Medical marijuana detox: Has Aminokit Laboratories found a cure for cannabis?

• So I took your challenge, and actually called, I only received a 15 min speech on brain chemestry and the repair of neurotransmitters with amino acids. At the end I asked her about pricing and she told me they had many options and in house financing. She sounded more concerned with my well being than my pocket book. All and all I'm starting treatment there TOMORROW!!! Thank god for kind hearted and good souled people....

• Glad to hear of your success Aaron. Honestly, that is awesome! But again, your problem was not with MMJ as a legally registered patient who sought detox from cannabis - which is what the claims in this WW story are about. And your process in conquering alcoholism - even with 3 DUI's, which could have killed people - will be supported and met with much less stigma in the public forum than my using MMJ recommended by my doctor to treat my medical issues. That's why the suggestions made by Aminokit in this article are so damaging to the ongoing fight to preserve ongoing access to MMJ. I've never been convicted of anything more serious than a speeding ticket in my entire life. Yet my taking MMJ for approved conditions could make me a felon one day. And as long as people like Aminokit are playing the addiction card in the MMJ discussion, my access to medication will continue to be threatened by those who will use their claims as evidence against patients.

• Did you use this program because of a problem with MMJ? You didn't clarify your addiction.

• Right. And Vicodin, Percoset, Dilaudid, and Morphine - all drugs which were prescribed to me over the years by my surgeons and pain specialists - cause symptoms such as bradycardia, irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, seizures, severe abdominal pain, allergic reaction, blood disorders, changes in mood, mental fogginess, anxiety, lethargy, difficulty urinating, spasm of the ureter, headaches, constipation, severe liver damage, pulmonary failure, liver or kidney failure, jaundice, amnesia, blackouts, coma, and on and on and on... Documentation on the devastatingly addictive properties of opiates is massive beyond argument, and withdrawal from these substances can be FATAL. These pharmaceuticals are legal, HIGHLY addictive, and potentially DEADLY. Show me one documented case of a deadly overdose of MMJ. There isn't one because The LD50 value by inhalation of THC is 42 mg/kg of body weight. That means to be lethal, one would have to smoke about 1,500 pounds of cannabis within 14 minutes, or eat 46 pounds at once. The effective dose of THC is at least 1000 times lower than the estimated lethal dose (a "therapeutic ratio" of 1000:1). This is much higher than alcohol (therapeutic ratio 10:1), cocaine (15:1), or heroin (6:1) or EVEN ASPIRIN at 1:20!!! Regarding the similarities to smoking tobacco - I've never smoked anything in my life. All my MMJ is administered orally. And most patients I know who choose inhalation use vaporizers. Science Clarified would do better to study actual MMJ patients to gather their stats, rather than blindly using the DEA propaganda handbook for their information. Even still, when comparing all the dangers of marijuana reported all the studies you cite with the list of side effects on the bottles of the narcotics I've taken in the past, I'll choose the natural non-lethal herb over the potentially deadly and liver destroying pharmaceuticals any day of the week.

• No Alex Gibson, your the idiot. Put the bong down and get a life. You stop telling lies. This blog is obvious you deministrating the effects of what marijuana can do to behavior.

• I don't know what BBB you are referring to. I would suggest that because marijuana is a mild hallucinogen you may be imagining an "F" rating, when in fact it has an "A+" rating. Air out the room click the link below and look for yourself. http://www.bbb.org/denver/business-reviews/drug-abuse-and-addiction-info-and-treatment/excel-treatment-program-in-denver-co-12052047

• Personally I think that if you would have put your son into this drug addition program he would probably be well by now! Some tough love is needed at times like this and this program does wonders for those who want and need it! To bad she didn't follow her first hunch! I know it works because our son was a near death from alcohol and is happy and well today! Besides, Tamea is not in the chiropractic business. She has found her true calling with this program!

