Are cannabis and cannabinoids safe?

[Mike93082]

First, what you're saying is absolutely false. There's plenty of information out there that shows the exact opposite of what you're saying. I'll include a snip that represents the tip of the iceberg just to prove my point, but there's a ton of information showing the exact opposite of what you're saying. Second, there's no incentive to promote the benefits of a cheap, easy to produce, easy to distribute drug so it's been actively suppressed by pharmaceutical companies for decades. If only it could be patented, licensed, and sold in a pill at a high markup- THEN you would have all been convinced by a cute little TV commercial with a cartoon smiley face and a family eating ice cream on a sunny hillside.

"In particular, marijuana appears to ease the pain of multiple sclerosis, and nerve pain in general. This is an area where few other options exist, and those that do, such as Neurontin, Lyrica, or opiates are highly sedating. Patients claim that marijuana allows them to resume their previous activities without feeling completely out of it and disengaged.

Along these lines, marijuana is said to be a fantastic muscle relaxant, and people swear by its ability to lessen tremors in Parkinson’s disease. I have also heard of its use quite successfully for fibromyalgia, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and most other conditions where the final common pathway is chronic pain.

Marijuana is also used to manage nausea and weight loss and can be used to treat glaucoma. A highly promising area of research is its use for PTSD in veterans who are returning from combat zones. Many veterans and their therapists report drastic improvement and clamor for more studies, and for a loosening of governmental restrictions on its study. Medical marijuana is also reported to help patients suffering from pain and wasting syndrome associated with HIV, as well as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease."

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085

I still believe this is nothing more than the latest gimmick to get your money. You see those cbd shops everywhere. They promote it as a treatment for a huge list of issues.

If it were so great, you can bet the pharmaceutical industry would of placed a patent on it by now.

I still strongly believe people just want an excuse to get high. Same with an alcoholic saying they need a few drinks every night to sleep or calm their nerves.

I have heard it all .

Back pain? Smoke a bowl
Glaucoma? Smoke a bowl
Can't sleep? Smoke a bowl
Nauseated? Smoke a bowl
Got cancer? Smoke a bowl
Anxiety? Smoke a bowl
Depression? Smoke a bowl

If you have problems or medical issues. Get proper treatment or counseling. Marijuana is not a cure or treatment. Just something that will temporarily dumb you down. Long term use will affect breathing and cognitive function... I have witnessed it from people who have used it long term.

 

[slicktop]

The latest gimmick from Harvard to get people to spend their money on a (still mostly illegal) substance, of which Harvard will never see a dime. Ok. Totally makes sense.

You know what else is a gimmick? Tylenol. I see it all the time.

Back pain? Take a Tylenol.
Fever? Take a Tylenol.
Toothache? Take a Tylenol.
Arthritis? Take a Tylenol.
Sore throat? Take a Tylenol.

I mean, what a joke, right? Like ONE THING could have multiple uses... ha! What a stupid concept. We need something FDA approved and regulated! That's what makes it safe! Something doctor recommended and available in a clean, plastic bottle at a pharmacy. Those could never hurt us.

“If deaths from gastrointestinal toxic effects from NSAIDs were tabulated separately from the National Vital Statistics reports, these effects would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the US. Yet these toxic effects remain mainly a “silent epidemic” with many physicians and most patients unaware of the magnitude of the problem.”

Dangers Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet

How many people do you know complain of back pain, knee pain, aches from old sports injuries or just overdoing it on occasion? It’s common practice for most people to reach for an over-the-counter-…

healthfree.com

 

[Mike93082]

The latest gimmick from Harvard to get people to spend their money on a (still mostly illegal) substance, of which Harvard will never see a dime. Ok. Totally makes sense.

You know what else is a gimmick? Tylenol. I see it all the time.

Back pain? Take a Tylenol.
Fever? Take a Tylenol.
Toothache? Take a Tylenol.
Arthritis? Take a Tylenol.
Sore throat? Take a Tylenol.

