What Government Knows About Cannabis And Cancer - NewsGrabs 29 June 2008

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What Your Government Knows About Cannabis And Cancer -- And Isn't Telling You
In 2007, I reviewed over 150 published preclinical and clinical studies assessing the therapeutic potential of marijuana and several of its active compounds, known as cannabinoids. I summarized these numerous studies in a book, now in its third edition, entitled Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids: A Review of the Scientific Literature. (NORML Foundation, 2008) One chapter in this book, which summarized the findings of more than 30 separate trials and literature reviews, was dedicated to the use of cannabinoids as potential anti-cancer agents, particularly in the treatment of gliomas. Not familiar with this scientific research? Your government is.

Also check out this video: 'The Hemp Cure'

Get some sun: Risk of Dying Linked to Low Vitamin D
In an article accompanying the research, the researchers report that on average both older and younger people around the world may not be getting enough vitamin D.

They speculate that it may be due to air pollution, a lack of outdoor activities, and increased urbanization, with more people staying and working indoors.

Vitamin D is naturally produced by your body when it is exposed to the sun, although sunscreens interfere with this process. As we age, vitamin D production slows down as well.

Common Cooking Spice Found to Combat Diabetes, Obesity
, June 20, 2008 (ENS) - Turmeric, a common Asian spice that gives curries their bright yellow color, has a long history of use in reducing inflammation, healing wounds and relieving pain. This week at a medical conference in San Francisco, participants heard that tumeric also is effective at combating two health problems that many Americans suffer - diabetes and obesity.

The Prime Cause Of Diabetes Discovered 30 Years Ago: Gross Chromium Deficiency
Gross chromium deficiency was concluded to be the specific problem at that time approaching half a century ago through extensive research by Dr. Henry Alfred Schroeder by way of Columbia, Yale and Dartmouth universities. The U.S. government helped fund his research...

Healthy lifestyle triggers genetic changes
The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.

As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes.

After the three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off.

Our genome changes over lifetime, Johns Hopkins experts say
"Inappropriate methylation levels can contribute to disease - too much might turn necessary genes off, too little might turn genes on at the wrong time or in the wrong cell," says Vilmundur Gudnason, MD, PhD, professor of cardiovascular genetics at the University of Iceland director of the Icelandic Heart Association's Heart Preventive Clinic and Research Institute. "Methylation levels can vary subtly from one person to the next, so the best way to get a handle on significant changes is to study the same individuals over time."

Extremely interesting, especially in the light of information that methylation apparently plays a significant role in the expression of "retroviruses" and consequently in AIDS.

Latest Big Pharma Attacks on Natural Medicine: Take Action
Two recent cases have emerged that have shown the hand of Pharma.

- Medicure Pharma’s attempt to ban the natural, bioactive form of vitamin B6

- Glaxosmithkline’s attempt to shut down competition from natural products industry in weight loss field

If you are a US citizen, or you represent a company, non-profit organisation, association or clinic and are concerned about either of these petitions, please download read them and make your comments as soon as you can!

Canada: We Are The Government And We Are Here To Protect You!
Helke Ferrie's superb letter to the Prime Minister is an absolute must read no matter which country you are from. Helke's incredible writing skills and depth of knowledge have articulated what many of us should like to say but simply are not able to. Very educational to say the least.

Canadians beat Bill C-51 — but watch the back door!
Around a million Canadians made their feelings known about Bill C-51, an amendment introduced by the Harper government to the Canadian Food & Drugs Act. The mass opposition to this Bill forced the Canadian Parliament to call off the second reading last Friday. The Bill, having been successfully through first reading on 8 April 2008, is now dead.

But ... If you are a Canadian citizen, please don't rest on your laurels for a second. The chess game is still running. The backdoor is open—don’t let them make that move...

Fluoride's Glory May Be Cresting
The belated questioning of fluoride in the most unlikely of places stems partly from unsettled questions-some new, some old-about possible links to cancer and thyroid and kidney problems if too much fluoride is ingested. But the push here mirrors a spreading nationwide awareness and re-examination of the health impact of a wide variety of chemicals added to food, health-care products and water, as well as the use of pesticides.

Missing guidelines for the reporting of health research
Although reporting guidelines can improve the accuracy and reliability of research reports, there is little funding available for developing such guidelines, according to a new survey published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine this week.

The Final Solution: campaign to stop ECT
Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) is the deliberate administration of electric shocks to the brain.

“In the presence of an anaesthetist and psychiatrist, electrodes are attached to the patient’s head and the electrical voltage is administered until the psychiatrist observes the patient’s toe twitch. This is a sign that the patient, despite the relaxant drugs, is convulsing. Up to 400 volts are used.” It is better described as a Holocaust of the brain: a brutal Final Solution which must be stopped. The time to abolish electric shock treatment is now.

This is an Irish campaign. I wonder where other countries are on abolishing this utterly barbaric "medical" practice.

The Cholesterol Craze: Statin Use Skyrocketed
the use of cholesterol-lowering pills - otherwise known as statins - rose by 156 percent between 2000 and 2005, according to the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The number of people obtaining a prescription for a statin nearly doubled, from 15.8 milllion to 29.7 million.

Along with the usage, the register rang innumerable times - spending jumped during that period to $19.7 billion from $7.7 billion.

No wonder there is no way health expenditures can be paid by the state. We're in unrestrained medical consumerism. Hopefully that trend will soon reverse. For sure the actual use value is dismal. Certainly the side effects are appalling. Hail Pharma!

Pharma Reputation in downward spiral
Were it not for the US government helping the pharmaceutical industry maintain its obscene profit-margins through uncompetitive government license and underwriting the unsupportable high cost of prescription drugs--which is more than double anywhere else in the world--this industry might have reconsidered its corrupt marketing practices as a response to the low reputation it has earned with the American public.

But the pharmaceutical industry has no competition and it can count on multi-billion blockbuster sales even for its defective, lethal drugs that disable and kill--simply because such drugs are routinely approved by the FDA.

Video: Drug Companies Paying Doctors?
CBS News: A study estimates drug companies pay doctors $57 billion a year in fees and services, causing some to worry that decisions on prescription are being unduly influenced. Wyatt Andrews reports.

Key opinion leaders: independent experts or drug representatives in disguise?
In the world of medicine, "key opinion leader" is the somewhat Orwellian term used to describe the senior doctors who help drug companies sell drugs.1 These influential doctors are engaged by industry to advise on marketing and help boost sales of new medicines. Across all specialties, in hospitals and universities everywhere, many leading specialists are being paid generous fees to peddle influenc