Oh yeah…, you read it right! No, it aint about their largest cement plant in the world neither is it about cars in Detroit aka the world car capital. Normally I would be tempted to leave the writing of this article to the nerds out there, honestly I still am even as I write this. Bear with me though, because it’s usually for very good reasons that I do the unconventional.
NPS woes
Today I write as a former skeptic of the pot frenzy that has been doing its rounds in Michigan and a number of other states. Every other day people have been coming up with a condition they claim can be treated with the help of cannabis, some cases more ridiculous than others.
I am no scientist but I have come to share a very real tale of cousin Rudy I whom I truly care for and our first encounter with medical marijuana. Rudy has a rare condition called Nail-patella syndrome (NPS). In lay terms it’s a rare disorder where one has abnormalities with their nails, which could be absent, underdeveloped and discolored, ridged, pitted or split. Basically this is a girl’s worst nightmare.
Rudy has always had ridged nails and hurting joints, it was only recently as an upcoming catalogue model that it became a serious problem. We consulted a physician who referred us to a dispensary that had very recently successfully treated cases similar to ours.This is where we met Dr. Kane, a seasoned practitioner with over twenty years of experience under his belt. It is Dr. Kane that suggested the use of medical marijuana as a means of treatment.
Doctor’s explanation
NPS is related to mutations in the LMX1B gene. The mutation is primarily inherited from one affected parent, however, in rare cases, the syndrome develops in people that don’t have the history of the disorder in their family.
Two major cannabinoids found in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are effective at lowering both acute and chronic pain levels (Jensen, Chen, Furnish & Wallace, 2015) (Baron, 2015). Cannabis has even proven effective at significantly lowering pain that has proven refractory to other treatments (Boychuck, Goddard, Mauro & Orellana, 2015) (Wallace, et al., 2015) (Lynch & Campbell, 2011).
Evidence suggests that cannabis can promote kidney health. Cannabis has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help the body in fighting off pathogens and facilitating of tissue repair. CBD can significantly lower oxidative stress and therefore is helpful in a variety of diseases, including diabetes, arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, hypertension and kidney disease (Booz, 2011).
Glimmer of hope
Turns out all these tales about marijuana’s healing powers has some truth to them, believe me I wouldn’t say so until my experience with Rudy. It’s now a month since she started her treatment and we are getting some positive results. I am really grateful to doctor Kane and even more to the great state of Michigan, for approving the use of medical marijuana for NPS treatment.
This message is to all cannabis skeptics, don’t believe all you here. But then again, don’t be too quick to rubbish it all. Among all this talk, there is a great truth in the role medical marijuana is and will play in medicine’s future. Please share with a friend that may have NPS or kidney issues. You can’t help everyone but it only takes one to help one.