I mean, what a joke, right? Like ONE THING could have multiple uses... ha! What a stupid concept. We need something FDA approved and regulated! That's what makes it safe! Something doctor recommended and available in a clean, plastic bottle at a pharmacy. Those could never hurt us.

“If deaths from gastrointestinal toxic effects from NSAIDs were tabulated separately from the National Vital Statistics reports, these effects would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the US. Yet these toxic effects remain mainly a “silent epidemic” with many physicians and most patients unaware of the magnitude of the problem.”

Dangers Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet

How many people do you know complain of back pain, knee pain, aches from old sports injuries or just overdoing it on occasion? It’s common practice for most people to reach for an over-the-counter-…

healthfree.com

Well tylenol is a tried and proven medicine to treat everything you listed. Marijuana is not.

I am not against a person using marijuana. I am just against people promoting a bunch of nonsense about it being a wonder treatment for a wide range of conditions.

It is expensive to buy. My brother is a chronic smoker and has been for years. He sounds like he has chronic bronchitis. Constantly coughing, and you can tell smoking has slowed down his thought process. He can't even get to start his day until as he puts it, burns one.

I guess each to their own, but I have no desire to smoke my brain away. If I have a headache, I think I will reach for that evil bottle of tylenol.

 

[JA Battle]

your brother is self medicating because of his issues he has developed. Cannabis is not the cause.

As a matter of fact you have cannabis like molecules floating around your body right now.
They are called endocannabinoids. And they are important signaling molecules for your nervous and immune systems

it does treat a wide range of conditions primarily because people with a wide range of conditions have abnormalities with their wndocannabinoid system.

Just like many men on here replace their testosterone with an exogenous source, people replace their low functioning endocannabinoids with an exogenous source called cannabis. Nature is in fact pretty cool if we get to understand it.

 

[Mike93082]

your brother is self medicating because of his issues he has developed. Cannabis is not the cause.

As a matter of fact you have cannabis like molecules floating around your body right now.
They are called endocannabinoids. And they are important signaling molecules for your nervous and immune systems

it does treat a wide range of conditions primarily because people with a wide range of conditions have abnormalities with their wndocannabinoid system.

Just like many men on here replace their testosterone with an exogenous source, people replace their low functioning endocannabinoids with an exogenous source called cannabis. Nature is in fact pretty cool if we get to understand it.

Testosterone therapy and smoking marijuana don't even compare. I am shocked people don't hype up marijuana as a treatment for low testosterone.

His marijuana addiction is the cause of his health conditions... You sound just like a classic addict. Creating statements that sound like a valid reason for using.

Show me some actual valid medical studies showing its benefits. Most everything valid shows negligible benefits or more harm than good.

 

[JA Battle]

They do compare in one way and that is if there is a deficiency of the respective subject endogenous (do you know what that means?) chemical, replacement of said chemical is of therapeutic use, (be it testosterone, thyroid hormone, any sex steroid hormone, cannabinoids also fall on this list.

I agree that it is not a cure all. I do however believe it is a useful tool to use therapeutically when needed for certain individuals. Just like the other natural metabolically relevant drugs (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine) imbalanced people can be consumed with these things.

unfortunately it is not directly tied to testosterone and has no immediate therapeutic value to correct low testosterone.

I bet your brother has hormonal deficiencies or irregularities. Hormones are a strong predictor of certain levels of cognition, neurotransmission and are responsible for spurring the action of many neurosteroids. It is likely the reason why your brother uses cannabis. Are you aware many rehabs are beginning to look into hormonal issues as to the cause of people’s addictions? Fix his hormones possibly fix or lessen his addiction. You’ve got it backwards. Correlation is not causation. The simple mind falls prey to this. (Sorry to say this but you keep calling me an addict when all I consume in a day is food and water) oh and 8mg of testosterone.

