History
Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for over 4,800 years. Surviving texts from China, Greece and Persia confirm that its psychoactive properties were recognized, and the ancient doctors used it for a variety of illnesses and ailments. These included a whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, headaches and as a pain reliever, frequently used in childbirth. In India, cannabis can be definitely identified in such contexts only from about AD 1000.
Cannabis as a medicine was common throughout most of the world in the 1800s. It was used as the primary painkiller until the invention of aspirin. Modern medical and scientific inquiry began with doctors like O'Shaughnessy and Moreau de Tours, who used it to treat melancholia, migraines, and as a sleeping aid, analgesic and anticonvulsant.
By the time the United States banned the plant (the third country to do so), it was no longer extremely popular. The only opponent to the bill, The Marihuana Tax Act, was the representative of the American Medical Association.
Later in the century, researchers investigating methods of detecting marijuana intoxication discovered that smoking the drug reduced intraocular pressure. High intraocular pressure causes blindness in glaucoma patients, so many believed that using the drug could prevent blindness in patients. Many Vietnam War veterans also believed that the drug prevented muscle spasms caused by battle-induced spinal injuries. Later medical use has focused primarily on its role in preventing the wasting syndromes and chronic loss of appetite associated with chemotherapy and AIDS, along with a variety of rare muscular and skeletal disorders. Less commonly, cannabis has been used in the treatment of alcoholism and addiction to other drugs such as heroin and the prevention of migraines.
In 1972 Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D. reignited the debate concerning marijuana as medicine when he published "Marijuana Medical Papers 1839-1972".
Later in the 1970s, a synthetic version of THC, the primary active ingredient in cannabis, was synthesized to make the drug Marinol. Users reported several problems with Marinol, however, that led many to abandon the pill and resume smoking the plant. Patients complained that the violent nausea associated with chemotherapy made swallowing pills difficult. Smoked marijuana takes effect almost immediately, and is therefore easily dosed; many patients only smoke enough to feel the medical effects -- many complained that Marinol was more potent than they needed, and that the mental effects made normal daily functioning impossible. In addition, Marinol was far more expensive, costing upwards of several thousand dollars a year for the same effect as smoking a plant easily grown throughout most of the world. Many users felt Marinol was less effective, and that the mental effects were far more disastrous; some studies have indicated that other chemicals in the plant may have a synergistic effect with THC.
In addition, during the 1970s and 1980s, six US states' health departments performed studies on the use of medical marijuana. These are widely considered some of the most useful and pioneering studies on the subject.
Early studies on efficacy
New Mexico
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the study included 250 patients and compared smoked marijuana to oral THC. All participants were referred by a medical doctor and had failed to control vomiting using at least three alternative antiemetics. Patients chose smoking marijuana or taking the THC pill. Multiple objective and subjective standards were used to determing the effectiveness.
* Conclusion: Marijuana is far superior to the best available drug, Compazine, and smoked marijuana is clearly superior to oral THC. "More than ninety percent of the patients who received marijuana... reported significant or total relief from nausea and vomiting". No major side effects were reported, though three patients reported adverse reactions that did not involve marijuana alone.
New York
New York ran a large scale study using 199 patients who had not found success with other antiemetic therapies. Each patient received 6,044 marijuana cigarettes, which were provided to the patient during 514 treatment episodes
* Conclusions: North Shore Hospital reported marijuana was effective at reducing emesis 92.9 percent of the time; Columbia Memorial Hospital reported efficacy of 89.7 percent; Upstate Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital and Jamestown General Hospital reported 100 percent of the patients smoking marijuana gained significant benefit. "Patient evaluations have indicated that approximately ninety-three (93) percent of marijuana inhalation treatment episodes are reported to be effective or highly effective when compared to other antiemetics."; no serious adverse side effects were reported.
Tennessee
27 patients had failed on other antiemetic therapies, including oral THC.
* Conclusion: 90.4% success for smoked marijuana; 66.7% for oral THC. "We found both marijuana smoking and THC capsules to be effective antiemetics. We found an approximate 23 percent higher success rate among those patients administered THC capsules. We found no significant differences in success rates by age group. We found that the major reason for smoking failure was smoking intolerance; while the major reason for THC capsule failure was nausea and vomiting so severe that the patient could not retain the capsule.
California
A series of studies throughout the 1980s involved 90–100 patients a year. The study was designed to make it easier for patients to enter the oral THC part of the study. Patients who wanted smoked marijuana had to be over 15 years old (oral THC patients had to be over 5) and use the drug only in the hospital and not at home. Smoked marijuana patients also had to receive rare and painful forms of chemotherapy.
* Conclusion: Despite the bias towards oral THC, the California study concluded that smoked marijuana was more effective and established a safe dosage regimen that minimized adverse side effects. The full text of the study can be seen here.
Michigan
165 patients were randomly assigned to use either Torecan, an antiemetic, or smoked marijuana. The randomization process failed, however, and the patients were allowed to crossover.
* Conclusion: 71.1% of marijuana users reported no or moderate nausea and 90% chose to continue using it; 8 out of 83 patients who had initially been randomly assigned to marijuana chose to switch to Torecan; 22 out of 23 patients randomized to Torecan chose to switch to smoked marijuana. Side effects included increased appetite (this is a positive effect) reported by 32.3%, insomnia, reported by 21% and sore throat, reported by 13 patients out of 165.
Georgia
119 patients that had failed using other antiemetics were randomly assigned to oral THC pills and either standardized or patient-controlled smoking of marijuana.
