There have been so many like it, that I chose to eschew it this time. Are there any highlights that I may not have seen before?
Here you go with some links, to studies, stories and research on cannabis:
Minimal Relationship Between Cannabis And Schizophrenia Or Psychosis Suggested By New UK Study
Last year the UK government reclassified cannabis from a class C to a class B drug, partly out of concerns that cannabis, especially the more potent varieties, may increase the risk of schizophrenia in young people. But the evidence for the relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia or psychosis remains controversial. A new study has determined that it may be necessary to stop thousands of cannabis users in order to prevent a single case of schizophrenia.
Scientists from Bristol, Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine took the latest information on numbers of cannabis users, the risk of developing schizophrenia, and the risk that cannabis use causes schizophrenia to estimate how many cannabis users may need to be stopped to prevent one case of schizophrenia. The study found it would be necessary to stop 2800 heavy cannabis users in young men and over 5000 heavy cannabis users in young women to prevent a single case of schizophrenia. Among light cannabis users, those numbers rise to over 10,000 young men and nearly 30,000 young women to prevent one case of schizophrenia.
That's just part of the story. Interventions to prevent cannabis use typically do not succeed for every person who is treated. Depending on how effective an intervention is at preventing cannabis use, it would be necessary to treat even higher numbers of users to achieve the thousands of successful results necessary to prevent a very few cases of schizophrenia.
Matt Hickman, one of the authors of the report published last week in the scholarly journal Addiction, said that "preventing cannabis use is important for many reasons - including reducing tobacco and drug dependence and improving school performance. But our evidence suggests that focusing on schizophrenia may have been misguided. Our research cannot resolve the question whether cannabis causes schizophrenia, but does show that many people need to give up cannabis in order to have an impact on the number of people with schizophrenia. The likely impact of re-classifying cannabis in the UK on schizophrenia or psychosis incidence is very uncertain."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168519.phpAnd then:
Cannabis Less Toxic than Pharmaceutical drugs - McGill University
Experts at the Health Centre within the McGill University of Canada have announced that smoked cannabis can be useful in reducing chronic neurological pain.
"...The research also found that cannabis had fewer side-effects, when compared to pharmaceutical drugs prescribed for similar conditions. The study was published in the current issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The study found that the main ingredient of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which provided it with psychotropic and analgesic properties, was responsible for relieving chronic pain, helping in the improvement of mood in people suffering from extreme mental pain and depression.
The researchers also found smoked cannabis can often help an individual to sleep better and reduce chronic night-time neurological pain.
The lead author of the study, Mark Ware, who is also the Director of Clinical Research at the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at MUHC stated that the trial was the first time when patients were allowed to smoke cannabis at their homes on a daily basis and provide their feedback on the effects..."
Dr. Eugene Dodoyi, a psychiatrist with PeaceFM News supported the discovery by reaffirming that the drug can help in relieving pain and also help people suffering from Glaucoma.
Cannazine Cannabis News
http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/201009261369/green/eco-news/cannabis-less-toxic-than-pharmaceutical-drugs-mcgill.htmlAnd then:
Marijuana Smoking Associated With Minimal Changes In Driving Performance, Study Finds
FRIDAY, 28 MAY 2010 13:00 PRESS RELEASE AUTOMOTIVE
Hartford, CT—(ENEWSPF)—May 28, 2010 Subjects exhibit virtually identical psychomotor skills on a battery of driving simulator tests prior to and shortly after smoking marijuana, according to clinical trial data published in the March issue of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
Investigators from Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine assessed the simulated driving performance of 85 subjects in a double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Volunteers responded to various simulated events associated with automobile crash risk — such as avoiding a driver who was entering an intersection illegally, deciding to stop or go through a changing traffic light, responding to the presence of emergency vehicles, avoiding colliding with a dog who entered into traffic, and maintaining safe driving during a secondary (in-the-car) auditory distraction. Subjects performed the tests sober and then again 30 minutes after smoking a single marijuana cigarette containing either 2.9 percent THC or zero THC (placebo).
Investigators reported that volunteers performed virtually the same after smoking cannabis as they did sober and/or after consuming a placebo. "No differences were found during the baseline driving segment (and the) collision avoidance scenarios," authors reported.
Investigators did note, "Participants receiving active marijuana decreased their speed more so than those receiving placebo cigarette during (the) distracted section of the drive." Authors hypothesized that subjects' reduction in speed on this task suggested that they may have been compensating for perceived impairment. "
o other changes in driving performance were found," researchers concluded.
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7459.
Source: norml.org
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php/latest-news/automotive/16666-marijuana-smoking-associated-with-minimal-changes-in-driving-performance-study-finds-
And then, here are other studies for those who are interested:
Cannabis extract makes brain tumors shrink, halts growth of blood vessels
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/12088.php
Cannabinoids Inhibit Glioma Cell Invasion by Down-regulating Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Expression
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/68/6/1945.abs...
Briefing: Cannabis compounds fight prostate cancer
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17636-briefing-ca...
Cannabis Compound May Stop Metastatic Breast Cancer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...
Cannabis chemicals tackle tumours
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/661458.stm
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