Study on cannabis chemical as a treatment for pancreatic cancer may have ‘major impact,’ Harvard researcher says
Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of all cancers in America. But with a one-year survival rate of just 20 percent (and five-year survival rate of less than 8), it’s predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2020.
Headlines about the illness, as a result, tend to be discouraging. But this month scientists from Harvard University’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have released some much-needed good news. In their study, published in the journal Frontiers of Oncology on July 23, the researchers revealed that a chemical found in cannabis has demonstrated “significant therapy potential” in treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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States with medical marijuana laws saw 20 percent drop in some opioid prescriptions
States with active medical marijuana laws saw certain opioid prescription rates drop nearly 20 percent compared to states without medical marijuana programs, according to a first-of-its-kind study out of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center. Authors said the findings underscore the importance of providing patients with pain management alternatives, such as cannabis, in efforts to reduce…
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Former Detroit Lions players announce partnership with Harvard to study marijuana
Former Detroit Lions football players Calvin Johnson and Robert Sims are expanding their emerging cannabis enterprise into the field of medicine. The pair announced an agreement Thursday with the International Phytomedicines and Medical Cannabis Institute at Harvard University, which is researching the benefits of medical marijuana and looking at the best ways to deliver cannabis-based…
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You Can Get A Master’s In Medical Cannabis In Maryland
Summer Kriegshauser is one of 150 students in the inaugural class of the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics, the first graduate program of its type in the country. This will be Kriegshauser’s second master’s degree and she hopes it will offer her a chance to change careers. “I…
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Combating Opioid Dependence
The opioid epidemic is a hot topic across the United States, along with the alternatives that could alleviate the tragic consequences the epidemic brings. Opioids, also known as narcotics, are strong prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl. Although illegal, heroin is also considered to be an opioid. Most patients are introduced to…
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Thanks to the Farm Bill, Hemp Is Legal. Here’s What It Means for CBD.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted to approve a new an $867 billion farm bill, and on Wednesday, it passed in Congress. While the bill has plenty of positive merits, the one people are perhaps most excited about is the fact that it will legalize the production, sale, and distribution of industrial hemp at a federal…
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Senate bill could legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Medical marijuana is legal in 36 states. Now, the state General Assembly could make North Carolina the latest state to open up the market to cannabis. Medical cannabis advocates are trying to throw veterans a lifeline with Senate Bill 711. “The veteran suicide rate is twice the national average in North Carolina,…
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