Pot May Ease Nerve Pain, Study Shows

Patients Report Less Neuropathic Pain After Smoking Marijuana Cigarettes

(WebMD)  New research on "medical marijuana" shows that smoking pot may ease nerve pain at the expense of certain mental skills.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis report that news in the June edition of The Journal of Pain.

They studied 38 adults with nerve pain (neuropathic pain) who had smoked pot in the past but abstained from smoking marijuana for 30 days before the study.

Participants visited the researchers' lab three times, where they smoked a marijuana cigarette made for research purposes, under the National Institute of Drug Abuse's supervision.

During the sessions, which were held at least three days apart, participants either smoked a pot cigarette containing a high dose of THC (marijuana's active ingredient), a lower dose of THC, or no THC.

Participants got specific instructions about when to light up, inhale, and exhale. They were supervised as they smoked and for two hours after that, and then taken home.

Before and after smoking their assigned cigarette, participants rated their pain. Their pain ratings dropped more after smoking the THC cigarettes than the placebo cigarette lacking THC. The higher dose and lower THC doses had comparable effects, which began to wear off an hour or two after they stopped smoking.

But participants had no change in their pain sensitivity to light touch or heat after smoking any of the cigarettes, the study shows.

Participants also took tests of mental skills including memory and coordination before and after each smoking session. Their scores, many of which were low to begin with, showed the steepest decline after smoking the high-dose THC cigarette, followed by the low-dose THC cigarette.

Researcher Barth Wilsey, MD, and colleagues aren't recommending medical marijuana for everyone with nerve pain.

They urge "caution in the prescribing of medical marijuana for neuropathic pain," especially in light of the mental impact, and also in young patients, as pot use in adolescence "increases the risk of later schizophrenia -like psychoses, especially in genetically susceptible individuals."

[jsknow]

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT MARIJUANA IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE MEDICINE. In 1988, after reviewing all evidence brought forth in a lawsuit against the government''s prohibition of medical marijuana, the DEA''s own administrative law judge (Judge Francis Young) wrote:
"The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the Drug Enforcement Administration to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence."
... Judge Francis Young of the Drug Enforcement Administration went on to say: "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. In strict medical terms, marijuana is safer than many foods we commonly consume." Judge Young recommended that the DEA allow marijuana to be prescribed as medicine, but the DEA has refused.

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[rushman71]

BCBBKAKE: So, about a nickel amount or a tiny bit less. I''ll try it. Thanks.

Maybe this will help prevent me from dying of lung cancer, so sayeth marcpcbs!!! HAHAHAHA

[rushman71]

marcpcbs: LMAO!!! Your post cracks me up (no pot intended.) "Private & University Studies"? That is my point, vague info without proof!!! FACTS!!! Show me the facts!!! Oh, and, I didn''t know that I am a MD!!! LOL

[bcbbkake]

I have always liked to say the only way marijuana could kill a person is if a bale of it fell out of a plane and landed on their head.

All joking aside, Marinol is available and does get prescribed. It costs over $800 for one month''s supply, and good luck getting any insurance to pay for it. I also hear that it doesn''t work as well as the *real thing*.

To Rushman71: Only a few little buds of the good stuff is all it takes for about a 14-hour body buzz, which is much superior to smoking, takes all the pain away. I found it a little like gagging down spiders, but the effect on my joint pain was amazing (no pun intended).

[marcpcbs]

Posted by rushman71
PS If pot kills, or if it leads to cancer-causing deaths, don''''t you think we would already know about it?
____________________
We do know about it, your just another pot head lost in denial.
_________________________
Posted by rushman71
marcpcbs: Where did you get the info, WebMD? Everybody knows that the info they provide is nothing more than to scare you from doing pot, a little bit more than your average BS. Now back to what I said, all I ask for is one person. The info you provided does not count as proof, but more like a possibility.
___________________
My info comes from Private & University Studies not WebMD however I would respect info from Webmd allot more than the info I get from "rushman71MD".

[rushman71]

PS If pot kills, or if it leads to cancer-causing deaths, don''t you think we would already know about it?

[rushman71]

marcpcbs: Where did you get the info, WebMD? Everybody knows that the info they provide is nothing more than to scare you from doing pot, a little bit more than your average BS. Now back to what I said, all I ask for is one person. The info you provided does not count as proof, but more like a possibility.

[marcpcbs]

rushman71 wrote
If pot is lethal, name ONE person who died from smoking it. Just one.
___________________
Marijuana causes a persons blood sugar to drop seriously. (Hence the "munchies") This has caused many people with blood sugar problems to go into shock and some of them have died.

There have also been cases of people dying from lung cancer and emphysema who have only smoked pot. No cigarettes.

[rushman71]

marcpcbs: If pot is lethal, name ONE person who died from smoking it. Just one. That is all I am asking for. Until then, roll it up, light it up, smoke it up, inhale, exhale......

[marcpcbs]

rushman71
Look up the "FULL" contents of marijuana smoke.

[rushman71]

marcpcbs: You say the pot contains the same lethal ingredients as cigarettes. You always here about people dying of cancer smoking cigarettes. But there is not one shred of evidence that pot does the same thing. If you combine pot with tobacco, then yes I believe it. But pot all by itself, sorry, there is no proof on that.

