Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/181770
7 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2013 three months Vaclav Havel faces omy. "It will also provide stability to Enemalta in terms of better forecasts," Mizzi said. If the pilot project turns out to be a successful decision, Enemalta may take the decision to adopt the hedging strategy for a longer term, even on a six-month basis. Enemalta Chairman Charles Mangion confirmed that the new agreement would not affect the quality of the fuel purchased, while the corporation's Risk Management Committee would continue monitoring the international prices. Mangion also noted that the com- mittee's procedural measures have been strengthened, and with minutes and relevant documentation recorded, sealed and kept in both soft and hard copies. Enemalta, he added, was also monitoring what was emerging from the Public Accounts Committee's analysis of the Auditor General report on Enemalta's fuel procurement policy post 2008. "We are also carrying out internal and external audits of recommendations put forward in order to make sure that good governance levels are met and adhered to," Mangion said. do chemo instead Commenting only about the use of cannabis to treat pain, Grech said that local patients were not being denied treatment, because "there are alternative painkillers to cannabis". But medical research goes well beyond these claims: on Wednesday this newspaper published a synthesis of the conclusions of 20 medical studies – all published in respected medical journals from institutions such as the US National Library of Medicine, Harvard University and the British Medical Journal – that suggest the chemical properties of cannabis sativa may be useful in the treatment of various cancers and also other conditions such as diabetes, muscular dystrophy and motor neurone disease. A list of these studies is appended to this article. Among them is a 2007 study by Harvard University and published by the American Association for Cancer Research, which discovered that "the active ingredient in marijuana (THC) cuts tumour growth in common lung cancer by half, and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread. "Researchers injected standard doses of THC into mice that had been implanted with human lung cancer cells, and found that tumours were reduced in size and weight by around 50% in treated animals, compared to the control group. There was also a 60% reduction in cancer lesions on the lungs in these mice, as well as a significant reduction in protein markers associated with cancer progression." Similar findings were registered in subsequent tests which also looked at other forms of cancer. Among the different strains that responded well to treatment using THC were brain tumours, pancreatic, breast, blood and liver cancers. Nor are the medical properties of marijuana limited to cancer, it would seem. Last May, Time magazine published the results of a study suggesting the substance could also be used to treat diabetes, a condition which is understood to affect a staggering 15% of Malta's population. Citing a study published by The American Journal of Medicine, Time observed that "the research included over 4,600 men and women participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2010. Among them, 48% had smoked marijuana at least once in their lives, and 12% were current cannabis smokers. The authors controlled for other factors like age, sex, income, alcohol use, cigarette smoking and physical activity that could also affect diabetes risk. "Even after these adjustments, the current marijuana users showed fasting insulin levels that were 16% lower than those of former or never users, along with a 17% reduction in another measure of insulin resistance as well. Higher levels on both tests are associated with Type 2 diabetes, which is linked with obesity. Marijuana users also had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein, the so-called good cholesterol, which can protect against heart disease." 22, Triq Pietro Floriani, FRN 1060 - Tel: 22991-000 – posthumous MEPA trial JAMES DEBONO AN application to erect a monument to Czech dissident, playwright and former President Vaclav Havel in Hastings garden has ended up before the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's board, which is set to take a decision on it next Thursday. In its last meeting a month ago, the Environment and Planning Commission, which deals with ordinary applications, deferred the case, asking the applicant to submit a justification for the location of such a monument in this particular garden. It also added that the garden is presently devoid of monuments and placing one there would affect the "symmetrical balance of this particular area of the garden". The application was recommended for approval by the case officer and also gained the clearance of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which has made it clear that the monument will not have any negative impact on the fortifications or views of Valletta. The monument also has the seal of approval of the government, which is the owner of the site. But in another twist, the Superintendence also pointed out that the Vaclav Havel (inset) and the proposed monument at Hastings application is sited at the same one earmarked for a sculpture in another planning application. Tonio Casapinta, a former honorary consul for Malta to the Czech Republic, is proposing the monument to Vaclav Havel. The Czech playwright and renowned dissident led his nation after the Velvet Revolution, which brought down the edifice of totalitarian rule in 1989. He died at 75 in December 2011. Havel was an inspirational figure beloved for bringing 60s and 70s counterculture values to bear on the politics of his time. He was also known for flying down the corridors of Prague Castle on a red scooter, and he hosted Frank Zappa, the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed as presidential guests. He also angered the Chinese government by befriending the Dalai Lama. Vaclav Havel visited Malta in 2002 and was hosted by President Guido de Marco at San Anton. During his time in San Anton, the bohemian Havel is said to have popped out of the president's palace to have a beer at the Zmerc pub down the road in Balzan.