Mounting evidence backs clinically significant benefits for people suffering from Crohn’s disease who use cannabis. Holistic health expert Sayer Ji—who was a featured speaker at the Holistic Cannabis Summit rounds up the latest research results in recent GreenMedInfo article.
The promising results are good news, because Crohn’s Disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel condition that chronically affects the lining of the digestive tract, generally has a poor prognosis that resists conventional, prescription drug-based treatment and results in surgery in 70 percent of sufferers.
“In the new study — the first randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study of its kind on the topic — researchers studied 21 patients (mean age 40) with Crohn’s disease who did not respond to drug therapy (steroids, immunomodulators, or anti–tumor necrosis factor-α agents). Patients were randomly assigned to be given cannabis, twice daily, in the form of cigarettes containing 115 mg of (THC) or placebo containing cannabis flowers from which the THC had been extracted.”Read the full study, published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology and titled, “Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study”.
New documentary highlights stories of kids with cancer, cannabis, and controversy.
Weed the People, a soon-to-be-released documentary from filmmakers Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake, highlights the inspiring stories of children with cancer whose parents “will stop at nothing to help them.” That includes concocting cannabis oil medicines to relieve the debilitating side effects of the chemotherapy medical regimen their children are undergoing.
In the film, Donald Abrams, MD, chief of oncology-hematology at San Francisco General Hospital says:“Every day, I see patients who have nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy—pain, depression, loss of appetite, insomnia. I could write them prescriptions for five or six different medications, all of which are probably expensive and could interact with each other or with the chemotherapy drugs they’re taking. Or I could recommend one medicine, cannabis, which can take care of all those concerns.”
Coming Clean with Cannabis, a new e-book by Women Grow, hits all the right messages for women looking to clean up their 2016 lifestyle through better diet, less alcohol, and appropriate use of cannabis. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, Laura Lagano contributed her expertise to the book and wishes everyone – of all genders – a healthful New Year.
As we head into 2016, fast-growing Boulder- and Denver-based cannabis entrepreneurs shared what cannabis consumers want now with Daily Camera reporter Shay Castle. With cannabis-industry revenues on track to hit $1 billion for this year, popular new product categories include:
A “gentle, pleasant high.” At Boulder startup Chooze, a cognitive scientist has formulated vaporized pellets with 50 percent THC (cannabis’ psychoactive compound) and 50 percent CBD (a non-psychoactive compound touted for its medicinal properties) that offer moods like sedation and ambition, rather than feeling stoned.
Mapping the cannabis genome. The Cannabis sativa plant has over 100 potentially beneficial, mostly yet-to-be-researched compounds that could result in thousands of new products, says Nolan Kane, an evolutionary biologist and post-doctoral adviser at the University of Colorado, which is participating in the Cannabis Genomic Research Initiative (CGRI).
“Sales for products infused with CBD oil will top $85 million in 2015, according to a recent report from the Boulder-based Hemp Business Journal, though industry insiders say that figure is likely a low estimate.” The next aspirin? Culled from industrial hemp, CBD has been found to have pain-relieving effects and other possible health benefits.Other trends include: healthier edible products; standardized, distilled marijuana and hemp drinks; and more. Read full article.
When it comes to cannabis’ benefits for health conditions, seizures come to mind for many people thanks CNN and other media coverage of families that report improvements in children with epilepsy with cannabis oil use. Thus far, the mainstream medical community has been cautious about such reports, but early results from two small studies presented at the American Epilepsy Society’s annual meeting in December are promising.
“The first study, led by Orrin Devinsky, director of the comprehensive epilepsy center at NYU Langone Medical Center, involved giving a drop of liquid cannabidiol (CBD), a key component of marijuana, to 261 patients with severe epilepsy for three months. The participants, most of whom were children with an average age of 11 and were at 16 different sites around the country, continued to take their regular anti-seizure medications as well. By the end of that time period, their seizures were reduced by 45 percent on average.
Devinsky’s study did report some side effects: 5 percent of patients experienced changes in their liver enzymes or diarrhea. And 12 percent stopped taking the medication during the study because it didn’t appear to help. Results from a second small study were more mixed. More research on cannabis and seizures is certainly needed. Case studies and anecdotal evidence of benefits are generally supportive of benefits ranging from less anxiety, improved wellbeing, and fewer seizures.
Laura Lagano MS, RDN, CDN has been featured on the radio airwaves, educating, and sharing information about cannabis as a medicinal herb and its innate healing properties. These interviews will give you an insightful look into the life-changing paradigm shift taking place within the natural and holistic health sector and the cannabis industry.
