Zee News: It’s official! US confirms marijuana does kill cancer cells

Washington: After a series of laboratory tests and speculations, scientists from the National Cancer Institute (US Department of Health) have confirmed that cannabis, or marijuana, does kill cancer cells.

In its website, the institute wrote, "cannabis and cannabinoids may have benefits in treating the symptoms of cancer or the side effects of cancer therapies" and also that "cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory."
The website also records that "cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in the laboratory and the clinic for relief of pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, and loss of appetite."
Having said that, the researchers also stressed that marijuana has only shown these effects on mice, and are not yet ready to recommend the drug for human use in fighting cancer.
Although Cancer Research pointed out that there is not yet enough evidence to determine whether cannabis can be effectively used for cancer treatment, but this could be a big moment in the battle against the disease.
This new development could also pave the path for a nationwide legalisation of marijuana!

Source:
ZeeNews

Himalaya’s Hash Poverty

There’s irony everywhere you look in the cannabis culture. From Hawaii’s medical legalization that allows small gardens, but prohibits citizens from purchasing seeds or clones, to the judges who sentence inner city youth for minor possession and then go home and smoke up themselves, many characteristics of the pot world are rife with hypocrisy and double standards.

The pot fields of the Himalayan valley in India, situated at a potency-enhancing elevation of 10,000 feet, are no exception. Regarded by many as the homeland for a variety of high-quality indica landrace strains, Himalaya maintains a small cannabis tourism business despite the fact that most villagers who produce the herb remain impoverished.

Most of this poverty is caused by the simple fact that marijuana is officially outlawed in India, and has been since 1985. As a result, the majority of the profits are kept by the distributors, rather than the farmers. These black market operators take not only the cannabis and hash to distribute, but also most of the cash. Read more..

Illinois the First State to Add Autism as a Qualifying Condition for Medical Cannabis

Illinois’ medical cannabis program is heating up! The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board recommended eight new qualifying conditions for its medical marijuana program, a relief for possible medical patients after 11 suggested qualifying conditions were rejected by Governor Bruce Rauner last month.This marks the first state ever to add autism as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana. It has only recently come to light that cannabis may have a remarkable effect on those with autism, particularly on children struggling with motor skills and coordination. Much of the evidence has come in the form of anecdotes from families whose lives have been changed by the administration of cannabis oil, but there have been few formal scientific studies.

The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced that they have approved 3,100 new patients to be a part of the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana program. The recently approved patients also included 16 children. In order for children to qualify for the program, they must have written certification from two doctors, while adults only need one. Read more..

Bombay HC dismisses plea to decriminalize cannabis

Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking direction to decriminalize cannabis.

A bench of Justice V M Kanade and Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi heard a public interest litigation by Aditya Barthakur, a lawyer, urging the court to declare the inclusion of cannabis under The Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act as illegal and ultra vires of the Indian Constitution.

Barthakur argued that failure to decriminalize cannabis will attract people to more dangerous substances. He submitted data to show the useful effects of cannabis on health including as a cure for illnesses like cancer. He also pointed out that several countries have legalised its sale and consumption. Read more..

Cannabis should be legal in India, petition in the Bombay high court.

Advocate Aditya Barthakur has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court challenging the criminalisation of cannabis under Indian law, based on the fact that none of six government organs he queried had any idea about how the herb is harmful to the human body.

The high court has issued notices to the central and state governments, reported the Express.

Barthakur last year filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking medical or scientific reasons for how the consumption of Cannabis in any form is harmful to humans.

School Uses “Marijuana Goggles” To Misinform Kids About What It’s Like To Be Stoned

Apparently some students from Hancock County, Indiana think now is the best time to start putting the “marijuana scare” into their classmates. Formed from 4 schools in the county, these high school students represent The Hancock County Youth Council. Their mission is to end alcohol and substance abuse in their schools.

The FATAL VISION marijuana goggles:
 

Read more..

Stoned age: Cavemen smoked up

Hunter gatherers in Congo Basin found to use 'medical marijuana', possibly a prehistoric habit.

Scientists have discovered a tribe of modern-day hunter gatherers smoked cannabis to ward off parasites -suggest ing ancient humans may also have had a taste for the high life.

The Aka people are a pygmy tribe from the Congo Basin, living a life of foraging which is little different from our ancestors. But more than half of the men have a cannabis habit which would put Snoop Doggy Dogg to shame.

"In the same way we have a taste for salt, we might have a taste for psychoactive plant toxins, because these things kill parasites," said Dr Edward Hagen, who published a report on his research in the American Journal of Human Biology .

He found tribespeople who used cannabis had a lower rate of infection from parasitic worms, suggesting they "unconsciously" used the drug medicinally.Read More..

'Unwanted' effects of cannabis can now be separated

In a major step towards safe cannabis-based therapies that do not cause alterations in mood, perception or memory, a method has been found to separate the medical benefits of cannabis from its unwanted side effects.

A study published in the journal PLOS Biology focused on the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

"THC - the major active component of marijuana, has broad medical use -- including for pain relief, nausea and anxiety," said one of the researchers Peter McCormick from University of East Anglia in Britain. Read More..

How 'smoking up' weed may heal broken bone

Suffered a fracture? Smoke up some marijuana as a study has revealed that one of the components of marijuana significantly helps heal bone fractures.

