For far too long, people who suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome have had to deal with the debilitating symptoms of the condition with little successful treatment. One treatment that is gaining increased popularity among veterans and other people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is the use of medical marijuana.
MARIJUANA MAY BE A LAST RESORT
Marijuana For PTSD TreatmentConsidering the fact that 20 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States, there is a clear need for a new form of treatment for people who suffer from PTSD.
As Dr. Sue Sisley, the psychiatrist who is leading the first randomized, controlled trial of the ability for cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress syndrome states, “I eventually started to see that a lot of these veterans were not responding to conventional medications, and then I began seeing a lot of deaths in my practice…these were people who had already been through the gauntlet of medications and nothing had helped.”
As Dr. Sisley explains, the traditional anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications given to people with PTSD often end up causing more harm than help. Many veterans and others who have tried marijuana are actually able to slowly ween themselves off of the harsh mix of medications that they take on a daily basis.
WHY DOES MARIJUANA TREAT POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?
The science behind why marijuana could help ease the effects of PTSD is actually very simple. One of the main symptoms of PTSD is an endocannabinoid deficiency. In people with PTSD, the body does not produce enough endocannabinoids to sufficiently fill cannabinoid receptors. Marijuana counteracts the symptoms of endocannabinoid deficiency by introducing cannabinoids from outside of the body that act as a replacement for the decreased production of cannabinoids in the body.
While there is overwhelming scientific and anecdotal evidence proving the efficacy of marijuana in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome, many people still don’t have access to it. For residents of Colorado however, that is changing.
COLORADO MAKES PTSD AN ELIGIBLE CONDITION
Colorado PTSD Cannabis TreatmentColorado lawmakers recently passed a bill making Colorado one of about 16 states which consider PTSD an eligible condition for treatment with medical marijuana.This huge step forward will finally allow Colorado citizens who suffer from PTSD to access the medicine they deem best fit to treat their condition. Hopefully more of the 29 states with established legal medical marijuana programs will consider the needs of veterans and others who have to live with PTSD and establish it as an accepted condition.While Colorado and other states are pushing forward by making PTSD an eligible condition for medical marijuana use, there are still many restrictions in place making it hard or even impossible for people to access the medicine they need. The fight must continue until everyone with PTSD has the chance to treat their condition with the safest and most effective medicine possible.
BY VIOLA BRUGNATELLI · PUBLISHED MAY 21, 2017 · UPDATED JULY 8, 2017
Il sistema endocannabinoide, che prende il nome dalla pianta che ha portato alla sua scoperta, è il più importante sistema fisiologico coinvolto nella creazione e nel mantenimento della salute umana.
Come medico, sono naturalmente prudente rispetto a qualsiasi medicina che si prefigga di curare tutti.
Panacee, rimedi come l’olio di serpente e le costose mode del momento spesso vanno e vengono, con grandi rivendicazioni, ma con scarse prove scientifiche o cliniche per sostenerne l’efficacia.
Mentre esploro il potenziale terapeutico della cannabis, tuttavia, non trovo mancanza di prove.
Infatti, vi è un’enorme quantità di ricerche scientifiche sul potenziale terapeutico della cannabis, più prove di quanto si possa trovare su alcune delle terapie più utilizzate dalla medicina convenzionale.
THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM IS A CENTRAL REGULATORY SYSTEM THAT AFFECTS A WIDE RANGE OF BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES.
The endocannabinoid system consists of a group of molecules “cannabinoids” as well as the cannabinoid receptors that the cannabinoids bind to.
Although marijuana is a source of over 60 cannabinoids (including THC and CBD), the human body produces a number of cannabinoids as well which make up what is known as the Endocannabinoid System. These endogenous cannabinoids include anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and are present in all human beings.
Decades of scientific research on the endocannabinoid system has resulted in the discovery of two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. These receptors are found in various parts of the body, but are most prominent in the brain and immune system.
Cannabinoid receptors act as binding sites for endogenous cannabinoids as well as cannabinoids found in marijuana. When cannabinoids bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors, they act to change the way the body functions.
While cannabinoid receptors are primarily expressed in the brain and immune system, researchers have identified cannabinoid receptors in a variety of other places as well, including the peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Cannabinoid receptors continue to be identified in unique parts of the body as research on the endocannabinoid system progresses.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
Interestingly, the endocannabinoid system is not unique to the human species. Rather, research has shown that this system is common to all humans and vertebrate animals – and even some invertebrate animals – suggesting its significance in the process of evolution. Experts believe that natural selection has conserved the endocannabinoid system in living organisms for 500 million years.
Although the endocannabinoid system affects a wide variety of biological processes (such as appetite and sleep), experts believethat its overall function is to regulate homeostasis.
Homeostasis is a key element in the biology of all living things and is best described as the ability to maintain stable internal conditions that are necessary for survival. Disease is simply a result of some aspect of failure in achieving homeostasis, making the endocannabinoid system a unique target for medical applications.
MEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Cannabinoids work best together. For example, CBD can actually help mitigate the effects of THC thus reducing the odds of a panic attack.
A primary example of
the endocannabinoid system’s role in homeostasis comes from research that has identified an overexpression of cannabinoid receptors in the tumor cells of various cancer diseases, including lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Research has also shown that tumor growth can be inhibited and even reversed when cannabinoids such as THC are administered.
