Here’s a chart that puts into simple words and figures a system that shows no benefits:
Click on image to enlarge. Created by: Medical Billing and Coding Online

What this work prove is that profit is more important to the people in charge of the health system than the health of the people that generate their profits.

Just over a week ago the FDA pushed to approve a skin cancer treatment when side effects are varied and numerous, while Cannabis Science is publishing more case studies where patients actually get rid of their cancer.

If such a powerful institution supports a drug with a list of side effects that can all be treated, as well as the ailment itself, by a safer alternative, how can people keep on trusting them and allow them to behave like that?

Executive Producer: James Schmachtenberger
Director & Producer: Lindsey Ward
Director of Photography: Troy Brajkovich

Topics include:
*What the consensus is from over 15000 scientific and medical trials
*What conditions have been proven to benefit from medical marijuana
*Its historical use as medicine dating back over 5300 years
*Methods of delivery and their different advantages
*Government sponsored studies intended to show Marijuana having negative effects that yielded the exact opposite results
*Common myths about negative effects of Marijuana and what the research really says about these topics

But many politicians and medical personnel have been reluctant to advocate medical marijuana because, even though patients champion its use, there have been calls for more scientific studies.

All of the patients rotated through each of the four dosages, with nine days of no smoking in between.

Patients smoking the highest potency marijuana (9.4 percent) reported less pain than those smoking samples containing no THC. Patients also reported better sleep and less anxiety, according to the Canadian study.

On an 11-point scale, the average daily pain intensity was 5.4 for those smoking 9.4 percent THC concentration, compared to 6.1 for those smoking cannabis containing no THC.

The scientists measured pain intensity using a standard scale, with patients reporting the highest-strength cannabis was the most effective at reducing the pain and allowing them to sleep.

But the unwanted side effects of cannabis can be significant, McQuay said.

“If you regard each paper like a brick in a wall, we have a number of studies, including this one, that suggest some pain patients are helped by cannabis,” McQuay said. “The usual caveat is, ‘Do the side effects to the nervous system outweigh the benefits, if they have to push the dose?’”

In his experience working with pain patients, few have seen long-term benefits of smoked cannabis, he said. Most find morphine and other painkillers more effective.

Side effects are a real problem with using smoked cannabis, Ware said. While recreational users are seeking an altered state of mind, research shows that legitimate medical marijuana users are not looking to get high. Instead, they only want to smoke what they need to reduce their pain so they can work and function more normally.

Source:CMAJ, The global and Mail, EmaxHealth, Toke of the town, cannabis info.

The trouble at the ACMD began in October, 2009, after the controversial sacking of the then chairman, Professor David Nutt for criticising the government’s policy over cannabis and ecstasy. Five more members quit soon after in protest. In January, 2010, the equally distinguished neuroscientist, Professor Les Iverson, was appointed interim chair. In March, 2010, Dr Polly Taylor was the next to leave, outraged by the publication of the revised Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees, the rewording of which compromised scientists’ independence and would dissuade them from giving objective advice lest they disagreed with government policy.

The current outcry at the ACMD is over the recreational drug mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone), a synthetic stimulant most similar chemically to amphetamines. It is a derivative of cathinone, a compound found in the plant called khat. Clinical and pharmacological research on cathinones is sparse and knowledge about the human effects of this drug class have been reliant on anecdotal reports from users and physicians. Adverse reactions include tachycardia, hallucinations, vasoconstriction, increased anxiety, and possible psychosis. The substance has received substantial media attention in the UK after reportedly being linked to 25 deaths. Indeed, the ACMD has suggested that media coverage has increased the use of the drug.

The most recent resignation was Mr Eric Carlin in response to the reclassification of mephedrone to class B together with its subsequent ban alongside other cathinone derivatives. According to Carlin, the decision-making process focused primarily on the chemistry and legality of the drugs, and too little on the public health measures that could reduce harm. Furthermore, the ACMD report, Consideration of the cathinones, which recommended the ban, documented the very scanty evidence on mephedrone, including the absence of a direct causal link between the reported deaths and the drug. Alarmingly, the report, which was only a draft, was still being discussed by the ACMD when Iverson rushed out of the meeting to brief Home Secretary Alan Johnson of their recommendation in time for a press briefing. Carlin states on his blog: “We were unduly pressured by media and politicians to make a quick, tough decision to classify.”

