Cannabis as Medicine

Cannabis seems unique in its wide array of indications for use. The newly discovered ECS not only adds to our understanding of human physiology but also helps us understand how and why cannabis is safe and effective for so many indications.

Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School argues that cannabis is “less toxic than almost any other medicine in the pharmacopeia: it is like aspirin, remarkably versatile.”

It is important to note that Dr. Grinspoon once set out to prove the damaging effects of cannabis in his research. What he found was quite the opposite. He discovered that many people are able to get relief with very small amounts of cannabis, making it possible for them to do normal activity in comfort.

Scientific research has shown that CBD and THC may be therapeutic for many conditions, including (but not limited to) chronic pain, cancer, anxiety, diabetes, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, PTSD, sleep disorders, MS, cardiovascular disease, antibiotic-resistant infections, and various neurological ailments.

Cannabis Safety

• Cannabis does not interfere with your other medications.
• Dr. Donald Tashkin, Emeritus Professor of Medicine & Medical Director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at UCLA has reported that chronic cannabis smokers have a lower risk of lung cancer, followed by the group of chronic cannabis and tobacco smokers, then non-smokers, and of course tobacco only smokers were last with the highest risk for lung cancer. Watch Dr. Tashkin’s presentation and explanation of his findings.
• Smoking marijuana does not cause lung cancer.  In fact there is substantial research that smoking cannabis indicates a preventative effect on lung cancer.
• Side-effects generally subside in 45-minutes to an hour for inhaled cannabis and 6-8 hours for ingested cannabis depending on your body chemistry.
• There are no serious lasting side effects.  There are certainly risks and side-effects to consuming cannabis but they are milder than those of most prescription drugs.
• No one has died due to over-consumption of cannabis.  In fact the lethal does is unknown but suspected to be as high as consuming 800 cigarettes in 15 minutes which is not humanly possible.
• Cannabis is safer than aspirin and has 20 times its anti-inflammatory power.
• Cannabis increases the effectiveness of opiate drugs making it possible to reduce the opiate dosage thereby reducing the risk of addiction.
• Cannabis is far safer than any other intoxicant or drug.
• Cannabis does not kill healthy brain cells.  It has been proven to selectively kill cancerous brain cells in test tube research.
• Cannabinoids (phyto) are one of the major groups of chemicals produced by the cannabis plant. They mimic important chemistry in our bodies called endocannabinoids (cannabinoids within) that are produced by our bodies to control, regulate or participate in all of the major biological functions of our bodies.

Legality of Cannabis

Cannabis is not only remarkable in its wide margin of safety as a medication but also for the wide array of conditions, symptoms, or illnesses for which it is used. This may be a stumbling block for many doctors, who find it hard to believe that a medication can be effective for so many indications. Although just in its infancy, the growing understanding of our ECS helps explain how and why cannabis is so versatile. As stated earlier, the ECS is involved in numerous physiologic processes that affect how we heal, eat, sleep, relax, protect, and forget. How could then a group of people deem that nature is not legal for us to use? This makes no logical sense and no reason to keep a plant away from those that need it.

Why would there be so many patents – if this plant was not regarded as medicine?

PATENTS RELATED TO CANNABIS

2000 – US Patent 6132762 ~ Transcutaneous application of marijuana

2000 – US Patent 6113940 ~ Drug delivery with transdermal patch layer which carries the cannabis chemical(s). the chemicals are contained in a film on the

2001 – US Patent 6328992 ~ Cannabinoid patch and method for cannabis transdermal delivery

2002 – US Patent 6383513 ~ Compositions comprising cannabinoids (nasal spray)

2002 – US Patent 6410588 ~ Use of cannabinoids as anti-inflammatory agents

2003 – US Patent 6630507 ~ Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants

2003 – US Patent 6503492 ~ An antiperspirant or deodorant active agent comprising an aluminium and/or zicronium salt or complex, a carrier for active agent and a cannabanoid receptor (CBR) activating agent

2004 – US Patent 20070151149 ~ Methods for altering the level of phytochemicals in plant cells by applying wave lengths of light from 400 nm to 700 nm and apparatus therefore

2003 – US Patent Application 2004004905 ~ Method for producing an extract from cannabis
plant matter, containing a tetrahydrocannabinol and a cannabidiol and cannabis extracts

2004 – US Patent 6713048 ~ Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 THC) solution metered dose inhalers
and methods of use

2005 – US Patent 6974568 ~ Treatment for cough

2005 – US Patent Application 20050266108 ~ Methods of purifying cannabinoids from plant
material

2005 – US Patent Application 20050079136 ~ Therapy for pain, appetite inttensifiers, multiple sclerosis and asthma; drug delivery

2005 – US Patent 6949582 ~ Method of relieving analgesia and reducing inflamation using a
cannabinoid delivery topical liniment

2005 – US Patent 20050070596 ~ Methods for treatment of inflammatory diseases using CT-3 or analogs thereof

2006 – US Patent Application 20060160888 ~ Room-temperature stable dronabinol formulations

2006 – US Patent 7088914 ~ Device, method and resistive element for vaporizing a medicament

2006 – US Patent Application 20060167084 ~ Delta-9-THC compositions and methods for
treating symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis

