“The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is typically associated with using cannabis or cannabinoids. However, the ECS is a complex regulatory network within the human body that plays a vital role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. The ECS can become dysregulated through various mechanisms.
This article describes the physiology of the ECS using a biblical worldview. Nurses who understand the causes of ECS dysfunction can help lead patients toward lifestyle habits that reflect God’s design for balance, resilience, and wholeness.”
“The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a crucial regulatory network in the human body, often linked to cannabis use but primarily responsible for maintaining physiological balance. This article explores the ECS from a biblical perspective, emphasizing its role in health and homeostasis.
Dysregulation of the ECS can occur through various mechanisms, and nurses who grasp these causes can guide patients towards lifestyle choices that align with a holistic approach to health, reflecting a divine design for balance and resilience.
Understanding the ECS can empower healthcare professionals to support patients in achieving overall well-being.”
“Archaeological and historical evidence indicate that cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for almost 5,000 years. Although cannabis once was valued for its therapeutic properties, shifting social norms and political influences led to its criminalization and widespread stigma. This article explores the historical trajectory of medical cannabis from early therapeutic uses to integration into Western medicine, subsequent prohibition, and cautious resurgence. Implications for Christian healthcare providers are discussed. Key historical milestones are noted along with a comprehensive view of cannabis’ evolving role in health and healing across cultures and centuries.”
“Cannabis has been used medicinally for nearly 5,000 years, but its acceptance has fluctuated due to changing social norms and political pressures. Initially valued for its therapeutic benefits, cannabis faced criminalization and stigma, impacting its use in Western medicine. This article traces the history of medical cannabis, highlighting key milestones from its early use to its prohibition and recent cautious re-emergence. It also examines the implications for Christian healthcare providers, offering a broad perspective on cannabis’ role in health and healing across different cultures and eras.”
“Cannabis sativa synthesizes diverse cannabinoids with significant pharmacological value, but existing suspension cultures show low metabolite yields and limited scalability.
This study establishes bioreactor-based cell suspension system to enhance cannabinoid biosynthesis in C. sativa. Petiole explants cultured on MS medium with 4 mg/L BAP and 0.01 mg/L NAA produced 95.83 ± 0.74% friable callus. Suspension cultures accumulated 352.29 ± 3.90 g/L fresh biomass in 28 days, showing 22.4-fold increase upon scale-up in stirred-tank bioreactor.
Methanolic extracts (60 °C) showed strong anti-inflammatory activity, reducing TNF-α and IL-6 by 88.40 ± 0.87 and 92.03 ± 1.55% at 30 μg mL-1 without cytotoxicity. Metabolomic profiling identified putative cannabinoid derivatives, with THCA-C1 (0.05%) exhibiting highest binding affinity (-8.4 kcal/mol) to inflammatory targets based on docking and dynamics analyses.
Overall, these results provide the first evidence for scalable cannabinoid biosynthesis in bioreactor-grown C. sativa cell suspensions, underscoring their potential for sustainable production of anti-inflammatory therapeutics.”
“Importance: Medical cannabis is increasingly considered a substitute for prescription opioid medications for chronic pain, driven by the urgent need for opioid alternatives to combat the ongoing epidemic.
Objective: To determine the association between participation in the New York State (NYS) medical cannabis program and prescription opioid receipt among adults with chronic pain.
Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study used data from the NYS Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) from September 2018 through July 2023. Adults prescribed opioids for chronic pain who were newly certified for medical cannabis use in NYS were recruited from a large academic medical center and nearby medical cannabis dispensaries in the Bronx, New York. Monthly dispensation of medical cannabis to study participants was monitored for 18 months. Data analyses were performed from February 3, 2025, to July 15, 2025.
Exposure: Portion of days covered each month by pharmacist report of dispensed medical cannabis.
Main outcomes and measures: Prescription opioid receipt, defined as NYS PMP-reported prescription monthly opioid dispensation (mean daily dose in morphine milliequivalents [MME]), was assessed with marginal structural models adjusted for time-invariant and time-varying confounders, including self-reported unregulated cannabis use. Nonprescribed opioid use was also assessed during the study period.
Results: Among 204 participants, the mean (SD) age at baseline was 56.8 (12.8) years, and 113 (55.4%) were female. At baseline, participants’ mean (SD) pain severity score was 6.6 (1.8) out of 10, and mean (SD) pain interference score was 6.8 (1.9) out of 10. Baseline mean (SD) daily MME was 73.3 (133.0). During the 18-month follow-up period, participants’ mean (SD) daily MME decreased to 57.4 (127.8). This reduction in mean daily MME was associated with the monthly portion of days covered with medical cannabis; compared with no medical cannabis dispensed, participants dispensed a 30-day supply of medical cannabis were exposed to 3.53 fewer MME per day (β = -3.53; 95% CI, -6.68 to -0.04; P = .03).
Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study, participation in NYS’s medical cannabis program was associated with reduced prescription opioid receipt during 18 months of prospective follow-up, accounting for unregulated cannabis use.”
“These findings suggest that participation in a pharmacist-directed medical cannabis program may help reduce prescription opioid receipt among adults with chronic pain.”
“Aging is characterized in part by chronic, low-grade inflammation, a major driver of cognitive decline, metabolic imbalance and organ dysfunction. Despite its central role in age-related morbidity, pharmacological strategies with well-defined long-term safety profiles remain limited.
Phytocannabinoids have been proposed as modulators of neuroinflammatory and metabolic pathways, but their chronic safety during natural aging is poorly characterized.
Our team has previously reported the acute and 28-day repeated-dose toxicity profile of an EU-GMP certified Cannabis sativa L. strain (Cannabixir® Medium Flos). Here, we extend this work by assessing its long-term safety in a naturally aging preclinical model. Mature to older mice received chronic, intermittent administration of Cannabixir® Medium Flos (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg), defined as daily weekday dosing for 3 or 6 months. Clinical and histopathological evaluations were conducted with a focus on systemic and central nervous system safety.
Chronic administration was well tolerated across all doses and durations.
Body weight remained stable despite increased food intake. Respiratory quotient values were preserved and close to 1 across all groups. Histological analyses confirmed preserved neuronal and glial architecture with no evidence of central nervous system injury or other organ-level toxicity. Long-term, intermittent Cannabixir® Medium Flos administration was well tolerated in naturally aged mice, with no adverse effects on systemic physiology or central nervous system integrity.
Together with prior acute and sub-chronic toxicity data, these findings provide robust evidence supporting the long-term safety of EU-GMP certified Cannabis sativa L. strain in the context of aging.”
“Importantly, the endocannabinoid system itself undergoes profound remodeling with aging, including reduced endocannabinoid tone, altered receptor expression and impaired signaling efficiency, changes that correlate with increased vulnerability to inflammation, metabolic imbalance, and neurodegeneration. These age-related alterations highlight the importance of evaluating the long-term safety of cannabinoid-based interventions in naturally aging bodies.”
“These findings suggest the potential for phytocannabinoid-mediated neuroprotection via modulation of the endocannabinoid system, although the precise molecular pathways remain to be elucidated.”
“Introduction: Cannabinoids hold promise in oncology for symptom relief and antitumor effects, though concerns about safety and efficacy persist. This study assessed the impact of JWH-182 and phytocannabinoids NC1 – Cannabixir® Medium dried flowers and NC2 – Cannabixir® THC full extract, in a murine breast cancer model with paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
Methods: Female BALB/c mice with breast tumors received paclitaxel alone or combined with cannabinoids, and outcomes included pain sensitivity, tumor progression (imaging and histopathology), cachexia (body weight, food intake, imaging), as well as hematological and organ toxicity profiles.
Results: All cannabinoids alleviated neuropathic pain, with NC1 most effective for central and thermal protection (72% and 100%, p < 0.0001), NC2 showing strong central and mechanical benefit (>60% and >33%), and JWH-182 intermediate (∼50%). Tumor growth was not significantly altered, but metastasis incidence was 41.7% for NC1, 58.3% for NC2, compared with 70% for PTX, suggesting antitumoral activity. Effects on cachexia were modest, JWH-182 tended to improve food intake, whereas NC1 and NC2 reduced it, yet body weight remained stable and significant muscle loss was observed only with NC2 (p < 0.05). Hematology showed immunomodulatory effects, with cannabinoids reversing lymphopenia (p = 0.0005), raising monocytes and neutrophils, and partly restoring platelets. Toxicity was highest with NC2 (renal and hepatic injury), moderate with NC1, and lowest for kidney with JWH-182 but with greater hepatic inflammation.
Conclusion: Cannabinoids show potential in oncology by relieving CIPN and influencing tumor dynamics, with mostly neutral effects on cachexia. GMP-certified formulations enhance translational value, though safety concerns warrant further study.”
“Cannabinoids have emerged as promising agents in oncology for both symptom relief and potential antitumor effects. By acting on cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1R, CB2R), Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) help regulate pain, appetite, and inflammation, making them effective in managing CIPN, cancer pain, and cachexia.
Preclinical studies also suggest that cannabinoids can inhibit tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and reverse chemoresistance, with potential to enhance chemotherapy efficacy and reduce its toxicity.”
