Absolute Proofof Marijuana's Critical Medical Valuein the Treatment of Conn's Syndrome

(Primary Hyperaldosteronism).By Anonymous Patient

his report draws attention to a study conducted in Germany in 2008, which presents un-deniable evidence of the medicinal value of Marijuana for the treatment of “Conn’sSyndrome”—a dangerous, life-threatening disease caused by tumors on the adrenal

gland. These tumors are the cause of extremely high blood pressure, which does not respond to con-ventional blood pressure medications. Since this is a life threatening illness, Physicians, and patients,should be made aware of this information. Furthermore, this study proves Marijuana should not belisted among Schedule I drugs that have no medical value.

Conn’s Syndrome

“Adrenal adenomas”—non-cancerous tumors on the adrenal gland—effect about 10 million peoplein the United States alone. When “active,” these benign tumors cause uncontrollable, and deadly highblood pressure, known as “Conn’s syndrome”:

“Conn’s syndrome is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. It is a condition characterizedby excessive secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are small triangularorgans located on the top of the kidneys. They are part of the endocrine system, a group of glands thatproduce and secrete hormones that act on and regulate many systems throughout the body. Aldosteroneis produced by the outer layer of the adrenal glands, the cortex. It is a hormone that plays an importantrole in maintaining blood volume, pressure, and electrolyte balance. Its production is normally regulatedby renin, an enzyme produced in the kidneys. When renin increases, due to low blood pressure,decreased blood flow to the kidneys or to a sodium deficiency, aldosterone increases; when renindecreases, aldosterone decreases. With Conn’s syndrome, which is also referred to as primary hyperal-dosteronism, excessive aldosterone is produced by one or more benign adrenal tumors, by hyperplasia,for unknown reasons (idiopathic), or rarely, by a cancerous adrenal tumor.”

—Lab Tests Online

“Although initially considered a rarity, primary aldosteronism now is considered one of the more com-mon causes of secondary hypertension (HTN).”

—E-Medicine

These tumors can also cause chronic fatigue, body and muscle aches, frequent urination, confusion,and numerous debilitating symptoms. And if the extreme high blood pressure is left untreated, it willlead to a stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and eventually death. Almost everyone is aware about thedangerous effects of high blood pressure. Tumors on the adrenal gland are resistant to almost all bloodpressure medications. In fact, only two medications are effective against this disease, and both haveserious side effects. One of them is called spironolactone:

“The most common side effect of spironolactone is urinary frequency. Other general side effects includeataxia, drowsiness, dry skin, and rashes. Because it also affects the androgen receptors, spironolactonecan cause gynecomastia and feminization in general, testicular atrophy, and sexual dysfunction consist-ing of loss of libido and erectile dysfunction in males, and in females it can cause menstrual irregularitiesand breast tenderness and enlargement. Spironolactone may put patients at a heightened risk forbleeding from the stomach and duodenum, though a causal relationship between the two has not beenestablished. Also, it has been shown to be immunosuppressive in the treatment of sarcoidosis.”—FromWikipedia

The second drug is called eplerenone:

“Common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of eplerenone include: hyperkalae-mia, hypotension, dizziness, altered renal function, and increased creatinine concentration.”—FromWikipedia

These drugs have severe side effects, and doctors tell their patients they will die without them.However, we will discover that marijuana has the same effect on the adrenal glands as endocannabi-noids, which regulate and lower the production of the hormone that causes the high blood pressure.Marijuana is a superior alternative to these two medications, because it gives people a much betterquality of life. Yet the majority of doctors remain unaware of this alternative, because Marijuana con-tinues to be placed on Schedule I.