* Conclusion: All three categories were successful -- patient controlled smokers at 72.2%; standardized smokers at 65.4%; oral THC at 76%. Failure of oral THC patients was due to adverse reaction (6 out of 18) or failure to improve (9 out of 18); failure of smoking marijuana was due to intolerance for smoking (6 out of 14) or failure to improve (3 out of 14).
Current status of medical marijuana around the world
International law
Marijuana is in Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it subject to special restrictions. Article 2 provides for the following, in reference to Schedule IV drugs:
A Party shall, if in its opinion the prevailing conditions in its country render it the most appropriate means of protecting the public health and welfare, prohibit the production, manufacture, export and import of, trade in, possession or use of any such drug except for amounts which may be necessary for medical and scientific research only, including clinical trials therewith to be conducted under or subject to the direct supervision and control of the Party.
This provision, while apparently providing for the limitation of marijuana to research purposes only, also seems to allow some latitude for nations to make their own judgments. The official Commentary on the Single Convention indicates that Parties are expected to make that judgment in good faith.
Albania
In spite of laws prohibiting growing and possessing cannabis, enforcement has been virtually nil. There have been fewer than ten arrests in five years.
Australia
After politicians in the Australian Capital Territory voted to allow doctors to determine when cannabis was appropriate for their patients, intense lobbying by the federal government resulted in the legislation being overturned.
Belgium
Though the drug is still illegal, the Belgian government has recently initiated trials to determine the effectiveness of medical marijuana, and may soon decriminalize possession of small amounts.
Cameroon
Growing cannabis for any reason is illegal, though AIDS and cancer patients are allowed to use the drug to treat their symptoms.
Canada
In Hitzig v. Canada (2003), a court again declared Canada's Marijuana Medical Access Regulations unconstitutional "in not allowing seriously ill Canadians to use marijuana because there is no legal source of supply of the drug." In effect, this means that Canadians cannot be prosecuted for using marijuana medically because the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations gives patients the right to do so, but does not set up any legal apparatus for obtaining cannabis.
Back in July 2000, in the "Parker" (epileptic Terry Parker) decision, another judge had made a declaration of invalidity of Canada's drug laws as they relate to the "simple possession" of marijuana due to the lack of a reasonable exemption from the law for medicinal use. The Canadian government was given one year (a suspension of the declaration of invalidity) to remedy the situation, and created the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations. These regulations have been repeatedly deemed unconstitutional in a series of court decisions including "Hitzig."
In a similar case based upon these decisions, lawyer Brian McAllister argued on behalf of a 16 year old that because the Canadian government, after setting up the MMAR, never reenacted the relevant section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Canada effectively has no prosecutable laws prohibiting the "simple possession" of any amount of cannabis.
Representatives of the United States federal government have claimed that decriminalizing cannabis in Canada may disrupt border trade and relations between the two countries; many Canadians believe that this remains the primary obstacle to decriminalization in Canada. There is some belief that American egotism or desire to be "the world's policeman" is a factor in its attitudes.
Canada produces about 400kg of medical marijuana annually, in an abandoned mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba. On April 19, 2005, the Canadian government additionally licenced the prescription sale of a natural marijuana extract - effectively liquid marijuana - called Sativex. [3]
Germany
Purportedly, use is legal and possession of small amounts not enforced.
Israel
A small number of people have been granted special permission to use cannabis for medical uses by the Health Ministry.
The Israeli military uses marijuana for experimental treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder of soldiers. [4] [5] [6]
Jamaica
Cannabis possession remains illegal for any reason, though enforcement is scarce. A recent panel recommended legalizing possession for adults for recreation or medical use.
Japan
All THC-containing forms of cannabis have been illegal since 1948, when the occupying forces of the United States enacted the Hemp Control Law after World War II.
Luxembourg
Cannabis possession is now legal for adults for recreational or medical uses as long the possessor is not near a campus and no children are involved. A loophole in the law makes it impossible for police to search for or seize cannabis, making enforcement difficult.
Netherlands
Cannabis has been legally available for recreational use in coffee shops for several years. Thus it has also been available without a prescription for medical uses. In addition, since 2003 it is a legal prescription drug known as "Mediwiet", available at the pharmacy. There it costs more than in the coffee shop: ca. €9 per gram. It is important to note that laws remain on the books classifying possesion and sale as illegal, but due to a non-enforcement policy, it has been de facto legalized. See Drug policy of the Netherlands.
New Zealand
Health Minister Annette King has stated that she is not "unsympathetic to using cannabis in a medicinal form. But that's different to saying we should let everybody smoke it." Her official position is that more conclusive studies are needed, and a method of regulating dosage is necessary before she support medical access to cannabis.
Scott David Findlay, a paraplegic, was convicted of cannabis charges. The judge, Robert Spear (Dunedin District Court) offered to allow community service instead of imprisonment, but Findlay does not recognize the validity of New Zealand's cannabis laws and would not perform community service. Judge Spear claimed this was a "hollow protest" that he was nonetheless allowed to make, and sentenced him to three months imprisonment.
Portugal
Since 2001, possession of any drug for personal use has been legal, though sale and trafficking are still criminal offenses. One can still be arrested and fined for using cannabis in public, or for possession of more than 25 grams.
Spain
Research provides an important new lead compound for anticancer drugs, links to the story can be found here. The full text of the study can be seen here.
