Drug War Blocking Potential Treatments for Cancer, Alzheimer's, Journal Claims

Reblogged from Health & Family:

Potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and many other illnesses are being blocked by anti-drug laws, according to a new editorial review published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Read more… 1,100 more words

Autism cured by RSO!

Yes, you’ve seen those words somewhere before, and we are getting a frightening number of visitors to the blog via a search for “Autism RSO cure” or “rick simpson autism cure”. (It is here: phoenixtears.ca)

NO! No cannabis product or cannabinoids can cure autism. In fact, nothing can cure autism*. It is either incurable, or beyond our abilities to cure it within the next few years at the very least.

We recommend finding a method of inhaling cannabis, one that you are happy with, as it is very difficult to get the dose right when eating cannabis, and cannabis oil is no different. If you decide to smoke your cannabis, then please consider taking up regular yoga to help protect your lungs.

*autism is a pervasive developmental disorder, which means that some differences we were either born with, or acquired very early in life, affected our perceptions and actions and hence our development in ways which can make us grow up with some unusual approaches to many situations. Even if the fundamental underlying differences which lead to autism are somehow ‘corrected’, we are still left with the mark left by the disorderly development which pervaded our lives before the ‘cure’ is effected. We would have to follow any cure with a considerable period of readjustment and retraining, and it is illogical to presume that someone who has developed differently for, say, 10 years, can be cured, then within 2 years, catch up with all other 12 year-olds in terms of development.

Hemp Crop Planted Today in Colorado!

Reblogged from Hemphealer's Blog:

 

(Photo: industrialhemp.net)

Ryan Loflin, a farmer in Colorado, has planted the first commercial hemp crop in the U.S. in 60 years. 

Below is the article from the Denver Post:

 

First major hemp crop in 60 years is planted in southeast Colorado

POSTED:   05/13/2013 11:42:54 AM MDT
UPDATED:   05/13/2013 11:48:30 AM MDT

By Steve Raabe
The Denver Post

 

 

Springfield, Colo., farmer Ryan Loflin on Monday planted the nation's first industrial hemp crop in almost 60 years.

Read more… 178 more words

Hurrah! Not that I am one for suggesting you experiment with your kids, if some adults can try this first then that would be better. Now that it is legal to grow hemp in Colorado, it should be possible to grow enough hemp to yield a decent amount of High-CBD / Low-THC hemp oil, which may be ideal for many people with autism, but we will only know if we try. Happy experimenting! Please let us know how it's going?

Cannabinoid Type 2 and Autism

Reblogged from asdresearchinitiative:

Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2, but not Type 1, is Up-Regulated in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Children Affected by Autistic Disorders.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23585028

Division of Pharmacology, Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, via S. Maria di Costantinopoli, 16, 80138, Naples, Italy, dariosin@uab.edu.

Abstract

Autistic disorders (ADs) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders arised by the interaction of genes and environmental factors. Dysfunctions in social interaction and communication skills, repetitive and stereotypic verbal and non-verbal behaviours are common features of ADs.

Read more… 571 more words

Researchers in Naples have found some differences in the average autistic child's endocannabinoid system. Having more CB2 receptors (Both Cannabidiol and THC bind to this receptor), may explain why many autistic people find cannabis useful, and also why it doesn't seem to matter too much whether it's THC or CBD or both in many cases. More research is needed.

Mother says medical marijuana has helped son, 12

Son with autism suffers from psychotic episodes.

WINDHAM, Maine —A Windham mother wants people to know how medical marijuana has helped her 12-year-old son.

Photos: Mom Says Medical Marijuana Helping Son With Autism

Stephanie Lay said her son is autistic and suffers from psychotic episodes.

Lay said the changes she’s seen in her son, Bryce, over the past few weeks have been nothing short of remarkable.

Medical marijuana users no longer have to register with the state so we don’t know how many minors are using it, but Lay said marijuana and the synthetic drug Marinol, are the treatments that have helped her son the most.

Lay said she has holes in the wall of her house that Bryce made during one of his psychotic fits.

“It hurts.  It’s really hard to see because you’re watching your child, you’re watching your child hurt himself when he doesn’t know why he’s hurting himself and no one can figure out why he’s hurting himself,” said Lay.

She said she and Bryce have struggled to deal with his health almost all of his life, trying to find a treatment that works.

“After you’ve been on so many anti-psychotics and they’re not rectifying the behavior, then you’re willing to try anything, including marijuana,” said Lay.

She said at first she baked marijuana into brownies for Bryce. She said he dramatically improved and the side effects were minimal.

How she gives him Marinol, an FDA-approved drug.  She wants people to know that medical marijuana isn’t just something that can help adults.

“Because if this is helping him, it could help a lot of other children,” Lay said.

Dr. Dustin Sulak is the one who certified Bryce to use marijuana to help heal his head from an injury he inflicted on himself, and to keep him calm.

“We used to be told during the ‘Just Say No’ campaign that cannabis killed brain cells. But now that we know that it actually protects brain cells and actually stimulates the growth of new brain cells,” said Sulak.

Gordon Smith of the Maine Medical Association, said experts told his organization that marijuana is a gateway drug so his association is concerned about pre-teens using it.

“We think that would be alarming to most people.  Now, having said that, I don’t contest that, in any number of conditions, that it might be helpful.  That’s really between the patient and the physician,” said Smith.

Sulak said Bryce is not the youngest person he’s certified to use medical marijuana.  That patient, he said, was a 2-year-old cancer patient.

Read more: http://www.wmtw.com/news/maine/portland/Mother-says-medical-marijuana-has-helped-son-12/-/8865266/19679324/-/ixco19z/-/index.html#ixzz2RwEWkSkD

Physicians Recommend Marijuana for PTSD, Parkinson’s Disease. Autism is up next.

Michigan will soon be deciding whether to add autism to its list of  ailments justifying a patient’s inclusion in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Program (MMP).

“The next two illnesses to be considered by the Panel are autism and asthma. Michigan residents are already promising to come out in force to support the addition of these ailments to the list of qualifying conditions. The Panel’s next hearing date has not been set as of this writing.”

Read more about the latest news on the Michigan program.

Read about autism and cannabis from the compassion chronicles.

Autism and Cannabis!

Reblogged from Coming Out Of The Cannabis Closet:

Mutations found in individuals with autism interfere with endocannabinoid signaling in the brain

IMAGE: This image shows an inhibitory neuron whose function is affected by neuroligin mutation.

Click here for more information.

Mutations found in individuals with autism block the action of molecules made by the brain that act on the same receptors that marijuana's active chemical acts on, according to new research reported online April 11 in the Cell Press journal Neuron.

Read more… 243 more words

Yet another study in mice, this time finding another suggestions as to why some on the autistic spectrum may find cannabinoids useful.