New Jersey Facts

New Jersey Updated: 20 Apr 2010

Population: 8,663,398

GDP Per Capita: $44,957

Decriminalized: No

Medical Marijuana: YesLaws & Penalties
Possession:
-Minimum: Fine, probation and/or some jail time (varies by case)

-Maximum: $1,000 fine, 6 months

Sales/Manufacturing:
-Minimum: Fine, probation and/or some jail time (varies by case)

-Maximum: $10,000 fine, 18 months

Data based on first offense. Penalties can vary based on circumstance and official discretion.Enforcement Stats
Possession (Adults & Juvenile): 21,336

Sale & Manufacturing (Adult & Juvenile): 3,408

Juvenile Arrests (Possession & Sale): 4,261

Total Marijuana Related Arrests: 24,744

Arrests Per Capita: 3 out of 1,000

DEA Seizures (Marijuana): 2,083 poundsMedical Marijuana
Summary: Bill signed into law January 2010. Medical marijuana not yet available, the state's Department of Health and Senior Services is still working to implement program.

Registered Patients: Unavailable (program not yet implemented)

Amount Allowed: 2 ounce of usable marijuana, six mature plants

Qualifying Conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, or positive status for HIV, AIDS, cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe or chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures (including those associated with epilepsy), severe and persistent muscle spasms (including those associated with Crohn’s didease)

Distribution System: Recently approved six state-licensed dispensaries or "alternative treatment centers" (not yet implemented)

Patient/ Caretaker Registration Fee: Not yet determined

Dispensary Fee: Not yet determinedRelated Links and Information
- New Jersey Vote Backs Marijuana for Severely Ill (NY Times)

- New Jersey's First Legally Grown Marijuana Will Be Harvested This Fall (nj.com)
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, Drug Enforcement Agency,FBI Uniform Crime Report (Arrest Appendix), State Attorney General offices; state crime statutes. (Date based on 2008 figures) Arrest statistics based on covered population in 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report not actual population as compiled by the US Census

Research Advances

While research has until recently been sharply limited by federal prohibition, the last few years have seen rapid change. The International Cannabinoid Research Society was formally incorporated as a scientific research organization in 1991. Membership in the Society has more than tripled from about 50 members in the first year to over 300 in 2005. The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM) was founded in March 2000. It publishes a bi-weekly newsletter and the IACM-Bulletin, and holds a bi-annual symposium to highlight emerging research in cannabis therapeutics. The University of California established the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in 2001. As of June 2006, the CMCR has 17 approved studies, including research on cancer pain, nausea control in chemo-therapy, general analgesia and a proposed study on refractory cancer pain.

In the United Kingdom, GW Pharmaceuticals has been granted a clinical trial exemption certificate by the Medicines Control Agency to conduct clinical studies with cannabis-based medicines. The exemption includes investigations in the relief of pain of neurological origin and defects of neurological function in the following indications: multiple sclerosis (MS), spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, central nervous system damage, neuroinvasive cancer, dystonias, cerebral vascular accident and spina bifida, as well as for the relief of pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis and also pain relief in brachial plexus injury.

GW has completed Phase III studies in patients with MS neuropathic pain and spasticity, and Phase II trials on perioperative pain, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus or AIDS, and patients with neurogenic symptoms.

These trials have provided positive results and confirmed an excellent safety profile for cannabis-based medicines. In 2002, GW conducted five Phase III trials of its cannabis derivatives, including a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a sublingual spray containing THC in more than 100 patients with cancer pain. In total, more than 1,000 patients are currently involved in phase III trials in the UK.

In 2002 GW Pharmaceuticals received an IND approval to commence phase II clinical trials in Canada in patients with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, and in April 2005 GW received regulatory approval to distribute Sativex in Canada for the relief of neuropathic pain in adults with Multiple Sclerosis. Following meetings with the FDA, DEA, the Office for National Drug Control Policy, and the National Institute for Drug Abuse, GW was granted an import license from the DEA and has imported its first cannabis extracts into the U.S., and in January of 2006 was granted permission to begin Phase III clinical trials into cancer pain.

What does the evidence say?

Health and Human Services claims that "marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." However, more than 6,500 reports and journal articles from around the world support the medical value of cannabis (marijuana). In addition, dozens of public health organizations have endorsed medical use of marijuana including the National Association of People Living With AIDS, AIDS Action Council, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Nurses Association, the Federation of American Scientists, Kaiser Permanente, the New England Journal of Medicine, the National Association for Public Health Policy, the California Medical Association, the Whitman- Walker Clinic, the Lymphoma Foundation of America, and many more.

Here is an overview of the latest research.

CANNABIS SMOKE DOES NO HARM

1. Cannabis Smoking Does Not Cause Cancer

Sources: Tashkin D. Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study. American Thoracic Society International Conference. May 23, 2006, San Diego, California

According to Dr. Donald Tashkin and his colleagues at the University of California in Los Angeles results from a case-controlled study demonstrate that even heavy and long-term smoking of cannabis is not associated with lung cancer and other types of upper aerodigestive tract cancers.

