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A audience with Dr Bob

Written by ºCEM

Friday, 07 March 2008

Dr Robert Melamede is an associate professor of biology at the University of Colorado, USA, one of the states that allow the medicinal use of marijuana.

He is an expert on the biology of the cannabis plant, how it relates to the functioning of the human body and why the cannabis plant has the potential to affect so many diseases and illnesses.

Click on read more for the full inteview.

CE: How did you actually become involved with cannabis?

RM: (laughs) I’m an old hippie, I’ve consumed it for 44 years now!

CE: So your research into the cannabis plant was more or less a natural progression?

RM: No, I have been researching the repair of DNA caused by free radicals for decades, basically, how cells fix DNA damaged by free radicals.

Without going into too much detail, the flow of biochemical electricity produces free radicals, biochemical friction. Endocannabinoids, which the body produces itself, protects us from the damages caused by free radicals.

I always say, Free radicals are the friction of life, endocannabinoids the oil of life.

CE: You teach a course on marihuana at the University of Colorado, is there a great interest for it?

RM: I run a course once or twice a year, it’s called endocannabinoids and medical marihuana, it’s restricted to students who have had Cell biology, people have to contact me before they can partake.

CE: The University didn’t have a problem with you running a course like that?

RM: (Laughs) I was the chairman of the department! It’s only teaching science, besides, everybody has always known me as a cannabis advocate. Before I moved to Colorado, I lived in Vermont and hosted a weekly TV show called Cannabis Cable Network (CCN) about marihuana, I’ve talked about it on the radio, did television interviews; I’ve always been open about it.

CE: You’ve never had any negative responses?

RM: No, only positive, people love it when you come out and speak about it in public. I maybe get one negative response in 100 positive ones.

CE: You have written about cannabis from very novel viewpoints, your article in the harmreductionjournal, “the cannabis paradox” for instance. In that article you explain in great detail how cannabinoids regulate all body systems.

Does this mean the body actually needs cannabis like it needs food?

RM: The body needs cannabinods for its biochemical balancing act, called homeostasis to function properly. Our bodies produce cannabinoids itself, called endocannabinoids.

There are people though whose endocannabinod system has an imbalance, resulting in all sorts of illnesses, autoimmune disease, pains. In those cases people need extra cannabinoids.

So it’s not the case that the body needs marihuana like it needs food, it is to be used as a supplement, depending on the persons’ own system.

CE: A lot has been said in the news recently on the new “Superstrength” Skunk which according to news sources has flooded the market and is proclaimed to be dangerous. What is your opinion about that?

RM: In most cases the stronger the weed, the less people smoke. Unlike coke, the effects of smoking cannabis are biphasic. What that means is one dose smoked can cause very pleasurable effects, whereas higher doses can actually have the opposite effect.

Research in animals for instance has shown they just don’t like “too much” cannabis.

Of course for some people strong cannabis hasn’t got the right effect, it is not a good idea to use strong marijuana unwisely. There are a small percentage of people who smoke too much marihuana and that can be a problem. If used wisely though, marijuana can be a wonderful medicine.

CE: Cannabis and pharmaceuticalisation, what effects will it have on the plant?

RM: GW pharmaceuticals produces a cannabis derived product called Sativex, for specific purposes. I think it is useful for people who chose not to grow their own, there is a need for medical marihuana and in this way more people can benefit from it. As long as it does not get to the stage that it will interfere with people who do wish to grow their own medicine and are being told the only way they can get their pot is by buying it in tablet or spray form.

CE: But isn’t it possible people might not be able to grow their own plants anymore at some point in the future because of the patenting of the plants which pharmaceutical companies are doing currently?

RM: No, I don’t see any problem with pharmaceutical companies patenting strains which they have created themselves. It won’t have any effect on the home growing market. Creating different types of strains has always been done. It happened on a large scale when people were forced to move their grows indoors here in the states.

The pharmaceuticals can’t control the plant. It’s just, where people can make money, they will make money, that is the way it is. Patenting or not, people will just continue to grow, and if they would get forced down the path you describe, they will just go underground, pharmaceuticalisation or not. They can’t stop them.

CE: You’ve published research on the cancer growth inhibiting qualities of cannabis and the cancer curing abilities of cannabis. You’re also one of the founders of the biotech firm Newellink exploring novel cancer therapies. Does that mean we might expect a cannabis derived product against cancer in the future?

RM: Unfortunately Newellink went bankrupt, due to lack of funding.

It is a real shame, because the lady who was running it conducted ground breaking research; she found out there were two types of cancer, drugs sensitive and non sensitive. We patented technologies which involve using therapies that are based on the particular metabolic strategies used by cancer cells, specifically, drug-resistant cancer cells. I was conducting research on how exactly cannabis kills cancer cells. There is no one cure for cancer though. But cannabis does kill a variety cancer cells.

You can read more about Dr Bob on these websites:

http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/Evolutionism/evolutionism.html

http://www.uccs.edu/~rmelamed/Evolutionism/medical_uses_of_cannabinoid_2/

http://www.cannabuzz.net/

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Comments (2)

1. Gum disease & cannabis?
Written by Goddess Supreme, on 07-03-2008 17:54
Hmm, too bad we don't have Dr. Bob here on CEM forums to respond to questions.

Would be nice to get his opinion on the usefulness of the study reported in the February 6, 2008 JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association), Vol. 299 No. 5

Cannabis Smoking and Periodontal Disease Among Young Adults

From my take on that study, it did not seem to produce data on how greater the risk is for gum disease in those cannabis users, heavy or light; who get regular dental checkups, at recommended intervals, compared to a control group who does not use cannabis.

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2. Written by ladybird1124, on 07-03-2008 22:00
Thank you Dr. Bob, excellant work and study, and welcome to CEM, only a member where I obtain the knowledge I had search. Your works and the site mission both make for future grand reading. Again, thank you.

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A audience with Dr Bob

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