Saturday, January 5, 2013

Paul Armentano — Study: Vaporized, Low-Potency Cannabis Reduces Problematic Nerve Pain


The US (DEA) at the very least needs to downgrade the classification of cannabis. Decriminalization would be more appropriate on the economic factors alone. It's an expensive, misdirected, and counterproductive policy based on dubious moralization. The question to be asking is why people abuse substances and what kind of policy can be direct at if if any. Tobacco and alcohol abuse are more serious social problems than drug abuse, and Prohibition proved the fallacy of trying to address abuse by criminalizing it. Tobacco and alcohol abuse was more effectively addressed through public education and using taxation as an economc disincentive.

AlterNet
Study: Vaporized, Low-Potency Cannabis Reduces Problematic Nerve Pain
Paul Armentano, NORML
Full text of the study, “Low-dose vaporized cannabis significantly improves neuropathic pain,” appears in The Journal of Pain.

8 comments:

Malmo's Ghost said...

The high potency stuff is even better. :)

Matt Franko said...

Tom,

What is "low dose" ? Potency of the weed?

And what is "vaporized" ? Smoked?

rsp,

Tom Hickey said...

Cannabis as been used medicinally for thousands of years. It's use is described in the Ayurvedic classic, Charaka Samhita, and the classic of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shen-Nung, for instance.

The Charaka Samhita describes the stages of cannabis intoxication in stages. Clearly, most current recreational use of cannabis for the "high" falls into the overdose category, the stages of which are also described.

"Vaporized" describes a smokeless delivery system similar to smoking in that is rides on the respiratory system, but filtering out the non-essential particles that are health-damaging. See Wikipedia - Vaporizer (cannabis)

Cannabis is also consumed orally and enters through the digestive system. This was generally the preferred system in traditional medicine. Traditional medicine generally combines different herbs in a single prescription based on patient need. There are also "patent medicines" for general use that employ combinations of ingredients.

What we now consider "illegal drugs" were in widespread use in medicine previous to the freak-out over them by moralizers over possible abuse. It's crazily unscientific ,and it is depriving a lot of people of what could potentially benefit them.

Matt Franko said...

It's expected to be considered/debated here in MD in our legislative session which starts in a few weeks... rsp,

"dont criticize it, legalize it!" ;)

(FD: i do not use it...but if somebody wants to grow a small plant and dry it and use it, I cant see a big problem there unless they then drive or sell it...)

rsp,

Tom Hickey said...

The problem is that we are conflating medicinal use with recreational use, and use with dealing, and small-time dealing with big-time operations. Even if abuse were a serious concern, which the science shows it is not, we should still be investigating medicinal use, which we are not. So people are self-medicating with non-standardized doses, and it is dumb to force them to do so. Others are being harassed, fined and imprisoned for medicinal use, which is crazy. The US needs to get a grip here. Legislation is not required. The FDA just needs to change the classification and come out in favor of developing standardized medicines. It's a no briner than is being derailed by moralizers and disinformation.

Anonymous said...

Legalize all of it, except antibiotics.

That is all.

John Zelnicker said...

Tom -- Changing the classification of cannabis is not the province of the FDA, it is the DEA that is responsible for changing it from a Schedule I classification. There is a lawsuit to force the DEA to do this that has been winding its way through the courts for a number of years. Recently, it reached a Federal Appeals Court on the merits and there may be a decision in the foreseeable future.

Tom Hickey said...

Thanks, John, I'll fix that in the post now.