What's New

Below you will find the latest news, studies, reports and happenings related to medical cannabis:
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Compilation of Case Studies and Case Reports in Cannabis Research, 1970 – present (International Association For Cannabis As Medecine)
August 2009 - A population-based case-control study of marijuana use and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. (Cancer Prevention Research, August, 2009). Study found that cannabis smoking was associated with a 48% decrease in the risk of developing head and neck cancer.
July 2009 - White matter integrity in adolescents with histories of marijuana use and binge drinking. (Neurotoxicology and Teratology, July 23, 2009) . Study found that cannabis use may protect the brain from damage caused by binge drinking.
May 2009 – Marijuana Effectiveness as an HIV Self-Care Strategy (Clinical Nursing Research, May 2009). Study found that a sample of people with HIV/AIDS rated the medicinal use of cannabis as more effective for treating a variety of symptoms than prescribed and over-the-counter medications.

April 2009 – Relief oriented use of marijuana by teens. (Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (April 23, 2009). Study out of UBC found that many teens use cannabis to relieve or manage health problems such as depression, stress/anxiety, sleep difficulties, ADHD, and pain when traditional therapies failed or were inaccessible to them.
October, 2008 – The Beckley Foundation Global Cannabis Commission Report Leading cannabis and drug policy researchers concluded that in terms of relative harms, smoking cannabis is less harmful than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. The report also states that the harms associated with cannabis are the result of prohibition itself and states there is no justification for incarcerating an individual for cannabis possession and use.
June 2008 - A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Cannabis Cigarettes in Neuropathic Pain (Journal of Pain, June, 2008). Study found that smoked cannabis was effective in alleviating neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury, diabetes-related nerve damage, Multiple Sclerosis and HIV/AIDS, with minimal and well-tolerated side effects.

May 2008 - Pot Eases Neuropathic Pain (Vancouver Sun)

April 2008 - Vaporization as a Smokeless Cannabis Delivery System: a Pilot Study (Clinical Pharmacological Therapeutics)

April 2008 - Clinical Endocannibinoid Deficiency (CECD) as a Possible Explanation for the Benefits of Cannabis in the Treatment of Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other Treatment Resistant Conditions (Neuro Endocrinology Letters)

Jan 2008 - Cannabinoids Found to be Associated with Anti-Carcinogenic Effects (www.Salem-News.com)
Dec 2007 - Active Ingredients in Marijuana Found to Slow Invasion by Cervical and Lung Cancer Cells (www.webmd.com)
Oct 2007- Ottawa Adopting Failed U.S.-style “War on Drugs (news release from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network)

Oct 2007 - Tories plan get-tough national drug strategy (CBC)
Sept 2007- Cultivating Compassion (from The Positive Side)

Aug 2007 - A Review of the Cannabis Cultivation Contract between Health Canada and Prairie Plant Systems (PDF). (for more on medical cannabis policies, visit our Health Canada page)
July 2007- Unpaid bills mount over Ottawa's pot (Globe and Mail).
June 2007- New Study Argues Against Schizophrenia-like Psychosis Caused by Cannabis (Schizophrenia Research journal).
May 2007 - AG Sheila Fraser Announces Preliminary Audit of Federal Medical Cannabis Program (Canadians for Safe Access Press Release) .
May 2007 - B.C. Supreme Court to Hear Constitutional Challenge of Federal Medical Cannabis Program .
May 2007 - Cannabis, Mental Heatlh and Context: the Case for Regulation - from NORML
April 2007 - 1500% Cannabis Mark-Up Increases Suffering of Critically Ill Canadians (Canadians for Safe Access press release). Ottawa Puts High Price Tag on Its Pot (Globe and Mail).
April 2007 - Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize. (published in the Harm Reduction Journal).
Read the Medical Cannabis Users Bill of Rights and join the Virtual Medical Marijuana March on Ottawa right now. It's FREE, QUICK and EASY.
Feb 2007 - Marijuana helps ease HIV nerve pain. (for other studies, visit our research page)
Dec 2006 - Cut to marijuana research sends strong message, article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal
Nov 2006 - Study Shows Better Quality Marijuana Preferred by Patients. To read the entire study as published in the Harm Reduction Journal, click here.
Oct 2006 - Professors get rooms of their own: Universities give ailing staff space to smoke drug.
Oct 2006- Top court unanimously strikes down conviction of pot activist. To read the Supreme Court decision, click here.
Oct 2006 - Marijuana 's active chemical may be Alzheimer's fighter. (for other studies, visit our research page)
Oct 2006 - Federal Cannabis Policy Primer (PDF) ( HTML version) - This document is a backgrounder for politicians and the public to encourage informed debate around policy reform.
Sept 2006 - Cuts to Medical Marijuana Research Affects the Health of One Million Canadians - Press release from the Canadian AIDS Society
Sept 2006 - Medical Marijuana Boosts Hepatitis C Treatment in New Study (for PDF of study and other studies, visit our research page)
Support for medical cannabis jumps to 93%! (Maclean's "What We Believe" 2006 Poll)
July 2006 - Guidelines for the Community-Based Distribution of Medical Cannabis in Canada (PDF). This document is a collection of best-practices currently in place in Canada's major medical cannabis dispensaries. (for other BCCCS documents, visit our BCCCS publications page)
June 2006 - The Canadian AIDS Society released a report on Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS: "Our Right, Our Choice ". The report reviews current policies regarding medicinal cannabis and provides some recommendations. (for more on medical cannabis policies, visit our Health Canada page)