Nick Clegg blasts 'facile and totally misplaced' Tory drugs policy in heated new Coalition row

Deputy Prime Minister accuses Tories of being 'frightened' to rethink drugs laws and blocking a major review as controversial Home Office report triggers public spat 

 
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Tories had deliberately delayed the release of new report

Nick Clegg has attacked the Conservatives' "facile" and "frightened" approach to drugs as a heated new Coalition row dramatically emerged over the implications of a controversial Home Office report.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the Tories had a "totally misplaced, outdated, backwards-looking view" on how to tackle Britain's drug problem after new analysis questioned the effectiveness of current laws.

Mr Clegg said his governing partners had blocked attempts to conduct a major review into drug laws while the party's Home Office minister Norman Baker claimed the Conservatives had "suppressed" the report.

Michael Ellis, a Tory MP, returned fire by saying the Lib Dems had "hijacked" the report for "naked political posturing" and accused the party of pursuing a "dangerous and irresponsible" agenda of decriminalisation.

The remarkable war of words came after Home Office analysis found there is a "lack of any clear correlation' between tough drugs laws and levels of abuse".

Continue reading: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg/11197800/Nick-Clegg-blasts-facile-and-totally-misplaced-Tory-drugs-policy-in-heated-new-Coalition-row.html

 

No link between tough penalties and drug use in th UK - report

 

 Drug abuse should be treated as a health issue, says Norman Baker MP

There is "no obvious" link between tough laws and levels of illegal drug use, a government report has found.

Liberal Democrat Home Office minister Norman Baker said the report, comparing the UK with other countries, should end "mindless rhetoric" on drugs policy.

He accused the Conservatives of "suppressing" the findings for months.  Tory MP Michael Ellis said the Lib Dems had "hijacked" it for political gain. The government says it has "no intention" of decriminalising drugs.
"The prime minister thinks the current approach the government is taking is the right one and isn't going to change," said a Downing Street spokesman.

After examining a range of approaches, from zero-tolerance to decriminalisation, it concluded drug use was influenced by factors "more complex and nuanced than legislation and enforcement alone". 

But it found there had been a "considerable" improvement in the health of drug users in Portugal since the country made drug possession a health issue rather than a criminal one in 2001.

The Home Office said these outcomes could not be attributed to decriminalisation alone.

But Mr Baker believes treating drug use as a health matter would be more effective, "rather than presuming locking people up is the answer".

Contrasting approaches

The Home Office looked at methods used to control drug use in various countries

• 9 have sanctioned "drug consumption rooms", including Canada, Denmark and Switzerland
  
• 8 are trialling the treatment of addicts with pure heroin rather than methadone, including Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK
  
• 4 have special "drug courts", where people pleading guilty to drug offences can opt for treatment rather than prison, including the US
  
• 1 has set up "dissuasion commissions" - Portugal
  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29824764

MPs to debate drugs policy amid call for review of laws - Medical Cannabis must be allowed in the UK

MPs are to debate government policy on drugs in the House of Commons later.

A group of backbench MPs from all parties will call on the government to conduct a review of the "failing" 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act during the debate, brought by Green MP Caroline Lucas.

 

It comes as the Home Office publishes two separate reports into different approaches to drug misuse around the world and legal highs in the UK.

The Home Office has said it is not considering any shift in drugs policy.  But MPs want a review to be published within the next 12 months. The debate was agreed to by the Commons Backbench Business Committee - after an e-petition calling for an impact assessment of drugs laws was signed by 135,000 people - and its conclusions will not be binding on the government.

But the symbolically important session will focus attention on UK attitudes towards drugs and highlight coalition divisions between the Conservatives and their Lib Dem coalition partners.

Please continue reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29821698

West London drugs gang busted after police find cannabis selfies - take cannabis away from the criminals - legalise

A west London drugs gang has been busted after its idiotic members took photos of themselves posing with wads of money and bags of cannabis on their mobile phones.

The five-strong gang are all from north Kensington came to the police’s attention after seven violent assaults in the area – beginning on New Year’s Eve.

 

 Kensington CID realised the attacks were part of a drugs war over gang territory and launched an undercover operation codenamed Operation Capulet.

After months of covert surveillance, they busted down 18 doors in dawn raids on Tuesday May 13 and arrested the five men.

At their homes, they found large quantities of Class A and B drugs including cannabis, and thousands of pounds in cash.


They also seized mobile phones that had damning evidence in the form of trophy photos where two of the gang, Sophian Chhayra and Zakaria Chentouf, both 24, posed with drug money.

