June 4, 2014

Dear Sir:

Recent revelations by Marc Bean about treating his daughter’s asthma have overshadowed the cannabis debate. There is a lot at stake, and apparently doctors are weighing in saying that there’s no evidence supporting cannabis as a treatment for asthma. I have found some. THC is a bronchodilator. Cannabis contains cannabidiol which is anxiolic, which means it reduces anxiety. I had childhood asthma, and one aspect I always remember was the panic attacks that came with asthma. Cannabis reduces anxiety and helps asthmatic symptoms of bronchoconstriction.

In reference to Dr Chiappa’s letter to the editor, I have to comment. Firstly, if cannabis isn’t a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, why is Sativex, a cannabis tincture, approved in the UK and Canada for MS? Why can I find thousands of articles supporting cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of many diseases? Why can I find that cannabinoids have anti-cancer effects and cause cancer cells do die without harming healthy cells? You sir are wilfully ignorant as I have sent you such research that you reject as a quack remedy.

I use the same resources as available to the public yet Dr Chiappa can’t find that research. I in fact sent packets of such studies to Dr Chiappa, Dr Paul Coty, the Chief Medical Officer, Scott Pearman, and Dr David Haries of the BHB. The fact is, BHB stands to lose millions of dollars with legalisation as more people will shun conventional medical treatments in favour of a non-toxic treatment that has been around longer than modern medicine.

The fact that you say that there are no studies showing the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating cancer is a lie. I challenge you, Dr Chiappa to look deeper, as you will find the same studies as I have found, and implore you to apologise to the public for misleading them as Dr Sanjay Gupta did.

Cannabidiol, a component of cannabis is Anti-psychotic and has been trialed along conventional antipsychotics with similar results. It is disturbing that the studies you mention all admit that causation wasn’t established, but a link was seen. The link was that cannabis components can treat schizophrenia rather than cause it. If you have any difficulty in finding these studies, I will re-send them to you, highlighted and with footnotes, because either you have an interest in keeping cannabis illegal, or you are incompetent and negligent in your duties to present facts which you have not done.

MICHAEL BRANGMAN