Tag Archives: Tetrahydrocannabinol

THC on Neurodevelopment of Fetuses

September 17, 2014

Long Term of THC on Neurodevelopment of Fetuses

The most vulnerable state in a woman’s life is during pregnancy. This is because at this time she not only has one life to take care of but also another young life that is even more vulnerable. This therefore calls for caution. A woman who is pregnant should be wary of what passes through her mouth and proceeds right into her body. This is because whatever she eats can either make her gestation period and life after a healthy affair or a nightmare. More often than note the life behaviors of a pregnant mother impacts on the life of the foetus as well and therefore it is important for a pregnant woman to distance herself from all drugs and other risky life choices that may impact negatively on the life of her offspring. Just as good nutrition and clinical visits are emphasized to pregnant women it is also good to encourage these women to stay away from harmful drugs like cocaine, bhang and even alcohol. Unfortunately pregnant women have not seen the need to quit indulging in these risky behaviors even when they are expectant. If current research findings are to be believed, about 4% of women in the USA use illicit drugs while pregnant. Seventy five percent of these cases report the use of marijuana. Despite the widespread use of this product, the public is not aware of the potential neurobehavioral effects of this drug on the fetus or the newborn infant. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most effective compound found in cannabis sativa. Unfortunately it is effective for all the wrong reasons as it affects the neurodevelopment in fetus and newborn infants. Needless to say it has been used in few doses to avoid nausea and vomit in cancer patients. It has also been used to increase appetite in patients but when used for non medical reasons nothing good can come out of this compound.

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Effects of cannabis during pregnancy

Recent studies have proved that children who are exposed to marijuana prenatally encounter such problems as social and cognitive disturbances. One of these study suggested exposing children to heavy marijuana use prenatally increased the risk of giving birth to low weight babies and the reduced head circumference in teenagers is a proof to this argument. It is also exposing fetus to heavy marijuana use prenatally increased the risk of childhood leukemia. Exposing fetus to heavy use of marijuana prenatally also resulted in both long term and short term memory loss. Even as the infants grow into youths they become very poor in judgmental skills and mostly become very slow in learning and adopting new ideas.

In another study, 42 postmortem fetal brain samples from pregnant women at mid gestation (between 18 – 22 weeks old) who voluntarily underwent saline induced abortion, a decrease in dopamine receptor (D2) mRNA expression in amygdala with significant prevalence in male fetuses. 7 Extensive marijuana exposure in utero was associated with the lowest reported mRNA levels. However this study did not show whether this change is transient or permanent but still it was able to prove that exposure to heavy use of marijuana resulted in low mRNA levels.

Effects of Cannabis during breast feeding

When a woman continues to use marijuana, the THC compound in it will not quit causing the side effects it is known for to this infant but will still continue to hurt the life of the infant. The compound will not stay in the mother alone but will be passed to the infant when breast feeding since it is secreted in milk. This may cause side effects in the life of the infant as it will be absorbed and retained in the body of the infant. Researchers opine that at the point of intake into the infant the proportions of the dangerous compound in the milk is minimal to cause any clinical problems but it is sufficient enough to cause serious long-term effects in the infant. It may take time but in the end it affects the neurobehavioral functioning of an infant .Infants exposed to marijuana through breast milk will test positive in urine screens for about 2-3 weeks. One study of 16 women indicated decreased plasma levels of prolactin especially in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

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THC decreases IQ in children

When you are pregnant but you choose to indulge in using marijuana during your pregnancy be sure to have a child that is not very well upstairs. The exposure of a child to THC prenatally will decrease their Intelligence Quotient. This problem affects the teens as that is the period that they try to accomplish things by themselves. Most of the dangers that THC cause to infants are seen during the teen. They become poor planners which make it rather difficult to keep the pace with their other fellows.

The use of marijuana in pregnant women is a cause for concern everywhere and it is advisable that women should stay away from using marijuana not only for their health but also for the life of their offspring. The effects of marijuana that they absorb in their blood during infancy end up affecting them during their entire lives. THC is a dangerous compound and so women should avoid interacting with it to save their children from long-term neurobehavioral anomalies.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She is also dedicated to offer help to addiction patients. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough. Call on her now and learn more on how to fight drug addiction.

