Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Following on from the government's amendment last year to the Misuse of Drugs Law which now allows for doctors in Cayman to prescribe cannabis extracts or tinctures for therapeutic purposes, local businessman Prentice Panton recently invited two experts on the subject to the Cayman Islands.
They explained to the public at a free seminar why this particular form of medicine is a valid part of a doctor's choice of medication for patients. The seminar, entitled Caycann Medical Cannabis Seminar took place at the Lions Centre on March 15.
Speakers at the seminar included Dr. Dustin Sulak, an integrative medicine physician with an emphasis in osteopathy, mind-body medicine and medical cannabis. Dr. Sulak is the founder of Integr8 Health, an integrative medicine clinic with three locations in New England, U.S., that treat more than 18,000 patients with medical cannabis. Noted as a pioneer in the emerging field of cannabinoid medicine, he sits on the board of directors of the Society of Medical Cannabis Clinicians.
Another speaker at the seminar was Dr. Ethan Russo. He is a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, and medical director of PHYTECS, a biotechnology company researching and developing innovative approaches targeting the human endocannabinoid system. He is currently past-president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, and is former chairman of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the American Botanical Council. He is also an established author on the topic.
Benefits
Dr. Russo told The Cayman Reporter how medical cannabis worked in helping to ease many chronic conditions, so long as its administration was carefully overseen by a qualified physician who was familiar with the health benefits of cannabis.
Most people are familiar with the activity of smoking cannabis, as a recreational activity, he said. The problem with inhaling the substance is that it produces a very quick link for the cannabis directly to the body. With such a speedy absorption comes the problem of intoxication.
"Absorbing cannabis into the body at speed is not necessary for most conditions," Dr. Russo explained, adding that perhaps the only condition where inhaling the substance might be more beneficial to the patient was in the case of asthma, where the medication would be administered directly to the organ affected by the disease, i.e. the lungs.
Most conditions that could be treated by cannabis were chronic conditions — where patients must live with them over a period — so there was a premium placed on treating such conditions slowly and to prevent side effects. As a result, the specific medicinal part of the cannabis plant is dissolved into an oil, mostly coconut oil, which made a very good vehicle for administration orally or topically, Dr. Russo said.
Receptors
People used cannabis for the most part to ease chronic pain, Dr. Russo said, for conditions such as multiple sclerosis. He explained that nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors for one of the substances in cannabis used for medicinal purposes, called cannabinoids. In studies, cannabinoids blocked pain pathways and indirectly acted as anti-inflammatories, a useful alternative to mainstream anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen which have been known to cause side effects such as stomach ulcers, heart attacks and strokes, he advised.
While it had been noted that people have died from taking anti-inflammatories, there had been no significant mortality rates associated with taking cannabis medication, the doctor said. There were, however, side effects to taking cannabis. He outlined issues such as anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations and toxic psychosis among the side effects. He said: "These are mainly self-limited conditions that would more often than not pass in a few hours and rarely required intervention with other medications."
Dr. Russo also explained that there had been reports that suggested cannabis medication caused schizophrenia.
"These are not accurate," he stated. "However, if someone has a pre-disposition to developing schizophrenia, particularly in teens who may overuse cannabis, then there have been suggestions that it can bring on earlier development of the disease. Those with a propensity to develop schizophrenia ought to avoid cannabis."
Alleviate
Medical cannabis is being studied for its ability to ease a variety of different conditions, including the treatment of cancer. Dr. Russo has been involved in one such study on a drug called Sativex, whereby from 2003 — 14 he served as senior medical advisor and study physician to GW Pharmaceuticals for numerous clinical trials on the drug, developed to alleviate cancer pain unresponsive to opioid treatment, as well as a drug called Epidiolex for intractable epilepsy. Other studies were looking at how cannabis could aid in alleviating brain tumours, he said.
However, Dr. Russo warned that simply smoking cannabis was not the way to alleviate cancer.
"There is evidence that cannabis can treat cancer along with conventional treatments of chemotherapy and possibly radiology and not on their own. These trials have shown that very high doses of cannabinoids are needed to be taken over long periods of time, so caution needs to be taken," he advised.
The medicinal effects of cannabis have been used for thousands of years and in mainstream medicine in the U.S. and Europe from 1840 until 1940, Dr. Russo detailed. Its absence from mainstream medicine was political not medicinal. There had been considerable evidence to prove cannabis's safety, efficacy and consistency in treating a wide variety of disease in conjunction with appropriate medical care using defined preparations.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Seminar Explains Benefits
Author: Lindsey Turnbull
Contact: (345) 946-6060
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Cayman Reporter
They explained to the public at a free seminar why this particular form of medicine is a valid part of a doctor's choice of medication for patients. The seminar, entitled Caycann Medical Cannabis Seminar took place at the Lions Centre on March 15.
