Pharmaceutical drugs based on marijuana

Medical marijuana is the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabionoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine or therapy. The Cannabis plant from which the cannabis drug is derived has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE.

Although the extent of the medicinal value of cannabis has been disputed, and despite the opposition to research and use put forward by most national governments, it does have several well-documented beneficial effects. While cannabis for recreational use is illegal in all parts of the world, though decriminalized in some, its use as a medicine is legal in a number of territories,

In general, the U.S. government has been against the research and medicinal use of  medical marijuana and even the American Medical Association (AMA), until 2009, claimed pot has no medical value. However, despite that, big Pharma has been busy getting patents for marijuana products and striving to bring new, cannabis-based medicines to the market. This pattern is reflected in the number of cannabinoid drugs in pharmaceutical development from two in 1995 to 27 in 2004. Pharmaceutical companies have already received  multiple patents for the medical properties of marijuana. These include patents for:

Synthetic pot derivatives (such as the oral THC pill Marinol)

Cannabinoid agonists (synthetic agents that bind to the brain receptors) like HU-210

Cannabis antagonists such as Rimonabant

Oral marijuana spray Sativex (GW Pharmaceutical), is a patented standardized dose of natural cannabis extracts.

In Fact even the U.S Government admits medicinal value of marijuana and it’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) website has this to say about Facts on "Medical" Marijuana:

“ Medical marijuana already exists. It's called Marinol. A pharmaceutical product, Marinol, is widely available through prescription. It comes in the form of a pill and is also being studied by researchers for suitability via other delivery methods, such as an inhaler or patch. The active ingredient of Marinol is synthetic THC, which has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and to assist with loss of appetite with AIDS patients….Marinol has been studied and approved by the medical community and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)… There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked… The FDA has not approved smoking marijuana for medicinal purposes, but has approved the active ingredient-THC-in the form of scientifically regulated Marinol…  The DEA helped facilitate the research on Marinol.”

 

A number of Pharmaceutical drugs have been developed which either contain or have similar chemicals as those found in the marijuana (cannabis) plant. Pharmaceutical drugs based on marijuana  are divided into four categories and are listed below, along with the company and suggested use.

I. Drugs that contain chemicals taken directly from the marijuana plant

1. Sativex, GW Pharmaceuticals   

Treatment of neuropathic pain and spasticity in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS); Analgesic treatment in adult patients with advanced cancer who experience moderate to severe pain. Mouth spray whose chemical compound is derived from natural extracts of the cannabis plant. Sativex contains two cannabinoids: THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidio

II. Drugs that contain synthetic versions of chemicals naturally found in marijuana

1. Dronabinol/Marinol, Unimed Pharmaceuticals

Treatment of nausea and vomiting for patients in cancer treatment; Appetite stimulant for AIDS patients; Analgesic to ease neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis patients Synthetic Delta-9 THC

2. Dronabinol Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI)/ Marinol aerosol  Solvay Pharmaceuticals

Treatment of nausea, vomiting, migraines, spasticity in MS patients, and neuropathic pain Human-made THC inhaler

III. Drugs that contain chemicals similar to those in marijuana but not found in the plant

1. Nabilone/Cesamet, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International

Treatment of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing cancer treatment Synthetic cannabinoid similar to THC

2. Dexanabinol, Pharmos.

Neuroprotective (protects brain from damage) for use after cardiac surgery

Regain memory and other high-level function following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

3. CT-3 (ajulemic acid), Atlantic Technology Ventures

Treatment of spasticity and neuropathic pain in MS patients Synthetic

4. PRS-211,375/ Cannabinor and Cannabinor,  Oral Pharmos

Anti-inflammatory, Treatment of pain Synthetic chemical that specifically binds to the brain's secondary cannabinoid receptor (CB2)

 5. HU 308, Pharmos(licensed from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Treatment of hypertension Anti-inflammatory

6. HU 331, Cayman Chemical

Treatment of memory, weight loss, appetite, neurodegeneration, tumor surveillance, analgesia, and inflammation Synthetic chemical compound composed of central cannabinoid (CB1), peripheral cannabinoid (CB2), and non-CB receptor-mediated pharmacology

IV. Drugs that do not work like marijuana but use the same brain pathways

1. Rimonabant/Acomplia, Sanofi-Aventis

Anti-obesity Synthetic chemical that blocks endocannabinoids from being received in the brain, and, as a result, suppresses appetite.

