Illegal in Spain, and legal in USA: cannabinoids

This week I read an article about cannabinoids therapeutic use for several

diseases that produce neuropathic pain. In our country, there is only one kind

of this family group allowed for free only for multiple sclerosis disease, in all the

rest of them, patients have to pay 510 for it. Should it be like that? Is it

correct?

Firstly, I will discuss the reasons that pharmaceutical industry provides as

evidence to use and not use it, then I will consider economical aims to avoid

cannabinoids marketing and finally I will suggest some proposals to promote

new treatments to get faster and better progress in our patients.

Due to the increased number of oncological and neurological patients who do

not alleviate their pain and clinical symptoms, chemistry industry is studying

new drugs to fight it. Cannabidiol has antidepressant-like effects; it is a kind of

anxiolytic and neuroprotective molecule. In contrast, in our country, it is

allowed to consume less than 0.2% of this substance because it is considered

to be harmful. There is no option to consume it as a medicine in bigger doses

because there are negative effects like change in feelings; it can be hepatotoxic

and nephrotoxic, and it could produce addiction.

Nevertheless, there is a significant number of families showing positive results

in neurological diseases like West and Dravet Syndrome which got the

remission of symptoms making use of it instead of antiepileptic drugs that

produce drowsiness and sedation.

Clearly, I consider there are pharmaceutical economy concerns about the use of

those drugs and this is the main argument against allowing this one. Security

controls responded to offer a safe use of it. Therefore, in Spain it is illegal and I

consider it should be a legal drug like in 23 out of 50 States from the USA.

Extending this treatment could alleviate more than half of neuropathic

pain that exists nowadays in oncological patients.

Encouraging industries and population to learn about it and to develop

new uses of it will show several positive applications.

Promoting cannabinoids legalisation by explaining clinical advantages

and economic reasons because it will generate less use of other

analgesic doses.

In conclusion, my idea is to combine analgesic drugs to prevent insufferable

pains that in our decade should not exist to guarantee a successful pain control

and clinical symptoms.

Laura Lpez Puerta

oman in Gold

First the Nazis came for our

neighbours. Then they came for us.

Then they came for our paintings Joe Williams-

It represents a new angle to view the Holocaust.

Woman in Gold is the true story of a post-war custody

battle for a portrait of a lady.

The painting, by Gustav Klimt, which was for more than 50 years in the Viennese Belvedere Museum, was considered as the nations Mona Lisa.

A mode of brief review of our modern History1, say that during the

World War II, Nazi Germany conducted a systematic tooling of art from

Jews and others in the occupied countries. Much of the stolen art was recovered by the Allies.

However, thousands of valuable art pieces were not returned to their rightful owners.

The Third Reich was able to take hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork worth billions of

dollars- and stored them throughout Germany. Those pieces that were banned from entering

Germany considered as degenerate , were given to approved art dealers to be sold. They

used the revenues obtained this way to pay the expenses of the war.

In 1998 thirty-nine countries signed the agreement to identify art stolen from Holocaust

victims and to compensate their heirs.

In January 2006 it was stated by a court that Austria must return five paintings by Gustav Klimt

to the heirs of a Jewish family from whom the paintings were stolen during the Nazi

occupation in Austria. The paintings had been housed and displayed for decades in the

Belvedere Castle gallery in Vienna.

1 Source: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

W

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, by Gustav Klimt

In the centre, Maria Altman, as she left the courthouse.

Woman in Gold is the name the Nazis gave to the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Maria

Altmans aunt, the protagonist, this last one, of the unequal struggle against a state power that

will not accept the obligation to compensate the victims, meanwhile she has to revive the

horrors of the war.

Helen Mirren, left, and Ryan Reynolds in Woman in Gold

Helen Mirren plays the role of Maria Altman, and Ryan

Reynolds as her lawyer in the film with the same name of

Woman in Gold, directed by Simon Curtis.