Experts believe that the overexpression of cannabinoid receptors is an indicator of the endocannabinoid system’s role as a biological defence system, providing strong support for the use of medical marijuana.
Research suggests that this defense system is not only useful in treating cancer, but may also be beneficial in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions. Current evidence points to the endocannabinoid system as being a potential therapeutic target for the following list of disorders:
AIDS/HIV
Alzheimer’s disease
Arthritis
Cancer
Chronic pain
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Multiple sclerosis
Sleep disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder
And many more
NIH REVIEW
In recent years, researchers from all parts of the world have come to acknowledge the vast medical potential of the endocannabinoid system. Summarized in a 2006 review by the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“In the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs… modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few…”
Medical cannabis has proven helpful in assisting patients with various diseases, disorders, and maladies since its first uses in ancient times.
With increasing acceptance and legality throughout the United States, México, Latin America, Canada, Europe, and Asia, medical cannabis and cannabis extracts are being recommended by medical professionals along with more traditional treatments. At the root of medical cannabis’ ability to help with difficult, painful symptoms and side effects is the endocannabinoid system and its interaction with the human immune system. An understanding of this interaction is a critical part of understanding how medical cannabis can decrease these symptoms and promote healthy change or homeostasis within the human body and mind.
What is the Immune System & What Does It Do?
The immune system is an integral, working part of every human body, and is made up of two parts: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate portion of the human immune system is evolutionary and older than the adaptive system. The innate immune system defends the body against pathogens such as bacterial infections (some examples are bubonic plague, smallpox, strep, and E. coli). Less than 1 percent of bacteria are harmful, but those that are can wreak havoc on the human body. The adaptive immune system allows antibodies to hunt down and destroy certain pathogens it has previously encountered. The body and its immune system learn continually, adapting to new pathogen strains which also evolve over time. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) notes that both the innate and adaptive immune systems are closely tied together and work in tandem to help the body fight off disease or harmful environmental effects.
Cannabinoids work best together. For example, CBD can actually help mitigate the effects of THC thus reducing the odds of a panic attack.
The purpose of the human immune system is to protect the body from exterior bacteria, viruses, and harmful parasites that might impact health and well-being. Infections and acquired illnesses are its main targets – it identifies dangerous invaders and tries to eradicate them as quickly as possible. The Latin word immunis means “exempt” or “free,” further emphasizing the immune system’s role as a protector and guardian of the body’s health. The immune system is composed of the same components that make up the human body, including at the most basic level of proteins and cells. Human organs are an essential part of the immune system as they help regulate, break down, and disseminate the nutrients and energy sources put into the body. The human immune system functions as a required survival mechanism, allowing the body to identify and expel pathogenic invaders to prevent illness or the effects of harmful environmental substances.
Asia CBD
The human immune system has several different tasks, according to theIQWiG. These tasks are as follows:
Recognition of pathogens and harmful environmental substances
Neutralization of pathogens (fungi, parasites, viruses, or bacteria) and harmful environmental substances
Combating compromised cells in the body that have changed due to illness
One of the most significant roles of the immune system is recognition of dangerous pathogens or cells that could compromise the health of the human body; the immune system is activated by proteins on the outside of pathogens, called antigens. Receptors in the immune system’s defense cells have memory capacities, and can readily identify the same pathogens they have already encountered, thus speeding up the body’s defense mechanisms.
What is the Endocannabinoid System?
The endocannabinoid system is a part of the human body’s internal systems, including the nervous system and the immune system. As Bradley E. Alger, Ph. D. observed, the endocannabinoid system serves as a bridge between the physical human body and the human mind. The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, was discovered by Israeli professor, organic chemist, and researcher Raphael Mechoulam, Ph.D. The ECS works with the body’s immune system to balance the reaction to pathogens, thereby decreasing the effects of autoimmune diseases on the body. In the case of those suffering from autoimmune diseases, this is a good thing.
How Does Medical Cannabis Affect the Immune System?
Medical cannabis can affect the human immune system through suppression of the human immune response. For some patients, such as those with autoimmune diseases, repressing the immune system is the key to survival. The following diseases are autoimmune diseases, in which the human immune system attacks the human body:
Addison’s disease AIDS/HIV Autoimmune cerebellar degeneration, hemolytic anemia, hepatitis, neutropenia, and peripheral neuropathies Cancer Celiac disease Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) Crohn’s disease Gait Ataxia with Late Age Onset Polyneuropathy (GALOP) Graves’ disease Guillain-Barre syndrome Hashimoto’s thyroiditis Immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome Lupus Multiple sclerosis Myasthenia Gravis Opsoclonus/Myoclonus (Anti-Ri) Polymyalgia Rheumatica (large muscle groups) Rasmussen’s Encephalitis Raynaud’s phenomenon Rheumatoid arthritis Scleroderma Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) or “bubble boy disease” Sjogren’s syndrome (salivary glands, tear glands, joints) Stiff Person Syndrome Temporal Arteritis / Giant Cell Arteritis Temporary acquired immune deficiencies (may be caused by medication or chemotherapy) Tropical Spastic Paraperesis\ HTLV-1 Associated Myelopathy (TSP/HAM) Type 1 diabetes Ulcerative colitis THC Brain
For those suffering with these conditions, certain dosages of medical cannabis may help reduce inflammation due to autoimmune diseases. Indeed, the body’s own natural cannabinoids help fight infection and increase systemic health.