Sophian Chhayra has been found guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs alongside Fouad Sossi, 20, and Ahmed Mahomud, 20.

Ahmed’s 19-year-old brother, Yousif Mahomud,has been found guilty of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs.

Zakaria Chentouf, seen holding a stack of money, is guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, possession of Class A drugs, and possessing proceeds of crime in the form of cash.

http://www.london24....lfies_1_3818940

Cannabis oil "miracle in a bottle" cure could land mom in jail - This is such a moving story

In March, one mother traveled to Colorado to get a bottle of cannabis oil in hopes of easing the agonizing pain her 15-year-old son has lived with for the past three years.

What she calls a mother's instinct may land her in jail, reports CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz.
"I broke the law, but I did it to save my son," Angela Brown said.

Please watch the news item - very moving
 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-marijuana-laws-in-minnesota-could-land-mom-in-jail-for-2-years/

For years, the Minnesota mom searched for a way to end her son's chronic pain.
Trey appeared healthy, but a baseball accident in 2011 led to a build-up of pressure inside his head.
A line drive to Trey's head caused bleeding in an area of his brain the size of a golf ball. Doctors feared he wouldn't survive.

But when he finally woke from a medically induced coma, his mother said the old Trey was gone.
"He's the shell of himself," Angela said. "He's in so much pain, and that causes depression."
With depression came daily migraines, muscle spasms and uncontrollable outbursts.
"I cry like every day before I go to bed," Trey said.
And the pain is intense.  "Like my brain is about to blow up, cause there is so much pressure," he said.

To try to ease his pain, Trey's parents tried 18 different medications, but little helped. Angela believes some of the drugs' side effects even made her son suicidal.

Continue reading:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medical-marijuana-laws-in-minnesota-could-land-mom-in-jail-for-2-years/

The politics of medical cannabis may be complicated. But for some people it makes a world of difference in relieving pain, nausea, seizures, and other symptoms.

With the recent political debate around medical cannabis trials, you could be forgiven for thinking that the notion was something altogether new.

In fact, cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years in India and Asia. It was introduced to western medicine in the mid-nineteenth century by an Irish doctor William O'Shaughnessy, upon his return from service in India, and become a popular therapy around the world.

Even former US president Richard Nixon's 1972 National Commission on 'marihuana' supported studies of its use in the treatment of conditions such as glaucoma, migraine and cancer (although Nixon subsequently ignored his own Commission's findings and instead declared a 'war on drugs').

The criminalisation of marijuana saw it swiftly fall from medical favour. However, it seems that medical cannabis's star is once again rising, with some evidence suggesting it may offer considerable relief in conditions where few other treatments are able to help.

Making people more comfortable

Cannabis's therapeutic benefits stem from the way it stimulates with the body's own method of making us feel good, known as the endocannabinoid system, explains Emeritus Professor of Anaesthesia Laurence Mather, from the Northern Clinical School at the University of Sydney.

"The endocannabinoid system in the body is not a pain relieving system like the endorphin system, like for morphine-type things, it's more a general wellbeing system, and it works by making people feel more comfortable with themselves," Mather says.

 

"It doesn't ablate pain, it makes the body more accepting."

Cannabis helps with a very specific type of pain that does not appear to respond well to pain relieving treatments, such as opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).

"It does not work, for example, in post-operative pain … and in acute pain such as from a surgical incision," Mather says.

Please continue reading: http://www.abc.net.a.../27/4115279.htm

Farmers look to cash in on Italy’s 2015 medical cannabis law as state tries to keep control of market

Starting in 2015 Italy will allow cannabis to be used for medical purposes, and testing is underway in a top secret lab not far from Venice in conditions of high security.

 

Italy says it has no intention of going down the same route as the USA, where medical use has led to cannabis’s decriminalisation in several states, and that is will remain legal only in medical applications.
“Medical use presents notable advantages because with the consumption of just a few milligrams of the material, which can de dissolved in a drink or baked into a pastry, one can ingest a dose that is sufficiently high to produce a positive effect,” said researcher Gianpaolo Grassi.

The army has been given responsibility for growing the stuff, but many poor farmers struggling to make a living are jumping the gun and getting into the cannabis business in anticipation of a slackening of the laws.

http://www.euronews.com/2014/10/13/farmers-look-to-cash-in-on-italy-s-2015-medical-marijuana-law-as-state-tries-to/

Medical Cannabis laws: Getting the first seeds is often hush-hush operation

CHICAGO — As more states legalize medical cannabis, there's one stage in the process nobody wants to talk about: the part where people still have to break the law.