The study included 1,209 residents of Los Angeles aged 18-59 with cancer (611 lung, 403 oral/pharyngeal, 90 laryngeal, and 108 esophageal). Interviewers collected lifetime histories of cannabis, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, and data on other factors that may influence cancer risk, including diet, occupational exposures, and family history of cancer. Exposure to cannabis was measured in joint years (1 joint year = 365 joints). The cancer patients were compared to 1,040 cancer-free controls. Among the controls 46 per cent had never used cannabis, 31 per cent had used it for less than one joint year, 12 per cent for 10-30 joint years, 2 per cent for 30-60 joint years, and 3 per cent for more than 60 joint years.

Compared with subjects who had used less than one joint year, the risk for lung cancer was 0.78 for 1-10 joint years, 0.74 for 10-30 joint years, 0.85 for 30-60 joint years, and 0.81 for more than 60 joint years. A risk below 1.0 means that the risk for cannabis users was slightly lower than for non-users. Similar results were obtained for the other cancer sites. There was no dose-response relationship of cancer risk, which means that there was no increased risks for more intensive users.

2. Cannabis Does Not Accelerate HIV-infection

Sources: Abrams DI, Hilton JF, Leiser RJ, Shade SB, Elbeik TA, Aweeka FT, Benowitz NL, Bredt BM, Kosel B, Aberg JA, Deeks SG, Mitchell TF, Mulligan K, Bacchetti P, McCune JM, Schambelan M. "Short-term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial." Annals of Internal Medicine 2003;139(4):258-266

According to a study led by Dr. Donald Abrams at the University of California in San Francisco, smoked cannabis and oral THC given over a course of 21 days did not adversely affect CD4+ cell counts or viral loads in HIV-infected patients. Instead, researchers found that there was a small non-significant positive effect of cannabis and THC on these laboratory parameters compared to placebo. Cannabis and THC also increased appetite and caused weight gain.

All of the patients had been receiving the same anti-HIV medication for at least 8 weeks before the study began. 67 patients with HIV-1 infection were randomly assigned to a 3.95%-tetrahydrocannabinol marijuana cigarette, a 2.5-mg dronabinol (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol) capsule, or a placebo capsule three times daily before meals. Although not statistically significant, compared with placebo use the application of marijuana and THC was associated with a slight drop in viral load of 15% and 8%, respectively.

CANNABIS PROVIDES SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR HIV/AIDS, HEP-C, MS and COPD

1. Smoked Cannabis Reduces HIV-Related Painful Peripheral Neuropathy

Sources: Abrams DI, Jay CA, Vizoso H, Shade SB, Reda H, Press S, Kelly ME, Rowbotham M, Petersen K. "Smoked cannabis therapy for HIV-related painful peripheral neuropathy: results of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial." Abstract, IACM 3rd Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine, September 9-10, 2005, Leiden

The results of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrates that smoked marijuana is effective in reducing HIV-related chronic ongoing neuropathic and acute pain. Neuropathy is a nerve disease, which often results in numbness, weakness, and spontaneous muscle twitching. Neuropathy is a serious medical problem with unsatisfactory treatment options.

In a clinical trial at the University of California, research participants smoked one marijuana cigarette containing 3.56% THC or a placebo three times daily for 5 days. Researchers concluded that smoked cannabis provided greater than a 30% reduction of pain in 13 of 25 randomized patients, who averaged 6 years of neuropathic pain.

2. Cannabis Reduces Neuropathic Pain In Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Sources: Rog DJ, Nurmikko TJ, Friede T, Young CA. "Randomized, controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in central pain in multiple sclerosis". Neurology 2005;65(6):812-9;

Researchers for the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool conducted a single-center, 5-week, randomized, placebo-controlled group trial on patients with MS of a whole-plant cannabis-based medicine delivered via an oral spray. Each spray delivered 2.7mg of THC and 2.5mg of CBD (THC and CBD are two active compounds produced naturally by the cannabis plant), and patients could gradually selftitrate to a maximum of 48 sprays in 24 hours.

The researchers concluded that the cannabis-based extract Sativex, manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, is effective in reducing central neuropathic pain and sleep disturbance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Based on these study results, which were published now in the journal Neurology, Sativex was approved as a prescription medicine in Canada for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in adults with MS and is available in pharmacies since 20 June 2005.

3. Smoked Cannabis May Help Hep-C Treatment

Sources: Sylvestre, Diana L. a b; Clements, Barry J. b; Malibu, Yvonne b. "Cannabis use improves retention and virological outcomes in patients treated for hepatitis C." European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 18(10):1057-1063, October 2006.

Research published by the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology conducted at the University of California, San Francisco medical school and the Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance-Abuse (OASIS) conclude that: "modest cannabis use may offer symptomatic and virological benefit to some patients undergoing HCV treatment by helping them maintain adherence to the challenging medication regimen." Bottomline, Hep-C patients who used cannabis in combination with their conventional medical treatment were three times more likely to have an undetectable virus level six months after the end of treatment.

