The CCFA's stance on Medical Marijuana

[David]

I read this elsewhere on the forum and thought I'd post it here to see what all of you thought:

http://www.ccfa.org/about/news/medicalmarajuana

Cannabis and IBD: A Fragile Connection

As a potential therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cannabis-based drugs may hold promise, according to a report published in the August issue of Gastroenterology -- but that doesn't mean it's time for people with IBD to start smoking marijuana. Although the illegal drug has been used to reduce nausea and pain in patients with terminal illnesses, CCFA's medical leadership does not support the use of "medical marijuana" in people with IBD. While marijuana might temporarily reduce pain and nausea, there is, as yet, no evidence that it can control chronic intestinal inflammation -- the underlying cause of these symptoms in Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Interestingly, medical marijuana for symptom relief is not the subject of the new study. Rather, a group of researchers based in the U.K. found that people with IBD had more cannabinoid receptors in the tissues of their colons than did people without the disease. Cannabinoids are molecules produced in the body that closely resemble a group of compounds found in the cannabis plant -- the same compounds that are responsible for the plant's unique pharmacological effects.

"The system that responds to cannabis in the brain is present and functioning in the lining of the gut," said lead researcher Dr. Karen Wright of the University of Bath. She and her colleagues found the location of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in the tissues of the colon. They observed that CB2 was increased in IBD, along with the heightened wound-healing effects associated with the activity of cannabinoids. As IBD often involves damage to the lining of the intestine, cannabinoids merit the attention of the scientific community, the researchers believe.

Both the psychoactive effects and the legal issues associated with marijuana use make it unsuitable as a treatment, said Dr. Wright. However, she added, it might be possible to produce a cannabis-like drug with all the therapeutic benefits and none of the other effects of cannabis. With cannabis-based medicines already being used for multiple sclerosis in some countries, that possibility doesn't seem far-fetched.

But not so fast, warns IBD expert Dr. Jonathan Markowitz, a member of CCFA's National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC). At best, he said, the British study offers preliminary evidence that justifies further research into the role of cannabinoids and their receptors in bowel physiology. "I think it's still safe to say that there is no evidence to date that cannabis is an effective treatment for IBD," he said.

As for symptom alleviation, Dr. R. Balfour Sartor, chairperson emeritus of the NSAC, has expressed strong opposition to marijuana as a palliative in IBD: "Because IBD is an illness that lasts a lifetime, patients and their physicians should concentrate on discovering the cause of the symptoms and pinpointing a treatment that will control them without causing adverse side effects. Using a substance such as marijuana to alleviate symptoms only masks the actual problem."

Today, patients have access to more medications than ever -- medications capable of controlling symptoms and dramatically improving quality of life. CCFA's expert consensus remains: The harmful side effects of marijuana far outweigh its potential benefits. In other words, until a new cannabinoid-based drug comes to market, don't go there.

 

[effdee]

CCFA's expert consensus remains: The harmful side effects of marijuana far outweigh its potential benefits.

This is pretty funny in a sad way. That's a slap to the face of anyone who has had success with medical marijuana. It would be lovely if politics got out of the way of medicine anytime soon. Hopefully research elsewhere in the world can push things forward faster.

 

[vonfunk]

When I still had a colon, I noticed a definite difference between days I smoked and days I didn't.

Anecdotal evidence is what leads to real research.

 

[gutbubbles]

CCFA is 100% by and for the pharmaceutical industry.

I can't post links but click where it says "corporate sponsors" on the top of the page. Every single one of them is a pharmaceutical company. The entire organization is just a PR campaign to sell drugs.

 

[David]

CCFA is 100% by and for the pharmaceutical industry.

I can't post links but click where it says "corporate sponsors" on the top of the page. Every single one of them is a pharmaceutical company. The entire organization is just a PR campaign to sell drugs.

Other than their being sponsored by big pharma, do you have any proof of this assertion?

You won't be able to post links until you have 10+ posts. But remove the http://www. and you'll be able to post them.

 

[gutbubbles]

They keep bringing up nonspecific "harmful side effects of marijuana" without mentioning the side effects of steroids and biologics.

"Today, patients have access to more medications than ever -- medications capable of controlling symptoms and dramatically improving quality of life. CCFA's expert consensus remains: The harmful side effects of marijuana far outweigh its potential benefits. In other words, until a new cannabinoid-based drug comes to market, don't go there. "

In other words, unless we make it it's bad for you.

It's not just that pharma companies are among CCFAs listed sponsors, it's that every one of CCFAs listed sponsors is a pharma company. They also link to illbedetermined (Abbot).

There is useful information on the site and I'm sure they have helped people, but don't forget whose interest they represent.

If they were really impartial they would compare and contrast mmj with other available treatments and advocate that all treatments be made available to patients.

