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Big Pharma Takes on Pot Painkillers

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What is better for a stomach ache than a big joint? Anyone? I’ll wait.

via Herb

That’s right, cannabis just might be nature’s most pungent painkiller and an effective one at that. It can work to not only dull chronic pain, but quite often users report it lightens their mood while it is at it. High spirits are a pretty useful side effect given chronic pain can be a good mood killing, energy zapper. And with topical application (applying cannabis infused compounds directly to the skin) light abrasions and deep tissue pain can be helped too. So it should come as no real surprise that Big Pharma is getting antsy sticking it’s big butt in the ring to get a piece of the pain killing action.

 

Pharmaceutical companies trying to harness the power of pot is not a new thing. Marinol is a Food and Drug Administration approved pill that was developed to help people with AIDS gain an appetite and to assist in easing nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. And there are three big companies trying to crack the synthesized version of CBD or THC – whatever the hell they can figure out first.

 

GW Pharmaceuticals

GW is probably the least terrible of the three companies, on paper at least. GW already has a cannabis inspired product called Sativex, which is a spray for the mouth with the synthetic THC and CBD infused right on in there. GW Pharmaceuticals is also reportedly the closest to market with their new, fancy, pharma-grade weed pill, Epidiolex. Honestly, when you visit their website, you get the idea that they might actually care, which is somewhat refreshing. According to them Epidiolex info page, “GW is committed to developing new medicines to treat rare, treatment-resistant epilepsy conditions where there are limited or in some cases, no approved treatment options…including Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) and Infantile Spasms (IS).”

 

Bial

Bial, Bial, Bial. Once upon a time there was a company named Bial, a Portuguese based business, that ran a clinical trial of their synthetic marijuana drug through another company called Biotrial. Biotrial tested the drug, called in France. Eight new participants entered the study on January 6, 2016 and were administered doses of either BIA 10-2474 or a placebo which were to be slowly increased throughout the trial to test efficacy, side effects, etc. On January 10, 2016 one participant began to feel ill, suffering from blurred vision and headache, and he was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. The next morning, the remaining 7 participants were administered their doses as usual and an hour later Biotrial received word from their participant that had been under the weather. He hadn’t gotten any better over night and in fact, his conditioned had worsened to the point that doctors were now calling for an MRI.

Seriously. Four more participants got sick that day and the trial was stopped, indefinitely.

 

Insys

Last year Insys donated half a million dollars to prevent cannabis from becoming legal in Arizona. HALF A MILLION ANTI-MARIJUANA DOLLARS. Seems offbeat then, that Insys has applied for preliminary approval by the Drug Enforcement Agency – and they got it – on their very own branded marijuana pill called

The Syndros pill’s formulation is attempting to replicate the THC molecule. When administered to patients the hopes are they it will aid in appetite issues, nausea and vomiting in patients with chronic maladies.

 

So what is happening now?

Well, GW Pharmaceuticals product Epidiolex is currently being tested in 15 different clinical trials, several of which are still recruiting. GW Pharma explains they have two different sets of trials going on. The first, “FDA-authorized clinical trials program” is testing safety and efficacy and the second, “FDA-authorized, independent Physician-led program or Expanded Access” where their investigational drug can be administered to patients who are immediately in danger of losing their life and/or have tried other treatments and medications to no avail. So far their data is showing significant improvement for patients utilizing Epidiolex. And while we don’t understand why all 50 states won’t just legalize cannabis for medical use (at the very least) so that everyone could have access to the healing properties it possess – we do appreciate the hard work scientists are putting in to try to bring those healing properties to a public that can’t necessarily legally use cannabis.

What are Synthetic Cannabinoids?

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You may have heard about the THC spray for cancer and AIDS patients. THC, of course, is the molecule in marijuana responsible for getting us high. The THC spray, sold under the brand name Marinol, is 100 percent legal in the United States with a prescription.

What’s the difference between the THC in Marinol and the THC in the cannabis plant? Chemically speaking, there isn’t any difference. The difference resides purely in the source of the THC.

When THC comes from the cannabis plant, we call it a phytocannabinoid, meaning it’s a cannabinoid chemical found in plants (phyto- means “plant” in Greek). When scientists synthesize THC in a lab, it’s a synthetic cannabinoid, meaning it’s human-made.

THC found in Marinol is just one of many synthetic cannabinoids available. A cannabinoid is defined as any molecule that interacts with cannabinoid (CB) receptors, chemical messengers found on our cells that are essential for higher lifeforms to function.

Marinol isn’t alone, either. Nabilone is another synthetic cannabinoid, with a structure similar to THC, used to control nausea and reduce pain. Sativex is a pharmaceutical spray that’s been approved for use in Europe and Canada, and may soon receive approval in the US.