Some phytocannabinoids may assist the ECS and the immune system in decreasing the effects of autoimmune diseases and helping the body feel better. While much research must still be conducted on the effects of medical cannabis and the human immune system, current study results are promising, and may strongly affect future medication and treatment regimens for a large variety of autoimmune diseases.
Scientists at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky have identified a previously unknown molecular target of cannabidiol (CBD), which may have significant therapeutic implications for Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
A poster by Zhao-Hui Song and Alyssa S. Laun at the 2017 meeting of the International Cannabinoid Research Society in Montreal disclosed that CBD activates a G-coupled protein receptor called “GPR6” that is highly expressed in the basal ganglia region of the brain. GPR6 is considered an “orphan receptor” because researchers have yet to find the primary endogenous compound that binds to this receptor.(1)
It has been shown that a depletion of GPR6 causes an increase of dopamine, a critical neurotransmitter, in the brain. This finding suggests GPR6 could have a role in the treatment of Parkinson’s, a chronic, neurodegenerative disease that entails the progressive loss of dopaminergic (dopamine-producing) neurons and consequent impairment of motor control. By acting as an “inverse agonist” at the GPR6receptor, CBD boosts dopamine levels in preclinical studies.
Parkinson’s affects an estimated 10 million people worldwide, including one million Americans. It is the second most common neurological disorder (after Alzheimer’s Disease). Over 96 percent of those diagnosed with PD are over 50 years old with men being one-and-a-half times more likely to have PDthan women. Uncontrolled PD significantly reduces the patient’s quality of life and can render a person unable to care for themselves, trapped in a body they cannot control.
Dopamine depletion
Parkinson’s Disease is most associated with compromised motor function after the loss of 60-80% of dopamine-producing neurons. As dopaminergic neurons become damaged or die and the brain is less able to produce adequate amounts of dopamine, patients may experience any one or combination of these classic PD motor symptoms: tremor of the hands, arms, legs or jaw; muscle rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; slowness of movement (bradykinesia); and /or impaired balance and coordination (postural instability).
Additional symptoms include decreased facial expressions, dementia or confusion, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, constipation, cognitive changes, fear, anxiety, and urinary problems. Pesticide exposure and traumatic brain injury are linked to increased risk for PD. Paraquat, an herbicide sprayed by the DEA in anti-marijuana defoliant operations in the United States and other countries, resembles a toxicant MPTP [methyl-phenyl-tetrahydropyridien], which is used to simulate animal models of Parkinson’s for research purposes.(2)
Within the PD brain there are an inordinate number of Lewy bodies – intracellular aggregates of difficult to break down protein clusters – that cause dysfunction and demise of neurons.(3) This pathological process results in difficulties with thinking, movement, mood and behavior. The excessive presence of Lewy bodies, coupled with the deterioration of dopaminergic neurons, are considered to be hallmarks of Parkinson’s. But mounting evidence suggests that these aberrations are actually advanced-stage manifestations of a slowly evolving pathology.
It appears that non-motor symptoms occur for years before the disease progresses to the brain, and that PD is actually a multi-system disorder, not just a neurological ailment, which develops over a long period of time. According to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, motor symptoms of PD only begin to manifest when most of the brain’s dopamine-producing cells are already damaged.
Patients whose PD is diagnosed at an early stage have a better chance of slowing disease progression. The most common approach to treating PD is with oral intake of L-dopa, the chemical precursor to dopamine. But in some patients, long-term use of L-dopa will exacerbate PD symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no cure – yet.
Gut-brain axis
What causes Parkinson’s? One theory that is gaining favor among medical scientists traces the earliest signs of PD to the enteric nervous system (the gut), the medulla (the brainstem), and the olfactory bulb in the brain, which controls one’s sense of smell. New research shows that the quality of bacteria in the gut – the microbiome – is strongly implicated in the advancement of Parkinson’s, the severity of symptoms, and related mitochondrial dysfunction.
Defined as “the collection of all the microorganisms living in association with the human body,” the microbiome consists of “a variety of microorganisms including eukaryotes, archaea, bacteria and viruses.” Bacteria, both good and bad, influence mood, gut motility, and brain health. There is a strong connection between the microbiome and the endocannabinoid system: Gut microbiota modulate intestinal endocannabinoid tone, and endocannabinoid signaling mediates communication between the central and the enteric nervous systems, which comprise the gut-brain axis.
Viewed as “the second brain,” the enteric nervous system consists of a mesh-like web of neurons that covers the lining of the digestive tract – from mouth to anus and everything in between. The enteric nervous system generates neurotransmitters and nutrients, sends signals to the brain, and regulates gastrointestinal activity. It also plays a major role in inflammation.
The mix of microorganisms that inhabit the gut and the integrity of the gut lining are fundamental to overall health and the ability of the gut-brain axis to function properly. If the lining of the gut is weak or unhealthy, it becomes more permeable and allows things to get into the blood supply that should not be there, negatively impacting the immune system. This is referred to as “leaky gut.” Factor in an overgrowth of harmful bacteria and a paucity of beneficial bacteria and you have a recipe for a health disaster.
