Last night we had our annual BBQ on the rocks. It's so fun but a lot of work. Chris had a friend from work who was from India here visiting for two weeks so he brought him over. He played the guitar and sang and brought an Indian treat. Chris described it like a combination of eating tree bark, insulation and cotton candy, it was good but very interesting. He also gave us this banner thing you hang in your house that has a dragon on it that's bright red and gold. We sat and visited and then went out front to do fireworks like we always do. It was a great show.
I was doing a lot of research on CAM therapies (complementary and alternative medicine). I had heard some good things as far as treating seizures with Cannabis (marijuana) which one of my sons has. I had also heard that oncologists were getting on board using it as well so my interest was sparked to find out more. Here are a few excepts from research I've found;
General Information (NCI-National Cancer Institute)
- Cannabis , also known as marijuana, originated in Central Asia but is grown worldwide today.
- In the United States, it is a controlled substance and is classified as a Schedule I agent (a drug with increased potential for abuse and no known medical use).
- The Cannabis plant produces a resin containing psychoactive compounds called cannabinoids. The highest concentration of cannabinoids is found in the female flowers of the plant.
- Clinical trials conducted on medicinal Cannabis are limited. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of Cannabis as a treatment for any medical condition. To conduct clinical drug research in the United States, researchers must file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA.
- The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include: antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep.
- Although few relevant surveys of practice patterns exist, it appears that physicians caring for cancer patients in the United States who recommend medicinal Cannabis predominantly do so for symptom management.
Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brainstem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur. However, cannabinoid receptors are present in other tissues throughout the body, not just in the central nervous system, and adverse effects include: tachycardia, hypotension, conjunctival injection, bronchodilation, muscle relaxation, and decreased gastrointestinal motility.
Although
cannabinoids are considered by some to be addictive drugs, their
addictive potential is considerably lower than that of other prescribed agents or substances of abuse. The brain develops a tolerance to cannabinoids.
Withdrawal symptoms: such as irritability, insomnia with sleep electroencephalogram disturbance, restlessness, hot flashes, and, rarely, nausea
and cramping have been observed. However, these symptoms appear to be
mild compared with withdrawal symptoms associated with opiates or
benzodiazepines, and the symptoms usually dissipate after a few days.
Unlike
other commonly used drugs, cannabinoids are stored in adipose tissue
and excreted at a low rate (half-life 1–3 days), so even abrupt
cessation of cannabinoid intake is not associated with rapid declines in
plasma concentrations that would precipitate severe or abrupt withdrawal symptoms or drug cravings.
Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to affect the immune system. However, there is no evidence that Cannabis' effects on the immune system help the body fight cancer
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