Nesta 8 Posted January 4, 2013 Israel Tests Marijuana Medical Use as Lebanon Continues to Destruct Cannabis Crops by Naharnet Newsdesk BRON As Lebanon continues to overlook the potential to turn its cannabis cultivation problem into a profitable project that can improve the living conditions of farmers in the Bekaa region, many farms in Israel are challenging the illegality of marijuana in the state to test and promote its medical advantages. “Situated in the Galilee hills in northern Israel is a government-approved medical marijuana farm that among its strain of growing plants there is one that is believed to have the strongest psychoactive effect of any cannabis in the world. Another, rich in anti-inflammatory properties, will not get you high at all,” the New York Times reported. Israelis have been “at the vanguard” of research into the medicinal properties of cannabis for decades, the newspaper added. In Lebanon the Ministry of Interior embarked in August 2012 on a mission to destruct cannabis crops in the town of al-Yammouneh in the eastern Bekaa valley, home to over 30,000 dunums of cannabis crops. The mission often causes armed clashes between the Lebanese army and the farmers who claim it is their only source of income. While the ministry has repeatedly promised finding and encouraging a substitute type of agriculture to replace cannabis, no other solution has been introduced. “Why not do it the Turkish way?” Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had suggested. “The government would take the produce and sell it abroad for medical and agricultural use. We must resolve this issue because the people of this region cannot grow different types of plants in their land,” he added. The New York Times reported that researchers in Israel say cannabis can be beneficial for a variety of illnesses and conditions, from helping cancer patients relieve pain and ease loss of appetite to improving the quality of life for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and neuropsychological conditions. The natural ingredients in the plant, they say, can help with digestive function, infections and recovery after a heart attack. The strain known as Eran Almog, which has the highest concentration of THC, is recommended for severe pain. Avidekel, a strain rich in CBD and with hardly any psychoactive ingredient, allows patients to benefit from the drug while being able to drive and to function at work. Israel’s Ministry of Health issues special licenses that allow thousands of patients to receive medical marijuana, and “some government officials are now promoting the country’s advances in the field as an example of its pioneering and innovation”. “I hope we will overcome the legal obstacles for Tikkun Olam and other companies,” Yuli Edelstein, the minister of public diplomacy and diaspora affairs, told journalists during a recent government-sponsored tour of the farm, part of Israel’s effort to brand itself as something beyond a conflict zone. In addition to helping the sick, he said, the effort “could be helpful for explaining what we are about in this country.” Yet experts say that many medical professionals in Israel remain skeptical and are reluctant to encourage patients to use marijuana, be it because of conservatism or a lack of knowledge about its potential benefits. Obtaining a personal-use license from the Health Ministry for a patient requires a special effort by doctors and can take more time than some patients have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FoolOnTheHill 1,676 Posted January 4, 2013 the strongest psychoactive effect of any cannabis in the world Zonder opgave van het THC-percentage? Opscheppers! Yuli Edelstein, the minister of public diplomacy and diaspora affairs, told journalists during a recent government-sponsored tour of the farm, part of Israel’s effort to brand itself as something beyond a conflict zone. In addition to helping the sick, he said, the effort “could be helpful for explaining what we are about in this country.” Een zorgvuldige PR-campagne dus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nesta 8 Posted January 4, 2013 Ik zie het door een andere bril.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FoolOnTheHill 1,676 Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Ik zie propaganda. the strongest psychoactive effect Hoe meet je dat in godsnaam? En wat is echt de sterkste weed? Wiki weet het: I would say the strongest weed I've smoked and did a little research on would be Super Silver Haze First place winner of three consecutive High Times Cannabis Cups for the hydro category (1997, 1998, 1999), Super Silver Haze also claimed first prize in the High Times Grand Cup in 1998. Super Silver Haze was a creation of Nevil and Shantibaba and they are as good as breeders can get, but if you are going to rely on number of Cup wins as validation of potency then you might want to consider some of the strains that have won 7 Cup or 10 Cups or 15 various Cups over the years. Nevil and Shantibaba do not even give a THC percentage for Super Silver Haze on Mr. Nice Seeds strain selection page for Super Silver Haze so it's rather difficult to claim it to be of higher potency than strains that do list tested THC levels. While Barney's Farm Tangerine Dream is a bit on the unstable side it