After growers obtain licenses, plan for security and build facilities, they then must obtain their first seeds or cuttings — while regulators turn a blind eye.

 

"It has to be hush-hush," said Bradley Vallerius, an attorney focused on the emerging industry in Illinois. "I've seen the moment where the client realizes this is a problem" — and wonders how they're supposed to get started.

The situation is known as the "immaculate conception" or the "first seed" problem. Those involved see it as an absurd consequence of the nation's patchwork of laws, with 23 states allowing medical marijuana sales, Colorado and Washington state allowing recreational use and a federal prohibition in place.

While cannabis may not be hard to find, getting the first seeds for medical operations often involves either descending into the underground market or crossing state lines — a violation of state and federal laws.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/280487962.html

Medical cannabis: Florida parents fight to help children suffering with seizures

Nicolas Peruyero was 8 years old, blind and unable to walk or talk when his mother saw a documentary about the benefits of medical marijuana and its promise to reduce seizures.

For a few moments, Nancy Peruyero imagined what Nicolas’ life might be like without the relentless myoclonic seizures every day. And for the first time, she allowed herself to hope, an emotion she had rarely felt since that August afternoon in 2009 when her youngest son was diagnosed with Batten disease, an unusual neurological disorder marked by seizures, loss of motor skills and mental impairment. His life expectancy with the disease is no more than 12 years. He turned 9 on Oct.2.


 Nancy Peruyero sits with her son Nicolas, 9, after a physical therapy session. Nicolas has Batten Disease, an inherited disorder of the nervous system that causes seizures.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article3377889.html#storylink=cpy

 
“We want to try medical cannabis in hopes that it will calm his seizures and help him become more alert and sleep better,” said Peruyero, 41, who first watched the CNN documentary Weed about a year ago. “We want to be able to have all our options. For us, this is a quality of life issue. What parent would not do everything they could to help their child?”

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article3377889.html

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article3377889.html#storylink=cpy

Yes to cannabis Ballot Measures - Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia Should Legalize

The decision by California voters in 1996 to legalize medical marijuana produced a wave of similar initiatives around the country. Less than two decades later, over half the states allow at least limited medical use. Now it looks as though recreational use of the drug may follow the same path.

In 2012, Washington State and Colorado legalized recreational marijuana. This November, voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia will decide whether to do the same — effectively disregarding the misguided federal ban on a drug that is far less dangerous than alcohol. Decades of arresting people for buying, selling and using marijuana have hurt more than helped society, and minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the harsh criminal penalties of prohibition.

Since Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia already allow medical marijuana, taking the next step makes good sense. There are some differences in their proposed initiatives, but they are all worthy of passage.

ADMIN: THE EXPERIENCE IN THE STATES FOR THE LIBERALSATION OF CANNABIS ESPECIALLY FOR MEDICAL USE IS A BEACON FOR THE UK TO FOLLOW

Continue reading: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/06/opinion/alaska-oregon-and-the-district-of-columbia-should-legalize-pot.html?_r=0

Health Canada's Anti medical cannabis Campaign A Study In Contradictions

“The science is clear” on the dangers of marijuana, claims a new government ad campaign. But it’s a murky message because when it comes to the medicinal benefits of the drug, the same government also maintains there isn’t enough scientific study.
The controversial new anti-drug crusade aims to encourage parents to talk to teenagers about the effects of marijuana on their brains and how it “can damage a teen for life.”
In the Health Canada campaign — the same department charged with overseeing the country’s burgeoning medical marijuana industry — the government’s opposition to marijuana is unequivocal: “The science is clear. Marijuana use equals health risks.”

The problem is that while the government’s anti-marijuana position may be clear, the science behind its stance is anything but. Because marijuana is illegal, few randomized, controlled trials — the gold standard in the scientific community — have been conducted on its harms and benefits.

Continue: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/22/health-canada-marijuana-campaign_n_6027276.html

The postive role of medical cannabis can have with respect to Parkingson's disease

Scientifically it is not crazy to think that cannabis may play some positive role in the alleviation of Parkinson’s disease symptoms.  There are cannabinoid (THC) receptors all over the brain, and these receptors seem to be concentrated in a region important to Parkinson’s disease, commonly referred to as the basal ganglia.  

In fact, the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata, which are structures within the basal ganglia, are some of the most densely packed cannabinoid (THC) receptor areas in the human body.  It is therefore not beyond reason to think that a drug directed at these receptors might positively influence the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.  Indeed, many drug companies remain interested in compounds influencing these receptors.

