The General
New Member
As a nurse practitioner and clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing with more than 25 years of experience, I applaud the StarNews for the Sept. 22 story about the plight of families in North Carolina seeking medical marijuana (cannabis) for their children's seizure disorders. Denying patients safe and effective medicine is a tragic consequence of marijuana prohibition. Recent research shows that marijuana has many health benefits and is safer than most over-the-counter medicines.
The pharmaceutical industry is keeping a close eye on the emerging field of medical cannabis. Cannabis is well known to have anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and many other clinically relevant properties, and interest in cannabis therapeutics is intensifying. Despite its official stance on marijuana, the federal government continues to issue patents to pharmaceutical companies for research and development of cannabis.
Nonetheless, the decades-old legal classification of cannabis as a substance of no medical use is the primary reason why we continue to deny access to cannabis medicine and seriously harm cannabis users with draconian federal and state laws. Reflecting the controversy surrounding cannabis, many health care professionals offer confusing advice, like the physician quoted in the article who advises patients to wait for the Food and Drug Administration to approve cannabis drugs like Sativex rather than seek herbal medicinal cannabis now.
Sativex (Bayer Pharmaceuticals) is the first commercially available whole-plant-derived cannabis drug. It's currently available in Europe and Canada. However, the manufacturer of Sativex applied to the FDA for approval to market Sativex in the U.S. in 2003; clearly the approval process is stalled beyond a reasonable wait. Also, Sativex has a higher concentration of THC (the chemical in marijuana that causes the "high") than the illegal cannabis extract the families mentioned in the article want to use; a less preferable option for pediatric use.
Medical cannabis (available in states where it is legal) is routinely quality tested for contaminants and THC/CBD ratio to assure to ensure consistency, quality and safety. The wide variety of cultivars now available provides a range of options for almost every need. Newer smoking methods such as vaporizers and water pipes minimize smoking related risks. And, the newer more potent strains of cannabis are relatively safe and require less smoking for effectiveness.
Topical applications are showing promise as anti-septic and anti-inflammatory agents. Oral preparations are effective for anti-spasmodic, anti-anorexic and many other applications. Promising research indicates cannabis has neuro-protective and anti-tumor properties. And, cannabis may even play a future role in the discovery of novel treatments for obesity. Much of the prevailing misinformation about cannabis is the result of decades-old drug war propaganda that is not medically grounded. It's apparent that more education is sorely needed to help alleviate the fear and mythology surrounding marijuana and promote responsible use of cannabis in our society. However, the continuing criminalization of cannabis is counterproductive.
And, the continuing classification of cannabis as a federal Schedule I substance reinforces this misinformation and fear among health care professionals. Cannabis prohibition thwarts open communication between physicians and patients, and stymies research. Furthermore, statistics show that criminalizing marijuana does not reduce teen use of marijuana and that liberalizing marijuana laws do not lead to more drug use in general. In my private practice, I've noted that patients are increasingly interested in natural treatment alternatives and medical cannabis has much of this allure. Patients are hearing from people in other states about how they are using cannabis to help them with a variety of medical conditions and want to know more.
Sadly, patients also report emotional trauma and severe economic harm as a result of criminal convictions for cannabis use. It's a moral tragedy that the stigma associated with marijuana use and fear of reprisal prevents most health care providers from even discussing the topic of medical cannabis in a compassionate and realistic way with their patients. If patients have a choice about the use of potentially lethal drugs like anti-seizure drugs, opiates and chemotherapy, they certainly should have a choice about the use of an ancient herbal medicine.
Fortunately, public opinion is starting to reflect a more rational view of marijuana. Opinion polls conducted this year show that in North Carolina and elsewhere in the conservative South, Americans now favor changing laws to allow use of medical marijuana. Numerous groups are currently advocating for change. We appear to be nearing a tipping point in the national dialogue on drug policy reform.