 

[David]

http://www.ethicaldoctor.org/bias-inresearch.html

An interesting read.

 

[David]

http://www.propublica.org/article/m...ncial-ties-to-drug-and-device-makers-industry

Financial Ties Bind Medical Societies to Drug and Device Makers

This story has been co-published [1] with USA TODAY [2].

SAN FRANCISCO — From the time they arrived to the moment they laid their heads on hotel pillows, the thousands of cardiologists attending this week’s Heart Rhythm Society conference have been bombarded with pitches for drugs and medical devices.

St. Jude Medical adorns every hotel key card. Medtronic ads are splashed on buses, banners and the stairs underfoot. Logos splay across shuttle bus headrests, carpets and cellphone-charging stations.

At night, a drug firm gets the last word: A promo for the heart drug Multaq stood on each doctor’s nightstand Wednesday.

Who arranged this commercial barrage? The society itself, which sold access to its members and their purchasing power.

Last year’s four-day event brought in more than $5 million, including money for exhibit booths the size of mansions and company-sponsored events. This year, there are even more “promotional opportunities,” as the society describes them.

Concerns about the influence of industry money have prompted universities [3] such as Stanford and the University of Colorado-Denver to ban drug sales representatives from the halls of their hospitals and bar doctors from paid promotional speaking.

Yet, one area of medicine still welcomes the largesse: societies that represent specialists. It’s a relationship largely hidden from public view, said David Rothman, who studies conflicts of interest in medicine as director of the Center on Medicine as a Profession at Columbia University.

Professional groups such as the Heart Rhythm Society are a logical target for the makers of drugs and medical devices. They set national guidelines for patient treatments, lobby Congress about Medicare reimbursement issues, research funding and disease awareness, and are important sources of treatment information for the public.

Dozens of such groups nationwide encompass every medical specialty from orthopedics to hypertension.

“What you’re exploring here is the subtle ways in which the companies and professional societies become partners and — wittingly or unwittingly — physicians become agents on behalf of the interests of the sponsoring company,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.

“It has a not very subtle effect on medicine,” said Nissen, an expert on the impact of industry money.
‘This is our business’

Nearly half the $16 million the heart society [4] collected in 2010 came from makers of drugs, catheters and defibrillators used to control abnormal heart rhythms, the group’s website disclosed.

Officials of the Heart Rhythm Society say industry money does not buy influence and is essential to developing new treatments. Still, on Thursday the group unveiled a formal policy [5] that, among other things, requires more detailed disclosure of board members’ industry ties.

“This is our business,” said Dr. Bruce Wilkoff, the incoming society president. “We either get out of the business or we manage these relationships. That’s what we've chosen to do.”

The society is one of a handful of groups that make public details about their finances. Most don’t. As non-profits, they must disclose their tax returns but not their specific sources of funding.
Nearly half of the Heart Rhythm Society's annual revenues come from corporate sponsorships, exhibits or grants. [4]

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, requested the information [6] from the Heart Rhythm Society and 32 other professional associations and groups that promote disease awareness and research.

Their responses and reporting by ProPublica showed wide disparities in money the groups accept from medical companies, what they disclose and how they manage potential conflicts of interest.

With billions of dollars at stake, companies can court entire specialties by helping to bankroll doctors’ groups. The Heart Rhythm Society’s 5,100 members represent a particularly lucrative market.

One implantable cardioverter defibrillator — a device that jolts the heart back to a normal beat — can cost more than $30,000. A single electrophysiologist, a physician specializing in heart-rhythm disorders, can implant dozens a year. World sales of the devices totaled $6.7 billion last year, according to JPMorgan.

All the defibrillator manufacturers are at this week’s conference, including market leaders Medtronic, Boston Scientific and St. Jude Medical, which together gave the society $4 million last year.

These companies and others not only provided financial support to Heart Rhythm but paid many of its board members: Twelve of 18 directors [7] are paid speakers or consultants for the companies, one holds stock, and the outgoing president disclosed research ties, according to the society’s website, which does not specify how much they receive.

Board members at other medical societies have similar arrangements. The American Society of Hypertension does not post disclosures on its website, but records provided to Grassley show that 12 of its 14 board members had financial ties to medical companies.

Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said these groups commonly say the money doesn’t affect what they do, but he has doubts. “I don’t think it’s believable,” he said. “There are a lot of incestuous relationships that really bother me.”
Big Booths Boost Devices

As competition among cardiac-device makers has intensified, so have questions about whether their products are being used and marketed appropriately.

In January, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than one in five patients [8] who received cardiac defibrillators did not meet science-based criteria for getting them.

Weeks later, the Heart Rhythm Society disclosed it was assisting a U.S. Justice Department investigation [9] of the issue.

