What do we know about marijuana's medical benefits? Two experts explain the evidence - Marijuana News - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

Tudo · 10-21-2016, 07:48 AM

Currently 25 states and the District of Columbia have medical cannabis programs. On Nov. 8, Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota will vote on medical cannabis ballot initiatives, while Montana will vote on repealing limitations in its existing law.
We have no political position on cannabis legalization. We study the cannabis plant, also known as marijuana, and its related chemical compounds. Despite claims that cannabis or its extracts relieve all sorts of maladies, the research has been sparse and the results mixed. At the moment, we just don't know enough about cannabis or its elements to judge how effective it is as a medicine.
What does the available research suggest about medical cannabis, and why do we know so little about it?
What are researchers studying?
While some researchers are investigating smoked or vaporized cannabis most are looking at specific cannabis compounds, called cannabinoids.
From a research standpoint, cannabis is considered a "dirty" drug because it contains hundreds of compounds with poorly understood effects. That's why researchers tend to focus on just one cannabinoid at a time. Only two plant-based cannabinoids, THC and cannabidiol, have been studied extensively, but there could be others with medical benefits that we don't know about yet.
THC is the main active component of cannabis. It activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain, causing the "high" associated with cannabis, as well as in the liver, and other parts of the body. The only FDA-approved cannabinoids that doctors can legally prescribe are both lab produced drugs similar to THC. They are prescribed to increase appetite and prevent wasting caused by cancer or AIDS.
Cannabidiol (also called CBD), on the other hand, doesn't interact with cannabinoid receptors. It doesn't cause a high. Seventeen states have passed laws allowing access to CBD for people with certain medical conditions.
Our bodies also produce cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids. Researchers are creating new drugs that alter their function, to better understand how cannabinoid receptors work. The goal of these studies is to discover treatments that can use the body's own cannabinoids to treat conditions such as chronic pain and epilepsy, instead of using cannabis itself.
Cannabis is promoted as a treatment for many medical conditions. We'll take a look at two, chronic pain and epilepsy, to illustrate what we actually know about its medical benefits.
Is it a chronic pain treatment?
Research suggests that some people with chronic pain self-medicate with cannabis. However, there is limited human research on whether cannabis or cannabinoids effectively reduce chronic pain.
Research in people suggest that certain conditions, such as chronic pain caused by nerve injury, may respond to smoked or vaporized cannabis, as well as an FDA-approved THC drug. But, most of these studies rely on subjective self-reported pain ratings, a significant limitation. Only a few controlled clinical trials have been run, so we can't yet conclude whether cannabis is an effective pain treatment.
An alternative research approach focuses on drug combination therapies, where an experimental cannabinoid drug is combined with an existing drug. For instance, a recent study in mice combined a low dose of a THC-like drug with an aspirin-like drug. The combination blocked nerve-related pain better than either drug alone.
In theory, the advantage to combination drug therapies is that less of each drug is needed, and side effects are reduced. In addition, some people may respond better to one drug ingredient than the other, so the drug combination may work for more people. Similar studies have not yet been run in people.
Well-designed epilepsy studies are badly needed
Despite some sensational news stories and widespread speculation on the internet, the use of cannabis to reduce epileptic seizures is supported more by research in rodents than in people.
In people the evidence is much less clear. There are many anecdotes and surveys about the positive effects of cannabis flowers or extracts for treating epilepsy. But these aren't the same thing as well-controlled clinical trials, which can tell us which types of seizure, if any, respond positively to cannabinoids and give us stronger predictions about how most people respond.
While CBD has gained interest as a potential treatment for seizures in people, the physiological link between the two is unknown. As with chronic pain, the few clinical studies have been done included very few patients. Studies of larger groups of people can tell us whether only some patients respond positively to CBD.
We also need to know more about the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body, what systems they regulate, and how they could be influenced by CBD. For instance, CBD may interact with anti-epileptic drugs in ways we are still learning about. It may also have different effects in a developing brain than in an adult brain. Caution is particularly urged when seeking to medicate children with CBD or cannabis products.
Cannabis research is hard
Well-designed studies are the most effective way for us to understand what medical benefits cannabis may have. But research on cannabis or cannabinoids is particularly difficult.
Cannabis and its related compounds, THC and CBD, are on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which is for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" and includes Ecstasy and heroin.
In order to study cannabis, a researcher must first request permission at the state and federal level. This is followed by a lengthy federal review process involving inspections to ensure high security and detailed record-keeping.
In our labs, even the very small amounts of cannabinoids we need to conduct research in mice are highly scrutinized. This regulatory burden discourages many researchers.
Designing studies can also be a challenge. Many are based on users' memories of their symptoms and how much cannabis they use. Bias is a limitation of any study that includes self-reports. Furthermore, laboratory-based studies usually include only moderate to heavy users, who are likely to have formed some tolerance to marijuana's effects and may not reflect the general population. These studies are also limited by using whole cannabis, which contains many cannabinoids, most of which are poorly understood.
Placebo trials can be a challenge because the euphoria associated with cannabis makes it easy to identify, especially at high THC doses. People know when they are high.
Another type of bias, called expectancy bias, is a particular issue with cannabis research. This is the idea that we tend to experience what we expect, based on our previous knowledge. For example, people report feeling more alert after drinking what they are told is regular coffee, even if it is actually decaffeinated. Similarly, research participants may report pain relief after ingesting cannabis, because they believe that cannabis relieves pain.
The best way to overcome expectancy effects is with a balanced placebo design, in which participants are told that they are taking a placebo or varying cannabis dose, regardless of what they actually receive.
Studies should also include objective, biological measures, such as blood levels of THC or CBD, or physiological and sensory measures routinely used in other areas of biomedical research. At the moment, few do this, prioritizing self-reported measures instead.
Cannabis isn't without risks
Abuse potential is a concern with any drug that affects the brain, and cannabinoids are no exception. Cannabis is somewhat similar to tobacco, in that some people have great difficulty quitting. And like tobacco, cannabis is a natural product that has been selectively bred to have strong effects on the brain and is not without risk.
Although many cannabis users are able to stop using the drug without problem, 2-6 percent of users have difficulty quitting. Repeated use, despite the desire to decrease or stop using, is known as cannabis use disorder.
As more states more states pass medical cannabis or recreational cannabis laws, the number of people with some degree of cannabis use disorder is also likely to increase.
It is too soon to say for certain that the potential benefits of cannabis outweigh the risks. But with restrictions to cannabis (and cannabidiol) loosening at the state level, research is badly needed to get the facts in order
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-10-marijuana-medical-benefits-experts-evidence.html