I’m simply here to say it is not completely useless like you claim and for some
It can be very therapeutic. Especially people with mood disorders. I’ve seen it first hand with many. I also have smoked with 4 multi millionaires in my life. People that are far brighter and productive than I and probably you.

oh and by the way, as soon as the DEA drops its current outrageous scheduling of cannabis, all of the studies you are asking for will be completed and we will have a better picture of its pros and cons. And I promise there will be both, just like everything else in life, and dose/frequency will be the key, just like everything.

You just see your brother and draw massive conclusions most likely out of heartbreak.

 

[Mike93082]

They do compare in one way and that is if there is a deficiency of the respective subject endogenous (do you know what that means?) chemical, replacement of said chemical is of therapeutic use, (be it testosterone, thyroid hormone, any sex steroid hormone, cannabinoids also fall on this list.

I agree that it is not a cure all. I do however believe it is a useful tool to use therapeutically when needed for certain individuals. Just like the other natural metabolically relevant drugs (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine) imbalanced people can be consumed with these things.

unfortunately it is not directly tied to testosterone and has no immediate therapeutic value to correct low testosterone.

I bet your brother has hormonal deficiencies or irregularities. Hormones are a strong predictor of certain levels of cognition, neurotransmission and are responsible for spurring the action of many neurosteroids. It is likely the reason why your brother uses cannabis. Are you aware many rehabs are beginning to look into hormonal issues as to the cause of people’s addictions? Fix his hormones possibly fix or lessen his addiction. You’ve got it backwards. Correlation is not causation. The simple mind falls prey to this. (Sorry to say this but you keep calling me an addict when all I consume in a day is food and water) oh and 8mg of testosterone.

I’m simply here to say it is not completely useless like you claim and for some
It can be very therapeutic. Especially people with mood disorders. I’ve seen it first hand with many. I also have smoked with 4 multi millionaires in my life. People that are far brighter and productive than I and probably you.

oh and by the way, as soon as the DEA drops its current outrageous scheduling of cannabis, all of the studies you are asking for will be completed and we will have a better picture of its pros and cons. And I promise there will be both, just like everything else in life, and dose/frequency will be the key, just like everything.

You just see your brother and draw massive conclusions most likely out of heartbreak.

There is one thing that said that is absolutely true and needs to be addressed more. And that is hormones. A lot of people suffering from such issues as depression, anxiety, fatigue, addiction, poor sleep, etc rarely get there hormones checked. They are usually written a bunch of prescriptions to treat the symptoms. Then mixing those prescriptions causes other problems or side effects.

Don't get me wrong, I am open minded. Typing on a forum can give off the wrong impression of what is being communicated. I have just never seen any actual valid data to show that marijuana is a useful treatment for really anything. Most of what I have seen is it being used to treat nausea from cancer treatment. I am thinking there are far easier and cheaper ways to treat nausea than smelling like skunk lol.

 

[Fernando Almaguer]

Marijuana can be good with responsible use. The problem is one wants to use it everyday and there are disadvantages using THC.

One is does decrease sleep latency but it also decreases quality REM sleep. So you wake up more tired in the mornings.

Also it does not make you want to work out as it has an effect on serotonin
our relaxing feel good with what you got neurotransmitter.

Not to mention smoking damages DNA.

For this it has a place - use wisely.

 

[JoeyStyles]

I partly agree with that article, though I don't think cannabis is too dangerous.

 

[WendyParr]

Physically, they won't do you any harm, but if you take an overdose, your psyche may well be shaken.

 

[RobertP]

I think you're wrong, you're only describing the worst cases.

 

[sammmy]

Since the legalization, the cannabis world is a Wild Wild West - you still don't know what you are buying exactly, but at an inflated price.