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), whose drug regimens include interferon and ribavirin treatments that produce notoriously difficult to manage side effects, researchers discovered that those using cannabis as an adjunct therapy were much more likely to adhere to their prescribed treatment. Researchers found that the HCV patients "were significantly more likely to remain on HCV treatment for at least 80% of the projected treatment duration, 95% versus 67%."

In a companion article by six addiction treatment specialists, who consider the implications raised by this research, the authors note that "there is substantial evidence that cannabis use may help address key challenges faced by drug users in HCV treatment (e.g., nausea, depression), especially when such treatment occurs in the context of methadone maintenance treatment which may amplify these consequences." They conclude with a call to action on behalf of patients: "we advocate that in the interim existing barriers to cannabis use are removed for drug users undergoing HCV treatment...."

4. THC Is Effective in Appetite and Weight Loss in Severe Lung Disease

Source: Lecture by K-C Bergmann on 17 March 2005 at the Meeting of the German Society of Pulmonology in Berlin

Patients with the severe lung disease (COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) often suffer from appetite loss and cachexia (weight loss) resulting in reduced general wellbeing and early mortality. In an open clinical study at the Clinic for Allergies and Asthma in Bad Lippspringe, Germany, 18 COPD patients aged 49 to 81 years with a mean body weight of 48.5 kg received 3.3-4.2mg of THC two times daily for 16 days as oily drops delivered by THC Pharm, one-half an hour before breakfast and dinner. In the six months before entering the clinic 7 participants had a constant body weight and 11 lost 2.3 kg on average.

After 16 days of treatment, results indicated a considerable improvement of appetite, general well-being and functional performance (36 per cent mean increase in walking distance) and an average gain in body weight of 1.5 kg, which is significant given the short treatment period.

CANNABIS COMPOUNDS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CURES

1. Cannabinoids Reduce the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease in Animals

Sources: Ramirez BG, et al. "Prevention of Alzheimer's disease pathology by cannabinoids: neuroprotection mediated by blockade of microglial activation." Journal of Neuroscience 2005;25(8):1904-13;

Research by scientists of Madrid's Complutense University and the Cajal Institute published in the Journal of Neuroscience has demonstrated that cannabinoids can reduce pathological processes associated with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers hope that cannabinoids may be used to develop new drug therapies against the disease.

They began by comparing the brain tissue of patients who died from Alzheimer's disease against the brain tissue of healthy people who had died at a similar age. The researchers found a dramatically reduced functioning of cannabinoid receptors in diseased brain tissue and markers of microglia activation. Microglia activate the brain's immune response and are found near the plaque deposits associated with Alzheimer's disease. When active, microglia cause inflammation. Nerve cells with cannabinoid-1 receptors (CB1), present in high numbers in control subjects, were greatly reduced in areas of microglial activation.

Next, rats were injected with amyloid-beta peptide. This protein plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease, since increased brain levels of amyloid-beta are supposed to result in aggregation of this protein to form plaques. Animals who also received different cannabinoids performed better in tests of their mental functioning.

Analyses showed that cannabinoids had prevented microglial activation and thus had reduced inflammation. These effects were also mediated by cannabinoids that only bind to CB2 receptors. Researchers concluded: "Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of AD and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease."

2. Derivatives of Cannabis May Unlock Anti-Cancer Treatment

Source: Kogan, N.M., Blaquez, C., Gallily, R., Guzman, M., and Mechoulam, R. "Quinone Type Cannabinoids as AntiCancerCompunds." Abstract, IACM 3rd Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine, September 9-10, 2005, Leiden

Researchers at the Hebrew University in Israel have demonstrated that derivatives of the cannabis plant can be effective in arresting cancerous growths in laboratory and animal tests. Natalya Kogan, a Ph.D student working under the direction of Professors Raphael Mechoulam and Michael Schlesinger, has developed new compounds- known as quinonoid cannabinoids - that parallel a group of anti-cancer drugs, the best known which is daunomycin. However, whereas daunomycin is toxic to the heart the quinonoid compounds are significantly less toxic. The development of quinonoid compounds that display anticancer activity, but are less toxic is a major therapeutic goal.

Researchers are particularly interested in the cannabinoid quinone known as HU-331, which was very effective against human cancer cell lines in-vitro and also against in-vivo tumor grafts in nude mice. At 35 days after cancer cell injection, the tumors in the treated group were half the size of the tumors in the control group. Researchers conclude that HU-331 has a high potential as a new anti-cancer drug.

3. Cannabinoids May Promote the Development of New Brain Cells

Sources: Jiang W, Zhang Y, Xiao L, Van Cleemput J, Ji SP, Bai G, Zhang X. "Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects." Journal of Clinical Investigation. October, 2005

According to animal research at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, cannabinoids that bind to the CB1 receptor promote the development of new nerve cells in the hippocampus, a brain region that is very important for memory and behavior. This cannabinoid effect may decrease anxiety and depression.