Itsmychoice · 10-23-2016, 07:02 PM

"It is too soon to say for certain that the potential benefits of cannabis outweigh the risks."

I think we are well past this point though. A little personnel research has revealed that dried cannabis trim washed in alcohol and added to coconut oil, then warmed to evaporate the alcohol produces a lotion that has positive results in treating severe psoriasis. All 30 participates have had results better than achieved through 20-60 years of "traditional" medical treatment. Some experiencing clear skin for the first time in their memories. This is just one example of many positives I have become aware of. In legalization, I really don't see any extra risk that we have not already been experiencing with cannabis demand being met by the unregulated black market, if anything changes risks are reduced in a legal market.

FredyJohnSmith · 01-17-2018, 12:58 PM

Agreed, But extensive research must be conducted. Only then we can how medical marijuana is beneficial. No doubt it is the wonder herb. but research demands time. So having some patience is not good at all.

PDX Dopesmoker · 01-24-2018, 08:17 AM

Quote:

difficulty quitting

why would anyone want to quit?

HuffnPufferfish · 01-24-2018, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FredyJohnSmith

Agreed, But extensive research must be conducted. Only then we can how medical marijuana is beneficial. No doubt it is the wonder herb. but research demands time. So having some patience is not good at all.

what research do you want done? thers 30 - 50 thousands research papers on cannabis, and you thought of something new to research huh?

