Happy HalloWeeD from C C B!
Thursday 31 October 2013
Monday 28 October 2013
New Harvard Study: Cannabis Can Reverse Effects of HIV-Associated Dementia
A new study published this week by the U.S. National Institute of Health, as well as the British Journal of Pharmacology, has found that activation of the brain’s cannabinoid receptors – something which cannabis does naturally – provides neuroprotective effects that can reverse impaired neurogenesis caused by HIV-related dementia.
According to researchers; “HIV-1 glycoprotein Gp120 induces apoptosis in rodent and human neurons in vitro and in vivo. HIV-1/Gp120 is involved in the pathogenesis of HIV-associated dementia (HAD) and inhibits proliferation of adult neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in GFAP/Gp120 transgenic (Tg) mice.”
They state that; “Since cannabinoids exert neuroprotective effects in several model systems, we examined the protective effects of CB2 agonist AM1241 on Gp120-mediated insults on neurogenesis.”
In doing so, the researchers found that cannabinoid receptor activation “resulted in enhanced in vivo neurogenesis in the hippocampus as indicated by increase in neuroblasts, neuronal cells, BrdU cells and PCNA cells.” They continue; “Further, a significant decrease in astrogliosis and gliogenesis was observed in GFAP/Gp120 Tg mice treated with AM1241 as compared to those treated with vehicle control.”
They conclude that; “CB2 agonist rescued impaired neurogenesis caused by HIV-1/Gp120 insult. Thus, CB2 agonists may act as neuroprotective agents for rescuing impaired neurogenesis in HAD patients.”
The study, which was conducted by researchers at the Division of Experimental Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, can be found here:
Saturday 26 October 2013
Medical marijuana-using parents get baby back
Child Protective Services took the baby in September after alleging the Michigan couple might be exposing the infant to marijuana.
LANSING, Mich. — Baby Bree is back home.
In a case that galvanized Michigan supporters of medical marijuana, custody of an infant seized by Child Protective Services workers last month was awarded to the child's parents Friday in a Lansing courtroom.
"I'm ecstatic," said Bree's mother, Maria Green, standing outside the courtroom with a dozen medical marijuana activists wearing green ribbons.
"Bree will be in her own bed tonight. We're going to hug her and read to her and love her," said Maria's husband, Steve Green.
On Sept. 13, Steve and Maria Green, each a state-approved marijuana user, stood in their Lansing home in shock as employees from the county's Child Protective Services unit said the Greens might be exposing their infant daughter Bree to marijuana. As police looked on outside the Greens' two-story gray house, Bree was taken from her mother's arms and driven away.
That action triggered an outcry of "Free Baby Bree" — on websites and the Greens' Facebook page, at rallies and fund-raisers, on the weekly web-streamed Planet Green Trees Radio and outside the Ingham County courthouse.
Four attorneys volunteered their time. And leaders of the medical-marijuana community declared the case would make or break future investigations involving medical marijuana by child protective units across the state.
"The idea that medical marijuana patients can't be good parents is just drug-war hysteria," said Charmie Gholson, 49, of Ann Arbor. But the Greens aren't the first to suffer the loss of a child, Gholson said.
"This has been going on almost since the law passed," she said. Gholson is founder of Michigan Moms United, what she calls "a campaign to re-educate the public and legislators about how the failed drug war destroys families."
Steve Green, 34, is a former auto mechanic who suffers from severe epileptic seizures that no medicine would relieve until he tried marijuana, he said. Maria Green, 31, is a former preschool teacher who has multiple sclerosis and operates a home-based business, selling her own nutrition supplements, "that keeps a roof over our heads," she said. Both are state-approved medical-marijuana users, as their attorneys showed in court.
At their previous home in Auburn Hills, the couple was charged with manufacturing marijuana — a four-year felony — because Oakland County authorities found them growing marijuana. Friday's court order allows them to resume growing the plants, Covert said.
"I was there and I have to tell you — that was hard to watch," Joshua Covert, the couple's key attorney, said about Bree being taken away. But Friday's decision had him smiling.
"We said we're going to let the parents medicate (with marijuana) but not around the children, just what they've been doing all along, and allow some type of regular testing of the baby, maybe a mouth swab," to prove that Bree was not being exposed, Covert said.