Scientists used the synthetic cannabinoid HU210 that acts similar to THC on CB1 receptors in the brain. Chronic, but not acute treatment with this cannabinoid promoted nerve cell proliferation in the hippocampus of adult rats and exerted anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects.

Other illegal and legal drugs, including opiates, alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, have been shown to suppress the formation of new brain cells when used chronically, but the effect of cannabis on that process was uncertain. Cannabis appears "to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased ... neurons is positively correlated with its (antianxiety) and anti-depressant-like effects," Dr. Xia Zhang and his colleagues wrote in an article for the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, of which an advance was posted online on 13 October 2005.

Effects of Cannabis & Cancer

Cannabis has been found to help cancer patients with pain and nausea, and recent research indicates it has tumor-reducing and anti-carcinogenic properties as well. It has proven highly effective at controlling the nausea associated with chemotherapy, and its appetite-stimulation properties help combat wasting. Cannabis can also help control the pain associated with some cancers, as well as that resulting from radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

Cannabis and chemotherapy side effects

One of the most widely studied therapeutic applications for cannabis and the pharmaceutical drugs derived from cannabinoids is in the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. Numerous clinical studies have reported that the use of cannabis reduces nausea and vomiting and stimulates appetite, thereby reducing the severity of cachexia, or wasting syndrome, in patients receiving chemotherapy treatment.

The 1999 Institutes of Medicine report concluded: "In patients already experiencing severe nausea or vomiting, pills are generally ineffective, because of the difficulty in swallowing or keeping a pill down, and slow onset of the drug effect. Thus an inhalation (but, preferably not smoking) cannabinoid drug delivery system would be advantageous for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea."[58]

A 1997 inquiry by the British Medical Association found cannabis more effective than Marinol, and a 1998 review by the House of Lords Science & Technology Select Committee concluded that "cannabinoids are undoubtedly effective as anti-emetic agents in vomiting induced by anti-cancer drugs. Some users of both find cannabis itself more effective."[59, 60]

In the last three years, there have been major advances in both cannabinoid pharmacology and in understanding of the cancer disease process. In particular, research has demonstrated the presence of numerous cannabinoid receptors in the nucleus of the solitary tract, a brain center important in control of vomiting.

Although other recently developed anti-emetics are as effective or more effective than oral THC, nabilone or smoked cannabis, for certain individuals unresponsive to conventional anti-emetic drugs, the use of smoked cannabis can provide relief more effectively than oral preparations which may be difficult to swallow or be vomited before taking effect, as the IOM report notes.

The psychoactive euphoriant effects of THC or inhaled cannabis may also provide an improvement in mood. By contrast, several conventional medications commonly prescribed for cancer patients, e.g. phenothiazines such as haloperidol (known as "major tranquillizers"), may produce unwanted side effects such as excessive sedation, flattening of mood, and/or distressing physical "extrapyramidal" symptoms such as uncontrolled or compulsive movements.

While clinical research on using cannabis medicinally has been severely limited by federal prohibition, the accumulated data speaks strongly in favor of considering it as an option for most cancer patients, and many oncologists do. Survey data from a Harvard Medical School study in 1990, before any states had approved medical use, shows that 44% of oncologists were then recommending cannabis to at least some of their patients. Nearly half said they would do so if the laws were changed. According the American Cancer Society's 2003 data, more than 1,300,000 Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year.[61] At least 300,000 of them will undergo chemotherapy, meaning as many as 132,000 patients annually may have cannabis recommended to them to help fight the side effects of conventional treatments.

As the Institutes of Medicine report concluded, "nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety … all can be mitigated by marijuana."

Research on cannabis and chemotherapy

Cannabis is used to combat pain caused by various cancers and nausea induced by chemotherapy agents. Over 30 human clinical trials have examined the effects of cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids on nausea, not including several U.S. state trials that took place between 1978 and 1986.[62] In reviewing this literature, Hall et al. concluded that ". . . THC [delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol] is superior to placebo, and equivalent in effectiveness to other widely-used anti-emetic drugs, in its capacity to reduce the nausea and vomiting caused by some chemotherapy regimens in some cancer patients."[63] A 2003 study found "Cannabinoids—the active components of Cannabis sativa and their derivatives—exert palliative effects in cancer patients by preventing nausea, vomiting and pain and by stimulating appetite. In addition, these compounds have been shown to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in culture and animal models by modulating key cell-signaling pathways. Cannabinoids are usually well tolerated, and do not produce the generalized toxic effects of conventional chemotherapies."[64] Authors of the Institute of Medicine report, "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," found that there are many cancer patients for whom cannabis should be a valid medical option.[65]

A random-sample anonymous survey conducted in the spring of 1990 measured the attitudes and experiences of oncologists concerning the antiemetic use of cannabis in cancer chemotherapy patients. Of the respondents expressing an opinion, a majority (54%) thought cannabis should be available by prescription.[66]

Cancer-fighting properties of cannabis

Recent scientific advances in the study of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids have produced exciting new leads in the search for anti-cancer treatments. More than twenty major studies published between 2001 and 2006 have shown that the chemicals in cannabis known as cannabinoids have a significant effect fighting cancer cells. We now know cannabinoids arrest many kinds of cancer growths (brain, breast, leukemic, melanoma, phaeochromocytoma, etc.) through promotion of apoptosis (programmed cell death) that is lost in tumors, and by arresting angiogenesis (increased blood vessel production).

