News in English 2016

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Cannabis Science Targets Successful Autism Treatments and Brings Family Autism Advocate Mieko Hester-Perez on Its Scientific Advisory Board

Mieko Leads the Charge for Autism Treatment Advocacy as CBIS Initiates Cannabinoid Efficacy Testing to Spotlight Successful Treatments

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTC PINK: CBIS), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabis-based medicines, today announced its next critical ailment target is autism and brings Mieko Hester-Perez on its Scientific Advisory Board to lead this charge. Mieko gained significant recognition for bringing her son's success with medical cannabis to the public and birthing the significant "Joey's Strain." The Company has begun preliminary protocols to initiate formal studies with Mieko on autism in adults and children spotlighting successful treatments using cannabinoids.

Please visit http://www.miekosblog.com to watch and learn from Mieko's incredible journey with her son Joey. Mieko used medical cannabis to treat her son "Joey" with autism symptoms, and has seen great progress since starting the treatment. As an autism advocate for the new cannabis patient base special needs families, Mieko has co-founded The Unconventional Foundation for Autism, http://UF4A.org, an informational website. She has even received Congressional Honors for her community service work with special needs children.

"When I decided to go public with my son's success with medical cannabis for autism I was invited on FOX Morning News, The Doctors Show, The Dr. Juan Rivera Show, NBC syndicates, CBS, Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer, and 'Inspiring Parents' on ABC's 20/20 special segments. I've been privileged to gracefully bridge two misunderstood communities with the help of High Times, Autism Spectrum Magazine, and numerous publications as a pioneer to these ground breaking cannabinoid treatments," stated Ms. Hester-Perez.

As a board member for NORML's Woman's Alliance, Mieko Hester-Perez is a proven, knowledgeable, and key figure in the legal cannabis arena. Ms. Hester-Perez on a national platform remains a valuable source of information and support for parents with children requesting cannabinoid treatments until further laws are passed for special needs families who have exhausted all other treatment options. Since becoming a public figure standing on the front lines for special needs families she continues to provide effective navigation guidance to families on this safe, natural, and effective cannabis treatment.

"I am excited we are moving forward with Cannabis Science. In a recent event for Ron Dellums, the CBIS team met in California to discuss its progress on various initiatives. I was fortunate to be in that meeting with some of our key people, such as Ron Dellums, Dr. Allen Herman our CMO, Mel Foote, Mr. Dabney, along with a few others. I am very proud to be a part of this team; it gives me extra strength in multiple areas to move forward to reach my goals of providing continued autism treatments and education for children and their families worldwide, and I firmly believe the Cannabis Science Team is going to help me accomplish these goal immediately and provide some of the tools for me to move forward beyond my expectations. I plan to leverage Cannabis Science's combined experience and fast track my 'Joey's Experience' into a formal study that can positively impact families going through it. We are providing valuable education and real time access to information based on what I have been going through for many years," concludes, Ms. Hester-Perez.

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc., takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory. Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently, there are a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is on skin cancers, HIV/AIDS, and neurological conditions. The Company is proceeding with the research and development of its proprietary drugs as a part of this initial focus: CS-S/BCC-1, CS-TATI-1, and CS-NEURO-1, respectively.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/09 ... ily-autism

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Health Experts Weigh In on Safety of Marijuana-Based Vaginal Suppository to Relieve Menstrual Cramps

A cannabis-based vaginal suppository is now on the market, claiming to help relieve menstrual cramps – but even if you were willing to try this very unorthodox method of dealing with period pain, should you?

Floria Relief – which contains only three ingredients: organic cocoa butter, CO2 distilled THC oil and CBD Isolate – promises "to maximize the muscle relaxing and pain relieving properties of cannabis without inducing a psychotropic 'high,' " but it is has not been clinically tested or FDA-approved.

"Would I recommend something that's not FDA-approved or monitored? That would not be my recommendation," Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and director of midlife health at the University of Virginia Health Center, tells PEOPLE. "You'd want to do a clinical trial to see how much [of the medication] women absorbed. Are they being under-dosed? Are they being overdosed?"

Pinkerton notes that an overdose of medical marijuana can cause unwanted side effects, including sedation, anxiety or paranoia.

"Health risks from non-FDA approved medications can be life-threatening," she says. "If you significantly overdosed on medical marijuana, that could send you to the emergency room."

Pinkerton says she recommends non-steroidal ibuprofen or birth control as better methods for dealing with cramps.

"We try to avoid needing to use actual pain medication for cramps, because it interferes with women's ability to function and to work," she says.

Emily Lorber, a nurse practitioner at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, tells PEOPLE she is also alarmed by the lack of testing.

"While there may be some theoretical application in the role of cannabis for menstrual cramp treatment, valid research is absolutely necessary to prove its efficacy and safety," she says. "It is unclear how much of the THC and cannabidiol (CBD) dose is absorbed via mucosal delivery, which poses risk of overdose."

"In addition, the effects of THC and cannabidiol, as well as the cocoa butter contained in the suppository, may cause other issues in regards to the pH and flora in the vagina," she continues. "For now, I would advise patients to stick to an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen."

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/09 ... ry-relieve

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Macedonia: Parliament Legalizes Medical Marijuana

A Macedonian Parliament Health Committee gave its approval on Tuesday to amend the law on control of drugs and psychotropic substances, that would allow the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes.

“The need to change this law comes from the requests of patients who want to have the option to use naturally derived cannabis products, under strict supervision. The amendments would allow patients to have access to strictly controlled products, improving on the current situation when some patients use unverified products without any supervision regarding the dosage,” said Stojanco Stojkovski, State Secretary in the Health Ministry, which proposed the changes to the law.

Representatives from both the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party and the opposition SDSM party welcomed the proposal. Saso Vasilevski from VMRO said that he has had a relative diagnosed with cancer who was using a cannabis derivative bought on the black market, and said he supports the legalization of similar products. Alen Georgiev from SDSM said that the change should have been made sooner.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/10 ... -marijuana

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Terpenes: The Future of Cannabis is Medicine and Household Cleaning

Terpenes are the essential oils found in cannabis that create the fragrances and mental effects of different strains. What is that strong eucalyptus smell in some strains? That would be the terpene caryophyllene oxide. What about those black-peppery spice notes? Chances are the strain has traceable levels of ß-caryophyllene, a terpene also found in cloves and black pepper that has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties.

Terpenes aren’t just responsible for the distinctive smells of different cannabis strains; each identified terpene in cannabis also has its own set of medical properties. Green House Seeds in Amsterdam has been profiling and studying terpenes for years, and have even identified the terpene profile as a sort of “fingerprint” to identify cannabis strains.

