Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2006.5.18

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Weekly News in Audio

May 18, 2006

Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes, Study Says

Second "Cannabis" Pill To Be Available In The US

Australian Government Urges States To Overturn Decrim Laws

Jerusalem, Israel:
Non-Psychoactive Cannabinoid Reduces Incidence Of Diabetes, Study Says

Administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid (CBD) lowers incidence of diabetes in animals and may one day play a role in the prevention of human type 1 diabetes, according to preclinical findings published in the March issue of the journal Autoimmunity.

Researchers at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem reported that injections of 5 mg per day of CBD significantly reduced the prevalence of diabetes in mice from an incidence of 86 percent in non-treated controls to an incidence of only 30 percent. In a separate experiment, investigators reported that control mice all developed diabetes at a median of 17 weeks (range 15-20 weeks) while a majority (60 percent) of CBD-treated mice remained diabetes-free at 26 weeks.

Investigators also reported that CBD significantly lowered plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cykotines (proteins), INF-gamma and TNF-alpha, and significantly reduced the severity of insulitis (an infiltration of white blood cells resulting in swelling) compared to non-treated controls.

"Our results indicate that CBD can inhibit and delay destructive insulitis and inflammatory ... cykotine production in ... mice resulting in decreased incidence of diabetes," authors concluded.

Preclinical trial data published earlier this year found that CBD prevents diabetic retinopathy in animals. The condition, which is characterized by retinal oxygen deprivation, is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.

Cannabinoids have also been demonstrated to alleviate certain types of neuropathic pain associated with diabetes, and to reduce glucose levels in animal models of the disease.

Rockville, MD:
Second "Cannabis" Pill To Be Available In The US

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week re-approved a synthetic cannabinoid analogue for prescription use in the United States.

The oral pill, marketed as Cesamet (also known as naboline), is an analogue (a structural derivative) of the cannabinoid THC. It will be available as a Schedule II controlled substance for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional anti-emetic treatments.

Marinol (dronabinol), the only synthetic cannabinoid legally available on the US market, is classified as a Schedule III drug under federal law.

Although Cesamet was initially approved by the FDA in 1985, it was later withdrawn from the market by then-manufacturer Eli Lilly for commercial reasons. The drug has been marketed as an anti-nauseant in Canada and the United Kingdom by Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which purchased the rights to Cesamet in 2004. According to the manufacturer, potential adverse reactions to the drug include ataxia (loss of ability to coordinate muscular movement), euphoria, headache, vertigo, increased heart rate, and concentration difficulties.

Cesamet will be available in 1-milligram tablets, meant to be taken twice daily. Marinol (synthetic THC in sesame oil) is available in 2.5mg, 5mg and/or 10mg dosages.

Though legally available in the US, few patients report positive experiences with Marinol because of its high price tag, delayed onset, and heightened psychoactivity.

Mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals is currently developing a generic version of Marinol for sale in the US market.

Perth, Australia:
Australian Government Urges States To Overturn Decrim Laws

The federal government is endorsing a plan to implement nationwide uniform cannabis laws outlawing all possession or use of the drug, following a meeting of the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy - the nation's top policy-making body on controlled substances.

The new policy, which calls cannabis as dangerous as heroin and cocaine, urges states to revise existing laws decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana in favor of criminal penalties. Virtually all eight Australian states treat minor cannabis offenses as civil, not criminal, violations. In four states - South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capitol Territory (ACT), and the Northern Territory - cultivation of cannabis for personal use is also a non-criminal offense.

Though government officials endorsed the policy change, they admitted that they lack the legal authority to compel states to overturn their more liberal cannabis laws.

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