Sativex, a medical spray made from cannabis using equal parts THC and CBD, is effective in providing pain relief to those with multiple sclerosis, according to newly released research.
“Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) (nabiximols or Sativex®) is an oromucosal spray formulation containing THC and CBD at an approximately 1:1 fixed ratio”, states the abstract of the study, which was published by the open access journal Medicines. “Its administration for the treatment of pain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been established. ”
Noting that “MS patients generally complain of different kinds of pain, including spasticity-related and neuropathic pain”, researchers “compared and evaluated pain modulation and thermal/pain threshold of MS patients before and after THC/CBD administration.” 19 MS patients underwent “clinical examination, numerical rating scale (NRS), quantitative sensory testing (QST), and laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) before and after 1 month of therapy.” Psychophysiological and neurophysiological data were compared to sex- and age-matched controls.
A new study just released out of the U.K., and recently published in the Journal of Neurology, has examined the efficacy of the THC/CBD oromucosal spray Sativex on peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP).
The peripheral nervous system connects nerves from the spinal cord and brain to the rest of the body; the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy, or the damaging of these nerves, can be very difficult to treat.
Over the course of 38 weeks, researchers examined 380 patients from all over the world (U.S., U.K., Canada, Czech Republic, Romania and Belgium) suffering from peripheral neuropathic pain associated with diabetes (peripheral neuropathy is the most common side effect of diabetes) or allodynia (allodynia is pain resulting from things that normally shouldn’t cause pain, such as a light touch, mild skin temperatures or normal movement of joints and muscles).
The National Health Service (NHS) in Wales has announced that it will be the first in the UK to distribute a cannabis-based medicine for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).
According to the NHS, Sativex, a cannabis-based medicine made of one part THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and one part CBD (cannabidiol), will be available by prescription for those suffering from multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that effects the brain and spinal cord. Sativex is currently approved for use in 24 countries including France, Canada and Switzerland.
Ireland’s Department of Healthhas announced that in the coming weeks it will introduce regulations which will allow for the use, possession and pharmacy-distribution of cannabis-based medicines such as Sativex, a medical spray made from the cannabis plant which contains one part THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and one part CBD (cannabidiol).
“This will be a prescription product, so MS sufferers will have the prescription written by their GP and then dispensed by the pharmacist,” says Pat O’Mahony, chief executive of Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority, formerly the Irish Medicines Board. No exact time was given on when the regulations will be released.
A study published last week by the journal European Neurology has found that the long-term use of Sativex, a spray made from the cannabis plant (one part THC, one part CBD), is effective in treating multiple sclerosis spasticity.
According to researchers, the study’s objective was to “provide long-term data on clinical outcomes, tolerability, quality of life and treatment satisfaction for MSS [multiple sclerosis spasticity] patients receiving nabiximols [Sativex] in routine care.”
A new study published in this month’s issue of the journal European Neurology, and published online by the U.S. National Institute of Health, has found that Sativex – a medicinal spray made from the cannabis plant – is an effective and safe treatment option for “moderate to severe multiple sclerosis spasticity (MSS)”.
According to researchers: “Nabiximols (Sativex®), a cannabinoid-based oromucosal spray, is an add-on therapy for patients with moderate to severe multiple sclerosis spasticity (MSS) resistant to other medications. The primary objective was to provide real-life observational data of clinical experience of nabiximols in contrast to formal clinical trials of effectiveness.”
France’s Ministry of Health announced today that the nation has officially approved the legalization of Sativex, a medicinal spray made from the cannabis plant.
The approval of Sativex is the first cannabis-based medical product approved by France; in June, lawmakers approved legislation which allows the nation to accept cannabis medicines, with the National Security Agency of Medicines and Health Products reviewing applications. Specifically, the proposal enables “the issuance of an authorization for placing on the market of medicinal products containing cannabis or its derivatives”.
The government-funded National Cancer Institute is forthright with the fact that cannabis has vast medical value, including tumor fighting capabilities.
In drastic contrast to the Drug Enforcement Administration and other government entities, the U.S. National Cancer Institute has a report published on its website which proclaims several benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids, citing numerous scientific studies to back their claims. Among the benefits of cannabis, the organization says, is its anti-tumor capabilities, its effectiveness as a painkiller, and its usefulness as an appetite stimulant.