What is the bottom line for information that a person with Parkinson’s disease will need to know if considering medical cannabis.  Cannabis should never be thought of as a replacement for dopaminergic and other approved therapies for Parkinson’s disease.  

 

Second, though most available large studies have not shown a benefit, that does not mean that there will not be a benefit.  Much more research will be needed to understand which patients, which symptoms, and how best to safely administer medical cannabis in Parkinson’s disease, especially over the long-term.  

It may turn out that non-motor features such as depression, anxiety, and pain respond best, but studies are desperately needed to sort this out.  Parkinson’s disease patients living in states where cannabis has been legalized for medical use should be aware of the dangers, particularly the effects on the lungs, the dangers of driving, and accidental overdoses (particularly with food items).  Finally, when the UK government authorises medical cannabis there will be a need to develop training programs for doctors and medical teams prescribing cannabis, so that the Parkinson’s disease patient on medical cannabis can be kept as safe as possible.

http://www.parkinson.org/Patients/Patients---On-The-Blog/August-2014/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Medical-Marijuan

Worryingly Florida's Medical Cannabis Amendment Is in Danger of Failing

For much of the past year, it seemed almost inevitable that medical marijuana would become legal in Florida. Polls showed that more than 80 percent of Floridians would support a constitutional amendment   that's on the ballot this November legalizing medicinal weed.



So it was something of a shocker last week when a Tampa Bay Times poll     indicated that medical marijuana will fail to get the 60 percent of the vote required to get on the ballot. It had previously polled at more than 9-to-1    .

See also: Meet the Americans Serving Life in Prison for Weed  

Yesterday, Ben Pollara, campaign manager for United for Care, the main organization fighting for legalization, insisted that "we're still winning" and said internal polls still indicated the amendment would get more than the 60 percent needed to pass.

 Continue reading:
http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2014/10/medical_pot_florida.php

Cannabis lamps used by football club on pitch

Heat lamps seized by police in raids on cannabis farms are being used to cultivate the grass at Rochdale's football pitch in Greater Manchester.

 

The lights have been used to make special lighting rigs at Spotland, the home of League One team Rochdale AFC.
Head groundsman Oli Makin said heat from the rigs will improve the turf around the goal mouths and the tunnel.
He said the idea came about after discovering Notts County FC had used confiscated lamps  .
The lights heat up the soil and replicate warmer conditions to help the grass grow.

Mr Makin said the lights which would have cost the club between £20,000 and £30,000 were donated by Sgt Andy Fern of Greater Manchester Police.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-29705681

Medical cannabis is the devil. Medical cannabis is a godsend!

Amendment 2 is a con. Amendment 2 is compassion.

The debate in Florida continues to heat up on a daily basis - Sad when your talking about a 'proven' medical product

"On both sides it seems to be all or nothing," said Harris Segel, immediate past president of the Fort Myers Metro-McGregor Kiwanis Club, which had a Vote No on 2 representative speak to the group. "On one side, it's just great, don't worry about it, it will all be fine. On the other side, it's the devil's work. We are all going to hell in a handbasket if it passes."

There's got to be something in between, he said.

"We need facts. We need information," said Connie Besco, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal employees for a four-county Southwest Florida area. A representative of the pro campaign spoke to about 60 members.

"So many people are afraid of things that are going to happen because of marijuana being legal, and a lot of people against it are coming out with all kinds of things that scare people," she said.

The Vote No on 2 crowd has run TV ads saying the amendment's language is so loose felons and drug dealers will be able to become medical marijuana "caregivers." The most recent has a doctor saying there's nothing "medical" about marijuana.

"Medical marijuana is a trick," Dr. Madelyn Butler tells viewers.

Continue reading: http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/10/20/ad-campaigns-ramp-medical-marijuana/17641263/

 

How to turn cannabis into a legal drug - For the UK Government to say NO

GW Pharmaceutials has been making medicine from cannabis for more than a decade 

Dazed and confused about how a British drug maker can legally sell a drug made from cannabis in several countries around the world and still not be able to market it in the UK?
 
 Come this way for enlightenment.

 Step One: Get a scientific theory 

 Step Two: Grow the right kind of cannabis

Step Three: Refine your extract

Step Four: Test, test, test 

Step Five: Record your medicine's fingerprint 

Step Six: Take it to the regulators 

Step seven: Charge to much for your product in England!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/11039224/How-to-turn-cannabis-into-a-legal-drug.html

 

 

 

 

 

Should cannabis Be a Medical Option?

