Grim Reefer - Cannabis and Tourette syndrome

A youtube user by the name of Grim Reefer talks about Tourette Syndrome and the use of Cannabis as well has his tics he has.




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CBD Provides ‘Long-Lasting Protection’ In Multiple Sclerosis

Research shows cannabidiol could protect neurons from further damage in multiple sclerosis.

TruthOnPot.com – Multiple sclerosis patients are well aware of the potential for marijuana to help when it comes to dealing with symptoms. Since 2005, Sativex – an oral spray made with natural cannabis extract – has passed clinical trials and received approval from over 20 countries for the treatment of MS-related spasticity.

But is it possible for cannabis medicine to actually slow progression of the disease without getting you high? The answer is yes, according to new research out of Spain.

Using cell culture and animal models, scientists at the Cajal Institute found that treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) – one of the major chemicals found in marijuana – reversed many of the inflammatory responses associated with MS and provided “long-lasting protection” against their effects.

In fact, mice treated with CBD for 10 days showed “impaired disease progression” and better motor abilities compared to the untreated group. Writing in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, the researchers concluded that CBD has the potential to slow various aspects of MS.

“This compound can limit the harmful effects of an exacerbated inflammatory response… and prevent the development of secondary and irreversible damage.”

While studies have also found THC to have anti-inflammatory effects, CBD is non-psychoactive. As a result, medicines that contain just THC or even both – such as Sativex and most strains of medical marijuana – are limited in therapeutic potential, according to the authors.

Unfortunately, CBD is difficult to study in humans since it remains illegal in most parts of the world. But with more research (or policy reform), there is hope that one day MS sufferers will have access to this promising, cannabis-based treatment.

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Scientists Discover Another Way Marijuana Helps The Brain Grow

Research shows for the first time that CBD, like THC, can promote the growth of brain cells

In 2005, Canadian researchers made a groundbreaking discovery that would forever discredit the myth that marijuana causes brain damage. What they found was an opposite effect. That is, THC – the main chemical in marijuana and the reason why users get ‘high’ – can actually cause new brain cells to grow.

The process of brain growth is called neurogenesis and does not usually improve with drug use. Marijuana use is a different story, explained Xia Zhang, M.D, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan and lead author of the study:

“Most ‘drugs of abuse’ suppress neurogenesis. Only marijuana promotes neurogenesis.”

Still, THC is not the only chemical found in marijuana and, eight years later, a team from Brazil is giving marijuana users more reason to celebrate. Their study, published in the July issue of The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, shows that cannabidiol (CBD) can help your brain grow too.

Looking to investigate the effects of CBD on anxiety and depression in rodents, the researchers went to the source – a part of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus regulates emotion and cognitive function and is also the only area of the adult brain that can grow.

The hippocampus plays a role in emotion, memory, and learning.

While previous studies have found CBD to have beneficial effects on anxiety and depression, the new study is the first to explain why.

What the scientists found was that CBD, just like THC, also causes brain cells in the hippocampus to grow. This, they say, could explain why previous studies identified CBD as an effective treatment for mood disorders.

“Our results indicate that chronic CBD administration, by promoting neurogenesis, favours a similar anxiolytic response in stressed mice.”

Likewise, other studies have linked depression, anxiety and stress – and even problems with learning and memory – to a lack of adult neurogenesis. Although this can be brought on by frequent substance use (expect for marijuana), neurogenesis also slows down naturally as you age.

But now there is hope, says the team from Brazil. A new understanding of how the brain reacts to CBD, along with other compounds in marijuana, “opens the door for their use to manage psychiatric symptoms in disorders such as ageing, stress and neuroinflammation.”

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Could cannabis have antipsychotic properties?

In addition to psychoactive chemicals, cannabis contains components that may have a protective effect in mental illness.

When Dr Tim Karl, a senior scientist at NeuRA, says he believes that marijuana has potential as a treatment for schizophrenia, he’s adding fuel to a very contentious fire.

Marijuana – or cannabis, as it is otherwise known – is a controversial substance, particularly in light of evidence that it can trigger the development of schizophrenia in some people.

But cannabis, says Dr Karl, is made up of dozens of chemical components that can have widely varying effects on the brain.

Dr Karl and his team are investigating a component called cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is thought to reduce the psychoactive effects of the most well-known component of cannabis, THC.

THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main active chemical in cannabis, and is known to increase psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

"We’re looking at whether CBD just has the capacity to block the effects of THC, or whether it has an independent anti-psychotic effect," says Dr Karl.

"If CBD is shown to have anti-psychotic properties, I believe it could have therapeutic potential."

First hand experience

Dr Karl says his interest in schizophrenia developed in part from working in an emergency psychiatric ward in Germany after he finished high school.

"I saw people who had had psychotic episodes, people who were suicidal. I felt deeply sorry for them because their options were so limited," he says.

Dr Karl saw first-hand the limited effectiveness of the drugs available to those patients in the psychiatric ward – and the need to develop more effective alternatives with fewer side-effects.

The majority of Dr Karl’s work will be done in mice bred to carry a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia, a gene called neuregulin 1These mice are genetically predisposed for schizophrenia(NRG1). These mice are susceptible to the effects of THC in a similar way to people who are genetically predisposed to experiencing psychosis if they use cannabis during adolescence.

The team has already begun looking at the effects of CBD in mice using various strains of cannabis with different THC:CBD ratios.

"This research will tell us whether particular strains of cannabis are more likely than others to induce psychotic-like symptoms, based on their THC:CBD ratio," says Dr Karl.

