Meds Cannabis vs Prescription Drugs

[Vicki]

While this article is not about cannabis, with the new findings on how cannabis can destroy cancer cells, it does show the stark contrast between pharma drugs and cannabis as a treatment.

Opiate Painkillers May Encourage Spread Of Cancer

New research from the US adds weight to the growing body of evidence that opiate-based painkillers like morphine, which has been used to treat postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two hundred years, encourage cancer cells to grow and spread. If confirmed with clinical studies, these findings could change the type of anasthetics given to cancer patients during surgery and the type of painkillers they use afterwards.

Two new studies, presented last week at the "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics" meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, held by the American Association for Cancer Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, showed how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduced cell proliferation, invasion and migration in cell cultures and in mice.

The studies were the work of Dr Patrick A Singleton, principal author of both studies and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and colleagues.

The idea that opiates may play a role in cancer spread and recurrence has been gaining ground since 2002 when a palliative care trial showed that patients given spinal rather than systemic pain relief lived longer, the researchers told the press.

Soon after that trial, a colleague of Singleton's, anesthesiologist Jonathan Moss, observed that patients who were given a selective opiate blocker in a compassionate-use protocol lived longer than doctors had expected.

And more recently, two retrospective studies showed that breast and prostate cancer patients who were given regional rather than general anesthesia had fewer recurrences.

Singleton said the two new studies point to the mu opiate receptor, where morphine works, as a potential therapeutic target.

He told the press that:

"If confirmed clinically, this could change how we do surgical anesthesia for our cancer patients."

He said the findings also suggest potential new uses for a new type of drug that blocks the receptor.

Moss had been treating his patients with methylnaltrexone MNTX, a modification of a drug that blocked morphine so it could not get through the protective barrier that surrounds the brain.

MNTX was developed in the 1980s by the late University of Chicago pharmacologist Leon Goldberg to treat opiate-induced constipation. The drug blocks the side effects of morphine without interfering with its ability to reduce pain.

Moss recalled that the patients had advanced cancer and an estimated life expectancy of up to two months, "yet several lived for another five or six".

"It made us wonder whether this was just a consequence of better GI [gastrointestinal] function or could there possibly be an effect on the tumors," he added.

Thus with other colleagues at the University of Chicago, Singleton and Moss started to look at the peripheral effects of opiates and how to block them.

Lab studies show that morphine directly boosts tumor cell proliferation and inhibits immune response.

Singleton, Moss and colleagues found that opiates also made it easier for tumors to invade new tissue and spread and establish themselves in new locations by stimulating angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels) and decreasing barrier function (natural resistance presented by structures like the endothelium, the lining of blood vessel walls).

For the two studies, they focused on the mu opiate receptor as a regulator of tumor growth and spread and examined the ability of MNTX to regulate these effects.

They used two different models of of non-small cell lung cancer and showed that MNTX inhibited the tumor-promoting effects of opiates.

In one study, they used bronchioloalveolar carcinoma cells and showed that MNTX blocked cancer-promoting signals and stopped tumor cell proliferation and migration.

In the other study they used Lewis lung carcinoma cells and showed that mice bred without the mu opiate receptor did not develop the tumors that normal mice did when injected with the cancer cells.

They also went on to show that MNTX reduced proliferation of cancer cells by 90 percent in normal mice and stopped invasion in cell culture and tumor growth and spread in mice.

As a result of the second study, the researchers concluded that MNTX reduced the ability of the opioid receptor to stimulate growth, angiogenesis and spread of the Lewis lung cancer tumor.

They suggest that if their observations are confirmed clinically, this may have a profound effect on the type of anasthetic cancer patients should be given during surgery and the type of painkillers they receive afterwards.

Source: University of Chicago Medical Cente

Wow, just wow...

 

[momofthegoons]

I look forward to a day when we can actually talk with our doctors about cannabis use.... I think it will happen if the Feds legalize cannabis.

Study Highlights How Many People Are Using Cannabis To Replace Their Prescription Drugs

A recent study showed how more and more people are opting for cannabidol, or more commonly referred to as, CBD. CBD products treat a variety of different ailments instead of more traditional pharmaceutical treatments.