• Hello, my name is Aaron. In May, 2010 I entered into the Aminokit Treatment program. I was drinking at least twenty drinks a day for the last four years, maintaining a blood alcohol level of .30 to .35 daily. I was physically and mentally addicted to alcohol. I was so sick with withdrawal symptoms that I had to begin each day with a drink just to be able to function normally. Clearly as a result of this I had many problems in my life as well, I was not able to participate in family activities for long periods of time without needing to drink. I was working part time and I would still have to call in sick on some days. I was trying to do my best to care for my 7 year old daughter and to be there for her and my wife, but I was unable to be fully functional no matter how much I wanted to be. My parents knew that my drinking had become a problem for everyone but they were not sure how to get help. My wife and my parents found out about the Aminokit program and were planning to get me into the treatment as soon as they returned from a trip that they had planned for months. Unfortunately, my drinking got the best of me and I got a third DUI. With all that had happened I still could not curb my drinking on my own and I was still playing Russian roulette with my life. My mom canceled her long awaited trip and she and my wife helped to get me into the program. I started the 10 day amino acid drip and it changed my dependence on alcohol, within two days I noticed a decrease in the cravings and withdrawal symptoms. The direct drip helped to calm my nerves and made it possible for me to go without alcohol. I also began to try to decrease some of the stressors in my life and look at solutions to some of them. I felt that suddenly I could have a complete thought about an issue that I was having and then act upon it. My brain chemistry started to normalize and I felt normal without drinking. In conjunction with the amino acid drips I began intensive one on one counseling and even hypnotherapy, which helped me to deal with issues my past and give me the emotional strength I needed to go forward into the unknown world of sobriety. I found myself less and less fearful of the avalanche of problems that had been building in my life, and learned to chip away at them a little at a time. With all that was staring me in the face it would have been easy to run from everything and return to drinking, but the program gave me hope that I could regain my dignity and my life. With a third driving under the influence I thought I would end up doing a full year in jail. The Judge was intrigued about the program and did take my progress into consideration during my sentencing. Instead of spending a year in jail I only had to do twenty days in the county jail and I was given the inmate- out mate program for my remaining time. When I was in jail I was allowed to go to the treatment center daily for drip therapy and counseling, which helped me maintain my composure throughout my stay at the county jail. I have continued to do the dry amino acid formula in pill form for the last seven months to maintain my sobriety and keep a better mental attitude as I conquer the many challenges that I am facing. I could not deal with the stress in my life very well without them and the amino acids are an essential part of my sobriety. If a person wants to begin to change their life for the better and is willing to open their mind to actually feeling better sober, than they did under the influence of drugs or alcohol I recommend that you consider the Aminokit Treatment Centers to help you reach your goal

• So Alexander Gibson, how's your "sobriety" going? Terminated from this facility due to unethical actions. As for Dr. Starritt, NO scripts for marijuana have ever or will ever be written from this facility. Aminokit Labs stated quite clearly the distinction between medical and recreational use. Many prescription drugs ARE ADDICTIVE. That doesn't mean that they don't serve a purpose. It is when they are used not as prescribed, or to excess that they are harmful. The treatment worked phenomenally well for "Fread". After drinking solidly for over 10 years he was sober for 5 years. He had some slips recently and has begun the process of rehabilitation again. He is using this process because he knows nothing else has ever worked for him.

• I would like to start off by saying that by coming to this program it definitely has been a much needed life altering experience. I know from having a family member who has gone through countless rehab centers, de-tox centers and emergency and intensive care hospitalizations, that this program will work. The first major step for me was acknowledging I needed to quit and realize the self-destructive path I was on. The other programs do not have the intensity and various treatments that are available through this program. The IV amino bags and Glutathione bags are a God send.When I first started everything from my skin color to my mental concentration to my overall health was poor. Since being in the program my family, friends and various other people have noticed the huge difference in my mental state as well as the physical and emotional progress that has occurred. Stopping cold-turley is very hard for most people to do, including myself. As far as how this has affected my life, work and family, the best way I could explain it would be almost like being born again.Or another way to say it would be that I am leaving myself for the first time to become a better me.