Equally notable was the very quiet release on the same day of the ACMD’s other report, Pathways to Problems—a detailed progress report on recommendations made in 2006 on hazardous drug use. The report contains some potentially unpalatable conclusions on tackling young people’s problems, including not enough being done on alcohol and tobacco, as well as calling for a review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Yet this report received no media attention or a response from the Home Office. Instead, it conveniently got buried under discussions on the legal status of mephedrone.
There was little time to consider carefully the scientific evidence on mephedrone. The ACMD did not have sufficient evidence to judge the harms caused by this drug class. It is too easy and potentially counterproductive to ban each new substance that comes along rather than seek to understand more about young people’s motivations and how we can influence them. We should try to support healthy behaviours rather than simply punish people who breach our society’s norms. Making the drug illegal will also deter crucial research on this drug and other drug-related behaviour, and it will be far more difficult for people with problems to get help.

The terms of engagement between ministers and expert advisers endorsed by Alan Johnson have been blown apart. During the past 12 years the Labour Government has done a great deal to build up a strong science base in the UK and enhance the important role that science plays in our economy and society. However, the events surrounding the ACMD signal a disappointing finale to the government’s relationship with science. Politics has been allowed to contaminate scientific processes and the advice that underpins policy. The outcome of an independent enquiry into the practices of the ACMD, commissioned by the Home Office in October, 2009, is now urgently awaited. Lessons from this debacle need to be learned by a new incoming government.

We have recently come across this very interesting press release from Professor Peter Walker at the University of Bath (U.K) who is leading the research into the use of hemp-lime in construction.  Buildings and other infrastructure currently accounts for almost 20% of the UK’s eco-footprint.  This is another example of how this wonderful plant can help save reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  Recently we brought you the news that Hanes – one of the worlds biggest consumer brands – has been investing in a new hemp technology called Crailar which requires only a fraction of the water needed to make cotton; and we are very happy to announce that it is the subject of another of our articles, a Dutch company called Hempflax who has won the contract to supply the raw materials to Hanes – i.e. the HEMP!

Here’s the press release:

Houses made of hemp, timber or straw could help combat climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of building construction, according to researchers at the University of Bath.

Currently the construction industry is a major contributor of environmental pollutants, with buildings and other build infrastructure contributing to around 19% of the UK’s eco-footprint.  Researchers at the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials are researching low carbon alternatives to building materials currently used by the construction industry.  Although timber is used as a building material in many parts of the world, historically it is used less in the UK than in other countries. Researchers at the Centre are developing new ways of using timber and other crop-based materials such as hemp, natural fibre composites and straw bales. Their work using straw bales as a building material has already been featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs series.

Professor Peter Walker, Director of the Centre, is leading the research. He said: “The environmental impact of the construction industry is huge. For example, it is estimated that worldwide the manufacture of cement contributes up to ten per cent of all industrial carbon dioxide emissions.  “We are looking at a variety of low carbon building materials including crop-based materials, innovative uses of traditional materials and developing low carbon cements and concretes to reduce impact of new infrastructure. As well as reducing the environmental footprint, many low carbon building materials offer other benefits, including healthier living through higher levels of thermal insulation and regulation of humidity levels.”

Their research is being presented at the Sustainable Energy & the Environment showcase at the University of Bath.  The exhibition will be opened by David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities & Skills, and will be attended by industrialists, research councils, local and national government representatives and other key stakeholders from across the South West.  The exhibition coincides with the launch of the Institute for Sustainable Energy & the Environment (I-SEE) at the University of Bath, which will bring together experts from diverse fields of science, engineering, social policy and economics to tackle the problems of climate change.

I  found another article on the subject which can be read here:

Hemp could be used to build carbon-neutral homes of the future to help combat climate change and boost the rural economy, say researchers at the University of Bath.

A consortium, led by the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials based at the University, has embarked on a unique housing project to develop the use of hemp-lime construction materials in the UK.  Hemp-lime is a lightweight composite building material made of fibres from the fast growing plant, bound together using a lime-based adhesive. The hemp plant stores carbon during its growth and this, combined with the low carbon footprint of lime and its very efficient insulating properties, gives the material a ‘better than zero carbon’ footprint.  Professor Pete Walker, Director of the BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials, explained: “We will be looking at the feasibility of using hemp-lime in place of traditional materials, so that they can be used widely in the building industry.  “We will be measuring the properties of lime-hemp materials, such as their strength and durability, as well as the energy efficiency of buildings made of these materials.  Using renewable crops to make building materials makes real sense – it only takes an area the size of a rugby pitch four months to grow enough hemp to build a typical three bedroom house.  Growing crops such as hemp (cannabis Sativa) can also provide economic and social benefits to rural economies through new agricultural markets for farmers and associated industries.”