An independent marketing research firm, The Brightfield Group, released their summary findings after the completion of a joint research study with HelloMD. The studyinvolved a sample of 2400 HelloMD participants and it’s goal was to get a better understanding of those opting for CBD, the various types of products and growth potential.

As the study states,

“While the largest portion (57%) of CBD users responding continues to use both cannabis and other medications – either simultaneously or alternating between them, 42% of these CBD users have left their traditional medications behind altogether and now use cannabis alone to treat conditions including anxiety (67%), insomnia (60%), joint pain and inflammation (52%) and depression (43%). ”



According to this new study,

69% of respondents rated hemp-derived CBD products to be “more effective” or “much more effective” in treating various illnesses and conditions than traditional over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals.

In comparing CBD to prescription drugs, approximately 52% of this consumer group indicated that CBD products are either “more effective” or “much more effective” in relieving medical conditions than are prescription medications.

Some Conditions That Are Commonly Treated With CBD
Unfortunately, despite a ton of scientific and clinical research, the benefits of CBD are still being downplayed as a treatment for a wide range of conditions including anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s, PTSD, depression, epilepsy, sleep disorders, autism, and numerous other neurological disorders.

CBD is one of 85 types of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant that is being successfully used to treat a variety of medical conditions. CBD can be extracted from the marijuana or hemp plant – both are classified as cannabis sativa I and share a very similar chemical makeup. The two plants are different in a very slight but significant way. Marijuana is loaded with THC, which is the cannabinoid that is responsible for the “high” feeling that you may think of when you think of marijuana. Hemp contains very little to no THC and will not get you high. This makes it much more of a medicine than a drug and much more approachable for people to try and see this as a viable treatment option for them.

The study observes that one of the biggest contributing factors of the current CBD craze is that the consumers want the health benefits of the cannabis, but don’t want to be high. CBD derived from hemp does not produce a psychoactive effect and is currently legal in all 50 states. THC containing cannabis however remains illegal at the Federal level despite becoming legal in many states for medicinal purposes.

CBD deserves to be studied, considered and promoted more for it’s incredible therapeutic values especially because it has little to no side effects compared to a variety of pharmaceutical treatments that come with a long line of potential health concerns and likely side effects.

 

[Baron23]

I look forward to a day when we can actually talk with our doctors about cannabis use.... I think it will happen if the Feds legalize cannabis.

Study Highlights How Many People Are Using Cannabis To Replace Their Prescription Drugs

A recent study showed how more and more people are opting for cannabidol, or more commonly referred to as, CBD. CBD products treat a variety of different ailments instead of more traditional pharmaceutical treatments.

An independent marketing research firm, The Brightfield Group, released their summary findings after the completion of a joint research study with HelloMD. The studyinvolved a sample of 2400 HelloMD participants and it’s goal was to get a better understanding of those opting for CBD, the various types of products and growth potential.

As the study states,

“While the largest portion (57%) of CBD users responding continues to use both cannabis and other medications – either simultaneously or alternating between them, 42% of these CBD users have left their traditional medications behind altogether and now use cannabis alone to treat conditions including anxiety (67%), insomnia (60%), joint pain and inflammation (52%) and depression (43%). ”



According to this new study,

69% of respondents rated hemp-derived CBD products to be “more effective” or “much more effective” in treating various illnesses and conditions than traditional over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals.

In comparing CBD to prescription drugs, approximately 52% of this consumer group indicated that CBD products are either “more effective” or “much more effective” in relieving medical conditions than are prescription medications.

Some Conditions That Are Commonly Treated With CBD
Unfortunately, despite a ton of scientific and clinical research, the benefits of CBD are still being downplayed as a treatment for a wide range of conditions including anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s, PTSD, depression, epilepsy, sleep disorders, autism, and numerous other neurological disorders.