Two of the society’s biggest funders — Boston Scientific [10] and St. Jude Medical [11] — have paid millions since 2009 to settle federal allegations that they improperly paid kickbacks to unidentified physicians to use their cardiac devices. Neither company admitted wrongdoing.

Top sponsor Medtronic also has disclosed to shareholders that the Department of Justice is investigating the advice it gave purchasers on how to bill Medicare for defibrillators and payments it made to buyers of the devices.

In a statement, Medtronic said societies play an important role in educating physicians about their devices. Boston Scientific declined to comment, and St. Jude did not respond to questions.

At this week’s conference, Medtronic is front and center [12] with a 12,000-square-foot booth to demonstrate its products and allow physicians to examine them.

Medtronic spent $543,000 at last year’s meeting on a similar exhibit, part of $1.6 million it paid to prominently display its name around the conference and fund educational grants. The Minnesota device maker also paid unspecified speaking or consulting fees to eight of the society’s 18 board members.
Your (sponsor) Name Here

These slides show "promotional opportunities" – and their asking price – that the Heart Rhythm Society offered to medical industry sponsors at its 2011 conference. Not everything was sold.
Source: www.heartrhythmsupport.org/sponsorships [13]. See our interactive graphic. [14]
Coffee Cup Sleeves: $10,000-$45,000

"Witness first-hand the exposure coffee cup sleeve advertising can provide for your company."
Cyber Center: $20,000-$50,000

"Attendees will have the added convenience of easy-to-access email and Internet stations."
Exhibit Hall Aisle Signs: $60,000

"Attendees can’t miss your prominent corporate or product logo on these directional signs in high traffic areas throughout the exhibit hall."
Exhibit Hall Carpet Logos: $2,000

"Maximize your company’s brand recognition on the exhibit floor with Exhibit Hall Carpet Logos."
Exhibit Hall Literature Bags: $15,000

"Attract high visibility throughout the convention center and beyond as attendees find multiple uses for the exhibit hall literature bag."
Hotel In-Room Drop: $25,000

"Your company's welcoming gesture is a lasting impression on the minds of Heart Rhythm 2011 attendees as they wind down after a busy day."
Hotel Key Cards: $45,000-$70,000

"A key ingredient to your marketing success! These room keys travel with over 7,000 attendees for four days."
Hotel Elevator Advertising: $10,000

"Elevator Advertising provides great visibility to a captured audience for your printed corporate name or product and expose for your company’s message to attendees."
Hotel Reader Board Advertising: $15,000

"Digital advertising offers high visibility in lobby and meeting room areas at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and Hilton San Francisco Union Square."
Hotel Televator Advertising: $2,500-$5,000

"Exclusive to the headquarter hotel, the San Francisco Marriott Marquis offers 21st century digital messaging capabilities."
Online Session Planner/Abstract Viewer and Abstracts on CDROM: $65,000

"Assist attendees as they navigate through four days of educational content before, during and after the annual meeting."
Airport Advertising: $5,000-$19,000

"Attendees will be flying in from all over the country and abroad and San Francisco International Airport will be bustling with excited attendees."
News Rack Billboards: $45,000

"Newspaper rack advertising is available around the Moscone Center and throughout San Francisco downtown area."
Pocket Maps: $10,000

"Help attendees tour San Francisco with ease! As the sponsor, your company will be an assistant tour guide."
Saddle Banner Ads (formerly glass clings): $15,000

"Saddle banner ads always add a look of interest to the Scientific Sessions."
Shuttle Bus Panel Advertising: $50,000

"Shuttle buses will travel from various hotels to the Moscone Center."
Shuttle Bus Headrest Covers: $12,500

"This is a rare chance for product advertising as attendees relax in a captive setting."
Social Media Center: $40,000

"The Social Media Center will be utilized by thousands of attendees to express their thoughts and comments on the sessions, exhibits and meetings held during Heart Rhythm 2011."
The Link: $30,000

"The Link will allow attendees to relax and stay connected during Heart Rhythm 2011, offering comfortable seating and access to the internet through their laptop(s)."
Water Bottle Wraps: $10,000

"Water bottles are served as daily refreshment during the breaks inside the exhibit hall."
Water Stations: $12,000-$20,000

"These water stations will be strategically located throughout the Moscone Center, ensuring presence throughout the facility."
Slideshow: prev [15]1 of 21 next [15]

The spending befits the company’s dominance of the world market for implantable defibrillators. It sold more than $3 billion worth last year.

Next booth down is the 8,100-square-foot spread of rival Boston Scientific, with $1.6 billion in defibrillator sales last year. The company spent $1.5 million on the society in 2010 and paid speaking or consulting fees to seven board members.

