Cannabis Rx: Cutting Through the Misinformation by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a famous, well-respected physician who is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integral medicine. He is best known for establishing and popularizing "integrated medicine." It is a style of treating ailments and diseases through both conventional medicines and practices along with natural treatments that ancient civilizations have successfully used for millennia. China has been so successful at using natural supplements that their formulas are increasingly being adapted to western medical treatments. Herbs like cannabis (marijuana) don't survive for thousands of years as medicines without there being something to it:

If an American doctor of the late 19th century stepped into a time warp and emerged in 2010, he would be shocked by the multitude of pharmaceuticals that today's physicians use. But as he pondered this array (and wondered, as I do, whether most are really necessary), he would soon notice an equally surprising omission, and exclaim, "Where's my Cannabis indica?" In his day, labor pains, asthma, nervous disorders and even colicky babies were treated with a fluid extract of Cannabis indica, also known as "Indian hemp." (Cannabis is generally seen as having three species -- sativa, indica and ruderalis -- but crossbreeding is common, especially between sativa and indica.) At least 100 scientific papers published in the 19th century backed up such uses.

Green Man: They knew then what we're finally remembering now about marijuana; it's somewhat of a miracle drug that helps with everything from: Chronic pain, to appetite loss from cancer and HIV/AIDS, to glaucoma and menstrual cramps. It is also being used to treat depression for those with mental health struggles. I have a form of bipolar and I have prevented several emergency suicidal depression crises by administering a little cannabis into my system. It brings me up out of that dangerous place quicker than any other prescription drug I've been given--and I've taken them all. Plus, the effect from marijuana lasts even after it has worn off. Nothing works like marijuana to treat emergency depression and with little to no side effects compared to the drugs my psychiatrist gives me. So, how is it that I can use marijuana for medical reasons and I don't have to worry about over-dosing but the pills that society deems "safe" and "legal" could kill me instantly if taken in the wrong dose? But what else is cannabis good for when it comes to medicine?:

Meanwhile, as a medical doctor and botanist, my aim has always been to filter out the cultural noise surrounding the genus Cannabis and see it dispassionately: as a plant with bioactivity in human beings that may have therapeutic value. From this perspective, what can it offer us? As it turns out, a great deal. Research into possible medical uses of Cannabis is enjoying a renaissance. In recent years, studies have shown potential for treating nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, alcohol abuse, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, depression, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, sickle-cell disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's disease and anorexia nervosa.

But perhaps most exciting, cannabinoids (chemical constituents of Cannabis, the best known being tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) may have a primary role in cancer treatment and prevention. A number of studies have shown that these compounds can inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animal models. In part, this is achieved by inhibiting angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow. What's more, cannabinoids seem to kill tumor cells without affecting surrounding normal cells. If these findings hold true as research progresses, cannabinoids would demonstrate a huge advantage over conventional chemotherapy agents, which too often destroy normal cells as well as cancer cells.

As long ago as 1975, researchers reported that cannabinoids inhibited the growth of a certain type of lung cancer cell in test tubes and in mice. Since then, laboratory studies have shown that cannabinoids have effects against tumor cells from glioblastoma (a deadly type of brain cancer) as well as those from thyroid cancer¸ leukemia/lymphoma, and skin, uterus, breast, stomach, colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Green Man: The bottom line is that the war on marijuana has been costing us billions of dollars for decades upon decades with nothing to show for it except an increasing number of people who are tolerant of the drug. That's because people know the truth--that marijuana is at the very least no worse than alcohol but it is increasingly seen as being less of a problem to society than alcohol. It doesn't make you aggressive like alcohol. Also, unlike alcohol, it isn't physiologically addictive. So, the word got out that the government wasn't just embellishing the dangers of marijuana but outright lying and pushing blatantly false propaganda about it. Not many in the know have trusted what they have said about pot every since. The cynical side of me says that the authorities maintain the status quo on marijuana's legality because it keeps the DEA, local police and politicians with a job.

Well, the people have had it with the violence that prohibition of marijuana has brought to our southern border region with Mexico; and we're tired of hemorrhaging money to fight a weed during a time of economic crisis when every last dollar counts. We shouldn't be wasting money on a substance that is nearly as tolerated at all levels of social strata as alcohol was during prohibition. During that time even the president of the United States was drinking illegal booze!! Along with politicians up and down the line. The prohibition of marijuana has taken the same predictable and wasteful course as the prohibition of alcohol in the 20s and 30s. It has only increased its popularity, increased the crime associated with it's illegal status and a rise in violence between drug traffickers. Regardless of your morals it just doesn't make sense to keep fighting this losing war on a drug that is no worse than alcohol and with health benefits that bring real comfort and relief to many people suffering from ailments and diseases. The time is now.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

States Lessening Limits on Marijuana.

By William M. Welchand Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES — James Gray once saw himself as a drug warrior, a former federal prosecutor and county judge who sent people to prison for dealing pot and other drug offenses. Gradually, though, he became convinced that the ban on marijuana was making it more accessible to young people, not less. "I ask kids all the time, and they'll tell you it is easier to get marijuana than a six-pack of beer because that is controlled by the government," he said, noting that drug dealers don't ask for IDs or honor minimum age requirements.

Green Man: I've been raising the ID point for awhile now so it's exciting to see judges and prosecutors starting to get it. I can certainly attest to this argument as I definitely had a harder time getting alcohol than pot when I was a teen. So, the whole, "What about the kids?!!" argument is exposed for what it is--propaganda to scare people and thus get them to fight against personal freedoms.

Gray is part of a growing national movement to rethink pot laws. From California, where lawmakers may outright legalize marijuana, to New Jersey, which implemented a medical use law Jan. 19, states are taking unprecedented steps to loosen marijuana restrictions. Advocates of legalizing marijuana say generational, political and cultural shifts have taken the USA to a unique moment in its history of drug prohibition that could topple 40 years of tough restrictions on both medicinal and recreational marijuana use. A Gallup Poll last October found 44% favor making marijuana legal, an eight-point jump since the question was asked in 2005. An ABC News-Washington Post poll in January found 81% favor making marijuana legal for medical use.

Green Man: Let's face it, the older generations (by and large) have little to no frame of reference about marijuana since they lived in the golden age of marijuana propaganda with films like "Reefer Madness." That film falsely portrayed marijuana as a drug that made you go insane, rape women and kill people. It is almost laughable now to view this film, especially while smoking pot!! How ironic, instead, that marijuana is known to make you docile, less confrontational and happy. Then throw in a heavy dose of America in the 1950s with its strict and rigid religious fervor and you get an entire generation out of touch with the reality of this wonder drug. Yet they vote based on that misinformation. And it's even more frustrating when you consider that most likely a large majority have never even TRIED the drug!! How can you give a fair assessment of the effects of marijuana if you've never tried it? That's like taking sexual advice from a celibate monk!!

Attorney General Eric Holder last fall announced that raiding medical marijuana facilities would be the lowest priority for U.S. law enforcement agents — a major shift that is spurring many states to re-examine their policies. The American Medical Association recommended in November that Congress reclassify marijuana as a drug with possible medicinal benefit. At least 14 states this year — some deeply conservative and Republican-leaning, such as Kansas — will consider legalizing pot for medical purposes or lessening the penalties for possessing small amounts for personal use. Fourteen other states and the District of Columbia already have liberalized their marijuana laws.

Green Man: It's about time that the politicians and law enforcement catch up to the people who are much more open-minded now when it comes to marijuana. The people always seem to be a step ahead of law makers. It's simply absurd and frustrating that you can go out and buy a gun that can kill people but you can't smoke a plant in the privacy of your own home that hasn't been shown to trigger violence. Nor has it ever directly killed anyone. It's impossible to over-dose on pot. I'm not against gun rights at all--I'm just asking for some consistency.

I think part of the reason that even conservative states are getting on board with lessening penalties for use is that many conservatives resent government interference in their personal lives. Even if they don't use marijuana--a lot of conservatives resent the federal government interfering in affairs on the state level. Especially if voters approved these liberal changes to marijuana. It makes it look like the government doesn't respect democracy and acts more like a police state.

"We have the safest medications in the world and it's not a coincidence. We have an enviable process by which we approve medications, and that's through the (Food and Drug Administration)," he says. "It's a bad idea to approve medication by popular vote."

Green Man: Safest medications? These people are delusional!! Have they not heard the laundry list of negative side effects listed for these legal drugs being advertised on t.v.? I take 7 drugs for a medical condition and they cause all kinds of bad side effects--some very serious. One of the medications I take made me gain a lot of weight and is known to cause diabetes. Another helps with stabilizing my moods but cause an increase in blood pressure. What drug has the least side effects that I take? Marijuana. Yep. Not as many people are buying the lie anymore that every drug approved by the FDA is "safe" and less harmful than natural ones.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Marijuana Compound Could Beat Back Brain Cancer.

MONDAY, Jan. 11 -- Preliminary research suggests that a combination of compounds in marijuana could help fight off a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. But the findings shouldn't send patients rushing to buy pot: the levels used in the research appear to be too high to obtain through smoking. And there's no sign yet that the approach works in laboratory animals, let alone people. Still, the finding does suggest that more than one compound in marijuana might boost cancer treatment, said study author Sean McAllister, an associate scientist at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco. "Combination therapies might be more appropriate," McAllister said.

Researchers have long studied the compounds in marijuana known as cannabinoids, which are thought to hold possible health benefits. One, known as THC, is well known for its role in making people high when they smoke or eat pot. Researchers have been testing it as a treatment for the brain tumors known as glioblastomas. In the new study, researchers tested THC and cannabidiol, another compound from marijuana, on brain cancer cells. The findings appear in the January issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. The study authors found that the combination treatment seemed to work better at killing the cancerous cells and preventing them from growing back. The prognosis for people with the condition is grim because tumors spread throughout the brain. It can be impossible for treatments to remove the entire tumor, Fisher said.

Green Man: I keep telling people that marijuana is a miracle drug/herb and they keep coming up with more and more evidence. Is it any wonder that it has been used by shamans and others for medical benefits for thousands of years? It also shows the power of plants and how stupid it is to destroy all of our old growth forests and rain forests. Who knows how many other miracle plants are out there? There could be a cure for cancer, cure for AIDS and/or many other diseases and conditions. I've seen many shows on television where doctors go deep into the Amazon to learn medicine from the ethnic groups that live in those forests. They keep finding that those people have a full-blown pharmacy in those plants and trees. I much rather trust a natural plant that some artificially created pill made from dozens of chemically altered ingredients.

~The Green Man has Spoken~