Pediatric Cancer and Cannabis Oil

Five Case Reports

A three day conference entitled, Marijuana for Medical Professionals 2014, was held in Denver last month.    Perhaps the most impressive presentation was five pediatric cancer case reports by Mara Gordon, the owner of Aunt Zelda’s.  

Another excellent presentation was by Dr. Margaret Gedde on the use of High CBD Cannabis Oil for Seizure Disorder.

Thanks to Justin Kander for his summary of the meeting.

Above left image courtesy of Mara Gordon owner of Aunt Zelda’s, San Fransisco. 

The pdf of the Mara Gordon’s case presentations can be viewed Here.

Which Cannabis Strain to Use ?

One of the major issues we face when starting treatment with medicinal cannabis is which cannabis strain to use for a particular medical problem.  There are many cannabis strains with considerable variation in THC and CBD content.  When it comes to treating cancer with cannabis oil, which strain gives the best results? (note THC = tetra-hydro-cannabinol  CBD= cannabidiol)

Rick Simpson, an early pioneer in the use of cannabis oil for treating cancer in his documentary, Run From the Cure, writes about this in his e-book, Cure for Cancer: The Rick Simpson Protocol.    

Rick Simpson recommends a “sedating” Indica strain.  He advises against the “energizing” sativa strain.  Here is a quote from Rick:  ” I produce the oil from strong indica strains that make you go lay down after you smoke it. I always look for that heavy sedative effect in the material I produce the oil from. Sleep and rest are an important part of the healing process. Good heavy indica strains produce this desirable effect in a patient, but some strains with sativa in their genetics are too energizing to use as a medication.”  Quote from RIck Simpson.

Going to the Lab

Mara Gordon of Aunt Zelda’s has gone a very large step further in determining which strain to use.  Firstly, the cannabis material is sent to the Steep Hill Halent lab for analysis.  Secondly, two strains are selected, and used together, one high in THC (tetrahydrocannabidiol) and the other high in CBD (cannabidiol) .  This gives the patient the benefits derived from both THC and CBD, Exact milligram dosage for both THC and CBD is calculated and administered in divided doses during the day.

Dr. Margaret Gedde and High CBD Cannabis Oil for Seizure Disorder

Dr Gedde’s abstract can be viewed HERE .

A high CBD strain of cannabis known as Charlotte’s Web (Realm Oil) is available in Colorado for patients who possess a state medical marijuana license.  Dr Margaret Gedde reviewed the clinical data on 13 children with severe refractory epilepsy who had received on average Ten Anti-Epilepsy Drugs.  The children were then treated with high CBD “Realm Oil” for seizure control.  The oil was used for at least three months.  11 of 13 patients and their parents completed interviews. 4 children were diagnosed with Doose syndrome, 2 with Dravet syndrome, 1 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, 1 with metachromatic leukodystrophy, 1 with cortical  dysplasia and 2 with idiopathic epilepsy.

Left Image courtesy Margaret_Gedde_2013 also see this abstract :

Results of three months of treatment with high CBD Realm Oil showed that all 11 children (100%) had reduction in motor type seizures.   Of the 11, 8 reported near100% reduction, 1 reported 75% reduction, and 2 reported 20-45% reduction.  Seven of 11 patients achieved this reduction within the first month of treatment. At three months, 5 of the 11 patients (50%) were free of seizure activity.

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Mara Gordon’s Case Report Presentation

1) Optic Pathway Glioma

Sophie Isabella Ryan was diagnosed with a low grade, Optic Pathway Glioma brain tumor on June 23rd, 2013 at the age of 8 ½ months old.

From the mom:”After 11 months of chemo and high doses of cannabis oil, our daughter’s brain tumor is about 70-75%  gone, and a massive cyst that had formed is about 85% gone. We were told that chemo would also not get rid of the cysts. We were told that she would for sure go blind in her left eye and her right eye would likely be compromised. Because of the shrinkage we have seen from the use of cannabis we have saved her vision, and the only challenge she has is a lazy eye that we are working on correcting. From what we can tell she  can see perfectly, and has had zero complications due to sight loss.”

“Sophie has been on high concentrated THC and CBD cannabis oil at a gram a day since she started chemo in October of 2013.  She started with low doses building up to approximately 450 mg THC and 275 mg CBD daily.”

Treatment Plan Dec 3 2013
Strain one Girl SCout Cookies (GSC) THC 71.4%, CBD 0%
Strain Two Cannatonic :                       THC 16%, CBD 60%

THC target dosage 550 mg per day
CBD target dosage 380 mg per day

Dec 20, 2013: cannabis strains changed to  Purple Kush and ACDC
Purple Kush:  THC 66%, CBD 1.6%
ACDC:            THC 2.4% , CBD 70%

(see images below ) before and after scans courtesy of Mara Gordon.

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2) Rhadomyosarcoma of neck.  A 10 yr old male presented with inoperable Parameningeal Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma in neck stage 3 in 12/2012.  The patient was started on  43 weeks chemo regimen including Vincristine, D-Actinomycin, and Cyclophosphamide. (VAC chemotherapy regimen).  On 2/2012, the patient started a 6 week course of radiation therapy (28 sessions).  Adverse effects of chemotherapy included severe nausea unresponsive meds including Marinol (synthetic THC) .  June 2013, the patient tried cannabis for relief of nausea.   August 2013, the patient used high THC strains and high CBD strains.  The patient built up dosage to 900 mg THC/ day and 500 mg CBD/ day. This reduced nausea and increased appetite, and controlled neutropenia. Patient maintains dose of 150 mg THC and 120 mg CBD daily and has been declared No  Disease Free as of 11/2013.  His doctors commented that treatment with chemo and radiation treatment doesn’t usually work in such cases.

