7 Years for 9 Grams – By Ziv Genesove
Naama Issachar, an Israeli-American young woman, is currently facing an unimaginable sentence of over seven years in a Russian prison after local police found 9 grams of Indian Charas in her baggage.
Perception of Benefits and Harms of Medical Cannabis among Seriously Ill Patients in an Outpatient Palliative Care Practice
Patients with serious illness often have pain, uncontrolled symptoms, and poor quality of life. Evidence continues to evolve regarding the role of cannabis to treat chronic pain, nausea, and anorexia. Little is known about how patients with serious illness perceive its benefits and harms. Given that an increasing number of clinicians across the United States are treating patients with medical cannabis, it is important for providers to understand patient beliefs about this modality.
Cannabinoids and Opioids in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
In traditional medicine, Cannabis sativa has been prescribed for a variety of diseases. Today, the plant is largely known for its recreational purpose, but it may find a way back to what it was originally known for: a herbal remedy. Endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) have shown a regulatory role in inflammation and mucosal permeability of the gastrointestinal tract where they likely interact with the gut microbiome. Opioids are frequently used to treat abdominal pain in IBD; however, heavy opioid use in IBD is associated with opioid dependency and higher mortality. This review highlights latest advances in the potential treatment of IBD using Cannabis/cannabinoids or opioids.
Cannabis shenanigans: advocating for the restoration of an effective treatment of pain following spinal cord injury
Cannabis is an effective treatment for pain following spinal cord injury that should be available to patients and researchers. The major argument against the rescheduling of cannabis is that the published research is not convincing. People living with chronic pain should not have to risk addiction, social stigma, restrictions on employment and even criminal prosecution in order to deal with their pain. It is time to end the shenanigans and have an open, transparent discussion of the true benefits of this much-beleaguered medicine.
Kitchen Apothecary – Apple Cider Vinegar Infusions – By Sharon Letts
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a good base for salad dressings and preserving and pickling foods, but it’s also an age-old remedy previously used by our grandmothers and their grandmother’s before us for hundreds of years for prevention and maintaining good health.
First Cannabis Cafe Opens in America – By Paul James
On October 1st, West Hollywood, California saw the opening of the first licensed cannabis cafe in the United States. A place where people can come to try exquisite meals while, at the same time, puffing away at a joint or devouring some cannabis-infused edibles.
Cannabinoids: a new approach for pain control?
To analyze available data related to the use of cannabinoids in medicine, with a special focus on pain management in cancer. The use of cannabis for medical purposes is growing but there are still numerous questions to be solved: effectiveness, safety, and specific indications. The endocannabinoid system is a potential therapeutic target. Cannabinoids may be considered as potential adjuvant in cancer-related pain management. Cannabidiol appears to be the drug of choice. Analgesic trial designs should evolve to get closer to real-life practice and to avoid biases.
Medical cannabis and cannabinoids in rheumatology: where are we now?
Clinicians involved in pain management can finally include cannabis or cannabis-related products in their therapeutic armamentarium as a growing number of countries have approved them for pain relief. The growing public opinion, pushing toward the legalization of the use of cannabis in chronic pain and various rheumatological conditions, makes it necessary to have educational programs that modify the concerns and widespread preconceptions related to this topic in the medical community by increasing confidence.
Women of Weed World – By Sharon Letts
The American Nurses Association of America (ANAA) published a statement in October of 2016, asking the federal government to further research on cannabis as remedy, proclaiming its support for the use of cannabis and specifically, cannabinoids, for use in treating disease and alleviating symptoms.
Medical cannabis in the treatment of cancer pain and spastic conditions and options of drug delivery in clinical practice
The use of cannabis for medical purposes has been recently legalised in many countries including the Czech Republic. As a result, there is increased interest on the part of physicians and patients in many aspects of its application. This mini review briefly covers the main active substances of the cannabis plant and mechanisms of action. It focuses on two conditions, cancer pain and spasticity in multiple sclerosis, where its effects are well-documented.