There is growing evidence of direct anti-tumor activity of cannabinoids, specifically CB1 and CB2 agonists, in a range of cancer types including brain (gliomas), skin, pituitary, prostate and bowel. The anti-tumor activity has led in laboratory animals and in-vitro human tissues to regression of tumors, reductions in vascularisation (blood supply) and metastases (secondary tumors), as well as the direct destruction of cancer cells (apoptosis). Indeed, research on the complex interactions of endogenous cannabinoids and receptors is leading to greater scientific understanding of the basic mechanisms by which cancers develop.

The findings of these studies are borne out by the anecdotal reports of such patients as Steve Kubby, whose cannabis use is credited with keeping rare, terminal cancers in a state of remission for decades beyond conventional expectations.

Research on Tumor Reduction

Although cannabis smoke has been shown to have precancerous-causing effects in animal tissue, epidemiological studies have failed to link cannabis smoking with cancer.[67-68] If smoke inhalation is a concern, cannabis can be used with a vaporizer, orally in baked goods, and topically as a tincture or a suppository.

Cannabinoids, the active components of cannabis, have been shown to exhibit anti-tumor properties. Multiple studies published between 2001 and 2003 found that cannabinoids inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals.[69-73] In another study, injections of synthetic THC eradicated malignant brain tumors in one-third of treated rats, and prolonged life in another third by as much as six weeks.[74] Other journals have also reported on cannabinoids' antitumoral potential.[75-81] Italian research teams reported in 1998 and 2001 that the endocannabinoidanandamide, which binds to the same brain receptors as cannabis, "potently and selectively inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer cells in vitro" by interfering with their DNA production cycle.[82-84] Cannabis has been shown in recent studies to inhibit the growth of thyroid, prostate and colorectal cancer cells.[85-87] THC has been found to cause the death of glioma cells.[88-89] And research on pituitary cancers shows cannabinoids are key to regulating human pituitary hormone secretion.[90-93]

In 2004 an Italian research team demonstrated that the administration of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) to nude mice significantly inhibited the growth of subcutaneously implanted U87 human glioma cells. The authors of the study concluded that "… CBD was able to produce a significant antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting a possible application of CBD as an antineoplastic agent (an agent that inhibits the growth of malignant cells.)"[94]

More recently, investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute reported that the administration of THC on human glioblastomamultiforme cell lines decreased the proliferation of malignant cells and induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) more rapidly than did the administration of an alternative synthetic cannabis receptor agonist.[95]

Glossary, Terms & Conditions

Anandamide

Anandamide (or arachidonyl-ethanolamide) is an endocannabinoid or endogenous ligand to the cannabinoid receptor. It was the first to be discovered, in 1992.

Cannabinoids

The term "cannabinoid" has different meanings. In a more narrow sense, it designates the natural cannabinoids of the cannabis plant. In the broadest sense, it includes all chemicals that bind to the cannabinoid receptors and related compounds. The endogenous ligands of the cannabinoid receptors have been termed endocannabinoids.

Cannabinoid Receptors

Several cells in the brain and other organs contain specific protein receptors that recognize THC and some other cannabinoids and trigger cell responses. Other cannabinoids do not bind to these cannabinoid receptors and exert their effects by other ways. The discovery of specific cannabinoid receptors prompted the search for putative naturally-occurring chemicals that interact with the receptors, the endocannabinoids. There are at least two cannabinoid receptor types, CB1 receptors, and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are found in high concentrations within the brain and spinal cord. They are also present in certain peripheral cells and tissues (some neurons, some endocrine glands, leukocytes, spleen, heart and parts of the reproductive, urinary and gastrointestinal tracts). CB2 receptors are expressed primarily by immune cells und tissues (leukocytes, spleen and tonsils).

Cannabis

Cannabis sativa L. is the botanical name and Latin binomial of hemp. Until now, there are 483 different identifiable chemical constituents known to exist in cannabis. The most distinctive and specific class of compounds are the cannabinoids (66 known), that are only known to exist in the cannabis plant. Other constituents of the cannabis plant are: nitrogenous compounds (27 known), amino acids (18), proteins (3), glycoproteins (6), enzymes (2), sugars and related compounds (34), hydrocarbons (50), simple alcohols (7), aldehydes (13), ketones (13), simple acids (21), fatty acids (22), simple esters (12), lactones (1), steroids (11), terpenes (120), non-cannabinoid phenols (25), flavonoids (21), vitamins (1) and pigments (2), elements (9). The very most of these compounds are found in other plants and animals and are not of pharmacological relevance with regard to the effects exerted by cannabis preparations.

