So, let’s talk a little bit about the mechanisms that might be behind Medical Marijuana’s ability to affect so many illnesses.

I’m going to keep the discussion at the summary and overview level. This is much too complicated a subject to cover in a single blog entry.

But I will also provide you with some links that you can follow if you want to follow this topic down the rabbit hole.

There is a family of cell receptors in the body called cannibinoid receptors. There are at least two of them, CB1 and CB2. They’re influenced by chemicals your body makes called endocannibinoids, and the’re found everywhere in your body.

They undoubtedly serve many functions beyond what we’ve discovered so far.

But, in general we now know that the chemicals that interact with these receptors (the endocannibinoids) play key roles in the regulation of your body’s response to inflammatory conditions. They also act as ‘shock absorbers’ for your body’s nerve sytem’s reactions to chemicals that are associated with your responses to things that stress you out or cause you to be frightened – e.g. the ‘fight or flight’ system. AND, they are associated with immune system response.

Although Delta-9-THC is the chemical everyone talks about – because it seems to be the source of the most psychoactive effects of marijuana use – there are many, many more chemicals contained in whole marijuana extracts that are just as likely to exert positive effects on a person’s biochemical systems. In fact, synergy with these chemicals seems to be the key to Delta-9-THC’s use without serious anxiety related side effects.

This is not new information. It has been known for a very long time. I cannot tell you why it is not being made general information for the masses. I will simply state the fact that what is being made public is at best incomplete and misleading.

If you want a more detailed discussion of the endocannibinoid and cannibinoid chemicals and the receptors they affect I recommend you take a look at the info wikipedia has. A good web addess to start at is this one – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibinoids .

I also find the information at Dr Robert Melamede’s website extremely interesting. You can find it here – http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/youtube_links.html . I think this one is a good place to start –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n31Nuj_AvTg .

I feel that I must also disclose that I am a stock holder in Cannabis Science Inc, and that Dr Melamede is the CEO and President of this company. The link to the company’s website is here – http://www.cannabisscience.com/ .

I stumbled across the company as a result of studying Dr Melamede’s publications. I was checking out whether the claims about Medical Marijuana (particulary Rick Simpson’s Hemp Oil claims) and its usefulness for cancer treatment made sense or not. See this link if you don’t know what I’m talking about – https://thatcrazypharmacist.com/?p=113 .

I don’t pay much attention to what this company is doing, I trust Dr Melamede and his collegues know what they’re doing. I have no idea if they’ll be able to succeed or not. They’re working against strong odds.

Again, I’m only providing information for you to consider and study. I am NOT recommending that you use marijuana. That is a discussion that should occur between you and your physician.

I also do not recommend stocks or investment strategies.

Remember, Pharmacists Pharmacist. Doctors Doctor. Stock Brokers Stock Broker. Let’s keep it that way.