Synthetic cannabinoids come in all shapes and sizes. Most of them, however, are classified as research chemicals. They’ve been made in labs, but scientists aren’t entirely sure what to do with them. Some have legitimate medical uses, like Marinol or Sativex. Others are hawked in head shops as “legal weed” or “Spice,” and you can read more about that dangerous stuff here.

Why are synthetic cannabinoids legal while marijuana is still federally outlawed? That’s a good question, and it’s not an easy one to answer. The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug – meaning it’s supposed to dangerous and have no accepted medical value – yet the federal government has given its seal of approval on several synthetic cannabinoid drugs, one of which (Marinol) is chemically identical to the cannabinoid found naturally in the plant.

The argument from the US FDA and DEA for the legality of Marinol is that Marinol has controlled doses. It’s chemically pure compared to, say, a joint, whereas the cannabis plant can have differing levels of THC along with other phytocannabinoids. Also, something about hippies and Vietnam, but I just got ripped off a dab so I forgot.

Speaking of dabs… what do synthetic cannabinoids have to do with your cannabis vacation? Absolutely. Nothing. Nothing at all.

Dispensaries and cannabis shops will not sell synthetic cannabinoids. All products sold by these licensed businesses must be derived from the cannabis plant, not a vial in some lab. Furthermore, since the synthetic cannabinoids that are available to the public are all pharmaceuticals, they can only be obtained with a prescription.

Dabs, waxes, infused edibles, tinctures, and transdermal patches are not made from synthetic cannabinoids. These all come straight from the cannabis plant, even if they require some extra steps to manufacture.

Breathe Easy: Pot Doesn’t Cause Brain Damage

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You’ve probably heard the ol’ scare tactic before: Smoking cannabis causes brain damage.

That’s a complete myth. The most recent research suggests cannabis may actually regrow brain cells rather than destroy them.

How the Myth Started

All of the documentaries and websites that cater to cannabis love talking about Harry Anslinger and his Reefer Madness in the 1930s. His anti-pot campaign claimed that marijuana made people go crazy. That it turned them into axe murderers. That it made people lazy and stupid.

Of course, Americans like to think we invented everything. But even that kind of prohibitionist rhetoric didn’t start with us. It started with British imperialists in Egypt.

Yeah, Egypt.

In the 1890s, Egypt was a British colony. The British weren’t terribly popular in the Middle East at that time, and Egyptian nationalists wanted independence from their European masters. Typically, the British governors would just throw nationalist rabble-rousers in prison. But sometimes those nationalists would be dubbed “insane” and tossed in an institution.

Cue John Warnock, a British doctor chosen by the British to lead Egypt’s “Lunacy Department.” He started with the country’s only asylum, then went about affecting several national reforms.

Instead of learning the local languages and customs, as any shrink should, Warnock decided to just wing it. After a year in Egypt, he concluded the local custom of smoking, drinking, and eating hashish – a preparation made from cannabis – was to blame for Egypt’s crazies. Without question, British medical journals parroted his claims.

In 1924, the League of Nations (known today as the UN) met for the global Geneva Conference on Opium. This conference formed to combat the world’s opium epidemic, and Egypt sent delegates. One of those delegates was Dr. El Guindy, who presented Warnock’s non-peer-reviewed notes to our world leaders. El Guindy told the Geneva Conference that “about 70 percent of insane people in lunatic asylums in Egypt are hashish eaters or smokers.”

Overnight, the world associated cannabis with dangerous narcotics like opium and heroin. Things have never been the same ever since.

Ten years after El Guindy’s alarm bells, Reefer Madness swept across the US. American law enforcement and legislators jumped on the weed-causes-lunatics bandwagon. In 1937, the US government passed the Marihuana Tax Act, effectively outlawing marijuana until 1969, when the US Supreme Court overturned the law as unconstitutional.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon used his emergency powers to outlaw cannabis again. And the rest is history.

What the Science Says

Long story short, marijuana doesn’t cause brain damage or insanity. Even the US FDA, which has advised the DEA to keep marijuana illegal at the federal level, recently admitted that cannabis does not lower IQ, cause psychosis, or anything of that nature.

What we do have is ample evidence that cannabis may facilitate something called neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is a process where the body grows new brain cells. We used to think that the brain stopped regenerating after we reached our 20s, but that turned out to be a myth, too.