The Austrian government fought tooth and nail to keep the paintings, especially the Woman

in Gold. In their attempt to get it, Austrian lawyers did everything in their power to convince

Maria she had no legal claim to their family treasures.

Fortunately, justice can sometimes repair the irreparable damage, because this cannot erase

all the pain suffered but can give you a ray of light and satisfaction for your coming life.

If you find this essay appealing and it aroused some interest

in the film, you can watch the trailer here.

Written by Juan Antonio Moreno Gonzlez

With thanks to Mari Trini Iglesias, my English teacher, for

her inestimable support and contribution.

SCHOOL EDUCATION THAT BIG WELL-KNOWN

Andrea Mireya Lpez Martnez

Education is always a theme in vogue although, overall, when there is a voting soon. We can listen to many politicians from different political parties and support or not some ideas

based on our thinking, but... how many people listen to a teacher speaking about education on

TV or the radio? And a professor? And a pedagogue? Recently, I saw a teacher called Csar

Bona, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Education in a TV programme, one of two, and his

interview was almost at the end of the programme, late at night. I cant imagine how many

people held on until his interview but I recommend seeing him because its interesting to know

how traditional education can improve from a teacher that tries to do his best for his students.

Do you know what traditional education is? Grandparents, parents, children a lot of

generations have experienced a school that has changed pretty little. I am quite sure that if we

talk about our experience in school, we

could find plenty of things in common,

less and fortunately, the act of physical

(and psychic) punishment. Nowadays

our lifestyle has suffered a vertiginous

change; our children are very different

from us and predecessors, for example,

they just use an advanced technology

that old generations didnt use to enjoy.

Our grandfathers and grandmothers

could only have access to academic

knowledge by the teacher and the class

book but now, with the Internet, we can

gain admission to any type of

knowledge.

So, does it make sense that teachers and books are still the only source of knowledge

and other ideas? And, what about our way to assess that knowledge?

I studied a degree and a post-graduate degree in education and I remember a question

that Ive ever wondered before: what are the goals of education in school? Apart from reaching

the next level This cartoon shows one of my favourites getting equity among our children,

whatever their characteristics are. What do you expect from School Education? What is your

reflection?

REVIEW ABOUT THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS

BY CRISTINA BONILLA

This review is about my favourite book called The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The

author of this book is John Boyne. This novel is set in Germany when Hitler was

stablishing his dictatorship. The protagonist is a little boy called Bruno who is German.

The story begins when Brunos father, who is a kind of soldier, decides that all the

family has to move to another place because of his job. The father works for Hitler and

they have to move away to a place which is close to a Nazi camp. The little boy makes

a friend in the Nazi camp and at the end both die inside this camp.

I love this book for several reasons. The author does a great job with the narration. He

explains the entire story through Brunos thoughts and feelings and he gets the reader

to empathise with the little boy. Another reason would be that thanks to this novel you

can understand better the situation of Germany at that time and how Jewish suffered

a lot.

But there is something that I do not like at all, which is the end of the story. In my

opinion, it is too sad. But at the same time I think that there is a positive thing about

this end, which is that people are going to learn about the cruel reality of that time.

In my opinion, this book is one of the best that I have read and I think that people

should read it because they will enjoy it.

I would also like to talk about the film which is based on that novel. Its title is The Boy

in the Striped Pyjamas as well and its director is Mark Herman.

About this film there are several good things that I am going to mention. In this film

appear all the characters that you can find in the book and both stories are quite

similar. So if you have enjoyed the novel, you will delight in watching the film too.

The protagonist is represented in the film by a boy actor. The little boy is fantastic

because he expresses with his blue eyes everything that he feels and thinks. Another

important actor that I like is the little boys father.

Another thing that I love about this film is that they perfectly represent how the Nazi

camps were and the situation inside there.

I usually prefer a book to a film. But the case of this story is one of the few cases in

which, in my opinion, the film is as good as the book.

As a conclusion, I can say that this story is one of the best stories that I have heard of

and I totally recommend it.