Each strain of cannabis has its own unique blend of terpenes, called the terpene profile. Terpene profiling is thought to be one of the most accurate ways to discern cannabis strains. Along with cannabinoid profile – the amounts of THC, CBD and other cannabinoids – the subspecies (indicas and sativas), the processing of the cannabis product and the method of ingestion, terpenes contribute to the entourage effects felt in the body and mind.

“We started profiling terpenes in 2009,” says Franco Loja, Manager of Green House Seeds. “At first we just had a flavor-aroma approach to terpenes, because at the time it was the main purpose: to find a different tool to breed cannabis strains based on flavor and aroma, not just cannabinoid content.”

Loja says that until they begun terpene profiling, breeding for flavor and aroma was done by personal evaluation, like a sommelier would with wine.

“After 2011, there was some research about medicinal effects of terpenes, mostly by Ed Rosenthal but also by other sources,” Loja continues. “That is when we started looking at it from a medicinal point of view, but I have to say that we do not have the tools to go deeper in this subject. We would rather see the real medicinal institutions dig into the medicinal values of terpenes.”

Terpenes make up the majority of the material found in essential oils and occur naturally in plants. They are responsible for the distinctive smells, flavors and effects of cannabis on humans. For instance, it is the terpene limonene found in citrus fruits that not only creates the fruits’ distinctive smells and flavor, but also the ability of citrus oils to work as natural cleaners. Limonene is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and has anti-cancer properties. You may have noticed some of your favorite strains of cannabis have a citrus like odor – that is limonene.

“Limonene is very popular, it is the main terpene in many famous strains such as Super Lemon Haze, Lemon Skunk and many others,” says Loja.

By simply smelling cannabis, some cannabis connoisseurs can pick up the subtle notes of each terpene in the strain’s profile and can even make predictions about the strain’s effects.

But terpenes do so much more than just predict cannabis effects or medicinal applications, they are also going to be the essential ingredients of most of the products we use in the future because they are environmentally sustainable for use and can be made into all kinds of safe green cannabis-profile inspired products.

Some manufacturers are already creating prototypes of products based on cannabis terpene profiles that are environmentally friendly versions of products we already use today such as dish soaps, laundry detergents, teas and beauty products.

What’s more, they are even using the terpenes burned away in the process of smoking to create “legal cannabis enhancers” or aromatherapy sticks designed to uplift or mellow out a cannabis user after they smoke.

“Terpenes have been part of human culture for millennia as aromatherapy, so it seems only logical that when cannabis becomes more legal and more studies the role of terpenes will grow in importance,” concludes Loja.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/10 ... d-cleaning

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Australia commits to legal growing of medicinal marijuana

CANBERRA, Australia – Australian lawmakers committed on Wednesday to legalize the growing of marijuana for medical use within a part of the world renowned for zero-tolerance and harsh penalties for illegal drugs.

The government introduced a bill to Parliament that would amend the Narcotics Drugs Act 1967 and create a licensing scheme for growing medicinal cannabis. Marijuana is currently illegal throughout Australia, but two states are considering making the drug available for therapeutic uses.

“This government understands that there are some Australians suffering from severe conditions for which cannabis may have applications and we want to enable access to the most effective medical treatments available,” Health Minister Sussan Ley told Parliament.

The bill is guaranteed to become law, with the main opposition party immediately pledging support.

Southeast Asia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws.

Indonesia, Australia’s nearest neighbour after Papua New Guinea, created a diplomatic rift last year by rejecting Australian pleas to spare the lives of two Australian heroin traffickers. The Australians were among eight drug convicts executed by firing squad in April. Indonesia argued that the tough response was needed because narcotics abuse

Edward Aspinall, an Australian National University expert on Indonesian politics, did not expect marijuana crops growing legally in Australia would damage relations with Indonesia.

among Indonesians had reached a crisis level.

“If it even rates notice among the Indonesian authorities or politicians, it will just be seen as an example of the inappropriately liberal and permissive nature of Western societies,” Aspinall said.

The government said the proposed amendment would meet Australia’s international obligations to ensure that production, manufacture and distribution of marijuana was for medical and scientific purposes only.

A government survey of 24,000 Australians nationwide found in 2013 that 69 per cent of respondents supported a change of law to permit cannabis use for medicinal purposes.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/10 ... arijuana-0

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Using Medical Marijuana to Stop Childhood Seizures

For kids with uncontrolled seizures, a technically illegal drug offers hope. But is it scientifically sound?

Desperate for relief, parents are taking unusual steps to help children plagued with seizures. The relief, however, comes in a most unlikely form: marijuana.

As many as 30 percent of people with epilepsy—or about one million Americans—still have seizures while on Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments. It’s left many who suffer from uncontrollable seizures—or their parents, as many of them are children—turning to medical marijuana and its derivatives in an attempt to take back control of a disease with no cure.

A seizure is an abnormal electrical storm in the brain that causes sudden alteration in consciousness, sensation and behavior that can manifest from an eye flicker to full-body convulsions. People with medication-resistant (also called intractable) epilepsy suffer from consequences of recurrent seizures, which could damage the brain and adversely impact their quality of life. This is commonly observed in children with certain types of devastating pediatric epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut, Doose and Dravet syndromes.

Stories about desperate parents seeking anything to relieve their children’s seizures abound, but how much scientific evidence is there for cannabis’ effectiveness?

D. Samba Reddy, Ph.D., R.Ph., professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, studies novel therapies for epilepsy. He recently published an article, with co-author Victoria Golub, in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics about the current state of research into medical marijuana for treating epilepsy.

“There was a lot of media attention about how medical marijuana is good for epilepsy,” said Reddy, who is a fellow of both the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). “We became interested in finding out whether there was scientific evidence in the literature to support the claims of these people who have seen great benefits.”

There are at least 85 active components of the plant colloquially known as marijuana, but two major ones of have been the focus of study: delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the psychoactive component of the plant, while CBD doesn’t cause any sort of a “high” and isn’t thought to be addictive. Preliminary studies—largely in animal models—have shown CBD might have some anti-seizure potential.

Derivatives of marijuana high in CBD (but with negligible amount of THC) might offer some benefit for intractable epilepsy. CBD-enriched products, like Epidiolex and Realm Oil, exist, but their efficacy hasn’t been proven and they exist in a sort of legal grey area. Homemade compounds exist, but since they don’t go through rigorous best practice manufacturing procedures and haven’t been approved by the FDA, it can be difficult for consumers to know exactly what they’re getting.

Although THC is known to share the actions of anandamide (from the Indian Sanskrit word “anand” for bliss or happiness), a naturally occurring compound in the brain, the exact mode of anti-seizure action of CBD is unclear. “It is critical to know how CBD controls seizures, so pharmaceutical companies can design novel synthetic compounds for epilepsy that could surpass the hurdles of mixed CBD extracts,” said Reddy, who directs an epilepsy research lab at Texas A&M. These compounds might provide the benefits without some of the risks—or the legal issues—associated with the marijuana plant.

