medical marijuana

[brotherhasit]

Hey everybody my younger brother has epilepsy and has had it for many years now. He is fifteen and has already been pulled from going to school and playing contact sports because of his condition. His doctors have found that none of the medicines they are giving him are working and are talking about giving him surgery to remove part of his brain. I am pro prop 215. I feel that medical marijuana could possibly help him. [B]y helping control the miss-firing of neurons i feel that even though we may not be able to treat it we can at least control it. However, my brother doesn't quite understand all he knows about marijuana is what he see's from anti drug propaganda and what not. I do not want him to smoke doobies or whatever but i feel edibles could really help. And being that the marijuana is being ingested there are no risks of him getting lung cancer or anything like that. Anyways he thinks i am just trying to get him to smoke pot or something because he doesn't believe me. So if any of you have any refrences or any thing useful please let me know. I love my brother and brain surgery is very risky i want him to try all possibilities before turning to the surgery. please help.

[epileric]

It's great that you have such a concern for your brother. I know my brother is somewhat protective towards me regarding my seizures.

As far as medical marijuana goes, it's been discussed in great lengths. I know it does help some people but a lot of people also have the opposite effect as far as their seizures go.

Marijuana

[Bernard]

You might have a look here for a list of alternative treatment options which have been scientifically studied.

[gene05]

I love my brother and brain surgery is very risky

That would be my last option from living with epilepsy for 13 years I would exasut all my options of getting it under control before reomoving part of my brain.
gene
Do you live in Cali

[CathyAnn31]

I believe marijuana can be very beneficial for seizure control. My thoughts are there's a lot of stigma associated with the legality issue of MJ so it's not really discussed or recommended very much.

If only I lived in California!!!!! I could partake without being so nervous about law enforsement.

[epileric]

In Canada Medical Marijuana is legal if you are a registered user.
http://www.epilepsyontario.org/clien...ical+Marijuana

The issue I have is that I could not find, scientific, non-anecdotal research that speaks in favour of marijuana helping epilepsy though I have found a study done a few years ago that state is might worsen specific seizures. Other than that it doesn't look like many studies have been done on it and E.

Researchers with the University of Saskatchewan's new Neural Systems and Plasticity Group have found that although a component of marijuana suppresses grand-mal type epileptic seizures in rats, it may intensify the severity of the most common seizures -- those starting in the temporal lobes of the brain.

http://announcements.usask.ca/news/a...ana_compo.html


Recently though certain studies have confirmed negative effects on the brain.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 2, 2010) — Young adults who have used cannabis or marijuana for a longer period of time appear more likely to have hallucinations or delusions or to meet criteria for psychosis, according to a report posted online that will appear in the May print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301165726.htm

ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2009) — Canadian teenagers are among the largest consumers of cannabis worldwide. The damaging effects of this illicit drug on young brains are worse than originally thought, according to new research by Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. The new study, published in Neurobiology of Disease, suggests that daily consumption of cannabis in teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1217115834.htm

[KelVarQ]

As a teenager I was a pot head and never had seizures. Ironically it wasn't until after I stopped smoked pot did my seizures begin. HOWEVER, that's not to say that I didn't have them (nocturnal seizures) but perhaps was too high to even know. I actually thought about smoking weed again in the hopes to control them, but opted against it as I'm now 40 and the thought of having to worry about law enforcement and finding a drug dealer is not really my cup of tea. There are other alternatives (safer methods) such as diet which can be found here by searching diet and I for one have had some success with the Gluten Free Diet. I also had the brain surgery 5 years ago and I know brain surgery sounds SCARY but to be honest it's not really as bad as it sounds. NO, I'm not saying GO FOR IT and definitely try alternatives 1st, but should it ever come down to it and the surgery is necessary it really isn't as bad as it sounds, at least for me it wasn't.

[skillefer]

if only that was the case Cathy....I live in CA and although mj is legal for medicinal use according to the state, it's still not legal federal...so law enforcement still watch the dispensaries like hawks. And..since I'm a teacher, if I were to use MJ, my district could fire me...

[epileric]

if only that was the case Cathy....I live in CA and although mj is legal for medicinal use according to the state, it's still not legal federal...so law enforcement still watch the dispensaries like hawks. And..since I'm a teacher, if I were to use MJ, my district could fire me...

