Endogenous Cannabinoid Deficiency (ECD)
A new way of thinking has emerged out of the Medical Marijuana Industry.
Could there be a central, biochemical issue that is addressed through the use of Medical Cannabis?
And could this central disease process be associated with the various disorders that Medical Cannabis is known or thought to treat?
Some have proposed that there is an entity known as: Clinical Cannabinoid Deficiency.
I feel that all the different Medical Issues listed in California Proposition 420 as well as many Mood Disorders are in fact linked to what I have named:
Endogenous Cannabinoid Deficiency.
Some of the Ailments that may be treated by Endogenous Cannabinoid Deficiency are the following, which are stated in California’s Proposition 420:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Anorexia
Arthritis
Cachexia
Cancer
Chronic pain
Glaucoma
Migraine
Persistent muscle spasms
Seizures
Severe
Nausea
And Mood Disorders (Depression, Insomnia, ADHD etc)
I think it is reasonable to theorize that there is a syndrome of Cannabinoid Deficiency that may very well play a part in the manifestation of the above disorders.
What many people do not know is that there is a disease that appears to be associated with Cannabinoid Excess, namely Obesity.
Often Medical Cannabis Use causes Euphoria. Perhaps the term “Fat and Happy” is not so far off the mark. Therefore, Morbidly Obese individuals should be very cautious with Medicinal use of Cannabis, unless there is an overriding medical issue.
In addition, very recently there was a Cannabinoid Receptor Blocker (Inhibits the effect of Cannabis) named Rimonabant that showed promising results in the treatment of Obese Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients. (1-8)
Since there is scientific evidence that there is a disease associated with Cannabinoid Excess one would naturally conclude that there most likely is or are syndromes associated with Cannabinoid Deficiency.
In truth, there is evidence that there are disorders associated with Cannabinoid deficiency as outlined in the land mark article in Neuroendocrinology. (9)
In this article Dr Russo reviews the scientific data on various disorders and pain syndromes that Western Medicine has been relatively unsuccessful in treating, such as migraines. Dr Russo weaves in biochemistry and points out that there are many relationships found between the Cannabinoid system and other systems within the nervous system, such as Serotonin system. The Serotonin system is already known to be involved in many medical disorders, such as depression.
Cannabinoid Deficiency may underlie many diseases that Western Medicine has failed to effectively treat.
References:
Neurochem Res 2001 Sep;26(8-9):1015-21.
www.scientificsessions.americanheart.org/portal/scientificsessions/ss/. (Accessed 3/7/05).
Nature 2001 Apr 12;410(6830):822-5.
Lancet 2005 Apr;365(9468):1389-97.
N Engl J Med 2005 Nov 17;353(20):2121-34.
JAMA. 2006 Feb 15;295(7):761-75.
Lancet. 2006 Nov 11;368(9548):1660-72.
Diabetes Care. 2008 Nov;31(11):2169-76. Epub 2008 Aug 4.
Neuroendocrinology Letters Nos.1/2, Feb-Apr Vol.25, 2004
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