has been tested to have a minimum level of THC of 25% and Sannie's Seeds Herijuana has tested up to 25%. I am as big of a fan of Nevil and Shantibaba's work as anyone but I am highly confident that Super Silver Haze is not near 25% in THC. When finished and released Nevil's Ultimate Haze, that he wants to use the word Grail in the name when released, might be 25% or higher in THC, but we will have to wait to find out. De mooiste kruisingen van bijvoorbeeld rashonden, bloemen, etc zijn gemaakt door bevlogen liefhebbers, niet door kille professoren. Zo zie ik het. Edited January 4, 2013 by FoolOnTheHill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mitsz van der Kamp 137 Posted January 4, 2013 Ik heb veel tijd besteed in Israël. Een van de sterkste hasjsoorten die ook rookte was op strand van Jaffa. Was Libanees. Echte sterk spul en ik was t oen zeker wat gewend. Slechts ter informatie Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blowsterke 117 Posted January 4, 2013 Israeli firm's new medical marijuana By Yolande Knell BBC News, Jerusalem The cannabis is rolled into cigarettes under laboratory conditions for medical use Under armed guard, at a secret location in the hills of northern Israel, rows of cannabis plants in a large greenhouse give off a sweet, distinctive smell. In a nearby processing room, bags of dried buds and leaves are weighed and bagged. A woman in a lab coat operates a device producing dozens of ready-made cigarettes. Cannabis is an illegal drug in Israel but this facility is allowed to operate under a government licence. The company that runs it, Tikun Olam, uses organic methods to grow different kinds of cannabis for medical use. Now, it has developed a new strain that could change the image of the drug. It does not give users the characteristic high or get them "stoned". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote When I take the cannabis it helps me all day. I feel much better. I can finally walk without crying from the pain in my legs” David Sabach, 12-year-old cancer patient Careful cross-breeding has virtually removed the chemical in cannabis known as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which has psychoactive properties. Instead the new plant has a high concentration of another of the main constituents called cannabidiol (CBD), a powerful anti-inflammatory. "Cannabidiol does not bind to the brain, to the brain cells, therefore after taking it you don't have any side effects that you don't want," says Ruth Gallily, an immunology professor at Hebrew University who has researched CBD for 15 years. "(These include) not being high, not being confused. You can drive, you can work, you can do everyday things. It's very non-toxic." Pain relief Tikun Olam's research and development manager, Zach Klein, lists the categories of patients who can benefit from the new product. "The new strains are really good for three populations - people who work, old people - because they are sensitive to THC - and also children, as we want to touch those receptors in their brains as little as possible," he says. David Sabach, 12, suffers from cancer but has just been out playing with friends when I visit his family's apartment in central Israel. He shows me pictures of how he looked two years ago. He had lost his hair from chemotherapy treatment and was half his current weight. A doctor recently prescribed David the CBD-enriched cannabis. It is delivered in the form of chocolate, cookies or cakes. Breeding has removed most of the psychoactive properties in the plant "I used to take morphine for pain and it would help for just a couple of minutes," he tells me. "When I take the cannabis it helps me all day. I feel much better. I can finally walk without crying from the pain in my legs." Medical marijuana has been used in Israel since the 1990s. More than 10,000 Israelis take it to treat a range of illnesses from cancer, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis to Tourette's syndrome. Many believe it is the combination of THC and CBD in regular cannabis that is most beneficial. THC has its own medicinal effects. "It shouldn't be changed. This is nature's medicine and it's been used for thousands of years," says a 52-year-old cancer patient from Tel Aviv who does not want to be identified. He had a stomach tumour removed five months ago and smokes cannabis while undergoing chemotherapy. "Mostly it helps with pain reduction. The second thing is the desire to eat. The body without fuel cannot fight and one of the wonderful things about marijuana is that it causes "munchies", and "munchies" for people during chemotherapy is a blessing." The exact properties of the dozens of cannabinoids contained in cannabis and their interactions are still being studied. International pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with the ratio, and developing synthetic versions, to use as medicines. However, growers say traditional horticultural techniques also have potential to create tailor-made cannabis for different conditions. The new "high-free" Israeli version could also challenge the ban on medical uses of cannabis currently enforced in many countries. Bron http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20189347 Het tegenovergestelde Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