2006 – US Patent 7025992 ~ Administering lipophilic drug through mucous membranes

2006 – US Patent Application 20060039959 ~ Film-Shaped Mucoadhesive Administration Forms
For Administering Cannabis Agents

2006 – US Patent 7109245 ~ Vasoconstrictor cannabinoid analogs

2007 – US Patent Application 20070020193 ~ Dronabinol compositions and methods for using
same

2007 – US Patent 20080057117 ~ Pharmaceutical Composition Made Up Of Cannabis Extracts

2007 – US Patent Application 20070041994 ~ Aqueous extract of finely chopped dried selenium- and zinc-enhanced cannabis (Cannabis indicaxCannabis ruderalis), chopped shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes), and chopped maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa) packaged in a cellulose capsule for oral adminstration to treat prostatitis, prostate cancer

2007 – US Patent Application 20070049645 ~ Anti-nausea and anti-vomiting activity of
cannabidiol compounds

2007 – US Patent Application 20070099987 ~ Treating or preventing diabetes with cannabidiol

2008 – US Patent 7344736 ~ Extraction of pharmaceutically active components from plant materials

2008 – US Patent 20080275237 ~ Method for Obtaining Pure Tetrahydrocannabinol

2008 – US Patent 7402686 ~ Cannabinoid crystalline derivatives and process of cannabinoid
purification

2008 – US Patent 7399872 ~ Conversion of CBD to Δ-THC Delta 8 and Δ-THC Delta 9

2008 – US Patent Application 20080112895 ~ Aqueous dronabinol formulations (Cannabinoids in buffer/cosolvent such as ethanol, propylene glycol and/or polyethylene glycol; ophthalmology)

2008 – US Patent Application 20080181942 ~ Delta-9-THC compositions and methods for
treating symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis

2008 – US Patent Application 20080262099 ~ Inhibition of Tumour Cell Migration

2008 – News ~ US Government Holds Patent For Medical Marijuana, Shows Hypocrisy

2009 – US Patent Application 20090324797 ~ Modulating Plant Oil Levels

2009 – US Patent 7622140 ~ Processes and apparatus for extraction of active substances and
enriched extracts from natural products

2009 – US Patent Application 20090197941 ~ Pharmaceutical Compositons for the Treatment of
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

2010 – US Patent Application 20090005461 – Use of Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Hepatitis

2010 – US Patent 2623723 ~ Process for production of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

2010 – US Patent Application 20100249223 ~ New use for cannabinoid-containing plant extracts

2010 – US Patent Application 20100239693 ~ Cannabinoid-containing plant extracts as neuroprotective agents

2010 – US Patent Application 2004014385 ~ Pharmacological treatment of psoriasis

2010 – US Patent Application 20100012118 ~ Medicament dosage for inhaler

2010 – US Patent 7741365 ~ Peripheral cannabinoid receptor (CB2) selective ligands

2010 – US Patent Application 20100204312 ~ Methods and compositions for treating cancer

2010 – US Patent Application 20100158973 ~ Therapeutic uses of cannabidiol compounds

2010 – US Patent Application ~ Controlled-release apoptosis modulating compositions and methods for the treatment of otic disorders

2011 – US Patent Application 20110097283 ~ Chewing gum compositions comprising cannabinoids

2011 – US Patent 2005023741 ~ Pharmaceutical compositions containing (+) cannabidiol and derivatives thereof and some such novel derivatives

2011 – US Patent Application 20110052694 ~ Use of cannabidiol prodrugs in topical and transdermal administration with microneedles

2011 – US Patent Application 20110073120 ~ Smoke and Odor Elimination Filters, Devices and
Methods

2011 – US Patent Application 20110020945 ~ Oral detection test for cannabinoid use

2011 – US Patent Application 20110082195 ~ New use for cannabinoids

2011 – Patent GB2478595 ~ Phytocannabinoids for use in the treatment of cancer

2012 – US Patent 20120052119 ~ Nanoencapsulated delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

2012 – US Patent US2012046352 ~ Controlled cannabis decarboxylation

2012 – US Patent US2012034293 ~ Transdermal delivery of cannabinoids

2012 – US Patent Application 20120004251 ~ Use of the phytocannabinoid cannabidivarin (cbdv) in the treatment of epilepsy

2012 – US Patent 7674922 ~ Process for production of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

2012 – US Patent Application 20120264818 ~ Topical Compositions with Cannabis Extracts

2013 – US Patent Application 20130245110 ~ The use of CBD alone or in combination with another cannabinoid (also THCV alone)

2013 – US Patent 8435556 ~ Transdermal delivery of cannabidiol

2013 – US Patent Application 20130280343 ~ Food Products Derived From Cannabinoid-Administered Livestock

2013 – US Patent Application 20130171145 ~ Methods of treating liver disease

2013 – US Patent Application on 20130251824 ~ Recycling cannabinoid extractor

2013 – US Patent Application 20130059018 ~ Phytocannabinoids in the treatment of cancer

2013 – US Patent NEWS ~ GW Pharmaceuticals plc Announces US Patent Allowance for Use of Cannabinoids in Treating Glioma