The Case of Steve Kubby

Former Libertarian Candidate Steve Kubby suffers from a cancerous adrenal tumor, called a pheo-chromocytoma. He has kept himself alive for more than 20 years by the use of medical marijuana, tothe amazement of his doctors:

“In 1968, at the age of 23, he began experiencing symptoms of hypertension and palpitations. He wasdiagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma, a rare, fatal form of adrenal cancer. Kubby underwentsurgery to remove a tumor in 1968, 1975 and 1976. This last time, his medical records show that thecancer had metastasized to his liver and beyond. All other patients with this diagnosis have had a 100%mortality rate within five years. His physician, Dr. Vincent DeQuattro, a specialist from the USC Schoolof Medicine, monitored his condition and treated him with conventional therapies, including chemo-therapy, until referring him to the Mayo Clinic in 1981 for yet another surgery and radiation. For thenext 25 years, Kubby claimed to control the symptoms of his disease solely by smoking medicalmarijuana and by maintaining a healthy diet. His original doctor, an expert on this condition shockedto learn he was still alive, said, "In some amazing fashion, this medication has not only controlled thesymptoms of the pheochromocytoma, but in my view, has arrested its growth."

—From Wikipedia

Non-cancerous “adrenal adenomas” cause the same dangerous high blood pressure as the pheo-chromocytoma that threatened Steve Kubby’s life. After being incarcerated for growing marijuana, Mr.Kubby’s blood pressure rose to astronomically dangerous levels. However, after a judge ordered syn-thetic THC to be administered, to the court’s amazement, they watched as his blood pressure returnedto normal levels.

The Endocannabinoid System

The following study reveals that endocannabinoids released by the body lower blood pressure, byreducing the amount of aldosterone produced by the adrenal gland. The partial text of this abstractalso admits that Marijuana influences this same system, and therefore would be a life-saving medica-tion to those who have Conn’s disease. Relevant portions will be highlighted.

Expression and Function of EndocannabinoidReceptors in the Human Adrenal Cortex

AuthorsC. G. Ziegler, C. Mohn, V. Lamounier-Zepter, V. Rettori, S. R. Bornstein, A. W. Krug, M. Ehrhart-Born-stein

Affiliations1 Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Department of Medicine III, Dresden, Germany2 Centro de Estudios Farmacol ó gicos y Botá nicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient í ficas yTécnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires(UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract (Edited)

Endogenous cannabinoids are important signaling molecules in neuroendocrine control of homeostaticand reproductive functions including stress response and energy metabolism. The hypothalamic para-ventricular and supraoptic nuclei have been shown to release endocannabinoids, which act as retro-grade messengers to modulate the synaptic release of glutamate during stress response. This studyendeavors to elucidate possible interaction of the endocannabinoid system with the regulation of adre-nocortical function at the adrenal level. Human adrenocortical NCI-H295R cells and normal humanadrenal glands were used to study the possible effects of anandamide and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)antagonist SR141716A on aldosterone and cortisol secretion. Our data indicate the expression of CB1in human adrenal cortex and adrenocortical NCI-H295R cells; CB2 was not expressed. Furthermore,anandamide inhibited basal release and stimulated release of adrenocortical steroids (corticosterone andaldosterone); this effect was reversed by CB1 antagonist (SR141716A). Therefore, the endocannabi-noid system at the level of the adrenal, can directly influence adrenocortical steroidogenesis.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the major hormone system responsible for maintain-ing homeostatic balance in response to stressful stimuli[1]. Appropriate regulatory control of the HPAaxis is critical for health and survival, and several limbic brain structures, such as the hippocampus,amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, are involved in the integration of the HPA hormonal response [2, 3].Activation of the stress system leads to behavioral and peripheral changes that improve the ability ofthe organism to adjust homeostasis and increase its chances for survival. The response of the endocrinesystem to stress is characterized by activation of the sympathetic adrenomedullary system with in-creased epinephrine secretion and by HPA axis activation with hypersecretion of adrenocortical hor-mones, particularly glucocorticoids. Aldosterone, the body ’s most potent mineralocorticoid, is secretedby the outer zone of the adrenal cortex, the zona glomerulosa. It plays an important role in blood pres-sure adjustment by regulating salt-water homeostasis[4].

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a recently identified neuromodulatory system involved in sever-al physiological and pathopysiological processes. Endocannabinoids mimic some effects of marijuanaby binding to cannabinoid receptors.

Two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, have been described with regard to their primary structure,ligand binding properties and signal transduction systems[5]. CB1 receptors are widely distributedthroughout the brain and affect memory, pain perception and control of movement [6] . The highestdensities of CB1 receptors are found in the basal ganglia, cerebellum, hippocampus and dentate gyrus.

