FLASHPOLL 1: Do you believe there is a ro... - Cure Parkinson's
FLASHPOLL 1: Do you believe there is a role for recreational drugs (e.g. cannabis and ecstasy) in the treatment of PD?
JonStamford97 Voters
I think the Drug administration should be in control of this.
Yes, such drugs may have a role, and if medically proven to assist they should be produced under licence and only available through prescription.
The recreational drugs don't necessarily have to be a part of the treatment. However, I do believe that the natural part of cannibis, mainly the oils can be of assistance in treatment of say PSP and CBGD and other Parkinson type diseases. One does not have to get 'high' in order to reap the benefits of the natural oils which can be obtained from cannibis.
vsm0001 - it's the CBDs I think you are referring to. CBDs or cannabidiols are what make marijuana medical, as opposed to THC which gives the 'high'. Hence medical marijuana is high in CBDs and low in THC.
THC is very helpful when it comes to fighting cancer so it is also medicinal.
I have been reading about new ways of treating Parkinson's as of late. My meds did not work for a long time. At present i have had meds adjusted and i am doing great,,, but, i feel strongly in favor of Delta9 THC.
Yes to medical marijuana for PD, as marijuana is known to be very calming in many (though not all individuals) and so the logic follows that it might reduce the tremoring symptom of PD, since PD tremors can be significantly affected by how stressed the individual is in the moment. My hunch is only hypothetical, so I would love to hear comments from personal experience from those who have a doctor's px for the drug and are living in a state where the drug is legalized.
If you saw the CNN special conducted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, you know that marijuana can be bred for different purposes and you can take the "high" out of the plant and accentuate other healing properties according to the condition to be treated. I am all for that, as I don't want "high" drivers on the road. Therefore, I think it is crucial for states who have legalized marijuana to get licensed dispensaries up and running as soon as possible to avoid any potential risks from the increased use of uncontrolled street marijuana.
Ecstasy is another matter, in my mind. I would think ecstasy would be particularly dangerous having read in a Time magazine article several years ago how even one dose may destroy neuronal dendrites and axons. Until I learn otherwise, my layman's understanding is that this drug is toxic to the brain.
I haven't read enough about it. There hasn't been a lot of publicity about it in the UK. I certainly would be all for it if there was evidence.
Much more confident about trying cannabis but would not touch E ...way too scary for me.
This Second Opinion program on medical cannabis just came out. It shows both sides: the reluctance of doctors to prescribe and a doctor who prescribes it. It also shows how much we need more research, investigation of the properties of MM so it can be taken into the clinical setting. For too long "Reefer Madness" has dominated people's views. It needs to be medicalized. Not to use it for clinical applications, like pain, nausea and weight loss from cancer treatments, muscle rigidity and spasticity--is cruel. I live in a state where MM was passed two years ago and we are nowhere near being able to get MM dispensaries. An my State, Massachusetts, is supposed to be enlightened.
under neuro care as with the rest of medications.
I wonder what difference there would be in responses depending on where you lived.
I live in Nevada & use medical MJ. I have never or do I plan to try ecstasy.
I live in Nevada & use medical MJ. I have never or do I plan to try ecstasy.
Landman, what symptoms do you find medical MJ helps with? I would think it would be useful for pain and tremors. Thanks.
This is something I have often asked myself. I believe cannabis Is prescribed routinely in America and the results seem good.. However, I would not take ectasy as I do not believe it is a stable drug and I would not be happy to take the risk.
I believe the use of cannabis can be very helpful, I don't know if there is adequate evidence to prove this.
There's lots of anecdotal evidence - see Richard Secklin's book 'Marijuana for Parkinson's Disease'.
Grew up in the 70's , drug fueled parties did every drug thinkable , coke by the lbs in Florida, angel dust , mdma acid , heroin weed in the Midwest 10 yrs of extremely heavy drug use .quit did marriage kids thing for 25 yrs now in my 50's ( late ) pd for 6. Yrs my personal opinion is use whatever helps you cope , there's no cure so enjoy whatever it is you like to do . I take a # of controlled substances to cope plus Indica pot , exercise yoga tai chi Pilates golf weights . Keep government intervention out of it they have their heads up their a** and have no record of solving any problems associated with Parkinsons !
I will gladly volunteer as a test subject!
I can only think that taking recreational drugs can only add to our problems. They can only temporarily put us on a high so that we can forget our problems but when they wear off, we are worse off.
I've never used either. I understand marijuana is cultivated into various strains for different purposes, so don't know if street pot would be a reliable source from which to make any deductions. I suppose it would have to be prescribed and obtained from a knowledgeable grower, who could probably give us better advice (if he/she had been in the business for a while) than our doctors. Ecstasy--forget about it.
There might be for some. But information needs to be gathered. It certainly is useful for other neurological diseases in eliminating some distress of certain symptoms ( MS, Epilepsy) My husband has PSP and cannabis is a miracle drug for him. Only 3 puffs with a vaporizer and he completely calms down and his cognition clears considerably. I have shown people the transformation and they say it looks like a miracle. His doctors, to a person, refuse to either believe me or give me a lecture on the evils of cannabis. They are quite patronizing although I was a professor of clinical psychology and psycho-pharmacology!
I have continued to use it with him once a day at 4:00 pm when his symptoms are intolerable ( agitation, fear, paranoia,) and it continues to calm him and clear his thinking without any other side effects like loss of balance (alcohol and tranquilizers) or increased confusion.
People need to remember that a lot of drugs have a use medically but can be abused for recreational use (e.g. narcotics!!!) and therefore require a prescription. Also a larger dose of cannabis does not help. It needs to be a specific amount; usually very small compared to the amount required for recreational "highs". My father had PD but refused to even try a small amount of alcohol. Personally if I had such debilitating diseases I would be open to trying anything (that didn't cost a fortune and wasn't in itself dangerous). Why not? This is not a moral issue.
Jill
I live in the UK and use marijuana for my Parkinson's - I find it helps with the stiffness/pain. I have recently cultivated my own medical strain which is currently curing in a cupboard. I actually have a job where there are random drug tests but I feel the risk is worth it. I use a vaporizer which is far better than smoking.
I actually believe that MDMA may be implicated in causing Parkinson's. There are some interesting studies being done by Dr George A Ricaurte along these lines. I have a friend with MS however who actually gets relief from his symptoms from taking MDMA. MDMA is known to target serotonin receptors which may also be damaged in PD.
My answer is yes - it does help me tremendously! I have trouble sleeping and trouble eating (due to loss of smell) and it takes care of both problems better than any PD meds I take! PD sufferers should be able to buy it legally just like folks with MS! I use it ONLY for medicinal purposes and have since I got PD over 25 years ago!
I have not heard of ecstasy making a difference , bit I've heard a lot about charlotte'so web marijuna which helps children with seizure problems.
at the moment we don't have a snowballs in hell chance to get cannabis. what i am using is hemp oil, all my meds are free, because i live in the uk, but the hemp oil is £ 23 .00 for 10 ml which i guess would buy me medical cannabis.