A standard manufacturing process and clinical trials might help answer some of these questions, but conducting one isn’t easy, and there are currently only 19 clinical trials going on to test the use of cannabinoids for epilepsy. For one thing, cannabis is still listed as a Schedule I substance by the federal government, meaning gaining permission to use it in research on human participants is extremely difficult.

Still, change is occurring at the state level. Recreational marijuana use is legal for adults in four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington) and in 23 states and Washington, DC, medical marijuana is allowed. Texas, in a law passed during the last legislative session in 2015, legalized low-THC cannabis oils for people with intractable epilepsy while still prohibiting medical marijuana more broadly.

A new study at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is enrolling Dravet epilepsy patients who have tried Charlotte’s Web, a specific strain of medical marijuana that is low in THC and high in CBD. The researchers will compare the genetics of those who have seen seizure activity decreased dramatically (at least 50 percent) in response to the drug versus those who did not. Although this research could yield useful information about how CBD and genetic factors interact in a Dravet population, it is not the gold standard of scientific drug trials: the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial in which patients were randomly assigned to either CBD or a placebo.

As for experts like Reddy, who is a Texas board-certified pharmacist, most are taking a cautious wait-and-see approach.

The American Epilepsy Society (AES) has released a statement on the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of epilepsy stating that due to the lack of data, no conclusion can be drawn at present.
The Epilepsy Foundation doesn’t specifically discourage cannabis use, but urges anyone exploring treatment for epilepsy to work with their treating physician to make the best decisions for their own care and to follow applicable laws.

“Despite all of the controversy about medical marijuana as a potential therapy for epilepsy,” Reddy said, “most people agree that what we need is greater rigorous scientific study into cannabinoids to prove or disprove their safety and efficacy.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/10 ... d-seizures

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Marijuana in the US: business booming, attitudes changing

The marijuana business is booming in the US, with projected legal sales expected to be up more than a billion dollars in 2016 compared to 2015, when the legal market was worth $6.7 billion in sales.

What’s more, over half of Americans now say they support the legalisation of cannabis, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Marijuana is authorised, in one form or another, across 38 states and the District of Columbia. That means 86 percent of Americans now live in a state where the use of legal marijuana is permitted to some degree.

High profits

Total legal sales of marijuana nationwide grew from $4.6 billion in 2014 to $5.4 billion in 2015. That figure is expected to climb again in 2016, to an estimated $6.7 billion.

Market sales in marijuana for ‘adult use’ (where people can legally grow, possess and consume marijuana) jumped by a massive 184 percent in 2015 to $998 million.

The state of Colarado was expected to generate $135 million in taxes and licences in 2015. That would be up 77 percent on 2014.

Washington State, meanwhile, generated $70 million in taxes, during its first year of legalisation.

“By almost every metric the legalization and regulation of adult use in Colorado and Washington has been a success. Many of the negative outcomes threatened by prohibitionists have not borne out,” says a report by ArcView Market Research and New Frontier.

“Crime is down, falling prices have made the legal market increasingly competitive against the black market, regulatory compliance is high as businesses dare not risk losing their valuable licenses, and product quality and diversity has increased.”

“Congress also cut the DEA’s [Drug Enforcement Administration] budget by $23 million, a strong signal that the appetite for the heavy-handed approach to enforcement was falling out of favor among legislators.”

Changing attitudes

According to Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Americans now support the legalisation of cannabis, compared to 32 percent in 2010. Among Millenials (18-34 years old) support for legalisation was 74 percent.

According to a poll by Harris, 81 percent of Americans support the legalisation of marijuana for medical use.

What next?

Nearly a dozen states are due to debate changes to their cannabis laws in the coming year, according to the the ArcView/New Frontier report.

“2016 will be the tipping point in which a majority of US states transition from cannabis prohibition to some form of regulated legal markets.

“Key states, including California, Nevada and Massachusetts, are expected to legalize adult use, while Florida is expected to pass a medical cannabis bill similar to the one that narrowly failed in 2014.”

Medical research

Federal investment in research on medical marijuana is increasing, but progress is slow.

“2015 saw significant shifts in the national position on medical cannabis,” says the report.

“At the federal level the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) added the following language to the section of its website on cannabis: “…recent animal studies have shown that cannabis extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others. Evidence from one cell culture study suggests that purified extracts from whole-plant cannabis can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors. Research in mice showed that treatment with purified extracts of THC and CBD, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation.”

“This was a very significant concession for an agency whose research into cannabis had previously focused exclusively on the harms it caused, signaling a new receptivity to the growing body of research showing cannabis’s powerful therapeutic potential.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/09 ... s-changing

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How Are Marijuana Taxes Faring?

In four states (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State), retail sales of marijuana are both legal and taxable. Of these states, Colorado was the first to implement sales and excise taxes on legal marijuana and now has over two years’ experience collecting those taxes. The state is collecting roughly $90 million in marijuana excise taxes alone each year—an amount short of the $162 million it collects from cigarette taxes, but that far exceeds the $42 million it receives from taxes on alcohol. When state-level sales taxes, license fees, and application fees are added to the picture, Colorado’s haul from marijuana taxes rises to roughly $130 million per year, with millions more flowing directly to local governments via their own sales taxes on marijuana.

As the chart below shows, marijuana tax revenues have risen rapidly in Colorado throughout most of the last two years. The same is true in Washington State—the only other jurisdiction where legal, taxable sales of retail marijuana have been taking place for a sustained period of time (Oregon implemented its retail marijuana taxes in January 2016, and Alaska will do the same later this year). As I recently noted in testimony before Vermont’s Senate Finance Committee, monthly marijuana tax revenues are up 64 percent in Colorado compared to a year earlier, and are up by a staggering 246 percent in Washington State.

Nobody knows for certain how marijuana tax revenues in these two states, and elsewhere, will perform in the years ahead. But it is clear that this kind of rapid growth cannot continue forever.

Much of the growth seen so far is related to the fact that new retail marijuana outlets were opened gradually in each of these states, and that many marijuana consumers did not immediately shift their purchases from the black market to the legal market following the start of legal sales. Once the legal marijuana market becomes more established, the rapid growth in tax collections observed thus far should begin to slow.

More interesting, however, is speculation surrounding what may happen to the legal marijuana market in the long-term. As I discussed in Vermont, one place to look for clues about the long-run trajectory of legal marijuana is the gambling industry. Today, legal marijuana is relatively rare—much like legal casino gambling was decades ago. With gambling, early adopters such as Atlantic City reaped an enormous economic and tax revenue windfall as gamblers flocked to the city’s casinos. But eventually that windfall faded when casino gambling became more commonplace. While it is unlikely that any state would ever become as economically reliant on marijuana as Atlantic City has been on gambling, early adopters of legal marijuana are likely to be more effective at luring out-of-state customers, and tax dollars, in the short-term than they will be in a future where other states are likely to have legalized marijuana as well.