Dronabinol

Dronabinol is another name for the naturally occurring (-)-trans-isomer of delta-9-THC, often used in a medical context in the scientific literature. There is no chemical or pharmacological difference between the natural dronabinol found in the plant and dronabinol that is manufactured synthetically or semi-synthetically.

Endocannabinoids

The endogenous ligands of the cannabinoid receptors have been termed endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are produced by the body of humans and animals. Some endocannabinoids are arachidonyl-ethanolamide (anandamide), 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG), 2-arachidonylglyceryl ether (noladin ether), arachidonyl-ethanolamine (virodhamine), and N-arachidonoyl-dopamine (NADA).

Endogenous

Produced by the body, not delivered from external sources. The endogenous cannabinoids are called endocannabinoids.

Hashish

Hashish is an Arabic name for cannabis resin or compressed resin glands, containing 5-20% or even more THC.

Hemp

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual plant, normally dioecious, with male and female flowers developing on separate plants. Depending on THC and CBD content hemp can be divided into fibre and drug types. There are regional differences in the employment of the terms cannabis, hemp and marijuana. In the USA and Canada the term "hemp" is usually only applied to fibre hemp in contrast to the term "marijuana", while in many regions of Europe hemp ("Hanf") can be applied to drug types as well (in the sense of the old term "Indian hemp").

Ligand

A ligand binds to a specific receptor. The ligands of the cannabinoid receptor are called cannabinoids. The endogenous ligands of the cannabinoid receptor are called endocannabinoids.

Marijuana

Marijuana (marihuana) is a colloquial name for dried leaves and flowers of drug cannabis varieties rich in THC (1-20% THC). The median content of THC of confiscated marijuana in the USA in 1997 was 4.2%. Marijuana available on prescription in the Netherlands contains 15% or 18% THC.

Marinol

Marinol is a preparation of synthetic dronabinol, dissolved in sesame oil, as capsules of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg dronabinol.

Nabilone

Nabilone is a synthetic derivative of delta-9-THC with a slightly modified molecular structure, available in some countries on prescription.

THC

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) usually refers to the naturally existing isomer of delta-9-THC, but also may include delta-8-THC. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and delta-1-tetrahydrocannabinol are two names for the same molecule according to different numbering systems (monoterpenoid and dibenzopyran nomenclature). Generally the natural (-)-trans-isomer of delta-9-THC of the cannabis plant, the (-)-delta-9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol or dronabinol is designated. Chemically, delta-9-THC is defined as (6aR-trans)-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahy-dro6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol with a molecular weight of 314.47 Da.

Ruderalis

Sativa

Indica

Healthier Foods

Healthier Sugar Substitutes:

Stevia

Stevia is a very sweet herb with no calories from South America that is available in powder and liquid form. This sweetener has a pronounced sweet flavor that is 300 to 400 times sweeter than sugar cane. Try Stevia before using so as not to overpower a recipe. Stevia is safe for people with celiac disease because it contains no gluten and does come into contact with glutinous products, such as wheat, during its manufacture. Also, Stevia works great for a substitute for diabetics.

Concentrated Fruit Juices (Complex Sugars)

Apple and white grape juice are the most common sweeteners used because they are lighter in color and are deliciously sweet. They also contain complex sugars that require longer to digest and they contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Xylitol

Known as birch sugar, Xylitol is low glycemic and will not raise blood sugar levels, nor will it promote yeast overgrowth, as sugar does. Bone health may be supported, while tooth decay and plaque buildup are prevented. Be carful in taking large amounts, because gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea might be experienced.

Raw Honey

Raw honey contains enzymes, phytonutrients, resins, and propolis (bee glue). This exceptional combination makes raw honey versatile not only as a food, but as an anti-bacterial agent. It also can elevate antioxidant levels, restore muscle glycogen after exercising, aids in decreasing cholesterol, and reduce certain risks of cancer.

Agave Nectar

The syrup of Agave naturally contains quantities of Iron, Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium, which help in creating its color. Agave syrup has a low glycemic index that is beneficial to many people. However, the fructose percentage is higher than that of fructose corn syrup. Also, Agave is high caloric and high in carbohydrates, but still is better than processed sugar. Agave should be used sparingly.


Essential Oils

Some oils and nutrients that are required for building and repair in the human body cannot be manufactured by the body, so they must be supplied in the diet. The extraction of these oils and nutrients is done by distillation or expression, which allows healing nutrients, antibiotic, antiviral, oxygenating molecules, amino acid precursors, coenzyme A factors, trace minerals, enzymes, vitamins, hormones, anti-fungal, and other natural existing qualities to remain intact. 

Essential oils are able to penetrate cell structures to effect a desired result. Dating back thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts depict priests and physicians using essential oils for healing the sick. Essential oils were considered more valuable than gold. 

For optimal health, essential oils should not be heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit. If essential oils are heated over that temperature, the nutritional properties will be lost. Essential oils are best used when cooking is completed then drizzled over the food. Examples of essential oils include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, grape seed oil, sesame seed oil, and herb oils.

Healthier Flour Substitutes

All of the following substitutes can be found at health food stores. Experiment with them in your favorite recipes. 