This campaign is about promoting cannabis for medical use within the UK - We believe unlike other groups, to make a considered reason for the change in legislation - both sides should be heard in reasoned debate - not bigotry - therefore we will continue to use arguments from both sides - the pro's and the con's.

Proponents of medical cannabis argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. They cite dozens of peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, major government reports, and the use of cannabis as medicine throughout world history. Opponents of medical cannabis argue that it is too dangerous to use, lacks government-approval, and that various legal drugs make cannabis use unnecessary. They say cannabis is addictive, leads to harder drug use, interferes with fertility, impairs driving ability, and injures the lungs, immune system, and brain. They say that medical cannabis is a front for drug legalization and recreational use.

Why not let cannabis ease sufferers’ pain? Jacquie Langham, an MS sufferer from Holt in Norfolk

Our inflexible laws are denying MS patients access to a drug that could change their lives 

  

By Philip Johnston  

The letters columns of The Daily Telegraph do not immediately spring to mind as a rallying point for the liberalisation of this country’s drugs laws. But two correspondents yesterday drew attention to what must be the most irrational and unjust restriction of all: the ban on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

 

 Jacquie Langham

Just as there is plenty of evidence that cannabis is harmful (as, indeed, are tobacco and alcohol) it also has palliative qualities. People suffering from multiple sclerosis, for instance, find that cannabis, or substances based on the drug, help relieve muscular pain. Jacquie Langham, an MS sufferer from Holt in Norfolk, wrote about how she had been forced to buy Sativex, a legal cannabinoid that is administered in spray form, from the Internet because two GPs would not prescribe it for her.

“I could scream with frustration and desperation,” she added. Why should people be expected to endure pain when the wherewithal exists to relieve it; or be forced to break the law to obtain a natural substance that will make them feel better?

Please continue reading:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/11041397/Why-not-let-cannabis-ease-sufferers-pain.html

Sheep munch through cannabis plants dumped in their field

A flock of sheep were left feeling rather woolly-headed after accidentally munching on thousands of pounds worth of cannabis plants.

The animals began stumbling about after getting high on seven bags of the intoxicating plant, which had been dumped in their field.

Police won’t be taking action against the sheep for tucking into their illegal meal, but are determined to catch the “irresponsible” crooks who grew and discarded the class B drug.

 
 

Farm shop manager Nellie Budd said: "My sheep being inquisitive had an interesting feast on it. They weren't quite on their backs with legs in the air but they probably had the munchies.

"They haven't had any other side effects but I'll tell you about the meat next week :(

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11171357/Sheep-munch-through-4000-of-cannabis-plants-dumped-in-their-field.html

Hemp Oil Hustlers – Special Report On Medical Marijuana Inc., HempMeds & Kannaway

 ADMIN: Nothing gives a more telling reason why we need regulated medical cannabis within the UK other than this sorry tale of greed and abuse from the States

A half year ago, Project CBD assigned a writer to investigate and report on Medical Marijuana Inc., a penny stock umbrella company that markets “hemp oil” products infused with cannabidiol (CBD), a medicinal component of the cannabis plant. Originally we had hoped to shed light on the complex financial machinations of Medical Marijuana Inc., a subject that had been addressed by a few stock market analysts but not by journalists in general interest publications. 

Griffin also lost faith in Medical Marijuana Inc. “[It] took me six months to figure out [that the] press releases” were the most important thing the company produced, he recounted. “I came up with half the ideas for these guys, and they’d write the press releases from my ideas.” It was all smoke and mirrors, according to Griffin, who said that MJNA lacked a coherent business plan and staff meetings went nowhere.

A year into the business, Griffin and Black had already left Medical Marijuana Inc. By that time the staff was mostly composed of former pot smugglers and boat captains with little experience navigating the bureaucracy of drug law and federalism.31 Nevertheless, they began hawking $100,000 “franchise licenses” to buyers who wanted to vend federally prohibited medicinal pot under the company’s name.32 In return, the company promised to bestow its turnkey wisdom on weed start-ups.

Please read the full article at: http://www.420magazine.com/forums/international-cannabis-news/230698-hemp-oil-hustlers-special-report-medical-marijuana-inc-hempmeds-kannaway.html#post2265617

Catch-22 because while it is legal to prescribe medical cannabis, it’s not legally available!