CBD is one of 85 types of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant that is being successfully used to treat a variety of medical conditions. CBD can be extracted from the marijuana or hemp plant – both are classified as cannabis sativa I and share a very similar chemical makeup. The two plants are different in a very slight but significant way. Marijuana is loaded with THC, which is the cannabinoid that is responsible for the “high” feeling that you may think of when you think of marijuana. Hemp contains very little to no THC and will not get you high. This makes it much more of a medicine than a drug and much more approachable for people to try and see this as a viable treatment option for them.

The study observes that one of the biggest contributing factors of the current CBD craze is that the consumers want the health benefits of the cannabis, but don’t want to be high. CBD derived from hemp does not produce a psychoactive effect and is currently legal in all 50 states. THC containing cannabis however remains illegal at the Federal level despite becoming legal in many states for medicinal purposes.

CBD deserves to be studied, considered and promoted more for it’s incredible therapeutic values especially because it has little to no side effects compared to a variety of pharmaceutical treatments that come with a long line of potential health concerns and likely side effects.

ahhhh, so there are a lot of pharmaceuticals that I am VERY glad we have. As a cardiac patient, my blood fat and pressure meds are light years ahead of what was available to my father who died of his sixth MI in...oh, about '87.

But, my feelings about big pharma corps is much different and I LOVE seeing it stuck to these greedy manipulative pigs.

Go CBD!

 

[momofthegoons]

ahhhh, so there are a lot of pharmaceuticals that I am VERY glad we have

Oh for sure! However, you can't deny that we are over prescribed as a whole. Look at the pharmaceuticals that @Killick was prescribed.... I forget how many off hand but holy shit... there's no need for that. Obviously there are cases, like your cardiac meds, where this isn't possible, but I like to at least try a more natural approach if I can.

 

[Baron23]

you can't deny that we are over prescribed as a whole. Look at the pharmaceuticals that @Killick was prescribed.

No, I have never denied that and personally believe its every patients responsibility, not just their perogative but actual responsibility, to make the final decision on what pharma to take and what not. If the patient is not competent to do this, then they absolutely need a trusted adviser and health advocate who will do it for them. The primary function of geriatric doctors is to cut down the huge list of meds that their patients were prescribed from various and uncoordinated medical sources. Its a fucking crime, really.

 

[Killick]

27. It all started with meds for arthritis, and just kept going. I assumed that doctors knew what they were doing. Many of them do, but not all of them. None of them will admit what they don't know, but they all have that innocuous wee white prescription pad, and patients who are desperate for some relief, and will try anything.

What do you call a medical student with a 2.0 GPA?

Doctor.

 

[herbivore21]

No, I have never denied that and personally believe its every patients responsibility, not just their perogative but actual responsibility, to make the final decision on what pharma to take and what not. If the patient is not competent to do this, then they absolutely need a trusted adviser and health advocate who will do it for them. The primary function of geriatric doctors is to cut down the huge list of meds that their patients were prescribed from various and uncoordinated medical sources. Its a fucking crime, really.

These are words to live by brother. I'm much like you in this respect, when the doc tells me that it's time to take this or that drug, the first thing I'm doing is opening up google scholar and looking for the data on efficacy, side effects and contraindications. Sadly, we can't reasonably expect everybody to be able to investigate the scholarly research about a new prescription, especially if they're very ill. However, it can be helpful to look at patient/doctor information provided by relevant regulators about various prescription drugs too, depending on your jurisdiction.

You guys all know that I'm not one of these anti-medicine tin-foil-hat wearers. However, even I am prepared to offer some criticisms of my fellow scientists/practitioners in the medical field. One major problem that I've encountered is not unrelated to my friend @Baron23 's comments above. I've run into all too many myopic practitioners (especially specialists IME) who rush to prescribe the most common fix for a condition, but neglect to properly investigate if you're already being prescribed something else, or have another health condition (especially one outside of their own sub-discipline/area of specialization) for which that 'common fix' prescription may be contraindicated.

It pays in spades to know that your doctor is only as effective as their understanding of your context, including your medical history. It is important to be able to trust your doctor enough to tell them as much as possible, and it is important to be able to find a doctor who is diligent enough to actively listen and take all of that into consideration. Sadly, the combination of those factors is too elusive for too many people.

