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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (5360)	12/7/2006 5:23:01 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Respond to of 10087

You are in error .. I have to be out for a while. I'll respond more fully later.

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (5360)	12/7/2006 10:39:57 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

Alzheimer's: Writing in the February 2005 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, investigators at Madrid's Complutense University and the Cajal Institute in Spain reported that the intracerebroventricular administration of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 prevented cognitive impairment and decreased neurotoxicity in rats injected with amyloid-beta peptide (a protein believed to induce Alzheimer’s). Additional cannabinoids were also found to reduce the inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease in human brain tissue in culture. "Our results indicate that … cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease," investigators concluded. There are two other studies that I'm aware of about pot and Alzheimer's. One done at the University of Ohio and the other done at a school in CA. In the news article about the Ohio study said something like "regular users of marijuana during the 60's and 70's rarely report development of Alzheimer's." I have yet to track down that statement. However, if it is true, pot may inoculate people against Alzheimer's. As it is, these studies show that pot is the strongest drug we have today in the fight against Alzheimer's. If you're interested, I'll find a link to the article about the Ohio study. First I'm going to continue on a list for you in my next post.

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (5360)	12/7/2006 11:05:18 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease: Writing in the March 2004 issue of the journal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders, investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reported that the administration of THC both before and after the onset of ALS symptoms staved disease progression and prolonged survival in animals compared to untreated controls.[2] Additional trials in animal models of ALS have shown that the administration of other naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoids can also moderate ALS progression, but not necessarily impact survival.[3-4] One recent study demonstrated that blocking the CB1 cannabinoid receptor did extend life span in an ALS mouse model, suggesting that cannabinoids’ beneficial effects on ALS may be mediated by non-CB1 receptor mechanisms.[5] Preclinical data has also shown that cannabinoids are neuroprotective against oxidative damage both in vitro[6] and in animals.[7] Cannabinoids’ neuroprotective action may be able to play a role in moderating ALS, which is characterized by excessive glutamate activity in the spinal cord.[8] At least one cannabinoid, delta-9-THC, has been shown to protect cultured mouse spinal neurons against excitotoxicity.[9] As a result, some experts now recommend that “marijuana … be considered in the pharmacological management of ALS,”[10] and they believe that “further investigation into the usefulness of marijuana and … synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists is warranted.”[11] That's another journal .. Using pot for ALS in humans may be premature at this time. However, consider this: Efforts to reschedule cannabis have been ongoing since 1972, when the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) petitioned the Drug Enforcement Administration to move the substance out of Schedule I so physicians could legally prescribe it. Sixteen years later, the hearings were complete, and then DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young ruled marijuana no longer qualified as a Schedule I drug. After declaring cannabis to be "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man," he was roundly ignored by John Law, then-DEA administrator, and overruled. end quote Sixteen years ... while sick people continued to suffer. lsureveille.com BTW .. the got rid of that judge and left pot in the same legal classification as heroin. Since the result of a sixteen year study by the DEA concluded that cannabis is "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man" it would make sence to have ALS folks use it now while waiting for the results of further studies. More about the DEA and THC (the primary active drug in marijuana) in my next post.

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (5360)	12/7/2006 11:21:37 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Respond to of 10087

"the FDA has not approved smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes, but has approved the active ingredient-THC." from usdoj.gov The National Cancer Institute approached the DEA in the early 1980s regarding their study of THC's in relieving nausea and vomiting. As a result, the DEA facilitated the registration and provided regulatory support and guidance for the study. From the company that produces THC in pill form: This extensive research also found... No evidence of abuse of Marinol among patients. No interest in abuse of Marinol among cannibis-dependant populations. No street market for Marinol Due to these and other findings, MARINOL® became the only agent ever reclassified from Schedule II to III* * The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recognizes the lower abuse potential of MARINOL® o MARINOL® has lower abuse potential than drugs/substances in Schedules I and II2 taken from marinol.com