A legislative panel in South Carolina is looking at medical marijuana heard sometimes-tearful testimony Thursday urging lawmakers to expand the health conditions for which the drug can be used. They were also told the patients who could benefit from the drug face a Catch-22 because while it is legal to prescribe, it’s not legally available in the state. The General Assembly this year approved a bill allowing patients with severe epilepsy to be treated with oil derived from marijuana if a doctor approves.


 

“I can’t do much in my life. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I’ve ground most of my teeth off from being in pain,” Francis Hoffman Darling of Summerville, who suffers from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic condition, told the panel of lawmakers, state agency officials and others. “I would like to try this.” A tearful Stacy Guarneri of Summerville said she plans to move to Florida after the first of the year to get marijuana treatments for her 7-year-old autistic daughter.

She said her daughter has been on a variety of medications which don’t work and the family spends $100,000 a year on her treatments. Karen St. Marie, who heads an organization called South Carolina Advocates for Epilepsy, said she had to leave her epileptic son at home under medication so she could attend the hearing. She said more than 100,000 people in the state suffer from the condition and she knows of at least four families who have left the state for Colorado where marijuana is legal and where their loved ones can take advantage of the drug.

“They are so completely thankful for the change,” she said. “But the one question they have is why do they have to choose” to go elsewhere. The panel, established by the law passed this year, will report back to lawmakers with recommendations on how marijuana can be produced and distributed in the state for medical purposes. The panel is also looking at state revenues from the sales and impacts in-state production may have on public health.

Australia - Proponents Argue The Good Use Of Cannabis Oil For Medical Conditions

Small "cannabis clubs" are popping up across NSW as more people seek to use the drugs for medical purposes and pressure builds across the country to allow its legal use. But doctors and advocates warn that patients are essentially operating in a Wild West environment without the medical support and information they need. NSW has set up a committee to establish a trial of cannabis for terminally ill patients, while Victoria introduced a bill last week to make it easier to conduct such trials

 

But community groups are already experimenting with different strains of the drug to treat a range of conditions, connecting growers, often via social media, with people suffering from problems such as severe forms of childhood epilepsy and cancer-related nausea. However, the lack of medical research has led to confusion about what conditions the drug can and cannot treat – with many proponents arguing it should be used to stave off all illnesses including cancer and infections.

And the groups say they are hampered by the need to evade police, cannabis thieves who raid their plots to use the drug for recreational purposes and difficulty accessing strains that are lower in the psychoactive chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and higher in CBD (cannibidiol), which is thought to carry much of the medicinal benefits of the drug and is approved in the US for the treatment of a severe form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

Andrew Katelaris, a doctor who has been convicted for growing cannabis for medical purposes and has lost his medical registration over the issue, said politicians are only paying "lip service" to ensuring critically ill people could attempt to try the drug. Dr Katelaris recently undertook a trial using special cannabis from Spain that is high in CBD. "We put a call out on Facebook looking for 12 kids who had been given up on by the medical system, and we got about 1200 [applying]," he said.

All 12 had seen significant improvement in their conditions, with reduced seizures and improved activity. But his supply of the drug is running out. "We are in crisis now as other forms of cannabis don't work as well," he said. "It's just heart-breaking to see these kids who were going forward being dragged back down." Dr Katelaris said he had been using a plot in the country to grow the cannabis, but it had been raided by thieves. He now believes the only solution is to teach individual families of children with conditions such as Dravet Syndrome to grow small amounts of cannabis and turn it into medicinal oil.

Central coast mother Jaylene Siery said she felt like she was being pushed into breaking the law and growing cannabis herself. When her 2 1/2-month-old daughter Larisa began using the oil, her seizures dropped from between 50 and 60 a day to about five. But the quality and availability of the oil fluctuated after a police raid on one high-profile grower. "Without her medicine she was having more seizures again and I know eventually she would die," she said. "It's going to push me and her father into doing something illegal, but anyone in our situation would do anything they could for their child."

Treating arthritis Pain With Medical cannabis has promise for easing pain

Research suggests cannabis has promise for easing arthritis-related pain, inflammation and more

Research shows that, among other things, cannabis eases chemotherapy-induced nausea and loss of appetite, and relieves spasms in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Even so, pain relief is perhaps the most well-recognized and studied effect.