While I'm all about telling people to do their own homework, it remains that there are some systematic problems with medical provision which contribute to the over-medication of so many of us. Especially for those who are not capable to take responsibility for their own healthcare, I truly hope that we can find a way to provide more competent advice in healthcare and beyond. The results when this is not the case are frequently tragic.

 

[Shredder]

Ten or twelve years ago I complained to my PA about foot/ankle pain I thought partly at least due to my hiking and backpacking. He sent me to an ortho surgeon, who recommended that he "rebuild" my ankle. He said I had some past injury causing my pain and to fix I needed extensive surgery.

I turned it down and my PA sent me to a foot specialist. In 5 minutes he accurately said my pain was due to nerve damage from pinched disks in my lower back over a long period. He prescribed custom insoles, as he also owned the next door orthopedic store, lol. They did help tho and I still wear custom insoles.

Long story short my neuro pain gradually went away once I started regular mj usage? I also tried neurontin, cymbalta, and lyrica without any improvement. But mj stopped the pain. It's not fixed, and it's numb to the touch from my calf down, but no real pain at all.

 

[Baron23]

it's numb to the touch from my calf down, but no real pain at all.

That's certainly sounds like neuropathy subsequent to a lumbar disk problem.

If you have had that numbness that long, you kind of bought it as a permanent feature of your life.

But...it CAN get worse (not saying it will, but it can).

I have a friend who so disliked the idea of surgery that he put it off for a decade and now both of his legs and feet are numb from the knee down and he has trouble walking.

Have you had an MRI. Its all throwing darts in the dark until you have it imaged.

Best of luck.

 

[momofthegoons]

How Israel's weed tech industry is taking on America's opioid crisis

America is beginning to see cannabis as an alternative to prescription pills. Israel is years ahead - and its entrepreneurs want to curb a crisis of opioid addiction that is completely out of control

David McNew/Getty Images

Years ago, when Perry Davidson first provided medical weed in the Israeli mountains, he found that the majority of his patients weren’t in it for the high. From cancer sufferers to those recovering from operations, most came seeking refuge from pain - without the addiction of prescription pills.

Now Davidson is founder and CEO of Syqe, a Tel Aviv-based startup that has developed “the world’s first selective dose, pharmaceutical grade medicinal plants inhaler”. In simple terms, Davidson has created a marijuana inhaler. Doctors can control the Syqe Inhaler remotely, ensuring patients a regulated, reliable dose of marijuana.

Davidson, who is puckish with a thick, close-cropped mohawk, believes his firm is a game-changer for a medical marijuana industry set to be worth $33 billion by 2024 – 37 per cent of which will derive from pain management. His target market isn’t Israel but the United States: namely, replacing prescription opioids that have prompted the White House to declare a public emergency.

In 2016 63,600 Americans died from drug overdoses, two-third of which involved opioids like OxyContin, codeine, fentanyl, and heroin, to which many graduate for its availability and low cost. Over two million Americans are dependent on prescription painkillers. Yet spotty regulation, which varies wildly from state to state, makes the research and development of cannabis fraught. Just nine states allow recreational marijuana use, while 29 permit its use medically.

Enter Israel. The Startup Nation, as it calls itself, prides itself on a robust tech industry heavily backed by government funds. Its startups are pioneers in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, drones, agriculture and many other fields. Now it is leaping ahead in cannabis-related tech.

In addition to Syqe, Israel is home to firms like vapour capture brand CannRX, genomics platform Steep Hill and MedAware, software aiming to reduce incorrect and overprescription of opioids. To Saul Kaye, an entrepreneur and founder of industry group iCAN, it’s an obvious extension of Israel’s tech prowess. “It comes down to local assets,” he says. “We have a scarcity of water, so we developed water systems. Israel is mostly desert, so we developed how to grow vegetables in the desert. Now we become experts in tech transfer.”