Although we have no clinical studies showing that smoking cannabis causes neurogenesis, we do have controlled studies that show isolated cannabinoids (like THC) can do this in animal models. The brain region that’s especially sensitive to cannabinoid-facilitated neurogenesis is the hippocampus, a region responsible for learning and memory. The hippocampus can also direct our nervous system to repair itself, so the suspicion is if we can regenerate brain cells in the hippocampus, it could cascade to regeneration in other parts of the brain and spinal cord, too.

These neurogenesis studies are so promising that the US government holds a patent on a pot-based pharmaceutical for treating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I’m not making this up. You can check out the patent here.

As a responsible cannabis user, I should note that some studies show cannabis can disrupt short-term memory formation. Anyone who’s ever smoked a doob can attest to this. But that disruption is temporary, and simply abstaining from smoking for a short period will restore your brain’s normal functions.

Elevating at Elevation

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Getting lifted in the Mile High City? Here’s what you should know….

by Randy Robinson

If you’re planning a trip to Colorado, and that trip includes picking up some legal cannabis, there’s a few things you should know. Even if you’re from here, it’s always good to refresh this information.

You should know that getting high while you’re, ahem, already high up comes with some complications. Luckily, these complications are easy to handle.

Despite a popular myth, Colorado’s mile-high status does not automatically make it easier for people to get intoxicated. We know this because of a 1985 study from the FAA where pilots swilled booze in pressure chambers that simulated high altitudes (~12,000 ft. above sea level). The FAA found no difference in performance or BAL between the group that drank at a sea level environment compared to the group that drank in the high elevation environment.

So why is it that out-of-state visitors seem to get more inebriated on Colorado’s cannabis than residents? The answer is related to elevation, but it’s not as clear-cut as the myth makes it out to be.

Dehydration

When you travel from sea level to the Rocky Mountains, the air’s humidity drops considerably. Because it’s much drier up here in the Denver area, that means your body loses more water, too. Every time you speak, perspire, or even breathe, you’re losing small amounts of water.

The result? You’re dehydrated.

When you’re dehydrated, your entire body goes haywire. Your neurons stop firing correctly. Your blood sugar goes wonky. Your metabolism gets shot.

And yeah, you’ll get intoxicated much harder and much faster than you would if you were hydrated.

The solution? Take your tour guides seriously, and drink plenty of water during your stay.

Lack of Oxygen

Our red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout our body. If you come from sea level, your red blood cells have adapted to that oxygen-rich environment.

However, up here in the Rockies, there’s less oxygen. It can take anywhere from six to eight weeks for your blood cells to acclimate to our low oxygen levels. And chances are, if you’re just here for vacation, that won’t be enough time for you to adapt.

The myth surrounding a low oxygen environment is that it somehow gets us elevated faster. But that’s not true, either. What may happen is an episode of lightheadedness, which can make you dizzy or, in some extreme cases, faint.

How does that happen? Well, if you’re milking a bong or taking a massive 30-second dab, you’re depleting precious oxygen to your brain while inhaling all that delicious THC. If you’re from sea level and your body isn’t prepared to the low-oxygen environment of Colorado, you go blank.

The solution? Take smaller and shorter hits.

Rookie Status

This may offend some of you, especially if you’re an experienced cannabis user back home. But most of you aren’t prepared for Colorado’s cannabis products. That’s not meant to be an insult or a challenge, it’s just the truth.

Colorado’s cannabis is some of the most potent in the world. That’s not an opinion; that’s verified science. On average, our buds tend to be 18-25% THC by weight. Chances are a lot of the lower-grade stuff you smoke back home is closer to the 5-15% range. In other words, assume our nugs are at least twice as strong.

If you’re planning to dab or eat some of our infused edibles, be doubly cautious. Concentrates can reach as high as 80% THC. Read that again. That’s 80-freakin’-percent. You may be able to scorch an entire gram of flower on your bong back in Kansas, but please think twice before inhaling that same amount through a dab rig in Colorado. You may be in for a wild ride that won’t end for several hours.

With edibles, keep in mind our digestive systems process THC more efficiently than our lungs do. The liver does some rather fascinating chemistry tricks to the THC we eat, which makes a single serving of edible far, far more potent than an equivalent amount being smoked.

If you try our edibles (and you really should), start with just 5-10 mg. Wait an hour or so. If you really need more, then go for it. But remember to take it low, and take it slow.

One last thing about edibles: most of them aren’t made with “bud butter” these days. A lot of them are made with “hydrocarbon extracted hash.” That’s a fancy term for “dab oil” (you know, the stuff that can be 80% THC). Many of our biggest edible manufacturers (but not all) switched to hydrocarbon hash because it’s easier to consistently measure the THC for each serving. However, that means these edibles are infused with nearly pure THC rather than the whole-plant mix you’d get with bud butter. Some people can’t tell the difference; some can. Only you can gauge your limits, so again, take it low, and take it slow.

