Testing It Up

Tobacco smoking has long been established as the primary risk factor of lung cancer. But it appears that the same danger cannot be said for those who smoke marijuana, whether occasionally or habitually.

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, a group of researchers reported that regular cannabis smoking has no significant association with lung cancer risk.

Dr. Li Rita Zhang of the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the role of cannabis smoking in lung cancer risk using data from six case-control studies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. All of the studies were part of the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO), according to The Oncology Report.

The risk of lung cancer was assessed between the frequency, intensity, and duration of use, while adjusting for age, sex, sociodemographic factors and tobacco packyears. In the end, the researchers found that regular pot smokers had no significant increase in lung cancer risk when compared with marijuana smokers who also used tobacco.

“The conventional wisdom is that cannabis smoking is not as dangerous as cigarette smoking,” said pulmonologist Dr. Michael Alberts, chief medical officer of the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, who wasn’t part of the study. Still, he cautioned that smoking anything can have some negative effects to the respiratory system.

Dr. Zhang, on the other hand, did not comment on the study but she noted that their findings “cannot preclude the possibility that cannabis may exhibit an association with lung cancer risk at extremely high dosage over long periods of continued exposure.”

President Barack Obama’s drug czar said legalizing marijuana won’t solve the nation’s drug problem.

R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, spoke at the National Press Club in Washington on April 17 to clear up some issues surrounding America’s drug policy. As expected, his speech highlighted the topic of marijuana legalization which some lawmakers are pushing in various states.

Kerlikowske said even though Colorado and Washington have already legalized recreational marijuana, it must not be forgotten that the “Justice Department’s responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged.” That means, the federal government will continue to go after serious crimes of drug dealing, violent crime, and drug trafficking.

“… Discussions about marijuana dwell on the issue of legalization and whether making the drug more widely and easily available would make the problem go away,” Kerlikowske noted. ” But the legal status of marijuana, including enforcement of existing laws, is a matter for the Department of Justice, and DOJ’s enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged.”

According to Kerlikowske, what the country needs to do is equip health care professionals with the necessary intervention tools to help individuals get treatment and sustain recovery. He also stressed the importance of providing drug offenders treatment rather than sending them to jail.

“So today I’m proud to announce that ONDCP is awarding a $1.4 million grant to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the country’s leading drug court organization, to train drug court professionals who work to divert non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of prison,” Kerlikowske added.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Feb. 14 during his State of the City Address that those who get caught for possessing small amounts of pot will just have to be issued with a ticket, instead of facing a night in jail.

The new policy, which will begin to take effect next month, is part of  an initiative that aims to help New Yorkers, particularly young men, from getting a criminal record.

“Commissioner Kelly and I support Governor Cuomo’s proposal to make possession of small amounts of marijuana a violation, rather than a misdemeanor and we’ll work to help him pass it this year. But we won’t wait for that to happen,” Bloomberg said in his speech. “Right now, those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana are often held in custody overnight. We’re changing that. Effective next month, anyone presenting an ID and clearing a warrant check will be released directly from the precinct with a desk appearance ticket to return to court. It’s consistent with the law, it’s the right thing to do and it will allow us to target police resources where they’re needed most.”

In June 2012, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed for the reduction of penalties in people who get arrested for private and public possession of small amounts of marijuana. His marijuana legislation was met with strong support by people in law enforcement, local authorities and marijuana advocates.

Assembly Member Karim Camara, Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, praised Cuomo for working to bring fairness to New York’s justice system. He said: “This legislation will ensure that possession of a small amount of marijuana, whether public or private, is treated as a violation and not as a misdemeanor. This minor offense has dragged down the future of too many New Yorkers, particularly minority youth, leading to the deterioration of communities across the state.”

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 12th grade dropouts were more likely to engage in cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug use than their counterparts who were still in school.

The report, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), showed that overall current drug use among 12th graders who dropped out of school prior to graduating was considerably higher at 31.4 percent, compared to the 18.2 percent for those who remained in school.

More than 55 percent of dropouts were current cigarette users, while only 22.4 percent of those still in school reported current use of cigarette. Meanwhile, 27.3 percent of 12th grade dropouts were current marijuana users compared with 15.3 percent of those  in school. Nearly 10 percent of the surveyed 12th grade dropouts were current users of prescription drugs, while only 5.1 percent of those in school reported non-medical use of prescription medicines.