The video game Id like to review is called Final Fantasy IX.

Its the ninth part of one of the most popular role play game sagas of all times. It begins with Yitan and the theatre band Tantalus going to kidnap the princess Garnet von Alexandros from Alexandria on her sixteenth birthday. What they dont know is that the princess wants to escape to Lindblum, so she lets them kidnap her. From here, a story about friendship, loyalty and existentialism among other concepts is developed.

Its the third game of the trilogy that the Final Fantasy saga released for Play Station 1. Although the three previous games are based on a science fiction world with machinery and robots, this one returns to the magic world with castles, flying ships and magical creatures that made the saga so popular. Final Fantasy IX also has very interesting characters with deep personalities like Vivi, a little black mage who, since certain facts that happen throughout the story, begins questioning the reasons of his existence and the meaning of his own life.

I would totally recommend this game to everyone who enjoys a good story with charismatic characters. I know there are a lot of people who wouldnt give it a try because of the graphics, but we have to take into account that this game was released in 2000 for Play Station 1. Its certainly a video game masterpiece with really beautiful designs and a stunning soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who composed the soundtrack of the eight previous games of the saga.

If you find this review interesting and youd like to learn more about the video game, you can watch the trailer.

Here you can find the trailer for Final Fantasy IX edited years ago around the time the game was released.

Written by Luis Martnez.

Review The song I would like to review is No Woman No Cry by

the singer Bob Marley.

It was the song that popularized reggae music. It was

composed by Bob Marley in 1974 through the studio album

Natty Dread. The song has been covered by many artists, for

example, Nina Simone and Katherine Jenkins. The first

time he sang this song in a live concert was in 1975. Many

people went to the event. Bob Marley was the best reggae

singer at that time. When the song was sung in the live

concert, the drummers Carlton brothers played with him

and two more people, Aston as the bass played and Bunny

Wailer as the pianist, and Bob Marley played the guitar and

sang. With this song Bob Marley raised funds to improve

the studio that Bunny Wailer had. When they raised enough

money, they could record the first album Bob Marley and

the Wailers. It was said that his reggae music used to relax

the people from the village. This song was also the last one

that Bob Marley sang in his last live concert. The song was

composed referring to love to women, and the song teaches

us how fragile a woman is. Bob Marley was a pacific person

and thats why his song is related to love and peace.

I recommend this song because it helps you to be relaxed,

and because the song can transmit a clear message about

what love is and teach you to appreciate a woman more.

This song can take you to another world.

If you think you could like this song, just follow the link to

watch a video taken from a live concert at the Lyceum

Theatre in London.

By: Jalid Zaher

I recently saw the film Guardians of the Galaxy and I would like to write a

review about it.

The film, which is inspired by Marvel comics, tells the story of the bounty hunter

and adventurer Peter Quill. Peter steals an orb, which is coveted by Ronan, a

villain who threatens to destroy the whole universe. That's why, Quill is forced to

join the weirdest quartet: Rocket, a raccoon armed with a rifle; Groot, a

humanoid with the shape of a tree; the lethal and enigmatic Gamora and Drax

the Destroyer. When they discover the power of the orb, they have to fight many enemies and the atmosphere of distrust between them to save the

galaxy.

This movie is also different from the rest of the Marvel cinematic universe. Its an almost perfect mixture of action, humour and imagination. This film has a good

length with an ironic point that is the best fact of the film, but always

remembering the importance of friendship and the triumph over adversity. The

special effects, which are truly amazing, transport us to another world with

powerful colours, strange creatures and wonderful battles.

In my opinion, this is the most ambitious and funniest Marvels film to date and it serves as great entertainment for all ages, fantasy lovers or not. So I would

recommend this film to anyone.

If youre looking for something that lifts you out of your everyday life and transports yourself to another part of the galaxy, this is undoubtedly the right

movie for you.

If you find this article interesting and you want more information about the film,

you can find it here.

Written by Carmen Torrecillas Aguado.