Changes in the price of marijuana will also have enormous effects on the long-run yield of marijuana taxes. Three of the four states that collect taxes on retail marijuana sales (Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State) tax the product based on its price with just one state (Alaska) taxing marijuana at a flat rate per ounce.

The RAND Corporation, among others, expect that the price of marijuana will fall significantly in the years ahead as growers become more experienced at cutting costs and as federal and state laws related to marijuana are loosened. If prices fall, those states with price-based taxes could see a dramatic decline in marijuana tax revenues—much like the decline in many states’ gasoline taxes that has resulted from the falling price of fuel.

To help avoid this outcome, states with legal marijuana could establish a “tax floor” that would prevent the tax charged per ounce from dropping below some predetermined level even if marijuana prices plummet. In the context of gasoline taxes, “floors” are an increasingly popular policy option used in states such as Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Ultimately, however, tax floors are no panacea for potential long-run challenges to the yield of marijuana taxes. Lawmakers in states where marijuana is legal—or where legalization is being considered—should be aware that marijuana taxes may not be a particularly sustainable source of revenue in the long-run. More generally, lawmakers should accept that the future of marijuana taxes is highly uncertain. While they should strive to tax marijuana in the most sensible fashion possible, any marijuana tax established today will almost certainly need to be revisited in the future as changes occur in the price of marijuana, the structure of the industry, and the product’s legal status at the federal level and in other states.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/09 ... xes-faring

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Legal marijuana an opportunity for LEDs

Errba Spectrum provides environmental lights for those who grow plants indoors

Jonathan Villagomez grew up maintaining his family's yard and tending to the church garden. At 19, he started a landscaping company before venturing off into the IT world. So when looking for business opportunities with LED lighting, it felt natural to intertwine the two.

"I understand technology and how things connect, and I also understand how things grow and the nutrients they need," says Villagomez, a 28-year-old father of three.

He put about $250,000 of his own money into designing and building prototypes of LED panels to grow plants indoors and raised about $1 million more from private investors. Early last year, he jumped into the competitive LED market by launching Errba Spectrum with an office in Katy and warehouse in Brookshire.

While touting the perceived environmental advantages of the lighting, Villagomez says he hopes to capitalize on the nascent business opportunities nationally in the legal production of marijuana. He believes lighting systems are a good bet because marijuana is often cultivated indoors or in greenhouses that utilize some lighting.

The idea for a new business arose four years ago when Villagomez's IT consulting firm was helping clients in portable offices. He recalled that he was amazed by how brightly LEDs shined and how little energy they required.

"That's when my entrepreneur mind started seeing, 'Well, where are LEDs not currently being used?' " Villagomez said.

He decided the answer was in plants.

He developed a 500-watt panel, with 176 LED lights, big enough for commercial use, and found a manufacturer in China. Since late last year, he has sold about 30 of the units, a quarter of them to legal marijuana growers, for $1,695 apiece. Later this year, he plans to start selling a smaller system for individual customers for $999.

LEDs in the Errba panels can be turned blue, red, white or mixtures of the three colors. Experts say blending these colors - or the similar blending of blue, red and green - provides a broad lighting spectrum that imitates sunlight.

NASA in the 1980s

Putting LEDs to such use is not new, with NASA being perhaps the earliest adopter in the 1980s. But it's becoming more mainstream in part because LEDs put off less heat from the front and can be placed closer to plants without fear of burning them, said Cary Mitchell, professor of horticulture at Purdue University.

Being closer to the plants also means LEDs require less energy to put out the same amount of light as other grow lights, Mitchell said. "Welcome to the rapidly expanding LED business," he said.

Dany Millikin, co-founder of Houston-based Edible Earth Resources, an edible landscaping company, is recommending Errba to customers wanting to grow plants indoors. He said the panels look sleek and emit quality light.

"To me, it's the best light on the market" for indoor growing, Millikin said.

The Errba panels currently are on display at Ultimate Hydroponic Garden Supply in northwest Houston.

Christian company

Villagomez, who describes his company as Christian and family-based, said he supports medical marijuana, including the low-THC cannabis oil for epilepsy patients that was approved by Texas lawmakers last summer. He sees room for his young business in the market.

"Because Texas became a medical state in the summer of 2015, as a businessman I want to capitalize on that opportunity while in the best practices providing a product that actually does better for the environment and does better for the consumer," he said.

Although he says the majority of his customers so far own florist shops, nurseries and the like, he has marketed the program at events such as those hosted by the Houston chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He also is working with a partner in northern California who leases Errba panels.

Moving forward, he wants to build out a distribution network, such as selling through garden supply or hardware stores, and sell directly to consumers online.

Bruce Bugbee, professor of crop physiology at Utah State University, conducted a study comparing the most efficient LEDs with other efficient lighting technologies used for plant growth. The results indicated that LEDs don't save users money on their electricity bills when compared with double-ended 1,000-watt high pressure sodium lights, which are the latest advancement in a light commonly used to grow plants indoors. In fact, the larger upfront price tag makes LEDs more expensive.

Bugbee said LEDs are becoming cheaper and more efficient. And the ability to focus light directly on plants and not waste it on other parts of the room, like the table or aisles, makes them valuable.

Most efficient?

But with advances in other lighting options, he's not sure LEDs will be the most efficient technology in 10 years.

"All technologies are getting better," he said. "It's not just LEDs."

Mitchell, the professor at Purdue, disagreed. He expects LEDs to become the dominant form of horticultural lighting in the next five to 10 years. And he said competition is fierce as entrepreneurs from around the world enter this market. Startups will need a local niche or new LED variation to survive.

Villagomez said he's looking to capture the Houston market and grow from there.

"We're very proud of being a Texas company," he said.

He would one day like to expand his product and use the white LEDs, which include ultraviolet, for phototherapy purposes. He said the lighting can help people with vitamin D deficiencies, such as those in hospice care or nursing homes who can't get outside much.

"We're just scratching the surface with lighting for plants," he said. "There's going to be lighting for people, too."

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/10 ... unity-leds

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Breathe in and regulate marijuana laws

You don’t have to be stoned to be confused by the status of Canada’s marijuana laws.

Users of medical marijuana must wonder if it’s OK to pick up supplies at pot dispensaries across the country.

In Nova Scotia, one operator proudly announced the opening of his Dartmouth dispensary last week.

But at least two in-province pot retailers were raided by police last year.

The law seems to suggest prescription holders should obtain the drug from licensed suppliers — which means by mail-order.

But the Supreme Court says “reasonable access” to medical marijuana should be, and is not being, provided.

No wonder dispensary owners say they operate in a grey area.