In October 2005, the autonomous government in the region of Catalonia launched a program of therapeutical use of Cannabinol for six hundred patients of a wide set of illnesses, from multiple sclerosis to cancer, in order to avoid nauseas or to relax tense muscles. The project involves six hospitals, forty researchers and sixty drugstores. The product is presented as an atomizer to be taken orally, and it will be delivered at drugstores inside some hospitals.
South Africa
Prof. Frances Ames completed her research in 1958. The full text of the study can be seen here. Further medical research is currently being performed by the University of the Western Cape by Dr John Thomas.
Switzerland
Though all possession and cultivation remains illegal in most parts of the country, coffee shops can still be found in Bienne and Interlaken. However, power rests in the hands of the UDC (Union Droite Cretienne; Right Catholic Government), which is strongly committed to winning the fight against marijuana and all drugs in Switzerland.
United Kingdom
In 1998, a House of Lords inquiry recommended that cannabis be made available with a doctor's prescription. Though the government of the UK has not accepted the recommendations, new long-term clinical trials have been authorized. Increasingly, juries have returned verdicts of "not guilty" for people charged with marijuana possession for medical use.
In 2003, GW Pharmaceuticals, the UK company granted the exclusive licence to cultivate cannabis for medicinal trials announced the completion of its clinical trials. The company has said that it is on track for obtaining regulatory approval to license the manufacture and sale of a cannabis based medicine starting in 2004. (In April 2005 its Sativex marijuana extract was licenced for prescription sale in Canada.)
United States
There is a split between the US federal and state governments over medical marijuana policy. On June 6, 2005, the Supreme Court, in Gonzales v. Raich, ruled in a 6-3 decision that Congress has the right to outlaw medicinal marijuana, thus subjecting all patients to federal prosecution even in states where the treatment is legalized. Currently, there are ten states with effective medical marijuana laws on the books: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
The case brought into tension two themes of the Rehnquist court: the limits it has imposed on the federal government and the latitude it has afforded law enforcement officers. Those issues produced an unusual breakdown among the nine justices.
Joining Justice John Paul Stevens's majority decision were Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote separately to say he agreed with the result, though not the majority's reasoning. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Clarence Thomas dissented.
According to the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana "has no accepted medical use" and is illegal for any reason, with the notable exception of FDA-approved research programs. The Act allows mis-controlled substances to be reclassified by petition by any member of the public, but federal agencies whose power and budgets depend on the illegal status of marijuana have denied each such petition (another, by Jon Gettman, is pending). See cannabis rescheduling in the United States.
A successful "medical necessity" defense by patient Robert Randall led the FDA to create an "Investigational New Drug Program", which provides medical marijuana grown under a NIDA contract at the Research Institute for Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Mississippi to a small number of patients since 1978. The program was closed to new patients in 1992 when many AIDS patients applied. Six living patients continue to receive federal marijuana, including Irvin Rosenfeld [7] (for bone spurs), Elvy Musikka (for glaucoma), and George McMahon (who authored Prescription Pot, a book detailing the federal program, which contains the only existing medical study performed on the legal patients). These patients are required by the U.S. Government to smoke the marijuana through a "rolled paper tube" (they are not allowed to eat it or use pipes or vaporizers). All the patients and their doctors report significant medical benefits from their use of marijuana.
DEA and NIDA opposition prevented any scientific studies of medical marijuana for more than a decade, but in the 1990s, activists and doctors were energized by seeing marijuana help dying AIDS patients. A study of smoked marijuna at the University of California at San Francisco under Dr. Donald Abrams was approved after five years of bureacracy. Further research followed, particularly due to a ten million dollar research appropriation by the California legislature. Many years of work remain before sufficient research could be approved and conducted to meet the FDA's standards for approving marijuana as a new prescription medicine. Politicians are generally hostile to altering the status of marijuana. However, the popularity of medical marijuana among ordinary citizens, who regularly poll at about 75% in favor, has resulted in the introduction of bills in Congress which would eliminate federal controls in states which approve medical marijuana. No such bill has received enough votes in Congress to become law, possibly because the currently dominant Republican Party is opposed.
At the state level, thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have legislation on the books which allows for medical use of marijuana. Most require that it be "prescribed", which is problematic when federal agencies control doctors' power to prescribe. Ten states have made laws which permit doctors to instead "recommend" marijuana, starting with California Proposition 215 (1996). The most recent such state was Montana in 2004, with voters 62% in favor and 38% opposed. Hawaii, Maine and Maryland have legalized medical marijuana by legislative action, and the California legislature expanded patient protections in 2003. District of Columbia voters also passed several modern medical marijuana initiatives, but Congress first denied the funds to count the vote, then when that was declared unconstitutional, voted to overturn the initiative. Even in the best states, law enforcement agencies and individual officers frequently violate the law and the rights of patients, by stealing or destroying medical marijuana, and/or arresting the patients. For example, the official position of the California Narcotics Officers Association is that medical marijuana activists "misled" the public which voted to change the law [8]. Legal and social support groups such as Americans for Safe Access [9] have sprung up in defense.