Cannabis is one of very few issues to unite Israel’s political landscape. Orthodox rabbis have sanctioned its use. The country has effectively decriminalised cannabis use. Freed from red tape, its entrepreneurs are bringing cannabis innovation to the US. “This is a society that sees just stigma around marijuana,” says Davidson of the US. “You need to be able to give people a drug that is predictable so they don’t reach those psychoactive effects which are unwanted.”

In 2016, Syqe signed a deal with Israeli pharma giant Teva to market its inhaler. Davidson calls it a “Trojan Horse”: entering society without any issues raised. Many in America hope it can gallop into their backyard. Larisa Bolivar is a Denver, Colorado-based consultant and executive director of the Cannabis Consumers Association. She has battled for cannabis’ induction into the American healthcare system for years. Right now, she says, it’s a ‘Wild West’.

“US technology is the best in the world, but American companies don’t want to make anything to help with marijuana,” she adds. Colorado became the first state to legalise marijuana in 2014. But politicians are still “stuck in the 60s and 70s”, she says. “Policy-wise it’s a bit of a quagmire here in the United States. We look stupid in the end.” It is similarly so in the UK, where the government has said it would reach a decision on changing cannabis laws “within the next few weeks”, following reports of children with epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil.

Scientific research is increasingly showing how cannabis can effectively combat pain and other psychological issues, such as PTSD. Israel is years ahead. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has a centre specialising in cannabinoid research. Clinical studies have run since 2012. Cannabis research has moved beyond the stereotypes of stoners and weed fiends, says Kaye. “And besides, everybody knows somebody who uses it for medical purposes,” he says.

That is good news for Davidson, who believes that a “ballpark two per cent” of the US population stands to benefit from medical marijuana use. “Patients are clamoring for some medication,” he says. “Big Pharma has supplied zero solutions to them.”

One such patient is Matt Kahl, a US Army veteran. Kahl suffered years of chronic opioid addiction following a serious spinal injury sustained on patrol in Afghanistan. Within months the military had him on a regimen of 60-plus pills a day. His liver failed and he developed jaundice. “The amount of drugs that was given to me for it was staggering,” he says. “I felt like they were just trying to make sure I went away, like I was a problem. But the problem was that while I was on these medications I was a bigger problem.”

In 2013 Kahl was barely functioning and suffering from acute PTSD. A friend persuaded him to smoke a joint. Everything changed. “It was really subtle,” he says, sipping a drink at one of Denver’s many craft ale breweries. “I started daydreaming, which I hadn’t done in years. It was so beautiful.”


Kahl and his family moved to Denver in 2014, where he now advocates for medical marijuana use among veterans. He has reservations about an inhaler controlled by doctors. “The ultimate decision-making in the process of treating yourself should be the patient,” he says. “The only thing that saved my life was when I started telling the doctors no [to pills].”

But he welcomes more technology and ways to erode stereotypes surrounding medical marijuana use. So does Bolivar. She hopes Israel can play an even more active role in helping get Americans off opioids. “You just have to keep making noise and showing all this anecdotal evidence and point to countries like Israel who are doing actual studies and say, ‘Hey, there’s something we can go on’.”

 

[momofthegoons]

Making the switch from opioids to cannabis

Among the DENT Neurologic Institute's Cannabis Clinic's 6,000 patients, 50% have now moved away from opioids and to cannabis.

AMHERST, N.Y. – At DENT Neurologic Institute’s Cannabis Clinic, doctors see more and more patients transition off of opioids and onto medical marijuana.

“This is an excellent option in today's world,” said Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, DENT’s medical director.

Among the clinic’s 6,000 patients, 50% have now moved away from opioids and to cannabis. Susan Spellburg is one of those success stories.

“Throughout the years, I was on a many pain medicines,” Susan said, explaining she has been prescribed hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl. She lived with chronic pain for years, but it got much worse about 7 years ago when an MRI showed she had a tumor attached to the nerves around her spine.

"I was in a wheelchair to start,” she said. “Then I went into a walker, and a cane. I (used) a cane for many years."

Susan said she spent many days never leaving her recliner. The opioids left her tired and depressed, even though she didn’t know it at the time.