Physicians must traverse these and other booths [12] to reach “Poster Town,” where the latest research findings, a big draw of the gathering, are displayed. “It’s very hard to get through there without being accosted,” said Dr. Paul D. Varosy, director of cardiac electrophysiology at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Eastern Colorado Health Care System.
‘Tag and Release’

Through the years, groups such as the Heart Rhythm Society have expanded the range of sponsorships they offer to drug and device makers. Companies can now fund Wii game rooms or put their names on conference massage stations and on the shirts of the masseuses.

Some deals give companies more than name exposure. Last month, the American College of Cardiology attached tracking devices to doctors’ conference ID badges [16]. Many physicians were unaware that exhibitors had paid to receive real-time data about who visited their booths, including names, job titles and how much time they spent.

Dr. Westby Fisher, an Evanston, Ill., electrophysiologist, called the practice “Tag and release.” [17] College officials say they’ll do a better job of notifying doctors next year.

Attendees at the Rhythm Society conference also have tracking badges. Society officials say exhibitors are not getting doctors’ personal information.

Two years ago, the American Society of Hypertension teamed with its biggest donor, Daiichi Sankyo [18], to create a training program for drug company sales reps. The society says about 1,200 Daiichi reps have graduated — at a cost of $1,990 each — allowing them to put the “ASH Accreditation symbol” on business cards.

In fiscal 2009, Daiichi gave the society more than $3.3 million — more than 70% of its total industry funding — according to financial records it provided Grassley. Daiichi makes four hypertension drugs.

“I think it’s an obscenity,” said former ASH president Michael Alderman, professor emeritus at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. “I can see how it would play out in the doctor’s office: ‘I’m a Daiichi sales rep. But let me tell you something: The American Society of Hypertension is backing me.’”

Alderman and some other prominent members of the group quit after a dispute in 2006 about industry influence.

Current ASH President George Bakris said the training program is science-based and doesn’t focus on specific drugs. The reps “ought to know what they are talking about,” he said.

The 1,900-member group has revised its policies since 2006, he said. Financial conflicts disclosed by board members, however, are available only to members, who must request them in writing and explain why they want them [19], according to the group’s conflict of interest policy.
A Question of Influence

Bakris and leaders of several other professional groups say industry funding is essential for much of what they do. It reduces conference registration fees, subsidizes the cost of continuing medical education courses and provides money for disease awareness.

Dr. Jack Lewin, chief executive of the American College of Cardiology, said the money is helping build registries of cardiac procedures [20] that track side effects and flag whether physicians are using devices in the right patients.

The “circus element” of the exhibit booths doesn’t unduly influence attendees, Lewin said. “I don’t buy a soft drink just because of the advertising… I buy it because I like it.”

Researchers say companies are not spending millions solely for altruistic reasons. “If it weren’t influencing the doctors, they wouldn’t be doing it,” said Dr. Gordon Guyatt, a health policy expert at McMaster University in Ontario.

There are fledgling efforts to push medical societies toward stricter limits on industry funding: 34 groups have signed a voluntary code of conduct calling for public disclosure of funding and limits on how many people on guideline-writing panels have industry ties.

“The general feeling is that the societies need to be independent of the influence of companies,” said Dr. Norman B. Kahn Jr., chief executive of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, which helped draft the code.

Grassley, too, is continuing his efforts to make the groups publicly accountable. In initial responses to his December 2009 request for information, some said they planned to post financial information on their websites. This week, the senator followed up with letters to some groups, asking why they hadn’t done so.

He hopes the political pressure succeeds: “You might conclude that maybe they don’t want to give the information out because it might be embarrassing.”

 

[DustyKat]

Why am I not surprised???

There was a show on tele here 10 years about the drug companies trying, and in some cases succeeding, to infiltrate our PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme). The committees involved basically keep the drug companies honest by making them prove their drugs worth and only paying what it is worth. The drug companies hate it but if you don't get on the PBS here your drug will have sales of next to nothing because it isn't subsidised.

I don't remember if I had respect for drug companies back then but if I did it went down the gurgler by the end of the program! :lol:

Dusty.

 

[effdee]

It's sort of disgusting thinking of the who people make money from someone becoming ill.

 

[David]

It's sort of disgusting thinking of the who people make money from someone becoming ill.

I'm not disgusted by someone making money from the perspective that if that is what they devote their work to, then they need to pay their bills and that's great. What I'm disgusted by is people who make obscene amounts of money off of ill people. People who make far more money than they really need. Where they're not in it to help people and as a byproduct get paid, but instead their only real interest is the money. And then of course all the manipulation and lack of ethics that usually comes with that.

 

[effdee]

I'm all for paying the doctors, scientists, and whoever works on the medicine. They deserve and earn it, for the most part. It's the businessmen whose highest priority is getting every dollar they can out of their product, with little regard for anything else, that are infuriating. The rich have been getting a lot richer for years, and it's upsetting that it's a part of medicine. They do so little to deserve so much and end up with a huge cut anyway. I suppose we could ramble on about this forever.

