Prevent Swine Flu Death with an Alternative Treatment

If you had the swine flu, would you take medical marijuana throat lozenges? Cannabis Science thinks you would, and the company thinks marijuana is just the plant for preventing deaths from H1N1 and avian flu. This publicly-traded company (NASD OTCBB) is working with the FDA to get its products approved to respond to the “potentially urgent situation” to public health H1N1 presents.

Photo by KayVee.INC

Medical marijuana lozenges may be used to treat the swine flu.

What makes medical marijuana effective in fighting flu deaths? ABC News explains:

The approach relies on the principle that the chemicals in marijuana known as cannabinoids have a dampening effect on the immune system…When you catch the flu, your immune system launches a massive attack on the virus that causes inflammation…While it is necessary for fighting off the virus, this overwhelming inflammation can start to kill your own cells and, if it gets out of hand, it can lead to organ failure and death..

Marijuana “suppresses your immune system”, making it useful when your body cannot respond to it’s overzealous immune system attack. Cannabis Science further explains:

We now know that the endocannabinoid system plays a critical role in maintaining human health. The human body produces Endocannabinoids on demand when they are needed. They help restore homeostasis (biochemical balance). The Cannabis plant produces Phytocannabinoids. When the human body has endocannabinoid deficiencies, it cannot effectively restore the healthy biochemical state needed to counter a particular illness. Phytocannabinoids from the Cannabis plant can replace the deficient endocannabinoid activity in the human body to restore a health-promoting level of cannabinoid activity. Cannabis Science will test its pharmaceutical products with FDA guidance and oversight to determine if it will reduce ARDS-associated deaths from both the Avian and Swine influenza infections.

Cannabis Science’s CEO Robert Melameade personally tried medicinal marijuana when he had the flu with success, but doctors warn, smoking pot is not advised for anyone with”flu-related respiratory ills”. The illicit drug factor also presents a difficult hurdle for the company to overcome in marketing its product should it gain FDA approval. From glaucoma to migraines, medical marijuana has it’s uses, but doctors are skeptical treating the flu will be added to the list. Despite the medical communities reservations, Cannabis Science is moving forward with the FDA approval process:

We have an agreement with a successful organic producer to provide us with the raw material. We are establishing a genetic testing facility to insure the production of consistent botanical products, as required for FDA approval, using state of the art procedures. We have identified a CGMP compliant processor who will make an FDA approvable extract for further processing by another qualified and experienced manufacturer, who will produce the final commercial product after FDA approval.

Medical marijuana for the swine flu…the times, they are a changing.