CB1 receptors are also found in amygdala and peripheral tissues such as spleen, tonsils, heart, reproductiveorgans, and adrenal [7] . CB2 receptors are found primarily in immune cells such as monocytes [8] , but arealso present in the brain stem and glia [9]. To date, the best-characterized endocannabinoids are arachi-donoyl ethanolamine(anandamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol(2-AG) [10].

Emerging evidence exists that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in endocrine regulation and energybalance including a modulation of HPA function [11] . Mice lacking cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1- / -)displayed a dysregulation of the HPA axis with a central impairment of glucocorticoid feedback and an en-hanced circadian HPA axis activity peak resulting in elevated plasma corticosterone levels at the onset ofdark [12 – 14] . It is, however, unknown whether endocannabinoids influence adrenal glucocorticoid syn-thesis directly at the level of the adrenal in addition to their central effects. Furthermore, the CB1 receptorantagonist SR141716A has been shown to reduce blood pressure in obese patients; it is suggested that thisis primarily mediated by the weight-reducing effect of the antagonist (for review [15]). A possible directeffect on aldosterone secretion at the adrenal level, however, has not yet been studied.

The present study, therefore, examines the expression of endocannabinoid receptors and possible effects ofendocannabinoids on the release of cortisol and aldosterone in human adrenals and the human adrenocorti-cal cell line NCI-H295R.

********

These data show that adrenocortical steroidogenesis within the human adrenal is directly influenced by theendocannabinoid system via CB1 receptors. Until a few years ago, the impact of cannabinoids on the HPAaxis was considered to be an exception. Whereas the commonly accepted view attributes the cannabinoidsystem as having a general inhibitory role on neuroendocrine functions, it has been suggested that cannabi-noids are, on the contrary, able to stimulate the HPA axis(for review [11]).

********

Previous studies focused on the interplay between the endocannabinoid system with the HPA axis at thecentral level. Our data indicate that, in addition to the central regulation of the HPA axis, endocannaboidsvia CB1 receptors directly inhibit adrenocortical steroidogenesis at the level of the adrenal. Human adrenalcortex expressed predominantly CB1 receptors.

*****In conclusion, our data contributes further in vitro evidence for an interaction of the endocannabinoid sys-tem with adrenal steroidogenesis by inhibiting adrenal function directly at the level of the adrenal. This ef-fect might, in addition to a central influence of endocannabinoids on HPA axis function, be relevant inglucocorticoid homeostasis. Furthermore, endocannabinoids might, in addition, influence blood pressureregulation by reducing aldosterone secretion from the adrenal.

In this study we learned:

1. Endocannabinoids mimic the effects of Marijuana.“ Endocannabinoids mimic some effects of marijuana by binding to cannabinoid receptors.”

2. Endocannabinoids reduce blood pressure by reducing aldosterone secretion at the levelof the adrenal gland.

“Our data indicate that, in addition to the central regulation of the HPA axis, endocannaboids viaCB1 receptors directly inhibit adrenocortical steroidogenesis at the level of the adrenal.”

The full abstract of this study can be found here.

Do You know someone with Conn’s Syndrome?

Undetected, and untreated, it kills many people every year through uncontrollable highBlood pressure, leading to strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure.

Yet, a drug the United States Government says has no medicinal value could save their lives.After sharing this information with my doctor, and Endocrinologist,

they were convinced.

Please help those who could die of this disease. Share this information with everyone!

1/22/2013I put this information together to save the lives of patients like myself,

and also because I have a serious need.I desperately need to move to a state friendly to medical marijuana, yet I am unable, because I am

drowning in debt. If everyone who reads this only gives $1, it could help me get out of a bad situation.If you have found this information useful, please consider helping out.

If undecided, please read my story below.

A Personal StoryBy Anonymous Patient

For almost 20 years, I have been living with a condition that should have taken my life. My bloodpressure would rise to as high as 200/130, causing me to go in debt with several hospital visits.No blood pressure medication would keep my pressure down, but medical marijuana has. Abouttwo years ago, I was admitted into Shady Grove hospital with cramps in my right side. A CT scanrevealed a tumor in my adrenal gland. This tumor is the cause of my high blood pressure.

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