 

[David]

This is very interesting. The page is no longer found.

Has the CCFA changed their stance on medical marijuana? Maybe they realize that article was terrible? Or something else?

 

[kiny]

I don't like CCFA one bit. We donate some money to good causes sometimes, and now that I have crohn I thought why not donate it to crohn, so I tried to search a good organisation that could help, and I thought CCFA. But I don't agree with the stuff they're doing. Their reseach is all in support of big pharma. Why don't they support a probiotic that supports crohn, why don't they support a startup making an antibiotic tailored for crohn, why don't they suport MM.

What's the point in supporting big pharma, it's useless, it is money wasted. You have people doing the running and support for crohn and orginising benefits and all sorts of things, and then you end up giving it to people who work for big pharma? wth?!

Bayer makes savitex, MM, Bayer = biggest pharmaceutical / chemical company in the world. Even they make MM.

http://www.blogdoclaret.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Sativex-Box.jpg

 

[kiny]

Dr. R. Balfour Sartor, chairperson emeritus of the NSAC, has expressed strong opposition to marijuana as a palliative in IBD.

Using a substance such as marijuana to alleviate symptoms only masks the actual problem."

From the first article. This is so stupid.

What exactly is different between imuran lowering inflammation through interacting with the immune system and cannabis interacting with opoid receptors.

They both lower inflammation, but there is one difference, cannabis is 100 times safer.

 

[David]

From the first article. This is so stupid.

It's not stupid, it's his sincere, unbiased opinion. He's a doctor who only wants the best for patients with IBD and would be sure to divulge any conflict of interest that may sway him such as being an advisor to a startup biotech company trying to come up with a novel treatment to IBD. It was probably a typo that they left that information out of the article. Spell check probably auto corrected it to something else.

 

[kiny]

yes, just a typo

So much behind the scenes, that would anger me so much if I knew. Only care about the health of myself first and everyone who has crohn with me. Many biologists are on our side. But there is a lot of corporate interest that is pulling strings left and right.

I knew nothing a few years ago, I did not know the difference between the small intestine and colon, I know so much now, it's hard to fool me now.

 

[briguy]

I don't understand this "masking symptoms" theory.

Does he mean to say that when I start using MJ on a daily basis and my pain and frequent bloody stools stop and I start gaining weight,

That meanwhile the inflamation and damage to my colon is still raging but I just can't observe it?

Is there any actual evidence that mj "masks symptoms" of Crohn's somehow, in a way that is harmful?

 

[David]

Hey now, don't you start asking questions. Just take your Lialda and call me when you get a blockage.

The bloody stools don't actually stop, they put on a regular poop costume and go trick or treating.

I wish my pain would put on a costume even if it was just a costume but costumes aren't available here in Florida because Halloween is bad. Why is Halloween bad you ask? Didn't I already tell you to stop asking questions?

 

[ctrl z]

The bloody stools don't actually stop, they put on a regular poop costume and go trick or treating.

:lol2:

 

[briguy]

Meanwhile they are perfectly willing to prescribe narcotics for pain relief in crohn's patients.

 

[Judith]

From Original Article:

Today, patients have access to more medications than ever -- medications capable of controlling symptoms and dramatically improving quality of life.

Really??

I clearly havent been paying attention......
My opinion. You should all go out and get these medications that are capable of controlling symptoms..... instead of screwing around on the internet.

If effective treatments existed - CrohnsForum wouldnt.

 

[Judith]

Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote the following in a Mar. 26, 2004 article titled "Myths About Medical Marijuana," published in the Providence Journal:
"The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day"

Source

I believe much more research should be done on the topic to find out beneficial and detrimental side effects. One problem with the legal issue is that "standardization" is not there and since it is a "frowned upon" topic, fewer scientific studies are being done.

I have known researchers at Top institutions that studied its effects (Legally, of course). Simply from expense and logistical point of views, due to its Schedule I status Source, it was very difficult for them to study. If the legal regulations change, there may be a greater number of Researchers investigating the topic.

 

[partyboy690]

I've always been a casual smoker, have a smoke every few months with the friends nothing more. But recently I found out how good this is with dealing with my symptoms. Now I don't have access to medicinal stuff so what I'm doing is illegal but it just makes a huge difference at the moment and at the moment I'm not any drugs so cannabis is all I have to help me through the bad days. I don't know what it does and nor do I care at the moment, it just works and its drastically improved my quality of life. I wish we could put aside the social stigma for a moment and try some proper clinical trials.

 

[Jessiegrrl]

@Judith, I remember when that Joycelyn Elders article came out. She caught living hell for saying that from the Bush Administration. She was Surgeon General during Clinton's presidency and was let go for some similar reason. So sad to see someone telling the truth be canned for it.