Cannabis treatment plan:

Strain 1 FireOG   THC 60%, CBD 1.5%
Strain 2 CBDX THC 16%, CBD 37%

THC 150 mg /day
CBD 125 mg /day

Rhabdomyosarcoma – Maintenance Plan- CR   Monday, September 1, 2014

1 Hindu Kush Kief  HK Kief % THC  48 %  % CBD  10 %
2 Yummie                              % THC 15 %  % CBD  48 %
THC Target Dosage (mg) 150 mg
CBD Target Dosage (mg) 120 mg

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3) Astrocytoma.   2 yr 9mo female presented with Astrocytoma tumor in brain stem and spine on 2/6/2014

Astrocytoma – Treatment Plan  Wednesday, April 16, 2014
RKO           % THC 66.2      % CBD 2.6 %
Swiss Gold % THC 11.8      % CBD 70 %
THC Target Dosage (mg) 100 mg
CBD Target Dosage (mg) 50 mg
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4) Pineoblastoma in 4yr 8 month male Oct 2013 with hydeocephalus treated with Intraventricular Shunt.  33 proton radiation treatments. 12/ 2013 start cannabis extract treatment using separate high THC and CBD strains. 2/2014 start 6 month chemotherapy, using Vincristine, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, one of the stronger regimens.  7/2014 tumor undetectable.

Images first image shows enhancing pinealmoa tumor located centrally.  Second image after treatment shows the lesion is no longer seen.

Pineoblastoma – Treatment Plan
E VG
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Strain 1 – Pineapple 1312045004
Strain 2 – ACDC 131213K005
Target Dose – 3x per day
Pineapple THC 60 % CBD 0.35 %
AC/DC THC 2.4 %    CBD  60 %
THC Target Dosage (mg) 100 mg
CBD Target Dosage (mg) 100 mg

(images before and after)

Precursor B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

1yr 7mo male presents with Precurser B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 5/2013 in remission since 6/2013 with double strain cannabis treatment.

Sunday, October 20, 2013
Strain 1 – Girl Scout Cookie
Strain 2 – Cannatonic
GSC % THC 71.4 % CBD Strain 1 0 %
Cannatonic % THC 15.87 % CBD 58.97 %
THC Target Dosage (mg) 300 mg
CBD Target Dosage (mg) 100 mg

Sunday, October 20, 2013
Strain 1 – Girl Scout Cookie 131001O002
Strain 2 – Cannatonic 1309131022
GSC % THC Strain 1 71.4 %
% CBD Strain 1 0 %
Cannatonic % THC Strain 2 15.87 %
% CBD Strain 2 58.97 %
THC Target Dosage (mg) 300 mg
CBD Target Dosage (mg) 100 mg
GSC Use This Much Strain 1 (g) per day 0.382 g
Cannatonic Use This Much Strain 2 (g) per day 0.17 g
GSC Take this amount (3) x per day* (per dose) 0.13 g
Cannatonic Take this amount (3) x per day* (per dose) 0.06 g
*rounded up g
S T

Conclusions
•It is possible to dose correctly and consistently
•Collaboration with medical team, and individualized treatment plans are key
•The cannabis plant is more than the sum of its parts. Whole plant works best
•Patient adherence to protocol is necessary
•Separating the THC and CBD doses vastly influence outcomes
•Cannabinoid treatment reduces negative chemotherapy side effects
•Best practices in extraction, testing, and advising need to be established
•Testing and supply chain must improve for cannabis to succeed as medicine

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Parents testimonials quoted from pdf file:

1) begin quote: “Sophie Isabella Ryan was diagnosed with a low grade, Optic Pathway Gliomabrain tumor on June 23rd, 2013 at the age of 8 ½ months old. We were originally told that her only option would we a 13 month protocol of chemo using Vincristine and Carboplatin in hopes to arrest the development of the tumor. Since it is a low grade glioma, chemo was never meant to get rid of the tumor, and if we saw even minimal shrinkage it would be considered a huge success. After 11 months of chemo and high doses of cannabis oil, our daughter’s brain tumor is about 70-75%  gone, and a massive cyst that had formed is about 85% gone. We were told that chemo would also not get rid of the cysts. We were told that she would for sure go blind in her left eye and her right eye would likely be compromised. Because of the shrinkage we have seen from the use of cannabis we have saved her vision, and the only challenge she has is a lazy eye that we are working on correcting. From what we can tell she  can see perfectly, and has had zero complications due to sight loss.

Sophie has been on high concentrated THC and CBD cannabis oil at a gram a day since she started chemo in October of 2013. We worked her up to that dose slowly and the only side effects she ever had was a little sleepiness that completely went away as she acclimated to the oils. Now her only side effect is hunger, which is amazing since the chemo can effect her appetite. When we give Sophie her medicine we separate them into 4 doses and give them 3 hours apart. The experts that we work with believe that by separating the THC and CBD it allows the THC to attach to the CB1 receptors, and the CBD to attach to the CB2 receptors without competition, which results in better absorption.

We truly believe that THC plays a huge part in killing her tumor, and she has continued to be on approximately a 2:1 ratio of THC to CBD. The results we are seeing are just incredible! Sophie’s tumor has surpassed everything that doctors told us was possible with chemo alone, and we are now at month 11 of a 13 month chemo protocol. On top of the amazing shrinkage we have seen, Sophie has also continued to gain weight and has a great quality of life despite having chemo once a week with short breaks from time to time. Her hair has grown back, she is advancing developmentally, and despite the need for frequent blood transfusions she is otherwise really happy and healthy.

We truly, truly believe that we will completely get rid of this tumor, and Sophie will not have to live with a mass in her brainfor the rest of her life. Sophie’s pharmaceutical protocol is as follows:October 2013 Brain surgery –Tylenol, Keppra, and Decadronfor 1 ½ weeksNovember Chemo starts –Zofran around the clock, Benadryl and Decadronas needed for nausea. SeptraeverySaturdayandSunday.