Is it possible to buy the actual herb and drink it as a tea (hot water extract)? I don't trust the "extracts" sold.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

This thread continues to lump together cannabis and cannabinoids, psychoactive and non-psycho-active compounds. My sleep seems to have improved by using Delta-8 CBD and anything that helps regulate proper levels of inflammation is almost certainly a good thing, which CBD has been shown to do. It is also far safer than many alternatives. It won't work for everyone (nothing does) but I would suggest trying it long before any of the other things that have nasty side effects, like "sleeping pills".

 

[tareload]

The latest gimmick from Harvard to get people to spend their money on a (still mostly illegal) substance, of which Harvard will never see a dime. Ok. Totally makes sense.

You know what else is a gimmick? Tylenol. I see it all the time.

Back pain? Take a Tylenol.
Fever? Take a Tylenol.
Toothache? Take a Tylenol.
Arthritis? Take a Tylenol.
Sore throat? Take a Tylenol.

I mean, what a joke, right? Like ONE THING could have multiple uses... ha! What a stupid concept. We need something FDA approved and regulated! That's what makes it safe! Something doctor recommended and available in a clean, plastic bottle at a pharmacy. Those could never hurt us.

“If deaths from gastrointestinal toxic effects from NSAIDs were tabulated separately from the National Vital Statistics reports, these effects would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the US. Yet these toxic effects remain mainly a “silent epidemic” with many physicians and most patients unaware of the magnitude of the problem.”

Dangers Lurking in Your Medicine Cabinet

How many people do you know complain of back pain, knee pain, aches from old sports injuries or just overdoing it on occasion? It’s common practice for most people to reach for an over-the-counter-…

healthfree.com

Sloppy and misleading article. Only one issue, acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) is not an NSAID.

If the reader wants more info and some chemistry background on the matter:

Over-the-counter pain relievers: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can help relieve pain or lower a fever. Over-the-counter means you can buy these medicines without a prescription.

medlineplus.gov

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Acetaminophen, Cyclooxygenase 2, and Fever

 

[DragonBits]

I have one negative about using THC products and smoking / vaping for sleep.

I often have problems staying asleep, but didn't have a problem falling asleep.

Now I have tried smoking / vaping THC. Sure, it makes me fall asleep quickly. and I tend to stay asleep longer. But still get up often, so not like it is a good remedy. I doubt this is good for lung health, and sleep doesn't seem as restful.

BUT now it seems I need it to fall asleep where before I could at least fall asleep. I don't like having to depend on it for sleep.

So I am working on getting away from cannabis as a sleep aid.

I have some CBD, but it's benefits were not obvious to me. I can believe it helps some people, and you don't get high from CBD.

Actually, the benefits on pain and mood using kratom are much more apparent than CBD. Kratom is another product that affects the cannabinoid system.

So I am sticking with occasionally using cannabis for recreational uses.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

I have one negative about using THC products and smoking / vaping for sleep.

I often have problems staying asleep, but didn't have a problem falling asleep.

Now I have tried smoking / vaping THC. Sure, it makes me fall asleep quickly. and I tend to stay asleep longer. But still get up often, so not like it is a good remedy. I doubt this is good for lung health, and sleep doesn't seem as restful.

BUT now it seems I need it to fall asleep where before I could at least fall asleep. I don't like having to depend on it for sleep.

So I am working on getting away from cannabis as a sleep aid.

I have some CBD, but it's benefits were not obvious to me. I can believe it helps some people, and you don't get high from CBD.

Actually, the benefits on pain and mood using kratom are much more apparent than CBD. Kratom is another product that affects the cannabinoid system.

So I am sticking with occasionally using cannabis for recreational uses.

I suggest you try Delta-8 CBD for sleep. I use the product from Noel-Creek and it seems to work very well for staying asleep. I cut the gummies into 6 pieces each so one pack lasts 2 months.

 

[Pacman]

There is so much misinformation being spread here.

I hear a lot of people saying marijuana is harmless. No, it is not harmless. And yes, it is addicting.

You are correct. It isn't harmless. And for many it is addicting.

I have known multiple people over the years that get into the habit of smoking. You can clearly see their mental decline over the years.

