“Thinking about death clarifies your life.” -Candy Chang
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by loss of motor control and eventual death. ALS involves the death of motor neurons and the progressive loss of motor function. Patients with ALS slowly lose control of their limbs, their body systems and finally speech. ALS patients however never lose their cognitive function; while their body is declining, their mind is fully functional. ALS eventually leads to loss of respiratory function and patients spend their last months or days on a ventilator. As time progresses, quality of life declines for those suffering from ALS. This progressive loss is characteristic of many degenerative or terminal diseases: multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and some cancers. Our class discussion on ALS and its effect on quality on life led to a discussion on creating an end of life plan.
Advanced Care Planning (ACP) is the process of communication between the individual, family, and healthcare professional to understand, discuss, and plan for future healthcare decisions for a time when the individual is unable to make their own healthcare decisions. The process typically results in the designation of a healthcare proxy and a written care plan referred to an advanced directive. An advanced directive or living will lays out the individual’s wishes when it comes to ventilation and being resuscitated. Living wills are typically created for patients suffering from a chronic or terminal condition. 7 out of 10 Americans die from a chronic disease and over 90 million Americans live with at least one chronic condition. In theory, 70% of Americans should have an advanced directive, however only 20-30% of Americans report having a living will. This means that some 40% of individuals who know they have a shortened time to live, do not have a written end of life plan. This discrepancy leads to difficulties for the family of such individuals. Without a written directive, family members are often reluctant to follow the wishes of the patient.
When my maternal and paternal grandparents were reaching the end of their life my aunts and uncles along with my parents had trouble making the decision to ‘pull the plug.’ My grandparents had rarely discussed their wishes with their children so that when it came time to make that decision everyone was divided. Because of their experience, my parents have already discussed their wishes with me and have written a living will. As a 21 year old I know that my parents do not want to be kept alive on a machine. If and when I have to make that decision regarding my parents’ lives, I can say ‘pull the plug’ without a guilty conscience because I am following their wishes.
If more individuals discussed their end of life wishes the family could be saved the heartache associated with being forced to make that decision for a loved one. Who is responsible for starting the conversation regarding advanced care planning? Is it the role of the physician to ask the patients suffering from a terminal disease their end of life plan? Currently there is a disconnect between patient and physician regarding advanced directives. A large-scale study found that only 25% of physicians knew that their patients had a living will. I believe it is important that we have these conversations with our loved ones so that future healthcare decisions are easier to make. If all patients diagnosed with ALS or similar conditions had a written living will, the end of life transition would be less difficult as those decisions would not need to be made last minute or without the individual’s input. Facing the end of your life is hard for both you and your family, but by developing a living will, you can ensure the end is how you want it to be.
Advanced Care Planning: http://www.acpelsociety.com
Statistics: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/facing-death/facts-and-figures/
Images: http://conversationsofalifetime.org/; pinterest.com
Annual ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Until We Find a Cure!
I must admit, at this time last year I perused social media with a hatred for video after video of people dumping ice water on their heads in the name of ALS fundraising and research. It was not that I lacked support for the ALS Association or its goals. In fact, I have high respect for the association and the strides they have made in ALS research. I simply struggled to believe that the hype about the challenge was truly making a difference in the name of ALS.
After learning about ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in neurochemistry class this week I decided to check back in on the ALS Association and the results of last year’s viral Ice Bucket Challenge. The results pleasantly surprised me. In the summer of 2014, more than 17 million people uploaded Ice Bucket Challenge videos to Facebook; the videos were watched by 440 million people, and they were watched more than 10 billion times. The monetary donations gathered from the challenge were all donated to the ALS Association, which provides care to people with ALS, endorses political policies that respond to the needs of those with ALS, and researches ALS to find a treatment and cure for the disease. During the six official weeks of the 2014 challenge, 115 million dollars was raised for the ALS Association. This has energized the research community and accelerated research projects. It also allowed for additional resources to pursue new programs and research ideas.
Due to the major success of the Ice Bucket Challenge last year, the ALS Association declared that the challenge will take place every August until they find a cure. And the ALS community is urging for a cure to the devastating disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that innervate the voluntary muscles in the body. As the motor neurons degrade during the progression of ALS, control over voluntary muscles is lost. The symptoms of ALS begin subtly. Muscle fatigue, weakness, increased tripping while walking, or dropping things are the most common symptoms noticed initially. Changes in the voice or trouble swallowing may also occur.
