Medical Marijuana Facts: Stoned Cold Science For 4/20 (VIDEO)

Elvy Musikka, 72, who suffers from glaucoma, smokes a marijuana cigarette, one of many she regularly receives from the U.S. Government, at her home in Eugene, Ore., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Happy 420 from Talk Nerdy To Me! Today, I want to take the time to explore some facts and fictions surrounding the use of marijuana as medicine. I reached out to Dr. Igor Grant, the director of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research to get a scientific perspective on the benefits of medical marijuana. Click the link below and/or watch the video above to learn more. And don't forget to join the discussion by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

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IGOR GRANT: Even though evidence continues to mount that cannabis can be useful as a medicine from a social policy standpoint there seems to be not a recognition of that.

CARA SANTA MARIA: Hi everyone. Cara Santa Maria here. And that's Dr. Igor Grant, the director of the University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research. And in 2007, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology. I think he knows a little bit more about medical marijuana than this guy.

IG: I think the emerging evidence for medicinal uses of cannabis are strongest now for management of pain, and particularly for the management of a type of pain that is chronic and difficult to treat called neuropathic pain that we see that people with AIDS have, some people with diabetes, and certain kinds of injuries.

CSM: That's no small thing. And we know that marijuana controls nausea and vomiting and increases appetite. This helps not only HIV and AIDS patients, but also those with dramatic weight loss due to cancer treatments like chemotherapy.

IG: People feeling like they want to eat after they smoke marijuana, the munchies and so forth, actually is a very well established physiological effect.

CSM: I totally just got that esteemed professor to say "the munchies." But really, how does pot get you high, reduce your pain, or make you hungry?

IG: We have signalling molecules with fancy names, one of them is anandamide that actually work in our bodies all the time to sort of control this neural excitability, to control eating.

CSM: See, in a broad sense, Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, works like any other drug does. It's an exogenous chemical, meaning that it occurs outside of us, in nature (like in marijuana). But it mimics endogenous factors--ones that we produce within our bodies, notably in our brains. The active constituents in cannabis are called cannabinoids. THC is only one of them. Scientists have identified, isolated, or synthesized several different cannabinoids that bind to two main receptor types in the human brain. And this receptor binding and associated downstream signalling activity causes the psychotropic and therapeutic effects that come along with smoking weed. It gets you high, can ease your pain, and makes you hungry, among other effects. But what about the million dollar question: is smoking pot bad for you?

IG: For typical adults who are using marijuana modestly...there don’t seem to be very many biological or medical consequences.

CSM: Well, there you have it. So why is it still illegal? Attempting to make this issue black-and-white sounds pretty political to me, not very scientific.

IG: I think there is a social concern that is legitimate but it shouldn’t trump the medical aspects either.

CSM: Well, he has to be diplomatic but I don't. And that legitimate social concern is pretty weak in light of the countless hard drugs that live behind the counter in pharmacies across this country. If the science shows that there is a medical need for marijuana, I firmly believe that it should be made available to patients who are suffering.

IG: We need to get to a point from a medical standpoint where marijuana can be made available to selected patients under controlled conditions through pharmacies or whatever the way of dispensing would be that is very well controlled like we do for any other medicine that has a potential for abuse.

CSM: Hear, hear, doc. How does the science inform your opinions on medical marijuana? You can reach out to me on Twitter, Facebook, or leave your comments right here on The Huffington Post. Come on, talk nerdy to me!

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Comments

[cadillacblack]

08:34 PM on 06/30/2012

Check out Genesis1 verses 11 & 12 and see what the Bible says on the subject.

[johnmiltonwesley]

05:16 PM on 05/07/2012

During my days as a Geriatrics Assistant at Jewish Memorial Hospital in Boston during my undergraduate summers (1967, 1968, 1970). One patient, an older African American gentleman (a friend of poet E.E Cummins) was on the list of about ten people in the country receiving Marijuana from the government. He smoked it freely in his room.

Go figure! He was fascinated by he fact I was a young Black writer from Mississippi, and that the government's main test site was located in my home town of Jackson, MS at the Research and Development Center. We had some great philosophical conversations late at night, and yes I was allowed to inhale, for health reasons of course.

In 1990 I became Senior Marketing Specialist for SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) and encountered something called "the scheduling" of drugs and found that Marijuana was listed with the most detrimental, addictive, mind altering substances,on record in the "drug industrial complex" ; even I was amazed.

I still say the issue is "seeds". You can't regulate the proliferation of seeds, therefore if ligalized any so called "middle man" be he/she pharmaceutical, governmental, or "Pookie 'n nem" has a limited shelf life and useful role. Until the categorization of Marijuana is changed, the debate over its true harm or medicinal benefit will remain in limbo. Talk, talk, talk, but until the drug is "re-scheduled" there will be no paradigm shift in the public's perception of the drug.

[AlaskanEagle1990]

08:38 AM on 05/03/2012

"Stoned Science" sounds like some pothead college student's rant about time travel and parallel universes, and you know he's just parroting words that he heard on an episode Morgan Freeman's "Through the Wormhole".

