A Colorado hemp farm is the nation’s first to receive the US Department of Agriculture’s organic seal, paving the way for other hemp producers to receive the designation. According to a recent broadcast by KUNC, industrial hemp is eligible for certification as long as it’s grown in accordance with the Farm Bill. Medicinal marijuana is still not eligible for organic certification.
“Part of the problem is semantics. “Hemp,” “cannabis,” “marijuana,” and the plant’s countless nicknames are used interchangeably and as shorthand to denote the chemical makeup of different varieties. As it stands now, the Farm Bill makes some varieties of cannabis, colloquially known as “hemp,” federally recognized and legitimate crops as long as they’re below a THC threshold.”
“Hemp is a low-THC variety of cannabis, meaning it won’t get you high if you smoke or ingest it, but can still contain other chemical compounds with potential medical uses. Its fiber and seeds are marketed to makers of industrial ropes, beauty products, high-end garments, and health foods.” What’s the genetic difference between hemp and marijuana? Learn more in this study, published in the journal New Phytologist, and titled “Gene Duplication And Divergence Affecting Drug Content in Cannabis Sativa”.
Using cannabis in conjunction with radiotherapy can dramatically shrink and even kill cancerous tumors, according to research conducted at St. George’s, University of London. In the study, tumors in the brains of mice were treated in a variety of ways: no treatment, cannabinoids alone, irradiation alone, or with both cannabinoids and irradiation.
“Those treated with both irradiation and the cannabinoids saw the most beneficial results and a drastic reduction in size. In some cases, the tumors effectively disappeared.
‘We’ve shown that cannabinoids could play a role in treating one of the most aggressive cancers in adults,” wrote lead researcher Dr. Wai Liu, in a November 2014 op-ed for The Washington Post. “The results are promising… it could provide a way of breaking through glioma [tumors] and saving more lives.’”
Researchers are now considering combining irradiation with cannabinoids in a human trial. Read the full study, published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, and titled “The Combination of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol Enhances the Anticancer Effects of Radiation in an Orthotopic Murine Glioma Model.”
Genny, a 16-year-old girl with autism, suffered severe seizures daily before she began medicating with cannabis. Today, not only have her seizures decreased to one every five days, her mental cognition has improved and she’s able to form small sentences. “When she recently spoke the words ‘I love mamma,’ her family was brought to tears.”
Though medical marijuana is legal in New Jersey where Genny and her family live, getting the medicine is not easy.
“There are still just five dispensaries in New Jersey, serving just over 1,500 patients. Genny’s family travels monthly, but are hoping to switch to a newly approved location [closer to home]. The cost is $12,000 a year – all out of pocket.”
Still, many families rely on cannabis to treat autism, and for good reason, says Christian Bogner, a board certified physician in Michigan, who has a child with autism spectrum disorder. “1 in 68 kids is diagnosed with autism in the US. There [are] no effective treatments that are readily available. About 3.5 million Americans are affected …and each year the incidence raises 10 percent. It is a 236 billion dollar problem in this country per year, and in 10 years it will be a 400 billion dollar problem.” He included in a petition to legalize medical cannabis in Michigan.
When Penny and Dustin Howard’s daughter Harper was diagnosed with CDKL5 Epilepsy, a rare form of epilepsy that causes frequent debilitating seizures, the family scrambled for treatment options. Traditional pharmaceuticals were ineffective or left their daughter “catatonic,” so the family looked for alternative options. Relief came in the form of CBD oil.
Within the first three days we had eye contact and verbalization sounds from her …” They launched “Hope 4 Harper,” a Facebook page and blog documenting their journey. Little did they know what impact sharing their story would have. Katiele Fischer, a mother of another child diagnosed with CDKL5, found the Howards’ blog and had CBD shipped to her illegally from relatives in the US to Brazil where she lived. Fischer documented her daughter’s treatment with a doctor and lawyer.
“Just like Harper’s, Anny’s seizures started to disappear. When the worst happened and Katiele was caught importing the CBD oil illegally, Katiele did something that inspired even our family. In April 2014, Katiele stormed up the steps of ANVISA, Brazil’s FDA, and sued the federal government of Brazil for her right to access RSHO to save little Anny.
“As things stand today, Brazil is not only allowing CBD hemp oil to be imported into Brazil as a medication with a doctor’s prescription, the Brazilian government is subsidizing the payments under their healthcare system. And now, Brazil is allowing CBD from hemp to be imported for more than epilepsy, but also for several other medical indications, including Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain.”
Smoking may be the most commonly known delivery method for marijuana, but it’s not always the most effective for medical applications. Informed care means staying abreast of various delivery forms, which may include juicing the plant or ingesting hemp oils suggests Medical Jane.
“Juicing cannabis and ingesting oils from the plant can basically be done for free, and the best part is that this treatment plan doesn’t require bi-weekly doctor visits. A small dosage every day taken orally has been known to do wonders for patients.”
“What some people struggle to realize is that just because people choose to smoke marijuana, does not mean that this is the most beneficial means of ingestion. While it does have many positive effects on patients such as stress and pain relief, there are more proven benefits to be had by other means of ingestion.”Injecting THC may have profound results! In one study, THC injected into brain tumors in rats either shrank or destroyed the tumors in the majority of subjects. Read the full study, published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, “Cannabinoids: potential anticancer agents.”