2. Taranabant/MK-0364, Merck

Anti-obesity Targets receptors in the brain linked to appetite.

3  URB597 or KDS-4103, Cayman Chemical and Kadmus Pharmaceuticals Inc

Treatment of pain (acute - post-surgical; inflammatory - arthritis; neuropathic - damaged nerve cells from shingles, H.I.V., diabetes), anxiety, and depression

4. O-3246

Neuroprotective for use in association with septic shock

Uruguay to permit cultivation of marijuana for personal use

According to a  news report by elpais.com.uy, in April, Uruguay has drafted a new law to regulate the use of marijuana for personal use.  The main points of the law are:

Allows planting, cultivation and harvesting and industrialization and trade up to eight cannabis plants per household. It allows quantity of up to 25 grams of marijuana for personal consumption.

Requires that the quantity of marijuana possesses or transported must fall within personal consumption limits.

Gives power to Executive Branch to regulate the provisions and mechanisms for access to seeds, being intended for personal consumption plantations.

To protect average citizen, the law mandates a punishment of 20 months' to ten years imprisonment if a person who produces marijuana causes psychological or physical dependency in others.  

Mandates that "the Executive Branch shall ensure that, both public and private sectors will provide care and treatment to all people with addictions to substances covered by this law at request."

Establishes a committee under the aegis of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), which within a period of eighteen months after enactment of the law must submit an evaluation report on the effects of this new law.

The committee will also develop "activities aimed at improving the social image of people who use the aforementioned substances."

Legality of marijuana in Latin America varies from country to country. In general, in Latin America, cannabis is tolerated and/or decriminalized in most countries, with the exception of Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. However, the tolerance may not extend to tourists.

Here is a brief guide of marijuana regulations in Latin America:

ARGENTINA: Decriminalized for personal use in small amounts and for consumption only in private locations. Public consumption is generally accepted among the young adults and overlooked by police in the suburbs.

BELIZE: Illegal, but use by locals is slightly tolerated.

BOLIVIA: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

BRAZIL: Possession illegal.

CHILE: Personal use of marijuana in small quantities on a private place is not against the law. More than one person using it at the same place is considered as a group and thus is considered illegal.

COLOMBIA: Possession of small quantities of all drugs legal; permitted “personal dose” for marijuana is 20 grams.

COSTA RICA: Illegal, but tolerated. Watch out for being set

ECUADOR: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

GUATEMALA: Highly illegal. Possession by Guatemalans in not normally prosecuted for personal use, but tourists are commonly arrested and jailed for several days before being released.

HONDURAS: Illegal, but use by locals is slightly tolerated.

PANAMA: Illegal

PARAGUAY: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

PERU: Possession of up to 8 grams (0.28 oz) of marijuana is legal as long as one isn’t in possession of another drug. However, I’ve read some first hand accounts about the police being fairly strict. Caution is urged.

URUGUAY: Possession for personal use not penalized; law does not specify quantity for “personal” amount.

VENEZUELA: Possession of up to 20 grams not punished.

When Montana jurors revolted in a case involving marijuana

Here is a strange and funny incident that happened in Missoula County District Court, Montana, in December 2010 when the Jurors – well, potential jurors – revolted. They took the law into their own hands and made it clear they weren’t about to convict anybody for having a small amount of marijuana.

The case involved Touray Cornell who faced felony charges. Although the potential jurors in the Cornell case quickly focused on the small amount of marijuana involved, the original allegations were more serious – that Cornell was dealing; hence, a felony charge of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.

The charge stemmed from an April 23, 2010 search of his home following complaints from neighbors he was selling drugs. Police said they found burnt marijuana cigarettes, a pipe and some residue as well as a shoulder holster for a handgun and 9mm ammunition. As a convicted felon, Cornell was prohibited from having firearms, the affidavit noted.  An affidavit said Cornell admitted to distributing small amounts of marijuana and connecting other dealers with customers, getting small amounts of marijuana for himself as payoff.