Quote:

Abuse potential is a concern with any drug that affects the brain, and cannabinoids are no exception. Cannabis is somewhat similar to tobacco, in that some people have great difficulty quitting. And like tobacco, cannabis is a natural product that has been selectively bred to have strong effects on the brain and is not without risk.

uh its a plant? jeez
i like how they based their risk assessment on "its not witouht risk" uhhhkay

Weird · 01-24-2018, 05:55 PM

tobacco is physically addictive cannabis is not

Gram Paw smurf · 01-24-2018, 06:40 PM

Also causes cancer which canna only fights far as we've seen.
Not the only things in that schpeel that had me questioning the "medical professionals" actual "expertise" on the subject.
They sound like government assholes who haven't seen any solid research results cause they never looked through the piles of it with the intent of finding any.
Prob the most widely studied and worked with plant in the history of our species n these chumps wanna sit there n act like it just fell to earth yesterday ffs.
New age fear mongering propaganda claiming shit that doesn't sound as absurd but is still as much a lie.

cheers,....................... ........................gps

Betterhaff · 01-24-2018, 07:10 PM

It’s very hard to conduct research on Cannabis in the United States because of its scheduling. Have to get permissions, even materials, blah, blah, blah from the government.

Since 1974, NIDA, has been conducting research on cannabis but only concerning its negative effects. Sometimes you have to wonder what they really know.

Tudo · 01-26-2018, 11:52 PM

I have lived with chronic pain originating in my neck for more than 12 years and the only solution the "medical community" has for me here is, Oxycodone and surgery with the later being so risky they say I can end up a paraplegic and to avoid it, take the pills they say.

Well the pills destroyed my bowels which now I live in hell up top and down below having now had 6 surgical experiments done to me in 18 months and now it's so bad that it's off to Cleveland Clinic for possible major surgery the kind of which no human being wants. Meanwhile the cannabis, unfortunately the damage to my bowels already done, has helped me reduce my intake of that poison from 8 pills a day to 1/2 of 1 when it just becomes too unbearable.

So they can go fk themselves with their claim of it needing the potential dangers. THEY are dangerous.

Cannabis is a gift from G-d.

SoulAnnoyed · 01-27-2018, 05:10 AM

The biggest obstacle of Cannabis research is the most obvious one.

Is weed smoke more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke? Who knows. Cigarettes are not a natural product. We're they using tobacco, or Marlborough in the test? Is the Marijuana they are using Marlborough grade or natural?

Is nitrate laced smoke more carcinogenic than non nitrate laced smoke? ABSOLUTLEY

The industry will NEVER allow it to be accepted that Miracle-Gro bud is counter to well being.

Harvest at day time vs nighttime alone will give you 2 incomparable printouts. Not all Cannabis is created equal. In fact only a small minority is a natural produce.

