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June 30, 2008
Letter in WI State Journal: Why reluctance to research cannabis?
Posted by Gary Storck
Monday, June 30, 2008
As a heart patient, I know that cannabis can be very beneficial for many heart patients. The following letter expounds on that awareness.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal click here
Pubdate: 30 June 2008
WHY RELUCTANCE TO RESEARCH CANNABIS?"Heart troubles," the State Journal's Wednesday piece on Tim Russert's abrupt passing despite treatment with the best Western medicine could offer, points out a need for more alternatives.
In a 2004 study published in the journal Nature, "Low dose oral cannabinoid therapy reduces progression of atherosclerosis in mice," click here, Swiss scientists observed that cannabinoids, chemical compounds found in marijuana, protect against heart disease by blocking the blood vessel inflammation that causes plaque to form.
The cannabinoid used was delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), already approved by the FDA as a schedule 3 drug. Although approved to stimulate appetite in cancer and AIDS patients, doctors hypothetically could prescribe it "off-label," meaning this treatment is available today nationwide.
But since the media tends to overlook studies showing medical benefits from cannabis, few are aware that cannabis or its constituent cannabinoids may be a lifesaving alternative.
Why must we look abroad to learn more about the medical uses of cannabis, and how did America get to the point where withholding this potential lifesaver from patients is good public policy?
-- Gary Storck, Madison, director of communications, Is My Medicine Legal Yet?
Posted by Gary at June 30, 2008 11:31 AM
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