These symptoms progress slowly, escalating into severe muscle twitching and paralysis throughout the body. While it begins as either upper or lower motor neuron degeneration, it will eventually affect both systems, leaving those with the disease unable to walk, move, eat, or breathe. During late stage ALS a ventilator and a feeding tube is needed for respiration and nourishment, respectively. However, senses such as sight, smell, taste, and hearing go unimpaired. The brain and the ability to think remain intact as well.
It does not take much to paint a stark picture of the devastation ALS has on the human body. The urgency of finding a cure is felt by simply understanding the course of the disease, and campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge are a way awareness is spread and money is raised. Simply making the disease known to the public, which is what the challenge achieved, is an accomplishment in itself, and I am happy share the news of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge success, along with its plans for future challenges with you. Here’s to hoping the challenge will continue to make a strong impact within the ALS Association as they desperately search for a cure.
Basics of Endocannabinoids and the Developing Brain
As our country slowly shifts its stigma on marijuana, there are many issues that need to be discussed. Some of these issues include its medicinal properties, if research should be funded and conducted on marijuana, if it should remain a schedule I drug, and if it is safe among other questions. Many people only have a small idea of how marijuana actually affects the body, as we have been told since we were younger that pot is bad for you and smoking it causes the person to be high. With the broad scope and many issues surrounding this topic, I wanted to give a short background on the body’s natural endocannabinoid system (i.e. the system that marijuana is working on) and why studies have shown it to have damaging effects on the developing brain with extensive use. Other than the actual effects of smoke in a person’s lungs, studies on the effects of marijuana on the developing brain are the reasons we hear that “pot is bad.” Under medical circumstances, without smoke, and in moderation – medical marijuana actually has some useful qualities that need to be further researched. So let’s start by looking into some of the science behind marijuana.
To begin, our bodies have many different substances, like hormones or neurotransmitters, that are released from cells and that bind to other cells on a receptor that is generally specific to that substance. This is how our body communicates with itself and responds to the environment around us. Our bodies naturally have substances called endocannabinoids (endo meaning produced in the body). These endocannabinoids have receptors in the body, CB1 and CB2 that they bind with to cause reactions. They are involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory, and they mediate the psychoactive effects of cannabis. The active drug in cannabis is THC, which binds to that receptor and causes an abnormal effect – resulting in the high that people feel. During development, the endocannabinoid system helps the brain to create and refine neural connections. Heavy marijuana use during development has been shown to alter the growth of neural connections.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), THC exposure during development can cause long-term notable problems with learning and memory tasks later in life. The THC is binding to the CB receptors in the hippocampus, the main area of the brain associated with memory. In studies on rats, they found that THC exposure during development caused structural and functional changes in the hippocampus. Fully developed adult brains did not show this effect. Image studies in humans revealed impaired neural connectivity in areas affecting memory, learning, and impulse control as it was altering how information was processed in the hippocampus.
As people age, they lose neurons in the hippocampus which decreases their ability to learn new information. Chronic THC exposure during development may speed up that process. This is how researchers are explaining the memory issues found in younger adults who used THC chronically when they were developing their brains as teenagers. There is a great need for more studies involving the actual pathways that cannabis takes in our bodies so we can understand its full effects and use them to our advantage without damaging our brains.
Endocannabinoids: is There Marijuana Inside our Brains?
While current legislation considers marijuana/cannabinoids to have no medical uses, the discovery of an endocannabinoid system in the body, specifically in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), gives significant evidence to the contrary. This endocannabinoid system is made up of receptors that bind to THC as well as natural molecules similar to THC (endocannabinoids). The specific receptor that produces the most well-known effects of THC is called CB1 and is most prominently found in the brain.
Other than its psychoactive effects, there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence and much less scientific evidence that cannabis provides relief from symptoms of ailments as wide reaching as pain, to tumor growth management, to seizures. This, coupled with the legalization of medical marijuana in many states including Minnesota, has created an increased interest in the medical possibilities of cannabis. However, the legal standing of marijuana as an illicit drug makes it hard for researchers to study. The presence of the endocannabinoid system is a handy-dandy (and legal) alternative.
The study of endocannabinoids (a type of molecule or chemical) that are naturally found in the brain allows researchers to see the effects THC has by binding to the same receptors. One of these is called anandamide or abbreviated AEA. This chemical has been shown to decrease pain (analgesia), increase appetite, control inflammation, and decrease cell division (important in controlling tumors…for example, in cancer), all activities that many individuals claim cannabis also demonstrates. So, the answer is no, there is not marijuana in our brains, although there are similar molecules that seem to have positive effects naturally that could be duplicated using cannabinoids such as those found in marijuana.