Significant differences were also observed in the levels of alcohol use between dropouts and those in school — 41.6 percent versus 35.3 percent. The rate of current binge drinking among the surveyed 12th grade dropouts is at 32.3 percent versus 28.3 percent among those still in school. Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days.

“The fact that nearly 1 in 7 students drops out of high school has enormous public health implications for our nation,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a news release.  “Dropouts are at increased risk of substance abuse, which is particularly troubling given that they are also at greater risk of poverty, not having health insurance, and other health problems. We have to do everything we can to keep youth in school so they can go on to lead healthy, productive lives, free from substance abuse.”

When it comes to the discussion of banned substances, one can always expect the mention of marijuana, whether in the beginning, middle or end of every conversation. It is, after all, one of the most widely abused drugs by teenagers and adults worldwide.

In the United States, there are over a million people who use marijuana as a natural medical treatment for the symptoms of illnesses, such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. But despite the so-called benefits of the drug, less than 20 states have medical marijuana laws. And three months ago, Colorado and the State of Washington were the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational use of marijuana for people aged 21 and older. This historical event, though, was met with a bulk of criticism from opposing groups that expressed fears of increased marijuana use, particularly among youth.

For Dr. Robert Martin, co-founder of CW Analytical laboratories (a testing facility that ensure the potency and safety of medical cannabis and marijuana products), marijuana legalization has a few good things about it.

“..It is my opinion that a nationwide legalization is just what America needs. It would stop a great deal of injustice in our legal system and perhaps assist law enforcement…,” Dr. Martin explained in an exclusive interview with TestCountry. “It would enable millions of patients in need of self-medication to treat themselves with no fear of contraindications, especially the liver. Finally, it would begin to stop the black market trade of cannabis currently alive and well in the U.S.”

Dr. Martin also tells TestCountry the types of regulations currently in place to ensure the quality and safety of medical marijuana. He said that while medical marijuana dispensary operators continue to grow, the majority “do not follow any quality control protocols to ensure patient safety.”

“…With widespread use of pesticides and the evolving knowledge of microbiological implications, I recommend safety testing for all recreational products, as well,” Dr. Martin added.

To read the full text of the interview, visit Exclusive Interview With Dr. Robert Martin.

The results of this year’s Monitoring the Future survey have been released on Wednesday and it showed marijuana use is holding steady among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders.

“Whether this is more than a pause in the ongoing increase that we have seen in teen marijuana use in recent years is unclear at this point,” Lloyd Johnston, the study’s principal investigator, said in a news release. “One important variable that has been a lead indicator of use—namely the amount of risk teenagers perceived to be associated with marijuana use—continued its sharp decline in 2012 among teens, which would suggest further increases in use in the future.”

Every year, the Monitoring the Future survey measures drug, alcohol, and tobacco use and related behaviors among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. For this year, 6.5 percent of high school seniors reported daily use of marijuana, a slight decline from the 6.6 percent in 2011, according to a CNN report.

About 41.7 percent of 8th-graders perceive occasional marijuana use as harmful and 66.9% see regular use as harmful. Among the 12th-graders, 20.6 percent perceive regular use of marijuana as harmful.

For the first time, the survey included questions about “bath salts,” products that contain substituted cathinones which mimics the effects of amphetamines and cocaine. Fortunately, a relatively small proportion of teens indicate having used bath salts in the prior 12 months: 0.8%, 0.6%, and 1.3% for grades 8, 10, and 12, respectively.

Synthetic marijuana use was also measured for the first time this year in 8th and 10th grades; their annual prevalence rates were 4.4 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively. The use of synthetic marijuana among 12th graders for this year, the second year of measurement, is at 11.3 percent.

The use of a number of other drugs holding steady this year include cocaine powder, crack, methamphetamine, crystal methamphetamine, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine, steroids, and over-the-counter cough and cold medicines taken to get high.

A team of researchers identified genetic variant that could explain why some marijuana users are at increased risk of developing mental impairment.

The researchers focused on the AKT1 gene  of more than 700 people and they found that pot users who carry a particular variant in the AKT1 gene were more likely to have psychosis, the HealthDay reports.

AKT1 gene is involved in dopamine signaling, which is known to be abnormal in psychosis. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in mental health.

“We found that cannabis users who carry a particular variant in the AKT1 gene had a twofold increased probability of a psychotic disorder and this increased up to sevenfold if they used cannabis daily,” wrote Dr. Marta Di Forti, of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry in England, and colleagues. “Our findings help to explain why one cannabis user develops psychosis while his friends continue smoking without problems.”