“I didn’t socialize,” Susan said. “I didn’t leave my house. I didn't even want my family over."

It all changed when Dr. Mechtler convinced Susan to try medical marijuana. She’s now completely off pain killers and is like a different person.

“Even the coloring in my face, my personality, everything about me has changed,” Susan said. “I walk without a cane now. I go shopping. I’m happy.”

Dr. Mechtler said Susan’s story isn’t unique, as there are hundreds – perhaps thousands – of Western New York patients who have dramatically improved their quality of life by switching from powerful narcotics to the relatively benign medication of cannabis.

Unfortunately, cost remains a big concern; however, Dr. Mechtler hopes the State of New York will approve a pilot project to get a payor (insurance company) to cover medical marijuana as part of a cost-benefit study.

“If they pay for (cannabis) for a period of one year, will that decrease the cost for the payor, which in turn may justify them paying for it going forward,” Dr. Mechtler explained.

The New York State Health Department said in a new report that it “recommends a pilot study with one or more third party payers to demonstrate the effects on consumption and costs in patients who are taking medical marijuana in New York State.”

Susan is able to afford her medical marijuana, but she knows of so many who cannot. She hopes such a pilot will actually happen.

"I know what (cannabis) has done for me, and I know what it can do for so many other people,” she said.

 

[Shredder]

Making the switch from opioids to cannabis

Dr. Mechtler said Susan’s story isn’t unique, as there are hundreds – perhaps thousands – of Western New York patients who have dramatically improved their quality of life by switching from powerful narcotics to the relatively benign medication of cannabis.

Something a lot of us know by now.

Unfortunately, cost remains a big concern; however, Dr. Mechtler hopes the State of New York will approve a pilot project to get a payor (insurance company) to cover medical marijuana as part of a cost-benefit study.

Wouldn't that be great? While you can still get prison time for one joint in OK, and NY could pay for your meds.

 

[momofthegoons]

I struggled with where to put this... it's not really about cancer.... it's about big pharma taking over something they told us had no merit for years and years......

Big Pharma Will Now Hold Patent for CBD/THC Cancer Treatment

It’s hard to believe that Big Pharma is the one making the most progress in proving that cannabis works! Well, maybe not so much ‘hard to believe’ as disheartening and depressing as heck.
British company, GW Pharmaceuticals, has been a big name in cannabis pharmaceuticals since 1998. They’ve broken through the iron gates surrounding cannabis medicine, so much so that they even got CBD-extract medications (made by Big Pharma) to be removed from Schedule I.

GW Pharma has developed cannabis-based drugs for multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, and now….cancer. That’s right. Big Pharma now holds the patent for cancer treatment using cannabis. Let. That. Sink. In. For. A. Moment.

Image credit: Javier Regueiro

In 2009, GW went forward with a patent application, alongside collaborator Otsuka Pharmaceutical. At the end of September, GW announced that they had received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent Office to go forward with production of their cannabis-based cancer treatment, Sativex.

The Treatment
Numerous studies have shown that cannabis can be used to treat cancer by eradicating cancer cells and stopping metastasis, in most types of cancer. The latest GW drug will harness the power of THC and CBD to treat gliomas, which are a rare form of brain cancer.

Image credit: Mayfield Clinic

The now-patented pharmaceutical uses a ratio of THC and CBD ranging from 1:1 to 1:20 (THC:CBD) to “reduce cell viability, inhibit cell growth or reduce tumor volume”, according to the company. It is interesting to note that GW’s treatment, Sativex, grew out of a long history of pre-clinical trials and anecdotal evidence that show the use of cannabis and cannabis-based products for tumor reduction.

The company went ahead with clinical trials in August 2018 to test the efficacy of Sativex. This trial will look at efficacy of Sativex when combined with more traditional mainstream cancer treatments. Sativex and the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, has been administered to 20 patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This is a rare and very deadly type of brain cancer.

Image credit: Royal Queen Seeds

The Patent
The original patent application was sent in 2009, but has been subsequently changed to accommodate FDA requirements. Changes would include specifics like THC and CBD ratios in the medication, as well as the forms of cancer that Sativex may be able to treat.

