Originally Posted by Surferbruce

gee, imagine that. why would you ride 35 days without any rest days? (unless you like being either over-reached or undertrained...)

Originally Posted by stevegor

And that dear Pcad is why, in your own words, you suck at racing.

Originally Posted by patentcad

because i go into endorphin withdrawal that's why you expatriate poser. Hey, where the hell can you surf in france anyway?

Originally Posted by RichinPeoria

Medical cannabis

Cannabis Indica (now referred to as Cannabis sativa subsp. indica),[1] Fluid Extract, American Druggists Syndicate, pre-1937.Medical cannabis, (commonly referred to as "Medical marijuana"), refers to the use of the cannabis plant as a physician-recommended drug or herbal therapy, as well as synthetic THC and other cannabinoids. There are many studies regarding the use of cannabis in a medicinal context.[2][3] Drug usage generally requires a prescription, and distribution is usually done within a framework defined by local laws. There are several methods for administration of dosage including vaporizing or smoking dried cannabis buds, drinking or eating cannabis extracts,and taking synthetic THC pills.[4][5] The comparible efficacy of these methods was the subject of an investigative study by the National Institutes of Health.[3]

Medicinal use of cannabis is legal in a limited number of territories worldwide, including Canada, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Finland and Portugal. In the US, fourteen states have recognized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington;[6][7] although California is currently the only state to utilize "dispensaries" to sell medical cannabis.

There are currently five US states considering medical marijuana bills in their state legislatures: Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. South Dakota also has several petitions in interest of medical marijuana legalization.[8]

Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use in many cultures. The US Government as represented by the Health and Human Services Division, holds a patent for medical marijuana.[9] Yet, medical cannabis remains a controversial issue worldwide.

Partial list of clinical applications

"Victoria", the United States' first legal medical marijuana plant grown by The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana [10].Medical cannabis specialist Dr. Tod Mikuriya recorded over 250 indications for medical cannabis,[11] as classified by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9).[12]

In a 2002 review of medical literature, medical cannabis was shown to have established effects in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, PMS, unintentional weight loss, and lack of appetite. Other "relatively well-confirmed" effects were in the treatment of "spasticity, painful conditions, especially neurogenic pain, movement disorders, asthma, [and] Glaucoma".[13]

Preliminary findings indicate that cannabis-based drugs could prove useful in treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (consisting of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis),[14] Migraines, Fibromyalgia and related conditions.[15]

Medical cannabis has also been found to relieve certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis[16] and spinal cord injuries by exhibiting antispasmodic and muscle relaxant properties as well as stimulating appetite. Clinical trials provide evidence that THC reduces motor and vocal tics of Tourette’s syndrome and related behavioral problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorders.[17][18]

Other studies have shown cannabis to be useful in treating: Alcoholism,[19] ADD[20] ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease),[21][22][23] Collagen-Induced Arthritis (CIA),[24] Rheumatoid Arthritis,[25] Asthma,[26] Atherosclerosis[27] Autism,[28] Bipolar Disorder,[29][30][31] Childhood Mental Disorders,[32] Colorectal Cancer,[33] Depression,[34][35][36][37] Diabetic Retinopathy,[38][39][40] Dystonia,[41][42] Epilepsy,[43] Gastrointestinal Disorders,[44][45] Gliomas,[46][47] Hepatitis C,[48][49] Huntington's Disease,[50] Hypertension,[51][52] Incontinence,[53] Leukemia,[54] Skin Tumors,[55][56] Morning Sickness,[57][58] MRSA (Drug-Resistant Staph Infections),[59][60][61] Parkinson's,[62] Pruritus,[63][64] PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder),[65][66][67] Sickle Cell Disease,[68] and Sleep Apnea.[69][70]


Recent studies

[edit] Alzheimer's Disease
Research done by the Scripps Research Institute in California shows that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, may prevent the formation of deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. THC was found to prevent an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from accelerating the formation of "Alzheimer plaques" in the brain more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer’s patients, as reported in Molecular Pharmaceutics.[71][72]


Neuron growth
A Canadian study shows Marijuana promotes neuron growth. The Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form. Whereas most "social drugs" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells, the researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampi. The study held true for either plant-derived or synthetic versions of cannabinoids. The findings were published in the 2005 November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.[73]


Lung cancer and COPD
THC has been found to reduce tumor growth in common lung cancer by 50 percent and to significantly reduce the ability of the cancer to spread, say researchers at Harvard University, who tested the chemical in both lab and mouse studies. The researchers suggest that THC might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer. [74]

