Marijuana and Its Receptor Protein in The Brain Can Control Epilepsy, VCU Study Finds

Richmond.Com ^ | Sept. 30, 2003

[MrLeRoy]

"Animal and human research on the effects of marijuana on seizure activity are inconclusive. There are currently insufficient data to determine whether occasional or chronic marijuana use influences seizure frequency. Some evidence suggests that marijuana and its active cannabinoids have antiepileptic effects"
- Alcohol and marijuana: effects on epilepsy and use by patients with epilepsy
Epilepsia. 2001 Oct;42(10):1266-72
Gordon E, Devinsky O.
Department of Neurology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.

[AngieGOP]

I don't want to get into a big brouhaha over this. A young man suffering from seizures was told never to smoke marijuana. He did and he died. That is all I know. I am not a doctor, just a mom who does not want her son to suffer a similar fate.

[MrLeRoy]

I am not a doctor, just a mom who does not want her son to suffer a similar fate.

Best to play it safe, of course. Nobody was ever worse off for abstaining from recreational substance use.

A young man suffering from seizures was told never to smoke marijuana. He did and he died.

I got out of bed this morning, and then the sun rose. Did my getting up cause the sunrise?

[Sir Gawain]

Did the sunrise cause you to get up, or was it just the munchies? ;-D

[robertpaulsen]

That's the generalized pap from MrLeRoy. Specifically, from the same report:

"At present, the only biological evidence of antiepileptic properties of cannabinoids is that CB1 receptors are abundant in the hippocampus and amygdala. Both regions are involved in partial seizures but are better known for their role in functions unrelated to seizures.

Basic research might reveal stronger links between cannabinoids and seizure activity, but this is not likely to be as fruitful a subject of cannabinoid research as others. Given the present state of knowledge, clinical studies of cannabinoids in epileptics are not indicated."

[cinFLA]

Maybe because jmc is anti-Arnie, also.

[CheneyChick]

Wow - you sound emotional over all this stuff. Like I said, I really don't care. It's not all that important to me. We all pick our battles - this ain't one of mine.

[cinFLA]

I got out of bed this morning, and then the sun rose. Did my getting up cause the sunrise?

No.

[cinFLA]

might provide relief

Might. with less certainty than 'may'. Used to convey possibility or speculation.

[MrLeRoy]

"Basic research might reveal stronger links between cannabinoids and seizure activity, but this is not likely to be as fruitful a subject of cannabinoid research as others. Given the present state of knowledge, clinical studies of cannabinoids in epileptics are not indicated."

The research in the lead article has arguably changed "the present state of knowledge."

[MrLeRoy]

"there are patients with debilitating symptoms for whom smoked marijuana might provide relief. [...] Until a nonsmoked rapid-onset cannabinoid drug delivery system becomes available, we acknowledge that there is no clear alternative for people suffering from chronic conditions that might be relieved by smoking marijuana, such as pain or AIDS wasting."
- Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base (1999), Institute of Medicine

Wow - you sound emotional over all this stuff.

How can *I* "sound emotional" by quoting *someone else*?

Like I said, I really don't care. It's not all that important to me. We all pick our battles - this ain't one of mine.

That's fine---but a true conservative will certainly not make opposition to medical marijuana one of their battles.

[MrLeRoy]

might provide relief

Might. with less certainty than 'may'. Used to convey possibility or speculation.

Correct---for any given patient, marijuana might or might not provide relief. That it helps some patients is well established.

[spoiler2]

I see more of a connection to the drawing water for the bath to the drowning, than the act of smoking.

Perhaps those afflicted with seizures should restrict themselves to sitting showers, rather than being around larger quantities of water, where an attack might fatally submerge them.

[robertpaulsen]

Hmmm. Who woulda figured the 1999 IOM report was out of date?

Some on this board are still using irrelevent parts of it as gospel. Even the parts that contain such definitive statements as "might", and pointing to that as evidence.

[MrLeRoy]

Who woulda figured the 1999 IOM report was out of date?

Some points were bound to be---that's science.

Some on this board are still using irrelevent parts of it as gospel. Even the parts that contain such definitive statements as "might", and pointing to that as evidence.

How is that part "irrelevant"? It says that marijuana, like many medicines, might or might not help any particular patient for whom it is indicated.

[robertpaulsen]

"How is that part "irrelevant"?"

"that might be relieved by smoking marijuana, such as pain or AIDS wasting."

And epilepsy? Why didn't you cite that part of the report that dealt with epilepsy, the subject of the thread? Couldn't find it?

It wasn't that long -- you could have posted the entire section and educated everyone on the IOM's take on this.

But no, you cut and paste some tired, old, irrelevent, generalized, might/might not waste-of-time-and-bandwidth pap.

[MrLeRoy]

Why didn't you cite that part of the report that dealt with epilepsy, the subject of the thread?

The part I quoted was entirely relevan to the post I was replying to: "I also personally don't know anyone who uses the stuff medicinally and what merits that does or doesn't have."

[xrp]

What's your position on self-ownership?

[jmc813]

Maybe because jmc is anti-Arnie, also.

Damned straight I'm anti-Arnie. Given your admiration for gun-grabbing groups, I would assume that you're a fan of his?

[jmc813]

That's fine---but a true conservative will certainly not make opposition to medical marijuana one of their battles.

She's a Schwarzenegger, Republicans-must-win-at-all-costs-including-electing-a-liberal Republican.