!I hope these medical studies will be of some benefit in the changed
atmosphere of AZ and CA. CBD is of particular interest since it is missing
from Marinol...the governments main "excuse" for excluding marijuana from
therapeutic usage.


Cannabidiol: The Wonder Drug of the 21st Century?

The traditional use of Cannabis as an analgesic, anti-asthmatic, and
anti-rheumatic drug is well established. This British study also suggests
that cultivation of Cannabis plants rich in Cannabidiol (CBD) and other
phenolic substances would be useful not only as fiber producing plants but
also for medicinal purposes in the treatment of certain inflammatory
disorders. CBD was found to be more effective than aspirin as an
anti-inflammatory agent. "Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activity of
Constituents of Cannabis Sativa L.," E.A. Formukong, A.T. Evans, and F.J.
Evans, Inflammation, Vol. 4, 1988, pp. 361-371.

Cannabidiol, CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid of Marijuana, was given to
5 patients with dystonia disorders. Improvement occurred in all 5 patients
by 20-50%. "Open Label Evaluation of Cannabidiol in Dystonic Movement
Disorders," Consroe, et al, International Journal of Neuroscience, 1986,
Vol. 30, pp.277-282.

Three patients with Huntington's Disease who had been previously
unresponsive to therapy with neuroleptics, were given Cannabidiol, (CBD), a
non-psychoactive cannabinoid of Marijuana. After the second week
improvement in choreic movement occurred by 20-40%. Except for transient,
mild hypo-tension no side effects were recorded."Effects of Cannabidiol in
Huntington's Disease," Sandyk, Consroe, Stern, and Snider, Neurology, 36
(Suppl. 1) April, 1986, p.342.

In this Brazilian study of 8 Epileptic patients receiving Cannabidiol,
(CBD), 4 were free of convulsions, 3 had partial improvement, and 1 was
unchanged. No serious side effects were found. This is quite important,
as complex partial seizures with secondary generalization are difficult to
treat with currently used drugs. The potential use of CBD as an
anti-epileptic drug and its possible potentiating effect on other drugs are
discussed. "Chronic Administration of Cannabidiol to Healthy Volunteers and
Epileptic Patients," Pharmacology, 21: 1980, J.M. Cunha, et al,
pp.175-185.

Subjects receiving 160 mg. Cannabidiol reported having slept significantly
more than those receiving placebo; seven out of eight epileptics receiving
Cannabidiol had improvement of their disease state. (Brazil) "Hypnotic and
Antiepileptic Effects of Cannabidiol," Carlini, E.A., and Cunha, J.A.,
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1981: 21: pp. 417S-427S.

Three patients with TS who experienced incomplete responses to conventional
anti-TS drugs but noted a significant amelioration of symptoms when smoking
marijuana. The effects of marijuana on TS may be related to its
anxiety-reducing properties, although a more specific antidyskinetic effect
cannot be excluded. Eliminating the psychoactive properties of marijuana
while retaining the antidyskinetic effects (Cannabidiol) could prove
beneficial. "Marijuana and Tourette's Syndrome," (letter), Sandyk and
Awerbuch, Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol. 8, No. 6, Dec.
1988, pp.444-5.

"Anti-dyskinetic effects of cannabidiol," Conti, L.H., Johannesen, J.,
Musty, R.E., Consroe, P., Proceedings of the International Congress on
Marijuana. 1987: 21. Melbourne, Australia.

This Brazilian study Investigates the possible anti-psychotic activity of
CBD by studying the effect of this cannabinoid on animal models used in
research with potential anti-psychotic properties. CBD seems to compare
favorably with haloperidol as an anti-psychotic. "Effects of CBD in animal
models predictive of anti-psychotic activity," Zuardi, A.W., Rodrigues,
J.A., Cunha, J.M., Psychopharmacology 1991: 104: pp. 260-264.

CBD blocks some of the effects of THC in mice but potentiates some other
effects. (Brazil)"Pharmacological Interaction between Cannabidiol and
Tetrahydrocannabinol," Karniol, I.G., Carlini, E.A., Psychopharmacologia
1973: 33: pp. 53-70.

CBD was effective in blocking most of the effects of THC, increased pulse
rate, disturbed time tasks, and psychological reactions. CBD also
decreased the anxiety components of THC. (Brazil) "Cannabidiol Interferes
with the effects of Tetrahydrocannabinol in Man," Karniol, I.G.,
Shirakawa, I., Kasinski, N., Pfeferman, A., Carlini, E.A., European Journal
of Pharmacology 1974: 28: pp. 172-177.

One of the first studies that clearly shows that hemp grown for fiber is
very low in THC, the psychoactive component that gets people high. The
drug-type marijuana is very high in THC. Cannabidiol (CBD) which is not
psychoactive, is very high in fiber-type hemp but low in drug-type
marijuana. This is important as CBD is known to block the effects of THC.
This makes the hemp doubly useless for drug effects. "Chemistry of
Marijuana," Coy Waller. Pharmacological Reviews, Vol. 23, No. 4, 1971.

Wild 'marijuana' growing in Riley County Kansas was found to be very low in
THC content. (Below the European threshold for fiber hemp.) The leaves
and flowering tops averaged from 0.01-0.49% THC with a mean of 0.14% THC.
CBD which blocks the psychoactive effects of THC was as high as 1.7%.
"Seasonal Fluctuations in Cannabinoid Content of Kansas Marijuana," R.P.
Latta, and B.J. Eaton. Economic Botany, 29: April-June, 1975, pp.
153-163.

Researchers for the Canadian Department of Agriculture tested over 350
varieties of Cannabis in Ottawa, Ontario. They determined that there were
two basic types of Cannabis based on genetic characteristics: a drug-type
which originates in hot climates such as India and is high in THC but low
in CBD and a fiber-type which originates in temperate climates and is low
in THC but high in CBD and is used industrially for fiber and food. This
awareness of the separateness of the two phenotypes has vast agronomic
potential. It means fiber hemp can be grown without the drug effect of
'marijuana.'"The Evolution of Cannabinoid Phenotypes in Cannabis," Ernest
Small, H.D. Beckstead, and Allan Chan, Economic Botany, 29: 1975, pp.
219-232.

Ten mg. of THC is required to get a psychoactive effect from 'marijuana.'
It would require 50-100 cigarettes of the French hemp cultivated for paper
to get a psychoactive high. "Paper-making type of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
cultivated in France: Constituents compared to those of marijuana,"
Fournier and Paris, (French) Plantes Medicinales et Phytotherapie, Vol.
13(2) April, 1979, pp. 116-121.


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