The Greens had been scheduled for a jury trial Monday, but this week their luck turned. Ingham County Probate Judge Richard Garcia, at an evidentiary hearing Wednesday, voiced doubts about the actions of social workers and their allegations on a Child Protective Services petition. That led Garcia to call for a special hearing Friday. That's when the couple heard the words they longed to hear — that Baby Bree would come back to her mother and father.
"We've been hoping and praying for this, and we were joking about the return policy," Maria Green said. The infant has been living with her parents near Port Hurton, under a temporary custody arrangement.
The Ingham County assistant prosecutor who represented Child Protective Services at Friday's hearing declined to comment.
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said Tuesday that he could not comment directly about Bree Green's parents' fitness to raise her.
"But I would hope that any parents who have the need to use prescription medication would do so in a manner that does not expose their child to harm," Dunnings said.
In Michigan's see-saw battle over the legitimacy of medical marijuana, the Greens have become heroes to those who support full legalization of the drug.
But for those at the other end of the spectrum, medical marijuana activity in Michigan has become a cover for drug dealing.
"I've seen it first-hand," said Roseville Police Chief James Berlin, who spent most of his career in narcotics enforcement.
"I'm sure there's legitimate patients, but we spend a lot of time and effort investigating guys who have their (state registry) card and they're raising plants and selling the drug to anyone who'll buy from them," Berlin said.
Cannabis May Be A Gastroprotectant, Says New Study
A new study conducted by researchers at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy at Semmelweis University in Hungary, and published by the United States National Library of Medicine, has found promising evidence to suggest that cannabis may be a gastroprotectant.
According to the study; “Stimulation of central angiotensin AT1 receptors via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors [something which cannabis does naturally] induces gastroprotection in a DAGL-dependent and vagus-mediated mechanism.”
Here is the entire abstract from the study;
"The aim of the present study was to analyze whether angiotensin II via the endocannabinoid system can induce gastric mucosal protection, since transactivation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors by angiotensin AT1 receptor in CHO cells was described. Experimental ulcer was induced by acidified ethanol given orally in male Wistar rats, CB1( / ) wild type and CB1(-/-) knock out mice. The compounds were administered intracerebroventricularly. It was found, that 1./ Angiotensin II inhibited the ethanol-induced gastric lesions (11.9-191 pmol); the effect of angiotensin II (191 pmol) was inhibited by the CB1 receptor inverse agonist AM 251 (1.8 nmol) and the inhibitor of diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL), tetrahydrolipstatin (0.2 nmol). 2./ Angiotensin II exerted gastroprotection in wild type, but not in CB1(-/-) mice. 3./ The gastroprotective effect of angiotensin II (191 pmol) was reduced by atropine (1 mg/kg i.v.) and bilateral cervical vagotomy. In conclusion, stimulation of central angiotensin AT1 receptors via activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors induces gastroprotection in a DAGL-dependent and vagus-mediated mechanism."
The study can be found here:
Friday 25 October 2013
Activated CB1 Receptor: New Study Shows Cannabinoids Might Prevent Prostate Cancer
A recent study out of Madrid Spain and published by the US National Institute of Health is offering hope for those who suffer from prostate cancer. Utilizing a compound meant to imitate the medical effects of marijuana’s cannabinoids, researchers discovered that by activating the body’s own natural cannabinoid receptors – a naturally occurring event when cannabis is consumed – can prevent, and treat hormone sensitive prostate cancer.
While prostate cancer is predominantly an issue for older men – over the age of 65, men with a family history of prostate cancer stand a greater risk of being diagnosed as early as their late 30s, or early 40s.
According to Instituto de QuÃmica Médica’s;
“Chromenopyrazolediones have been designed and synthesized as anticancer agents using the multi-biological target concept that involves quinone cytotoxicity and cannabinoid antitumor properties. In cell cytotoxicity assays, these chromenopyrazolediones have antiproliferative activity against human prostate cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. It has been shown that the most potent, derivative 4 (PM49), inhibits prostate LNCaP cell viability (IC50 = 15 μM) through a mechanism involving oxidative stress, PPARγ receptor and partially CB1 receptor. It acts on prostate cell growth by causing G0/G1 phase arrest and triggering apoptosis as assessed by flow cytometry measurements. In the in vivo treatment, compound 4 at 2 mg/kg, blocks the growth of LNCaP tumors and reduces the growth of PC-3 tumors generated in mice. These studies suggest that 4 is a good potential anticancer agent against hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.”