10-21-2016, 07:48 AM	#1
Tudo Troublemaker Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 3,744	What do we know about marijuana's medical benefits? Two experts explain the evidence Currently 25 states and the District of Columbia have medical cannabis programs. On Nov. 8, Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota will vote on medical cannabis ballot initiatives, while Montana will vote on repealing limitations in its existing law. We have no political position on cannabis legalization. We study the cannabis plant, also known as marijuana, and its related chemical compounds. Despite claims that cannabis or its extracts relieve all sorts of maladies, the research has been sparse and the results mixed. At the moment, we just don't know enough about cannabis or its elements to judge how effective it is as a medicine. What does the available research suggest about medical cannabis, and why do we know so little about it? What are researchers studying? While some researchers are investigating smoked or vaporized cannabis most are looking at specific cannabis compounds, called cannabinoids. From a research standpoint, cannabis is considered a "dirty" drug because it contains hundreds of compounds with poorly understood effects. That's why researchers tend to focus on just one cannabinoid at a time. Only two plant-based cannabinoids, THC and cannabidiol, have been studied extensively, but there could be others with medical benefits that we don't know about yet. THC is the main active component of cannabis. It activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain, causing the "high" associated with cannabis, as well as in the liver, and other parts of the body. The only FDA-approved cannabinoids that doctors can legally prescribe are both lab produced drugs similar to THC. They are prescribed to increase appetite and prevent wasting caused by cancer or AIDS. Cannabidiol (also called CBD), on the other hand, doesn't interact with cannabinoid receptors. It doesn't cause a high. Seventeen states have passed laws allowing access to CBD for people with certain medical conditions. Our bodies also produce cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids. Researchers are creating new drugs that alter their function, to better understand how cannabinoid receptors work. The goal of these studies is to discover treatments that can use the body's own cannabinoids to treat conditions such as chronic pain and epilepsy, instead of using cannabis itself. Cannabis is promoted as a treatment for many medical conditions. We'll take a look at two, chronic pain and epilepsy, to illustrate what we actually know about its medical benefits. Is it a chronic pain treatment? Research suggests that some people with chronic pain self-medicate with cannabis. However, there is limited human research on whether cannabis or cannabinoids effectively reduce chronic pain. Research in people suggest that certain conditions, such as chronic pain caused by nerve injury, may respond to smoked or vaporized cannabis, as well as an FDA-approved THC drug. But, most of these studies rely on subjective self-reported pain ratings, a significant limitation. Only a few controlled clinical trials have been run, so we can't yet conclude whether cannabis is an effective pain treatment. An alternative research approach focuses on drug combination therapies, where an experimental cannabinoid drug is combined with an existing drug. For instance, a recent study in mice combined a low dose of a THC-like drug with an aspirin-like drug. The combination blocked nerve-related pain better than either drug alone. In theory, the advantage to combination drug therapies is that less of each drug is needed, and side effects are reduced. In addition, some people may respond better to one drug ingredient than the other, so the drug combination may work for more people. Similar studies have not yet been run in people. Well-designed epilepsy studies are badly needed Despite some sensational news stories and widespread speculation on the internet, the use of cannabis to reduce epileptic seizures is supported more by research in rodents than in people. In people the evidence is much less clear. There are many anecdotes and surveys about the positive effects of cannabis flowers or extracts for treating epilepsy. But these aren't the same thing as well-controlled clinical trials, which can tell us which types of seizure, if any, respond positively to cannabinoids and give us stronger predictions about how most people respond. While CBD has gained interest as a potential treatment for seizures in people, the physiological link between the two is unknown. As with chronic pain, the few clinical studies have been done included very few patients. Studies of larger groups of people can tell us whether only some patients respond positively to CBD. We also need to know more about the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body, what systems they regulate, and how they could be influenced by CBD. For instance, CBD may interact with anti-epileptic drugs in ways we are still learning about. It may also have different effects in a developing brain than in an adult brain. Caution is particularly urged when seeking to medicate children with CBD or cannabis products. Cannabis research is hard Well-designed studies are the most effective way for us to understand what medical benefits cannabis may have. But research on cannabis or cannabinoids is particularly difficult. Cannabis and its related compounds, THC and CBD, are on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which is for drugs with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse" and includes Ecstasy and heroin. In order to study cannabis, a researcher must first request permission at the state and federal level. This is followed by a lengthy federal review process involving inspections to ensure high security and detailed record-keeping. In our labs, even the very small amounts of cannabinoids we need to conduct research in mice are highly scrutinized. This regulatory burden discourages many researchers. Designing studies can also be a challenge. Many are based on users' memories of their symptoms and how much cannabis they use. Bias is a limitation of any study that includes self-reports. Furthermore, laboratory-based studies usually include only moderate to heavy users, who are likely to have formed some tolerance to marijuana's effects and may not reflect the general population. These studies are also limited by using whole cannabis, which contains many cannabinoids, most of which are poorly understood. Placebo trials can be a challenge because the euphoria associated with cannabis makes it easy to identify, especially at high THC doses. People know when they are high. Another type of bias, called expectancy bias, is a particular issue with cannabis research. This is the idea that we tend to experience what we expect, based on our previous knowledge. For example, people report feeling more alert after drinking what they are told is regular coffee, even if it is actually decaffeinated. Similarly, research participants may report pain relief after ingesting cannabis, because they believe that cannabis relieves pain. The best way to overcome expectancy effects is with a balanced placebo design, in which participants are told that they are taking a placebo or varying cannabis dose, regardless of what they actually receive. Studies should also include objective, biological measures, such as blood levels of THC or CBD, or physiological and sensory measures routinely used in other areas of biomedical research. At the moment, few do this, prioritizing self-reported measures instead. Cannabis isn't without risks Abuse potential is a concern with any drug that affects the brain, and cannabinoids are no exception. Cannabis is somewhat similar to tobacco, in that some people have great difficulty quitting. And like tobacco, cannabis is a natural product that has been selectively bred to have strong effects on the brain and is not without risk. Although many cannabis users are able to stop using the drug without problem, 2-6 percent of users have difficulty quitting. Repeated use, despite the desire to decrease or stop using, is known as cannabis use disorder. As more states more states pass medical cannabis or recreational cannabis laws, the number of people with some degree of cannabis use disorder is also likely to increase. It is too soon to say for certain that the potential benefits of cannabis outweigh the risks. But with restrictions to cannabis (and cannabidiol) loosening at the state level, research is badly needed to get the facts in order https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-10-marijuana-medical-benefits-experts-evidence.html __________________ The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good things is my religion. Thomas Paine ( Godfather of the American Revolution)
	Quote 3 members found this post helpful.