The three year project, worth almost ?750,000, will collect vital scientific and engineering data about this new material so that it can be more widely used in the UK for building homes.  The project brings together a team of nine partners, comprising BRE Ltd, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio architects, Hanson Cement, Hemcore, Lhoist UK, Lime Technology, National Non-Food Crops Centre, University of Bath and Wates Living Space.  As part of the project the University of Bath received a research grant of ?391,000 from the Renewable Materials LINK programme run by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). ]]> http://weedforneed.com/2009/10/houses-made-of-hemp-could-help-combat-climate-change/feed/ 0 http://weedforneed.com/2009/10/hemp-vs-cotton-%e2%80%93-the-pros-and-cons/ http://weedforneed.com/2009/10/hemp-vs-cotton-%e2%80%93-the-pros-and-cons/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:10 +0000 kanaman http://marijuanacannabis.wordpress.com/?p=749

Historically, hemp has proven to be a versatile and durable substance and therein lies the contradiction. For nearly a century now, Hemp has been overlooked and under-appreciated as a viable alternative to cotton, possibly as a result of its connotative association with marijuana. To clarify, hemp has no psychoactive properties.

PROS: Hemp fibre is surprisingly useful as a cotton, paper, cellulosic or polymer substitute when it is treated correctly. As a crop, it is low-maintenance and resilient, and requires none of the weeding and heavy use of pesticides usually required in farming.  Hemp is particularly effective as a source for textiles. The fibres drawn from the hemp plant are the strongest and longest in nature. Fabrics, twines, yarns and cords made from hemp are durable and versatile. It can be combed into any gauge or quality of fibre. As a substitute for such diverse substances as cotton, trees, or petroleum, hemp proves to be more environmentally sound than all of its alternatives (requiring about 10% of the water needed to produce cotton) and its versatility and resilience make it economically sound as well.

CONS: Hemp fibre is characterised by undesirable susceptibility to moisture and rot due to moulds and mildews and the like. It is also characterized by a strong, naturally-occurring odour which makes it unacceptable as a substitute for other odourless fibres. Moreover, hemp fibre in its natural spun state is susceptible to fraying and has a rough hand and feel. A need therefore remains for a hemp product which is suitably strong, soft, flexible, moisture-resistant and rot-resistant and generally suitable for substitution in applications previously focused on the cotton, paper and petroleum-fibre industries.

Hempflax are the leaders in this field in Europe and are based in Holland.

United States Patent US6113940:
Cannabinoid patch and method for cannabis transdermal delivery.

We  found this patent application in the U.S for a cannabis patch similar to the nicotine patch which has been commercially available for years. Several companies (and even the U.S government – see our previous article “U.S Government Patents Cannabis“) have recently started to take notice of the medicinal properties of cannabis and have started a rush to patent any possible application of this wonderful natural herb. Part of this trend could be linked to the legalization movement which has successfully highlighted several medical advantages to cannabis over traditional pharmaceuticals, particularly the lack of significant negative side-effects when treating serious illness.

Here are the links to both the Patent outline and the Application in .pdf form ]]> http://weedforneed.com/2009/10/cannabis-patents-%e2%80%93-cannabinoid-patch/feed/ 0 http://weedforneed.com/2009/08/hanes-invests-in-hemp/ http://weedforneed.com/2009/08/hanes-invests-in-hemp/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:45:56 +0000 kanaman http://marijuanacannabis.wordpress.com/?p=661 ]]>

After a decade trying to prove that hemp could be soft as cotton, one American company is starting to draw the attention to its product from some of the world’s biggest consumer brands.