Sale of medical marijuana is illegal or barely legal, even in states where patients have the right to grow or use it, due to public confusion between dispensaries and "drug dealers". However, medical marijuana dispensaries have been established in many locations, particularly in California, where they work openly with local government officials to resolve any difficulties. Many offer social services, medical consultations, and support groups as well as medicine. The first such dispensary, known as the Cannabis Buyer's Club (CBC), was opened by Dennis Peron in February, 1994. The club operated openly in San Francisco for years, even before medical marijuana was legalized. Thousands of otherwise healthy and well-behaved local gay men had died, before scientists could be persuaded to begin researching their disease. Local police and politicians did not want to be seen arresting suffering AIDS patients, or denying them any medicine that could help them. This gay community activism led directly to the "Compassionate Use Act" medical marijuana initiative, California Proposition 215 (1996), which voters approved.
Federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents regularly harass, steal from, and/or arrest medical marijuana growers and sellers. Close to 30 federal criminal cases about medical marijuana are pending. Several jurisdictions, including Oakland, California and San Mateo County, California have announced plans to distribute medical marijuana to patients. Ed Rosenthal, author of dozens of books on marijuana cultivation, grew small "starter" plants for patients on behalf of the city government of Oakland. He was convicted in federal court of manufacturing marijuana, by a jury which was never told that his marijuana was for medical patients. Shortly after the trial, eight of the fourteen jurors (and alternates) who convicted him called a press conference and denounced their verdict, arguing that the trial was not fair because the evidence that Rosenthal was growing marijuana for medical use, working on behalf of the city, and was told by DEA agents and city officials that he was immune to prosecution, was all suppressed by the judge as "irrelevant under federal law". The jury discovered the real facts, by reading newspapers, within hours after delivering their verdict. As a result of the intense public scrutiny, Rosenthal was given a sentence of only one day. He is appealing his felony conviction, and the federal government is appealing the short sentence; both appeals are on hold pending the Supreme Court's Raich decision.
Washington state Initiative 692, passed by the voters in 1998, also authorizes the medical use of marijuana. On November 2, 2004, the voters of Ann Arbor, Michigan passed a similar resolution with 74% approval.
The official policy of the federal government in the United States is that medical marijuana is a myth, promulgated by activists who have the eventual goal of legalizing all drugs. The federal government has also applied considerable pressure to other nations so that they would enact and enforce laws against marijuana. It regularly threatens the government of Canada whenever Canada announces that it will relax restrictions on marijuana.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
How To Use Medical Marijuana & Possible Side Effects
The following information regarding medical marijuana has been derived from experience. You may find some of it will be of benefit.
Many people experience different effects, just as is true with any medication. Temper your use and consider that marijuana is another form of medicine that might serve to alleviate some of the symptoms of your illness and may enhance other aspects. How it benefits you is what is important. Tell your doctor that you use medical marijuana and make sure this fact is entered into your medical records. Informed doctors can better serve patients.
Smoking:
The most expedient method of using medical marijuana is to smoke it. The effects are more controllable in this form and experienced within moments.
Inhaling smoke is a concern. We recommend a vaporizer, available in local stores. Some people don’t like to smoke it because of the aroma it gives off, that could tip off less understanding neighbours.
Eating:
Another method of using medical marijuana is ingestion. It can be baked directly or made into butter that is used to prepare foodstuffs. You must be aware that It takes considerably longer to experience the effects. Occasionally a patient may feel of uneasy. Another feeling may be of weight or heaviness, or perhaps even grogginess. It is appropriate to allow time to rest in order to assess how you will respond. Remember that every batch of baked goods will vary with the potency of the marijuana leaf that is used.
Teas:
Teas can be made from water or milk, soy, seed, nut or rice milk. The active ingredients are oil soluble. If you prefer to drink tea made from water then be certain to 'notice' the oil floating on the top of the tea. This method takes a few minutes if a flower top is being used, it may be saved and used on another occasion. Otherwise let the tea steep for 1-2 hours and add a tsp. of butter. The effects vary so begin by steeping for a short time period, increasing as needed.
Using milk requires an all day cooking period, or overnight (no less than 2 hours) if you have a crock pot. Add a cup of 'milk' (you can use soy milk or nut milk) and 2 heaping tbls. of marijuana leaf flour to the container, simmer on a low heat. You can take your "milk" with you in a thermos or reheat.
Tincture:
Preparing a tincture with vodka can be used topically, sublingually or internally. Tincture Recipe
You will need:
Glass jar- 1 quart mason jar is ideal but any size will do.
3 parts ground marijuana. Leaf bud or shake.
4 parts high proof alcohol. Everclear or Vodka.
To make Tincture:
Fill jar ¾ full of herb
Fill rest of jar with alcohol; leave some room at top stir.
Shake jar one or two times a day for 2 weeks.
Strain through metal tea strainer or silkscreen.
You can use whatever kind of clean glass, not plastic, jar you have with a tight lid. One-quart mason jars are ideal. Grind the herb thoroughly in a blender. It should be well ground but doesn’t have to be a powder. You can use leaf, bud, shake, joint leftover, or stems. Too many stems will wreck your blender and result in a weaker tincture.
Leaf works fine but for higher potency use shake or bud. Fill the jar ¾ full of herb; it does not have to be exact. You can use anywhere from ½ to 2/3 part herb but ¾ will make a full strength tincture. Use the highest proof Vodka you can find. Pour alcohol over the herb, filling the rest of the jar. Leave just enough space (an inch or so) at the top so that you will be able to shake the jar. Stir the mixture; the herb will absorb some of the alcohol so you may need to add more. Put the lid on tightly; label the contents and the date you started. It takes two weeks for the alcohol to extract all the active elements from the herb. Shake the jar once or twice a day for 2 weeks. The alcohol will rise to the top and a deep green/red color will develop. After 2 weeks of aging you can strain the tincture through a metal tea strainer or a silk screen into a small tincture bottle with a dropper. You can leave the rest in the jar if you want, it will age and mellow in flavor and you can strain off as much as you want at a time. Alcohol is a strong preservative it will hold for a long time, be careful when handling the tincture, it satins and will turn everything it comes in contact with green. Use Ultra Palmolive anti-bacterial dish soap, the orange kind, to clean the glass, metal or other ceramic utensils, (do not use plastic) sinks and counter tops works best at dissolving THC residue.