Marijuana destroyed my brothers marriage.

I am sorry that this happened to people you care about and love personally, and I do believe you when you say that this is what you experienced. But this is a small sample size not representative of everybody. You simply cannot reach objective medical conclusions about cannabis based on personal experience.

Not every medicine/drug is good for everyone. For some people, it saves their lives. For others, it destroys it.

As far as the medical argument. The stuff doesn't treat or cure anything. If you took away the part that makes you high, no one would use it.

You probably never heard of Charlotte Figi. She was a girl who would have up to 300 epileptic seizures a week due to a very serious condition that no medication would adequately help, and after receiving low-THC cannabis strain currently named "Charlotte's Web" (named after her), her seizures reduced to 2-3 a month! You can read about her over here: Charlotte Figi - Wikipedia

Did it cure her disease? No. But did it enable her to live a somewhat tolerable life, despite all the extreme difficulties? YES!

She did not get high from this strain. It had very high amounts of CBD, and very low amounts of THC.

There are countless more examples of such a huge medical impact, but since your statement gave an absolute claim, one example showing it is false is enough.

Almost all of these medical marijuana shops are just dealers going the legal way. It's funny how they promote it as a treatment for everything under the sun.

That's true. Dispensaries are businesses and their main goal is to make money, just like any business, legal or illegal. They over hype the benefits of marijuana to make money. More hype means more money. That doesn't negate or contradict the fact that cannabis has several medical benefits. It is a different discussion entirely.

I still believe this is nothing more than the latest gimmick to get your money. You see those cbd shops everywhere. They promote it as a treatment for a huge list of issues.

Same answer as above.

Very hard to find any reputable doctor that says marijuana treats anything.

How do you define "reputable"? There are countless doctors the world over that promote marijuana use for a variety of conditions. I have a feeling though that if I were to list some examples, you'd find a reason to claim that they aren't reputable. So let's begin with your criteria for "reputable" first. Then I will search for some that will meet your criteria and list them here. Deal?

You even see people in the news who die from an easily treatable condition because they believe marijuana is the best treatment.

Yes, there are stupid people everywhere.

If it were so great, you can bet the pharmaceutical industry would of placed a patent on it by now.

Very hard to patent a plant.

But you know what they did patent? A synthetic form of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC, in pill form. It is also FDA approved.

Most people recognize it as "Marinol", although that is just one of the several generic names used for it. Read more about it here: Dronabinol - Wikipedia

In case you were not aware, THC is the "main" cannabinoid in marijuana (the one everybody thinks of when discussing marijuana, I believe it is also the first one to have been discovered in the plant).

There are over 100 cannabinoids in the marijuana plant.

Here's a short summary of what they are and they can benefit various health conditions from the National Institute of Health: Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know

I still strongly believe people just want an excuse to get high. Same with an alcoholic saying they need a few drinks every night to sleep or calm their nerves.

You are correct. A lot of people use cannabis purely as a drug, and a lot of them say it's for "medical use". While many others use it as a hybrid medication (combination of both a medicine and a recreational drug, so kinda like a medicine they happen to enjoy). And there are others use it purely as a medicine, and the psychoactive effects are merely an unwanted side effect (but worth it for them since it rids them of their pain).

I have heard it all .

Back pain? Smoke a bowl
Glaucoma? Smoke a bowl
Can't sleep? Smoke a bowl
Nauseated? Smoke a bowl
Got cancer? Smoke a bowl
Anxiety? Smoke a bowl
Depression? Smoke a bowl

That's actually the amazing thing about cannabis. It can help with all the above conditions. And when I say "help" I am referring to treating symptoms.

You often use the words "cure" and "treat" interchangeably in your responses in this forum discussion, and they mean very different things.

In medical terminology, "cure" typically means to get rid of the underlying condition that is causing the symptoms; while "treat" implies just reducing or eliminating the symptoms despite the underlying condition still existing.