Based in Portland, Oregon – Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. – has developed an enzyme treatment which makes organic fibres (principally hemp and flax) suitable for producing clothes and other uses.  This treatment is known as “Crailar Fiber Technology”.  Here’s the information that Naturally Advanced provides about Crailar on their website:

“CRAILAR employs a simple, efficient 100% organic, enzyme bath and scales easily to leverage the global industrial hemp industry. In addition, CRAILAR Organic Fiber will be cost-comparable to organic cotton. Therefore, CRAILAR enables the transformation of hemp into a better sustainable alternative to organic cotton. “

Some of the world’s biggest consumer brands have displayed serious commercial interest in Crailar after a string of successful tests conducted at North Carolina State University which, according to Naturally Advanced CEO, Ken Barker, proved hemp can easily transition away from being a niche consumer fabric.

One of the world’s largest consumer apparel brands -  Hanesbrands Inc. ($4.2 billion in sales ‘08-’09) have just entered into a joint development agreement with Naturally Advanced to retrofit their existing dyeing equipment with the company’s enzyme process to study how its organic fibers can be entered into mainstream production.  Although this is currently just a test, it is just phase one of what is seen as a major move towards the commercialization of hemp.

This news provides further proof that even large companies like Hanes are becoming aware of the potential hemp has and are starting to invest.  One major issue remains; the cost of production.  This is still a major obstacle in hemp becoming more than simply a niche product, but when asked about the deal with Hanesbrands, Ken Barker recently stated that:

“Crailar shrinks far less during production than cotton, the resulting savings could bring its final cost closer to regular cotton than organic cotton, which is 60 percent more expensive than regular cotton.” and that the partnership (with Hanes) serves as “absolute validation that our technology is viable and capable of mainstream apparel production.

While Barker said it’s too early to guess how lucrative the Hanes deal could become, Matt Hall, VP of external communications at Hanesbrands, said that although the idea isn’t to replace cotton, if Crailar can be commercialized, it would mean being able to produce organic fibers for everyday products at competitive prices.

Alongside the deal with Hanes, Naturally Advanced also reached a spinning and trademark licensing deal with Patrick Yarns of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, a maker of industrial yarns, to produce Crailar products for denim, work wear, home furnishings and carpet markets; and a manufacturing agreement with Philadelphia dyehouse G.J. Littlewoods & Son Inc., which will produce the fabric ordered by Patrick Yarns.

In what could be an equally sizable deal, the company in June signed a development deal with Georgia Pacific Consumer Products LP, which makes household paper products such as Brawny paper towels. Barker said he was prohibited from disclosing details of the agreement.

The European leader in the production of industrial hemp fibre is Hempflax, based in Holland.

On the surface, it stands to reason that people who smoke cannabis could possibly face similar elevated risks for head and throat cancers as do those who smoke tobacco, and/or drink alcohol. Both alcohol and tobacco use carry significantly higher risks for such cancers.

In 1999, a highly – publicised study indicated that cannabis users might face some elevated risk of head and neck cancers, as is the case with consumers of tobacco and alcohol. However, even the researchers from that study cautioned against making too much of their results and called for further study.

Two recent studies appear to contradict that, suggesting that cannabis users face no increased risk of head and neck cancers, and may even enjoy a measure of protection. Results show that moderate cannabis users actually appear to have a reduced risk level for head and neck cancers compared to control cases. However, due of the limited power and length of use studied, a small or longer-term effect cannot be ruled out.

Both of these studies support a growing body of data that indicate that cannabinoids have potential anti-tumour and anti-cancer properties. Clearly, further examination is required!

As schools return from their summer breaks, there is widespread concern amongst parents and teachers alike. Swine Flu (H1N1) thrives off the conditions typical in classrooms and younger demographics are particularly vulnerable. As manufacturers struggle to meet unprecedented demand, one company has a controversial idea.
According to Robert Melamede, CEO of Cannabis Science, the answer to this crisis may be found in a medicinal throat lozenge made from marijuana. Altough Mr. Melamede idea to administer his lozenge to children and to teens, may seem like a ridiculous idea, the medical reasons behind his approach may very well be quite sound.

Melamede is quoted by ABC News as saying: “Contemporary antiviral medical technology is currently inadequate to meet the world’s immediate challenges….we believe that cannabis extract-based medicines can reduce influenza deaths.”
Marijuana has long been known to suppress the immune system as it cotains natural, plant-based cannabinoids called phytocannabinoids, similar to the natural endocannabinoids released by the body during severe inflammations.

Last month, Cannabis Science, the company announced that it is seeking FDA approval for its flu-fighting lozenges – they may be on to something here!