January -ongoing –Decadronand Benadryl is no longer needed for nausea. Melatonin/Chamomile children’s supplement at half the recommended dose is given every night for sleeplessness. Zofran around the clock and Septraon SaturdayandSundayis given when counts are low.Diet plan –100% organic consisting of 80% veggies & fruits, adding some chicken and very little red meat. Fish has only been given from time to time due to radiation scares in the Pacific. Modified ketogenic using no refined sugars or carbs, and an abundance of good fats is used daily and 20 minutes before every cannabis dose. Sophie drinks 20-30 ounces of breast milk daily from birth to present.

Naturally occurring alkalinized spring water is shipped in from Arkansas in glass jugs to be used as her drinking water. In the video below you will see the tumor from September 2013 on the left and June 2014 on the right, as explained by the neurologist.”end quote pdf file.

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2) Rhabdomyosarcoma–In Mom’s own words

Chico Ryder Cannabis Oil Case Notes: Chico Ryder was diagnosed at the age of 10 with inoperable
Parameningeal EmbryonalRhabdomyosarcoma in his neck, Stage 3
Group 3, Intermediate risk, in December 2012.
He started immediately on the standard protocol for this diagnosis –the VAC chemotherapy regimen (Vincristine, D-Actinomycinand

Cyclophosphamide) for 43 weeks and also received 28 radiation sessions over the course of approx. 6 weeks which began approximately 6 weeks

after chemotherapy started. The VAC regimen consists of weekly infusions (with several short breaks) ofVinctistineand every three weeks,

infusions of D-Actinomycinand Cyclophosphamide.
The tumor responded well to the therapy and significant shrinkage had occurred by the first three-month scans.
Chico suffered with severe nausea and vomiting as well as footdropand peripheral neuropathy and within three months of treatment starting was

in a wheelchair with severe mobility impairment.
His appetite was severely impacted by the chemotherapy, and eating was further compromised due to radiation treatment affecting his mouth,

throat and salivary glands, resulting in drastic weight loss and he was put on TPN approximately two monthsinto treatment.
Doctors initially prescribed Marinolwhen all other pharmaceuticals had failed to arrest the nausea and vomiting which was described as one of

the most severe cases they had ever witnessed in the Pediatric Oncology Deptat UCLA.

The Marinolhad limited success, showing promise at first with some initial appetite stimulation, but soon was judged by the family to be largely ineffective, at least at the dosage recommended. After two separate caregivers privately suggested to the family that “the real thing” would work better than Marinol, they asked the doctors for a recommendation for medical cannabis which was given, on condition that it was not to be smoked, but vaporisedor ingested. The family proceeded to try various edibles on their son without much success, given the patient’s reluctance toingest any foods! It was at this point,  approximately 5 months into the treatment in June 2013, that the family learned about the curative properties of whole plant cannabis extract medicine and decided to order some cannabis oil, which transpired to be approx. 60% THC with negligible CBD, and which isopropyl alcohol had been used as the solvent (when the supplier had claimed it was made with food grade alcohol and was 80% THC).
The patient ingested approx. 40g of this oil over the following two months and generally tolerated it well. Its efficacy in terms of symptom mitigation was inconsistent –extremely effective at times, and not effective at other times.

In August 2013, the family found a more reliable source of oil (Aunt
Zeldas) and Chico then proceeded on a regimen of both a high THC and a high CBD oil, taken at a 2-1 ratio, THC to CBD. The daily dose was  split into three doses given at 8 hour intervals. As CBD is known to sometimes suppress appetite, the dosage was adjusted according to his daily needs. He gradually built up to a dose of atotal of 2 grams of oil per day, so effectively approx. 1.3g of high THC oil and 0.7g of the high CBD oil daily. The percentages of CBD and THC varied according to which strains were given, but usually fell within the 55-80% range. This translates into a maximum daily dose during treatment of approximately 900mg per day of THC and 500mg per day of CBD.
The family noticed that his peripheral neuropathy was arrested despite the ongoing chemotherapy drug Vincristine continuing to be  administered. Improvement in this common side effect of Vinctistinewas not achieved but the continuing deterioration of the neuropathy and  footdrop was halted. He was able to be switched from TPN, which is known to cause liver damage, to feeding through a g tube from August 2013 as he was largely able to tolerate the feeds without the excessive vomiting which has previously occurred, preventing much g tube usage.
In terms of tumor shrinkage, the 6 month and 9 month scans showed continued shrinkage of what remained of the tumor, which was by the three  month scan assumed to be dead scar tissue. It was expected by the oncologists that the size would remain the same, but continued shrinkage occurred throughout treatment.
The pattern for Chico was that every three weeks he would be admitted as inpatient for the infusion of the three chemo drugs.Then approximately ten days later he would develop a fever to coincide with neutropenia. In 13 out of the 14 cycles he developed a fever so had to be hospitalized for inpatient infusions of antibiotics. Only three times did infections present themselves. When they did, we increased the  proportion of CBD oil.
During these hospitalizations he was prescribed large amounts of IV opioids, mainly Dilaudid. Chico’s mother was able to wean him off these  opioids very easily over the course of two to three days once he returned home, as it was felt that the oil helped to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of the opioids. However, themedical team were very insistent towards the end of treatment that Chico be put onto a daily methadone dose. This caused tremendous problems as the team had great difficulty pinpointing the appropriate starting dose of methadone. With hindsight, we feel that the oil was masking the withdrawal symptoms leading to him being under-dosed with methadone. Eventually he was  advised to stop taking oil while they ascertained the correct dose. Chico then began a two month wean from methadone. It was noted that the cannabis oil seemed to intensify the action of the methadone, so the oil dose was drastically reduced and titrated upwards as the methadone dose titrated downwards. This led to a relatively pain-free methadone detox. There were negligible withdrawal symptoms, and it was definitely noted that the cannabis oil was a very effective agent in detoxing from the methadone. Chico finished chemotherapy on schedule in October 2013 and was declared NED at his treatment end scans in November 2013. Following his methadone detox, which finished in Feb 2014, he has been on a maintenance dose of cannabis oil of approx. 150g THC per day and 120g of CBD, broken down into two doses per day at 12 hour intervals. Happily his progress scans which are done every three months show him continuing to be in remission. He is now out of his wheelchair and is still receiving intensivephysical therapy to reverse the damage done by the vincristine. He is now walking unaided but still has his heels off the ground but has been able to avoid tendon release surgery so far.

