Human studies have shown cannabis to be an effective treatment

Patient populations, including the elderly, the terminally ill are
seeking comfort in their last days. Help them in their misery.
legalize marijuana.

Please ..treatment for severe pain,..... all opiates have the
potential to induce nausea. . elderly need marijuana for pain and
nausea.. Cannabis almost immediately relieves pain and eliminates the
nausea that many patients experience...

Medical Marijuana and Chronic Pain Relief
Published by Jan
Chronic Pain: What is the definition?
Taken from an online Medical Dictionary: Pain (an unpleasant sense of
discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period. In
contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific
injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and
is often resistant to medical treatments.

Chronic pain is a discomfort that gradually increases over a period of
time and eventually becomes a consistent pain and is often unaffected
by medical treatments. Acute pain is just the opposite. It occurs
because of an accident or injury and is treatable. There are different
causes for chronic pain: back injury, arthritis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, scoliosis and multiple sclerosis
are just a few of the conditions that can lead to chronic pain.

There's a Better Way
Unfortunately, until recently, the United States government has had
outdated views on marijuana. Classed a Schedule I drug, it has been
illegal and considered a dangerous drug with no medical value.
However, views are slowly beginning to change. Medical Marijuana is
beneficial in the treatment of chronic pain. In addition to its
analgesic effects, cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties as well.
It can work very well as an adjunct to other medications. Although
opioid medications are effective in treating the pain in the
beginning, over time, a tolerance can develop causing the patient to
take more and more. Research has shown that except for the potential
damage to the lungs, cannabis is safer than many of the legal drugs
used for pain. There is no known case of legal overdose with cannabis.
Not only can marijuana effectively treat pain, it can also treat the
nausea associated with opioid medications. Unlike Marinol (synthetic
THC), inhaled marijuana offers immediate relief because it is absorbed
right into the bloodstream. It also contains quite a few other
cannabinoids like CBC and CBD. Marinol is synthetic THC only. Marinol
is just not as effective as medical marijuana.

Chronic pain has reached epidemic proportions in this country. Chronic
pain is often defined as pain that lasts three months or longer.
Although it is more common in older adults, anyone can experience it.
Approximately 50 million people suffer from chronic pain, and another
25 million suffer from acute pain caused by surgery and accidents.

One of the main problems with chronic pain is that it is usually under
treated. According to the National Chronic Pain Outreach Association,
seven million people are unable to relieve their pain without taking
opioids. Many doctors, for many different reasons, will not prescribe
an adequate dosage to combat their patient's pain. Tragically, living
with intractable pain can lead to depression. Depression can lead to
suicide.

"Severe chronic pain is usually treated with opioid narcotics and
various synthetic analgesics, but these drugs have many limitations."

Opioids are addictive and tolerance develops. The most commonly used
synthetic analgesics - aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen -are not
addictive but they are often insufficiently powerful. Furthermore,
they have serious toxic side effects including gastric bleeding or
ulcer and in the end a risk of liver or kidney disease. Stomach
bleeding and ulcers induced by aspirin and other NSAIDs is the most
common serious adverse drug reactions reported in the United States.
These drugs may be responsible for as many as 76,000 hospitalizations
and more than 7,600 deaths annually.

Acetaminophen is increasingly prescribed instead because it largely
spares the digestive tract, but it can cause liver damage or kidney
failure when used regularly for long periods. Medical researchers have
estimated that patients who take one to three acetaminophen tablets a
day for a year or more account for about 8% to 10% of all cases of end-
stage renal disease, a condition that is fatal without dialysis or a
kidney transplant.

Given the limitations of opioids and non-addictive synthetic
analgesics, one might have expected pain specialists to take a second
look at cannabis, but the medical literature again suggests little
recent reconsideration. Medical Cannabis may be especially useful for
the kinds of chronic pain that people who survive catastrophic
traumatic accidents have to live with the rest of their lives.

Take side effects, for instance. Most prescription drugs come with a
multi-page rider of possible bad things that might happen with regular
use – liver damage is synonymous with long-term use. Baked goods,
butters, oils, suppositories, tinctures and salves are all ways to get
the medication into your system easily.
The number one benefit of marijuana: it is natural. It is not
processed, refined, or chemically enhanced. It does not contain an
endless list of unpronounceable ingredients. It is naturally pure. . .

Many patients are unaware that there is a safer and more effective way
to treat chronic pain. Cannabis (marijuana) contains medical compounds
called cannabinoids. Scientists have identified cannabis receptors in
the human body that are located in the central nervous system (brain
and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system as well (the nerves
that innervate muscles and organs). This means that when inhaled they
bind to the nerves that regulate pain throughout the body and “block”
or dampen the body’s response to pain. The amazing thing about these
cannabinoids is that they have a safety profile that is unprecedented
in medicine. There has never been a documented overdose from cannabis.
In addition, the potential for addiction is very small. Most patients
who have trouble controlling their use have other drug addictions.
Cannabis almost immediately relieves pain and eliminates the nausea
that many patients experience... Many elderly patients have a
difficult time healing because they are not getting the necessary
nutrition that they need. Patients can medicate throughout the day
without the fear of taking opiates. One of the other side effects is
that cannabis will stimulate a patient’s appetite. This is a positive
effect for the elderly.

Please consider helping the elderly. Cannabis almost immediately
relieves pain and eliminates the nausea that many patients experience

Seniors and Medical Marijuana – Sometimes It Makes Sense ...
Congress can help, Write to your representative and remind him or her
that it is cruel to allow the elderly to suffer when there is help
available in the use of marijuana as a treatment

They’re supposed to be our golden years, but for some seniors living
in constant pain, daily living is anything but golden. The litany of
illnesses responsible for their non-stop agony is familiar: arthritis,
cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, multiple sclerosis, and
seizures, to name a few. So, too, is the lineup of medications on
bathroom or kitchen counters: opioids to kill pain, muscle relaxers,
medicines to control nausea from chemotherapy treatments or other
illnesses, and on and on. The trouble is, many of these medications
work against each other or, worse yet, don’t remedy the pain. For some
seniors, however, there is one thing that does provide some relief:
medical marijuana. And cannabis for the elderly is growing in
popularity in California.

Should They or Shouldn’t They?

Please consider.helping us. Present pain medications don’t remedy the
pain.
http://www.treatmentcenters.net/advocacy-public-policy/seniors-and-medical-marijuana-%E2%80%93-sometimes-it-makes-sense/

Doctors Speak Out

The website ProCon.org lists doctors’ comments on the subject of
medical marijuana. They are illustrative of the type of fierce debate
going on in this country. Here are some excerpted comments in response
to the question, “Should marijuana be a medical option?”

• Dr. Dean Edell, M.D., Physician and Radio Host – “Cannabinoids and
THC also have strong pain-killing powers, which is one reason medical
marijuana should be readily available to people with cancer and other
debilitating diseases.” (2000, The Dr. Dean Edell Show)

• David Katzenstein, M.D., Associate Medical Director of Stanford
University AIDS Clinical Trial Group – “…it is clear that there are
people who use marijuana solely to ameliorate symptoms associated with
chronic disease, such as HIV/AIDS. This suggests that cannabinoids
have potential benefit as a therapeutic class of agents.” (Feb. 2004)

• Kate Scannell, M.D., Co-Director of Kaiser-Permanente Northern
California Ethics Department – “From working with AIDS and cancer
patients, I repeatedly saw how marijuana could ameliorate a patient’s
debilitating fatigue, restore appetite, diminish pain, remedy nausea,
cure vomiting and curtail down-to-the-bone weight loss.”

• Claude Varney, M.D., Medical Director of the Neurological
Rehabilitation and MS Centre in Switzerland – “Cannabis can be an
effective alternative for patients that do not respond to ordinary
drugs.” (International Week on MS conference, Basel, Switzerland, Sep.
14, 1999)

• Frank Lucido, M.D., Physician in private medical practice in
Berkeley, CA – “Cannabis has a long and impressive history as a safe
and effective medicine…I am widely known to be a thorough, caring, and
trusted physician, who takes the time and effort to establish that the
patient is appropriate in their use of medical cannabis.” (email from
the doctor Apr. 6, 2006)

• Gregory T. Carter, M.D., Clinical Professor at the School of
Medicine at the University of Washington and Co-Director of the
Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) Center – “Cannabinoids are now known to have the capacity for
neuromodulation, via direct, receptor-based mechanisms, at numerous
levels within the nervous system. These provide therapeutic properties
that may be applicable to the treatment of neurological disorders,
including anti-oxidative, neuroprotective effects, analgesia, anti-
inflammatory actions, immunomodulation, modulation of glial cells and
tumor growth regulation. Beyond that, the cannabinoids have also been
shown to be remarkably safe with no potential for overdose.” (Article
posted on MDA website, Oct. 2003)

To see the full list of 90 physicians and their medical comments (pro
or con), go to http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewresource.asp?resourceID=001529

Combating Pain with Medical Marijuana

How it currently works in California is that individuals with
allowable conditions must first see a physician before becoming a
legal medical marijuana patient. There are no prescriptions for
medical marijuana. Instead, the physician issues a written
recommendation. See Finding a Doctor for more information on finding a
physician.

Americans for Safe Access provides tips for patients using medical
marijuana. These include:

• Smoking – This produces the most immediate effect and permits the
most refined dosage control.

• Vaporizing – Use of cannabis vaporizers allows users to inhale the
active ingredients while avoiding harmful smoke toxins.