[marcpcbs]

brianbwb wrote
"If the parents thought it to be "poison", as you call it, they wouldn''t give it to their kids"

marcpcbs
Pot smoke contains all the same poisonous carbon compounds and carcinogens as cigarettes. Hopefully there are no parents out their that are giving illegal drugs to their kids for any reason.
-------------------
brianbwb wrote
"The price of pot is above the cash level of high schoolers, they get it from those able to afford it, the employed adults."

marcpcbs
This is a common lie used by growers to imply that there is no pot in our schools. Parents, ask your kids.
-------------------
brianbwb wrote
"This is a harmless herb that needs no government control, If you have pain, you can go buy aspirin, you don''''t need a doctor''''s prescription,"

marcpcbs
This is not a harmless herb. This is a poisonous, potent and concentrated source of a very strong psychoactive drug. Smoking anything is unhealthy. Pot growers have found that all it takes is a few lies to keep our schools full of pot and their pockets full of money. You wouldn''t believe how the kids get the money to by drugs.

I don''t hate pot. I''m just tired of all the lies used by pot growers to destroy the health, educations and futures of millions of kids. Pure THC is available to anyone that a doctor declares needs it. The best medication for a health problem is up to the doctor not the patient. Pot growers aren''t doctors, they''re drug dealers with all of our kids in their sights.

[rushman71]

Btw, the researchers would find that eating it instead of smoking it increases the analgesic effect''''s duration at least 100%, and totally eliminates the problem of smoke and resin particulates in the lungs.

And the "buzz" lasts far longer.
Posted by brianbwb

I''ve smoked it for quite a number of years now, but never tried to eat it. Question: about how much out of your bag would you consume to get a "good buzz"?

[hologram5]

Smoking organic pot has nothing to do with medicine or pain relief; it has to do with drug dealers poisoning our kids for mega profits.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by marcpcbs at 09:38 PM : Jun 26, 2008

you obviously do not know anyone dying from cancer, marijuana greatly reduces their pain and allows them to eat when the shoot the chemo-therapy into them it makes them so sick that without the drug they don''t/can''t eat and will die from malnutrition. Maybe you should read some medical journals before spouting your reader''s digest point of view.

[hologram5]

Smoking organic pot has nothing to do with medicine or pain relief; it has to do with drug dealers poisoning our kids for mega profits.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by marcpcbs at 09:38 PM : Jun 26, 2008

you obviously do not know anyone dying from cancer, marijuana greatly reduces their pain and allows them to eat when the shoot the chemo-therapy into them it makes them so sick that without the drug they don''t/can''t eat and will die from malnutrition. Maybe you should read some medical journals before spouting your reader''s digest point of view.

[rushman71]

honestabe: where are you, dude. Hurry up and pass the ganja, man!!! Can''t wait till it turns 4:20!!!

[tootall10142]

IVE HAD THIS TEST IN THE PAST THE POT THEY USE IS MUCH STRONGER THAN WHAT YOU GROW THEY USE ALL THE SCIENCE IN A LEGAL AREA THAT IS WATCHED OR REGULATED. DONT BUY CIGNA INS. THEY WONT PAY WITHOUT A COURT ORDER.

[brianbwb-2009]

"The ingredient in pot that eases minor pain is THC witch has been available in pure pill form for over four decades, (Marinol)." Posted by marcpcbs

Available to whom? This is a harmless herb that needs no government control, and should not require a doctor''s prescription to procure. If you have pain, you can go buy aspirin, you don''t need a doctor''s prescription, you can buy antihistimines for your runny nose, and other over the counter medicines to ease your discomforts, but Marinol is only available via doctor''s expensive visits.

You are correct, it is about money, you seem to posit that those who are allowed to profit from it should only be big pharma.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Smoking organic pot has nothing to do with medicine or pain relief; it has to do with drug dealers poisoning our kids for mega profits." Posted by marcpcbs

Among the many erroneous assumptions in your post, I will point out only a few.

The price of pot is above the cash level of high schoolers, they get it from those able to afford it, the employed adults.

If the parents thought it to be "poison", as you call it, (an assumption that has no basis in fact) they wouldn''t give it to their kids. Obviously you are anti pot, but your reasoning is not based on logic, but rather on old, already proven false evidence of the "reefer madness" crowd.

The subject of pot is a moot issue, if you don''t like it, don''t use it, simple as that. For those who enjoy it, that should be their own business, they harm no one. The article was about a study of medicinal effects, who are you to say what it is, or is not about?

You have no basis in logic or morality to try to dictate to others what they cannot eat, drink, or smoke, in fact I suspect that many use it not even to enjoy it, but simply to show the finger to those who try to dictate other peoples'' private lives.

Btw, the researchers would find that eating it instead of smoking it increases the analgesic effect''s duration at least 100%, and totally eliminates the problem of smoke and resin particulates in the lungs.

And the "buzz" lasts far longer.

[marcpcbs]

OldThought is right; It''s all about money. The ingredient in pot that eases minor pain is THC witch has been available in pure pill form for over four decades, (Marinol).

The reason that organic pot keeps it''s popularity is because today tens of thousands of pot growers are now making collectively tens of billions of dollars by selling pot to literately tens of millions of children under 18 years of age all across our nation. Our High Schools, Junior High Schools and half our Grade Schools are full of pot.

Now a child that is too young to roll their own can buy a pot pipe with their favorite super hero on it.

Smoking organic pot has nothing to do with medicine or pain relief; it has to do with drug dealers poisoning our kids for mega profits.