Potential jurors also couldn’t know about Cornell’s criminal history, which included eight felonies, most of them in and around Chicago several years ago. misdemeanor convictions for driving while under the influence and driving with a suspended license, and a felony conviction of conspiracy to commit theft. However, the tiny amount of marijuana police found while searching Touray Cornell’s home on April 23 became a huge issue for some members of the jury panel.

Nearly all 27 Missoula County residents during the jury selection  process told District Court Judge Dusty Deschamps there was no way they would convict anybody of having a couple of buds of marijuana. The potential jurors in the case ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s, with one of the most vocal in her 60s. In fact, one juror wondered why the county was wasting time and money prosecuting the case at all,

Judge Dusty Deschamps took a quick poll as to who might agree. Of the 27 potential jurors before him, maybe five raised their hands. A couple of others had already been excused because of their philosophical objections. Wondering whether he can seat a jury, Judge Deschamps called a recess.

During the recess, County Attorney Andrew Paul worked out a plea agreement with the defense. In the plea memorandum filed by Elison, he noted that public opinion “is not supportive of the state’s marijuana law and appeared to prevent any conviction from being obtained simply because an unbiased jury did not appear available under any circumstances.”

The attorneys and the judge also noted Missoula County’s approval in 2006 of Initiative 2, which required law enforcement to treat marijuana crimes as their lowest priority – and also of the  2004 approval of a statewide medical marijuana ballot initiative.

As a result, Touray Cornell entered an Alford plea, meaning he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him. Judge Deschamps then sentenced him to 20 years in prison with 19 suspended, to be served concurrently with his sentence in the theft case. Cornell was given credit for the 200 days he has already served. The judge also ordered Cornell to get a GED degree upon his release.

Every body was astonished with the reaction of the jury and this is what they had to say:

“A mutiny,” said Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul.

“Bizarre,” the defense attorney Martin Elison called it.

In his nearly 30 years as a prosecutor and judge,  Judge Deschamps said he’s never seen anything like it. “It’s kind of a reflection of society as a whole on the issue,” said Deschamps I think it’s going to become increasingly difficult to seat a jury in marijuana cases, at least the ones involving a small amount,” Deschamps said.

Obama’s war on medical marijuana or misinterpretation by advocates?

Obama’s 2008 presidential election victory was cheered by people from different walks of life who saw hope in Obama and expected that their concerns will be addressed. On January 20, 2009 Americans cried tears of joy and relief as Barack Obama was inaugurated.

His supporters included millions of people including antiwar activist, healthcare reformers, bank corruption reformers, unemployed, gay and lesbians and, of course, medical marijuana advocates who had hoped the new President will take steps to end marijuana Prohibition. Within two years since than most of them have been disappointed by Obama’s policies in contrast to what they thought Obama promised. The medical marijuana is no exception.

In October 2009, Obama Administration’s policy was revealed when Attorney General Eric Holder stated that drug traffickers and people who use firearms will continue to be direct targets of federal prosecutors, but that, on his watch, "it will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana."

This was a significant development because under the Controlled Substances Act, which is more than three decades old, marijuana remains within the category of drugs most tightly restricted by the government. According to Americans for Safe Access, during the Bush administration federal authorities conducted an estimated 200 raid in California alone. A 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case made clear that the federal government has the discretion to enforce federal drug laws even in states that had approved some relaxation of marijuana statutes for sick patients. Therefore, the announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder led to cheers and support from the press and the advocacy groups as U.S. appeared to ease stance on medical marijuana.

In a year since than it appears the Obama Administration has changed but not in favor of medical marijuana. Advocates feel that following dozens of aggressive DEA raids, along with some unusual IRS audits, the Department of Justice has now begun openly endeavoring to destroy carefully regulated state programs before they get off the ground.  Such new actions even constitute a direct threat of arrest against state employees acting in good faith to administer perfectly lawful state programs. As a result, several states have started reassessing their medical marijuana laws after stern warnings from the federal government that everyone from licensed growers to regulators could be subjected to prosecution.