The researchers also noted that the growing medical and recreational marijuana use could get more people at risk for cannabis-induced psychosis.

In a news release, Di Forti said their findings, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, could be useful in designing “health educational campaigns tailored to reach those young people at particular risk.”

Two new case studies suggest that habitual use of marijuana may lead to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a disorder characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

The two separate reports are presented today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. According to the researchers, those who regularly use marijuana, natural or synthetic, are likely to develop this little-known condition which pose a  serious burden to the health care system because  it requires physicians to use costly diagnostic tests and ineffective treatments in an effort to find the cause of a patient’s symptoms and provide relief.

“Most healthcare providers are unaware of the link between marijuana use and these episodes of cyclic nausea and vomiting so they are not asking about natural or synthetic cannabinoid use when a patient comes to the emergency room or their doctor’s office with these symptoms,” Dr. Ana Maria Crissien-Martinez, of Scripps Green Hospital and Clinic in San Diego, said in a Scienceblog.com news feature.

Dr. Crissien-Martinez co-authored the case report, “Marijuana: Anti-Emetic or Pro-Emetic,” which described a series of nine patients with cannabinoid hyperemesis at Scripps Green Hospital. The patients’ average age was 30 years-old and 88 percent of them used cannabis daily.

“Patients who use cannabis whether natural or in synthetic form called ‘Spice’ also don’t realize their unexplained episodes of cyclic nausea and vomiting may be a result of this use, with some increasing their cannabis use because they may think it will help alleviate their symptoms—and it actually makes them worse,” said Dr. Crissien-Martinez. “The only resolution is cannabis cessation.”

The other case report, completed by  a team of researchers from the Walter Reed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD., may be the first reported case of cannabinoid hyperemesis attributed to synthetic marijuana.

Researchers from both case studies agree that patients frequently have multiple hospital, clinic and emergency room visits with extensive negative work-up to include imaging studies, endoscopies, and laboratory testing before they are finally diagnosed with the condition.

The question of marijuana legalization is something that has been debated about by various groups for quite some time. These groups, however, are but a minute fraction of the population, and are upholding their own unique advocacies and ideologies. But what does the rest of America think?

According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Gallup, 50 percent of the respondents in a nationwide survey indicated that the time is right to legalize marijuana. Forty-six percent, on the other hand, was against legalization.

Gallup shared: “When Gallup first asked about legalizing marijuana, in 1969, 12 percent of Americans favored it, while 84 percent were opposed. Support remained in the mid-20s in Gallup measures from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, but has crept up since, passing 30 percent in 2000 and 40 percent in 2009 before reaching the 50 percent level in this year’s Oct. 6-9 annual Crime survey.”

Gallup shared further that support for the legalization of pot was strongest among the young, with legalization receiving 62 percent approval among respondents aged 18 to 29, and only 31 percent approval among those aged 65 and older.

In addition, it was observed that liberals were twice as likely to be in favor of pot legalization as opposed to conservatives.

In a poll conducted last year, Gallup revealed that 70 percent of Americans were in favor of the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Based on a report from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the preferred illegal drug in America. In 2009, an estimated 28.5 million Americans, aged 12 and older, abused marijuana at least once during the previous year.

Despite the fact that California and a number of other states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, and despite studies that point to pot as a viable treatment option for certain health conditions, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has announced that marijuana does not have any accepted medical use, and that it shall remain an illegal drug.

A feature in The Los Angeles Times shared that it was a decision that was nine years in the making, prompted by the filing of a petition by the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis in October 2002. Medical marijuana supporters had asked the government to consider reclassifying pot, based on the results of researches that show that marijuana is effective in treating certain conditions, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.

Joe Elford, the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access and the lead attorney for the lawsuit, expressed that he was not surprised by the decision: “It is clearly motivated by a political decision that is anti-marijuana.”

Dr. Igor Grant, a neuropsychiatrist and director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at UC San Diego, commented that the decision will hinder scientists from further studying the medical benefits of pot: “We’re trapped in kind of a vicious cycle here… It’s always a danger if the government acts on certain kinds of persuasions or beliefs rather than evidence.”

Michele M. Leonhart, DEA Administrator, indicated in a letter addressed to the organizations that filed the petition that their request was denied due to the fact that marijuana had a “high potential for abuse… no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States… [and] lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

Los Angeles Drug Screening