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Marijuana May Extend Life Expectancy Of Lou Gehrig's Disease Patients, Study Says

Seattle, WA: Cannabis therapy may reduce symptoms and prolong survival in patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS aka Lou Gehrig's disease), according to a scientific review published online last week by the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine.
Investigators at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle and Temple University in Pennsylvania reviewed preclinical and anecdotal data indicating that marijuana appears to treat symptoms of ALS as well as moderate the course of the disease.


Authors wrote: "Preclinical data indicate that cannabis has powerful antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. ... Cannabis also has properties applicable to symptom management of ALS, including analgesia, muscle relaxation, bronchodilation, saliva reduction, appetite stimulation, and sleep induction. ... From a pharmacological perspective, cannabis is remarkably safe with realistically no possibility of overdose or frank physical addiction. There is a valid, logical, scientifically grounded rationale to support the use of cannabis in the pharmacological management of ALS."


They added, "Based on the currently available scientific data, it is reasonable to think that cannabis might significantly slow the progression of ALS, potentially extending life expectancy and substantially reducing the overall burden of the disease."


Investigators concluded, "There is an overwhelming amount of preclinical and clinical evidence to warrant initiating a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of cannabis as a disease-modifying compound in ALS."


Writing in the March 2004 issue of the journal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders, investigators at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco reported that the administration of THC both before and after the onset of ALS symptoms staved disease progression and prolonged survival in animals compared to untreated controls. To date, however, no clinical trials have assessed the use of marijuana or any of the plant's cannabinoids on patients diagnosed with ALS.


Lou Gehrig's Disease is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brain stem, and motor cortex. An estimated 30,000 Americans are living with ALS, which often arises spontaneously and afflicts otherwise healthy adults. An estimated 70 to 80 percent of patients with ALS die within three to five years following the onset of disease symptoms.


For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: hypothetical and practical applications, and a call for clinical trials," will appear in the American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine.

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Rockin with Toots & The Maytals

Toots and The Maytals have been really kicking it for the last few years and you can be lucky enough to catch them with Toots in top form in L.A. at the Key Club on May 16, 2010 just a couple of days before the release date of his new album - you couldn't ask for a better shot of drum and bass driven Reggae Music from a living legend!

“Flip & Twist” Toots latest album - released 4/20/2010 - features Toots singing, R and B, funk, gospel, blues and country in his own inimitable Jamaican style. Toots the inventor of the word “reggae” was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time in 2009…when you hear “Flip & Twist” you will see why. Visit the site www.TootsAndTheMaytals.com to purchase and maybe even get a free track.

www.REGGAE.com has put up a really nice concert recording from The House of Blues in Chicago from April 2, 2010 - find it on the Toots Artist Feature page at www.REGGAE.com/artists/toots

Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are considered legends of ska and reggae music. Their sound is a unique, original combination of gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock. Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, the leader of the group, was born in May Pen in the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1961 at the tender age of sixteen.

In Kingston, Hibbert met Henry “Raleigh” Gordon and Nathaniel “Jerry” McCarthy, forming a group whose early recordings were attributed to “The Flames” and, possibly, “The Vikings”. Having renamed the group the Maytals, the vocal trio recorded their first album, “Never Grow Old – presenting the Maytals”, for producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One in 1962-63. With musical backing from Dodd’s house band, the legendary Skatalites, the Maytals’ close-harmony gospel singing ensured instant success for the 1964 release, overshadowing Dodd’s other up-and-coming gospel trio, The Wailers. The original album augmented by studio out-takes from the Studio One sessions was re-released by Heartbeat/Rounder Records in 1997, and is essential listening for Maytals and Skatalites fans.

After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster (released in 1974) before recording their second album produced by Byron Lee in 1965 . However, the band’s musical career was rudely interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned on drugs possession charges.