The situation is also fuzzy for recreational users.

They might take comfort from the Trudeau government’s Speech from the Throne pledge to “legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana.”

No one knows what that means, though.

The prime minister has asked Toronto-area MP Bill Blair, the city’s former police chief, to figure out how to write sensible legislation that legalizes marijuana.

To that end, Blair will hold consultations with health, police and provincial government officials, and review what’s happened in Washington and Colorado, two states which have legalized marijuana.

In Colorado, legalized pot has been a boon to the tourist industry.

But state officials warn that certain cannabis products — the edible, sweet ones wrapped in bright packaging — appeal to children.

They also caution that adults are susceptible to overindulging the old sweet (pot) tooth.

In Washington, meanwhile, half of all the marijuana-related calls to poison-control lines involved children.

The West Coast state is also struggling with the number of marijuana users who are driving under the influence of their favourite drug.

Just last week, a Washington state toxicologist said that one-third of all impaired-driving blood tests conducted in the state now reveal the presence of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

And the percentage of THC-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes is also increasing in the state.

Godspeed to Mr. Blair, then, in his effort to help the federal government write a law that entrenches social consent for marijuana use, while keeping Canadians safe from any excess of pharmaceutical enthusiasm.

A good start might be to create a supply chain that ensures only licenced pot products get to legal markets, for adult-only sales.

Welcome to the Nova Scotia Liquor and Marijuana Corporation.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/09 ... juana-laws

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Report: “All Cannabis Use is Medicinal” Whether You Know it Or Not

In the past two years, we have witnessed a sea of change in the attitude of Americans toward cannabis. Colorado made history by becoming the first state to completely decriminalize possession and use of the plant, with Washington and other states soon following.

Medical cannabis use is now legal in 23 states, and others will soon be joining that list. Polls find that a solid majority of Americans support cannabis legalization, especially for medicinal use. The Free Thought Project has reported on many incredible ways that cannabis is being used to treat a variety of ailments. Its effectiveness at reducing or eliminating epileptic seizures is nothing short of amazing.

People are also realizing that the war on cannabis—and all drugs for that matter—is a war on people carried out by law enforcement to restrict freedom and to extort millions of dollars for victimless behavior. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) gains a sizable amount of revenue through cannabis seizures. The dried plant also provides ample opportunity for local law enforcement to carry out its favorite, most insidious form of extortion known as Civil Asset Forfeiture.

The good news is that these abuses of human rights are being exposed, and law enforcement is sounding ever more desperate as justification for their actions withers under the advance of reason and logic. When cannabis is finally decriminalized everywhere, our evolution from the days of Reefer Madness will provide an entertaining yet tragic documentary.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/13 ... -it-or-not

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Arizona: Montini's marijuana facts are all wrong

Not surprisingly, EJ Montini was noticeably vague in his recent op-ed (”Blowing marijuana smoke into opponents' faces") accusing Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy of using “questionable” information in its arguments against legalizing marijuana. Nothing could be further from the truth. Consider the following:

-- Since Colorado legalized marijuana, teen use has risen dramatically and is now 74 percent higher than the national average. (2015 SAMHSA report/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

-- Since legalization, Colorado has seen an increase in marijuana-related traffic fatalities, hospitalization and emergency visits, as well as marijuana-related calls to poison control centers. (Rocky Mountain HIDTA)

-- Today’s marijuana is a harmful, psychoactive, addictive substance that is much more potent than ever before -- at least five times more powerful than the marijuana of the 1970s. (National Institute of Drug Abuse)

-- The American College of Pediatricians reported grave risks for youth: “Marijuana is addicting, has adverse effects upon the adolescent brain, is a risk for both cardio-respiratory disease and testicular cancer, and is associated with both psychiatric illness and negative social outcomes.” (ACEP/September 2015)

-- As the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado reported, illicit or black market activity in Colorado has not subsided since legalization and, in fact, has increased. (AP, Jan. 28, 2016)

Government regulatory statistical agencies as well as peer-reviewed medical journals are hardly “questionable.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/13 ... -all-wrong

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Cannabis Business Trends for 2016… So Far

The cannabis business industry has seen plenty of development in 2016 – and we expect to see much more in the coming months. Here are some of the top trendsHerbFront has seen so far.

1. Technology is leading the way – and overcoming roadblocks
As industry leaders discussed at a recent Canna Tech Chicago meetup, technology is at the forefront of the cannabis industry. As organizations take to social media to discuss the legal developments surrounding medical cannabis, business leaders face hurdles like having their Facebook pages shut down.

Meanwhile, technology is also making it easier for cannabis businesses to stay on top of changing laws. Look no further than HerbFront, the nation’s first real estate software for the legal cannabis industry, which allows entrepreneurs to search for zoning-approved business locations in more than 140 cities.

2. Cannabis laws are being clarified

As new states begin to explore offering medical cannabis as treatment for their state’s patients for a variety of conditions, states that already allow medical cannabis businesses are beginning to clarify and expand upon their laws.

“As lawmakers clarify what type of businesses [medical and recreational] can exist and where, we’re seeing places with massive populations like California with a lot more at play,” Matt Chapdelaine, HerbFront co-founder and CEO said.

3. Established cannabis businesses are expanding

In bigger states like California, it’s becoming a trend for cannabis business owners to open multiple dispensary locations, Chapdelaine said.

He added that some business owners are even expanding into other states.

4. The culture of the industry is still being defined

“This is an industry that’s totally undefined. There are no norms or customs right now, and we’re setting the tone as we go. They call it the green rush.”

The cannabis industry is still developing ways to talk about itself and finding its place in the economy and popular culture. If you’re thinking about joining now, you can help define an industry.

5. Financial backing is becoming more available

With services like HerbFront Capital, entrepreneurs have more opportunities to join the green rush. Celebrities like Willie Nelson and Seth Rogan are high-profile investors in the legal cannabis industry.

Just like any other industry, cannabis businesses are supported by accounting and real estate professionals who can help small business owners make good decisions.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/14 ... %A6-so-far

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CBD Is The Chemical Medical Marijuana Is Buzzing About

It used to be all about the THC. In other words, cannabis' popularity has always been attributable to this psychoactive chemical, which gets people "high."

But marijuana's bad boy image has been getting a well-earned makeover in recent years, thanks in part to its surging popularity as a legitimate form of herbal medicine.

In fact, it's not cannabis' infamous THC content that's creating a real buzz these days. Instead, it's a lesser-known chemical called CBD that is attracting much of the attention. And it's all because CBD provides some of marijuana's most sought-after healing powers, according to medical studies.

Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is the second-most abundant cannabinoid in the marijuana plant. And here's what's really interesting: CBD does not induce the mentally intoxicating effects that have made cannabis so controversial. That's exclusively the role of THC.