In 2006, Donald Tashkin, M.D., of the University of California in Los Angeles, presented the results of his study, Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study. Tashkin found that smoking marijuana does not appear to increase the risk of lung cancer or head-and-neck malignancies, even among heavy users. The more tobacco a person smoked, the greater their risk of developing lung cancer and other cancers of the head and neck. But people who smoked more marijuana were not at increased risk compared with people who smoked less and people who didn’t smoke at all.[75] Marijuana use was associated with cancer risk ratios below 1.0, indicating that a history of pot smoking had no effect on the risk for respiratory cancers. In contrast, tobacco smoking had a 21-fold risk for cancer. Tashkin concluded, "It's possible that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana smoke may encourage apoptosis, or programmed cell death, causing cells to die off before they have a chance to undergo malignant transformation".[76][77]

Similar findings were released in April 2009 by the Vancouver Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease Research Group. The study presents that smoking both tobacco and marijuana synergistically increased the risk of respiratory symptoms and COPD. Smoking only marijuana, however, was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms of COPD.[78][79] In a related commentary, Dr. Donald Tashkin writes that "we can be close to concluding that marijuana smoking by itself does not lead to COPD".[80]


Breast cancer
According to a 2007 study by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, a compound found in cannabis may stop breast cancer from spreading throughout the body.[81][82] The scientists believe their discovery may provide a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy while achieving the same results minus the painful and unpleasant side effects. The research team say that cannabidiol or CBD works by blocking the activity of a gene called Id-1, which is believed to be responsible for a process called metastasis, which is the aggressive spread of cancer cells away from the original tumor site.[83]


HIV/AIDS
Investigators at Columbia University published clinical trial data in 2007 showing that HIV/AIDS patients who inhaled cannabis four times daily experienced substantial increases in food intake with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance. They concluded that smoked marijuana has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive patients.[84][85] In another study in 2008, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that marijuana significantly reduces HIV-related neuropathic pain when added to a patient's already-prescribed pain management regimen and may be an "effective option for pain relief" in those whose pain is not controlled with current medications. Mood disturbance, physical disability, and quality of life all improved significantly during study treatment.[86][87] No serious adverse effects were reported, according to the study published by the American Academy of Neurology.[88]


Brain cancer
A study by Complutense University of Madrid found the active chemical in marijuana promotes the death of brain cancer cells by essentially helping them feed upon themselves in a process called autophagy. The research team discovered that cannabinoids such as THC had anticancer effects in mice with human brain cancer cells and in people with brain tumors. When mice with the human brain cancer cells received the THC, the tumor shrank. Using electron microscopes to analyze brain tissue taken both before and after a 26- to 30-day THC treatment regimen, the researchers found that THC eliminated cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact.[89] The patients did not have any toxic effects from the treatment; previous studies of THC for the treatment of cancer have also found the therapy to be well tolerated. However, the mechanisms which promote THC's tumor cell–killing action are unknown.[90]

The researchers believe their findings may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of cancer, as detailed in their study, Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells,[91] which appeared in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.


Head Injuries
Medical Marijuana has been shown to display neuroprotective properties with the 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol compound. This compound has been shown in lab experiments with mice to lower the amount of secondary damages from head injuries and speed up recovery time and effectiveness.[92]

Indication: Benefit
Alzheimer's: Prevents formation of "Alzheimer plaques"
Arthritis: Analgesic, antiinflammatory
Asthma: Opens up airways in lungs
Brain Cancer: Reduces tumors, kills cancer cells
Breast Cancer: Stops cancer from spreading
Depression: Brightens mood
Glaucoma: Reduces eye pressure
Head Injuries: Neuroprotective properties, speeds recovery time
HIV: Reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and sleep
Hypertension: Lowers blood pressure
Lung Cancer: Reduces tumors, slows cancer growth
Pain: Non-opiate, non-addictive pain killer
A.D.D. : Regulates the effects of A.D.D.

-wiki

Originally Posted by patentcad

The profoundness of your incorrectitude is hard to overstate. However I will confess that if I took more rest days I would suck somewhat less. But my suckage would still be significant. It's not worth it. I need the endorphins. That's why I do this sport. Whether I finish 22nd or 9th is rather irrelevant to me. But all the rest days in the world won't get me into the money.

Originally Posted by patentcad

The profoundness of your incorrectitude is hard to overstate. However I will confess that if I took more rest days I would suck somewhat less. But my suckage would still be significant. It's not worth it. I need the endorphins. That's why I do this sport. Whether I finish 22nd or 9th is rather irrelevant to me. But all the rest days in the world won't get me into the money.