The importance of a beneficial bacteria in the gut and a well-balanced microbiome cannot be overstated. Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, for example, has been associated with worsening PD motor function. In a 2017 article in the European Journal of Pharmacology, titled “The gut-brain axis in Parkinson’s disease: Possibilities for food-based therapies,” Peres-Pardo et al examine the interplay between gut dysbiosis and Parkinson’s. The authors note that “PD pathogenesis may be caused or exacerbated by dysbiotic microbiota-induced inflammatory responses … in the intestine and the brain.”(4)
Mitochondria, microbiota and marijuana
The microbiome also plays an important role in the health of our mitochondria, which are present in every cell in the brain and body (except red blood cells). Mitochondria function not only as the cell’s power plant; they also are involved in regulating cell repair and cell death. Dysfunction of the mitochondria, resulting in high levels of oxidative stress, is intrinsic to PD neurodegeneration. Microbes produce inflammatory chemicals in the gut that seep into the bloodstream and damage mitochondria, contributing to disease pathogenesis not only in PD but many neurological and metabolic disorders, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.
The evidence that gut dysbiosis can foster the development of PD raises the possibility that those with the disease could benefit by manipulating their intestinal bacteria and improving their microbiome. Enhancing one’s diet with fermented foods and probiotic supplements may improve gut health and relieve constipation, while also reducing anxiety, depression and memory problems that afflict PD patients.
Cannabis therapeutics may also help to manage PD symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Acclaimed neurologist Sir William Gowers was the first to mention cannabis as a treatment for tremors in 1888. In his Manual of Diseases of the Nervous System, Grower noted that oral consumption of an “Indian hemp” extract quieted tremors temporarily, and after a year of chronic use the patient’s tremors nearly ceased.
Modern scientific research supports the notion that cannabis could be beneficial in reducing inflammation and assuaging symptoms of PD, as well as mitigating disease progression to a degree. Federally-funded preclinical probes have documented the robust antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of CBD and THC with “particular application … in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.” Published in 1998, these findings formed the basis of a U.S. government patent on cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.
Pot for Parkinson’s
Although clinical studies focusing specifically on the use of plant cannabinoids to treat PD are limited (because of marijuana prohibition) and convey conflicting results, in aggregate they provide insight into how cannabis may aid those with Parkinson’s. Cannabidiol, THC, and especially THCV all showed sufficient therapeutic promise for PD in preclinical studies to warrant further investigation. Additional research might shed light on which plant cannabinoids, or combination thereof, is most appropriate for different stages of Parkinson’s.
Anecdotal accounts from PD patients using artisanal cannabis preparations indicate that cannabinoid acids (present in unheated whole plant cannabis products) may reduce PD tremor and other motor symptoms. Raw cannabinoid acids (such as CBDA and THCA) are the chemical precursors to neutral, “activated” cannabinoids (CBD, THC). Cannabinoid acids become neutral cannabinoid compounds through a process called decarboxylation, where they lose their carboxyl group through aging or heat. Minimal research has focused on cannabinoid acids, but the evidence thus far suggests that THCA and CBDA have powerful therapeutic attributes, including anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, anti-cancer, and anti-seizure properties. In a 2004 survey of cannabis use among patients at the Prague Movement Disorder Centre in the Czech Republic, 45 percent of respondents reported improvement in PD motor symptoms.
Cannabis clinicians are finding that dosage regimens for medical marijuana patients with PD don’t conform to a one-size-fits-all approach. In her book Cannabis Revealed (2016), Dr. Bonni Goldstein discussed how varied a PD patient’s response to cannabis and cannabis therapeutics can be:
“A number of my patients with PD have reported the benefits of using different methods of delivery and different cannabinoid profiles. Some patients have found relief of tremors with inhaled THC and other have not. A few patients have found relief with high doses of CBD-rich cannabis taken sublingually. Some patients are using a combination of CBD and THC … Trial and error is needed to find what cannabinoid profile and method will work best. Starting a low-dose and titrating up is recommended, particularly with THC-rich cannabis. Unfortunately, THCV-rich varieties are not readily available.”
Juan Sanchez-Ramos M.D., PhD, a leader in the field of movement disorders and the Medical Director for the Parkinson Research Foundation, told Project CBD that he encourages his patients to begin with a 1:1 THC:CBD ratio product if they can get it. In a book chapter on “Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Movement Disorders,” he and coauthor Briony Catlow, PhD, describe the dosage protocol used for various research studies that provided statistically positive results and a dosing baseline for PD. This data was included in a summary of dosing regimens from various studies compiled by Dr. Ethan Russo:
300 mg/day of CBD significantly improved quality of life but had no positive effect on the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale. (Lotan I, 2014)
0.5 g of smoked cannabis resulted in significant improvement in tremor and bradykinesia as well as sleep. (Venderová K, 2004)
150 mg of CBD oil titrated up over four weeks resulted in decreased psychotic symptoms. (Chagas MH, 2014)
75-300 mg of oral CBD improved REM-behavior sleep disorder. (Zuardi AW, 2009)
A threshold dose
Of course, each patient is different, and cannabis therapeutics is personalized medicine. Generally speaking, an optimal therapeutic combination will include a synergistic mix of varying amounts of CBDand THC – although PD patients with sleep disturbances may benefit from a higher THC ratio at night.