He finds that vaporising cannabis before his physical therapy sessions helps. He is still struggling with appetite and is having a hard time  gaining the weight back that he lost during treatment but the oil and vaporising do help to stimulate his appetite and he has been able to  have his feeding tube removed. His parents suspect that he is THC dependent. On occasions when he has inadvertentlyskipped a dose, he suffered extreme nausea and vomiting.
There is no way of knowing whether or not this is latent chemo-related nausea which is failing to be medicated by the THC if thedose is missed, or whether it is a physiological dependency on the THC itself. The oncologists are saying that as his case of nausea and vomiting throughout the chemotherapy was so severe thatitis not beyond the bounds of reason that the nausea he experiences still from time to time is related still to the chemo, but there is definitely a correlation between missing a dose of oil and the nausea and vomiting coming on. Other than this, there have been no negative side effects whatsoever from this now 12 year old boy ingesting cannabis oil daily for more than 14 months. He has sometimes (no more than perhaps 5 times) appeared to be giggly and a little silly, but never anything negative apart from one incident when he was first put on methadone and the oil dose had not been reduced and there appeared to be a very significant exacerbation of the action of the methadone by the oil. He presented as very drowsy and listless. This passed withina few hours and did not require medical treatment, although it was as a result of this incident that the oil dose was reduced and titrated upwards as the methadone was titrated downwards.

Whilst we could never claim that cannabis oil in Chico’s case cured his cancer, we can certainly assert the following:

1 –That the ingestion of cannabis oil did not interfere with the actions of the chemotherapy drugs and radiation and may even have helped  them be
2 –The ingestion of oil certainly stimulated appetite –albeit not consistently, but certainly significantly.
3 –The ingestion of oil helped to curb nausea and vomiting –again not consistently, but certainly significantly.
4 –The ingestion of oil coincided with a halt in the deterioration of his neuropathy, despite him continuing to be given the drug known to  cause peripheral neuropathy and foot drop.
5 –The mass that remained at his three month scans, which at the time was assumed to be dead scar tissue, continued to shrink throughout the  rest of treatment, despite the medical team’s expectation that it would remain the same.
6 –The ingestion of oil, and occasional vaporising of oil, certainly helped promote a feeling of calm and well-being in the patient.
7 –Chico missed school for 15 months and was able to catch up on his work over a three month period with just 6 tuition hours per week. There seems to be no mental deterioration as a result of ingesting oil.
8 –The patient continues to be in remission from the cancer and by continuing to give the patient a maintenance dose of oil, the patient and parents have a heightened level of peace of mind, knowing that they are taking a pro-active role in helping prevent relapse, rather than doing what the medical profession would suggest, which would be to metaphorically go home and keep their fingers crossed that their son will not relapse!
We have found two scientific studies demonstrating great potential for cannabis oil in the treatment of another (and more aggressive) subtype

of Rhabdomyosarcoma(Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma).

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Astrocytoma –In Mom’s Own Words- Morgan

(This chapter of) our story began on February 6, 2014 about1pm. We had just driven away from the hospital after an MRI that was prescribed to us by a neurologist to “eliminate all of the worst possibilities” for some strange symptoms (unexplained ear pain, hardly using her right arm, tilting her head to the left) our 2 year, 9 month old beautiful daughter had been experiencing during the preceding 12 months. As we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot, my cell phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Having gone through a pretty intense morning of first time anesthesia, an MRI (and recovery), I let it go to  voicemail. After the voicemail beeped I listened to the message which was the neurologist asking us to call her as soon as we got the message. We called her back while driving home and she asked that we pull over and stop in a safe location. The 90 seconds that it took to do so were easily the longest 90 seconds of my life. Then we got the news. They found a “mass” in her brain and wanted us to turn around immediately and go to the emergency room. The neurologist was reluctant to elaborate on anything but when she told us that the hospital was waiting for us and that they would have a room set aside for us in the Oncology ward, it hit me. Cancer. My precious little girl has cancer. The tumor is a Astrocytoma growing from the brain stem down her spine (roughly 9cm x 3cm x 3cm) We’ve all known someone touched by cancer but no parent thinks that cancer and their child would be used in the same sentence.