What Does This Mean for Cancer Research?
On the positive side, the patent recognizes the value of cannabis for cancer treatments, and not just as a way to counteract the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Cannabis’ efficacy for killing cancer cells must now be recognized on a federal level. This also allows for more options for cancer patients in choosing their treatments.

Image credit: VGstockstudio

It’s a potentially exciting time for cannabis research! Look out for more patents, more clinical trials, and even more cannabis-based medications hitting the market. Keep pushing for access to whole plant medicine.

 

[Shredder]

I struggled with where to put this... it's not really about cancer.... it's about big pharma taking over something they told us had no merit for years and years......

Big Pharma Will Now Hold Patent for CBD/THC Cancer Treatment

It’s hard to believe that Big Pharma is the one making the most progress in proving that cannabis works! Well, maybe not so much ‘hard to believe’ as disheartening and depressing as heck.
British company, GW Pharmaceuticals, has been a big name in cannabis pharmaceuticals since 1998. They’ve broken through the iron gates surrounding cannabis medicine, so much so that they even got CBD-extract medications (made by Big Pharma) to be removed from Schedule I.

GW Pharma has developed cannabis-based drugs for multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, and now….cancer. That’s right. Big Pharma now holds the patent for cancer treatment using cannabis. Let. That. Sink. In. For. A. Moment.

Image credit: Javier Regueiro

In 2009, GW went forward with a patent application, alongside collaborator Otsuka Pharmaceutical. At the end of September, GW announced that they had received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent Office to go forward with production of their cannabis-based cancer treatment, Sativex.

The Treatment
Numerous studies have shown that cannabis can be used to treat cancer by eradicating cancer cells and stopping metastasis, in most types of cancer. The latest GW drug will harness the power of THC and CBD to treat gliomas, which are a rare form of brain cancer.

Image credit: Mayfield Clinic

The now-patented pharmaceutical uses a ratio of THC and CBD ranging from 1:1 to 1:20 (THC:CBD) to “reduce cell viability, inhibit cell growth or reduce tumor volume”, according to the company. It is interesting to note that GW’s treatment, Sativex, grew out of a long history of pre-clinical trials and anecdotal evidence that show the use of cannabis and cannabis-based products for tumor reduction.

The company went ahead with clinical trials in August 2018 to test the efficacy of Sativex. This trial will look at efficacy of Sativex when combined with more traditional mainstream cancer treatments. Sativex and the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, has been administered to 20 patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This is a rare and very deadly type of brain cancer.

Image credit: Royal Queen Seeds

The Patent
The original patent application was sent in 2009, but has been subsequently changed to accommodate FDA requirements. Changes would include specifics like THC and CBD ratios in the medication, as well as the forms of cancer that Sativex may be able to treat.

What Does This Mean for Cancer Research?
On the positive side, the patent recognizes the value of cannabis for cancer treatments, and not just as a way to counteract the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Cannabis’ efficacy for killing cancer cells must now be recognized on a federal level. This also allows for more options for cancer patients in choosing their treatments.

Image credit: VGstockstudio

It’s a potentially exciting time for cannabis research! Look out for more patents, more clinical trials, and even more cannabis-based medications hitting the market. Keep pushing for access to whole plant medicine.

All in all good news I guess, but I'm not all in with issuing patents on plants and plant materials that we can grow. It's frustrating that we go from deny, deny, deny to exploitation.

 

[Harryhi]

Agree, though there are always those who consider cannabis only a drug and see it from its worse parts.. they do not understand that if we legalize it everywhere then we can control the use of it... I mean, as speaking from my personal experience.. My son has been using it as a painkiller in small amounts, then when the necessity has warren of he decided to use it continually. That is when he became dependent of it and when we found out we decided to try to keep him under control by doing a test every day That is why it should be controlled..

Mod note: link removed

 

[CarolKing]

Comes down to money and who can make themselves more money. It’s always been that way - power and control. Let’s shit on the little guy.
It’s greedy assholes.

