Autism, ADD, ADHD and Marijuana Therapy

salem-news.com

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - It has been known for at least 2,000 years that Marijuana/Cannabis is a psychotropic that affects the brain and central nervous system. (The Scythians) The first western references seem to be that it was a euphoric, in other words a central nervous system stimulant not like cocaine or amphetamines but a gentler pleasant stimulant.

Dr. W.B. O'Shaunessy (see: Medical Marijuana Feb-21-2008) found it to be an anti-convulsant against Tetanus, which may seem to cloud the issue. It is also a good anti-epileptic and centrally acting analgesic even effective for migraines as well as an anti-depressant and anxiolytic.

Dr. Tod Mikuriya has written that it promotes homeostasis or normalization of function in many various systems of the body and also modulates or moderates emotional hyperactivity such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, often known simply as PTSD.

I had heard or read about California marijuana doctors reporting that it was effective for the treatment of ADD and autism. These were single or isolated reports because physicians seemed to be reluctant to even talk about what the U.S. government constantly bleats about a "dangerous addicting drug", marijuana.

Dr. Mikuriya reported in 2006 in O'Shaunessy marijuana magazine that a 15-year old child was brought to him by his mother. He had been diagnosed with ADD and psychoses and had been given over 30 different kinds of drugs including pulverized kitchen sink, most of which made him combative and worse. He had used marijuana at age 11 with older friends.

It had a calming effect but his use brought police action and three court ordered rehabs which really drove him crazy. His mother found Dr. Mikuriya who prescribed Marinol which worked. A judge would not let him use ut, but a second judge did allow it and he got a marijuana permit and smoked it with dramatic improved results.

I decided a search of the Internet was advisable and I typed up marijuana autism with the surprising finding that the Autism Research Institute posted an article by Bernard Rinland Ph.D. Medical Marijuana: a valuable treatment for autism in 2003. The site discussed a letter from a mother of a violently autistic child. A friend suggested a marijuana brownie cookie which in the words of the mother "saved my child's life and my family's life."

The article continues to state that many parents in the same situation have reported marked success.

A second article from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) in 2002 written by Jay R. Cavanaugh Ph.D. titled Medical Cannabis and Brain Disorders reported effective use as follows: Bipolar disease (81 patients or 20%)
ADHD/ADD (53 patients or 13%)
Multiple Sclerosis (32 patients or 8%)
and neuropathy (35 patients or 9%).

Other interesting findings were PTSD (30 patients at 7%) and obsessive compulsive disorder (2.4 or 6%). They also reported successful treatment of Tourettes, Parkinson's, and Autism (10 patients or 2%)

It is time we got our medical dinosaurs M.D.S. out of the closet and educated to the marvelous benefits of this safe effective NEW-OLD medicine.