• Respondent has engaged in multiple violations of the Chiropractic Practice Act. Respondent practiced outside the scope of practice for a chiropractor by administering IV treatments to her patients at Excel. Respondent's documentation of acupuncture treatments rendered to her patients at Excel was minimal to nonexistent, to the point where she herself could not determine from those records whether acupuncture had been performed. Respondent used her chiropractic license to promote a non­chiropractic enterprise. Further, Respondent has a disciplinary history with the Board. It took Respondent seven years to complete a one-year period of Board-supervised probation. Imposing sanctions is a discretionary function of an administrative agency, and the Board is afforded wide discretion in determining the appropriate sanction. See Colorado Real Estate Commission v. Hanegan, 947 P.2d 933, 936 (Colo. 1997). In determining an appropriate disciplinary sanction, the Board shall first consider sanctions that are necessary to protect the public. See C.R.S. § 12-33-101, et seq. The Board finds that Respondent's actions exhibit a lack of professional judgment and an inability to be regulated.

• Tamea Sisco Excel Recovery Consumer Complaint Tamea Sisco and Excel Treatment have an "F" rating with the BBB!!!! PLEASE, this is a BAD business. Tamea Sisco lost her chiropractic licence for practicing out of her scope! She was giving IV "treatments".

• I live in California, but I was referred to a doctor named Tamia Sisco or Tamea Sisco to send my son for a 10 day rehab treatment using amino acid therapy. I made an appointment over the telphone on a Friday afternoon, but cancelled early on Sunday morning after discovering that "Dr." Tamea Sisco was not in good standing with the Chiropractic Board in several states, and in fact, had her license revoked after suspensions and warnings. Doing a Google search revealed other website complaints against her by previous patients who had been unable to get insurance checks or overpayments returned. There are also several newspaper articles about the arrest of a business partner, and her home being raided. The parrtner is or was serving time in prison. By Sunday morning, she already had charged $11,600.00 to two credit cards (one her office set up for me over the phone), and she has refused to give any of it back. (This was in May) She apparently continues to promote her business. I have filed complaints with the District Attorney in Denver, with the Better Business Bureau, and I attempted to file a complaint with the Colorado Chiropractic Board, however, since her license had already been revoked they could not help me. Beware of any dealings with this company!

• she is one big walking counterdiction her medical director perscribes MMJ but Tamea is that agenest it whats that all about? She is just an out rite lier and i think she does more harm than good and needs to be shut down!!!!!!!!!!!

• I am so glad she is finaly being exposed for the idiot that she is

• This women seems to be after only one thing and thats money if you call her at 303-520-8004 an pose as a client you can see for your self she has no soul

• Tamea Sisco Doc Dr. Ritta Starrit Writes scrips for MMJ she runs a detox and cant even keep her front desk person Fread Jauch off alchol there is something vary wrong about this women and her so called detox

• I am the editor, and you have not spoken with me -- but I'd be happy to chat. patricia.calhoun@westword.com

• Dear Ecodude, As you can clearly recognize by now that Westword Magazine writes articles that are profoundly controversial to gain publicity and reviews. In the interview discussed with the Editor ,we clearly spelled out the difference between the addictive brain and the non-addictive brain. If one does not have the gene (D2dopamaine gene), clearly MMJ has great healing properties and their brains(neurotransmitters) and brain chemistry do not spiral out of control. Although as you can see, that was not written, although clearly explained to the Editor. When someone is not paying for an advertisement. You are not allowed to review what is going to be published or allowed to make changes. Westword purposely set up controversy with the reader and did not tell the whole story. I am truly sorry that they choose to pick and piece what a facility is trying to get across. Patients who gain the great benefits of MMJ do not walk through our doors. We are a rehab their fore all we see are those suffering from the genetic predisposition to addiction and have tried to exchange their addictions for the lesser dangerous medication(MMJ). The great quantity of marijuana needed to replace damage from heroin or opiates is extraordinary and their fore one usually returns to their drug of choice. MMJ is not strong enough in comparison to herion or large quanitites of opiates. We are talking about a whole different population. We do not prescribe marijuana for detox because we are a rehab. We only treat patients that have damage to the neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine, which is broken down from substance abuse. With the new medical marijuana law, many people are reaching out for anything that can help them. Our patients don’t come in with prescription for MMJ nor prescriptions for painkillers,or herion. Doctors would not get to such high dosages. I am truly sorry if this has offended you. We are only speaking out for the population we treat. Amino acids are truly the building blocks to every cell in the human body. They work unbelievable miracles on the addictive brain. As so does the benefit of MMJ on the non-addictive brain. Sincerely, The Entire Staff of Aminokit Laboratories.

