Not Feeling Well? Perhaps You're 'Marijuana Deficient'

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Paul Armentano

Not Feeling Well? Perhaps You're 'Marijuana Deficient'
Scientists have begun speculating that the root cause of disease conditions such as migraines and irritable bowel syndrome may be endocannabinoid deficiency.

March 24, 2010 |


For several years I have postulated that marijuana is not, in the strict sense of the word, an intoxicant.

As I wrote in the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (Chelsea Green, 2009), the word ‘intoxicant’ is derived from the Latin noun toxicum (poison). It’s an appropriate term for alcohol, as ethanol (the psychoactive ingredient in booze) in moderate to high doses is toxic (read: poisonous) to healthy cells and organs.

Of course, booze is hardly the only commonly ingested intoxicant. Take the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen (Tylenol). According to the Merck online medical library, acetaminophen poisoning and overdose is “common,” and can result in gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract) “within hours” and hepatotoxicity (liver damage) “within one to three days after ingestion.” In fact, less than one year ago the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called for tougher standards and warnings governing the drug’s use because “recent studies indicate that unintentional and intentional overdoses leading to severe hepatotoxicity continue to occur.”

By contrast, the therapeutically active components in marijuana — the cannabinoids — appear to be remarkably non-toxic to healthy cells and organs. This notable lack of toxicity is arguably because cannabinoids mimic compounds our bodies naturally produce — so-called endocannabinoids — that are pivotal for maintaining proper health and homeostasis. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/146151/not_feeling_well_perhaps_you%27re_%27marijuana_deficient%27

[midnight]

1. Medical dispensaries should be more common and acceptable.

[Doctor_J]

2. I figured as much

I felt better in college 30 years ago than I do now. this is probably the reason.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. You know, I was thinking the same thing -

what was I doing 30 years ago that kept me feeling so much better on a day to day basis than today?

That MUST be it.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I agree that cannabinoids are relatively benign with regard to toxicity compared to ethanol

but I still urge moderation with cannabis usage - as with all substances. Modus omnibus rebus...optimus est habitu. Moderation in all things and all things in moderation. Given a large enough dose, everything is toxic.

[RainDog]

8. I agree about moderation in all things

but the reason that cannabis is non-toxic is that there is no known overdose level.

cannabis acts on cannabinoid receptors in the body for whatever anyone feels while under the influence.

there are very few of these receptors in the areas of the brain that effect heart/lung function and so there is no amount that depresses these functions - which is the reason that someone overdoses on alcohol or barbituates, etc. From the research I've read, it seems that cannabis may increase heart rate in some people.

people also die from damage to internal organs from the use of alcohol, etc. and, afaik, there is no evidence that cannabis deteriorates the functioning of any organ system.

this is an important point to make - in the 3000 years of cannabis cultivation, there is no known death from this substance.

[Cirque du So-What]

9. I know there are no known cases of death due to cannabanoid overdose

but there are less serious effects related to chronic overuse.

[Patiod]

4. Sometimes I wish I still smoked

But the reason I quit is the reason a lot of open-minded physicians won't consider cannabinoids (whether home-grown of Big Pharma produced) for manhy of their patients: they worry about patients becoming disoriented, confused, or paranoid (it made me REALLY confused).

I did research years ago for a foreign-owned Big Pharma company which wanted to see if there was a market for a cannabinoid receptor agonist. The basic consensus was that it might be okay for younger cancer patients, but that the most important population they have with a need for pain relief - the elderly - would NOT be well served by anything that might confuse them.

Perhaps eventually there will be a way to harness the clear pain-relief aspects without some of the perception-altering properties.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. There is a difference in the KIND of confusion, however.

The confusion engendered by alcohol somehow makes people forget that the drink is the cause of the confusion - this leads to people keep drinking as they are driving the wrong way on the interstate. When someone is confused on grass the user knows it - this leads to people saying "I'm way too fucked up" and sitting down for a few hours. Also, when confused on grass the user knows, and so knows the confusion will end, sooner than later - all they have to do is wait.

That, at least, is my experience and I've never heard it contradicted by anyone not hyping fear of marijuana.

[Patiod]

7. I know - i used to smoke dope.

And I didn't like the confusion and need to wait it out before I could function properly again.

I'm also aware not everyone gets confused - my SO smokes regularly, and for him, it seems to be just a mood-alterer. I strongly support legalization for selfish reasons, because I worry about him getting caught with even a few joints and busted by over-zealous greedy cops who want to get their hands on his car or other property.

I'm also not hyping any sort of fear of marijuana - just reporting the reaction of doctors who were treating conditions where they were also not hyping fear, because they were so desperate for another option for cancer pain, arthritis pain, and neuropathic pain. And as I said, they were very receptive to using it for their younger patients, but not okay with it as an option for 1) younger patients who were still out in the world working, and 2) elderly patients, who might be dealing with some degree of impairment anyway. I thought this was a very reasonable reaction.

[musiclawyer]

10. In 10 years no one will be smoking

It will be all vaporizer all the time because a) the prices will come down dramatically b) you need far less of the bud so its cheaper and c) no combustion, ie, no smoke down the lungs. (BTW it's also a very nice mellow buzz unlike eating it in food which takes many people "down the ladder") I expect sublingual tinctures to be very popular in CA as well once it CA goes legal in November.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Sub lingual tinctures are already popular

My personal favorite newer ingestion method being those strips that dissolve in the mouth, like the ones they have breath treatments and flu meds in. They vanish, work quickly, very nice. Good for air travel. Good for what ails you.

[NecklyTyler]

12. K&R