Has Obama Administration reneged on its promise and is suddenly trying to destroy medical marijuana?

Some realistic observers, like Fred Gardner, say that Obama Never Promised You a Pot Garden. There is nothing "sudden" or unprecedented about the DEA raids and other oppressive measures emanating from the Department of Justice. And neither Obama nor the DOJ ever expressed unambiguous support for medical marijuana. It was the reform honchos themselves who misread and misrepresented Administration policy.

In fact, if you look back, in 2009, at the time of announcement, some activists expressed frustration that the administration stopped far short of endorsing wholesale marijuana legalization. Some advocates were skeptical and noted that senior Obama administration officials had made public comments before in line with the Justice Department policy, only to have law enforcement agents, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, take part in raids soon afterward. In fact the Justice Department memo clearly indicated that it is not creating a new legal defense for people who may have violated the Controlled Substances Act. Instead, the memo is intended to guide prosecutors on where to train their scarce investigative resources.

As far back as April 2009, Fred Gardner noted in chronology of Administration actions and statements regarding marijuana and brought attention to  Obama's Chimerical Marijuana Policy which, like any of his approaches, were "fakes left, goes right" from the start.

On January 22, 2009, two days after Obama's inauguration, DEA agents raided a South Lake Tahoe cannabis dispensary run by a wheelchair-bound activist named Ken Estes. They took five pounds of herb and a few thousand dollars. "A typical rip-and-run," is how Estes described it. Since then, it has continued with several cases of raids and trial.

Later that year, the Administration gave drug-policy reformers another occasion to cheer (but not a real reason to cheer) in October '09 when David Ogden, the second-highest official at DOJ, issued a formal “Memorandum for Selected United States Attorneys on Investigations and Prosecutions in States Authorizing the Medical Use of Marijuana."

Some people noted at the time that the Ogden memo "restated the mixed messages Attorney General Eric Holder had sent out verbally."  The Ogden memo made it clear than any dispensary was a "fair game" for the DEA. "Prosecution of commercial enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana for profit continues to be an enforcement priority of the Department," wrote Ogden.

The law enforcement can only determine if a given business is making a profit by raiding the premises, seizing their books and computers, their cash on hand, and their herb. That explains the reports of dozens of aggressive DEA raids and unusual IRS audits.

To the activists who feel betrayed, the important question is why did the pro-cannabis reformers misinterpret and misrepresent Obama Administration policy so consistently and for so long? Why did they affix a "kosher" seal to Obama's baloney? As Fred Garner explains in Obama Never Promised You a Pot Garden:

“Political leaders owe the rank-and-file accurate information and analysis. Obviously it is advantageous for fund-raising purposes to report success, and this was certainly a factor.  But it wasn't just their own interests that the reform honchos were advancing with false claims of Administration support. Above all, the honchos were serving the interests of Cannabis-industry entrepreneurs eager to attract customers and investors. Starting in the fall of 2008, the line "Obama is going to let it happen," induced countless thousands of people to visit pro-cannabis doctors and then their local dispensaries. 

The most successful California dispensary operators developed franchising ventures and pitched investors, using Obama's alleged hands-off approach as part of their pitch.  "Money that was sitting on the sidelines came in after the election," is how one of them summarized the boom that continued through 2009 and well into 2010.

It peaked that fall when Eric Holder warned that if California voters passed a legalization initiative, the feds would "vigorously enforce" federal law to block its implementation. Holder's threat turned the tide against Prop 19, making it seem like a futile and costly gesture of defiance instead of a practical source of revenue for the insolvent state. In the same period, federal threats forced Oakland to back away from (ecologically disastrous) plans for four big industrial grow ops.

What's happening in recent months —the threatening letters from US attorneys to state officials, the tax audits of dispensaries, banks refusing to handle dispensary accounts, etc. — is an escalation, not a change of policy.”