Long Term of THC on Neurodevelopment of Fetuses

 

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Drugs Can Behave Like Neurotransmitters

September 15, 2014

Drugs Can Mimic Neurotransmitters

neurotransmittersDrugs will automatically interfere with the bodily functions. That is guaranteed. But some drugs do not only alter minor body functions but go a step further in inhibiting the functions of neurotransmitters.  Most of the drugs that can mimic or interfere with the functions of the neurotransmitters in any way are mostly hard and are hence illegal in many parts of the world. The brain is the engine that drives all the body functions. Even as you are reading this article you do not see with your eyes but you see with your brain. It has various mechanisms through which it accomplishes all the functions of the body. Before we learn how the drugs can affect the neuron transmitters it is good to know how they work.

Neurotransmitters are very crucial in the system. They are the chemicals that transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. Nerve cells are known as neurons. The nerve impulse travels from the first nerve cell through the axon, a single smooth body arising from the nerve cell to the axon terminal and the synaptic knobs. Each synaptic knob communicates with a dendrite or cell body of another neuron, and the synaptic knobs contain neurovesicles that store and release neurotransmitters. The synapse lies between the synaptic knob and the next cell. For the impulse to continue traveling across the synapse to reach the next cell, the synaptic knobs release the neurotransmitter into that space, and the next nerve cell is stimulated to pick up the impulse and continue it. An interference with the neurotransmitters can adversely affect the flow of message within the nervous system.

A point to note is that there is neurotransmitter compatibility, that is every transmitter is designed to be bound by a specific receptor. Some drugs are structurally similar to neurotransmitters and hence may be bound by the receptors and hence mimic the functions of the neurotransmitters. The drug will therefore disrupt the functions of the neurotransmitters adversely affecting the whole neuron system. Typically, this is like having an intruder into your personal computer- he will definitely interfere with your programs.

Here are some of the ways through which a drug can interfere with the neurotransmitters functions.

  • Stop the chemical reactions that create neurotransmitters.
  • Empty neurotransmitters from the vesicles where they’re normally stored and protected from breakdown by enzymes.
  • Block neurotransmitters from entering or leaving vesicles.
  • Bind to receptors in place of neurotransmitters.
  • Prevent neurotransmitters from returning to their sending neuron (the reuptake system).
  • Interfere with second messengers, the chemical and electrical changes that take place in a receiving neuron.

Marijuana for example has a compound known as THC which is known to mimic the functions of various neurotransmitters. It mimics the activities of a natural neurotransmitter called anandamide.  Anandamide is an important neurotransmitter as it is charged with the role of boosting memory and learning, reducing pain, and stimulating the appetite.  Anandamide normally works in conjunction with dopamine, and together these neurotransmitters turn on and turn off different chemical pathways as required so as to accomplish certain functions.

The fact THC mimics the Anandamide does not mean that it will work as that natural neural transmitter would. When a person takes marijuana THC binds to cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are located in several parts of the brain namely, the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia. These brain areas are responsible for short-term memory, coordination, learning, problem solving, and unconscious muscle movements. When THC gets itself bound in the cannabinoid receptors, it blocks natural neurotransmitters like anandamide that need to bind to those sites to achieve all their functions. This therefore makes the functions of these neurotransmitters unaccomplished. When THC prevents anadamide from doing its job, the delicate balance between anadamide and dopamine is thrown off and suddenly a person will feel euphoric, off-balance, hyperactive, senseless to pain and unable to retain information.

Nucleus accumbens Reward Mechanism (addiction)

neurotransmitterThe core structures of the brain reward pathway are located in the limbic system. These are a set of primitive structures in the human brain. Typically, the function of the limbic system is to monitor internal homeostasis, mediate memory, mediate learning, and experience emotion.  It also enables important aspects of sexual behavior, motivation, and feeding behaviors. The primary parts of the limbic system include the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, septal nuclei, and anterior cingulate gyrus.  Also important in the function of the limbic system is the limbic striatum, which includes the nucleus accumbens, ventral caudate nucleus and the putamen. The nucleus accumbens, often abbreviated as (NA) has been implicated as an especially important structure of the brain reward pathway because it is targeted by drugs of abuse.

When the brain becomes exposed to a certain drug, it begins relying on self stimulation as opposed to the natural neurotransmitter induced stimulation and this is what causes addiction. Several experiments have been done on animal models by use of electrodes that are placed into the nucleus accumbens under conditions of imposed environmental stress. Through these experiments the dependence on drugs for stimulation in brains exposed to these drugs is seen.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She is also dedicated to offer help to addiction patients. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough. Call on her now and learn more on how to fight drug addiction.

Drugs Can Mimic Neurotransmitters

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Effects of Heavy Use of Cannabis On the Brain and Body

August 15, 2014

Effects Of Chronic, Heavy Cannabis Use On The Executive Brain Function

What is cannabis?