Dr. Russo offers cogent advice for patients with PD and other chronic conditions who are considering cannabis therapy. “In general,” he suggests, “2.5 mg of THC is a threshold dose for most patients without prior tolerance to its effects, while 5 mg is a dose that may be clinically effective at a single administration and is generally acceptable, and 10 mg is a prominent dose, that may be too high for naïve and even some experienced subjects. These figures may be revised upward slightly if the preparation contains significant CBD content … It is always advisable to start at a very low dose and titrate upwards slowly.”
For information about nutritional supplementation to help manage PD, visit the Life Extension Foundation Parkinson’s page.
Lifestyle Modifications for PD Patients
It is important to treat the patient as a whole – mind, body and soul. The following are a few lifestyle modifications that may provide relief from PD symptoms and improve quality of life.
Do cardio aerobic exercise: This benefits the body in so many ways, including stimulating the production of one’s endocannabinoids, increasing oxygen in the blood supply, mitigating the negative impact of oxidative stress, and boosting the production of BDNF, a brain-protecting chemical found to be low in PD patients.
Eat more fruits and vegetables: The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” is so true. The majority of PD patients suffer from chronic constipation. A high fiber diet can be helpful in improving gut motility and facilitating daily bowel movements.
Get restful sleep: Not getting good sleep can undermine one’s immune function, cognition and quality of life. The importance of adequate restful sleep cannot be over emphasized.
Reduce protein intake – This may help reduce the accumulation of protein bodies that result in Lewy bodies that appear in the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system and increase the uptake of L-dopa.
Practice meditation, yoga or Tai Chi: The focus on the integration of movement and breath not only improve mobility but it also improves cognition and immunity. One study showed an increase in grey matter density in the areas of the brain associated with PD. Another showed that yoga improved balance, flexibility, posture and gait in PD patients. Research shows that tai chi can improve balance, gait, functional mobility, and overall well being.
Consume probiotic food and supplements: Probiotic foods — raw garlic, raw onions, bananas, asparagus, yams, sauerkraut, etc.— are a great source for the good bacteria in your large intestine. Augmenting your diet with probiotic supplements, especially after taking antibiotics, can support the immune system by helping to repopulate the upper digestive tract with beneficial bacteria. Consult your doctor regarding a recommendation for a quality probiotic.
Drink coffee: The risk of PD is considerably lower for men who consume coffee daily.
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(1) An inverse agonist binds directly to a receptor and modifies it in a way that causes the receptor to have the opposite effects of activating it normally.
(2) MPTP was found in an underground meperidine (Demerol) synthesis that caused a small epidemic of Parkinson syndrome in i.v. drug abusers in the San Francisco area in the mid-1980s.
The presence of Lewy bodies (a-synuclein protein clusters) in other parts of the body could potentially serve as an early detection marker for PD, especially in the olfactory bulb and the enteric nervous system.
(4) Peres-Prado et al analyzed gut microbiota in PD patients compared to controls and found the following:
Prevotellaceae, a bacterium which supports the production of health-promoting short chain fatty acids (SCFA), biosynthesis of thiamine and folate, and is thought to be associated with increased gut permeability, was 78% lower in the feces of PD patients versus that of their sex-matched and age-matched controls.
Biopsies of colonic tissue retrieved from PD patients indicate high levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and other inflammatory agents.
A lower abundance of SCFA-producing and anti-inflammatory bacteria from the class of Blautia, Coprococcus, and Roseburia were found in fecal samples of PD patients. (Paula Perez-Pardo, 2017)
Gastric abnormalities may increase small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). SIBO is prevalent in PD patients and correlates directly to worse motor dysfunction.
Gut-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS – an inflammatory toxin produce by bacteria) promotes the disruption of the blood-brain barrier.
Impaired gherlin, a gut hormone known as the hunger hormone, is thought to be associated with maintenance and protection of dopamine function in the nigrostriatal pathway which is one of four major dopamine pathways and is particularly involved in movement. Impaired gherlin has been reported in PD patients.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION THAT’S TRIGGERED BY A TERRIFYING EVENT — EITHER EXPERIENCING IT OR WITNESSING IT.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a disorder characterized by severe emotional and physical reactions related to an earlier trauma. These can include episodes in which flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety impair the sufferer and cause significant distress. Symptoms can include everything from insomnia, aggression, to self harm, suicide and beyond. PTSD is commonly associated with veterans of war and victims of abuse. There are more than 3 million cases of PTSD reported annually in the United States alone.
Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, but they don’t have PTSD — with time and good self-care, they usually get better. But if the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with your functioning, you may have PTSD.
