Cannabinoids Offer Novel Approach For Treatment Of Prostate Cancer

April 14, 2005 - Madison, WI, USA (Please also read here Marijuana or die!)

Madison, WI: The administration of synthetic cannabinoids inhibits malignant cell growth in human prostate cells in vitro in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, according to clinical trial data published in the March issue of the journal Cancer Research.

Researchers at University of Wisconsin's Department of Dermatology reported that the administration of the cannabis receptor agonist WIN-55,212-2 inhibited cell growth in certain human prostate cells, and also induced apoptosis (programmed cell death). Administration of a cannabis receptor antagonist prevented these effects.

"Our results suggest that ... Cannabinoid receptor agonists (a drug or chemical that combines with a receptor to produce a physiological reaction typical of a naturally occurring substance) could be developed as novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of prostate cancer" authors concluded.

Previous trials have found cannabinoids to induce tumor regression in rodents and in human cells, including the inhibition of lung carcinoma, glioma (brain tumors), lymphoma/leukemia, skin carcinoma, and breast cancer.

Heavy Cannabis Use Not Associated With Cognitive Deficits

Belmont, MA: Heavy, long-term use of cannabis appears to have a negligible impact on cognition and memory, according to clinical trial data published in the current issue of the American Journal of Addictions.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School performed magnetic resonance imaging on the brains of 22 long-term cannabis users (reporting a mean of 20,100 lifetime episodes of smoking) and 26 controls (subjects with no history of cannabis use). Imaging displayed "no significant differences" between heavy cannabis smokers compared to controls.

"These findings are consistent with recent literature suggesting that cannabis use is not associated with structural changes within the brain as a whole or the hippocampus in particular" authors concluded.

Full text of the study, "Lack of hippocampal volume change in long-term heavy cannabis users," appears in the January-February issue of the American Journal of Addictions.

No Causal Link Between Cannabis Use And Schizophrenia

April 14, 2005 - Honolulu, HI, USA

Honolulu, HI: Behavior suggestive of schizophrenia generally precedes the onset of cannabis use, according to survey data published in the current issue of the journal Psychiatry Research.

One-hundred and eighty-nine volunteers responded to an anonymous questionnaire inquiring about cannabis use and schizotypal traits (behavior suggestive of schizophrenia but not of sufficient severity to warrant a diagnosis of schizophrenia). Among recent cannabis users, average age of schizotypal symptoms significantly preceded age of first use of cannabis. When cases were analyzed individually, authors affirmed that the majority of respondents in the "Recently Used" group reported schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) symptoms prior to their initiation of cannabis use.

"Although researchers recognize an association between cannabis use and psychosis, whether or not cannabis contributes to the development of psychosis remains less clear" authors wrote. "The current study ... suggest[s] a temporal precedence of schizotypal traits before cannabis use in most cases. These findings do not support a causal link between cannabis use and schizotypal traits."

Cannabis Users Likely To Be Well Educated, Top Wage Earners

April 14, 2005 - Ottawa, ON, Canada

Ottawa, Ontario: Lifetime cannabis users are likely to be single, well educated, and earning an above average salary, according to a recent survey of 13,900 Canadians conducted by Health Canada and the Canadian Executive Council on Addictions.

Approximately 45 percent of the Canadian population over age 15 reported having used cannabis during their lifetime - up from 23 percent in 1989, the survey reported. Lifetime cannabis use increased with education and income. Among those with some post-secondary education, 52 percent reported having used cannabis. By comparison, among those without a high school degree, only 35 percent reported having tried cannabis. In addition, 55 percent of those respondents with a "high income adequacy" said they had used cannabis, as opposed to only 43 percent of those with a "low income adequacy."

Among those who reported consuming cannabis, most said that they used it infrequently and did not "experience serious harm due to their cannabis use."

HempPharm.com comment; yet more reasons (see above) to vaporize marijuana, hallelujah, thank you God!

Reality check; Use Marijuana regularly or you will die from a horrible disease. This must be The grand plan of evolution on Earth; if you don't use marijuana regularly you will die a long and painful death. God is warning you! If you are anal retentive and/or you are ignorant to the point that you think marijuana is bad for you; then you will meet a dire fate. When is the last time you had your prostate (or other cancer-prone organs) checked? Or do you suffer from, Alzheimer, Parkinson or Lou Gehrig (ALS) disease? Or from any other life-threatening disease ?

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*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.