This is great news for the majority of medical patients, who have little or no interest in feeling psychologically impaired, i.e. "stoned." All they want is a safe, addiction-free alternative to pharmaceutical drugs -- especially painkilling opioids.

All too often, opioids are over-prescribed by physicians. And they can quickly become very addictive.

They can induce all sorts of other nasty side effects, too. Worst of all, they have been blamed for many suicides.

Not surprisingly, a big part of medical marijuana's burgeoning appeal is that it doesn't come with the serious risks associated with opioids, and it's very rarely addictive.

Yet the full scope of its medicinal qualities is still not well understood, largely due to it being legally off-limits to most government-funded research facilities until recently. So the study of the 80 or so compounds that are found in the marijuana plant is still in its infancy.

This is why some government-endorsed growers of medical marijuana are hard at work developing strains of marijuana that are especially high in CBD but low in THC.

At the same time, the U.S. federal government is financing several dozen clinical trials into the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for a diversity of medical conditions. They include Parkinson's Disease, epilepsy, opiate addiction, Crohn's Disease, schizophrenia and cancer.

Now a Canadian licensed producer claims to have made a major breakthrough. Alberta-based Aurora Cannabis (CSE: ACB) just developed what is believed to be the most CBD-rich strain of medical marijuana in the world. And it's non-psychoactive.

This is according to Neil Belot, a company spokesperson. Until recently he served as the executive director of Canada's national trade association for licensed producers, known as the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association.

"Independent lab tests during our qualification runs have confirmed this strain at nearly 26 per cent CBD and one per cent THC, which is a testament to our pioneering, science-driven plant cultivation technologies," Belot says.

"So we're confident that this will soon become Canada's most sought-after CBD-rich cannabis strain, and will be supported by physicians and patients alike," he adds.

Until last week, a strain developed in the U.S. called Charlotte's Web was considered to contain the highest percentage of CBD ever developed; it has 20 per cent CBD and less than 0.5 per cent THC.

The advent of non-psychoactive, CBD-rich/low-THC marijuana is a big step towards many peoples' acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate form of medicine. This is according to Dr. Jonathan Page, an adjunct professor of botany at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

A world-renowned expert on the chemistry of marijuana, he was the first scientist to sequence the cannabis genome. He now runs Vancouver-based Anandia Labs, a biotechnology start-up that's innovating new varieties of medical marijuana.

Page says CBD's anti-inflammatory properties may be particularly appealing to chronic pain sufferers who want to remain clear-headed while medicated. And CBD-rich oil is gaining greater acceptance among parents and doctors as an appropriate treatment for paediatric seizure disorders, including epilepsy, he adds.

Among its many other uses, CBD is considered therapeutic for treating depression, anxiety, insomnia and nausea.

Commenting on Aurora's unprecedented cultivation of the world's highest strain of non-psychoactive, CBD-rich cannabis, Page says, "This is a really remarkable achievement."

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/12 ... zing-about

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For small amounts of marijuana, blacks are far more likely than whites to go to jail in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC (Steve Harrison/The Charlotte Observer) -

During a traffic stop on Freedom Drive in late 2014, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer found $10 worth of marijuana in Morchello Pearce’s car.

Under N.C. law, the officer had a choice: Give Pearce a citation for possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana or arrest him. The officer arrested Pearce, who is black.

“It was just a little bud,” said Pearce, who works as a chef at an uptown restaurant and bar. “I know the law, and I told him, ‘You could write me a ticket.’ I think he felt like doing that because I was on the wrong side of town.”

An Observer review of CMPD arrest records shows that over the past two years, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested blacks found with less than a half-ounce of marijuana at about three times the rate of whites, or 28 percent of the time compared to 10 percent. The Observer reviewed cases in which the sole charge was simple possession of marijuana.

CMPD spokesman Rob Tufano said the department’s officers are not singling out African-Americans. The higher arrest rate for blacks is the result of patrolling high-crime areas, he said.

“While on the surface there is a disproportionate number of African-Americans arrested for simple marijuana possession, the geographical area of enforcement is a critical element of the equation and cannot be overlooked,” Tufano said.

However, the department did not explain why blacks are arrested more often than whites rather than handed a citation.

CMPD doesn’t have a policy to guide officers on who should be arrested or who should receive only a citation in such cases. Tufano said officers have “the discretion to either issue a citation or make an arrest for simple marijuana possession.”

CMPD Chief Kerr Putney declined multiple requests over the past two months to be interviewed for this story. He instead issued a written statement to the Observer, saying the department “routinely analyzes data to determine whether there is any disparate impact from law enforcement efforts. It is important to note though, that disproportionality does not always equate to discrimination.”

On Friday, Putney defended the department’s pattern of arrests in an interview with WCNC-TV. CMPD provided the station with data that showed more blacks are arrested than whites for simple marijuana possession.

Possessing less than a half-ounce of marijuana is a misdemeanor in North Carolina. The maximum penalty is a $200 fine, and both citations and arrests require a mandatory court date.

But an arrest turns up more easily on Internet searches, hurting someone’s chances of landing jobs, enrolling in college or renting an apartment. It also means getting fingerprinted, having a mug shot taken and possibly needing to post bond.

“A lot of people think of marijuana arrests as a slap on the wrist,” said Jag Davies of theDrug Policy Alliance, a national group that seeks to reform drug laws. “What a marijuana arrest does is it damages someone’s life chances. The system discriminates against blacks at every point.”

In Pearce’s case, the officer brought him to Mecklenburg County jail before midnight, where he waited for four hours before being released.

“It was all such a waste of time,” he said. “I had to sit there in jail for four hours. What was all this for?”

Corine Mack, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP, said she’s heard complaints from African-American residents about marijuana arrests.

“If you have a joint, I don’t see how that is an endangerment to anyone,” Mack said. “With all that’s happening with crime in Charlotte, that’s the last problem the police need to worry about.”

Mack said she believes police feel pressure to make arrests in high-crime areas.

“The primary goal is to find someone to arrest that night,” she said.

Vast disparity

In the last decade, the nation’s attitudes toward marijuana have shifted significantly toward leniency.

CMPD has followed that trend somewhat, and is writing more citations for marijuana possession and making fewer arrests. Arrests have declined in each of the last five years, a change that has impacted all races, including African-Americans.

In his statement, Putney said marijuana arrests have declined by 35 percent over three years.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/13 ... -charlotte

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Nevada dealing with flood of applications for medical marijuana cards

CARSON CITY — The medical marijuana business is growing so fast that the state is having trouble keeping up with applications from patients seeking licenses.

The state is receiving 300 applications a month.Joseph Pollock, deputy administrator of the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health, told the Legislative Interim Finance Committee today there are 14,000 patients with state medical marijuana cards. He expects that number to grow to 60,000.