THE PAST The most common pharmaceutical prescriptions for PTSD are:
Prozac – Prozac affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Common Prozac side effects may include:
sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams headache, dizziness, vision changes tremors or shaking, feeling anxious or nervous pain, weakness, yawning, tired feeling upset stomach, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea dry mouth, sweating, hot flashes changes in weight or appetite stuffy nose, sinus pain, sore throat, flu symptoms or decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm suicidal thoughts Zoloft – Zoloft (sertraline) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Sertraline affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out;
agitation, hallucinations, fever, overactive reflexes, tremors;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or
headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Zoloft: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Paxil – Paxil (paroxetine) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Paroxetine affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. Common Paxil side effects may include:
vision changes; weakness, drowsiness, dizziness; sweating, anxiety, shaking; sleep problems (insomnia); loss of appetite, constipation; dry mouth, yawning; or decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm. Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Paxil: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Xanax – Xanax (alprazolam) belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing down the movement of chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced. This results in a reduction in nervous tension (anxiety).
Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:
depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself, unusual risk-taking behavior, decreased inhibitions, no fear of danger;
confusion, hyperactivity, agitation, hostility, hallucinations;
feeling like you might pass out;
urinating less than usual or not at all;
chest pain, pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest;
uncontrolled muscle movements, tremor, seizure (convulsions); or
jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
These drugs come with severe and wide ranging side effects. Psychological and psychiatric treatment is often necessary to manage the disorder.
THE PLANT
Cannabis with various potency profiles of the cannabinoid THC are the most well-documented in being effective in combating PTSD. Most patients prefer indica dominant strains for their more calming and soothing effects, but a variety of strains have been reported by patients as successful.
Difference between CBD and THC in Medical Marijuana
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in certain areas of the brain associated with thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and time perception. THC attaches to these receptors and activates them and affects a person’s memory, pleasure, movements, thinking, concentration, coordination, and sensory and time perception, according to NIDA.
THC is one of many compounds found in the resin secreted by glands of the marijuana plant. More of these glands are found around the reproductive organs of the plant than on any other area of the plant. Other compounds unique to marijuana, called cannabinoids, are present in this resin. One cannabinoid, CBD is nonpsychoactive, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and actually blocks the high associated with THC.
Cannabidiol or CBD, is the cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. CBD does not cause a high, unlike THC. The reason why CBD is non-psychoactive is due to its lack of affinity for CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors are found in high concentrations in the brain, and are the pathways responsible for the psychoactive effects of THC.
CBD and THC levels tend to vary between different strains and varieties of cannabis. By using selective breeding techniques, we have managed to create varieties with high levels of CBD and THC.
Cannabinoids work best together. For example, CBD can actually help mitigate the effects of THC thus reducing the odds of a panic attack.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Haifa in Israel were able to prevent rats from developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by treating them with the active compounds in marijuana, or cannabinoids.
Led by Dr. Irit Akirav from the Department of Psychology, the team used rats because of their similarity to humans in responding to trauma.
People with PTSD — a severe type of anxiety disorder — suffer from symptoms that can be set off by common triggers, also known as trauma reminders.
While PTSD is usually treated after symptoms appear, the team found that dosing rats with cannabinoids following a traumatic event could make them immune to future triggers.
In other words, cannabis made the effects of trauma reminders ‘disappear’ – Dr. Akirav
The treated rats showed no symptoms of PTSD. But rats that were left untreated did, including impairments in memory extinction, changes in pain sensation and increased panic behavior.
Interestingly, the researchers found that the treatment worked by rewiring circuits of the brain involved with trauma.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence, the researchers note, suggesting marijuana can not only help manage symptoms of PTSD but also prevent symptoms from developing early on.
Anecdotal reports by patients with PTSD indicate effective strains include sativas Jack Herer, Sour Diesel and Durban Poison, hybrids Girl Scout Cookies, Headband and Pineapple Express, and indicas Granddaddy Purple, Blue Cheese and Purple Kush.
MARIJUANA MAY BE A LAST RESORT
Considering the fact that 20 veterans commit suicide every day in the United States, there is a clear need for a new form of treatment for people who suffer from PTSD. As Dr. Sue Sisley, the psychiatrist who is leading the first randomized, controlled trial of the ability for cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress syndrome states, “I eventually started to see that a lot of these veterans were not responding to conventional medications, and then I began seeing a lot of deaths in my practice…these were people who had already been through the gauntlet of medications and nothing had helped.”
As Dr. Sisley explains, the traditional anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications given to people with PTSD often end up causing more harm than help. Many veterans and others who have tried marijuana are actually able to slowly ween themselves off of the harsh mix of medications that they take on a daily basis.
WHY DOES MARIJUANA TREAT POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER?
The science behind why marijuana could help ease the effects of PTSD is actually very simple. One of the main symptoms of PTSD is an endocannabinoid deficiency. In people with PTSD, the body does not produce enough endocannabinoids to sufficiently fill cannabinoid receptors. Marijuana counteracts the symptoms of endocannabinoid deficiency by introducing cannabinoids from outside of the body that act as a replacement for the decreased production of cannabinoids in the body.
While there is overwhelming scientific and anecdotal evidence proving the efficacy of marijuana in treating post-traumatic stress syndrome, many people still don’t have access to it. For residents of Colorado however, that is changing.
COLORADO MAKES PTSD AN ELIGIBLE CONDITION
Colorado lawmakers recently passed a bill making Colorado one of about 16 states which consider PTSD an eligible condition for treatment with medical marijuana. This huge step forward will finally allow Colorado citizens who suffer from PTSD to access the medicine they deem best fit to treat their condition. Hopefully more of the 29 states with established legal medical marijuana programs will consider the needs of veterans and others who have to live with PTSD and establish it as an accepted condition.While Colorado and other states are pushing forward by making PTSD an eligible condition for medical marijuana use, there are still many restrictions in place making it hard or even impossible for people to access the medicine they need. The fight must continue until everyone with PTSD has the chance to treat their condition with the safest and most effective medicine possible.
