! What just happened? Did I just gain ten pounds? Hmm. Guess it’s true what they say about the munchies. Must get this turned around immediately. Less calories in; more calories out. Run more!

August 26, 2010

This journal was started to capture the ordinary as well as extraordinary events and experiences along this healing path. One of the unexpected effects of the cannabis is the apparent physical status improvement as shown by chiropractic adjustment. For the last several years I have gone for regular chiropractic spinal adjustments. Generally, I present with spinal misalignment, which then needs to be adjusted. Beginning in the same week I started cannabis treatment, I no longer needed adjustment. For the last eight weeks, without exception, I am suddenly presenting in perfect alignment. Interesting.

We are about nine weeks into this experiment and I’m noticing a couple of other things since starting the cannabis regimen. One, a chronic intestinal distress of two years has suddenly resolved. And the other is an increase in physical vitality. Since a very serious illness ten years ago I have been walking for exercise. Up to now, running was painful and exhausting, due to several orthopedic surgeries that didn’t go well. Just this week, the body has just wanted to run instead of walk. I’m starting slowly, walking some, running some; but in only one week my stride has started to stretch out nicely. This is completely unexpected.

September 1, 2010

Let’s take a side track here to understand how THC kills cancer in humans. First let’s look at what keeps cancer cells alive, then we will come back and examine how the cannabinoids CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) unravels cancer’s aliveness.

In every cell there is a family of interconvertible sphingolipids that specifically manage the life and death of that cell. This profile of factors is called the “Sphingolipid Rheostat.” If ceramide (a signaling metabolite of sphingosine-1-phosphate) is high, then cell death (apoptosis) is imminent. If ceramide is low, the cell is strong in its vitality.

Very simply, when THC connects to the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor site on the cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death. A normal healthy cell does not produce ceramide in the presence of THC, thus is not affected by the cannabinoid.

The cancer cell dies, not because of cytotoxic chemicals, but because of a tiny little shift in the mitochondria. Within most cells there is a cell nucleus, numerous mitochondria (hundreds to thousands), and various other organelles in the cytoplasm. The purpose of the mitochondria is to produce energy (ATP) for cell use. As ceramide starts to accumulate, turning up the Sphingolipid Rheostat, it increases the mitochondrial membrane pore permeability to cytochrome c, a critical protein in energy synthesis. Cytochrome c is pushed out of the mitochondria, killing the source of energy for the cell.

Ceramide also causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus generating a protein called p53, whose job it is to disrupt calcium metabolism in the mitochondria. If this weren’t enough, ceramide disrupts the cellular lysosome, the cell’s digestive system that provides nutrients for all cell functions. Ceramide, and other sphingolipids, actively inhibit pro-survival pathways in the cell leaving no possibility at all of cancer cell survival.

The key to this process is the accumulation of ceramide in the system. This means taking therapeutic amounts of CBD and THC, steadily, over a period of time, keeping metabolic pressure on this cancer cell death pathway. 8

September 6, 2010

One of the first things a prostate patient notices is frequency and urgency. Oh good, there’s a drug for that: Flomax. There are some morbid side effects (for me nearly fatal), but it does reduce symptoms; and it is very expensive. We know that cannabinoids are anti-spasmodic; it seemed reasonable that cannabis might relax the urethral stricture, and take over for Flomax. Last week I stopped taking the Flomax; with no return of symptoms. This, too, was completely unexpected. I am delighted in the extreme to be without the expense and the side-effects.

I am quite encouraged by some of the signs along the way to a general awakening to the medical efficacy of cannabinoids. For instance, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on cannabis to the federal government (Dept. of Health and Human Services) for its health benefits in treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; stating specifically Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, HIV, and dementia. This is patent #6630507 granted in 2003. In fact, there are numerous prescription pharmaceuticals of synthetic THC. These are Dronabinol (Marinol), Sativex, and Nabilone. There is also HU-210 that is 100 times as potent as THC. These drugs are widely prescribed in the United States, Europe, and Asia. This tells me that certain sectors of our culture are already going full bore to put cannabis to work in the service of improving human health. We wait patiently for the remaining obstacles to fall away. Seems that a major obstacle is that a few still think that if a medicine has the side-effect of contented well-being, it needs to be illegal. Not sure what to think about that.

The primary complaint about the synthetic THC pharmaceuticals is that there are many other therapeutic cannabinoids in cannabis that are not represented in the pharmaceutical, which dilutes the effectiveness of a singular THC analog. To get around this, chemists have created HU-331 which is a synthetic cannabidiol and is used as a potent anti-cancer agent. Want to know how HU-331 kills cancer? It unravels the cancer cell’s DNA. That kills it for sure. If this doesn’t tell us anything, I have another story. Analyze mother’s milk and you will find the endocannabinoid 2-AG. All babies start life with this cannabis cocktail. Really, if this weren't healthy for us, it wouldn’t be in mother’s milk. 2-AG (arachnidonoylglycerol) is similar to anandamide, and is found in high concentrations in brain and spinal cord tissues. As such, it is a CB1 receptor agonist.

September 24th, 2010

It has been two months since beginning this alternative treatment with the herbal cannabinoids, with no adjunct treatment of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. What has been the effect of this radical excursion into self-treatment? In a routine prostate exam yesterday, the urologist determined that since he checked three months ago, the prostate has “substantially” decreased in size indicating remission of the tumor. Let’s put this news into perspective of how far we have really come. Looking at the details of the prostate biopsy Histology Report indicates that all six needle biopsy samples showed adenocarcinoma involving an average of 90% of tissue, with Gleason Scores of sevens and eights. Gleason scores range from one to eight with the highest score characteristic of highly aggressive cancer with the worst prognosis. This is huge to overcome in two months.

