Cannabis-Based Sleep Apnea Medication Awaits FDA Approval

[Robert Celt]

Researchers are studying a cannabis-based pill that could potentially treat sleep apnea, a condition affecting more than 12 million Americans that causes breathing to stop and start during sleep and can lead to health problems like heart disease, as reported by ABC-11 in Raleigh Durham.

Current treatment for sleep apnea includes a CPAP mask that is worn overnight to facilitate steady breathing during sleep.

If you have never seen a CPAP machine, it's a somewhat big contraption that some people say is not comfortable to wear on the face overnight.

"The CPAP, although it helps me sleep, I get these marks and I've got to wait all day and try to pump my face back up because I got the marks all over my face," sleep apnea sufferer Lisa Smith told ABC-11.

Now researchers are studying a synthetic cannabis medication called dronabinol that might be viable, and a much less intrusive, treatment for sleep apnea if approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Dronabinol has previously been prescribed to cancer patients for treating nausea induced by chemotherapy treatment.

The medication also helps keep the upper airway open during sleep, which is why it might be an effective sleep apnea treatment, according to ABC-13.

News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis-Based Sleep Apnea Medication Awaits FDA Approval
Author: Emily Gray Brosious
Contact: Sun Times
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Sun Times

 

[OlderGrower]

Hold on just a second my friend. Marijuana is a schedule 1 drug and all schedule 1 drugs have no medicinal value. How do I know this to be fact? Because my trusted government tells me so.
My god the sarcasm was dripping off my keyboard as I was typing that, I was actually worried something may short out. Every day I read article after article showing that marijuana does have medicinal value, why is it still a schedule 1 drug? I know it takes time to get congress and the senate off their lazy asses and actually go in and vote, (Granted that is a tough job, they must come home every night all sweaty and stiff and sore from all the hard work they do) but seriously, what the HELL are they waiting on.
Enough is ENOUGH. Are they waiting for the country to revolt? I feel as if we are all starving and our governments only answer to us is "Let them eat cake"