Following Hibbert’s release from jail towards the end of 1967, the band officially changed their name to Toots and the Maytals and began working with Chinese-Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration which produced three classic albums and a string of hits throughout the late sixties and early seventies – “Do the Reggay”, a 1968 single widely credited with coining the word reggae, “Pressure Drop”, “54-46 was my number” and “Monkey Man”, the group’s first international hit in 1970 . The group was featured in one of reggae’s greatest breakthrough events – The Harder They Come, the 1972 film and soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff, named as one of Vanity Fair’s Top 10 Best Soundtracks of all time.

Following Kong’s death in 1971, the group continued to record with Kong’s former sound engineer, Warwick Lyn; produced by Lyn and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, the group released three best-selling albums, and enjoyed international hits with Funky Kingston in 1973 and Reggae Got Soul in 1976.

Toots and the Maytals’ compositions would be given a second airing in 1978-80 during the reggae-punk and ska revival period in the UK, when The Specials included “Monkey Man” on their 1979 debut album and The Clash produced their version of “Pressure Drop”. Having toured throughout the world for many years, Toots and the Maytals disbanded in the early 1980s, but reformed in the early 90s to continue touring and recording successfully. Sublime recorded cover versions of some Maytals songs in the 1990s as well.

The band recently won the 2005 Grammy award for best reggae album True Love, an album consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside popular and legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists today such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.

Toots and the Maytals remains a relevant influence on today’s global music scene with artists from Amy Winehouse to Sublime re-recording classic tracks. Toots recieved another Grammy nomination for his 2008 release “Light Your Light. In recent years Toots has toured with The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and Los Lonely Boys.

Always recording when not touring “Flip & Twist” will be release on 4/20/10 on Toot’s own D & F Music label. Look for Toots on the road spring and fall in the US and summer in Europe.

REGGAE STARS PUT STAMP OF ISLAND MAGIC ON DISNEY CLASSICS

DISNEY REGGAE CLUB

Ziggy Marley, UB40, Toots, Sly & Robbie, Matisyahu, and More Contribute Newly Recorded Tracks

 Set for release June 8

The magic of Disney meets the magical isle of Jamaica, as Walt Disney Records readies an album of classic Disney songs newly recorded by a cross-section of top reggae musicians. The Disney Reggae Club features songs from immortal Disney animated films – from "The Little Mermaid" to "Jungle Book" – recorded by such esteemed artists as Grammy winning reggae legend Toots (of Toots & the Maytals fame), five time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley, reggae's most prolific and long lasting production team Sly & Robbie, multiple Grammy winner Cedella Marley, Grammy winner Burning Spear, legendary British band UB40 and Hasidic rapper Matisyahu. The album is set to arrive in stores and at online retailers June 8.

Artists and tracks included on the album are:

1. “Circle of Life” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Matisyahu    
2. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (from “The Lion King”) Performed by Cedella Marley
3. “The Bare Necessities” (from “The Jungle Book”) Performed by Steel Pulse
4. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (Desmond Dekker’s reggae classic also featured in “The Lion King”) Performed by Morgan Heritage
5. “What a Wonderful World” (Louis Armstrong classic) Performed by Ziggy Marley
6. “True to Your Heart” (from “Mulan”) Performed by The Wailing Souls
7. “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (from “Toy Story) Performed by Sly & Robbie 
8. “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (from “Song of the South”) Performed by Toots
9. “I Wan’na Be Like You” (from “The Jungle Book”)  Performed by UB40
10. “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” (from “The Aristocats”) Performed by Michael G & the Easy Star All-Stars
11. “Kiss The Girl” (from "The Little Mermaid") Performed by Burning Spear 
12. “Under The Sea” (from "The Little Mermaid") Performed by Gregory Isaacs
13. “Find Yourself” (from "Cars") Performed by Yellowman

"The genius of Disney songs is that they are timeless and adaptable to every musical genre," said executive producer Brian Malouf. "Reggae is so joyous and spirited, we knew these songs would lend themselves perfectly. I’m happy to say the artists, many of them true legends of reggae, all jumped at the chance to participate. “