The conclusion of this study is that marijuana’s cannabinoids represent a; “good potential anticancer agent against hormone sensitive prostate cancer.”
Great news to end the week…
Ireland ‘ready for legalisation of cannabis’
Proposed Bill from Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan would allow restricted home cultivation and personal possession
Proposed Bill from Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan would allow restricted home cultivation and personal possession.
Mr Flanagan estimated that the legalisation of cannabis could generate up to €300 million through tax revenues and the freeing up of resources. However, he stressed this was an estimate and it was not possible to know for sure what savings might be made.
“If cannabis is legalised, we can make a shopping list out of the amount of money which legalising cannabis will save this country,” said the TD.
These savings could, he said, lead to the reversal of the recent Budget cuts including cuts to the bereavement grant, cuts to young people’s social welfare payments and the abolition of the telephone allowance.
The Bill, which is due to be debated in the Dáil on November 5th and 6th, would, if passed:
- regulate cannabis for recreational and medical use
- allow for home cultivation up to a maximum of six cannabis plant
- allow for the personal possession of up to one ounce of cannabis
- allow for the setting up of “Cannabis Social Clubs” which would allow up to 50 club members to cultivate up to 300 plants for not-for-profit use
- set up a “cannabis regulation authority” to regulate the cultivation, sale, labelling, advertising and marketing of cannabis
- see tax revenue from cannabis fund drug addiction services, medical research and juvenile education courses on drugs.
- include a requirement that the Minister for Justice and Minister for Agriculture to examine the feasibility of the safe regulation and controlled use of cannabis.
“This Bill will protect our youth from unscrupulous dealers; it will make it, in my opinion, more difficult for them to get it; and in the same way as if a minor uses alcohol, a minor who uses cannabis will also face similar sanctions such as having to go into treatment,” Mr Flanagan said.
Mr Flanagan also announced the setting up of a new group, Normal Ireland, which aims to “proactively educate the Irish public as to the social, economic and health benefits of legalising cannabis” and to lobby for a change to the law.
The board of the new groups includes Stuart Clark, assistant editor of HotPress; Dr Garrett McGovern, a GP specialising in alcohol and substance abuse and Dr Cathal ÓSúiliobháin, a GP working with addiction.
Source and
Full text of Cannabis Regulation Bill 2013 :
Thursday 24 October 2013
Shredding The Social Stigma Between Women And Marijuana
By Simone Fischer
As I navigate my way through the cannabis industry, I can’t help but wonder about its current relationship with women. Most of the time when I do find visible women within the community, I see “420 nurses” or other types of scantly-clad females.
I find it interesting that despite the rampant sexual objectification of women in the cannabis industry, women are still often faced with the stigma of using cannabis in the first place. Some have gone as far to say that using cannabis is an “unladylike” or “unappealing” habit for a woman to have. As far as I know, using cannabis knows no gender, but many women are confronted with inherent shame when opening up about it.
Why can’t we see more Diane Fornbachers and Sabrina Fendricks?
I have a theory.
Lets go back to 1949 during the time when propaganda around “Reefer Madness” was peaking. Kristen Gwynne’s article on Alternet teases out some of the issues in the film She Shoulda Said ‘No!’. The story line revolves around a girl who experiments with cannabis which consequently heightens her sexual promiscuity, undoubtably portrayed in a negative light. First off, causation does not prove correlation. Smoking weed does not inherently make you a slut.
Secondly, this type of thinking promotes the same kind of victim blaming that we also see with alcohol intoxication. The idea that if women choose to use these substances, the consequence of rape or other forms of sexual violence is a given. This is victim blaming and slut-shaming.
The previous generation of America has systematically used women’s sexualities to discourage the use of cannabis. “Don’t smoke weed unless you are willing to risk your self-worth and/or reputation”. This is another example of the sexist double standards that often applies to women, while leaving men unexamined in the same light. The purity myth when applied to cannabis works to discourage female experimentation with cannabis, which is still happening today.
If women still feeling guilty about opening up about smoking pot, the chances of them being involved within the cannabis world is slim. The unwarranted sexual stigma associated with women and cannabis usage has also worked to isolate women from the cannabis industry. Rape culture has been perpetuated through the prohibition mindset by the handy work of the U.S. government. Women should not be unfairly judged because they smoke pot.
You should be able to do your thing ladies. Stigma free.
In order to break the stigmas that female cannabis users are faced with, we must work to “come out” of the green closet as women. To successfully legitimize cannabis in society at large, women must recognize and validate our own experiences and usage. This alone can be daunting due to the harsh backlash women often endure when deviating from gender norms. Mothers are especially criticized for their cannabis use which brings up serious race, class, and gender issues.
Women must start recognizing the responsibility of claiming their experiences with cannabis. But with that said, if the cannabis industry wants to succeed in the inclusion of women without stigma, the issues on gender oppression must be addressed.
Lets work together to create a cannabis industry that everybody can relate too.
Simone Fischer recently graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelors Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies and a Minor in Philosophy, where she worked in the PSU Office of Graduate Studies. Prior to making the switch to Women’s studies, Simone was pre-med so her interests have always been rooted in medicine. Currently, she pens thought provoking pieces for our blog and works as a Front Desk Representative at Brightside Community Foundation.
Wednesday 23 October 2013
JAMAICAN ME CRAZY
"The Jamaican Me Crazy Cocktail is a sweet tropical concoction that taste like a little slice of heaven." - marijuana.com
Ingredients:
2 fluid ounces Simple Cannabis-Infused Dark Rum*
1 fluid ounce Amaretto
3 fluid ounces coconut water, either plain or with pineapple
Ice cubes
Pot leaf for garnish (optional)
Combine rum, Amaretto, and coconut water in a shaker and strain over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a pot leaf and enjoy. It’s like a piña colada without
the dairy.
* Use the Simple Cannabis-Infused Rum Recipe below and substitute dark rum like Gosling’s or Appleton Estate
Cannabis Infused Dark Rum
Ingredients:
Dark rum
½ ounce of cannabis buds
Add the cannabis to a glass quart jar and fill with dark rum (or the liquor of your choice). Place jar in a cool, dry place, shaking every day. Do this for about four weeks. Strain well and keep jar in a cool, dry place.
Recipe from Natasha Lewin
Aside from being a pot smoker, I’m also a drinker, and with that comes my love of working in bars. It’s a great way to make new friends (and some extra money on the side). In 2010 I was nominated for Best Bartender in New York as part of a contest that pitted me against twelve other hardworking servers.
Following an online vote, the top four, including myself, had to make our signature drinks for a panel of judges. I made my now-famous Jamaican Me Crazy and won—though I think it was the pot leaf garnish that really took the top prize. I’d never seen so many people posing for pictures with a drink before. I knew if I made it to the Final Four, winning the award would be a piece of space cake. I just didn’t know the leaf would be the celebrity in the room, not me. No complaints here, though. I’m totally open about my love of the green behind the bar. I wear pot-related T-shirts during my shift so that people know what method of relaxation I really prefer. Sure, I’ll serve you a drink, but in my opinion, what’s really going to chill you out after a long week is some sweet Mary Jane. So I try to subliminally insert my preference for pot in every drink I serve—with or without the pot leaf garnish.
—Natasha Lewin
For first time, most Americans favor legalizing marijuana: poll
Americans who believe marijuana should remain illegal are now in the minority, according to new poll numbers released Tuesday.
For the first time ever in a Gallup poll, a clear majority of the country – 58 percent – say that pot should be legalized. That figure represents an increase of 10 percentage points since last year, according to Gallup. The poll surveyed 1,028 Americans by phone Oct. 3-6.
Those in favor of legalization skew young and liberal, though the biggest increase of support came among people identified as independents. Sixty-two percent of independents favored legalization in 2013, up 12 percentage points from last year, according to the poll. Sixty-five percent of Democrats favored legalization, vs. just 35 percent of Republicans.
The polled broke Americans down into five general age groups: 18 to 29, 30 to 49, 50 to 64, and 65 or older. The only age group not in favor of legalization was those 65 years or older – 53 percent of those polled still opposed legalization.
“Americans are increasingly recognizing that marijuana is less harmful than they’ve been led to believe,” said Mason Tvert, a spokesperson for Marijuana Policy Project. “I think it’s time to regulate marijuana like alcohol and most Americans appear to agree. We’re seeing support for ending prohibition in states across the country and efforts are being made to change state laws.”
Twenty states, plus the District of Columbia, permit marijuana for medical use. Washington state and Colorado have passed legislation permitting use of the drug recreationally. Marijuana is still considered an illegal drug by the federal government and is categorized as a hallucinogen by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Gallup first started tracking the question of legalization in 1969, when just 12 percent of the country favored legal use of marijuana. That figure doubled in the 1970s, reaching 28 percent. Support rose steadily and reached 50 percent in 2011, according to Gallup research. A Gallup poll released in early August said that 38 percent of Americans have tried marijuana.