• The effects of marijuana on a user change dramatically as the dosage increases. Taken at low doses, marijuana tends to make a user drowsy and relaxed. The user may also feel a general sense of well-being. As the dose increases, a user may experience an altered sense of time and awareness, and may have difficulty completing thoughts and taking part in conversation. A user's sense of balance and short-term memory (remembering very recent events or from one moment to the next) may also be affected. At higher doses, severe psychological disturbances can take place, such as paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks. Marijuana affects the cardiovascular system by increasing heart rate and dilating (expanding) blood vessels in the eyes. Difficulty in coordinating body movements and pains in the chest may be other effects of the drug. Scientists believe that long-term use of marijuana damages the lungs in a manner similar to tobacco smoking. Scientific studies released in mid-1997 indicate that people who smoke large amounts of marijuana may experience changes in their brain chemistry. These changes are similar to those seen in the brains of people who abuse addictive drugs such as heroin, cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. All addictive drugs increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical responsible for causing feelings of reward. The new studies found (for the first time) that high doses of marijuana increased the levels of dopamine in the brain. Constant use of addictive drugs, however, can cause the brain to lose its ability to produce high levels of dopamine. When this happens, a drug user feels a greater need for the drug, or for even stronger drugs. Scientists believe this may occur with marijuana. Users of addictive drugs feel withdrawal symptoms (feeling anxious, edgy, and unable to cope) when they stop taking the drugs. It was previously believed that marijuana users did not suffer feelings of withdrawal. However, the recent studies indicate that heavy users of marijuana smoke not so much for the "high" but to calm their feelings of anxiety brought on by withdrawal from the drug. Since THC is absorbed primarily in the fat tissues and lingers in the bloodstream, withdrawal symptoms are not as evident as with fast-acting drugs like nicotine. Read more: Marijuana - humans, body, used, law, chemical, form, system, air, effects, cause, plant, change, part, Effects, Possible medical benefits http://www.scienceclarified.com/Io-Ma/Marijuana.html#ixzz1Gv5mpDwx

• I never said MMJ has no effect on dopamine levels. I said I don’t use MMJ because of a need to increase my dopamine levels. And quite frankly that argument is absolutely irrelevant with regards to the approved and effective uses of MMJ. Even if the findings in this 14 year old and widely contested study were completely true beyond question, the claims made by Tameo Sisco and Aminokit Laboratories still hold no water whatsoever when referring to “addicted” MMJ patients and the reasons they use MMJ in the first place. The approved uses of MMJ in Colorado: Cancer, Glaucoma, HIV or AIDS positive, Cachexia, Severe Pain, Severe Nausea, Seizures including those characteristic of epilepsy, Persistent muscle spasms. Treating addiction to narcotics or painkillers is not an approved use of MMJ and none of the approved conditions would be treated by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. I would like to hear from these so-called MMJ patients who are using the herb to “ease off of harder stuff such as heroin or prescription painkillers.” And who are the doctors who recommended MMJ for these unapproved conditions? "Once you repair the damage to the brain, there is no desire to use a brain-altering substance" Oh Really? I guess that leaves out those of us patients who are left with severe nausea from chemotherapy. Or suffer the wasting effects of AIDS. Or need to relieve intraocular pressure from Glaucoma. Or, as in my case, suffer from uncontrollable spasticity and blinding neuropathic pain, etc.… Just exactly how does your miracle treatment deal with these conditions? I’ll say it again. MMJ patients are no more addicts than those patients who choose other treatments prescribed by their doctors. Frankly, the documentation proving legally prescribed narcotics are more addictive and dangerous than marijuana is absolutely staggering. We patients already face incredible prejudice in the public debate surrounding MMJ. Suggesting that MMJ patients, using a 5000-year-old herbal treatment, need the same “help” as heroin addicts is nothing more than a fear mongering profiteering sales pitch designed to make a buck. And the only ones who suffer are those of us who are fighting an exhausting battle to preserve legal access to the best treatment that is available to us.