So sad that the US government, in my opinion, continues to quash the real results and benefits of MM. Even the current President was leaving the MM dispensaries alone for a while but for the last year has been raiding them.
Others are right that Big Pharma has a vested interest in keeping MM illegal. When Medicare Part D was passed Big Pharma insisted on, and got, a provision in the law that prevented the US government from asking for a volume discount. Something that is allowable in Medicaid laws and currently saves Medicaid and the government millions if not billions of dollars a year.

Another one that has an interest is the Jail corporations that continually lobby for harsher sentences and the corporations that run detox and rehab facilities. There are probably a few more that I am missing.

Another thing that gets me mad are the reports by these companies and their employees that claim that MJ only masks the symptoms of Crohn's and UC and doesn't cure it. As a Nurse I know that there are thousands of approved drugs out there and they don't cure their respective diseases but alleviate the symptoms of them just like MM does.

Does insulin cure Diabetes? Does Tagamet cure ulcers of the stomach? Do inhalers cure Asthma? No, No and NO. But we all know who sells those drugs.

 

[mreyn]

Does anyone have any information using the oil Rick Simpson referred to... using it for Crohns?

 

[FullM3lt]

Does anyone have any information using the oil Rick Simpson referred to... using it for Crohns?

I've used it on quite a few occasions and make my own. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of cannabis to produce a little bit of oil. It is VERY effective though.

Rick Simpson oil is highly potent cannabis extract with a good ratio of THC:CBD. That is the key here....most oil is very high in THC and low in CBD. A good ratio of CBD to THC is the key for healing. CBD, in my opinion, CBD is the future of treating all digestive issues like Crohns and Colitis. Unfortunately, it's difficult to isolate CBD.

Not all cannabis strains are created the same. While THC is a decent anti inflammatory, the psychoactive effects can be unpleasant to some users. CBD is also an anti inflammatory (among other things) and balances out that unpleasant feeling (CBD is also a anxiolytic). Heavy indica strains have a better THC:CBD ratio and some strains are being bred now to have a 1:1 ratio. One can consume a lot of high quality cannabis over a long period of time and build up CBD into your system (I speak from experience and found remission until I stopped for a month), but the Rick Simpson type oil is much faster acting.

Here is a chart of the medical uses for THC, CBD and other cannabinoids found in cannabis.

Just imagine what would happen to big pharma if we could isolate CBD.

Here is the US Department of Health patent on cannabinoids and their use in many medical ailments.

Patent 6630507

Here is another patent owned by a British company that specifically states the benefits of cannabinoids in anti inflammatory conditions such as Crohns and Colitis.

Patent 6410588

Hope this helps

 

[Jer]

The last paragraph of that just makes me shake my head.

So, there are all these wonderfull drugs out there that controll the symptoms of my disease? Really? I haven't found one. Apparently they are side effect free too, atleast much better than that harmfull cannabis plant. That's interesting, because I had to sign a several sheets of paper that listed dozens and dozens of side effects associated with the medications they tried on me, some even noting DEATH as a possibility.


I've tried most of the expensive man made chemicals to help with my illness, some helped for a little while and some did nothing possitive and plenty of negitive. At this point, its time to try some thing else.

I'm a clean cut husband and father. I haven't partaken in any illegal use of drugs in over a decade (college). I have zero desire to "get high" or whatever, I rarely even drink. I do however have a desire to not feel like shit on a daily basis. If a plant that has been around for centuries has even a possibility of helping me achive that, then I could give a rats ass what the CCFA's stance is.

 

[amandaerin]

The CCFA is all a money making scheme. If marijuana was legalized, drug companies couldn't make as much off of it. I can't stand the CCFA. I want to know what cocaine cartel is laundering their money through it.

 

[FrancisK7]

In 2013 there is ample evidence of positive influences exercised by CBD in the bowel thanks to the awesome (and multiple) CB1 and CB2 receptors lined up in there. Studies on long-term effect? Of course not. But there's no study on the long term effect of a lifetime regimen of Remicade and my doctor had no problem prescribing it.

The CCFA is not keeping its staff up to date with the medical literature.

It is so incredibly frustrating to read the words "masking the problem" from the mouth of a board certified physician in the US.

 

[ctrl z]

I honestly think that if I didn't use cannabis daily for nearly 10 years I would have had to have some of my bowel removed by now. It was only after I stopped using it that my disease became worse and that I actually received a diagnosis because my health was spiraling out of control without it.

 

[Judith]

From the first article. This is so stupid.

What exactly is different between imuran lowering inflammation through interacting with the immune system and cannabis interacting with opoid receptors.

They both lower inflammation, but there is one difference, cannabis is 100 times safer.

I like this one:

Using a substance such as marijuana to alleviate symptoms only masks the actual problem

So, stop "masking" your symptoms with MM and let your IBD run wild and free!