However, the psychological effects of cannabis are often a barrier for acceptability by the general public when it comes to medical legalization of marijuana. In this instance, some available solutions have been to extract the best known active ingredient out of the plant form of the drug, THC. However, more recent research as shown that a chemical from the marijuana plant called cannabindiol. This chemical may be able to have a wider range of medial effects than THC without inducing any kind of psychological changes, thus reducing abuse potential and the “high” that accompanies intake of the cannabis plant itself. In addition, these extracts are often available medically in a less stigmatized administration than smoking, such as oils, edibles, or pills.
Perhaps in a few generations, there will be over-the-counter pills and syrups with drugs derived or extracted from cannabis for pain or to help increase appetite in the seriously ill. Perhaps the stigma will be gone to allow for medical use of THC or cannabindiol and it will join the ranks of the opioids (serious pain relievers) as a therapeutic drug, instead of with heroin and meth as an illicit drug.
Miracles and Medical Marijuana
Is it our right to deny someone the medication they need in order for them to be free of pain and illness? No its not and yes, I’m talking about medical marijuana. We’ve all heard stories of the miracles of medical marijuana, especially the story of the little girl, Charlotte Figi, who was suffering from epilepsy but was immediately relieved of her seizures when she was administered a high dose of medical marijuana in the form of cannabidiol oil. There are a lot of misconceptions and negative stereotypes relating to cannabis because of the psychotropic effects, but in the case of cannabidiol, CBD, there are no psychotropic effects.
First and foremost, marijuana should be removed from the schedule I list of drugs and should be placed in the schedule II category, because research has shown that marijuana does in fact have medicinal uses. In order for more research to be done on the medicinal benefits of marijuana, changing it to a schedule II drug is necessary because it will make it more easily accessible for research labs.
There continues to be a lot of controversy around this subject because there is not a lot known about the short-term and long-term symptoms of cannabis and research has shown that cannabis can have effects on the developing brain. But ultimately, if medical marijuana can help other people like Charlotte enjoy life, then this is all for a great cause.
To avoid stereotypes and regulations on marijuana, alternatives to using cannabis as a medical treatment have been a “hot topic” in recent research. This past week in our Neurochemistry course we talked about endocannabinoids, which are molecules made in our bodies that bind the same receptors as cannabis. The two forms of endocannabinoids synthesized by our bodies are 2-AG and AEA, which are fatty acids formed from the plasma membranes of our cells.
Cannabis has been shown to help relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting due to cancer treatments, stop seizures, decrease the growth of tumors, increase or suppress appetite, and reduce chronic pain. With this knowledge, we can target the endocannabinoid system and develop medications to treat these symptoms with decreased toxicity and without the psychotropic effects of cannabis. In the case of decreasing tumor growth, endocannabinoids can induce cell death by binding CB1 or CB2 receptors on the surface of cells and as a result induce modulatory events within the cell.
Ultimately my message is, let’s educate America and break down the stereotypes surrounding marijuana, so we can help more people like Charlotte!
Sources:
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/8-miraculous-medical-marijuana-survival-stories
Legalize the Green
Welcome to 2015. The era of social media, slacktivism, Donald Trump 2016, and so much more. I must say that even looking back just 15 years ago, our society has made major shifts in the way we communicate, the way we feel our lives should be led in a political sphere, etc. One of the shifts the U.S.A has made is on the topic of cannabis, both in its recreational and medical uses. And by shift, I mean anti shift, or even a reverse shift, or back track shift. Because you see, prior to the 1960’s, our culture here in the great U.S of A permitted the use of cannabis in both ways, but it was especially permitted it in the medical field. Journals from the era prior to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 had cannabis listed as treatment for ailments such as nausea, headaches, muscle spasms, etc. We understood back then how effective cannabis could be in a medical sense, but the consistent “politification” of the drug has caused the nonsense that we deal with today. Teens being thrown in jail on mandatory minimum sentences for a small amount of pot. Parents being arrested for trying to purchase cannabis oil off market to help their child with seizures. This is a sad reality we live in and frankly, I am sick of the BS.
So here are the facts:
- Cannabis can be found in some many different forms besides the typical bud form. It can purchased in oil, wax, edible, and even tea form.