Several decades ago, scientists discovered that mammals, including humans, have a pain-regulating system (the endocannabinoid system) with receptors in nervous system tissue, immune cells and bone and joint tissue. These receptors respond to cannabinoids, a set of compounds that include endocannabinoids, which the body creates on its own; and phyto-cannabinoids, plant-based compounds found in marijuana that are very similar to endocannabinoids.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.arthritistoday.org/arthritis-treatment/natural-and-alternative-treatments/remedies-and-therapies/medical-marijuana-2.php

Opponents clash over access to medical cannabis in FOX 13 debate

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Patients' access and trust in doctors versus flawed legislation and law enforcement's ability to crack down on fraud emerged as the main concerns as attorney John Morgan and Polk Sheriff Grady Judd debated the issue Monday night.

 

Morgan has been the biggest backer of Amendment 2, which would allow access to marijuana for those with debilitating diseases. Judd has come out as the amendment's highest-profile opponent, saying it is “deeply flawed,” and he says he opposes it for the loopholes it contains.

ADMIN: IN THE STATES THE WHOLE ISSUE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS IS BEEN DISCUSSED OPENLY AND FRANKLY - IN THE UK AT TIMES WE APPEAR NO FURTHER ON THAN NEOLITHIC MAN

watch the full debate at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgh3YhVu6V4

Eight-year-old given medical cannabis for CDKL5, a rare genetic condition, marked by the severity of its seizures - with stunning benefits in her

"Choosing any treatment for your child is not an easy decision - choosing Medical Cannabis was possibly the hardest decision I have ever made. But I don't regret it." said mother Nicole Cowles

She further said "I very much doubt I would be as passionate about the legalisation, research and medical dispensing of Cannabis as a medication if I had not seen the benefits firsthand." 

  

She has been trialing with Alice, under medical supervision, a liquid form of Medical Cannabis as an anticonvulsant. Alice's seizures are now controlled, with break through seizures only when she is unwell with a temperature. The side effects of Medical Cannabis are: Improved physical ability including walking, improved intellectual ability including talking, improved social interaction including expressing the love she feels for her family and for life; in fact, improvement in all areas of development, leading to an improved quality of life for both Alice, and in turn my family.

Please read more at: http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/life/10610772/I-gave-my-eight-year-old-medical-cannabis

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Cannabis drug for multiple sclerosis ‘too costly’ for England but not Wales - POST CODE LOTTERY

Nice says price set by manufacturer of Sativex is too high for the benefit it gives MS patients

A drug derived from cannabis, which many people with multiple sclerosis say helps ease their symptoms, has been ruled too expensive to be used by the NHS in England even though it is approved for Wales.

A cannabis plant. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

In new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of people with the disabling disease, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says the price set by the manufacturer of Sativex (nabiximols) is too high for the benefit it gives patients. But the decision opens up the sort of “postcode lottery” that Nice was set up to end, with MS patients in Wales able to use the drug on the NHS while those in England either have to buy it themselves or go without. Some will use the illegal drug instead.

A second drug, Fampyra (fampridine), designed to improve people’s ability to walk, has been rejected by both England and Wales. Neither drug is routinely available in Scotland.

The MS Society’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said the rejection of the two drugs by Nice was disappointing. “Surely we should be striving for the most innovative treatment and care to be made available to people with MS, not limiting options even further,” she said.


“I experience very painful spasms around my ribs, the MS hug, and tightness in my arms and legs. I’ve been told that Sativex could give me some relief but it seems so out of reach,” said Shona Garrett, 38, from Lowestoft, who was diagnosed two years ago and is on a waiting list for the drug in her area. “I also experience nerve pain like constant pins and needles in my feet, and I’ve heard Sativex could help with this too. No one has offered me any other options.”

ADMIN: THIS IS MADDNESS - THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO SATIVEX THAT NICE CAN APPROVE.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/08/drug-multiple-sclerosis-england-wales-nice?CMP=twt_gu

Short-Term Effects of Medicinal Cannabis on Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis

Conclusion

• Smoked cannabis was superior to placebo in reducing spasticity and pain in patients with MS and,
although generally well tolerated, resulted in statistically significant cognitive effects.

• Larger, long-term studies will be needed to confirm and extend these findings.

Objective
•To assess the short-term safety and efficacy of smoked medicinal cannabis vs. placebo in multiple
sclerosis (MS) patients with spasticity.



Background
• Evidence that cannabis relieves MS-related spasticity is largely anecdotal; potential therapeutic effects, plus
risk and safety issues remain unclear.

Methods
• Single-center, prospective, randomized, placebocontrolled crossover trial in adults with MS and
spasticity. Subjects were randomly assigned to smoke either cannabis (approximately 4% THC) or identical
placebo cigarettes once daily for three consecutive days, with assessments before and after treatment.
Following a washout period of 11 days, subjects crossed over to the opposite condition.