Dosage varies per individual but start with half a dropper dissolved in hot tea or water. Hot tea will dissipate some of the alcohol and activate the THC a bit. It can be taken straight but may burn the tongue and has a very strong herbal taste. Enjoy and be well.
Compress:
Make the preparation as you would tea made with water, or the tincture made with vodka. Thoroughly soak a compress in the mixture and apply directly to affected area. Allow the compress to remain for at least a half hour. Compresses are often used to alleviate the pain.
Possible Side Effects of marijuana use besides the lessengin of illness symptoms.
Marijuana use has been recorded to date back as far as 5,000 years (there has never been a single death attributed to the use of marijuana). If you are unfamiliar with its use then you should know that occasionally undesirable side effects might occur. Being informed can aid in more effective use of this herbal remedy.
- Uneasiness - Often marijuana has a soothing and comforting effect. On occasion some patients will experience feelings of anxiety instead of or in conjunction with a sense of heightened awareness. Should this anxiousness occur, there are several approaches for resolve. First remember that there is no place that you can go in your body that you can not get back from. Try to use marijuana when you are in a comfortable and secure environment. Lie down and relax. If you are with a friend or caregiver then ask your friend to keep eye contact with you. Request that they call you back to focus on the eyes, do not let your gaze wander, stay focused on the eyes. If you are alone, try looking into a mirror. If you are with your loved ones an embrace might be helpful. Sometimes we feel nervous about breaking the law, or doing the "wrong" thing. There is no shame in alleviating suffering. Not too many years ago anesthesia was against the law. \
- Hunger - Often marijuana will induce hunger. For many patients this is of great benefit and aids in weight gain in certain cases such as morning sickness and severe weight loss during pregnancy, aids, other illness, and therefore is the desires effect, not a side effect. However, If you are not happy about the idea of getting hungry and gaining weight as a side effect, and are therefore reluctant to try it though it could improve your life greatly ion other areas, try to eat nourishing food when you get the munchies. frozen ice cubes made of sugar free drinks like sugar free kool aid, or crystal light can be helpful Chew on carrots or celery, pop cherry tomatoes, and other low calorie foods.
- Thirst- Keep some water handy, it can never hurt you to drink more water J
- Drowsiness - The same warning that applies to any medication that may cause drowsiness also applies to marijuana. If you feel tired then rest. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery or anything that might endanger the well being of you or anyone else.
- Insomnia - Some patients find that they can not sleep after using marijuana or that the mind is active. Should this occur try reducing your dosage and avoid using prior to going to bed. Incorporating meditation or quiet time is useful at times like this.
- Short-Term Memory Loss - Some patients find it difficult to carry out complicated tasks or conversations, keeping track of details or learning new information. Schedule your time so that you can benefit from the use of marijuana and not be hindered by its effects. Long term memory will not be affected.
- Red Eyes - This effect will not hurt you. Wear sunglasses or use a saline solution if you feel it is absolutely necessary
- Giddiness - Sometimes marijuana can bring on a feeling of euphoria. Again it may be necessary to adjust your schedule so that happiness will not interfere with your activities. Though a good laugh can be a powerful remedy at times
Recipes for Medicinal Marijuana
Marijuana Butter
You will need:
Marijuana Shortbread
Tea Cakes
Grind to a fine flour like consistency until you have 1 ½ - 2 cups of marijuana leaf flour.
Melt a cube of butter in a skillet.
Slowly sauté the leaf in the melted butter on the lowest possible heat for at least 40 minutes. Cover, but check constantly! Stir repeatedly, keep checking the mixture. DO NOT LET BURN, STIR STIR STIR, keep checking.
You can add a small amount of water to keep the mixture from sticking, but keep your eye on the mixture and be certain that it is dry to cook with.
Let cool, then add this in place of some of the flour to any recipe that you like. Some folks add it right into a cake mix.
I make a remarkable cookie from a butter cookie recipe by just adding the flour to recipe as is and adding another egg.
You will need:
Glass jar- 1 quart mason jar is ideal but any size will do.
3 parts ground marijuana. Leaf bud or shake.
4 parts high proof alcohol. Everclear or Vodka.
To make Tincture:
Fill jar ¾ full of herb
Fill rest of jar with alcohol; leave some room at top stir.
Shake jar one or two times a day for 2 weeks.
Strain through metal tea strainer or silkscreen.
You can use whatever kind of clean glass, not plastic, jar you have with a tight lid. One-quart mason jars are ideal. Grind the herb thoroughly in a blender. It should be well ground but doesn’t have to be a powder. You can use leaf, bud, shake, joint leftover, or stems. Too many stems will wreck your blender and a weaker tincture. Leaf work fine but for higher potency use shake or bud. Fill the jar ¾ full of herb; it does not have to be exact. You can use anywhere from ½ to 2/3 part herb but ¾ will make a full strength tincture. Use the highest proof alcohol you can, Everclear, which is 180 proof, but hard to find. So just use the highest proof Vodka you can find.