Mixing with Alcohol

Ah, back to the booze. If you’re old enough to smoke cannabis in Colorado, then you’re old enough to drink, too. And boy-oh-boy is it tempting to mix the two.

If you plan to combine alcohol with your cannabis, again, just take it easy. Alcohol will trigger dehydration, so ensure you’re drinking lots of water (not soda, not fruit juice – but plain ol’ water) if you mix the two. Also, do mind your smoking/dabbing/edible consumption while you’re drunk, as alcohol can lower your inhibitions, causing you to forget/not care about the caveats I’ve already laid out.

What To Do If You Did Too Much

So let’s assume you got a little carried away. That’s okay. It happens. Even to us locals who brag about slamming 3-gram dabs.

First, remember to drink water. I know, I keep driving that one home, but you’d be surprised how many visitors forget about that essential rule.

Second, keep your stomach full. There’s some evidence that gorging on sugar can help counteract the effects of a way-too-intense high. If you’re diabetic (or just watchin’ ya figure), keep your tummy loaded on low-glycemic foods to cushion your blood’s THC levels.

If you got ripped on edibles, drink a glass of whole milk. The milk fats will absorb the THC. If you go the milk route, you may end up extending the high’s duration, but the effect won’t hit so hard.

Third, if the world starts spinning, feel free to lay down and close your eyes. Take a nap. It’s okay, you’ll wake up perfectly fine (albeit a little fuzzy-headed).

Finally, there’s some folk treatments you may consider. Mind you, these haven’t been tested in any controlled studies, so attempt these cures at your own risk.

Black Pepper: Terpenes in black pepper will bind to the same receptors as THC. Hypothetically, eating a few black peppercorns (if you can stomach it) could keep some of the THC from reaching your brain.

Acetylcholine Tablets: Without giving you an entire lesson in biochemistry, just know that acetylcholine is one of your nervous system’s most prominent neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine levels drop once we get lifted on cannabis. In theory, if you pop a few acetylcholine pills (which you can buy at most vitamin stores), the increased levels of acetylcholine could counteract the effects of too much THC.

Maximum Responsibility = Maximum Fun

In the end, have fun, but do it responsibly. Take it easy the first couple of days. Know your limits rather than pushing them.

Food, water, and a little knowledge is really all you need. Have a blast out there, and stay safe.

 

Could Cannabis Protect You From Melanoma?

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Cancer.

It is a very scary word associated with an experience most people hope they will never have to personally deal with. Melanoma, or skin cancer, is something anyone can get because you can develop it simply from exposure to UV rays.

Do you frequently go outside for long periods of time without first applying a liberal amount of UV sun protection? If so, you have been putting yourself at risk for developing melanoma. Do you like to visit the tanning salon during winter months to keep that bronze tone? If so, you are drastically increasing your chances of developing skin cancer.

What is there to do to protect yourself from melanoma, other than sunscreen  and avoiding tanning beds at all costs?

Believe it or not, cannabis just might do the trick! A study profiled in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology showed that when mice with melanoma cells were treated with a combination of both THC and CBD, those melanoma cells began to die. 

“Collectively, our findings suggest that THC activates noncanonical autophagy-mediated apoptosis of melanoma cells…”

Now, another study has come to light, showing again that THC has a positive effect on the treatment of skin cancer (in mice).

“KEY FINDINGS: THC significantly inhibited tumor growth of transplanted HCmel12 melanomas in a CB receptor-dependent manner in vivo through antagonistic effects on its characteristic pro-inflammatory microenvironment.”

…or, HEY! THC kills skin cancer everyone!

 

This is good news but it doesn’t actually PROVE anything YET! First,  it has been replicated multiple times, otherwise it just isn’t confirmed science.

Two times down…

HELL NO! WE…Don’t Know Where To Go To Consume Cannabis?

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HELL NO! WE…don’t know where to go.

A Case for Vapor Lounges.

 

I  I just read an article in The Cannabist by Ed Murrieta—- about places to go vaporize pot in San Francisco, California. There were at least five places in the city where a person can either purchase cannabis and use it in their lounge or just show up with their own herb and use it on site.

They are called  “Vapor Lounges” and you have to be a state resident and a medical patient to use them in California. They are in Canada too, it’s not a new concept really. And I’m really starting to wonder…what gives Denver?

We are clearly leading the pack when it comes to laying the groundwork for marijuana’s reintroduction to the market as a legal and recreational product – why are we still behaving as though it needs to be consumed only behind dark curtains or in basements?