As per the study, the administration of the non-psychotropic component cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) significantly helps heal bone fractures.

Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University researchers conducted a study on rats with mid-femoral fractures, and found that CBD, even when isolated from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component of cannabis, markedly enhanced the healing process of the femora after just eight weeks. Read More

Legalize medical cannabis -Activists, India

Viki Vaurora, a passionate campaign er for medical marijuana, says it is time to bust the myths around the much maligned weed. He is hosting India's first ever Medical Cannabis Conference series that starts in Bengaluru on May 10, to spread awareness about its uses, especially in palliative cancer care.

"The only way marijuana can kill you is if you smoke 1,500kg in 15 minutes," says Vaurora, a 23-year-old musician and recording engineer."It has no side effects and it cannot kill you. It has no control on your respiratory or cardiac faculties."

The youngster has his parents' support for this cause. "My family helped me sift through 500 grams of marijuana, to filter out the seeds and leaves so that I could make cannabis oil to help a cancer patient," he says. Read More..

A 100 Indian Doctors Met To Discuss Why Marijuana Is Damn Good Pain Medicine

Indian doctors met for the "Seminar on Chronic Pain”, organised by AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and Medicinal Cannabis Foundation of India (MCFI) this month to discuss how chronic and cancer pain can be controlled using marijuana.

India's relationship with marijuana

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most importantly, the event focused on marijuana's pain relieving properties, and saw notable speakers, including Indian-American physician-scientist Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, M.D., Ph.D., who spoke on Cannabinoid Integrative Medicine.  He spoke on how India has since long understand  the medical properties of Cannabis, making it a part of Ayurveda. “Cannabis Sativa”, has also been formally introduced into India's digital library to protect it international biopiracy. Read More..

US Pot Arrests Increased In 2014 With 1 Every 45 Seconds..

Even as many U.S. states continue to reform and ease legislation governing the use of marijuana, both medicinal and recreational, enforcement of laws against the drug's use has apparently hardened. Nearly 701,000 people were arrested in 2014 for marijuana-related offenses, which means roughly one arrest for pot every 45 seconds, data from the FBI shows, according to Marijuana Majority, a group promoting reform of marijuana laws.


Those 700,993 marijuana arrests last year were up more than 7,000 from the year before. Nearly 90 percent of all marijuana arrests in 2014 were attributed solely to possession of the drug, though the average amount of weed for those possession charges was immediately unclear. Read more..

New Pro-Marijuana Coalition Forms

Pro cannabis groups from countries and areas all over the world, such as Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico and the United States have united in a common goal, to see the end of prohibition worldwide. Together they have formed the United Coalition of Cannabis Activists (U.C.C.A.). A group dedicated to the repeal of marijuana laws. Their mission statement is "Uniting Activists Worldwide to Repeal Cannabis Prohibition". Read More..

Great Legalisation Movement: India

This is it..! One down 3 to Go!!

#GLM: A quick summary of what went on in our Bengaluru conference. :) Thank you #DeccanHerald for letting your curious Journalists cover and also publish our cause. :) #Cannabis #Ganja #Bangalore #India #RickSimpson #Legalisation
Posted by GLM - the Great Legalisation Movement, India on Monday, May 18, 2015

MSM Finally Admits It, Cannabis Can Cure Cancer..

In a surprising move, CNN is reporting that marijuana may be a potential cure for certain types of cancer after numerous studies have shown the viability of cannabis as a potential cancer treatment. The report of marijuana being a potential cure was less surprising than the fact that it was covered prominently by a mainstream media outlet.

The research, cited by CNN, was conducted in numerous preclinical studies on mice and rats, as well as human cells. It has shown “that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells,” according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health. Read More..

Morgan Freeman Says Legalize Marijuana ‘Across the Board’

The legalization of marijuana remains hotly debated. But for Morgan Freeman, there's no question. 

The 77-year-old Oscar winner, well known for his deep, mellow voice, spoke candidly about his own marijuana use during an interview with The Daily Beastlast week. 

"Legalize it across the board," the Lucy actor said. 

Freeman became an advocate for medicinal use of the drug after shattering his left shoulder, arm and elbow in a car accident in 2008. He still hasn't regained full use of his left hand and continues to experience pain, which inspires his support for the medicinal use of the drug. Read more..

City to host country’s first ‘legalise marijuana’ meet..

With several countries in the world, including Uruguay and some states in the USA, legalising marijuana (cannabis), the movement has finally found a foothold in India. The first-ever conference in India for the legalisation of Marijuana will be held in Bengaluru on May 10 at Alliance Francaise, Vasanthnagar.

The Great Indian Legalisation Movement will organise Medical Cannabis Conferences across four cities - Bengaluru, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi on consecutive weekends in May. Read More..

Book Tickets HERE..!!

10 Reasons Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized In India

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world with an estimated 125 million people consuming it in some form or the other every year. In India, marijuana use has been historically bound to faith and mysticism. It is said to be a drug that helps the user attain "ecstasy in the original sense of the word". India has consumed and celebrated charas (hash), bhang and weed for centuries.

However, implementation of stringent narcotic laws in 1986 made the sale, consumption, production and transportation of marijuana illegal in the country. 24 years on, here are 10 reasons why marijuana should now be legalized in India. Read More..