This is a plant which is commonly known as marijuana and by many other names. Though this plant is sometimes used for medicinal value, it is commonly used for recreational purposes as a depressant. If the drug is taken in large doses it can be an hallucinogen.

What makes cannabis to have effects in the brain?

Heavy CannabisThere is a specific chemical which is found in the cannabis, and which is responsible for the effects that cannabis have in the brain. This chemical is called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This chemical varies in quantity in the cannabis depending on factor such as the part of plant that is used, the plant variety, and the condition under which the plant was grown. This is what makes cannabis from different geographical areas to be different.

When this chemical enters in the brain, it causes the user to have a ‘high’ feeling. This is because the chemical (THC) enter the brain reward system and activates it. This occurs by stimulating the brain cells to release another chemical known as dopamine.

How does cannabis have medicinal value then?

Cannabis when taken in small doses may cause little or no harm in your body. When it is abused can have an intense negative effect on your body though. For medicinal value of cannabis, small doses are administered due to the properties of the chemical THC which emulates properties which make it have medicinal value. These properties are:-

  • Cannabis has shown to be effective as an anti-nausea drug.
  • It has also shown to be effective in the treatment of glaucoma, which is a very serious eye condition.
  • It has likewise shown to be valuable in stopping loss in weight, improving moods and also easing of pain. This is according to (National Task Force on Cannabis 1994:17)

What are the effects of using cannabis?

Just like we earlier mentioned, when cannabis is abused it can have effects on the user. These effects can be categorized as either short term or long-term effects. There are effects which will be witnessed after a short period of abuse, while there are others which may take quite long before they are witnessed on the cannabis user. In most cases, the short-term effects are the ones considered as effects of cannabis abuse.

The following are the general effects of cannabis abuse:-

  • Mood fluctuations – the person experiences mood changes occasionally, revolving around relaxed, ‘high’, sleepy, anxious depressed and many other mood forms.
  • Impaired memory and attention – the person faced difficulty in remembering as well as paying attention.
  • Stronger sensory experience
  • Increased heart beat rate may result
  • The person may be faced with dizziness and nausea
  • Cannabis abuse has been associated with abnormal hunger.
  • May cause dilated pupils and blood-shot eyes.
  • Other effects of cannabis abuse worthy mentioning are confusion, anxiety, hallucination, delusion, agitation and sometimes paranoia. In the long run, apart from these short term effects of cannabis, it may lead to smoking related cancers. This is in the most cases the respiratory system cancer. It may also lead to permanent memory loss and difficulty in learning.

What effects can cannabis abuse have on employees?

The effects of cannabis in employees may make the workplace an abyss. In any given workplace, teamwork is key, but how the employees relate determines whether teamwork will ever exist in a given firm. The usage of cannabis by either the employees or the CEO affects the workplace in the following ways:-

  • Poor interpersonal relations – the employees will not relate well, since the cannabis effect of ‘highness’ cause disrespect. The cannabis user rarely relates well with the other employees and hardly respects the authority.
  • Poor/ low output – the output of the employees who use cannabis decline. This is as a result of impairment in memory and retention of instruction. For instance, a person may forget how a given machine is normally operated, though he/she has been working with it before.
  • Activities such as meetings and time bound tasks will be negatively affected. This is especially the case with the person whose memory has been affected and cannot remember scheduled events like meetings.

Heavy Cannabis

  • Accident proneness – the employee who uses cannabis will be at a high risk of causing accident especially if he/she is working by use of machines which can cause accidents. For instance, if an employee was using an electrically powered machine, a small mistake may lead to shock or even loss of one’s live.
  • The levels of error are high- this can be a serious problem especially with doctors, where a small error may cost life of a patient. If a doctor is using cannabis, errors such as wrong prescription of drugs, inappropriate operation, misinterpretation of results etc. may occur, causing damage or loss of live of the patient. Imagine of a surgeon who is to do a surgery but he/she is in cannabis ‘highness!’ actually a serious damage may occur, since the surgeon cannot be keen with details.
  • Relationship with clients will be negatively affected. A cannabis user cannot maintain good relationship with the clients since his/her attention may be impaired. This causes clients/ customer decline in numbers over time and hence losses to the firm.

If you need help with cannabis addiction or know of a friend suffering from this addiction, call in live or email us and we will help you get trusted treatment and advice. We are true professionals with proven track records and are very reliable in treatment.

Effects Of Chronic, Heavy Cannabis Use On The Executive Brain Function

 

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Medicinal Marijuana Can be Replaced

August 14, 2014

Natural Alternatives To Smoking Medicinal Marijuana

What is medicinal marijuana?

