A survey/chart study published in The Journal of Urology in February 2015 found that whole-plant cannabis use is associated with a decreased likelihood of developing bladder cancer.

What is Bladder Cancer?

Bladder cancer is caused by an overproliferation of abnormal cells of the bladder (an organ in the body that collects urine). Tumors can press on or block surrounding structures or spaces, causing dysfunction in normal body processes, and in later stages, cancerous cells can metastasize (i.e. invade distant organs), potentially causing extensive damage and, if uncontrolled, death.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Key investors in a campaign to legalize marijuana use in Ohio include a former pro-basketball star, a pro-football player and a fashion designer.

ResponsibleOhio on Friday released the names of 11 key investors in its campaign to legalize marijuana for medical and personal use in Ohio. The investors, along with other supporters, are members of the investment groups that will own and operate the 10 marijuana grow sites to be specified in the group's proposed constitutional amendment.

"The campaign is honored to have such well-respected businesswomen and men, as well as patient advocates supporting our effort to offer a common-sense solution to Ohio's failed drug policies," Ian James, ResponsibleOhio's executive director, said in a press release.      

NEW YORK CITY — A Church of Scientology-backed anti-drug program is spreading its message to students in dozens of city public schools, DNAinfo New York has learned.

The Foundation for a Drug Free World, which was founded in 2006 by the controversial church, visited 30 city public schools last year, providing free anti-drug programs to elementary, middle and high school students in all five boroughs, according to its Facebook page.

The city's Department of Education denied any partnership with the group and said it did not recommend its services.

The Foundation's materials claim cocaine use leads to murder and suicide and that heroin use causes spontaneous abortions in women — claims not endorsed or are widely rejected by doctors. 

Medical marijuana advocates in Maine are trying to spread the word about a recent study indicating the drug may slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Gelassen family of Portland says it works.

Allen Gelassen is a pretty happy guy despite living with Alzheimer’s.

“I always have a problem (remembering) day-to-day,”said Gelassen, “But distance, some of it I can, some of it I can’t.”

The diagnosis came a few months ago, after the stroke that left him in a wheelchair. And with it, prescription painkillers; something that impacted his kids’ lives too.

“Groggy, depressed,” said his son, Benjamin Gelassen, “Which put that energy onto me.”

The Internal Revenue Service expects hooligans of the black market drug trade to pay taxes, but not even the most clever accountant will be able to deduct medical marijuana on their clients' federal tax returns this year.

Despite the sweet leaf being legal for medicinal purposes in almost half of the United States, the federal government refuses to consider cannabis a medical expense because it remains a Schedule I controlled substance. “You cannot include in medical expenses amounts you pay for illegal operations, treatments, or controlled substances whether rendered or prescribed by licensed or unlicensed practitioners,” according to Publication 502.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the House on Wednesday that aims to put an end to the federal ban on hemp production in the United States.

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana and would allow for American farmers in any state to grow the crop.

With recreational marijuana production and sales now legal in Colorado and two other states, utilities and energy efficiency experts are waking up to the challenge posed by an industry with a massive appetite for power that runs on 1980s technology.

Cultivating cannabis takes energy. Lots of energy.

A 2011 peer-reviewed study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that on a per-square-foot basis, it takes 356 percent more energy to run a cannabis operation than it takes to operate a hospital ( Read the report here).

This is a follow-up to last week’s post on medical marijuana for bipolar. In the post, I noted that a case can be made for using the product in very small doses to relieve symptoms and maintain mental health, but with some very strong provisos.

In particular, I noted: 

All medications, including psychiatric meds, carry substantial risks that must be weighed against potential benefits. Marijuana is no exception.

I also pointed out:

In the world of medical marijuana entrepreneurs in Illinois, there’s plenty of green behind the grass.

Hundreds of would-be medical marijuana growers and sellers have put millions of dollars on the line hoping for coveted state permits that were supposed to issued by former Gov. Pat Quinn by the end of last year.

To snag those valuable permits, the entrepreneurs hired consultants, lawyers and lobbyists.

They’re already paying rent, in some cases, or have money tied up in options to buy property.

And now, they wait. And with millions of dollars on the line, waiting can get expensive.

• On January 1, laws making legal the use of recreational marijuana went into effect in Colorado and the state of Washington. Fifty-six percent of Americans now favor legalization and regulation of marijuana.

  In the meantime, there are 20 states plus Washington DC where medical marijuana is legal, and four states with pending legislation.

  “Medical marijuana” is something of a misnomer. A physician does not write a prescription for a specific compound at a specific dosage that a patient fills at a pharmacy. Indeed, the physician’s only involvement may be in issuing the requisite medical marijuana card. 

  The card allows users to shop at marijuana dispensaries. It also amounts to a “get out of jail free” card