Amaranth Flour is great to use in baking. It is packed with amino acids, protein, and fiber. 

Millet Flour is full of protein and it is very digestible. Millet is good in baking. 

Rice Flour can be a good substitute for regular and wheat flours and very good for people with allergies to wheat. 

These are just a few of the healthier options that are available to consumers. Better health starts with making choices that reflect the desired results. Research more about healthier food choices and become more aware of the nutritional side of human consciousness. Wholesome, healthier, organic choices in food promise a return that will prolong human life.

Unprocessed foods

Unprocessed food is food that has not been processed, refined, and changed as little as possible. It is better to stay as close to the whole food source as possible. In doing so, the body reaps the highest nutritional value that whole food has to offer. The best whole foods are foods that have been organically grown, which means foods that have a minimum of chemically assisted agricultural techniques.

Proccessed Foods

Processed foods are foods that have been altered and in the process the nutrient values are lowered or no longer exist. Processed foods tend to have preservatives and additives that our bodies are not built to digest. And to day they are processed by factory and industrial means. These businesses care more about money and profit, than our health. Here are a few of the most common non-nutritional culprits that are found in most household foods: 

Sugar

Sugar (simple sugars) plays a major component in degenerative disease. Sugar is linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. There is evidence that the immune system is weakened for up to six hours with every tablespoon of sugar ingested. Simple sugar is refined sugars that are broken down and digested very quickly. They also contain very few essential vitamins and minerals.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Be especially aware of this ingredient because it is in many food items children eat. Ranging from juice drinks, snacks, bread, and other foods that might look healthy by the packaging, but don’t be fooled. High fructose corn syrup has the same detrimental effects to the body as sugar does, but higher in calories.

Trans Fats

Trans fats partially hydrogenated oils also are found in a wide range of foods including breads, cookies, crackers, popcorn, and frozen meals. Trans fats are chemically altered oil. Hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to lower costs and increase profit, not health. In return, the human body pays the price in a higher risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

White Flour

A type of refined carbohydrate that when digested raises blood sugar and insulin levels. Research has shown that higher insulin levels supports breast cancer growth at a faster rate. Eating white flour is like adding fuel to a fire.

Cannabis Edibles

We at Patients Harmony Foundation plan on teaching and providing the latest research and information as it relates to cannabis edibles with the patient’s whole care in mind. We use only suggest using natural and organic products that will aid in their well being. If there is a dietary concern, that is not a problem. Because Harmony foundation will provide education in regards to Gluten-free, sugar free and vegan styles that one can pick from. Our goal if the legislation passes and we are able to we will provide nutritional and cooking classes. During the cooking classes we will be learning what/how the food ingredients that we choose can help or hinder the healing process. As well as learning how to infuse cannabis into health conscious baked goods. 

Remember that old saying “you are what you eat?” Have you ever stopped in your hectic life to really digest the idea? Taking it further, we are what we eat, think, and breathe. We have 100 trillion cells around in each of our bodies. Cells travel giving your body and brain what it needs. Cells are fueled by the nutrients that are in the food and drinks that enter the body. 

Do you think that your body will be at its best functioning by eating a candy bar as a snack, or when you eat a handful of almonds and an apple? By drinking spring water or a sugary soda? Do you suffer from fatigue, chronic pain, headaches, mental fog, depression, anxiety, or disease? 

The key to starting the healing process of any of ailment is diet. Our bodies are crying out for us to pay attention. Take a step away from processed foods to whole foods that are unprocessed is to take a huge step toward better health. By reading further you will understand that at Harmony Foundation, we are for the overall health of the patient. Through diet awareness we can relearn how to live a healthier life. On the next tab we will explore the deferent’s between processed and unprocessed ingredients that harbor some of the major enemies to are diet.

US History

Cannabis was a part of the American pharmacopoeia until 1942 and is currently available by prescription in the Netherlands, Canada, Spain, and Italy in its whole plant form.

In 1937, the U.S. passed the first federal law against cannabis, despite the objections of the American Medical Association (AMA). Dr. William C. Woodward, testifying on behalf of the AMA, told Congress that, "The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that marijuana is a dangerous drug" and warned that a prohibition "loses sight of the fact that future investigation may show that there are substantial medical uses for Cannabis."


Ironically, the U.S. federal government currently grows and provides cannabis for a small number of patients. In 1976 the federal government created the Investigational New Drug (IND) compassionate access research program to allow patients to receive up to nine pounds of cannabis from the government each year. Today, five surviving patients still receive medical cannabis from the federal government, paid for by federal tax dollars.


In 1988, the DEA's Chief Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young, ruled after extensive hearings that, "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known... It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance..." Yet the DEA refused to implement this ruling based on a procedural technicality and resists rescheduling to this day.


In 1989, the FDA was flooded with new applications from people with HIV/AIDS. In June 1991, the Public Health Service announced that the program would be suspended because it undermined federal prohibition. Despite this successful medical program and centuries of documented safe use, cannabis is still classified in America as a Schedule I substance “indicating a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value. Healthcare advocates have tried to resolve this contradiction through legal and administrative channels to no avail.