Cannabis can help stop organs from being rejected during transplants
In the U.S. (and many other countries around the world), people are regularly denied organ transplants if they test positive for cannabis, even if they’re qualified medical cannabis patients in states where it’s legal. It turns out that, beyond being a human rights catastrophe, it may be one of the most counterproductive practices in the medical world.
Recent studies – including one published recently by the National Institute of Health – have shown that cannabinoids can actually help the body accept new organs, significantly reducing the possibility of the transplant failing (which often leads to death).
In 2013 alone, there were over 1,200 pieces of cannabis-related legislation filed throughout the United States.
2013 has (by far) surpassed the mark of most cannabis-related legislation ever introduced in the U.S., with over 1,000 proposals filed in various states. This trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon, with numerous lawmakers already planning cannabis reform legislation for the 2014 session, and with support for reform growing at a rapid pace.
A medical spray made from the cannabis plant is legal for those with multiple sclerosis in over 20 countries.
Sativex, which is made entirely of cannabis-derived cannabinoids, is legal in over 20 countries across the globe, and is pending approval in nearly a dozen more. Canada was the first nation to approve this medication for use by people suffering with multiple sclerosis.
Despite the approval of this medication, most of the countries which have approved it retain harsh criminal penalties for those possessing, growing or using cannabis in its raw form, even for medical purposes, further displaying the ever-apparent hypocrisy of cannabis prohibition.
Hemp is carbon negative.
Even when you account for its full production – from seed to product – hemp is entirely carbon negative; hemp is one of the only plants in the world that this is true of. This means that hemp production does absolutely no harm to the environment, and may actually be beneficial to it.
Given this, and given hemp’s unrivaled diversity, it’s hard to argue that hemp is a necessity for an environmentally sustainable future.
Cannabinoids derived from hemp can expand the life of dogs and cats.
Recently a product labelled under the name Canna-Pets hit store shelves across the U.S. as a legal, over-the-counter cannabis medication for pets, which can help with a variety of ailments from diabetes to muscle pain. Interestingly, after 5 years of clinical studies, it was found that this new product – which is made from cannabinoids derived from hemp – can actually expand the life of pets. It does so with absolutely no side effects.
Cannabis can alter genes.
A recent study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has found that THC – a compound found in cannabis – can actually alter genes, which can help treat a number of conditions, such as cancers and inflammatory diseases. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Health.
Cannabis is made up of over 400 various compounds, most all of which have intense medical value.
What the government fails to acknowledge when they use the argument that “Marinol [synthetic THC] is legal, so we don’t need to legalize medical cannabis”, is that cannabis is made up of far more than just THC; cannabis actually consists of over 400 individual compounds, most all of which can be broken down and used for a variety of medical conditions. However, these compounds are most effective when taken together, which is why consuming cannabis has such intense medical value.
A study conducted by researchers at Montana State University and the University of Colorado found that states which have legalized medical cannabis have seen a significant reduction in overall traffic fatalities – an 11% reduction in total. Those behind the study claim that the reduction is due to a simultaneous reduction in alcohol consumption, which is validated by the fact that medical cannabis states have seen a large reduction in alcohol-related accidents. The study was recently updated and published in the Journal of Law and Economics.
Cannabis is an antibacterial.
Recent studies – including this one funded by the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy – have shown that cannabis, as well as fabric made from industrial hemp, has antibacterial capabilities, and can actually fight off deadly bacteria such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This indicates that clothing made from hemp may actually save lives.
Switzerland has officially become the 23rd nation in the world to approve Sativex for use by those with multiple sclerosis; Sativex is a medical spray made up entirely of cannabis-derived cannabinoids.
“This approval in Switzerland marks yet another regulatory success for Sativex, which is now approved in a total of 23 countries,” stated Justin Gover, Chief Executive Officer of GW Pharmaceuticals, the company behind the product. “We now look forward to working with our partners.. towards this launch so as to enable MS patients in Switzerland to benefit from this important new treatment.”
“Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) (nabiximols or Sativex®) is an oromucosal spray formulation containing THC and CBD at an approximately 1:1 fixed ratio”, states the abstract of the study, which was published by the open access journal Medicines. “Its administration for the treatment of pain in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been established. ”