This is marijuana that in not different from the one that people recreationally smoke, apart from being an illegal weed in many parts of the world. The only difference is that this marijuana is taken for medicinal value and it is prescribed by doctors. In states where medicinal marijuana is allowed, patients who are found suitable for the type of medication involving medicinal marijuana, it is prescribed to them and they are given a card that permit them to buy the product from authorized dealers. Some of the licenses allow the patient to even grow a controlled amount of marijuana for their personal use.

The main reason why medicinal marijuana may be prescribed to a patient is for pain killing purposes. This medication has been mainly used for people with cancer or those living with HIV/AIDS. In this case, it has been used to treat vomiting and reduce nausea and also in the treatment of pain and muscle spasticity.

Can medicinal marijuana be harmful?

There has not been clarity in the long term effects of medicinal marijuana, but there have been concerns such as loss in memory and cognition problems, the risk for the patient becoming dependent and also the risk of children accessing the medicinal marijuana and taking it by mistake.

Medinal marijuana

Just like we had earlier mentioned in the definition of medicinal marijuana, is worthy noting that medicinal marijuana is not different from the “weed” that is illegal almost all over the world, (Cannabis) and the one with known addiction effects on the users. Just like any other medicinal drug also, it is important to note that the abuse of the drug may have more harm than benefits. Marijuana is a known addictive substance and a habit forming. Thus is the patient continues to use the substance over time, resistance may develop leading to increased dosage amount and consequently leading to addiction. When the person becomes addicted, the situation meant to be cured by the medicinal marijuana will even look more complicated since apart from its treatment, the addiction that has resulted must also be addressed.

Are there better alternatives to medicinal marijuana?

The alternative of medicinal marijuana which can prove beneficial is the one that produces similar medicinal value to the medicinal marijuana and leaving no side effects at the same time. This medication focuses on the treatment of pain particularly since it is the main reason why medicinal marijuana is prescribed to the patients. The main alternatives for medicinal marijuana are the herbal, supplement and nutritional treatments.

The natural alternatives to medicinal marijuana

medicinal marijuanaThe natural alternative to smoking medicinal marijuana focuses on what causes the symptoms which medicinal marijuana seeks to address. It therefore uses natural methods of addressing the symptoms through herbs, supplements or nutrition.

The herbal, nutritional & Supplements alternatives to medicinal marijuana

Someone will wonder whether marijuana is not a herb, and why we should use other herbs but not marijuana! The reason why we will consider some other herbs as better options to medicinal marijuana is because these other herbs are considered to have no negative effects to the patient, they are non-addictive, and above all they are legal all over the world. The following are some of the common herbs which can be alternatives to medicinal marijuana:-

  • Willow bark – this is a herb that has been used in different cultures to reduce pain, fever and inflammation. This herb is a very strong medication in the treatment of pain and it is commonly used in treatment all over the world. One of the advantages of this herb over cannabis is that it is non-addictive and has no side effects. For more information on this medication, visit or call awaremednetwork.com
  • Turmeric – this is one of the most powerful known medications for inflammation. This herb is known for its ability to cure arthritis, gout, autoimmune disease, sciatic and other inflammatory conditions. This medication is non-addictive and hence a good alternative to medicinal marijuana.
  • Skullcap – this is a common herb especially in northern America. It has been used for over 200 years to date, in the treatment for allergies, inflammation, painkilling, chronic pain, and even for cancer treatment. It can be used for painkilling for people living with HIV/AIDS and cancer and this makes it a good alternative to medicinal marijuana.
  • Magnesium – this is a nutrient which is very important in human body. It is used in treatment of pain in muscles and nerves. Magnesium has been proven to have capability to balance the brain chemical known as NMDA that is responsible for pain transmission in the nervous system. Deficiency in magnesium is a common cause for and pain amplifier. To controls pain by use of magnesium, it can be taken as a supplement or through nutrition. Foods which are rich in magnesium are recommended. Some of the foods rich in magnesium include:- Dark leafy greens especially Spinach, nuts and seeds, fish, beans and Lentils, low fat diary among many others.
  • SAMe – this is a popular dietary supplement required in the treatment of depression and osteoarthritis. SAMe itself, is a compound which is naturally found in every human cell in the body. In is known for its role as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. It can therefore be used in the treatment of pain, relieving stiffness, reducing joint swelling among other health benefits. For more details on how this treatment works, call or visit awaremednetwork.com
  • Vitamin D – this vitamin is known to be very essential in the human body, and its deficiency may lead to chronic illnesses like chronic pain. This nutrient can be obtained as a supplement or from diets.