- Its medical benefits are real and not just a hippie conspiracy, man. Cannabis is useful in treating nausea and vomiting due to cancer treatments, relieving chronic pain, dealing with migraines, combating seizures, and so much more.
- Cannabis leads to the arrests of 750,000 people each year in the United States. That accounts for half of all the drug arrests in this country each year.
- Endocannabinoids are compounds found within the body that modulate the nervous system and aid in processes throughout the body. So we actually have the compounds found within marijuana in our system already.
- Cannabis has no addictive effects chemical wise, but can lead to the an addiction to the feeling that the usage gives you. Any “high” side effects are virtually eliminated with most forms of medical cannabis.
- Marijuana today is stronger than it was in the past, but there are really two sides to this story. There are higher THC forms of marijuana in the market today, but they also offer THC at various different concentrations. The market is designed to cater to the user, which helps lead to safer usage.
- Recreational cannabis in Colorado raised $70 million in tax revenues in 2014. This provides the state with a more money to support state-funded programs. This helps the government do its job. THAT IS A GOOD THING.
We need to stop living in a society where we backtrack on useful information and medical treatments and embrace a future where everyone should get the treatment they need and deserve. Cannabis in the body does a lot of wonderful things via neuromodulation, and scientists are now finding new ways that it could further aid us in the medical field. Endocannabinoids could play a role in leading to cell death in cancer cells. The CB2 receptor in pancreatic cancer cells induced apoptosis by ceramide accumulation. This information could lead to a future when cannabis is used to cure cancer. I personally hope that future becomes a reality. Stop spreading the stigma. Legalize the Green.
Medical Marijuana: A Fog of Misconceptions
When you hear the term medical marijuana, does your mind automatically conjures images of an individual smoking a joint? Or do you picture a prescription bottle full of weed
?
Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, glands, immune cells, and connective tissues. The main goal of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain a stable internal environment within the cell despite a fluctuating external environment. Endocannabinoids promote the death of cancer cells and help minimize the pain and damage caused by an injury. Endocannabinoids also increase appetite, reduce nausea, and could play a role in many autoimmune diseases.
The body synthesizes two main forms of endocannabinoids: anandamide and 2-AG. Research laboratories can produce synthetic cannabinoids which mirror the actions of our natural cannabinoids. THC is the most common synthetic which activates the same pathways in the brain as endocannabinoids. THC can be found in a pill form which can be prescribed by doctors for patient use. Herbal cannabis or marijuana can contain over one hundred different cannabinoids, including THC, which all work together to produce stronger effects than THC alone. This is where medical marijuana comes into play. Synthetic versions of cannabinoids created within the lab do not produce the same medical effects as marijuana. Although smoking often produces the best results, cannabis can be utilized in a variety of ways including vaporizers and topical solutions.
Medical marijuana has many benefits that mirror those demonstrated by the endocannabinoid system:
- Increased appetite
- Reduced nausea
- Induced apoptosis (cell death) of cancer cells
- Acute pain reduction
- Reduction of inflammation
- Treatment of glaucoma
- Management of chronic pain
- Management of symptoms of autoimmune diseases
- Management of a mental disorders
- Reduction of seizures
These benefits are essential to the treatment and management of many human conditions. In some cases, cannabis and THC are the only or best option for treatment.
Why then is there such controversy surrounding legalizing medical marijuana? The negative side effects of marijuana, the potential for abuse, and the recreational use of marijuana provide strong arguments as to why we should not legalize medical marijuana. Side effects include:
- Loss of inhibition
- Reduced concentration and memory
- Increased heart rate
- Anxiety and paranoia
- Reddened eyes
- Restlessness
- Hallucinations
- Distorted perception of time and space
- A feeling of relaxation and wellbeing (feeling high)
Future research is focused on developing a synthetic cannabinoid that mirrors the strong benefits of marijuana but lacks the negative psychotic effects that it has on individuals. This new product could potentially replace the medical use of marijuana. The abuse potential for marijuana is relatively low, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) only about 1 in 11 users become addicted. The main concern is marijuana’s potential as a “gateway drug.” A gateway drug is a drug used at a young age that can lead to future use of more addictive and dangerous chemicals such as heroin or cocaine. Although marijuana can be seen as a gateway drug, I do not believe that the legalization of medical marijuana will increase the recreational use of marijuana.
Although we as a society have many concerns regarding the negative side effects of legalizing medical marijuana, do we have the right to refuse treatment for those individuals who will greatly benefit from the prescription use of marijuana?