The committee allowed the program to shift $464,000 in its budget to hire more contract workers.

Under the law, the state has 30 days to process applications. That time had slipped to 60 days, but has since been reduced to 21 days.

The application has to go through three agencies. The Department of Public Safety conducts a background check and the state Department of Motor Vehicles issues the card.

Patients pay $112.50 for a card to buy up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks, with an annual renewal fee of $75.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/14 ... uana-cards

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Marijuana May Boost Brain Performance

Notably, there are moderate advantages to be garnered from medicinal cannabis. Unfortunately, it also possess some disadvantages which should be considered. Marijuana can reverse cognitive decline…as long as it’s not laced with toxic pesticides. One of the most surprising and recent revelations about cannabinoids are their capability to perform as antioxidants in the brain. German experts have found that the brain’s cannabinoid system has the capability of restoring impaired brain cells, while developing new ones. Cannabinoids may curb the effects of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease and possibly more.

The news was revealed in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. The researchers discovered that natural marijuana, that is marijuana devoid of pesticides, can curb brain inflammation behind an onslaught of cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other similar diseases. “I’ve been trying to find a drug that will reduce brain inflammation and restore cognitive function in rats for over 25 years; cannabinoids are the first and only class of drugs that have ever been effective,” notes Gary Wenk, a professor of neuroscience, immunology and medical genetics at Ohio State University (OSU), who contributed to the study. “I think that the perception about this drug is changing and in the future people will be less fearful.” Not all states have permitted marijuana for recreational use. Just as users who purchase marijuana illegally can’t be sure whether their stash has been laced with drugs, users who purchase marijuana legally can’t be sure whether their stash has been laced with pesticides.

The general agreement among those who run the legal marijuana industry, is that there hasn’t been enough research that determines which chemicals are best to grow, smoke or eat marijuana with. “We have an industry that’s been illegal for so many years that there’s no research,” observed Frank Conrad, director of the marijuana testing laboratory Colorado Green Lab. “There’s no guidelines. There’s nothing.” Lack of federal regulation enables growers to disregard pesticide laws. Moreover, even though the state limitation of marijuana has decreased, the federal government continues to analyze cannabis as an illicit drug, meaning, they have no interest in funding research about chemical use for marijuana crops. “There is no federal agency that will recognize this as a legitimate crop,” said pesticide expert Whitney Cranshaw of Colorado State University. “Regulators just bury their heads, and as a result, pest-management information regarding this crop devolves to Internet chats and hearsay.”

Since marijuana is a low priority at the federal level, it can take years for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to respond to state requests about which pesticides are approved for marijuana crops. As a result, it’s easy for marijuana growers to disregard rules that limit or ban certain pesticides. In Denver, for example, a chemical called Eagle 20 EW was found to be in marijuana circulating the market. Although the chemical, technically a fungicide, is approved for grapes and hops, it’s banned for use on tobacco plants, because it can become hazardous when heated. Oregon faced a similar hurdle in June, after an investigation by The Oregonian unearthed residues surpassing legal limits for edible marijuana products. Other pesticides, which are linked to cancer, nerve damage and neural degeneration, were found as well. Since these pesticides are not state-regulated, their use is legal.

A strong case can be made for the medicinal benefits of cannabis. There is plenty of marijuana in circulation harboring pesticides unfit for human consumption today. Therefore, in reaping the benefits of medicinal cannabis, it’s important for users to remember that not all cannabis plants are created equal.

http://www.worldhealth.net/news/marijua ... rformance/

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Elizabeth Warren Marijuana Study: Senator Wants Research Into Cannabis As Potential Painkiller

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants the CDC to conduct research on marijuana as an alternative painkiller.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has drawn attention to what many call an epidemic: the deaths of thousands of people each year from opioid painkillers and heroin.

Two-thousand fourteen was the worst year and saw more than 47,000 Americans die due to opioid painkillers, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Warren has a solution. She wants the CDC to study "the use, uptake, and effectiveness of medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids for pain treatment in states where it is legal," reports Vox.com.

"Our country is faced with an opioid epidemic that only continues to grow at an alarming pace. Opioid abuse is a national concern and warrants swift an immediate action," Warren wrote in a letter to CDC head Thomas Frieden, reports the New York Daily News.

Medical marijuana remains illegal under federal law. This is in contrast to 23 states, including Massachusetts, plus Washington, D.C., allowing the plant to be allowed for some medical purposes. Meanwhile, marijuana can be legally used recreationally in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and Alaska.

Warren in her letter asked the CDC to investigate "the impact of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths," reports The Guardian.

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association found "moderate-quality evidence" for medical marijuana treating chronic pain and muscle stiffness among multiple sclerosis patients and "low-quality evidence" for the plant improving nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV infection, sleep disorders and Tourette's syndrome.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/16 ... -potential

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15 Diseases and Ailments Marijuana May Help Fight

Marijuana's ascent appears nothing short of unstoppable.

Roughly two decades ago, only a quarter of people responding to a national Gallup poll wanted to see marijuana legalized. But beginning in California in 1996 and spreading throughout the country, 22 additional states, as well as Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for medicinal use as of today.

How's this possible? On one hand, public approval of marijuana being used as medicine is higher than it's ever been. A CBS News poll from April 2015 showed that a whopping 84% of those surveyed across America would like to see marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes.

The other part of this equation is that we've been witnessing drug developers and clinical researchers devote more of their energy to the potential benefits of marijuana. New studies have emerged suggesting that marijuana or the cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant may offer assistance in fighting certain diseases and ailments. While the vast majority of these studies are purely correlative at this point -- a fancy way of saying more testing is needed for confirmation -- they nonetheless give a nation of chronically and terminally ill patients hope that they may have another treatment pathway available.

Diseases marijuana may successfully fight
With this in mind, let's take a brief look at 15 diseases and ailments that marijuana has, in clinical studies, successfully fought.

Where should we begin? How about with the vastest clinical portfolio backed by cannabinoid-based research: that of GW Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:GWPH).

1. & 2. Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
Arguably the most exciting compound in GW Pharmaceuticals' pipeline is Epidiolex, a liquid cannabidiol (CBD)-based compound that's been geared to fight two rare forms of childhood-onset epilepsy. In midstage studies for both Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut, Epidiolex reduced seizure frequency in patients taking the drug by greater than 50%. Epidiolex is currently undergoing two late-stage studies in each indication.

3. Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)
You didn't think we were done with Epidiolex yet, did you? TSC is a genetic disorder that causes non-malignant tumors to form throughout the body, affecting about 50,000 people in the United States. Epilepsy is the most symptom associated with TSC, and roughly 60% of TSC patients have treatment-resistant seizures. In an expanded access program involving five patients, Epidiolex reduced seizure frequency by 97% for two patients, and by 77% for another at week 16 compared to a four-week baseline period.

4. Spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis
GW Pharmaceuticals also has Sativex, an approved oromucosal spray in 15 countries outside the U.S. that contains CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the hallucinogenic property of marijuana. In clinical studies Sativex was shown to reduce spasticity, or the tightness of muscles, in patients with multiple sclerosis.

5. Type 2 diabetes
How about a disease that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 90% to 95% of the 29.1 million diabetics in the United States currently have? GWP42004 from GW Pharmaceuticals was shown in phase 2a studies back in 2012 to deliver statistically significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose levels, improved beta-cell function, and increased insulin sensitivity.

If that's not enough, an abstract published in The American Journal of Medicine in 2013 that studied 4,657 adults between 2005 and 2010 showed that current marijuana use was associated with a 16% reduction in fasting insulin levels and a 17% drop in HOMA-IR, which is a measure of insulin resistance.

6. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting & 7. Anorexia for patients suffering weight loss with AIDS
Of course, GW Pharmaceuticals isn't the only show in town. INSYS Therapeutics (NASDAQ:INSY) is developing a new formulation of dronabinol in a liquid oral solution, which is based on the cannabinoid THC, for the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, as well as anorexia in AIDS patients suffering weight loss. As a reminder, Insys has already received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell soft gelatin dronabinol capsules for both treatments listed above, but it's in the process of seeking a new label indication for its oral solution.

And it's not just publicly traded companies delivering the good news, either.

8. Chronic pain
The direct medical and economic costs of dealing with chronic pain are enormous. Based on data from the American Academy of Pain Medicine, medicine costs and productivity losses total $560 billion to $635 billion annually -- and that's based on 2010 dollars. However, a study published in the Journal of Pain this past September from Canadian researchers showed that marijuana had comparable efficacy to chronic pain medicines already on the market, but a markedly better safety profile since no one has overdosed and died from marijuana.

9. Organ transplant rejection
How about this: researchers at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine took genetically different mice and transplanted grafts of skin from one group onto the other, attempting to induce transplant rejection. One group was given a placebo, while another was given THC. The group of mice given THC demonstrated delayed rejection of the skin graft by purportedly suppressing the immune system response of the mice.

10. Alzheimer's disease
Another potential benefit? How about treating Alzheimer's patients, of which there are about 5 million today, per the Alzheimer's Association. An abstract report published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease showed that at the six-hour, 24-hour, and 48-hour time marks THC lowered beta-amyloid levels in a dose-dependent manner. Beta-amyloid plaques are what stick to the brains of Alzheimer's patients, resulting in progressive cognitive decline.

11. Brain cancer
Even extremely difficult-to-treat diseases have demonstrated positive responses to the use of cannabinoids. In May 2014, London researchers noted that pretreating brain tumors with CBD and THC prior to radiation therapy increased sensitivity to the radiation, thus improving its effectiveness. In studies, tumors pretreated with CBD and THC wound up being just one-tenth the size of tumors in the control group.

12. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a disorder that's diagnosed in about 3.5 million Americans and costs between $32.5 billion and $65 billion to treat annually. However, a 2012 study published in Translational Psychiatry showed that CBD may prove an attractive alternative to standard antipsychotic medication. A trial consisting of 39 patients (20 on CBD and 19 on amisulpride) showed that while both led to similar Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores at the end of the study, fewer side effects were seen in the CBD group.

13. Parasitic infections
A study unearthed last year involving an anthropologist named Dr. Edward Hagen from Washington State University in Vancouver looked at 379 Aka pygmies in Africa's Congo Basin, 95% of whom had worm-based parasitic infections, and many of whom smoked marijuana regularly. Dr. Hagen's findings showed that a lower number of parasitic worms were found in adult Aka with higher concentrations of THCA (a byproduct of THC) in their urine.

14. Glaucoma
If there's one indication where marijuana is regularly prescribed across the 23 legal marijuana states, it's glaucoma, a disease that can increase pressure within the eyeball, damaging the optic never and causing vision loss. According to the National Eye Institute, marijuana lowers intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma, which may help slow progressions of the disease.

15. Inflammatory bowel diseases
Lastly, marijuana was shown in a study by the University of Nottingham in 2010 to play a critical role in immune responses of the gastrointestinal tract, which could lead to treatments for various forms of inflammatory bowel diseases. As published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, an in-vitro model utilizing cannabinoids CBD and THC showed tighter bonding of intestinal cells, helping to keep bacteria out, and, in theory, easing symptoms likely associated with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Keep in mind, once again, that quite a few of these studies are still in the early stages, and that additional studies are needed to concretely prove that marijuana offers these supposed clinical benefits.

Nonetheless, the treatment potential of marijuana and its cannabinoids is intriguing, and it might be worth keeping a close eye on the company with the most robust cannabinoid-based treatment pipeline, GW Pharmaceuticals. It's certainly not without risks -- it's losing money right now, and that trend is likely to continue for many years to come. However, if cannabinoids do indeed have the tools necessary to treat a host of disease and ailments, then GW Pharmaceuticals could one day become wildly successful.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2 ... fight.aspx

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Hospital makes history: Cannabis oil helps baby's seizures

Two-month-old Amylea Nunez made history at a Colorado hospital last week when she became the first patient there to receive cannabis oil as part of her treatment.

(Yes, cannabis — as in marijuana, pot or hemp.)

You see, little Amylea has spent the majority of her life inside a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU.) This is because of seizures that began a day after she was brought home from her December delivery in New Mexico. While doctors at Children’s Hospital in Aurora have been attempting to treat her rare form of epilepsy, the medications are causing damage to her liver.

Amylea’s mother, Nicole, researched alternative treatments and found Charlotte’s Web — a cannabis oil known to treat epilepsy in toddlers and children. Although the THC level is under 1 percent (so kids don’t get high,) the move is definitely controversial.

“I sat for a good three weeks fighting with the doctors and trying to talk them into giving me the OK,” Nicole told KRQE News 13. “I’ve been working with the case study team and the neurology team here at Children’s and I’m hopeful this will work.”

On Friday, the hospital finally gave the green light for the family (but not hospital personnel) to administer the oil. Nurses have noted a difference in Amylea’s level of alertness after the first two doses, and she is now part of a case study that includes using the cannabis oil.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to watch your child have multiple seizures on a daily basis and to be powerless to stop them. Cannabis oil might not be most parents’ first treatment option, but what happens when other medications are failing? It’s an impossible situation to be in.

When I hear about epileptic children whose lives are drastically improved by cannabis — like Charlotte Figi, whom “Charlotte’s Web” was named after — it makes me wonder how many parents wouldn’t try it as a last resort. At the same time, I understand when medical professionals are against cannabis oil because the scientific evidence of its benefits is still lacking.

http://420intel.com/articles/2016/02/15 ... s-seizures