Real Pharmaceutical Marijuana?

Is it comming? Maybe:

Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

[...] Let me introduce you to dronabinol. It turns out that the miracle that is modern psychopharmacology has now shown it IS possible to render pot's analgesic effects into capsule form. And according to a new study, it works just as well as smoked marijuana at tamping down pain. But the capsule's effects last longer, and they come with fewer of the "abuse-related subjected effects" (i.e., feeling high) than does smoked marijuana.

Face it, potheads: You knew it was just a matter of time before "the man" got a hold of weed and snagged all the profits. But who knew he'd suck the fun out of it too?

For the record, dronabinol did induce some of smoked marijuana's other side effects, some of which have medicinal value to certain populations: It did increase appetite, decrease nausea and improve sleep.

The new research appeared Monday in the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology. It was authored by a group from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. [...]

The full article goes on with details about how it was tested, which I also found interesting.

     

"Natural" tips from WebMD

Natural Good Sleep: Tips on Melatonin, Valerian, and More

[...] So, what's been proven to work? What's safe?

Plank is a big advocate of chamomile tea, as well as valerian and melatonin. "Both of those have good scientific evidence backing them up," Plank tells WebMD.

Start with low doses of any supplement, she advises. Always tell your health provider what you're doing, as some people should not take specific supplements. There may be interactions with other medications you're taking or other serious side effects. Also, keep these sleep solutions short-term.

"Any sleep aid should not be taken for long periods," Plank says. "You must address lifestyle, too. Make sure something else is not interfering with sleep."

Plank recommends:

* Chamomile tea
* Melatonin
* Valerian
* Kava

For optimal nerve health (to help you relax), she also advises 100 to 400 milligrams of magnesium. "I don't know of studies of magnesium for sleep, but in my experience it helps," she tells WebMD. [...]

The rest of the article goes into more detail about each of those supplements.

The next two article follow a similar format on their topics:

Natural Allergy Remedies

Natural Pain Relief: Chronic Pain Supplements