“Chronic pain syndromes (CPS) are debilitating conditions for which cannabis extracts and cannabinoids have shown promise as effective treatments. However, accessibility to these treatments is limited due to the absence of suitable formulations and standardized dosage guidelines. This is particularly critical for women, who present sex-specific differences in pain burden, pain perception, and pain-related cannabinoid pharmacology.
We conducted a retrospective open-label cross-sectional study on 29 female CPS patients who received full-spectrum cannabis extracts (FCEs) with standardized compositions produced by two patient-led civil societies. An individually tailored dosage protocol was used, with dosage schemes adjusted based on individualized clinical assessments of initial conditions and treatment responses. Patients received either CBD-dominant extracts, THC-dominant extracts, or a combination of both. To evaluate the results, we conducted a comprehensive online patient-reported outcome survey covering core CPS symptoms, comorbidities, personal burden, and quality of life-including open-ended questions to capture the practical and subjective impacts of CPS and FCEs treatment on patients’ lives.
Despite most patients already using medications for pain and mood disorders, all reported some level of pain relief, and most reported improvements in cognitive function, motor abilities, professional activities, irritability, anxiety, melancholy, fatigue, and sleep quality. Qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses revealed that FCEs had relevant positive effects on practical and subjective domains, as well as personal relationships. No patients had to discontinue extract use due to adverse effects, and most reduced or ceased their use of analgesic and psychiatric medications. The optimal dosage regime, including CBD-to-THC proportions, was established through a response-based protocol, varied considerably, and showed no clear link to specific pain types.
These real-life results strongly suggest that a broad scope of benefits can be achieved by using flexible dosing schemes of cannabis extracts in managing diverse CPS conditions in female patients. Therefore, this study highlights the significance of tailoring treatment plans to individual CPS cases. Moreover, it demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing quality-controlled cannabis extracts produced by civil societies as either adjuncts or primary pharmacotherapeutic options in CPS management.”
“Studies with isolated cannabinoids revealed relief of chronic pain, inflammation, depression, and other CPS-associated comorbidities in animal models.
Isolated cannabidiol (CBD) has shown analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in humans, while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) seems to produce pain relief by modulating neuronal activity in pain-associated areas of the central nervous system, such as the periaqueductal area, and the descending supraspinal inhibitory pathways, often involved in cases of CPS. Accordingly, THC isolated oil promoted significant relief of chronic neuropathic pain in comparison to placebo.”
“Our study provides compelling real-world evidence of the broad, integrative benefits of full-spectrum cannabis extracts (FCEs) for women with chronic pain syndromes (CPS).”
“Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease presenting with a wide range of motor, sensory, and psychiatric symptoms. Although nabiximols is licensed for MS-induced spasticity, cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have also displayed promising therapeutic potential for managing pain, sleep, and anxiety. Therefore, further evaluation of CBMP treatment for MS is warranted. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of CBMP treatment in patients with MS by investigating changes in MS-specific and general health-related patient-reported outcome measures and adverse events.
Methods: This was a prospective case series including patients with MS enrolled on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Changes in MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), and EQ-5D-5L scores were assessed from baseline up to 24 months. The prevalence and severity of all adverse events were also assessed.
Results: This study included 203 patients, of whom 47.29% (n = 96) were female and 80.79% (n = 164) had prior cannabis exposure. Improvements in the MSQOL-54 subscales: change in health, energy, health distress, pain, physical function, and physical role limitations, along with improvements in SQS and EQ-5D-5L scores, were seen at all follow-up times compared to baseline (p < 0.050). A total of 278 adverse events were reported by 26 patients (12.81%). Most adverse events were mild (n = 91, 32.73%) or moderate (n = 138, 49.64%) in severity, with fatigue (n = 27, 13.30%) and spasticity (n = 17, 8.37%) being the most common.
Conclusion: CBMP treatment over 24 months was associated with improvements in health-related quality of life and was well tolerated in patients with MS. Future randomised controlled trials with more representative study populations are needed to establish causal relationships.”
“There is increasing evidence for the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in modulating inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes.”
“Through interactions with the ECS, THC and CBD have displayed analgesic, muscle relaxant, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties in preclinical and clinical studies.”
“Therefore, cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) containing these phytocannabinoids show promise for managing MS symptoms.”
“In conclusion, this observational study found CBMP treatment was associated with improvements in many HRQoL measures, including pain and sleep in patients with MS. Also, CBMP use over 2 years was generally well tolerated.”
“Cancer remains a major global health challenge, necessitating new, effective therapies. Phytocannabinoids from Cannabis sativa L. show significant anticancer potential, yet their natural scarcity limits research and development.
This study presents an innovative extract engineering approach to generate rare varin-type cannabinoids from abundant precursors. