Maybe
the US government can get this one right.
Without
question marijuana has significant medical application. The problem
has been the issue of impairment which no one has ever been able to
put a nice face on. In fact it is a giant liability. Stripping out
that liability will allow the drug aspect to be applied widely as
truly needed.
It
has long been shown to be a boon to long term chronic pain
amelioration. Been high had zero to do with that outcome it appears.
Thus we have a solution that ameliorates pain, allows normal
function and is not addictive. Tea or coffee anyone?
I
was finding it difficult to reconcile the obvious medical benefit
with the equally obvious deleterious impairment suffered into an
ethical protocol that could plausibly be safe. This steps around the
problem neatly
Israeli company grows medical marijuana which
doesn't get you high
04:04 July 6, 2012
The new cannabis
strain offers the drug's medicinal benefits to patients who do not
wish to feel intoxicated
Situated in an
undisclosed location near Tzfat, northern Israel, is a
government-approved medical marijuana plantation which was founded in
2004 by a retired biology teacher. Named Tikun Olam, the plantation
has created a new cannabis strain which contains very low traces of
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main constituent in cannabis
responsible for making people feel "stoned". By virtually
eliminating THC in the new strain, Tikun Olam can now offer the
drug's medicinal benefits to those patients who wish to keep a clear
head.
Marijuana contains
over 60 constituents named cannabinoids and though THC is the most
famous due to its psychoactive effects, another important constituent
is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is believed by some researchers to offer
anti-inflammatory benefits, thus offering the potential to relieve
pain without making patients intoxicated, if the THC-to-CBD
concentrations can be correctly balanced.
The new strain of
marijuana created at Tikun Olam does just that. Dubbed Avidekel, it
contains less than one percent THC, compared to the company's most
popular strain Erez, which contains 23 percent THC. Avidekel couples
this with an increased concentration of CBD, said to be almost 16
percent. How real-world use of Avidekel compares to existing medical
marijuana products designed to limit intoxication, such as the under
the tongue spray Sativex, is still unclear.
Although many patients
feel the intoxicating effects of THC to be a beneficial element of
medical marijuana use, others find it a hindrance to performing every
day activities and so welcome the opportunity to take the marijuana
while maintaining sobriety.
"It's a huge
advantage," said one of the ten patients to make use of the
Avidekel strain in the last six months, while speaking to Reuters, "I
can smoke during the day, function with a lot less pain and still be
focused, work and drive. It is a great gift."
Recreational use of
cannabis is prohibited under Israeli law, however the drug is
currently used medically to treat roughly 9,000 people suffering from
illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis
and Crohn’s disease.
The promotional video
below sheds more light on the Tikun Olam plantation.
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1 comment:
Some proponents of medical marijuana argue that pot is "natural" and therefore better, or at least no worse, than legally prescribed drugs, which may be addictive and may carry dangerous side effects. But natural is not the standard for whether a drug is safe and effective.
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