Please refer back to my recent post on “Open Source Cannabis” for background on this concept.

One of the most challenging issues facing cannabis research is where to begin to understand how or even which chemicals in cannabis cause an effect on symptoms. Unfortunately, at least at this point in time, medical cannabis for clinical trials is just not available. I can only hope this will change, but in the meantime, I believe we can get started with an intermediate survey type study – Open Source Cannabis.

The idea is to create a database of information that crosses patient testimonials on how strains treat their symptoms with the chemical breakdown of that strain from a Gas Chromatography machine.  Regrettably, it takes weeks to get the results from a Gas Chromatography machine.  During this time, the strain usually is distributed from the dispensary resulting in patients being unable to use the GC analysis information. Perhaps in the future, the market will require all growers to perform their own analysis on their strains or send them in for analysis, but as with research into this subject, that will not soon happen.

So, as to a solution for the time delay, what if when any strain is delivered to the dispensary, it is assigned a random ID by a database program. With this database, the dispensaries can logon to the system and get the ID for the strain and send it off for GC analysis.

When patients find a particular strain that really works very well for them, they logon to the database and enter basic symptom questions as well as the strain ID that would be stamped on the label.

Over time, as the GC results come back, they are tied back to the strain IDs.

This will enable two things:

1.As individuals have entered data on strains that work very well for them, they can see what combination of Cannabinoids and Terpenoids work best for them. Over time, they would select their medications based upon this information and not just a name such as “bubble gum kush” – which can mean anything.
2.The patient community data should yield interesting results as well. As patients give feedback on strains analyzed by a GC, I suspect we will begin to see some trends of cannabinoid and terpenoid benefits that we cannot even currently imagine.

I would really appreciate feedback on this one.

I don’t know how I missed this letter from Congress to the DEA. I generally don’t cross the “political” boundaries as a physician, but I really thought this would put a smile on your face. As you will find in the article below, Congress has sent a very tough letter to the DEA. Congress is waiting for a response from the DEA, but will be holding hearings regardless. It seems that our Congress is not very pleased with how the DEA has been handling itself in California.

I am very hopeful.

http://www.greenbridgemed.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/Conyers_DEA_Letter-1.pdf

Although not the first such study, researchers in Milano, Italy, recently presented a study on whole plant extracts of Cannabis formulations to treat neuropathic pain. If you’d like to read the study, please see the reference at the end of this blog.

After reading the results, researchers learned that extracting a single active ingredient from cannabis does not produce the ends desired. This is one more well designed, although “rat-based”, study encouraging us to realize that including all genetic variations of the whole plant in medications will probably produce better and safer drugs than extracting one cannabinoid at a time.

Researchers might not be achieving the effects they desire, but this might be the result of ignorance in the knowledge of manipulating cannabinoids, or it might be that the whole plant is in fact “the medicine”.  Certainly the ratio of the various cannabinoids in different strains will greatly vary, but at the very least we can say that overall, cannabis is an extremely safe medication.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18618522

I recently saw a 70 y/o male as a new patient. He appeared in all ways to be a street person and seemed a bit out of place. However there was something in his eyes that got my attention. His body seemed much older than his stated age, but his eyes reflected something still very much alive and I escorted him to my exam room.

He was arrested 33 years ago in the State of Georgia for possession of 1 gram of marijuana. He showed me his prison admission form as well as discharge papers. He spent 32 years in prison and was beatup on so many occasions that he had become crippled. We discussed his options with medical cannabis and he left.

He returned last week just to say thanks and show me how much better he was feeling. He didn’t say that this new freedom made up for his lost 32 years, but he did say it took a bit of the sting out of it.

I am pleased to hear that, at least in California, non-violent criminals are going to be released in larger number for financial incentives. Whatever the reason, I am grateful. Often very good things happen for the wrong reasons, but this is an acceptable compromise.

Most patients are reluctant to be open regarding how much and how often they use Cannabis. I always encourage my patients to be as honest as possible, as this is the best starting point in any doctor-patient visit.

Further more, if we are discussing treatment for anxiety, depression or ADD……..we are talking about Sativa strains during the daytime hours. In my opinion, the most significant issue with daytime medicating is related to the smoking. If patients are using sativa tinctures, which are ideal for daytime mood disorders, they are no different than any other patient using xanax, valium or vicodan out of a pill bottle during the day.

The smoking and smell during the daytime are generally just not acceptable. I encourage everyone to learn more about the daytime use of sativa tinctures/concentrates. They just seem so much more like “real medicines”.