 

[FrancisK7]

This last part is infuriating.

 

[Jer]

This last part is infuriating.

It is, isn't it.........and my doctor must have read that, because he pretty much said it word for word.



I like my doctor, I do believe he really does care and is trying to help. However, the list of Big Pharma companies that he represents on the wall of his office surely seems like a conflict of interest regarding this subject.

 

[mnsun]

I'm pretty sure all the "proven" pharmaceuticals simply "mask the symptoms". Admittedly, I don't want to know much about the biologics, but I'm pretty sure they don't claim to reverse the disease but supposedly halt inflammation temporarily--in other words, mask the symptoms, right?

In my experience, I use foods/supplements/probiotics that "mask the symptoms" so well that I don't experience any signs or symptoms of Crohn's for months at a time. LDN at least has preliminary studies showing reversal of mucosal inflammation. All this minus the multi-thousand dollar per month price tag and the incalcuable toll of wildly modulating your immune system with pharmaceuticals which weren't formulated to attack the cause of Crohn's in the first place.

These pharmaceuticals are designed to alter the symptoms, not the causes, of Crohn's. Why not mask the symptoms naturally?

With industrial hemp cultivation becoming legal in Colorado, as well as the development of super CBD strains increasing, CBD specific supplements (like Dixie-x, but cheaper) should start popping up everywhere. Imagine 12 ft hemp plants with 14-30% CBD--somebody with the capital definitely should.

 

[Jer]

With industrial hemp cultivation becoming legal in Colorado, as well as the development of super CBD strains increasing, CBD specific supplements (like Dixie-x, but cheaper) should start popping up everywhere. Imagine 12 ft hemp plants with 14-30% CBD--somebody with the capital definitely should.

Waiting to win powerball. hahaha

Seriously though, if I did win 100+ million or something, I would certainly be looking at getting into the MM industry.

 

[FrancisK7]

I'm pretty sure all the "proven" pharmaceuticals simply "mask the symptoms". Admittedly, I don't want to know much about the biologics, but I'm pretty sure they don't claim to reverse the disease but supposedly halt inflammation temporarily--in other words, mask the symptoms, right?

Masking means hiding. If MJ actually treats the inflammation via CB1/CB2 receptor actions, it doesn't mask the inflammation, it treats it.

You are not a doctor so if you are ignorant of the science and the biology that doesn't matter.

But doctors should know better. Possessing an MD is definitely not an automatic sign of competence.

 

[blazeking]

Pain pills mask symptoms too yet they prescribe those, although for me it's just tramadol which does nothing but make me dizzy. Yet they hate on MMJ which made me throw away the tramadol actually because of how much more effective it was in treating intestinal pain.

Yeah, let's see, writhing in pain, losing weight and the other myriad horrible symptoms of crohn's ..or mask the symptoms while you get treatment and try and get in remission. Hmm yeah.

I asked my nurse practitioner about mmj, you know what she said? If she had what I had, she would be smoking.

 

[Jessiegrrl]

Yes

I asked my nurse practitioner about mmj, you know what she said? If she had what I had, she would be smoking.

A lot of us Nurses say that.

 

[FrancisK7]

Johnny, I admire your passion about MMJ I just want to point out that Humira is definitely no snake oil, the experimental data is solid.

On the other hand, MMJ may have the potential to be a "cure" (as in a highway to remission, since it's not going to fix the broken immune system or the genetic defects) but not in the way people currently use it.

There's been some literature on the power of raw cannabis. People juice the plant with a masticating juicer to extract the cannabinoids in their acid form (while the plant is still vegging) because they are not psychoactive. This allows people to ingest much higher doses (as much as 600mg). People under this regimen grow 30 plants and juice one plant a day. The extract is dark green and extremely acid, so it's better to dilute it in juice or something sweet.

Alternatively, there is some data on people going into remission by ingesting potent cannaoil every day. It's certainly easy to make but requires a good amount of quality cannabis, which is not realistic at current market prices. Most people couldn't afford the supply requirement.

Until cannabis is legal everywhere and people can grow it in big amounts, MMJ really won't be a good replacement for conventional therapy (or alternative medicine like the paleo diet). It's certainly immensely helpful and should be supplemented to whatever therapy you currently take.

Also, until strains exist that do not make you high at all, MMJ will never take off globally. While most current users of MMJ appreciate the high, it's not practical at all. People must function during the day, they can't be high all the time. Once strains with THC:CBD ratios of 1:10 are common place, this problem will be eliminated. But for now, the market (black or legal) is aimed at pleasing the recreational crowd because this is where the money is, and the recreational smoker wants to get high.

