Fear | Greed | Racism | Ignorance What do these words have in common? They are the basis of our National Cannabis Policy. Not Science. Learn more about cannabis science at https://www.mychronicrelief.com.
In Exodus, 30:23, God directed Moses to make a holy anointing oil composed of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, Kaneh-bosem, cassia, and olive oil. “And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.”
According to conventional Biblical scholarship, the “250 shekels of kaneh-bosm” listed in ancient Hebrew versions of the Old Testament supposedly refers to calamus. Sula Benet, Polish anthropologist and author of Early Diffusion and Folk Uses of Hemp, demonstrated that the word for cannabis is kaneh-bosm, also rendered in traditional Hebrew as kaneh or kannabus. The root kan in this construction means “reed” or “hemp”, while bosm means “aromatic”. This word appears five times in the Old Testament; in the books of Exodus, the Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel…. and has been mistranslated as calamus, a common marsh plant with little monetary value that does not have the qualities or value ascribed to kaneh-bosm. The error occurred in the oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint in the third century BC, and was repeated in the many translations that followed.
“I mistakenly believed the Drug Enforcement Agency listed marijuana as a Schedule I substance because of sound scientific proof. They didn’t have the science to support that claim. It doesn’t have a high potential for abuse, and there are very legitimate medical applications. In fact, sometimes marijuana is the only thing that works.” -Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Congratulations to psychiatrist Sue Sisley, a researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), who are a step closer to studying how medical cannabis affects veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The federal government has signed off on a long-delayed study looking at cannabis as a treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a development that drug researchers are hailing as a major shift in U.S. policy.
Sisley’s study proposal has made its way through the federal government for three years. In 2011, she received approval by the Food and Drug Administration. On Friday, the study cleared another major hurdle when the Public Health Service, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), gave its approval. The Department of Health and Human Services’ decision surprised cannabis advocates who have struggled for decades to secure federal approval for research into the drug’s medical uses.
“MAPS has been working for over 22 years to start marijuana drug development research, and this is the first time we’ve been granted permission to purchase marijuana from NIDA,” the Boston-based group said in a statement.
It is important to note that cannabis is the only Schedule I drug that must go through the extra step of an HHS review board. This step has been a major hurdle in the advancement of medical cannabis research conducted in the United States.
The DEA is the Last Step in the PTSD Cannabis Research Study
Now Sisley is waiting on approval from a third and final agency — the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — before she can start her research. It’s unclear how long the DEA will take.
Washington Post writer Ariana Eunjung Cha, wrote in an interesting article published March 21, that “spokesperson Dawn Dearden said that the agency is supportive of medical research on marijuana but needs to follow regulations under the Controlled Substances Act. “DEA has not denied DEA registration to a HHS-approved marijuana study in the last 20-plus years,” she said. “Those words leave us, MAPS and the entire medical cannabis community cautiously optimistic.
Although there is a “mountain of anecdotal evidence” that cannabis helps with PTSD, there has been no controlled trial to test how marijuana suppresses the symptoms, including flashbacks, insomnia and anxiety, said Suzanne Sisley, the study’s lead researcher.
Medical Cannabis Research for PTSD Will Measure Effectiveness
Sisley’s study will measure the effects of five different potencies of smoked or vaporized cannabis in treating symptoms of PTSD in 50 veterans.
The Veterans Administration estimates between 11-20% of soldiers who served in the recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars have PTSD, which can cause anxiety, flashbacks, depression and sleep deprivation. About 7.7 million American adults are estimated to have the disorder.
The Cost of Cannabis Research for PTSD
“It’s hopefully a great starting point to begin to uncover some innovative ways of treating PTSD,” Sisley told media. The cost of this study is approximately $750K. Hopes for receiving state funding from the Arizona legislature were dashed last week, when Education Committee Chair, Senator Kimberly Yee refused to hear the bill. “Regardless, the research will be funded,” said Brad Burge, Director of Communications & Marketing for MAPS. He explained that MAPS will be raising funds from grants, organizations, and private citizens who support this research.
Be one of the first people to help MAPS get the funding they need to begin the PTSD research with a gift of $50 or any amount you are comfortable with by CLICKING HERE. Every contribution matters!
We hope that the DEA provides clearance quickly so that this study can be conducted to further understand the benefits of this legitimate medicine.
To learn more about the work of Dr. Sisley and the Multidisciplinary Association on Psychedelic Studies please visit their website at www.maps.org .
Dr. Sanja Gupta’s second documentary on medical marijuana, Weed 2:Cannabis Madness: Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports, aired 3/11/14 dives deeper into the medical science and merits of cannabis.
“This scientific journey is about a growing number of patients who want the cannabis plant as a genuine medicine, not to get high.
It is about emerging science that not only shows and proves what marijuana can do for the body but provides better insights into the mechanisms of marijuana in the brain, helping us better understand a plant whose benefits have been documented for thousands of years. This journey is also about a Draconian system where politics override science and patients are caught in the middle.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a practicing neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent.
Since our documentary “Weed” aired in August, I have continued to travel the world, investigating and asking tough questions about marijuana.
I have met with hundreds of patients, dozens of scientists and the curious majority who simply want a deeper understanding of this ancient plant. I have sat in labs and personally analyzed the molecules in marijuana that have such potential but are also a source of intense controversy. I have seen those molecules turned into medicine that has quelled epilepsy in a child and pain in a grown adult. I’ve seen it help a woman at the peak of her life to overcome the ravages of multiple sclerosis.
I am more convinced than ever that it is irresponsible to not provide the best care we can, care that often may involve marijuana.
I am not backing down on medical marijuana; I am doubling down.”
Dr. Gupta made important declarations about the safety and efficacy of this legitimate medicine. His statements are pivotal to the larger public understanding of the therapeutic merits of cannabis. Let’s continue the conversation on how to bring this much desired medicine to those who need it and bring safe access to everyone.
Sisley’s study proposal has made its way through the federal government for three years. In 2011, she received approval by the Food and Drug Administration. On Friday, the study cleared another major hurdle when the Public Health Service, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), gave its approval. The Department of Health and Human Services’ decision surprised cannabis advocates who have struggled for decades to secure federal approval for research into the drug’s medical uses.
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