VETS WITH PTSD SMOKE POT FOR THE FIRST TIME
RESEARCHERS TESTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA ON VETERANS FOR PTSD SYMPTOM RELIEF
The Government Is Going to Let Vets With PTSD Smoke Pot for the First Time – The federal government has given the green light to researchers who are ready to begin testing marijuana as a treatment for war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, as first reported by Military.com. The study parameters were approved by the Department of Health and Human Services in March 2014 but held up by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, which had until Wednesday balked at supplying the drug for clinical trials.
As many as 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans experience PTSD, up from a high-end estimate of 12% after the first Gulf War, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs. An estimated 15% of Vietnam vets have been diagnosed, a disproportionate number coming from minority groups who, the VA says, served in combat zones more often than whites.
Addressing a serious issue: Recent studies show have found that a staggering 22 veterans commit suicide every day. The suicide rate among those returning from the most recent wars is roughly 50% higher than in their civilian peers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Early plans call for the study to be conducted in Maryland and Arizona, where lead researcher Dr. Suzanne Sisley is working despite being dismissed from her job at the University of Arizona because of concerns about statewide prohibition laws, according to the Military Times. Colorado, which legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2000 and for recreational use in a 2012, provided Sisley with a $2 million grant to continue her studies, the Times reports.
The Times says the 76 veterans set to participate will either smoke or ingest with a vaporizer about one gram daily, then provide weekly updates to researchers. They will use three kinds of marijuana and a placebo strain, according to Military.com.
NIDA’s decision to sign off on the trials, which are expected to gain final Drug Enforcement Administration approval in the coming weeks, has received support from internal review boards at the University of Pennsylvania and the Copernicus Independent Review Board of North Carolina. MAPS expects Johns Hopkins University to submit its backing soon, spokesman Brad Burge told Military.com.
Changing the dynamic: The study results could change the game on Capitol Hill, where Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) are co-sponsoring a bill, called the Veterans Equal Access Act, that would allow VA physicians to recommend medical marijuana to veterans with PTSD. Federal law currently prohibits those doctors from simply suggesting cannabis as a potential treatment.
“Our antiquated drug laws must catch up with the real suffering of so many of our veterans,” Rohrabacher said during a joint news conference to introduce the bill in November. “This is now a moral cause and a matter of supreme urgency.”
Now, after years of dragging its feet and tying up scientific exploration in red tape, the federal government is finally beginning the process of offering affected veterans a chance to reclaim a better life.
The endocannabinoid system is a central regulatory system that affects a wide range of biological processes.
The endocannabinoid system consists of a group of molecules “cannabinoids” as well as the cannabinoid receptors that the cannabinoids bind to.
Although marijuana is a source of over 60 cannabinoids (including THC and CBD), the human body produces a number of cannabinoids as well which make up what is known as the Endocannabinoid System. These endogenous cannabinoids include anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and are present in all human beings.
Decades of scientific research on the endocannabinoid system has resulted in the discovery of two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. These receptors are found in various parts of the body, but are most prominent in the brain and immune system.
Cannabinoid receptors act as binding sites for endogenous cannabinoids as well as cannabinoids found in marijuana. When cannabinoids bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors, they act to change the way the body functions.
While cannabinoid receptors are primarily expressed in the brain and immune system, researchers have identified cannabinoid receptors in a variety of other places as well, including the peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Cannabinoid receptors continue to be identified in unique parts of the body as research on the endocannabinoid system progresses.
What Does It Do?
Interestingly, the endocannabinoid system is not unique to the human species. Rather, research has shown that this system is common to all humans and vertebrate animals – and even some invertebrate animals – suggesting its significance in the process of evolution. Experts believe that natural selection has conserved the endocannabinoid system in living organisms for 500 million years.
Although the endocannabinoid system affects a wide variety of biological processes (such as appetite and sleep), experts believe that its overall function is to regulate homeostasis.
Homeostasis is a key element in the biology of all living things and is best described as the ability to maintain stable internal conditions that are necessary for survival. Disease is simply a result of some aspect of failure in achieving homeostasis, making the endocannabinoid system a unique target for medical applications.
Medical Applications
A primary example of the endocannabinoid system’s role in homeostasis comes from research that has identified an overexpression of cannabinoid receptors in the tumor cells of various cancer diseases, including lung cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. Research has also shown that tumor growth can be inhibited and even reversed when cannabinoids such as THC are administered.
Experts believe that the overexpression of cannabinoid receptors is an indicator of the endocannabinoid system’s role as a biological defence system, providing strong support for the use of medical marijuana.