That is probably why the CCFA is acting all stupid towards MMJ. They focus on the negatives and ignore the overwhelming positives.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Well I admire your stance on MMJ. I humbly disagree with Humira. I would be dead if I took humira. Notice the "fatal events" disclaimer on the commercial. 6mp was making me sick and that is far weaker. Cannabis does not cause fatal events.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Have you tried juicing? I should have tried that I just had an opportunity recently. I'm in remission and use edibles and smoke.

 

[FrancisK7]

Well I admire your stance on MMJ. I humbly disagree with Humira. I would be dead if I took humira. Notice the "fatal events" disclaimer on the commercial. 6mp was making me sick and that is far weaker. Cannabis does not cause fatal events.

Humira is certainly dangerous. Aza gave me a pancreatitis and I had to stop it. However, Humira kills an infinismal amount of people vs the amount of persons that are helped by it. You must look at the whole picture and weight risks vs benefits. Same goes for stuff like Aza or Metho... they're toxic and can do a lot of damage, but they help hundreds of thousands too, without any side effect, so you have to keep this in mind.

I've heard of people putting themselves into remission by ingesting potent oil or edibles. However, for the aforementioned reasons in my previous post, high dosage therapy is only really viable for a small minority of people who can grow their cannabis or get it really cheap. And the high is problematic as well.

My MMAR allowance permits me to grow 25 plants only so I prefer to flower them like usual. But in a year the program is changing and I may get a new bigger limit, at which point I would definitely invest in a masticating juicer (which run like $2000+) + a setup in which I keep plants in veg.

I'm 100% confident the future of medical cannabis likes in potent, non-psychoactive strains or delivery method. Juicing might be the short term answer.

 

[Ya noy]

It's not stupid, it's his sincere, unbiased opinion. He's a doctor who only wants the best for patients with IBD and would be sure to divulge any conflict of interest that may sway him

LOL! At first, I thought you were serious

Using a substance such as marijuana to alleviate symptoms only masks the actual problem

Aside from the fact there's no proof that statement is even true, the exact same can be said for pain killers and antidepressants. Neither one actually cures anything. They both also only alleviate the symptoms, so what's the difference? (well, aside from their own personal profit potential.)

Only thing I can't figure out is whether they're too dumb to draw the correlation, or imagine everyone else is?

 

[vongoh]

CCFA is 100% by and for the pharmaceutical industry.

I can't post links but click where it says "corporate sponsors" on the top of the page. Every single one of them is a pharmaceutical company. The entire organization is just a PR campaign to sell drugs.

This is exactly it. Along with most of the mainstream 'established' medical associations, they are nothing but a shell and a front for the multi-billion dollar interests that control 'science' and manage public perceptions to maintain their control.

Translation:

"Both because one of the many effects of cannabis consumption is a totally non-toxic, pleasurable mental and emotional state that we do not like, and also because the powerful financial interests we serve are threatened by this plant and all its amazing utility, it is obviously totally unsuitable in its natural form to treat IBD.

So we strongly recommend that the natural plant continue to be demonized and denied to patients that might otherwise be immeasurably helped by it.

However, our financial masters assure us that they are working on a Real, Legitimate, Establishment Approved Allopathic Poison that will contain the requisite amount of toxic and damaging additional effects to maximize the likelihood that the patient will require additional drugs for these fresh ailments in the future.

Only once this toxic bastardized product is made available on the market, will we suddenly change our stance and acknowledge any benefit from this otherwise loathsome plant"

Believing otherwise is delusional at this point imo. It is what it is.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

I also realized that they are just a pharmaceutical front. Then I finally found this place .

 

[Jonnny]

I think they should do more research and development to take the medicinal part, if there is any, from the plant and create a pill form which could be regulated and given to patients legally. I'm not an advocate for getting high, but I think its unfortunate that we are not pursuing every option possible. It makes me angry that doctors will prescribe pain killers, steroids, biologics, 6mp, and more like they weren't hard core drugs. I once had a doctor tell me to take 8 10 mg pills of prednisone everyday for two weeks. I told him there was no way that was even close to necessary. Sorry to rant. I know pot helps for nausea and sleeping. I'm not sure how much it could help me, but I would be interested in trying. Unfortunately, in New Jersey, I can only get a license if I want to jump through hoops. Pay the license $200, pay for appointment at select "doctor," who is not highly recognized for much of anything $200, then wait a few years to get low grade pot for twice the price the kid who delivers my pizza is getting it for.
I'm not walking in to a doctor's office and saying "Can I get a medical marajuanna card so I can go look at what they have?" There is a huge stigma attached to it, and not too mention cost. So until I move to Cali or somewhere more MM friendly, I will live with out it.

 

[ecs2578]

Whatever. Mm harmful size effects. Lol. So all the chemicals that we take orally is great for our liver. All the meds I take don't do squat. Good old pharma. Worry about the person and not Benjamin Franklin.