• Eating – Adding cannabis to baked items such as cookies or brownies
is another way to use medical marijuana. It may take longer to be able
to control dosage and it takes longer to feel the effects than other
methods of consumption.

• Tea – Marijuana is an herb and, like other herbs, can be made into a
tea.

• Tincture – See the site for how to make a tincture from medical
marijuana.

• Compress – This follows the same principle as tea. See the website
for details.

• Marinol – This is a synthetic petrochemical analog of THC. Use only
under medical supervision.

Side effects, as listed in the website, include feelings of
uneasiness, hunger and thirst, red eyes, drowsiness, sleeplessness,
giddiness and short-term memory loss.

For booklets on specific conditions, see http://medicalmarijuanaandseniors.org/.
Booklets include the following conditions: aging, arthritis, cancer,
chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, HIV/AIDS, movement
disorders, and multiple sclerosis. Here is a brief recap of some of
the benefits of medical marijuana on four of these chronic conditions.

Arthritis – More than 31 million Americans have arthritis. There are
two types of arthritis: rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Both affect the
joints, cause pain and swelling, and limit movement. They are both
also common among the elderly, whose immune systems are not as
efficient, or whose cartilage has worn away. Arthritis in the form of
chronic inflammation of the joints can also occur as a result of
injuries. According to Americans for Safe Access,

“Cannabis has a demonstrated ability to improve mobility and reduce
morning stiffness and inflammation. Research has also shown that
patients are able to reduce their usage of potentially harmful Non-
Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) when using cannabis as an
adjunct therapy.”

Cancer – The American Cancer Society currently lists 269 medicines
currently prescribed to treat cancer and its symptoms, and to treat
side effects from other cancer drugs. Cannabis has been found to be
helpful for cancer patients combating pain and nausea. Recent research
shows cannabis also has anti-carcinogenic and tumor-reducing
properties. It effectively controls nausea that results from
chemotherapy treatments. The appetite stimulation properties of
cannabis help combat cachexia, or wasting syndrome. Cannabis can also
help control the pain associated with some cancers, as well as that
resulting from radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Chronic Pain – Seniors (and others) with persistent and chronic pain
may be suffering as a result of cancer, AIDS, sickle cell anemia,
multiple sclerosis, injuries or defects to the back, neck or spinal
cord, arthritis, rheumatoid and degenerative hip, joint or connective
tissue disorders, and severe burns. When someone is so debilitated by
agonizing pain, they often want to discontinue life-saving procedures
(such as chemotherapy or surgery). They simply want to die. For those
patients in chronic pain, the goal is to minimize the pain as much as
possible and be able to function again in a normal fashion. A
concurrent goal is to reduce the often debilitating side-effects of
pain therapies. Cannabis can help with chronic pain in two ways: by
diminishing the pain itself (alone or in combination with other
analgesics), and in controlling nausea associated with taking opioids,
as well as dizziness, vomiting and nausea that so often accompanies
prolonged and severe pain.

Multiple Sclerosis – Americans for Safe Access states that and
estimated 350,000 people in the U.S. are living with the painful,
debilitating, and often fatal, effects of multiple sclerosis (MS).
While symptoms vary from person to person, one that is frequently
noted is spasticity, which causes pain, spasms, loss of function, and
nursing care difficulties. MS patients report, according to the
website, that cannabis has a “startling and profound effect on muscle
spasms, tremors, balance, bladder control, speech and eyesight. Many
wheelchair-bound patients report that they can walk unaided when they
have smoked cannabis.”

Future of Medical Marijuana and Seniors – Hazy or Bright?

Getting beyond debate over ethics, legality or addiction, what is the
future of medical marijuana and seniors – particularly in California?
Don’t be confused by what opponents will characterize as a pot-induced
haze. That’s not the issue here. What we must begin to contemplate is
whether or not we want to make good on the language that currently
exists in the Compassionate Use Act and S.B. 420. Do we really want to
have our elderly citizens who are in chronic pain suffering
needlessly? Or anyone else who falls under the allowable conditions
for personal use of medical marijuana?

When a solution such as medical marijuana is available, the only
logical response should be that it should be permitted, that the
technicalities and legal jargon and jurisdictional and regulatory
issues be worked out. No one deserves to live in constant, chronic
pain. Not when we have a workable, low-risk solution.

Backed by continuing research, countless research papers, clinical
trials and anecdotal experiences, the time for medical marijuana and
seniors has finally come. After all, seniors are a majority of the
U.S. population – and growing older every day. According to the U.S.
Bureau of the Census, there are 37 million Americans aged 65 or older,
and 5.7 million who are 85 or older. For those of us in our golden
years, then, sometimes it makes sense to consider medical marijuana to
alleviate chronic pain.

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