Denver area residents and tourists alike need a safe legal place to consume cannabis.  In truth, Colorado as a whole needs it. When you make a substance legal without providing a legal way to consume that substance – you are asking for illegal activities. It is a gaping hole in the cannabis policy in Colorado and it needs to be rectified.

Vaping-Lounges

 

6 Ways Cannabis is the Key to Eternal Youth

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6 Ways Cannabis is the Key to Eternal Youth

The human body is a very unique and complex machine – and that isn’t news to anyone. What is news to a lot of people is how cannabis can help that human body – and there are countless way. But we’ve got to start somewhere.

 

Here are 6 ways cannabis is effectively your very own private Fountain of Youth, keeping users healthy, happy and hungry 🙂

1. Keeps Skin Youthful and Glowing

 Cannabis is full of antioxidants and its ability to reduce inflammation has some serious anti-aging properties. Topically applied, cannabis salves can also assist users with skin irritations such as eczema or rosacea.

 

2. Acts as a Sleep Aid 

Cannabis is an ancient and natural way to lull your body into a restful sleep. Cannabis indica specifically can produce a feeling which many refer to as “couchlock,” meaning you don’t really want to go anywhere once you’ve sat down on the couch. Sounds restful to us.

 

3. Is Used to Relieve Arthritis Pain 

Reduces inflammation. Anyone with arthritis pain will tell you it is one of the worst sensations you can have. It makes simple things like picking up your keys or opening a door more difficult than it should be. Cannabis reduces inflammation in joints and has proven itself as an effective medicine, both orally and topically, for arthritic pain sufferers.

4. Builds Strong Bones 

While the research thus far has not yet been done on humans, scientists have found that cannabidol, or CBD, has been shown to help heal bones faster and protect against osteoporosis.

 

5. Boost Creativity and Spirit 

Cannabis increases frontal lobe activity. Need proof that consuming marijuana helps you get those creative juices flowing? Book yourself a Puff Pass & Paint class today and see for yourself.

 

6. Helps to Maintain Brain Function 

Pot is now being considered a potential alzheimer’s treatment and has been shown to slow dementia. Alzheimers.Net reports:

“A preclinical study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that very small doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical found in marijuana, can slow the production of beta-amyloid proteins, thought to be a hallmark characteristic and key contributor to the progression of Alzheimer’s.”

 

 

(Cannabis) Honey, Honey

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(Cannabis) Honey, Honey

What do you get when you cross a cannabis user with a real animal geek?

 

You get Nicolas Trainerbees. Nicolas is a long time marijuana user and can remember having an interest in animals – and nature in general – from a very early age. Now, Nicolas is getting some serious attention from the media for the very special honey his bees are making.

That’s because Nic trained his bees to visit a cannabis plant, “collect the resin and use it in the beehive.” It’s genius. Because of the training he developed for his bees, Nic is effectively making this ‘cannahoney’ using all natural processes. Which is kind of crazy!

Nicolas says cannabis has been a long term medical solution for his early diagnosis of hyperactivity at age 7. He doesn’t give a specific age when his cannabis use first began but he does say “I began consuming before the age of 10.”

Years later, he was asked by people aware of his dual interests in bees and cannabis, why not pair the two and make some super honey? Nic thought about it and concluded that since cannabis is good for you and honey is good for you – marrying the two into a single product could be very beneficial to the final product. DinaFem seeds reports:

“Everything that passes through the body of a bee is improved”, he says, given that their enzymes make the nectar turn into the desired honey. The resin obtained from willows, poplars and other trees is turned into propolis, which is an antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, antibacterial and also has healing properties. “So if the bee took the resin from cannabis it would also be very beneficial. The aim arose for me to get the bees to obtain this resin.”

The project was not without risk, however. Firstly, Nicolas lives in France – and the government there is not the most pot friendly. This forces Nicolas further out from his home than he would like, but he does so to protect himself, his bees and their product.

Nicolas would also be the first person to bring bees and cannabis together – so it would be a learning experience for him just as much as for the bees. Would he be able to train them to obtain the resin of the cannabis plant by themselves?

And lastly, lot of people told Nicolas that marijuana would be bad for the bees. Nicolas knew those particular concerns were unfounded – “The bees that produce the cannahoney are not affected by cannabinoids because they do not have an endocannabinoid system.” – he still needed two years of training the bees, researching them and recording the information to prove there were no negative effects on the insects.

But don’t expect to see Nicolas out on the cannabis industry circuit selling his cannahoney. The guy doesn’t have a website or Facebook account. And he’s okay with that,

“I work alone with my wife and I do not have time or money to do much else.”

Keep up the good work Nicolas Trainerbees!

 

 

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