There is another indicator that is in play here. PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is useful for judging cancer activity. My PSA, as of last week, was measured as <0.1ng/mL. This means no activity at all. Normal range is 1 - 4. My previous PSA was 8.0, so we see how far we have progressed in two months. Actually, this is remarkable. There is one other thing to note. In the months of treatment, taking very high doses of cannabinoid extract, what has been the effect on my daily life of this potent psychotropic? Not much, really. I take a large does before bed and a small dose in the morning. It took a week for my system to become accustomed to it, then it was life as usual of work and play. As for the future; maybe I will decline two months of radiation that is planned to begin next month. This is the best news of my life. And it will be nice to continue to support this good health with nature’s best medicine for many more years. January 12, 2011 During the prostate exam yesterday, the urologist, surprised at the shrinkage of the prostate and absence of pain on examination, said, “It’s hardly there any more, compared to the enlarged fully involved tumor we saw a few months ago.” We will do another biopsy of the prostate in a couple of weeks in order to get cytological examination of the tissue and to evaluate the presence or absence of adenocarcinoma. At this point I’m feeling optimistic. But we will not know anything until we see the pathology report of the biopsy. Of course we ran a PSA, which was essentially zero. This means that the immune system is not seeing any cancer activity. Same as three months ago. January 25, 2011 Prostate biopsy today (ouch). The urologist observed that the prostate has shrunk to less than normal. A normal prostate will be about 36cc volume. Today mine measured 13cc’s. The doctor is encouraged by this, but we will wait until February 8th to get the tissue histology report to consider future therapy. The prostate was so small, he could only get four biopsy samples, instead of the 6 or 8 that is normally taken. Glad that’s over. One nice little surprise during six months of cannabinoid therapy, is that I have not been sick all winter—no colds, flu, sinus. Given that cannabidiol is an immune system modulating agent we might expect that this would provide a quick resolution for diseases that trigger immune response. It’s also nice that I’m not hungry all the time any more. February 8, 2011 The histology report of the prostate biopsy says that there is no cancer detectable. I’m very happy to have beat this insidious killer, thanks to so many who have helped me get to this place. Looking back I find it amazing that this deadly cancer was quickly wiped out using natural enzymes of the cannabis plant. Looking forward, how do I avoid the return of the dreaded adenocarcinoma that we know comes back in 70% of conventional therapy cases? Perhaps the conditions are still present to reignite cancer invasion, considering that genetics might be a player in this little drama. Is there anything that will inhibit the formation of prostate cancer? It turns out that yes, currently available is an enzyme that kills prostate cancer stem cells. Now that the cancer cells are gone, gamma-tocotrienol will kill the arising stem cells that would potentially bring the cancer back. What is this gamma-tocotrienol, where did it originate and what does it do, exactly? Gamma-tocotrienol (y-T3) is an isomer of vitamin E that is extracted from palm oil. Taken orally, gamma-tocotrienol is most potent in suppressing prostate cancer cell proliferation, which acts through multiple-signaling pathways. This signaling is through proteins that regulate immune response, such as NFkB and EGF-R. In this way gamma-tocotrienol down-regulates pro-survival signaling pathways inducing apoptosis, cell death. This process is highly specific in that it spares normal prostate tissue. This ability of gamma-tocotrienol to eradicate prostate cancer also acts to suppress cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Stopping this cancer from spreading or returning is primary in choosing an appropriate therapy.9 Another pathway taken by gamma-tocotrienol to control prostate cancer stem cells is the up-regulation of the p53 protein. This is associated with the ejection of cytchrome c from the mitochondrial nucleus to the liquid matrix (cytosol) of cellular cytoplasm. Is this starting to sound familiar? This is the same pathway that THC and cannabidiol use in stimulating ceramide synthesis in the cancer cell to cause cell apoptosis. Essentially, the cannabinoids and gamma-tocotrienols are performing the same function along similar metabolic pathways to kill cancer and its stem cells. This strategy appears likely to bring a long lifetime free of any cancer. That’s a good thing. But I’ve never been one to do whatever is just enough. I like beyond just enough, for most things. So what else can I do to eliminate the possibility of cancer recurrence? Pomegranate! As you can probably imagine from the taste of pomegranate it is loaded with a remarkable array of phenylpropanoids and ellagitannins. Since prostate cancer depends completely on testosterone to grow and spread, phenylpropanoids disrupts the communication between testosterone and the cell, thus leaving the cancer to wither. Now, what does ellagitannins bring to the table? We know that rapid growth of cancer cells requires increased blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). Ellagitannins have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in neoplastic tissue. Cancer growth is inhibited from lack of oxygen so cellular proliferation can not occur; thus again, apoptosis.10 This should do it; but ************ chimes in here also, he says that once the cancer is cleared, we can keep a maintenance routine of one regular dose every week or two that will kill any cancer before it aggregates into an active neoplasm. Six months ago when I started taking massive amounts of cannabinoid extract, the burning question in my mind was, “What will happen when I quit taking this stuff? Will I become dependent. What will withdrawal be like?” I was a little afraid. At the end of the six month treatment I abruptly stopped the medication—and waited for withdrawal to happen. There were a couple of days I was a little cranky; but mostly, withdrawal was a non-event. I just didn’t feel any different. Contemplating this I wondered, why wasn’t it more traumatic. The answer is simply this: in our normal physiology there is already the full array of endocannabinoid channels that the additional dosage supports. When the additional extract is withdrawn, the existing anandamide (our natural cannabinoid) metabolic pathways resume their normal function. The adjustment is very slight. Now that the cancer is gone, continuing metabolic support with pomegranate and tocotrienol, or cannabinoid support, will assure that it will never return. I’ve been given a new life; it’s thrilling to contemplate the possibilities. ~Dennis Hill