• 2009 data suggest otherwise, though I am not an aminodoc: http://mindhacks.com/2009/06/28/the-straight-dopamine-theory-could-be-up-in-smoke/ "The researchers found no difference in dopamine levels between the THC and the sugar pill, even though the participants clearly reported the effects of the drug."

• Cannabinoids activate mesolimbic dopamine neurons by an action on cannabinoid CB1 receptors References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article. GianLuigi Gessaa, *, Miriam Melisa, AnnaLisa Muntonia and Marco Dianab a ‘‘B.B. Brodie'' Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, via Porcell, 4, 09124 Cagliari, Italy b Department of Drug Sciences, University of Sassari, via Muroni 23/a, 07100 Sassari, Italy Received 12 June 1997; revised 14 October 1997; accepted 17 October 1997. Available online 11 February 1998. Abstract The present study was designed to determine if cannabinoids share with other drugs of abuse the ability to stimulate mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons and if this effect is mediated by cannabinoid receptors. To this end, the effects of the prototypical cannabinoid, Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol {(−)-trans-(6aR,10aR)-6a,7,8,10a-tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-1-ol}, and the two highly potent synthetic cannabinoids, {(R)-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(4-morpholinyl)-methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl,+(1-naphtalenyl)methanone} WIN 55,212-2 and {(−)-3-[2-hydroxy-4-(1,1-dimethylheptyl)phenyl]-4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-cicloexan-1-ol} CP 55,940, on the spontaneous discharge rate of meso-accumbens dopamine (A10 dopamine) neurons were studied in rats. The intravenous administration of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, WIN 55,212-2 and CP 55,940 (0.0625–1.0 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent increase in the spontaneous firing of A10 dopamine neurons both in non-anesthetized and anesthetized rats, with a maximal percent increase of 120, 187 and 155 in non-anesthetized and 33, 102 and 52, respectively, in anesthetized rats. The stimulant response to cannabinoids was suppressed by the specific cannabinoid receptor antagonist {N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide} SR 141716A, indicating a cannabinoid receptor-mediated effect. These findings support the contention that cannabinoids regulate mesolimbic dopamine transmission and may help to explain the addictive properties of marijuana. Author Keywords: Dopamine; Ventral tegmental area; Drug abuse; Electrophysiology; Cannabinoid

• Cannabis has NOTHING to do with dopamine! That is an out and out lie!

• So, since I've never shot smack, what will I relapse on? My to-do list?

• "It is still a brain-altering substance, it is still addictive. And when it's no longer strong enough, you will just go back to heroin." Really!? Fucking really? Fuck this unethical bitch right in her stupid ass.

• As a patient, I don't use MMJ because of a need to increase my dopamine levels or to substitute for some other addiction like heroin or alcohol. Quite frankly, my mood was just fine before I chose to use MMJ, and I've never had an addiction problem in my life. I use MMJ to relieve chronic pain and uncontrollable spasms as a result of spinal trauma and nerve damage from multiple surgeries, and I feel it is safer - and quite frankly profoundly more effective - than the prescribed narcotics I took for years. I know of no other MMJ patient who uses the herb as a substitute for heroin. And let's be clear - treatment for narcotic addiction is not included in the state's list of approved debilitating medical conditions for using MMJ. The straight line this person draws between heroin and MMJ is absurd. All the amino acids in the world would do nothing to relieve my neuromuscular issues, which are managed very well by MMJ. The claims by this so called addiction specialist that MMJ patients need nothing more than to repair the damage to their brains so they no longer need to use a "brain altering" substance completely ignores the real reasons people use MMJ. It is a profoundly insulting suggestion on the part of Tamea Sisco that we patients are nothing more than addicts who are substituting drugs, and I did not have to think twice before criticizing her for equating MMJ with dangerous and deadly substances like heroin. We who use MMJ responsibly (which is the overwhelming majority of us by the way) aren't addicts any more than those patients who use Vicodin prescribed by their doctors for the same reasons. These irresponsible comments by this opportunistic asshole warrant a public apology to MMJ patients for adding to the stigma we already have to fight in the public forum on a daily basis.

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