[hrdtsk]

12:17 PM on 04/27/2012

A big problem is that the smoking process is very "dirty" in addition to the THC there are multiple carcinogens and toxins inhaled via the smoke. Just as with tobacco smoke; lung cancer, asthma, emphysema are risks of this treatment. Elementary knowledge of pathophysiology would have identified this problem with inhaled marijuana smoke.

[JWerner]

04:55 PM on 04/27/2012

There are filters for that. Next?

[hrdtsk]

11:23 PM on 04/27/2012

That means only the small carcinogens and toxins that pass through the filter will get to the lungs.

[Fooly-Cooly]

12:08 PM on 04/27/2012

Life forms on Earth were designed not only to accommodate such things as Earth's gravity; but also Earth's atmosphere, Earth's plant life, and Earth's animal life.

Why is this a mystery?

Beyond that, if it's legal to kill people with cigarettes; why isn't it legal to ease your pain from a plant that grows in the Earth?

[DrKen Morris]

10:52 PM on 04/25/2012

Oh come on….so talking to a Doc that researches "medicinal" marijuana is getting an unbiased view on marijuana. Of course as a Doctor that treats addictions and has for over 20 years my opinion will not be biased either. Although this guy greatly minimizes the effects of marijuana from a detrimental standpoint (in fact according to him it would seem as if there are none) I have only to look at the 100's of people I've treated over the years to know that marijuana is not a good thing over all. This doc has probably been smoking some of his own lab weed.Although I don't necessarily have any problem with people who are truly terminal smoking weed to their hearts content…..my feeling is that smoking anything marijuana or grape vine has as many or more detrimental effects as it does positive ones. What happens to most people when they breath in smoke (any kind of smoke) …..they cough….what does that mean…..it means that your body doesn't like what's in the smoke…..dummy. So why don't you find a doc that still has a brain to interview on 4/20…..rather than one who has cooked his smoking weed!!!!!! Dr. Ken Morris, Olathe, Kansas

[sonny parker]

04:10 PM on 04/25/2012

Go to : United States Patent office. Type in marijuana you will see that the government owns the patent process to make oil from canabis...that means you toejamman....

[nikkitytom]

06:44 AM on 04/25/2012

Money screams. The pharmaceuticals don't want it legalized, One marinol tablet can cost up to $20 ..... a month's prescription for chemo-induced nausea .... about $1200. They don't want to give that up.

And law inforcement relishes apprehending marihuana users .... they're rarely violent and make easy "target numbers" for arrests. So much easier to handle than drunks or gun-toting hoods.

Money screams ..... Logic and common sense go out the door.

Oh yes. I had a kidney stone .... three months. Agony beyond belief. I passed a 7 mm stone after fainting on my living room floor. What kept me from slashing my wrists or hurling myself off my balcony in agony was a friend who gave me his supply of marihuana. It muted the pain enough for me to get through the worst three months of my life. The doctors prescription was for a costly and incredibly addictive pain killer. After four days, it didn't work at all and I had tripled my dose. Lucky I was smart enough to see what was happening. By the third day i was on my way to becoming addicted to a prescribed pain killer. I called my friend and asked him to get me some marihuana.

Yeah ....no problem legalizing dangerously addictive.drugs for some doctor to hand out to me. But howl like a banshee when I smoke pot. Stupid. Just plain stupid.

[Bahoogas]

10:48 AM on 04/25/2012

You are right; the money seems to be the biggest motivating factor in this debate. I think if we had no money from the pharmacy companies and had a big "sesh" with congress it would be passed that day....maybe after nap time but passed none the less. BTW I have felt the pain of a kidney stone and it is no joke, I have always had a very high tolerance for pain and I almost never go to the doctor unless it is very serious so when I told my wife to take me to the emergency room she nearly panicked, I hope you are better now, thanks.

[Giggee]

11:27 AM on 04/24/2012

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. I suffer from arthritis and on occasion have used it, it's amazing how my pain just disappeared. I'll take marijuana over pain killers any day since there are no side effects and no addiction. I truly hope someday it is legalized and the world will be a happier place!

[jhnnxn]

01:55 AM on 04/25/2012

While I support fully the legalization of marijuana for any purpose by adults, the misconceptions perpetuated by those on my side are very disconcerting. No side effects? If you're taking anything for pain, and while relieving your pain the substance increases your appetite, the increase in appetite is a side effect. As is dilation of capillaries in the eyes, short term memory loss, etc. The side effects of marijauna are mild in comparison with most prescription drugs, but they do exist.

[freakngeckos]

05:17 PM on 04/25/2012

Mild in comparison is an understatement. And increase in appetite can only be a good thing for most people who are taking it for medicinal purposes. Marijuana decreases intraocular pressure which some claim to be a good thing if you have glaucoma. Some say that it has saved them from going blind. As for short term memory loss I disagree. Although the effects can differ based on the individual and some effects seem to be consistent, I believe that the persons retention in general can be reflective of the effects of marijuana on their memory in particular.

[Bahoogas]

10:52 AM on 04/25/2012

If it is legalized our politicians might actually be able to sit down and talk to each other...over a bong or joint....but then the great debate would start......which is better Democrat pot or Republican weed, sounds like good times, LOL.