Pour alcohol over the herb, filling the rest of the jar. Leave just enough space (an inch or so) at the top so that you will be able to shake the jar. Stir the mixture; the herb will absorb some of the alcohol so you may need to add more. Put the lid on tightly; label the contents and the date you started. It takes two weeks for the alcohol to extract all the active elements from the herb. Shake the jar once or twice a day for 2 weeks. The alcohol will rise to the top and a deep green/red color will develop.
After 2 weeks of aging you can strain the tincture through a metal tea strainer or a silk screen into a small tincture bottle with a dropper. You can leave the rest in the jar if you want, it will age and mellow in flavor and you can strain off as much as you want at a time. Alcohol is a strong preservative it will hold for a long time, be careful when handling the tincture, it satins and will turn everything it comes in contact with green. Use Ultra Palmolive anti-bacterial dish soap, the orange kind, to clean the glass, metal or other ceramic utensils, (do not use plastic) sinks and counter tops works best at dissolving THC residue.
Dosage varies per individual but start with half a dropper dissolved in hot tea or water. Hot tea will dissipate some of the alcohol and activate the THC a bit. It can be taken straight but may burn the tongue and has a very strong herbal taste. Enjoy and be well.
They need to be cleaned by hand.
Take them all apart and soak in:
Palmolive Ultra Anti Bacterial – Orange
2 Tbs. Bleach in soaking water in 4/5 gallons H20.
Triple rinse till clean (no soap) any bottle w/ any residue (sticky matter from tincture)
Weigh the marijuana, grind it in a coffee grinder, sift and cook it on the stove top with butter and water, spread it on a cookie sheet, bake it, cool it, then capsule it. It takes about five hours from start to finish. We capsule it in two different sizes gelatin capsules, “O” and “OO” to administer the dosage.
Making a large quantity caused the potency to diminish. Store in freezer. This makes about two week’s supply at a time and keeps the medicine fresh for use
The Ingredients
1.25 - 2.5oz marijuana leaf (you may use bud, but the strength will be increased)
¼ - ½ cup butter
¾ cup water
The following process is used to treat one youth. Each person will respond differently. Careful monitoring is essential a child's case and should be applied to anyone who might seek to follow this recipe.
Grind leaf in a coffee grinder. Sift. (Use a series of finer screens to remove larger fibrous material.) Melt butter in a saucepan or skillet. Add water and sifted leaf. Cook on lowest possible eat, bring just to a simmer (do not boil), continue cooking and stirring over low heat for 1-2 hours. If it gets too thick to simmer, add a little more water.
CAREFUL NOT TO BURN!!
(The Following part of the process is optional):
Spread out into a cookie sheet and place in a warm oven (the lowest setting, approximately 200 degrees, and “dry” for 2-3 hours. When it is dry and crumbly, cool and put into “OO” & “O” gelatin capsules (Gelatin capsules as well as a “gelatin capsule packer” is available at health food stores in various sizes).
It is important to begin by administering the lowest possible dosage. and increase unitl the benifits begin to show.
To test we chose between giving one capsule in the evening, after school or in the morning on a weekend. It was important to make certain that the child was in a safe place and did not have any obligations outside of the home or a place he felt safe. It is very important to closely observe and monitor a child’s behavior. We never rely on memory, always writing down observations, noting changes in behavior and communication.
I
You will need:
3 slices bacon
¼ C chopped onion
½ lb. ground beef/chicken/turkey
2 ½ C canned whole pealed tomatoes
½ C chopped green peppers
1 lb. fresh sliced sautéed mushrooms
2-3 tbls. Marijuana butter
½ lb. grated cheese
Mince and cook bacon. Stir in onion and meat. Cook well. Add tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms. Simmer uncovered for 20 or 30 minutes. Add butter and cheese when sauce is nearly done. About 2 ½ qts.
You will need:
8 cups half and half
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. Salt
You can add
6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate
Chocolate chips
Peppermint Candy
4tbl. (1/4 C) marijuana butter*
Scald half and half until bubbles forms at edges. Remove from heat. Melt butter into hot milk. Add other ingredients. Refrigerate covered mix for 30 min. To freeze: Follow the directions for your ice cream maker.
You will need:
-
Coffee Grinder
-
Crock pot
-
Medical quality marijuana leaves
Ingredients (enough to make about 20 muffins)
1 box of chocolate cake mix -- any brand that requires: 1/3 cup water, 3 eggs and 1/2 cup corn oil.
1/4 pound butter
2 ounces dried quality marijuana leaf -- finely ground and sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of milk or buttermilk
Part One:
Heat in crock pot - 1 cup water, corn oil and butter until the butter has melted. Mixture should be between 165 and 205 degrees -- no higher. Process the leaf in a coffee grinder or blender, then sift fine powder over the butter and oil mixture. Regrind and sift leftovers once or twice. Stir, cover and cook overnight on low.
Part Two:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour and baking powder with cake mix. Add eggs and milk. Use electric mixer to combine all ingredients. Stir in cooled marijuana mixture until blended. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Check for doneness using a tooth pick. Cool on a wire rack.
Marijuana Shortbread
You will need:
¾ cup Butter plus 2 Tablespoons
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Keff (Marijuana bud or leaf run through a fine screen)
1 2/3 cup of unbleached flour
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter into sugar, work in keff, until all one color, and work in flour.
