Health

The use of marijuana has of course become far more normalized over the last several years, and a big part of the reason is NORML.

Since its founding in 1970, the nonprofit public-interest advocacy group the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has provided a voice in the public policy debate for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana consumers.

A large part of that mission has been education, and the organization continues to shed light on the benefits of cannabis use. Here is some of the most recent information that the group has put out, and which is responsible in no small part for the strides that continue being made:

Reducing pain: The administration of aerosolized cannabis via a novel inhaler is associated with long-term pain reductions in patients with neuropathy and other chronic conditions, according to data published in the journal Pain Reports.

Israeli investigators assessed the efficacy of cannabis delivered via a novel metered selective dose inhaler (the Syqe Inhaler) in a cohort of chronic pain patients, according to a release. The mean daily stable dose used by patients in the study was 1.5 mg. of aerosolized delta-9-THC.

“Use of the inhaler over a period of several months was associated with reduced pain scores and improvements in patients’ quality of life. Some patients reported mild side-effects (typically dizziness and sleepiness) at the onset of the study, but few participants continued to report these effects throughout the duration of the trial.”

Anxiety: Canadians who consume cannabis for purposes of selfmedication most frequently report doing so to address pain, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and depression, NORML reported, pointing to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

“Canadian researchers surveyed 489 subjects who purchased cannabis products at adult-use retailers, but who acknowledged doing so to self-medicate. Consistent with prior data, respondents were most likely to report consuming cannabis products to mitigate anxiety (70%), improve sleep (56%), alleviate pain (53%), and address feelings of depression (37%). Subjects were also likely to acknowledge using cannabis to alleviate muscle spasticity, migraine, nausea, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Cancer: Adults with a recent history of cannabis use are twice less likely to be diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, the most common type of liver cancer) than are those with no history of use, according to data published in the scientific journal Cureus. “A team of researchers affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic and with Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC assessed the relationship between cannabis consumption and HCC in a cohort of over one million subjects,” NORML noted. “Investigators reported that those who reported current cannabis use were “55% less likely to have HCC compared to non-cannabis users.”

Treating migraines: Cannabis preparations likely provide for the prophylactic and abortive treatment of migraines, according to a review of the relevant literature published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology.

“A team of investigators with the University of Arizona reviewed the findings of 12 previously published studies involving 1,980 participants,” the organization pointed out. “Authors reported evidence of plant cannabinoids’ ability to reduce migraine frequency and to abort the onset of migraine headaches. The use of various preparations of cannabis was also associated with significant reductions in migraine-induced vomiting, pain, and nausea.”

Motivation: Frequent cannabis use is not associated with motivation loss in adults, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, the group reported.

“A team of researchers affiliated with Oregon State University assessed motivation and self-reported apathy in a cohort of regular (three times per week or more) cannabis users and controls (non-users).”

Investigators identified no significant group differences in selfreported apathy after controlling for covariates (recent alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms). “Authors did report that cannabis consumers were more likely than non-users to “exert more [effort] for reward, suggesting enhanced motivation relative to healthy controls.” Specifically, as reward magnitude increased, frequent cannabis users were more likely to select harder trials to complete than were controls.”

Consistent with prior studies, they concluded: “The current findings do not support [the theory of] a-motivational syndrome in cannabis users; rather cannabis users displayed higher-effort decision-making in comparison to controls.”

Help with Parkinson’s: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often report symptomatic benefits from the use of cannabis, the group announced, citing survey data published in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

“Norwegian investigators surveyed cannabis use patterns and related attitudes among PD patients. Consistent with prior surveys, they reported that a significant minority of PD patients consume cannabis for symptom relief. Respondents were most likely to report improvements in motor function, sleep, and pain as a result of their marijuana use. Observational trial data has determined that cannabis inhalation is associated with improvements in tremor, rigidity, pain, sleep, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) in patients with PD. Placebo-controlled trial data has also determined that acute CBD administration (300mg) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in experimentally-induced anxiety and tremor in PD patients.”

The news regarding cannabis use is good – and NORML is doing an excellent job of telling the world about it.