Dr Karl says this research will clarify whether CBD has a protective effect and therefore potential as an anti-psychotic therapeutic.

They will also gain a better understanding of the risks involved in early cannabis abuse and the interactive nature of genetic and environmental risk factors for schizophrenia.

"I don't believe that my work will cure schizophrenia, but it will give insights into the biological mechanisms of the disorder and might help us develop better treatments," he says.

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Cannabidiol (CBD): Fighting Inflammation & Aggressive Forms of Cancer

Marijuana contains at least 60 known chemicals called cannabinoids, which activate cannabinoid receptors in your body. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main component responsible for the psychoactive effects, or “high,” marijuana is known for. While THC is known to have some medicinal value, there has been recent investigation into a new cannabinoid that is rumored to have more medicinal benefits than any single pharmaceutical drug on the market.

What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

This cannabinoid is known as Cannabidiol (CBD), and is the second most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis. Research done by G.W. Pharmaceuticals suggests that CBD could be used for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, diabetes, nausea, bowel disorders, and many other hard-to-control side effects. According to an article from Projectcbd.com, CBD has even demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored.

While it was originally believed that THC is a breakdown product of CBD, it is now known that both THC and CBD are actually metabolites of their decarboxylated acidic forms, THCa and CBDa. These acidic precursors are decarboxylated (essentially dried) by heat or extraction to produce THC and CBD; only then do they become psychoactive. The compound has medicinal benefits without the “high” that some patients do not desire. This makes CBD appealing to patients who are looking for an alternative to their current meds, which often have opiate-like effects.

“After years of growers aiming to boost THC percentages in their crops, many growers have switched to focusing on producing CBD-rich strains because of the increasing demand by medical users.”

Cannabidiol is even known to counteract some of the effects of THC like the “munchies.” Just as THC increases our appetite, CBD suppresses it, which could be ideal for patients watching their figure. CBD just might be a key ingredient in a future weight loss drug, who knows? There is one exception to the theory that CBD suppresses appetite, but it is a blessing as well. Many people who have difficulty eating due to their stress or anxiety can use CBD to get rid of that sick feeling in their chest or stomach, allowing them to eat again once their anxiety subsides.

CBD Used To Treat a Number of Symptoms in Patients

Cannabidiol is what gives cannabis its’ sedative effect, and has been known to ease a number of symptoms from difficult conditions.  There has actually been a substantial amount of experiments done on cannabidiol that has proved its healing powers. Dr. Sean McAllister, a scientist from the Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, made an astounding discovery about CBD. McAllister has been studying cannabinoid compounds for 10 years now in search of new therapeutic interventions for various cancers. He discovered that cannabidiol is a potent inhibitor of cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and tumor growth. Results of his experiments on breast cancer show that the number of cancer cells diminished as more CBD was applied. Essentially, CBD may be a generally effective way to switch off the cancer-causing gene, providing patients with a non-toxic therapy to treat aggressive forms of cancer.

“CBD could be used for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, diabetes, nausea, bowel disorders, and many other hard-to-control side effects.”

Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and Faculty of Medicine has been studying cannabinoids for almost 50 years. Mechoulam gave a talk on cannabidiol on the 45^th year of involvement in the field in which he spoke about a number of experiments being done on cannabidiol. He described an experiment that was done in Brazil in which a 200mg/day dosage of CBD was added to the anticonvulsants epilepsy patients were currently taking. Over the course of several months only 1 of the 7 patients showed no improvement; three became seizure-free; one experienced only one or two seizures, and two experienced reduced severity and occurrence of seizures.

CBD Proven to Reduce Inflammation

A colleague of Mechoulam’s, Marc Feldman at Imperial College, London, tested CBD on mice that had a version of rheumatoid arthritis and found that it reduced inflammation by 50% at the right dosage. Cardiologists working with mice at the Hebrew University have found that a dosage of CBD immediately following a heart attack can reduce infarct size by about 66%. Probably one of the most notable studies conducted by Mechoulam was on mice bred to have a version of type-1 diabetes. The diabetes manifests around 14 weeks so the mice were treated for the first 7 weeks of their life, then again in another 7 weeks. He concluded that only 30% had developed diabetes compared to the 90-100% given the placebo. He then repeated the experiment where the CBD wasn’t introduced until 14 weeks when the diabetes first developed. They were then tested at 24 weeks of age and again only 30% of the treated mice were found to have diabetes.

“CBD did not just prevent onset, it blocked the development of diabetes.” - Mechoulam says.

Since CBD is a function of an increase in temperature, cannabis is heat activated in the testing process to get measurements. CBD typically shows up under, or around 1% in most strains. Since most strains have this low percentage it is sometimes hard to find a CBD-rich plant with low THC percentages as to avoid the ‘high’. However, that doesn’t mean that these CBD-rich strains don’t exist. “Cannatonic” is one known popular CBD-rich strain which is known to contain 6.5% CBD by weight, and the same amount of THC, making for one of the most medicinal strains out there. Harlequin, Jamaican Lion and Omrita Rx3 have been tested several times by several labs and are in the neighborhood of 8-9% CBD and 5.5-6% THC —about a 3:2 ratio.

We have only begun to scratch the surface of understanding this miraculous cannabinoid. While significant discoveries have been made about the medicinal benefits of Cannabidiol, there is much left to reveal about this cannabinoid. You can read about recent developments in ProjectCBD.org’sCBDiary, a catch-all column for news generated by patients, doctors, dispensaries, growers, plant breeders, pharmacologists, the industry, the government —all the players— as the CBD story unfolds.

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