Research suggests that this defense system is not only useful in treating cancer, but may also be beneficial in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions. Current evidence points to the endocannabinoid system as being a potential therapeutic target for the following list of disorders:
AIDS/HIV
Alzheimer’s disease
Arthritis
Cancer
Chronic pain
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Multiple sclerosis
Sleep disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder
And many more
NIH Review
In recent years, researchers from all parts of the world have come to acknowledge the vast medical potential of the endocannabinoid system. Summarized in a 2006 review by the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“In the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a growing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in peripheral organs… modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few…”
Going back millions of years in history, our ancestor’s diets were a mix of plant and protein based food. Days were spent lounging in the jungles, foraging for vegetation and fruits, eating termites, figs, seeds and other sources of nutrition. The fruits and vegetation they consumed may have altered the course of our history forever.
They consumed terpenoids our fellow mammals couldn’t or didn’t want to reach. If they never ate as many terpenoids and cannabinoids, we can wonder if they would’ve had the creativity to discover new ways of solving problems, like sparking the first fire or building the first “home”.
Cannabis has been our silent partner for millennia. We now know that spices and plants contain varying degrees of cannabinoids and terpenoids. Consider that nutmeg is a known spice and, when consumed in massive quantity, it gives you a mental buzz (Though I don’t recommend experimenting).
Many commonly eaten store items such as apricots, parsley, wild thyme, and even drinks containing hops have terpenoids in varying degrees.
Is it too much of a stretch to think our Castaway-like, life-changing event (fire) was inspired by a mix of cannabinoids?
A bit about the Endocannabinoid System (ECS):
def. Endo-(within you) Cannabinoid-(cannabis compound) System-(physiological lock and key system)
Did you know that the ECS determines whether or not babies are born? Anandamide is a chemical that your body produces which is known to cause sudden pregnancy loss. When they discovered reduction of these levels in pregnant mice, they took notice.
How does the human body work with cannabis?
Think of the ECS like a lock and key system inside your body. The lock (receptor) is always present inside your body, waiting for the key (cannabinoids and terpenoids) to open the receptor. When you consume cannabis you activate these receptors and initiate a chain of events inside your body to release endocannabinoids into your bloodstream and cells.
Every cell in your body interacts with cannabinoids.
They stimulate liver cells to form (reverses some of those college days), and expand your lungs so you breathe better!
Your kidneys will thank you.
Your Body Produces Natural Cannabinoids Ever wonder why breast-feeding is so crucial for human development? Cannabinoids. Researchers found the major function of endocannabinoids is to teach a baby the suckling process by inducing appetite. In essence, some would say mothers got their kids high to eat.
The human body constantly produces and regulates endocannabinoids for a variety of essential life functions.
It Kills Cancer. Really.
Any other pill, any other drug, any other profit-driven medical treatment would be hailed as the medical miracle of our time. Yet, political hypocrisy would keep this fact from the public.
The scientific term is Apoptosis which means to induce cellular death. Cancerous tumors are essential clumps of normal cells that haven’t received thestop signal. When cancer patients consume cannabis, cancer cells are “turned off.”
No more cancerous growth.
A friend of mine got Stage 4 cancer to go into remission while still in the military and has been cancer-free for over a year. Numerous patients I spoke with during my time inside the dispensary as a budtender tell a similar story.
On-site consumption was a hot topic during the public comment process in Alaska. Board chairman Bruce Schulte, who offered the amendment, said there appeared to be a public demand for such facilities
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press
Updated Nov. 20, 2015 at 5:01 p.m.
JUNEAU, Alaska — The board tasked with writing rules for Alaska’s recreational marijuana industry voted Friday to allow for people to use pot at certain stores that will sell it, a first among the four states that have legalized the drug.
The 3-2 vote by the Marijuana Control Board also changed the definition of the term “in public” to allow for consumption at some pot shops, none of which are open yet. Colorado, Washington and Oregon have legalized recreational marijuana but ban its public use, including in pot stores.
“This would put, I think, Alaska in the forefront on this issue,” said Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project.
Pursuing social pot use
Other legal states: Social pot use a riddle for Seattle as well as in Denver
Change in plans: Denver sets 2015 ballot, without marijuana social use initiative
On The Cannabist Show: What’s the biggest weed dilemma happening in Colorado right now? Yep, you guessed it
Looking to the future: Colorado lawmaker predicts ‘we will see cannabis clubs similar to bars’
What bars, restaurants and music venues think: Denver’s hospitality industry is conflicted on social pot use
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On-site consumption was a hot topic during the public comment process in Alaska. Board chairman Bruce Schulte, who offered the amendment, said there appeared to be a public demand for such facilities.
Voters last November passed the state’s initiative legalizing recreational pot use by those 21 and older. The law banned public consumption but didn’t define “public.”
Regulators adopted an emergency regulation earlier this year when the law was taking effect that defined “in public” as a place where the public or a substantial group of people have access.
Some initiative supporters thought that definition was too restrictive, saying it would seemingly even bar pot consumption at weddings or office parties.
The board amended the definition to allow for consumption in a designated area at certain licensed pot stores. It had previously said it lacked the legal authority to create a type of license permitting public use.
Cynthia Franklin, the board’s director, said she expects another round of regulations detailing exactly what will be allowed at those stores, such as the types of marijuana.
The regulations, once adopted, will undergo a legal review by Alaska’s Department of Law.
It is still illegal to buy marijuana in Alaska because businesses have not yet been licensed to sell it. The board is set to begin accepting business applications in February, with the initial industry licenses expected to be awarded in May.
roscia2010 