marijuana, yea it's illegal, does it help the sx?

[headshop]

I have a friend probably if not by the grace of God is in the latter stages of ovarian, colon cancer, she is very sick, has anybody tried marijuana for nauseau or any other sx with hep c and being ill during tx?

[meki]

There are plenty of people who are medically prescribed THC or Marijuana.

I don't know that there are any HEALTH benefits from THC consumption - but it has been proven to help glaucoma and also has been known to stop nausea.

It is illegal in most states and Federally.

Alaska is unique.

Check into each state's laws to determine what is legal for your state.

Meki

[orphanedhawk]

There is no question that it can help for sx of various diseases. This is a well known fact~ at least, where I live.  

[jdwithhcv]

I used marijuana to get thru colon cancer tx a few years back, and I'm using it again now for Hep C tx.  Its helpful for nausea, poor appetite and anxiety.  Doesn't take much to relieve sx, just a toke or two when things are bad.

I could never have got thru cancer tx without it and it sure has helped with Hep C. I use marijuana and ativan as needed and that has got me thru 45 weeks so far!

Good luck to your friend.  Has she contacted the Lance Armstrong Foundation?  (laf.org).  They are a great source of information and support.

jd

[desrt]

Phenergran worked the same for me and is legal. Also try researching 'Marinol'.

[jdwithhcv]

The problem with nausea meds like zofran, and pills like marinol, is that during cancer chemo the nausea can be so bad that the patient cannot tolerate oral meds.  I tried prescription nausea meds but they were horribly expensive and not particularly effective, even when I could hold them down.  

[Bill1954]

Ah, but Phenergan is available in suppositories; not nearly as fun as a doobie though :o)

Bill

[pigeonca]

I was losing a pound a week, despite taking a couple of puffs at mealtime - which was the only way I could summon up an appetite.  Without marijuana, I probably would have wasted away to nothing.  Fortunately I live in California, where it's legal.

[headshop]

I just found out that she takes THC, but it is at the point where not much of anything is helping short of a miracle. She has lost 10 pounds, is back in the hospital and family members are telling me to pray for her to be comforted. This has been over a 2 year battle and sometimes the wars are not worth the battles. I think she and her family have come to this realization.
Thanks please pray for tender mercies for my friend Cathy, she is truly one of the good guys.
Bill

[headshop]

Hopefully I want get to the point of needing the use of THC or Marijuana as it made me paranoid, now if LSD could be used thats a different story.

Thanks all

[fretboard]

I know a guy and he is HIV positive, he has been prescribed the THC tablets, but he doesn't like them.  He said smoking weed has a much better effect on him so he has his weed smoking and growing card here in California.  I think he can grow 4 plants a season but I'm not sure about all that.  I do know that ppl who go to those pot selling clinics pay top dollar for their pot, like street prices and beyond.  The larger cities have plenty of clinics, but the smaller cities have fewer.  I don't think the LSD thing would fly very far, I mean maybe for you.  LOL  later

[Lady Lauri]

I have much to say on this, but have to run out for a bit so PM me if I forget....which is still nothing unusual 4 mths. post ts, lol :)

LL

[jdwithhcv]

Forgetful, you say.

Didn't George Carlin insist that marijuana would be legal today except we can't remember where we put the petitions!  (What were we talking about - oh, right, the petitions)

[Bill1954]

Too funny, JD! I needed that today, thank you--

Bill

[fretboard]

I think some dispensaries are still being shut down by the DEA.  It's not totally legal in California, from the little I know about it, you can have up to one ounce with the marijuana card.  I could even be wrong about the amount, I think if someone opens a clinic and is registered with the Board of Equalization and pays taxes, both federal and State.  I think they would have less of a chance of being shut down as there are just too many especially in the Southern California and the Bay area.  Here's some info. from the California Dept. of Public Health.  So although it has been legalized, there are still problems with the feds.  later

http://cdph.ca.gov/programs/MMP/Pages/default.aspx

The Medical Marijuana Program (MMP) was established to provide a voluntary medical marijuana identification card issuance and registry program for qualified patients and their care givers.  The web-based registry system allows law enforcement and the public authorization to possess, grow , transport and/or use Medical Marijuana in California.  To facilitate the verification of authorized cardholders, the verification database is available on the internet at www.calmmp.ca.gov.

In 2003, Senate Bill 420 (Chapter 875, Statutes of 2003) was passed as an extension and clarification of Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.  The Medical Marijuana Program, within CDPH, is administered through a patient's county of residence.  Upon obtaining a recommendation from their physician for use of medicinal marijuana, patients and their primary caregivers may apply for and be issued, a Medical Marijuana Identification Card.  SB 420 also required that the MMP be fully supported through the card application processing fees.  Both the state and the counties have authority to cover their costs for the program through these application fees

The following came from this other website:

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1883308/posts

Although California voters legalized medical marijuana in 1996, growth has only occurred recently because there had been confusion about how the law worked. In 2003, the state enacted legislation spelling out a series of specific regulations.


But even as the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 essentially confirmed the validity of Proposition 215, it also upheld the federal government's right to prosecute marijuana patients under federal law.


And that has prompted growing tensions, including in Los Angeles, where the federal Drug Enforcement Agency has launched raids against dispensaries.


"We're not going to stop enforcing the federal laws now," said Sarah Pullen, spokeswoman for the DEA's Los Angeles region.


About nine states have laws permitting medical marijuana, according to Rosalie Pacula, a drug policy analyst with the RAND Corp.


But California has attracted more attention from the feds, in part, she said, because its laws are looser than other states', allowing patients to possess larger quantities and allowing dispensaries to flourish.


"If you're really interested in protecting patients, keep the quantities low," Pacula said.


Some in Congress are trying to get the DEA to back off, including Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, and Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., who are backing a bill that would block funding for prosecutions of medical-marijuana patients.


Without such protections, businesses that believe they are operating legitimately under California state law still keep a jittery eye out for federal agents and often try to maintain a low profile.


Holistic Alternative Inc., a nonprofit dispensary in Canoga Park, opened three months ago and finds it hard to attract new patients because it can't advertise.


Instead, it and other facilities rely on Internet advertising - a more discreet option than hanging a big sign out front.


David, a co-owner who asked that his last name be withheld, said he founded the dispensary with a partner who takes marijuana for medicinal purposes and wanted to help others.


"I would hope they would leave us alone because most of our patients are actually really sick," he said. "Probably 90 (percent) to 95 percent of my patients are really sick and do need the medicine.


"If they don't get it from us, I can't see these older ladies and gentlemen in their 60s and 70s walking around getting drugs off the street."