Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2007.4.19

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Weekly News in Audio

April 19, 2007

"Smokeless" Cannabis Delivery System Found "Safe And Effective," Study Says

Pot's Active Ingredient Halts Lung Cancer Growth, Study Says

NORML Affiliates Nationwide To Celebrate 'High Holiday'

San Francisco, CA:
"Smokeless" Cannabis Delivery System Found "Safe And Effective," Study Says

Vaporization is a "safe and effective" cannabinoid delivery mode for patients who desire the rapid onset of action associated with inhalation while avoiding the respiratory risks of smoking, according to clinical trial data to be published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Investigators at San Francisco General Hospital reported that use of the Volcano vaporizing device delivered "efficient" doses of THC to subjects in a "reproducible" manner while significantly reducing their intake of gaseous combustion toxins, including carbon monoxide. Eighteen subjects participated in the six-day study, which was sponsored by the state of California and the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research.

"Vaporization of marijuana does not result in exposure to combustion gases, ... and [was] preferred by most subjects compared to marijuana cigarettes," authors concluded. "The Volcano [vaporizer] device is an effective and apparently safe vehicle for THC delivery, and warrants further investigation in clinical trials of cannabis for medical purposes."

Researchers reported that vaporization resulted in higher plasma concentrations of THC compared to smoked cannabis for up to 60 minutes following inhalation. Investigators also reported that subjects 'self-titrated' their intake of cannabis vapor, taking smaller and less frequent puffs when exposed to stronger marijuana. On average, the Volcano vaporizer exposed subjects to 54 percent of the applied dose of THC. Previous studies have shown that as much as 80 percent of the THC burned in cigarettes or water-pipes is lost in slipstream smoke.

A prior clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of the Volcano vaporizer published in 2006 in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences also reported that the device delivers set doses of THC to subjects in a reproducible manner "while avoiding the respiratory disadvantages of smoking." The efficacy of the Volcano vaporizer was initially reported in a 2004 study co-sponsored by NORML and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which found that the device delivered vapor of high purity with practically no toxic tars or hydrocarbons.

Vaporization heats cannabis to a temperature where active cannabinoid vapors form (typically around 180-190 degrees Celsius), but below the point of combustion where noxious smoke and associated toxins (i.e., carcinogenic hydrocarbons) are produced (above 230 degrees Celsius).

Separate survey data published this week in the Harm Reduction Journal also reports that vaporization is subjectively associated with fewer respiratory symptoms than smoking cannabis.

Los Angeles, CA:
Pot's Active Ingredient Halts Lung Cancer Growth, Study Says

The administration of THC significantly reduces lung tumor size and lesions, according to preclinical data presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Los Angeles.

Investigators at Harvard University's Division of Experimental Medicine reported that THC inhibited the growth and spread of cells in vitro from two different lung cancer cell lines and from patient lung tumors. They also reported that THC administration reduced the growth of lung tumors in mice by more than 50 percent compared to untreated controls over a three-week period.

Researchers noted that THC appeared to block a specific cancer-causing protein in a manner similar to the pharmaceutical anti-cancer drugs Erbitux (Cetuximab) and Vectibix (Panitumumab).

Results of a large-scale, case-controlled population study published last year found that smoking cannabis, even long-term, is not positively associated with increased incidence of lung-cancer. Investigators in that study noted that one subset of moderate lifetime users had an inverse association between cannabis use and lung cancer, leading them to speculate that cannabinoids may possess certain protective properties against the development of lung cancer in humans.

Separate preclinical studies indicate that compounds in marijuana inhibit cancer cell growth in animals and in culture on a wide range of tumoral cell lines --- including human breast carcinoma cells, human prostate carcimona cells, and human colectoral carcinoma cells, among others. Most recently, investigators at Madrid's Complutense University, School of Biology, reported in the British Journal of Cancer that THC administration decreases, recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (brain) tumor growth in patients diagnosed with the disease.

Washington, DC:
NORML Affiliates Nationwide To Celebrate 'High Holiday'

NORML affiliates in more than a dozen states will be holding events this Friday, April 20th, to acknowledge "420" - the official day for cannabis awareness. NORML chapters in Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Santa Barbara, Tuscon and other cities across the nation will hold rallies commemorating the day, and will call on their elected officials to stop arresting adults who consume cannabis responsibly.

"April 20th has emerged as the most organic and culturally driven day of cannabis awareness, not just in the United States, but also worldwide," said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. "However, while this is a day of notable celebration, it also is a stark reminder of the absurdity of cannabis prohibition in our free market-oriented, democratic society."

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