[chuckpullium]

10:29 AM on 04/24/2012

Legalize marijuana? NEVER!! As pointed out in many of the posts here, too much money is at stake. Billions spent and made on the enforcement, confinement, goofy counciling programs, and let's not forget, the fodder for election campaigns of the anti-pot candidates. Did we not learn anything in our American history classes? How did that prohibition thing work out for us back in the 20's & 30's? Worked out well for organized crime. I just can't imagine what those hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers could possibly do with their time if it wasn't wasted on "pot patrol."

[Rachelwordsmith]

10:18 AM on 04/24/2012

legalize it all ready- think about how much money the government can then steel- everyone wins, of course the cops won't have any more easy arrests to make. I guess the privet prison system will need to make other citizens into none-crooks to fill there shelves and get some of that government money. Better yet, like they did with farmers, pay them for empty cells- again everybody wins.
the feds should stay out of our bodies, minds and bedrooms!

[GnMar]

09:47 AM on 04/24/2012

I just would like to say i love Marijuana.... I find it useful for my appetite, my stress and just to relax my inner being. Marijuana doesn't cause harm in my eyes so i don't see why it isn't legal. I'm guessing law enforcement, military, and many others may see the true color of individuals come out; due to the fact a lot of people who don't smoke or say they don't will begin. Not to mention the way an individual acts under the influence of Marijuana tends to not be approved by many; which is very calm. But what adult hasn't tried Marijuana before, at least once in there lifetime. Truthfully i think Marijuana is awesome its a better drug then all the prescription pills they offer for pain which people tend to come addicted to or use in a manner that it shouldn't be. So with that being said can we get Marijuana legalized in Pennsylvania? Plus some how some way can i get a medical card, lol...

[Rachelwordsmith]

10:23 AM on 04/24/2012

they don't want pot smokers because anything that opens your mind is bad for the system's control systems. The police state needs easy to arrest and handle bodies to fill up the privet prisons as well- lets not forget how the CIA generates black ops money with illegal gun and pots deals. the government systems doesn't want us to have pot because they use it against us like a hammer.

[GnMar]

10:40 AM on 04/24/2012

Yea you're right they need easy collars for there force and if it does become legal it'll mess up a lot of dirty law enforcement agencies added income....

[lo0neytoon]

10:24 AM on 04/24/2012

I haven't tried it and dont care to.

[GnMar]

10:38 AM on 04/24/2012

Well then don't... Plus you are probably young, old, or just ignorant in a sense of not knowing.. But stick to your drug free life..

[Bahoogas]

11:00 AM on 04/25/2012

That is the best part...if you do not want it don't use it. For something that is not harmful, unlike cigarettes and alcohol it should not be illegal for adults to enjoy at our leisure. I am sure hiding in your closet to catch a buzz is so much better than sitting in a park enjoying nature, right?

[William Hearn]

09:04 AM on 04/24/2012

The truth is that the local, state and federal governments make far too much money on the illegality of Marijuana to ever legalize it. Think about it, they can make perhaps as much as .50 cents on a joint (1 gram), or they can collect upwards around $48,000 a year in legal fees from arrests, probation, drug testing, violation of probation, counseling and drug rehab fees.

It's totally unfair that alcohol is legal while being the leading factor in arrest of over 90% of inmates, whereas only approximately 3.5% of inmates were booked for being high on grass.

Fact:People get drunk on alcohol and either become aggressive, overly bold and commit violent crimes. On the other hand, people who get high on pot are more likely to share whatever they have with friends (or strangers), watch TV, listen to mellow music or simply laugh at your jokes. Where's the harm in recreational use?

As for the propaganda that states Marijuana causes cancer, I don't buy it at all: Especially if you make brownies with it. And the reports that smoking marijuana makes you paranoid... no... fear of being arrested and having your life ruined by a bunch of "storm troopers" for possession of marijuana makes you paranoid.

[GnMar]

09:50 AM on 04/24/2012

Awesome post bro...

[Rachelwordsmith]

10:26 AM on 04/24/2012

well said- touched on one important aspect of the government's hypocritical stance on this topic

[forweler]

09:02 AM on 04/24/2012

They can legalize it. Laws the same as with alchohol. You can't drive high, you can't smoke it in public, etc. etc... what's the big deal? Honestly, choosing between alcohol and pot; if I was walking across the street with a baby in a buggy and a car was coming at me and had to stop on a dime to avoid hitting me, I'd place money on the pot smoker~ anyday! Not only will there be much better chances, they will then get out laughing their head off and offer the kid a munchie. The drunk will either sit in their car and scream profanities or get out and try to start a fight. I'd prefer no one be under the influence while operating anything but you get my point.

[JWerner]

05:10 PM on 04/27/2012

Someone high on marijuana isn't likely to want to drive, anyhow. Most folks high on pot just wanna sit on their nice, comfy couches and scarf down snacks.

[Amanda Ward Schulte]

08:38 AM on 04/24/2012

If we as a species were not meant to use or consume marijuana, why would God or evolution have made the human brain with cannabinoid receptors?