Roll dough till ½ or 1/3 inch on lightly floured board. Cut into shapes. Place on un-greased baking sheet ½ inch apart. Bake about 20 minutes and remove at once. Enjoy.
Makes about 2 dozen.
(from the Lompico Neighborhood Cookbook)
The essential first step in the preparation of a perfect marijuana cookie is the butter. The healing essence (THC) of marijuana is not water soluble, but fortunately it’s easily released in oil – perfect for cookies or any baked product that uses butter oil.
Tea Cake
You will need:
½ lb. Green Butter
½ cup plus 1 Tbs. Powdered sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 tsp. Almond extract
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 ¾ cups sifted flour
Whip the powdered sugar into the green butter until it turns a light sea foam green. Whip in the vanilla, almond, and a little salt. Blend in the chopped nuts. Finally, blend in the flour very lightly.
Form the mixture into the small balls, about half the size of a ping-pong ball and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 300-degree oven for about 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on rack and roll powdered sugar.
This recipe will make about 3 ½ dozen cookies. Please be warned: do not eat more than one.
8 year old boy shows improvment on medicinal Marijuana for ADHD, ODD & other issues.
Debbie Jeffries of Rocklin, Calif., and her mother, Lorraine, love to cook. Lorraine has even published a cookbook, "50 Years Of Our Favorite Family Recipes."
But what they are whipping up these days isn’t in your average cookbook, reports 48 Hours correspondent Harold Dow. They’re making marijuana - medical marijuana - for Debbie’s son, Jeff.
Using marijuana as a medicine is not unusual in California. Five years ago, voters passed a law allowing patients with serious illnesses, such as AIDS and cancer, to use marijuana for pain, if a doctor approves. But this case is unusual because the patient is 8 years old.
"Jeff has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is ADHD; oppositional defiant disorder; conduct disorder; intermittent explosive disorder; bipolar disorder - any disorder you can think of," says Debbie, a single mother.
The disorders often lead Jeff to violent, uncontrollable outbursts.
"We’ve had to call the police," Debbie says. "I have woken up to a knife in my back. He used to stab the dogs next door. The teachers were afraid of Jeffrey. He picked up a chair and threw it at a teacher."
Doctors first started Jeffrey on Ritalin at age 3 and began adding other medications over the years, as nothing seemed to stop the outbursts.
"He was a walking pharmaceutical lab," Debbie says. "It was incredible. And nothing was working."
Debbie grew desperate last May when officials issued a deadline: Get Jeff under control in 30 days, or he would be placed under the care of the county.
That led her to an Internet article on how marijuana calms the brain and to Dr. Mike Alkalay, a pediatrician who believes in the medical powers of the drug marijuana.
"This medication has been around for 5,000 years," Alkalay says. "It's basically a Chinese herbal plant that's been used in the Middle East. It's been used in India. It's a very safe medication."
Alkalay admits 8-year-old Jeff isn’t the typical patient to receive marijuana but agreed, without seeing him, to recommend Jeff take the drug.
The decision to try marijuana shocked Debbie’s parents, Ken and Lorraine.
"There was absolutely no way I was for it," says Ken, who describes himself as a conservative. Lorraine adds, "It caused quite a bit of strife in our household."
The results were immediate.
"Within a half hour," Debbie says, "I looked over at Jeffrey, and he just had this smile about him, this glow, and he said, 'Mommy, I feel happy.' And that’s the first time that he’s ever said that."
Just how the marijuana is helping Jeff is not completely clear. "His brainwaves don't connect the way ours do," Debbie says of her son. "The marijuana is allowing him, somehow. It's filling in the gap in there for him, so he is learning how to manage his anger."
But Child Protective Services had a different opinion, and they opened an investigation. Debbie says they are accusing her of being an unfit mother and putting her son at risk.
Part of the problem is that Dr. Alkalay never saw Jeff before prescribing him the marijuana. The doctor says he was comfortable with that because "I know it's a very safe medication."
Child Protective Services is taking Debbie to court where a judge could stop Debbie from giving marijuana to her son. If that happens, Debbie says she won’t be able to control him, and will lose her son to the custody of the state.
"I’m not a criminal," says Debbie. "I’m a mother who cares for her child and will do anything to help her child."
The Result
In just under an hour at a closed-session juvenile court hearing, the judge dismissed the case against Debbie.
"I can’t even express how excited I am," she says. "It's been proven that what I'm doing to Jeffrey isn't a crime."
The decision to allow a child like Jeff access to medical marijuana may have far-reaching consequences.
"It opens up a whole door for parents who have been through what I've been through," says Debbie.
But what they are whipping up these days isn’t in your average cookbook, reports 48 Hours correspondent Harold Dow. They’re making marijuana - medical marijuana - for Debbie’s son, Jeff.
Using marijuana as a medicine is not unusual in California. Five years ago, voters passed a law allowing patients with serious illnesses, such as AIDS and cancer, to use marijuana for pain, if a doctor approves. But this case is unusual because the patient is 8 years old.
"Jeff has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is ADHD; oppositional defiant disorder; conduct disorder; intermittent explosive disorder; bipolar disorder - any disorder you can think of," says Debbie, a single mother.
The disorders often lead Jeff to violent, uncontrollable outbursts.
"We’ve had to call the police," Debbie says. "I have woken up to a knife in my back. He used to stab the dogs next door. The teachers were afraid of Jeffrey. He picked up a chair and threw it at a teacher."
