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Aug 27, 2008 04:54 PM | 14
Good news for potheads making their annual trek to Black Rock, Nev. this week to celebrate Burning Man: A new study says that marijuana appears to fight infections. According to research published in the Journal of Natural Products, the five most common cannabinoid compounds in weed—tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabinol and cannabichromene—can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Think MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which claimed more lives than AIDS in 2007 or, more recently, extensively drug-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis (XDR-TB.)
Researchers were unable to pinpoint exactly how the ingredients interact with bacterial targets. They called for rigorous clinical trials to determine the safety and effectiveness of cannabinoids as topical antiseptics and as antibacterial agents. Researchers stressed that certain strains of marijuana have high concentrations of nonpsychotropic cannabinoids (specifically CBD and CBG) and that these will be the focus of study for consumer use.* (Sorry to disappoint.)
* Note (8/28/08): This sentence has been altered since publication.
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14 Comments
Add Comment"According to research published in the Journal of Natural Products, the five most common cannabinoid compounds in weedtetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabinol and cannabichromenecan kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Researchers stressed that the marijuana's bacteria-fighting cannabinoids all have zero psychoactive effect."
Who are they kidding? Someone needs to get the facts right. Last I checked, at least THC and cannabidiol both are psychoactive; in fact, they are the two main psychoactive cannabinoids in the plant...
By Jove you are most correct...Perhaps what the writer meant was, with further research they may find a cannabinoid matrix that will no possess the psychoactive elements...Assuming that the psychoactive effects are not the responsible agent for the antibiotic properties...That would be something if the cannabinoids were getting the bacteria so high they just rolled over and died...Something to consider perhaps...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHerb....gooood!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs it just me, or is this the National Enquirer version of SciAm? I agree with those who have called for peer review of what is published here, otherwise you might want to consider confining articles to those of the "Space Aliens Support Clinton" variety.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy beat up on a natural product! the native americans found all kinds of natural remedies. they just didn't want to make money off of it! think about it!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as medical cannabis is concerned the government is lying. Clinical research in the US is severely restrained due to the current laws, yet much evidence exists today about the benefits of medicinal cannabis, so here are a few examples from NORML's publication 'Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids'.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlzheimer's disease. A review of recent scientific literature indicates that cannabinoid therapy may provide symptomatic relief to AD patients while also moderating progression. (References, Ramirez et al. 2005, the Journal of Neuroscience 25; Eubanks et al. 2006 Molecular Pharmaceutics; Hampson et al. 1998, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 95; Science News. June 11, 1998; and more)
ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease. Writing in the March 2004 issue of the journal 'Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Motor Neuron Disorders' Investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center reported that the administration of THC prior and after the onset of ALS symptoms staved disease progression and prolonged survival in laboratory animals compared to untreated control specimens.
Diabetes Mellitus. 8 references given
Dystonia. 7 references given
Fibromyalgia. 10 references given
Gliomas. 26 references given
Gastrointestinal Disorders. 12 references given
Hepatitis C. 15 references given
Hypertension. 17 references given
Incontinence. 5 references given
Multiple Sclerosis, 17 references given
Osteoporosis. 4 references given
Pruritis. 7 references given
Sleep Apnea. 4 references given
Tourette's Syndrome. 7 references given
The aforementioned diseases are the new ones found where medical cannabis appears to be promising. Other diseases such as glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis, nausea, side effects from cancer treatment, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, eating disorders and depression, just to mention a few. As with any medicine the dosage must be controlled by a physician.
The American College of Physicians has come out recently that past approaches and debate over cannabis have clouded science and prevented meaningful research. Many researchers have come forward in the past and have complained about the federal governments resistance into full research and making money available only to study the bad side. Does that remind anyone of the government's outright silencing of many scientists when it comes to global warming? If it don't fit the party line, obfuscate the truth. contd.
According to Bruce Mirken who works for the Marijuana Policy Project feels that the American College of Physicians' stand: " pulverized the government's two favorite myths about medical marijuana - that it's not supported by the medical community and that science hasn't shown marijuana to have medical value."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"In strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume... Marijuana in it's natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care."
-Drug Enforcement Administration, Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis Young, NORML v DEA, 1988
We are currently entering the sixth year of the war in Iraq. It is another war perpetrated by a government that lied us into this quagmire and over two thirds of the country are demanding an end to this atrocity. The failed 94 year old war on drugs is also based on lies, perpetrated by the same special interest serving government, wasting your hard earned money! 60% of the population favor decriminalization of personal use and 75% of you support the idea of medical use, yet nobody speaks up. It is high time to stop this insanity, both at home and in Iraq. We Americans have the right to demand from our government that our taxes be spent wisely to benefit the public, not the Industrial Prison Complex.
We have the right to demand the truth from public servants, not propaganda, lies and favors to the special interests.
Respectfully submitted,
BusGreg,
http://busgreg.blogspot.com
MJ is a great eliminator of allergy,the Pharmaceutical companies do not what it as it not good for sales like contact pills are.Try it ,take a match head of Hashish or MJ the sticky type found on Buds,apply to your tongue,you will feel a coat of oil surround the tongue and the allergy will go away.Usually two application and your cured,for the season.Next year apply again if allergy returns, you'll notice allergy systems are gone for years
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHollywood used to glamorize tobacco use and 30 years later the was "a line around the hospital" with people with smoking related illnesses. People said , "Look, cause and effect".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThen Hollowood featured pot smoking in movies and TV. Many people tried it , and continue to use it today, but 30 years later there doesn't seem to be "a line around the hospital" now.
Now it seems to me that if pot was the harmful substance the our government says it is, then where are all the sick people.
Do we really care? I know it helps in pain mgt. and the other effects are a treat from nature. So shall we fight over side effects. "I do not think so"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere you go. All that time at college that we spent getting baked when we should have been studying? We were looking after our HEALTH.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCarl Sagan would be proud.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnly two of the three cannanbinoids are guaranteed in the prevention of MRSA. These two also do not cause any "high" side effects. I hope they can finalize this study to create a new cure. I personally have MRSA and every time it reappears I must go into the hospital because I need so much medecine for it to be slightly effective. For those of you who dislike marijuana as a cure for MRSA, there is a study in Australia where the AGG01 in Wallaby milk has been found to be at least 100 times more potent in the treatment of MRSA and similiar infections.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisnice article.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this__________
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