It's similar in Canada. The penalty is much lighter, especially in BC on the western coast but it is still illegal even though people are given special permission for certain diseases to smoke pot and people can lose their jobs for smoking it. Personally I think that's good as I wouldn't want to know that my surgeon or plane pilot were smoking heavily the night before.

[CathyAnn31]

if only that was the case Cathy....I live in CA and although mj is legal for medicinal use according to the state, it's still not legal federal...so law enforcement still watch the dispensaries like hawks. And..since I'm a teacher, if I were to use MJ, my district could fire me...

I am full aware of the legalities of mj in Cali. It's scary with the busts by the feds on local medical dispensaries and co-ops. And yes, lots of professions still drug test and will fire based on mj use even in MMJ states. I know my personal thoughts regardling this mean nothing to anybody but I feel what someone does while off the job and in their own homes shouldnt be anyones business. <---- If only it was that easy.

The cannibis culture of the Bay area just blew me away last year!! Atleast its a more friendlier place for mj users by far, then here in the Lone Star State. Wish I could move!!

[CathyAnn31]

Personally I think that's good as I wouldn't want to know that my surgeon or plane pilot were smoking heavily the night before.

Valid point most definitely. But what about the casual user who doesn't smoke on a regular basis? Would it be ok if the pilot knocked back 7 or 8 shots of whiskey the night before? Again, I believe this is where the legality of mj plays into it.

But we're veering a little off topic now. Sorry about that.

[dfwtexas]

Drinking is so much more dangerous to me. But I have had family members hit by drunk driver, too.
Marijuana does help with stress. I know for all the links you find about it being dangerous..there are equal number of links about the value of. When I was ill with my arm trauma, I had to be put on marinol...pill form of THC so I could eat and not throw up!

[droolmonster]

look up "endocannabinoids epilepsy" on google. There hasn't been a lot of studies as to how much weed helps epilepsy, but lately there has been research that shows that the part of the brain that weed affects could be somewhat responsible for seizures because that part is somewhat lacking in epileptics, and that weed in activating that part of the brain could help.

I'm happy that you care so much for your brother, and hopefully he'll come around.

[epileric]

But we're veering a little off topic now.

Sorry, I guess I was off topic. Thanks for pointing it out.

[matchu]

from what I have researched if the weed is a head high heavy strained it can induce seizures and if it is of the body high type of weed it can act as a anti convulsant. (simple partial?) I have experienced some of the real head high blends and I had a seizure. If I stick to the normal strands if feel fine and will use when I have an aura.

[CathyAnn31]

Sorry, I guess I was off topic. Thanks for pointing it out.

Hhehe, I was thinking it was me.

I could argue it all til the cows come home. I'm just passionate of what I believe in in regards to the use of mj- being epileptic or not. The way I figure it, it's one of the ailments that medical use is approved for so there must be something to it.

I know all meds affect all people differently. I can see mj not working for everyone. And if it doesn't work, kick it to the curb and find something else that will.

[epileric]

I know all meds affect all people differently. I can see mj not working for everyone. And if it doesn't work, kick it to the curb and find something else that will.

The problems is as I've said before is that there is very little scientific, non-anecdotal & objective research done on the topic.

[CathyAnn31]

from what I have researched if the weed is a head high heavy strained it can induce seizures and if it is of the body high type of weed it can act as a anti convulsant. (simple partial?) I have experienced some of the real head high blends and I had a seizure. If I stick to the normal strands if feel fine and will use when I have an aura.

This is very true. There are 2 basic kinds - indica (body high) and sativa (heady high). The heavier indica strains work much better for me. Strong sativas have the opposite affect, and make me feel worse. I like to stay away from those.

I will see if I can find some decent links to info about mj and seizures. Most that I'm finding come from pro-mj sites and I'd rather find some from medical books.

[Ruth]

if only that was the case Cathy....I live in CA and although mj is legal for medicinal use according to the state, it's still not legal federal...so law enforcement still watch the dispensaries like hawks. And..since I'm a teacher, if I were to use MJ, my district could fire me...

That is so true Skillefer. I live in CA and it is always making the news. For it to be legal, it will have to go to the Supreme Court. Otherwise, it will still be against Federal Law. I guess another alternative would be to have an Amendment made to the Constitution.

[matchu]

that is because all researched was stopped!

funny what laws are actually enforced and which are not. Maybe when they go after the people who partake and see them as voters, things will change. Sorry if this is political. can delete if it is .