Are you struggling with medicinal marijuana treatment? Or are you experiencing endless pains and now you want a treatment that has no side effects? Awaremed.com is your solution. Call us today and get your solution to the problem.

Natural Alternatives To Smoking Medicinal Marijuana

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Cannabis and Cancer

August 12, 2014

Safe Use of Cannabis In Cancer Treatment

CannabisNature has always given the best of cancer treatments that are often safe to the users. Integrative cancer doctors, cancer researchers and other nutritionists have recommended the use of natures given herbs and fruits to help in cancer treatment as they are free from chemicals that may cause collateral damage. Most greens are packed with antioxidants that are useful in fighting cancer. Most of the greens are also very good in boosting the immune system and help in fighting disease causing pathogens. Some of the proposed cancer treatment alternatives are not very welcomed by many states and even the cancer patients are afraid to try them. But cancer is a disease that can render anyone helpless and even ready to try the formidable. Use of narcotics in cancer treatments has been met with lots of controversy. It is not only narcotics that have been met with controversy in cancer treatments but even the safe use of marijuana in cancer treatment has been attracting lots of controversy. This is because in most federal states the use of marijuana has been prohibited- even for medical purposes.

Marijuana also known as Cannabis sativa is plant that grows widely in warm tropical climates. This plant has been used in the past for its medicinal value. Due to its ready market and wide use for non medical purposes, this plant has been produced in large scale for commercial purposes. There are 66 biologically active components of marijuana that has been identified by doctors. These are called cannabinoids. However the most noted component as potent is known as the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol often shortened as THC. The potency of this delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol has been discovered to be useful in fighting cancer.

However potent these components are, there has been lots of problems with research on marijuana as the legislators classified marijuana as a narcotic drug denying access to marijuana even for medicinal purpose. This restriction came in 1970 thereby barring reasonable research to be done on the medicinal abilities of this plant.

The use of marijuana in cancer treatment began long ago even before most states allowed it to be used strictly for medicinal purposes. In a research that was done by Harvard Medical School in 1991discovered that nearly 50 percent of doctors in the United States recommended cannabis sativa to their cancer patients as a means of easing their pain and to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and other conventional cancer therapies.

Use marijuana in cancer treatment got a thumb up after the favorable review of the Institute of medicine that stated that marijuana can be used effectively as an alternative to conventional cancer treatments. . The review reasoned that in some cancer patients that are already experiencing such side effects as nausea and vomiting swallowing pills becomes a problem thereby making it hard to continue with medication.

The release of the Institute of Medicine report seemingly opened ways for many research works to be published on the effectiveness of marijuana as an alternative cancer treatment. A review of clinical studies that was conducted in several states in 2001 found out that in 768 cancer patients marijuana was very effective anti-emetic in chemotherapy. Other studies that have also been done on the effectiveness of cannabis as cancer treatment found that the biologically active components in marijuana helped in preventing nausea, vomiting and pain in cancer patients. These studies also found that it helped improved the appetite of cancer patients.

Through numerous laboratory tests, scientists have been able to prove the tumor-fighting properties of cannabinoids. Researchers have discovered that the cannabinoids inhibit growth of tumors in animal models by modulating key cell-signaling pathways. However there have never been tests on humans. The researchers also reported that the cannabinoids are very well tolerated by the patients and their use do not produce the life threatening side effects that conventional cancer treatments are known for.

Today several studies have revealed that the active components of marijuana inhibit the growth of cancer cells and promote apoptosis; which is the programmed cell death in tumors. These components are able to accomplish all this by inhibiting angiogenesis. Without angiogenesis it becomes impossible for cancer metastasis. Researchers also noticed that unlike the haphazard chemotherapy that works by producing toxic free radicals, the active marijuana components work better by targeting the cancerous cells thereby evading the grave side effects.

Possible Danger

Cannabis is a drug that when used without observation of a qualified doctor can result in serious health problems. Smoking cannabis can result in such problems as irritating throat while increased exposure to such smoke can result in development of many cancers. To avoid the danger of smoke other ingestion methods such as capsules, food products and tinctures should be used.

CannabisMarijuana also increases the rate of heart beat which may beckon other diseases. Other complications that may arise from unsafe use of cannabis include; mental confusion, lack of concentration, anxiety, paranoia, panic, fear of loss of control, alienation or detachment, dry mouth, and reddened eyes. Excessive use of marijuana may also cause loss of memory and other grave complications. It is therefore advisable that no patient should try using marijuana as an alternative cancer treatment without the help of a doctor.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Safe Use of Cannabis In Cancer Treatment

 

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