There can be no doubt that the escalation on medical marijuana is an orchestrated campaign possibly involving DEA, prohibitionist think tanks, lobbyists and strategists paid for by the pharmaceutical industry. There may also be truth to the speculation that this is a drug war propaganda tactic. In order to avoid allowing state regulation  to further legitimize medical marijuana industry, they're willing to keep things messier than necessary just so it can continually be cited as evidence that medical marijuana is out of control and this can't work.

In an on going struggle for medical marijuana, the Journalists and activists ought to be investigating such issues because complaining about being misled by Barack Obama is not going to be of any immediate benefit.

Christiania, Denmark, a marijuana friendly community

Christiania, also known as the Freetown Christiania, is a small neighborhood in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a state of about 850 people, spanning 85 acres which has established semi-legal status as self-proclaimed independent community.

Christiania was founded in 1971 by a group of hippies, anarchists, and idealists after they started occupying abandoned military barracks in Copenhagen. For years the legal status of the region was in limbo, as the Danish government attempted, without success, to remove the squatters.

The neighborhood is accessible only through two main entrances which are blocked by road block robots to prevent cannabis customers and other visitors from driving into Christiania and park their cars in its narrow streets. Locals have also claimed that taxis and police vehicles add to the traffic problems. Cars are not permitted. Only cargo transport is allowed through these gates.

The people in Christiania have their own set of rules, completely independent of the Danish government. Having no cars is one of these rules among others such as: No stealing, No Guns, No Bulletproof Vests, and No Hard Drugs.

Because of Christiania's self-proclaimed "freetown" status, Danish laws banning smoking in public places (workplaces, restaurants, bars and clubs) are not enforced in Christiania.

The Copenhagen police are not allowed to arrest anyone there but if they want someone they drag him out and arrest him on the Danish side.

Christiania is one of the greatest tourist attractions in Copenhagen, and abroad it is a well-known "brand" for the progressive and liberated Danish lifestyle. Many Danish businesses and organizations also use Christiania as a show place for their foreign friends and guests.

CANNABIS TRADE

One of the features of the town’s special laws is their ability to legally trade cannabis. Since its opening, Christiania has been famous for its open cannabis trade. Cannabis trade takes place in a funny named and centrally located 'Pusher Street' where cannabis was sold openly from permanent stands until 2004. On Pusher Street, cameras are not allowed and, apparently, even the dogs in Christiania are trained to bark if they see a camera. Christiania’s open cannabis trade is one of Copenhagen's major tourist attractions.

The commerce is controversial, but since they require a consensus they can't be removed unless everybody agrees. Since its opening in 1971, the open drug trade of Christiania has been a thorn in the side of Danish authorities, a constant source of public discussion and outrage for many Danish politicians. Although illegal, authorities were for many years reluctant to forcibly stop the hash trade. The authorities tolerated this for over 30 years, but there have been constant efforts to try and normalize the legal status of the community.

The first step in this process was the police crackdown on the drug trade. In response, the locals seem to fight back with humor and persistence, For instance, when authorities in 2002 demanded that the hash trade be made less visible, the sellers covered their stands in military camouflage nets. On January 4, 2004, the stands were finally demolished by the owners themselves. Before they were demolished, the National Museum of Denmark was able to get one of the more colorful stands, which is now part of an exhibit.

On March 16, 2004, the police conducted their first full-scale raid on Pusher Street. This caused cannabis traders to move out of Christiana and spread the hashish trade into the rest of Copenhagen. According to both police and other sources, the number of marijuana clubs in Copenhagen grew rapidly to at least five times as many as before the police crackdown on Pusher Street,

The open cannabis trade in Christiana has since returned back to the way it was before the 2004 raids. Today, both police and politicians admit that, despite an expensive and brutal crackdown, the trade still thrives on the Pusher Street, if in a somewhat more discreet fashion.

The only real change that can be said to have occurred is that the booths are gone in Pusher Street. Those booths have instead been replaced by fold-up tables and wooden blocks featuring the various types of hashish and pot on display. People know that Pusher Street is still alive and functioning today.

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SOURCES:

http://www.christiania.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

I went to Christiana - Viceland Today

Jury still out on government’s hash crackdown

Prohibition Doesn't Work: Denmark's Massive Hash Crackdown Fails