The North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network and other organizations are actively advocating for change in North Carolina's cannabis laws. I am proud to be working with other professionals in North Carolina to further education for health care professionals in the area of cannabinoid therapeutics, harm reduction, and drug policy reform. The change we see on the horizon has great potential for helping families in North Carolina and improving the safety of our communities.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Starnewsonline.com
Author: Lee Porter
Contact: Contact Us | StarNewsOnline.com
Website: Guest columnists look at medical marijuana | StarNewsOnline.com
The pharmaceutical industry is keeping a close eye on the emerging field of medical cannabis. Cannabis is well known to have anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and many other clinically relevant properties, and interest in cannabis therapeutics is intensifying. Despite its official stance on marijuana, the federal government continues to issue patents to pharmaceutical companies for research and development of cannabis.
Nonetheless, the decades-old legal classification of cannabis as a substance of no medical use is the primary reason why we continue to deny access to cannabis medicine and seriously harm cannabis users with draconian federal and state laws. Reflecting the controversy surrounding cannabis, many health care professionals offer confusing advice, like the physician quoted in the article who advises patients to wait for the Food and Drug Administration to approve cannabis drugs like Sativex rather than seek herbal medicinal cannabis now.
Sativex (Bayer Pharmaceuticals) is the first commercially available whole-plant-derived cannabis drug. It's currently available in Europe and Canada. However, the manufacturer of Sativex applied to the FDA for approval to market Sativex in the U.S. in 2003; clearly the approval process is stalled beyond a reasonable wait. Also, Sativex has a higher concentration of THC (the chemical in marijuana that causes the "high") than the illegal cannabis extract the families mentioned in the article want to use; a less preferable option for pediatric use.
Medical cannabis (available in states where it is legal) is routinely quality tested for contaminants and THC/CBD ratio to assure to ensure consistency, quality and safety. The wide variety of cultivars now available provides a range of options for almost every need. Newer smoking methods such as vaporizers and water pipes minimize smoking related risks. And, the newer more potent strains of cannabis are relatively safe and require less smoking for effectiveness.
Topical applications are showing promise as anti-septic and anti-inflammatory agents. Oral preparations are effective for anti-spasmodic, anti-anorexic and many other applications. Promising research indicates cannabis has neuro-protective and anti-tumor properties. And, cannabis may even play a future role in the discovery of novel treatments for obesity. Much of the prevailing misinformation about cannabis is the result of decades-old drug war propaganda that is not medically grounded. It's apparent that more education is sorely needed to help alleviate the fear and mythology surrounding marijuana and promote responsible use of cannabis in our society. However, the continuing criminalization of cannabis is counterproductive.
And, the continuing classification of cannabis as a federal Schedule I substance reinforces this misinformation and fear among health care professionals. Cannabis prohibition thwarts open communication between physicians and patients, and stymies research. Furthermore, statistics show that criminalizing marijuana does not reduce teen use of marijuana and that liberalizing marijuana laws do not lead to more drug use in general. In my private practice, I've noted that patients are increasingly interested in natural treatment alternatives and medical cannabis has much of this allure. Patients are hearing from people in other states about how they are using cannabis to help them with a variety of medical conditions and want to know more.
Sadly, patients also report emotional trauma and severe economic harm as a result of criminal convictions for cannabis use. It's a moral tragedy that the stigma associated with marijuana use and fear of reprisal prevents most health care providers from even discussing the topic of medical cannabis in a compassionate and realistic way with their patients. If patients have a choice about the use of potentially lethal drugs like anti-seizure drugs, opiates and chemotherapy, they certainly should have a choice about the use of an ancient herbal medicine.
Fortunately, public opinion is starting to reflect a more rational view of marijuana. Opinion polls conducted this year show that in North Carolina and elsewhere in the conservative South, Americans now favor changing laws to allow use of medical marijuana. Numerous groups are currently advocating for change. We appear to be nearing a tipping point in the national dialogue on drug policy reform.
The North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network and other organizations are actively advocating for change in North Carolina's cannabis laws. I am proud to be working with other professionals in North Carolina to further education for health care professionals in the area of cannabinoid therapeutics, harm reduction, and drug policy reform. The change we see on the horizon has great potential for helping families in North Carolina and improving the safety of our communities.
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Starnewsonline.com
Author: Lee Porter
Contact: Contact Us | StarNewsOnline.com
Website: Guest columnists look at medical marijuana | StarNewsOnline.com