Please continue reading: http://t.co/6TyIIqeIn2

Mother Arrested for Helping Treat Her Son's Seizures with medical cannabis

whoopi Goldberg spoke for all of us -  she is right, persecuting a mother for treating her child is cruel and unusual punishment - this is really worth watching



Please watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGpYKPqWKoY&feature=youtu.be

Lib Dem MP calls for a review into the medicinal properties of cannabis

Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, wants the Department of Health to consider broadening the range of medical conditions for which cannabis can be used.

In the UK, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 enables the availability of controlled drugs for medicinal purposes through licensing under schedules 2-4 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Cannabis is listed in schedule 1 to the Regulations. This means that it has no recognised medicinal use and subject to the strictest control restrictions.

 

Norman says: “I think it is time to reconsider medicinal properties of cannabis, given what I have learnt in my role as a Minister. I have seen more and more evidence that cannabis can provide genuine medical benefits to treat a number of conditions. There is a growing body of research that shows the medical properties of chemical components of cannabis. We should seriously consider whether it is valuable to treat conditions such as MS, glaucoma, chronic and neurogenic pain and the side effects from chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS treatments.

“I am uncomfortable that there are credible people I have met who tell me that cannabis is the only substance that helps relieve their condition but not only are they stopped from accessing it officially but have to break the law to help their health.

“Other countries recognise that cannabis does have medicinal benefit and we need to look again at this to help people who are ill. This is a quite separate matter from the recreational use of cannabis which is not at issue here.

“We already prescribe cannabinoid treatments for some of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. I have written to Jeremy Hunt asking him to review the benefits of cannabis, so that we can lower the restrictions on the development of cannabis-based medicines. This could help many people suffering from a range of conditions.

“Obviously we have to do this right, we need to ensure that the proper medical processes are applied. But I have always said that we should follow the evidence, even if that takes us to uncomfortable areas of policy-making.”

MP Norman Lamb wants review of Cannabis for medical use

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb says he's throwing his weight behind plans to make cannabis availaible as a treatment for certain medical conditions.


 

The Minister says it will form part of the next Lib Dem manifesto

A cannabis-based drug which eases painful muscle spasms was made available on the NHS in Wales, but it was turned down in England.

Mr Lamb says we need to follow the science;  "Lets just stick with the science. If there is evidence that cannabis has beneficial effects from a health point of view for someone struggling with multiple sclerosis should we really stopping that person?

"Should we be making it an offence for that person to use something that eases their pain."

http://www.klfm967.co.uk/news/klfm-news/1379982/mp-for-north-norfolk-norman-lamb-wants-cannabis-review/

Cannabis (medical) treatment for motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease are positive

OBJECTIVE:

The use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent for various medical conditions has been well documented. However, clinical trials in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have yielded conflicting results. The aim of the present open-label observational study was to assess the clinical effect of cannabis on motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.

METHODS:

Twenty-two patients with PD attending the motor disorder clinic of a tertiary medical center in 2011 to 2012 were evaluated at baseline and 30 minutes after smoking cannabis using the following battery: Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale, visual analog scale, present pain intensity scale, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, as well as Medical Cannabis Survey National Drug and Alcohol Research Center Questionnaire.

RESULTS:

Mean (SD) total score on the motor Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale score improved significantly from 33.1 (13.8) at baseline to 23.2 (10.5) after cannabis consumption (t = 5.9; P < 0.001). Analysis of specific motor symptoms revealed significant improvement after treatment in tremor (P < 0.001), rigidity (P = 0.004), and bradykinesia (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

There was also significant improvement of sleep and pain scores. No significant adverse effects of the drug were observed. The study suggests that cannabis might have a place in the therapeutic armamentarium of PD. Larger, controlled studies are needed to verify the results.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24614667

Extremely low levels of THC in Cannabis may slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease

Extremely low levels of the compound in marijuana known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, may slow or halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a recent study from neuroscientists at the University of South Florida shows.

 Findings from the experiments, using a cellular model of Alzheimer's disease, were reported online in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Researchers from the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute showed that extremely low doses of THC reduce the production of amyloid beta, found in a soluble form in most aging brains, and prevent abnormal accumulation of this protein -- a process considered one of the pathological hallmarks evident early in the memory-robbing disease. These low concentrations of THC also selectively enhanced mitochondrial function, which is needed to help supply energy, transmit signals, and maintain a healthy brain.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140827131801.htm