 

[treesaver]

I was looking for a thread like this the other night, hoping to vent. Just so frustrated by this topic. No one wants to put money into research for healing you can grow in your own back yard. I can no longer find the source, but there was an article some years back about an old drug which was really cheap to make which was effective against certain type of cancer. It didn't get picked up by the pharma companies because they wouldn't make any money on it. The motivation isn't people's health anymore, it's greed. Sigh.

 

[momofthegoons]

Medical Marijuana Not Always An Affordable Alternative To Prescription Drugs

With all the tech advancements in grow ops, and a valiant attempt to eliminate the stoner stereotype from dispensary storefronts, the American pot market has become a bit bougie.​

Everyone is ranting and raving these days about medical marijuana. Depending on who you ask, it can prevent, treat and even cure various health conditions from anxiety to cancer. Some believe in the powers of the herb so much that they have tossed all of their prescription drugs in the trash and kicked it into high gear down the path of pot. But a lot of these people are learning that with all of the legal discrepancies associated with this crop, it’s a rather expensive trip.

In Ohio, a recent survey conducted by the state found that nearly 60% of patients and caregivers are unnerved about the price of medical marijuana. The poll found that most program participants pay around $300 out of pocket every month for cannabis products. And many are complaining about it.

“Why are these products so expensive?” one responder inquired. “Does Ohio realize that those prescribed mmj (medical marijuana) often deal with symptoms that make working full-time difficult?”

But while Ohio patients grumble about the state’s prices being unreasonable and unaffordable, expensive is just the nature of the beast when it comes to medical marijuana. In states like Michigan and Illinois, the average cost of an ounce of medicinal herb is between $265 and $380.

Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program is no exception.

A recent report from The Philadelphia Inquirer shows that the state is one of the country’s most expensive medical marijuana markets. The high cost has been attributed to everything from profiteering to supply issues, but no one really has any clear answers. The consensus is that the state’s cannabis industry is a wild west business model, and everyone involved is charging whatever they want because they can. Officials with the state’s medical marijuana advisory board say program participants are always complaining about the price of weed. And probably always will.

“The patient community is always outraged about the prices,” said Luke Shultz, an advisory board member. “I’m not sure where the price should be. But we’d sure like to see it lower.”

Medical marijuana is a solid concept at a basic level. Studies emerge almost every day, showing how the herb can make life a little more palatable. Even regular people with no opinions about whether medical marijuana is better or worse than being a slave to Big Pharma are giving it a try. Patient counts have continued to increase over the past few years. This has caused pot shortages in some areas, which leads to price hikes and unhappy customers. There are also a wealth of other attributes that bring about high medical marijuana prices. And the cost can be a deterrent.

“The dispensaries are severely overpriced,” one Ohio medical marijuana patient wrote in a note accompanying the survey.

Spending hundreds of dollars every month isn’t always the most feasible option for alternative medicine; not when patients can lean on their health insurance plan for pharmaceuticals that provide similar or even better results for little to no money out of pocket. Even those who refuse to give up on medical marijuana (they believe it’s the only way to go) often bypass legal channels and frequent black market sources for a price break. But if a patient doesn’t have health insurance, they likely don’t have a job or one good enough to afford legal weed.

With all the technological advancements in grow operations, and a valiant attempt to eliminate the stoner stereotype from dispensary storefronts, the American pot market has become a bit bougie. And there’s no $5 prescription plan.

It could be argued that federal prohibition is what makes medical marijuana a flawed concept. Since the U.S. government still considers cannabis a Schedule I dangerous drug with no known medical value, state produced medicinal cannabis isn’t really even considered medicine. It isn’t covered by any health insurance network, it’s not being administered in hospitals (not even in legal states), and it cannot be purchased at CVS or Walgreens.

In fact, while a doctor can write a recommendation for it, medical marijuana cannot be prescribed. But this product might get a chance to enter the next phase of legality through president-elect Joe Biden. He promised to legalize medical marijuana during his campaign. And while that may look way different than what cannabis advocates really want it to, the system could help more insured patients gain affordable access.

 

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