Archive for June, 2006
Cannabis and Glaucoma
Up until the 1930s and 1940s extracts of Indian hemp was used medically to treat a wide variety of diseases. In the USA it was a legal medicine until 1969 and in Britain it was legal until 1971. At the only hearing for the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, the representative of the American Medical Association opposed the new law, worrying it would prevent medical use. There are patients in the USA whom the Federal government supplies with 300 marijuana cigarettes every month. One of these patients is Robert Randall who would have gone blind from glaucoma 25 years ago had
Xanax
Xanax (pronounced ZAN-axe) is the common brand name for Alprazolam, a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety disorders. Xanax (usually taken in oral tablet form) has a calming effect, with potential side effects of drowsiness, clumsiness, fatigue, and headache. Xanax can also have more severe side effects, such as blurred vision, slurred speech, and changes in normal behavior. Xanax is habituating, and users develop a tolerance. Physical and psychological dependence after several months of Xanax treatment is common. As a result, long-term Xanax treatment cannot be abruptly terminated, but must instead be slowly reduced in dosage over a course of weeks