In 1996, patients and advocates turned to the state level for access, passing voter initiatives in California and Arizona that allowed for legal use of cannabis with a doctor's recommendation. These victories were followed by the passage of similar initiatives in Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Washington D.C. The legislatures of Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico Rhode Island, and Vermont have also acted on behalf of their citizens, and every legislative session sees more bills introduced at the state level across the country.


In 1997, The Office of National Drug Control Policy commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to conduct a comprehensive study of the medical efficacy of cannabis therapeutics. The IOM concluded that cannabis is a safe and effective medicine, patients should have access, and the government should expand avenues for research and drug development. The federal government has completely ignored its findings and refused to act on its recommendations. Despite the federal barriers to research, hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have been published worldwide since the IOM report. While there is still much to learn, the medical potential is indisputable for a variety of symptoms and conditions.


In 1997, the federal government began a campaign to arrest and prosecute medical cannabis patients and their providers. These raids resulted in two Supreme Court Cases, OCBC and Gonzales v. Raich. In each of these cases the Justices found that the federal law and state law can exist in conflict and that the federal government could continue their campaign against medical cannabis patients if they so choose. However, the Justices questioned "the wisdom' of going after patients and their providers and called on Congress to change the current laws to allow for medical use. Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gonzales v. Raich, on June 6, 2005, the federal government has intensified its war against patients across the state of California. These raids have resulted in more than two-dozen patients and providers being needlessly prosecuted by the federal government.


Unfortunately, these defendants will not be permitted to mention during trial that their use of cannabis was for legitimate purposes and in accordance with state law. These raids alone are estimated to have cost taxpayers over $10,000,000.


Patients who could and do benefit from cannabis therapeutics face a variety of challenges at both the federal and state levels. Patients have been made to needlessly suffer because they have been denied access or, worse, because they have been imprisoned for using a medicine their doctors recommended.

The state of New Jersey is working diligently to draft sensible regulations so that medical cannabis patients can have safe, secure and properly cultivated recommended medicine for patient use. Our role is to work hand in hand with local and state legislators to assist in educating and providing safe access to our communities that we live in.

Global History

China

The oldest known therapeutic description of cannabis was by the Emperor Shen-Nung in the 28th century B.C. in China, where the plant had long been grown for fiber. He prescribed cannabis for beri-beri, constipation, "female weakness," gout, malaria, rheumatism and absentmindedness (Bloomquist, 1968: 19).

Egypt

In Egypt, in the 20th century B.C., cannabis was used to treat sore eyes. Additional medical usage was not reported until much later.

India

Prior to the 10th century B.C., bhang, a cannabis preparation, was used as an anesthetic and antiphlegmatic in India. In the second century A.D., a Chinese physician, Hoa-Tho, prescribed it as an analgesic in surgical procedures (Mikuriya, 1969: 34). From the 10th century B.C. up to 1945 (and even to the present time), cannabis has been used in India to treat a wide variety of human maladies.

The drug is highly regarded by some medical practitioners in that country. The religious use of cannabis in India is thought to have preceded its medical use (Blum and Associates, II, 1969: 73; Snyder, 1970: 125). The religious use of cannabis is to help "the user to free his mind from worldly distractions and to concentrate on the Supreme Being" (Barber, 1970: 80).

Cannabis is used in Hindu and Sikh temples and at Mohammedan shrines. Besides using the drug as an aid to meditation, it is also used to overcome hunger and thirst by the religious mendicants. In Nepal, it is distributed on certain feast days at the temples of all Shiva followers (Blum & Associates, 1969, 11: 63). The Hindus spoke of the drug as the "heavenly guide," "the soother of grief." Considered holy, it was described as a sacred grass during the Vedic period (Fort, 1969: 15).

A reference to cannabis in Hindu scriptures is the following: to the Hindu the hemp plant is holy. A guardian lives in bhang ... Bhang is the joy giver, the sky filer, the heavenly guide, the poor man's heaven, the soother of grief ... No god or man is as good as the religious drinker of Mang. The students of the scriptures of Benares are given bhang before they sit to study. At Benares, Ujjain and other holy places, yogis take deep draughts of Mang that they may center their thoughts on the Eternal . . . By the help of Mang ascetics pass days without food or drink. The supporting power of Mang has brought many a Hindu family safe through the miseries of famine (Snyder, 1970: 125).

Greece

In ancient Greece, cannabis was used as a remedy for earache, edema, and inflammation (Robinson, 1946: 382-383).

Africa

Cannabis was used in Africa to restore appetite and to relieve pain of hemorrhoids, its antiseptic uses were also known to certain African native tribes (O'Shaughnessy, 1842: 431). Various other uses, in a number of countries, included the treatment of tetanus, hydrophobia, delirium tremens, infantile convulsions, neuralgia and other nervous disorders, cholera, menorrhagia, rheumatism, hay fever, asthma, skin diseases, and protracted labor during childbirth.