10-23-2016, 07:02 PM	#2
Itsmychoice Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Between the creeks Posts: 198	Interesting "It is too soon to say for certain that the potential benefits of cannabis outweigh the risks." I think we are well past this point though. A little personnel research has revealed that dried cannabis trim washed in alcohol and added to coconut oil, then warmed to evaporate the alcohol produces a lotion that has positive results in treating severe psoriasis. All 30 participates have had results better than achieved through 20-60 years of "traditional" medical treatment. Some experiencing clear skin for the first time in their memories. This is just one example of many positives I have become aware of. In legalization, I really don't see any extra risk that we have not already been experiencing with cannabis demand being met by the unregulated black market, if anything changes risks are reduced in a legal market.
	Quote 1 members found this post helpful.

01-24-2018, 06:40 PM	#7
Gram Paw smurf Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Smurf Village Posts: 349	Also causes cancer which canna only fights far as we've seen. Not the only things in that schpeel that had me questioning the "medical professionals" actual "expertise" on the subject. They sound like government assholes who haven't seen any solid research results cause they never looked through the piles of it with the intent of finding any. Prob the most widely studied and worked with plant in the history of our species n these chumps wanna sit there n act like it just fell to earth yesterday ffs. New age fear mongering propaganda claiming shit that doesn't sound as absurd but is still as much a lie. cheers,....................... ........................gps __________________ Nothing is unpossible!
	Quote 2 members found this post helpful.

01-26-2018, 11:52 PM	#9
Tudo Troublemaker Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 3,744	I have lived with chronic pain originating in my neck for more than 12 years and the only solution the "medical community" has for me here is, Oxycodone and surgery with the later being so risky they say I can end up a paraplegic and to avoid it, take the pills they say. Well the pills destroyed my bowels which now I live in hell up top and down below having now had 6 surgical experiments done to me in 18 months and now it's so bad that it's off to Cleveland Clinic for possible major surgery the kind of which no human being wants. Meanwhile the cannabis, unfortunately the damage to my bowels already done, has helped me reduce my intake of that poison from 8 pills a day to 1/2 of 1 when it just becomes too unbearable. So they can go fk themselves with their claim of it needing the potential dangers. THEY are dangerous. Cannabis is a gift from G-d. __________________ The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good things is my religion. Thomas Paine ( Godfather of the American Revolution)
	Quote

01-17-2018, 12:58 PM	#3
FredyJohnSmith Newbie Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Canada Posts: 27	Agreed, But extensive research must be conducted. Only then we can how medical marijuana is beneficial. No doubt it is the wonder herb. but research demands time. So having some patience is not good at all.
	Quote

01-24-2018, 07:10 PM	#8
Betterhaff Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,568	It’s very hard to conduct research on Cannabis in the United States because of its scheduling. Have to get permissions, even materials, blah, blah, blah from the government. Since 1974, NIDA, has been conducting research on cannabis but only concerning its negative effects. Sometimes you have to wonder what they really know.
	Quote

01-27-2018, 05:10 AM	#10
SoulAnnoyed Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 96	The biggest obstacle of Cannabis research is the most obvious one. Is weed smoke more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke? Who knows. Cigarettes are not a natural product. We're they using tobacco, or Marlborough in the test? Is the Marijuana they are using Marlborough grade or natural? Is nitrate laced smoke more carcinogenic than non nitrate laced smoke? ABSOLUTLEY The industry will NEVER allow it to be accepted that Miracle-Gro bud is counter to well being. Harvest at day time vs nighttime alone will give you 2 incomparable printouts. Not all Cannabis is created equal. In fact only a small minority is a natural produce.
	Quote