Doctors first started Jeffrey on Ritalin at age 3 and began adding other medications over the years, as nothing seemed to stop the outbursts.
"He was a walking pharmaceutical lab," Debbie says. "It was incredible. And nothing was working."
Debbie grew desperate last May when officials issued a deadline: Get Jeff under control in 30 days, or he would be placed under the care of the county.
That led her to an Internet article on how marijuana calms the brain and to Dr. Mike Alkalay, a pediatrician who believes in the medical powers of the drug marijuana.
"This medication has been around for 5,000 years," Alkalay says. "It's basically a Chinese herbal plant that's been used in the Middle East. It's been used in India. It's a very safe medication."
Alkalay admits 8-year-old Jeff isn’t the typical patient to receive marijuana but agreed, without seeing him, to recommend Jeff take the drug.
The decision to try marijuana shocked Debbie’s parents, Ken and Lorraine.
"There was absolutely no way I was for it," says Ken, who describes himself as a conservative. Lorraine adds, "It caused quite a bit of strife in our household."
The results were immediate.
"Within a half hour," Debbie says, "I looked over at Jeffrey, and he just had this smile about him, this glow, and he said, 'Mommy, I feel happy.' And that’s the first time that he’s ever said that."
Just how the marijuana is helping Jeff is not completely clear. "His brainwaves don't connect the way ours do," Debbie says of her son. "The marijuana is allowing him, somehow. It's filling in the gap in there for him, so he is learning how to manage his anger."
But Child Protective Services had a different opinion, and they opened an investigation. Debbie says they are accusing her of being an unfit mother and putting her son at risk.
Part of the problem is that Dr. Alkalay never saw Jeff before prescribing him the marijuana. The doctor says he was comfortable with that because "I know it's a very safe medication."
Child Protective Services is taking Debbie to court where a judge could stop Debbie from giving marijuana to her son. If that happens, Debbie says she won’t be able to control him, and will lose her son to the custody of the state.
"I’m not a criminal," says Debbie. "I’m a mother who cares for her child and will do anything to help her child."
The Result
In just under an hour at a closed-session juvenile court hearing, the judge dismissed the case against Debbie.
"I can’t even express how excited I am," she says. "It's been proven that what I'm doing to Jeffrey isn't a crime."
The decision to allow a child like Jeff access to medical marijuana may have far-reaching consequences.
"It opens up a whole door for parents who have been through what I've been through," says Debbie.
Marijuana induces Brain cell growth & fight depression
Canadian researchers discovered that a cannabis-like chemical or cannabinoid found in marijuana stimulates brain cell growth and helps fight anxiety and depression, according to a study released online on October 13 in advance of print publication of the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The finding is in sharp contrast with the common belief that abuse or chronic use of additive drugs inhibits the growth of new brain cells, causes memory loss and impairs learning, among other problems. In this respect, marijuana may not be such an ordinary additive drug. Researchers cautioned that marijuana may be the only exception among the additive drugs.
In the study, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, injected a high dose of a cannabis-like in rats twice a day for ten days and found the marijuana chemical promoted the growth of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that keeps generating new cells or neurons throughout one's lifetime. The hippocampus is associated with memory, depression and mood disorders. Previous studies found that depression is associated with the number of brain cells or neurons.
Dr. Zhang’s team researchers performed tests on rats and proved that the cannabis-like compound has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effect. Rats treated with the marijuana compound twice a day for ten days had reduced anxiety and/or depression.
The researchers suggest that there is a positive correlation between increased generation of new brain cells and modified behavior following chronic cannabinoid treatment.
The study used a high dosage of a synthetic cannabinoid found in marijuana. It is unknown smoking marijuana may have the same effect.
Use of marijuana is common in many countries. "Cannabis (marijuana, hashish or cannabinoids) has been used for medical and recreational purpose for many centuries," researchers wrote in their article. "Cannabinoids appear to be able to modulate pain, nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, cerebral trauma, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and other disorders in humans and or animals."
Researchers suggest that the marijuana chemical may be used to fight anxiety and depression.
The finding is in sharp contrast with the common belief that abuse or chronic use of additive drugs inhibits the growth of new brain cells, causes memory loss and impairs learning, among other problems. In this respect, marijuana may not be such an ordinary additive drug. Researchers cautioned that marijuana may be the only exception among the additive drugs.
In the study, Dr. Xia Zhang and colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, injected a high dose of a cannabis-like in rats twice a day for ten days and found the marijuana chemical promoted the growth of new brain cells – a process known as neurogenesis in the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that keeps generating new cells or neurons throughout one's lifetime. The hippocampus is associated with memory, depression and mood disorders. Previous studies found that depression is associated with the number of brain cells or neurons.
Dr. Zhang’s team researchers performed tests on rats and proved that the cannabis-like compound has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effect. Rats treated with the marijuana compound twice a day for ten days had reduced anxiety and/or depression.
The researchers suggest that there is a positive correlation between increased generation of new brain cells and modified behavior following chronic cannabinoid treatment.
The study used a high dosage of a synthetic cannabinoid found in marijuana. It is unknown smoking marijuana may have the same effect.
Use of marijuana is common in many countries. "Cannabis (marijuana, hashish or cannabinoids) has been used for medical and recreational purpose for many centuries," researchers wrote in their article. "Cannabinoids appear to be able to modulate pain, nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, ischemic stroke, cerebral trauma, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and other disorders in humans and or animals."
Researchers suggest that the marijuana chemical may be used to fight anxiety and depression.
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