Sources:
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Medical-Marijuana-Scrapped-For-Now-in-Nebraska-305204651.html
http://www.crengineering.net/portfolio-medical-marijuana-facilities.html
nida.com
Endocannabinoids and Cannabis as a Schedule I Drug
Lately in politics, there has been a push for the legalization of marijuana whether be it for medical or recreational uses. Within this push for the legalization of marijuana, there is a call for more research on cannabis, and how it affects the brain to see its benefits and side effects on the body and in particular the brain. Cannabis is made up of more than 400 chemical compounds, and with some having good effects, others negative and some both. There are two known cannabis receptors, CB1 and CB2, and these receptors are the way in which cannabis (marijuana) affects the body. The CB1 receptor is largely found in the brain and is the key player in how cannabis affects one’s memory, movement and cognition. The CB2 receptor is a key player in the modulation of the immune system. The cannabinoids that are found in the body are called endocannabinoids. Their receptors regulate and modulate various enzymes and ion channels which leads to multiple effects on the brain and in cell activity. There are two endocannabinoids that are confirmed, AEA (anandamide) and 2-AG (2-arachidonulglycerol). These two compounds have various beneficial effects on the body, and when their levels are modified, this can lead to the various medical benefits that we see. AEA has a particular cause of causing apoptosis, or death, in cells. This is sometimes good, but often bad. In the cases this would be beneficial is endocannabinoid induced apoptosis of cancer cells, which has been observe to occur in pancreatic cancer cells and colon cancer cells. Yet, this apoptosis is not always beneficial, as it may be causing cell deaths that are not meant to happen and throws off the balance of the body. Now, there are certain compounds in the cannabis that can target these processes, but researchers have found that there is difficulty in delivering just the one compound appropriately with minimal side effects other than just administering the entire plant extract. This is where the lack of research on cannabis becomes a problem. Marijuana is a schedule I drug, along with LSD and heroin, yet it is not nearly as harmful or addictive as any of its counterpart schedule I drugs. This also makes it hard for researchers to obtain marijuana or other cannabis compounds in order to do research, as it is generally hard to legally obtain illegal things. Yet, without studies that further investigate the drug, it is hard to tell exactly how marijuana is affecting cells and the signaling pathways. You see, both arguments of the debate of whether to legalize marijuana can have strong arguments that seem to contradict each other, as the side of the debate that wants marijuana legalized can point out that cannabis benefits the body (largely as a relief of pain) but the side against the legalization can also argue that it is harmful to the body (mostly the psychotic effects or “high” are looked down on). Without more research, there is no way to tell which argument is more valid since in many cases science simply knows that endocannabinoids are changing, or modulating the processes in the body. If marijuana were to be removed from the group of schedule I drugs, then more research could be done to discover just exactly how it is changing the body, and when those changes are good and bad.
Endogenous Cannabinoids and Their Potential Medical Applications
Throughout the past week in our neurochemistry class, we discussed the issue of medical cannabis and endogenous cannabinoids found within our body. Although a lot of the class discussion revolved around the political debate of the legalization of medical marijuana in the United States, I thought that the most interesting components of our literature article was the potential uses of endogenous cannabinoids. Endogenous cannabinoids (eCBs) can most simply be defined as molecules that are both similar physically and functionally to cannabis and are found naturally throughout our body. Endogenous cannabinoids are neurotransmitters that affect various functions in our body including pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, sensory, and the perception of time. The molecule of interest in marijuana, THC, mimics the endogenous cannabinoid transmitter achieving similar natural effects. Experimentation within the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) has identified molecules that are involved in various physiological processes. Advancement within this field will require both research about the mechanism in which Marijuana works in our body and the direct application of the ECS within our body.
To start off I think it will be beneficial to illustrate how cannabis derivatives achieve their effects in our body. Cannabimimetic molecules achieve their effects by binding to G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors (GPCRs) on the surface of a cell. GPCRs are further categorized into two main types, CB1 and CB2 receptors. Although not crucial in understanding the rudimentary effects that cannabis derivatives have in the body, CB1 receptors are found extensively in the brain and CB2 receptors in the immune system. When a cannabinoid derivative binds to a CB1/CB2 receptor, cellular activity within the cell is altered. Simply put, both the desirable compounds in marijuana and the endogenous cannabinoids bind to these receptors, which results in a physiological response.