Also as a side note, when people use cannabis for cancer they primarily use it to reduce the suffering from chemotherapy and radiation, which can cause severe nausea and loss of appetite amongst other symptoms.

When it comes to reducing or eliminating symptoms, the metric to judge the effectiveness of any medicine is purely subjective. How does the patient feel? That's it.

Does marijuana solve or reduce your back pain? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana help reduce the pressure on your eyes from glaucoma? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana help you sleep? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana help you feel less nauseous? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana solve or reduce your anxiety? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana solve or reduce your depression? If the answer is yes, then it works!

Does marijuana solve or reduce symptoms you experience from cancer treatments? If the answer is yes, then it works!

If you have problems or medical issues. Get proper treatment or counseling.

I agree. Since you are advising against a known and generally well accepted medical treatment, can you provide us with your medical credentials?

Long term use will affect breathing and cognitive function...

You are probably referring to smoking it. Smoking anything affects breathing, that is not unique to marijuana. But that is not the only form of ingestion. There are several forms of which smoking is only one. For example, there are edibles. They also have it in pill form. They have tinctures. There are many options.

Regarding cognitive function, you are correct, however that is a bit misleading of a statement.

The long term negatives are mostly in regards to developing brains (i.e. teenagers). This doesn't really apply to adults as much, and when it does it is typically referring to while under the influence of marijuana, not off it.

I have witnessed it from people who have used it long term.

I believe you. But this is not a big enough sample size to make categorically objective claims about cannabis as a whole. There are over 7 billion people on this earth, and the 10 or 15 you happen to know personally negatively affected by marijuana (I am assuming that is the approximate number, forgive me if I assumed incorrectly) does not even come close to a representative sample size of the general population.

Marijuana is not for everyone. Just like every other medicine out there. Individual response matters a lot, as well as dosage, and obviously knowing when to modify or cease the treatment as needed.

Any medicine can hurt you if it is abused or misused.

But to spread a whole bunch of misinformation due to your very negative personal experience with cannabis is doing a huge disservice to those who would actually benefit from it.

 

[DragonBits]

I suggest you try Delta-8 CBD for sleep. I use the product from Noel-Creek and it seems to work very well for staying asleep. I cut the gummies into 6 pieces each so one pack lasts 2 months.

I have heard about this, so I will give it a try.

Right now, I have given up and got some ambien, though only 15 tabs, so when it runs out I will have to see what works. I assume the doctor didn't want me to get dependent on it.

Though I have hacked my major problem, which surprisily was too many supplements. I was going to create a separate thread about that.

 

[DragonBits]

I have heard about this, so I will give it a try.

Right now, I have given up and got some ambien, though only 15 tabs, so when it runs out I will have to see what works. I assume the doctor didn't want me to get dependent on it.

Though I have hacked my major problem, which surprisily was too many supplements. I was going to create a separate thread about that.

fwy, I ordered:

Delta 8 Soft Chew - Passion Fruit with Terpene (Limonene)

 

[DragonBits]

I suggest you try Delta-8 CBD for sleep. I use the product from Noel-Creek and it seems to work very well for staying asleep. I cut the gummies into 6 pieces each so one pack lasts 2 months.

I got the delta-8, gave it a try.

It's a lot like regular cannabis, only less likely to get you high. Though take enough, you do get high. I don't yet know all about it, but the key difference seems to how strongly it attaches to the CB1 receptor. THC has a strong attachment, while delta 8 is weaker, while delta-8 has a stronger attachment to CB2. The CB1 receptor is what makes people feel high.

I am not yet sure what delta-8 is better for? Surely being federally legal makes it better legally in that sense. Though since it isn't regulated, its more difficult to tell exactly what any particular vendor has done to produce a product. It's more or less, find a vendor you trust and hope any attached lab reports are real and not just created out of whole cloth.

I am guessing, but it seems likely sooner or later delta-8 will be classified similar to cannabis.