Still, there is opposition.
“I’m concerned that these people that are saying that they are favoring legalization are really not aware or knowledgeable about the marijuana that’s out there today,” said Carla Lowe, the founder of Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana.
A poll conducted by Pew Research, released in April, said that 52 percent of the country favored legalization.
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Uruguay prepares to legalize sale of marijuana at $1 a gram
Uruguay is set to become the first country in the world to legalize the sale of marijuana at a market price of US$1 a gram. The bill is expected to pass through the senate in November, bringing the $40 million industry under state control.
The legislation was passed through the lower house earlier this year in August and backed by President Jose Mujica’s government. The measure is part of an initiative to combat the illegal drugs trade in Latin America and curtail cartel violence, which has decimated parts of the region.
Lawmakers have agreed at an initial price of $1 per gram of the drug, a price that aims to compete with the illegal market value, which currently stands at around $1.40 for a gram.
National Drug Board chief Jose Calzada told Uruguayan newspaper El Pais that bringing the industry under state control “will provide a safe place to buy, a good quality product and moreover will sell at a standard price.”
He assured that one gram is enough for “one large joint and three slimmer ones,” stating the first legal marijuana crop should hit the market in the middle of 2014.
The legislation stipulates a number of conditions that will govern the sale of the drug. Uruguayan citizens will be required to register in a private database to be able to purchase marijuana and will be restricted to 40 grams each per month.
Moreover, citizens will legally be allowed to cultivate six marijuana plants per head or band together and organize a club of up to 45 members with the possibility of growing 99 plants.
The Uruguayan state will also offer advice to marijuana users on the drug’s consumption.
“As well as smoking marijuana in a cigarette, you can also vaporize it - which is much less harmful - or consume it in food like brownies,” said Calzada.
There are still a number of details to finalize in the Uruguayan bill to legalize marijuana. At present no money has been allocated to finance the new director for the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis.
The initiative has also hit upon opposition politicians who released a poll over the summer that claimed that 60 per cent of the country’s population was against the idea.
The National Drug Board estimates that there are around 120,000 marijuana users in Uruguay from a population of 3.3 million. Consumer groups estimate that the figure as higher, putting the number of users at around 200,000.
The board has also calculated that about 20 hectares will be needed in order to satisfy demand. As part of the initiative, the Uruguayan government will give licenses to private businesses, which will be allowed to cultivate on state-controlled land.
New Study: CBD May Treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Cannatonic 13% CBD, 7% THC
A new study published in the journal Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology has found that cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis, may treat OCD.
According to the start of the study’s abstract; “Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main components of Cannabis sp, presents clinical and preclinical anxiolytic properties. Recent results using the marble-burying test (MBT) suggest that CBD can also induce anticompulsive-like effects.”
“This study represents the first direct demonstration of the role of the endocannabinoid system on the antihyperalgesic effect of ankle joint mobilization.”
Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo’s School of Medicine tested cannabidiol on rats with OCD, and found that; “The results, in addition to reinforcing a possible anti-compulsive effect of CBD, also suggest that mCPP-induced repetitive burying could be a useful test for the screening of compounds with presumed anticompulsive properties.”
Researchers conclude that; “the serotonergic and cannabinoid systems interact to control repetitive behaviors, although the precise nature of this interaction is not clear.”
This study was also published online by the National Institute of Health.
Sour Tsunami strain 10-11% CBD and 6-7% THC
The study can be found here:
Cannabidiol (CBD) Rich Cannabis strains
Cannatonic 13% CBD, 7% THC
Sour Tsunami 10-11% CBD , 6-7% THC
Omrita Rx3 9-12% CBD, 5-7% THC
True Blueberry/OG Kush 9.4% CBD, 4.8% THC
Jamaican Lion 8.91% CBD, 5.54% THC
Harlequin 4% CBD, 2% THC / 75% sativa and 25 % indica
Juanita la Lagrimosa 8.8% CBD, 6.8% THC
Good Medicine 9.03% CBD, 8.2%THC
Misty 7% CBD, 10% THC
Soma A+
Stinky Purple
Cotton Candy/Diesel
Rx Red
Poison OG
Juanita La Lagrimosa strain 8.8% CBD, 6.8% THC
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