Speakers at the seminar included Dr. Dustin Sulak, an integrative medicine physician with an emphasis in osteopathy, mind-body medicine and medical cannabis. Dr. Sulak is the founder of Integr8 Health, an integrative medicine clinic with three locations in New England, U.S., that treat more than 18,000 patients with medical cannabis. Noted as a pioneer in the emerging field of cannabinoid medicine, he sits on the board of directors of the Society of Medical Cannabis Clinicians.
Another speaker at the seminar was Dr. Ethan Russo. He is a board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, and medical director of PHYTECS, a biotechnology company researching and developing innovative approaches targeting the human endocannabinoid system. He is currently past-president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, and is former chairman of the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the American Botanical Council. He is also an established author on the topic.
Benefits
Dr. Russo told The Cayman Reporter how medical cannabis worked in helping to ease many chronic conditions, so long as its administration was carefully overseen by a qualified physician who was familiar with the health benefits of cannabis.
Most people are familiar with the activity of smoking cannabis, as a recreational activity, he said. The problem with inhaling the substance is that it produces a very quick link for the cannabis directly to the body. With such a speedy absorption comes the problem of intoxication.
"Absorbing cannabis into the body at speed is not necessary for most conditions," Dr. Russo explained, adding that perhaps the only condition where inhaling the substance might be more beneficial to the patient was in the case of asthma, where the medication would be administered directly to the organ affected by the disease, i.e. the lungs.
Most conditions that could be treated by cannabis were chronic conditions — where patients must live with them over a period — so there was a premium placed on treating such conditions slowly and to prevent side effects. As a result, the specific medicinal part of the cannabis plant is dissolved into an oil, mostly coconut oil, which made a very good vehicle for administration orally or topically, Dr. Russo said.
Receptors
People used cannabis for the most part to ease chronic pain, Dr. Russo said, for conditions such as multiple sclerosis. He explained that nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors for one of the substances in cannabis used for medicinal purposes, called cannabinoids. In studies, cannabinoids blocked pain pathways and indirectly acted as anti-inflammatories, a useful alternative to mainstream anti-inflammatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen which have been known to cause side effects such as stomach ulcers, heart attacks and strokes, he advised.
While it had been noted that people have died from taking anti-inflammatories, there had been no significant mortality rates associated with taking cannabis medication, the doctor said. There were, however, side effects to taking cannabis. He outlined issues such as anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations and toxic psychosis among the side effects. He said: "These are mainly self-limited conditions that would more often than not pass in a few hours and rarely required intervention with other medications."
Dr. Russo also explained that there had been reports that suggested cannabis medication caused schizophrenia.
"These are not accurate," he stated. "However, if someone has a pre-disposition to developing schizophrenia, particularly in teens who may overuse cannabis, then there have been suggestions that it can bring on earlier development of the disease. Those with a propensity to develop schizophrenia ought to avoid cannabis."
Alleviate
Medical cannabis is being studied for its ability to ease a variety of different conditions, including the treatment of cancer. Dr. Russo has been involved in one such study on a drug called Sativex, whereby from 2003 — 14 he served as senior medical advisor and study physician to GW Pharmaceuticals for numerous clinical trials on the drug, developed to alleviate cancer pain unresponsive to opioid treatment, as well as a drug called Epidiolex for intractable epilepsy. Other studies were looking at how cannabis could aid in alleviating brain tumours, he said.
However, Dr. Russo warned that simply smoking cannabis was not the way to alleviate cancer.
"There is evidence that cannabis can treat cancer along with conventional treatments of chemotherapy and possibly radiology and not on their own. These trials have shown that very high doses of cannabinoids are needed to be taken over long periods of time, so caution needs to be taken," he advised.
The medicinal effects of cannabis have been used for thousands of years and in mainstream medicine in the U.S. and Europe from 1840 until 1940, Dr. Russo detailed. Its absence from mainstream medicine was political not medicinal. There had been considerable evidence to prove cannabis's safety, efficacy and consistency in treating a wide variety of disease in conjunction with appropriate medical care using defined preparations.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis Seminar Explains Benefits
Author: Lindsey Turnbull
Contact: (345) 946-6060
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: The Cayman Reporter