Needless to say, the realization that our amazing Morgan would be battling this monster disease made us feel lost and broken. We met with so many doctors, nurses, specialists, social workers, etc., that the initial 5 day stay in the hospital was a blur. After a biopsy, a couple MRI’s, and countless tests, we were given an avalanche of information but the one piece ofinformation that will forever resonate in my mind is: 2 years. When asked about what the future holds, the neurosurgeon told us that with successful Chemo and Radiation treatments, our daughter’s probable life span was 2 years. It wasn’t hard to do the math: 2 years, 24 months, 730 days. Desperate doesn’t begin to describe how we felt. After the initial shock/denial/grief, weset out to get educated on all things cancer and started to look for something…anything to help her odds and better her quality of life. Standard medicine has two treatments for her cancer 1) Chemotherapy 2) Radiation. Because her tumor is low grade our Oncologist initially said chemo would be ineffective. After researching Radiation treatments, it was easy to conclude that the potential side effects (many & all horrible) would put that option at the bottom of the list. We felt obligated to her to look for anything that might help or compliment the options available at the hospital. The internet is a double edged sword. The internet contains invaluable information but it also hosts endless misinformation. Deciphering the difference was overwhelming but we were fortunate to have come across a few people that were able to point usinthe right direction to learn more about cancer specific diets, alternative pain solutions and the medicinal use of cannabis. Soon after coming home from the hospital, we started a low carbohydrate, no processed sugar, whole foods diet. Having learned that tumors thrive on glucose, the diet was a relatively easy change. Because the tumor causes extreme daily pain, our doctors prescribed Dilaudid which is an opiate pain medication. After researching as best we could, we reluctantly decided to incorporate cannabis into her treatment plan to help with the pain and hopefully act in an anti-tumor capacity. We started with a low dose of cannabis and over the course of a month worked up to a gram a day. After starting the cannabis, we have not needed to use Dilaudid for pain. The pain has been completely mitigated. The MRI on April 11th showed the tumor was stable with possible minimal shrinkage. From there, we continued with the regimen of diet and cannabis. Her June MRI showed the tumor is stable but with possible enhancement. Because of the possible enhancement, our Oncologist wanted us to start chemo the next week.

After pointing out that the April and June scans were done on different MRI machines and presenting both scans to the Oncology tumor board, they concluded there was no enhancement and agreed that the tumor has remained stable. Our most recent scans in August show that the tumor has remained stable. Although we are encouraged by the fact that the tumor, which is the size of a golf ball, has remained stable and not grown since the first MRI in February, we decided to start Chemo on August 14th. In a nutshell, we have one shot at this and we don’t want to look back and wish we had done something or wish we had done something sooner. We use cannabis along with acupuncture, reishi spore mushrooms and diffusing oils to help with the side effects of chemo. As we approach our third week of Chemo, she has shown no side effects. Cannabis has helped Morgan by mitigating her pain, maintaining her appetite and sleep. Before starting cannabis, she would not take a mid-day nap. Now she

takes a daily 2 hour nap which we think helps her body stay healthy. Our protocol is this:
•·THC oil in the morning
•·2 hours later CBD oil
•·2 hour nap
•·THC Oil
•·2 hours later CBD Oil
•We try to space the CBD and THC 2 hours apart, 4 times a day. (2xTHC, 2xCBD)
•This is all uncharted territory for us and we second guess everything we do but today, just like she has always been, Morgan isa healthy, happy, and brilliant little 3 year old. Any stranger seeing her out and about would only see an adorable little girl and would have no ideawhat she is fighting. During the initial hospital stay in February the doctors reviewing her MRI were absolutely dumbfounded that she could walk. She has been chasing the dogs around the house ever since. Who knows what’s been working to allow her to live fully and keep the tumor stable but fornow, we plan to continue as we have.

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Pineoblastoma–In Dad’s Words

ELI AGE 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS
DIAGNOSED WITH PINEOBLASTOMA OCTOBER 2013
. EARLY OCTOBER, ELI COMPLAINED OF HEADACHES, FATIGUE & NAUSEA.
. AFTER 3 VISITS TO HIS PEDIATRICIAN & BLOOD WORK, DOCTOR COULD FIND NO REASON FOR THE SYMPTOMS & SUGGESTED PERHAPS A SINUS INFECTION OR A

MINOR CONCUSSION.
. MOTHER INSISTED ON MRI AND A TUMOR THE SIZE OF A SKITTLE ON HIS PINEAL GLAND WAS FOUND.
SHUNT WAS PLACED (10/22/13) DUE TO HYDROCEPHALUS & A BIOPSY WAS TAKEN WHICH CONFIRMED THE DEVASTATING NEWS THAT OUR SON HAD PINEOBLASTOMA.
WE DECIDED OUR MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD WAS TO ADVOCATE AND RESEARCH FOR OUR SON. OUT OF FEAR, WE FOLLOWED THE PROTON RADIATION &

CHEMO PROTOCOL (A VERY STRONG CHEMO REGIMENT) AND HE UNDERWENT 33 PROTON RADIATION TREATMENTS (11/2013 THRU 1/2014 FOLLOWED BY A 6 MONTH

CYCLE OF CHEMO (2/2014-7/2014) THROUGH OUR RESEARCH, WE LEARNED YOURSELVES OILS & NUTRITION WOULD PLAY AKEY ROLE IN FIGHTING THE CANCER,

ALLEVIATING SIDE EFFECTS & HELPING HIM RECOVERFROM THE EFFECTS OF RADIATION & CHEMO. WE REQUESTED A FEEDING TUBE (12/31/2013) BE PLACED SO WE

COULD GIVE HIM THE ORGANIC JUICING& SUPPLEMENTS THAT WE FELT WERE VITAL. THE RESULTS WERE SO EVIDENT WHEN COMPARING ELI’S PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

AND MRI RESULTS IN COMPARISON TO MANY OTHERS WHO WERE ONLY DOING CHEMO/RADIATION.
HE HAS BEEN TAKING CANNABIS OIL FOR 9 MONTHS (BEGINNING 12/2013) FOLLOWING A STRICT DOSING PROGRAM OF BOTH THC/CBD OILS & WE HAVE HAD

FANTASTIC MRI RESULTS. SINCE WE HAVE DONE NOT ONLY CHEMO & RADIATION, BUT ALSO NUTRITION & cannabis OILS, WE CANNOT SAY FOR SURE WHAT HAS

GIVEN US THE GREAT RESULTS WE HAVE BUT WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT HE WOULD NOT BE HERE WITH US TODAY IF IT WASN’T FOR THE cannabis OILS & ORGANIC