With knowing this over simplified schematic, one may pose the question as to why we don’t just isolate these compounds and achieve the same desirable effects that come from marijuana? Although this solution seems to make sense, in practice it can’t be done as of now. Partially, this is the result of Marijuana being listed as a Schedule One drug in the United States. A Schedule One drug is defined as being a substance that possesses no medical benefit and is shown to be highly addictive. I am not going to get into my personal convictions, but the fact of the matter is that this label makes it extremely difficult for there to be credible research performed on marijuana. In turn, marijuana being listed as a Schedule One drug has limited our understanding of how the drug behaves mechanistically within our body. Another issue presented within our understanding of marijuana is something called the Entourage Effect. The Entourage Effect explains how all the compounds within marijuana “act together” to achieve its psychotic and medical effects that can be called desirable. The Entourage Effect further complicates how isolating cannabinoid molecules will affect us.
So, with all that said, where are we at? Well within the context of applying endogenous cannabinoids in our body, that’s difficult to answer. I believe that further research about the mechanism in which marijuana acts in our body and strengthening our knowledge of endogenous cannabinoids within our body is essential. With further understanding, I feel that we will be able to isolate the beneficial effects that marijuana can have in our body through naturally present endogenous cannabinoids. Applications could include increasing the appetites of cancer patients to aid in recovery, decrease in nausea, pain reduction, and anti-inflammatory symptoms. In summary, the endocannabinoid system presents a promising target for effective therapeutics without the entire effects marijuana can have on our bodies.
Endocannabinoids: Who am I to judge somebody else’s pain?
Throughout this week, our topic of interest within our Neurochemistry course was endocannabinoids (eCBs). But before misconceptions take place, as marijuana is commonly associated with endocannabinoids, take a look at what we learned and conclusions that we came to within our discussion throughout the week. What I didn’t expect to learn this week, and what I believe is not generally known within the public, due to the negative stigma surrounding marijuana in particular, is that endocannabinoids are natural substances that are found within our body. There are many important functioning mechanisms surrounding this system. Cannabis, an active ingredient in marijuana, a substance not naturally found within the body, often associated with cutting loose and having a good time, has been shown to possess an active ingredient (cannabidiol (CBD)) beneficial to those suffering form cancer, epilepsy, as well as chronic pain, as it is able to bind in this newly discovered endocannabinoid system. Take a look and see:
Within the body, there is an endogenous cannabinoid system that is involved in various functions throughout the body: such as appetite, anxiety, learning, memory, growth and development. When looking specifically at the ligands or mediators that bind (endocannabinoids or eCBs) to the receptors, researchers have found that marijuana, specifically the active ingredient THC, is what can bind within this system on the membrane surface of a cell. Specifically in regards to cannabis, researchers are realizing it is important to keep in mind what is called the “entourage effect”. The entourage effect is an understanding that in order to get the best results, every ingredient within cannabis must be present. However, this is where the controversy surrounding this topic comes into play. If every ingredient in cannabis is present, negative side effects are going to occur, as is commonly associated with the recreational use of marijuana (disorientation, lack of physical coordination to name a few). As new treatments are being developed for those suffering from cancer, epilepsy or chronic pain, researchers are finding it very difficult to extract a specific component of cannabis without tinkering with the repercussions of this extraction. The other main ingredient found in cannabis is cannabidiol. This active ingredient has been shown to be fairly beneficial to those suffering from seizures, as this ingredient within cannabis does not actually bind to a receptor within the endocannabinoid system. However, as it does not actually bind, it must be used with THC in order to get the best results, but with these best results comes some negative side effects.
In regards to the ongoing controversy surrounding the legalization of marijuana or not, I cannot help but state, “who am I to judge somebody else’s pain?” I have never had cancer, epilepsy, or chronic pain. If cannabis in its totality, or one of the ingredients in cannabis, cannabidiol, has been found to be beneficial to those who suffer from one of those unfortunate diseases mentioned earlier, who am I to state that one’s quality of life is not as important as keeping marijuana off the streets? Those who want to get ahold of marijuana will regardless if marijuana is legalized or not. Future research hopes to be able to produce therapy treatments that can be beneficial without the negative side effects. Although I personally believe marijuana is a gate-way drug, the addiction comes in the form of a physical dependence, not a physiological dependence. As I stated earlier, I reiterate on the fact that who am I to judge someone’s long-term pain? We can only hope that research is getting closer to finding a solution that avoids the negative symptoms associated with cannabis, while benefiting the quality of life of the individual taking the therapy treatment.