RESEARCH REVEALS CANNABINOIDS SHOW PROMISE

Sue was dying of cancer. She was thin, her skin was gray, and she
hadn't eaten much in several days.

Offered a medication to relieve some of her symptoms, she reluctantly
accepted. Within five minutes of taking this medication, she again
had color in her cheeks, was laughing with friends and asking for a
fruit smoothie.

It was the first of several she would request that day and her
grateful husband was only too glad to oblige. What was this miracle drug?

What many call marijuana, pot, or weed, the medical community calls
cannabis. Cannabis contains approximately 70 different active
ingredients called cannabinoids, only a few of which are psychoactive.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the most well-known psychoactive
cannabinoid, and due to years of breeding, THC currently accounts for
up to 25 percent of the total weight of the prepared herb.

Another well-known cannabinoid is CBD (cannabidiol), which is not
psychoactive but currently represents only about 0.5 percent of the
herbal weight. In many well-designed scientific studies, these and
other cannabinoids appear to be therapeutic.

The 1999 Institute of Medicine Report clearly stated that
"accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for
cannabinoid drugs, particularly in the areas of pain relief, control
of nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation." Research in the
past 10 years has revealed much more.

The International Cannabinoid Research Society held its 19th annual
symposium in St. Charles, Ill., in July, sponsored by the NIH, the
National Institute on Drug Abuse and several pharmaceutical
companies, among others. This symposium brought together reputable
scientists from 25 nations and over 100 research labs to share new
findings. These researchers have long recognized the use of
cannabinoids for a wide array of symptoms that include nausea and
vomiting, pain management, muscle spasticity, anxiety, depression,
post-traumatic stress syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and insomnia.

Cannabinoids are naturally recognized in the bodies of animal species
all the way down to invertebrates. In humans, CB1 receptors are found
in the brain, and CB2 receptors are found throughout the immune
system. These receptors couple with the body's own internally
produced cannabinoids, in addition to coupling with inhaled or
ingested cannabis.

Startling news about cancer and cannabinoids was recently published
by Donald Abrams, MD, Chief of Hematology-Oncology at San Francisco
General Hospital and Manuel Guzman, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain.
These experts found that cannabinoids inhibit tumor growth and also
appear to specifically kill tumor cells without affecting cells that
are still healthy. Tumor cells that have been shown to be sensitive
to cannabinoid-induced growth inhibition include leukemia/lymphoma,
skin, uterus, and breast, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic and
prostate carcinomas.

The safety profile of cannabinoids is impressive: unlike opiates,
cannabinoids do not affect areas in the brain that control breathing.
The lethal (LD50) dose of inhaled cannabis has been estimated to be
1,500 pounds smoked in 15 minutes. The psychoactive qualities of THC
limit effective medicinal use in many patients, so development of
strains that contain less THC and more CBD is being encouraged. It
does appear that whole-plant use is more effective than isolating and
using any single cannabinoid.

Even used medicinally, cannabis comes with some cautionary advice.
The psychoactive effects are not necessarily welcomed, and the
patient must consider local laws when traveling outside tolerant
states such as California. Inhaling the herb smoke can cause
irritation of the airways, although there has been no evidence to
date that cannabis increases the incidence of respiratory cancer.

The two most commonly used methods of delivery are inhalation and ingestion.

Inhaled, cannabinoids enter the lungs, the circulatory system, and
then quickly find their way to receptors. Peak levels are reached in
about five minutes, and in one hour most have been metabolized. The
effects are rapid, and frequent re-dosing is necessary for symptom control.

Ingested, the substance first goes to the liver where it is
metabolized into 11-hydroxy-THC, a substance much more psychoactive
than the original THC. Peak levels are reached in about one hour and
are sustained for about four hours. Steady-state levels are easier to
achieve with oral ingestion, but the psychoactive side effects may
limit acceptable oral use. In the U.S., the non-psychoactive CBD
cannabinoid in tablet or liquid form is not yet available.

Research is starting to show cannabis to be a safe, effective and
powerful medicine, with the health benefits outweighing risks.
Further research is needed to explore the potential of this medicine,
but its ability to heal should not be underestimated.

Further information:

* Review of current research findings: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002

* O'Shaughnessy's -- The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice
www.PCMD4U.org