JUICING! (
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION MUST RECOGNIZE THE BENEFITS OF cannabis & NUTRITION & THEY SHOULD BE THE NEW PROTOCOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER &

MANY OTHER ILLNESSES. IT CONTINUES TO BAFFLE US AS TO HOW cannabis OIL IS ONLY AN OPTION BASED ON YOUR ZIP CODE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE & IS

CAUSING NUMEROUS PEOPLE TO LOSE THEIR LIVES WAITING FOR IT TO BE LEGALIZED.PLEASE RESEARCH & STAND UP FOR THEMEDICAL BENEFITS OF CANNABIS AND

HELP EDUCATE YOURSELVES & OTHERS(EDUCATION IS THE KEY) SO IT CAN BE AN OPTION FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE!
WE WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO THINK IN THIS LOGICAL MANNER.
WHEN AS A YOUNG CHILD YOU FELL AND SKINNED YOUR KNEE WHAT HAPPENED? MOM WOULD HUG YOU TELL YOU IT WOULD BE OK AND GIVE THE ADVICE TO NOT

TOUCH IT SO AS TO PREVENT INFECTION AND SHE ALWAYS FINISHED WITH THE WORDS “LEAVE IT ALONE IT WILL HEAL ITSELF”.ISN’T IT LOGICAL THAT IF YOU

GAVE THE INSIDE OF YOUR BODY THE PROPER NUTRITION AND HERBS IT COULD AND WOULD DO THE SAME THING?
IN CONCLUSION WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS-EARLY ON IN OUR RESEARCH WHEN WE APPROACHED OUR DOCTORS & MEDICAL Professionals AND ASKED THEIR

THOUGHTS ON CANNIBIS OILS WE WERE MADE TO FEEL AS IF WE WERE DISCUSSING A “TABOO” SUBJECT. ALMOST FEELING AS IF WE WERE BAD PARENTS FOR EVEN

BROACHING THE SUBJECT. WE OF COURSE REALIZE NOW THAT DUE TO IT BEING ILEGAL SOME OR ALL MAY HAVE FELT IT WASN’T PROPER OR THEY MIGHT

JEPORDIZE THEIR EMPLOYMENT. PERHAPS A VERY REAL FEAR. BUT MAY I SAY THIS-OUR FEAR OF LOSING OUR SONWAS VERY REAL…. HOW SILLY THAT WE COULDN’T

HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
FARMS NOT PHARMS
KEVIN & SHEILA

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Precursor B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia –In Mom’s Own Words

Silas began showing symptoms of being ill back in April of 2013. He was misdiagnosed with constipation, we were given suppositories and sent on our way. It helped a little, but he wasn’t getting better. He was lethargic, cranky, he wouldn’t eat, was extremely constipated and gassy, he was bruising from every touch, he was having breathing issues, covered in petechaie. He stopped walking and talking all together. He finally vomited blood before they did a CBC.
In the ER on 5-12-13 we were told that Silas had an abnormally high WBC and needed to be flown to SF (300 miles) via flight for life immediately. The ER Dr. explained that his hemoglobin was at 2, he’s severely anemic and they thought he may have leukemia. Once at UCSF he had 4 blood transfusions and 4 bags of platelets. He would not have made it much longer if we didn’t get that blood into him asap.
After a port placement surgery, a lumbar puncture, and a bone marrow aspirate, Silas was diagnosed with precursor b acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or preBall.
-day 1 5-12-13, lymphoblast count was 90%
-day 8, 12% despite the significant drop, the doctors had expected the count to be zero. So was labeled a slow responder. Chemo wasn’t working. He was upped from intermediate risk to high risk and placed on the highest most aggressive protocol. 3 1/2 years of aggressive chemo total.
-day 24, released from hospital, started cannabis oil.
-day 28, blast count zero!! Remission!
-day 32, 8 days on cannabis Silas began taking assisted steps again.
7-2-13 Silas has an anaphylactic reaction to one of his chemo infusions. His blood pressure dropped to 32/20. He turned grey and went limp in  my lap. They called code white (life threatening situation). We were ran across the street by an EMT team and rushed into the PICU. We spent 2 nights there fighting for his life and were released with 2 epipens and a class on how to use them. They have to go everywhere with him, should he have a recurring reaction.

7-4-13 Silas was walking unassisted, speech returned and his vocabulary exploded. As needed pharmaceuticals were eliminated. Neuropathy was reversed and never came back! Silas gets vincristine every month, and neuropathy is a very common side effect. The doctors prepared us for constipation with huge tubs of Miralaxthat he never needed, future flight for life rides that haven’t happened, feeding tubes that were never even discussed later because he always maintained his weight. He even gained 7lbs through 16 months of aggressive chemotherapy, held onto a full head of hair for 7 months. He never had c-diff or other infections that plague most kids on treatment.
While doing the first high dose inpatient chemo, Silas got mucusitis, had no appetite, vomited profusely, would get head to toe heat rash with vomiting episodes, diaper rash that turned into chemical burns, and thrush. He was miserable. The next round we went armed with a new cannabis oil regimen and an Aunt Zelda’s cannabis healing topical. He didnthave ONE of those nasty side effects. Ever. Again. There were 3 rounds following, 4 total. The aromatherapy was like magic for him and he began clearing his methotrexate levels in record time.

We are now 16 months in, Silas is still cancer free, gained 7 pounds since diagnosis, full head of hair, walking running and jumping, speaking in full sentences and is recognizing letters and numbers. He is just like a normal little boy with super human strength. We credit cannabis for saving our sons life and protecting him from the damage the chemo was doing to his healthy cells. We are so proud of him!!

Silas Tedesco-HIGH RISK ALL Protocol drug list.
*Clotrimazole-fungal diaper rash from frequent output, hydration for/and chemo.
*Lidocaine-numb for pokes.
*Nystatin-yeast diaper infection from frequent output, hydration for/and chemo.
*Cherry Syrup-additive to crushed meds for taste.
*Fluconazole-yeast diaper rash from frequent output, hydration for/and chemo.
*Zofran-nausea from chemo and sedatives.
*Oxycodone-pain from leukemia, chemo & steroid use.
*Miralax-constipation from chemo.
*Ranitidine-stomach acid used with steroids.
*Mylicon-gas from chemo.
*Ativan-anxiety, nausea from chemo.
*Benadryl-nausea, rash, itching from chemo.
*Magic Mouthwash-mouth sores from chemo.
*Cytarabine-chemo.
*Vincristine-chemo.
*Peg-Asparagenase-chemo.
*Methotrexate-chemo.
*Erwinia-Chemo.
*Doxorubicin-chemo.
*Thiogaunine-chemo.
*Cyclophosphamide-chemo.
*Mercaptopurine-chemo.
*Septra-preventative antibiotic, given each fri& sat of the entire 3 1/2 year protocol.
*Leucovorin-“rescue med” to flush chemo from major organs faster.
*Dexamethasone-Steroid used during induction phase.
*Vitamin D-for repair to level from chemo damage, and to supplement not being able to tolerate full sun while on chemo.
*Prednisone-steroid used in maintenance phase.
*Fentanyl-sedation for surgical procedure.
*Ketamine-sedation for surgical procedure.

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cannabis links

http://steephilllab.com/about-us/
Steep Hill Halent was launched in early 2008 as Steep Hill Medical Collective to provide quality control services to the medical cannabis industry, which — 12 years after its legalization under California law— consisted of hundreds of businesses providing potentially unsafe herbal products to hundreds of thousands of consumers. The company’s primary mission was and is to protect the public health by providing infrastructure and analytical services to legally authorized distributors and producers of cannabis and to regulators tracking their operations. The company was founded by David Lampach, Addison Demoura and Steve DeAngelo. Corporate headquarters are in Oakland California.

endocannabinoid system  ECS

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951193/#!po=30.5556
Care and Feeding of the Endocannabinoid System: A Systematic Review of Potential Clinical Interventions that Upregulate the Endocannabinoid

System by John M. McPartland, Geoffrey W. Guy, and Vincenzo Di Marzo. Citation: McPartland JM, Guy GW, Di Marzo V (2014) Care and Feeding of the Endocannabinoid System: A Systematic Review of Potential Clinical

Interventions that Upregulate the Endocannabinoid System. PLoS ONE 9(3): e89566. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089566

NASAIDS potentiate CB! signalling:
Electrophysiology studies of rat hippocampal cells showed that meloxicam and nimesulide prolonged and increased DSI; that is to say, the COX2

inhibitors potentiated synaptic 2-AG release and CB1 signaling

Combining NSAIDs with cannabinoids (either eCBs or exogenous cannabinoids) produces additive or synergistic effects.

preclinical studies indicate that acetaminophen enhances the activity of eCBs and synthetic cannabinoids in rodents.

glucocorticoids: In summary, preclinical rodent studies indicate that acute glucocorticoid administration enhances the activity of eCBs. The

clinical phenomenon of acute “corticosteroid mania” may have a cannabimimetic component. Chronic exposure to glucocorticoids downregulates

the eCB system, a scenario consistent with chronic stress, which we review below.

opiates:
In summary, preclinical studies and clinical trials indicate that acute opiate
administration enhances the activity of eCBs, phytocannabinoids, and synthetic cannabinoids. Acute opiates may also upregulate CB1

expression. Chronic opiate administration, however, may have a deleterious effect on the eCB system.

SSRI’s: unpredictable, variable ??  effect on ECS

Antipsychotics:

Several researchers have proposed that CB1 upregulation during antipsychotic drug treatment may explain appetite enhancement, weight gain,

and CB1 supersensitivity.

In summary, antipsychotic drugs likely upregulate CB1 expression in parts of the rodent brain.

anxiolytics, diazepams:  both chronic and, particularly, acute administration of diazepam to mice is accompanied by strong elevation of brain

eCB levels

Dietary Omega 3 oils:  In summary, dietary ω-3s seem to act as homeostatic regulators of the eCB system

Probiotics modulate CB1 and CB2 expression.

Herbal Remedies: other plant with ECB activity

Herbal remedies

Some plants besides Cannabis produce vaguely cannabimimetic effects.
Copal incense, extracted from Protium species (same plant family as Boswellia) contains a pentacyclic triterpene with high affinity for CB1

and CB2 [156].

Absinthe contains thujone, a constituent of wormwood,

Artemisia absinthium.

Thujone has weak affinity for CB1 [157].

Pristimerin, an alkaloid found in khat, Catha edulis, acts as a potent inhibitor of MAGL (IC50 = 93 nM) and causes an elevation of 2-AG

levels in rat cortical neurons [158].

Salvinorin A in divinorum produces CB1-mediated effects in the gastrointestinal tract of rodents. Salvinorin A primarily acts as a kappa-

opioid receptor agonist and is inactive as a ligand for CB1 and CB2 [159]; it may interact with a putative CB1-kappa-opioid receptor

heterodimer [160].

Flavonoids such as biochanin A (from red clover, Trifolium pratense), genistein (from soybean, Glycine max), and kaempferol (from tea,

Camelia sinensis, and many other plants) exert modest inhibition of FAAH in the low micromolar range [161]. Cyanidin and delphinidin, two

anthocyanidins found in a wide range of plants, have micromolar affinities for CB1 [162]. Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, the most abundant

catechin in tea, also has micromolar affinities for CB1 [163].

Yangonin, a kavalactone extracted from kava, Piper methysticum, exhibits affinity for CB1 with

Curcumin, extracted from curry powders, elevates eCB levels and brain nerve growth factor (NGF) in a brain region-specific fashion, and

pretreatment with CB1 antagonist AM4113 blocks this effect [165]. A study suggested that curcumin and resveratrol could bind to CB1, but the

study was retracted [166].

Compounds with phytocannabinoid-like moieties have been extracted from legumes [167], [168], Helichrysum [169], Rhododendron sp. [170],

liverworts [171], [172], and fungi [173]–[175]. Falcarinol is a skin irritant found in several plants that causes contact dermatitis. It

covalently binds with the CB1 receptor, causing potent inverse agonistic and pro-inflammatory effects in human skin [176].

effect of cannabis on the ECS

Cannabis

Cannabis and cannabis products are complex polypharmaceuticals, consisting of THC, cannabidiol (CBD), dozens of minor cannabinoids, as well

as terpenoids, flavonoids, and other compounds. Fundamentally, THC mimics AEA and 2-AG by acting as an agonist at CB1 and CB2 [279]. But

rather than simply substituting for AEA and 2-AG, McPartland and Guy [280] proposed that Cannabis and its many constituents work, in part, by

“kick-starting” the eCB system. The acute administration of THC increased CB1 density in rodent brains [281], [282]. Acute upregulation of

CB1 mRNA continued for up to 14 days in some rat brain regions [283]. Acute THC also increased the sensitivity of CB1 to cannabinoids,

measured by

Chronic, high dosing of THC causes a predictable desensitization and downregulation of CB1 and CB2, accompanied by drug tolerance. Chronic

THC decreased CB1 density in rodent brains,

In summary, the effects of THC upon the eCB system oscillate between potentiation and suppression, depending on acute versus chronic dosage.

The dividing line between “acute” and “chronic” is a gray zone, and likely differs amongst individuals. Suplita et al. [316] summarized

Cannabis is more than THC [318], [319]. Adding CBD to THC in mice enhanced CB1 expression in hippocampus and hypothalamus [320]. CBD

increased hippocampal cell survival and neurogenesis, whereas THC had the opposite effect;

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http://www.azcannaoil.com/
Aunt Zelda
Mara Gordon and Stewart Smith

http://www.azcannaoil.com/introduction-endocannabinoid-system/
Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System
Dustin Sulak, DO
Maine Integrative Healthcare

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http://www.medicaljane.com/
Medical Jane with Drake Dorm, editor

http://phoenixtears.ca/
The Phoenix Tears Foundation, headed by Janet Sweeney
inspored by Rick Simpson

http://www.beyondthc.com/
O’Shaugnessy’s Medical Cannabis Magazine

http://www.epsilonresearch.org/
EPSILON has been the true backbone of patient-level cannabis research in the medical cannabis industry for nearly a decade. The therapies

created by Epsilon have been used successfully in over 170 separate chronic disease/illness cases since 2006. With 11 successful stage III-IV

cancer remissions, 7 cancer free successes, and one of the HIGHEST success rates in the nation against all forms of malignancy…

EPSILON CANCER RESEARCH FUNDING: www.gofundme.com/cancer-fears-us

Epsilon Facebook: www.facebook.com/EpsilonCo

Alternative Herbals: www.alternativeherbals.net

Green Style Consulting (Potency and Quality Assurance Testing):
www.greenstyleconsulting.com

Therapy in a Bottle (high caliber topical therapeutics):
www.therapyinabottle.org

Heavens 2 Betsey Compassionate Collective: www.heavens2betsey.com

International Cannabinoid Research Society:
www.cannabinoidsociety.org

The Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids:
www.ccic.net

CBD Science: www.cbdscience.com

The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research: www.cmcr.ucsd.edu

United Patients Group: www.unitedpatientsgroup.com

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http://www.riverrockcolorado.com/
RiverRock manufactures the highest quality – lab tested – all organic medical cannabis products, formulates effective programs for patients,

and sets the standard for legal compliance and operational transparency in the State of Colorado.
owner, Stephen DeAngelo

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http://www.azcannaoil.com/
Aunt Zelda
Mara Gordon and Stewart Smith

http://www.azcannaoil.com/introduction-endocannabinoid-system/
Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System
Dustin Sulak, DO
Maine Integrative Healthcare

http://www.rimidya.com/
Rimidya.com

http://theroc.us/
realm of caring foundation

http://myriamshope.com/
Myriam’s Hope

http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/
Dr. Robert Melamede

http://www.uccs.edu/rmelamed/endocannabinoids-and-medical-marijuana-biol-408.html
Endocannabinoids and Medical Marijuana Biol 408

http://www.cannabisinternational.org/index.php
Cannabis International Foundation
Dr. William Courtney

http://www.medicalcannabis.com/
patients out of time

http://ireadculture.com/article-2940-convinced-of-the-cure.html
By Roberto C. Hernandez
Sept. 6, 2013 11:36
Convinced of the Cure
A CULTURE Magazine EXCLUSIVE
Stan and Barb Rutner say cannabis saved their lives from cancer

http://www.thecannabisconsultants.com/welcome-to-tcc.html
The Cannabis Consultants

http://synergycbd.com/
Synergy Wellness is a non-profit collective engaged in horticulture production of high quality medicinal cannabis and marijuana products.

This is a small boutique horticulture operation in West Marin that is focused on high quality. We are CBD (Cannabidiol) Specialists focused

on the healing qualities of the medicine. Organic and natural nutrients are used in the plant production. Products include dried flowers

(buds) from both indica and sativa strains of cannabis, CBD Rich strains, tinctures, salves and pipes. All products produced are for

medicinal purposes only and are produced in accordance with California State guidelines.

http://tgscolorado.com/
the Green Solution Denver Colorado

http://thepotlab.com/home/
The POT Lab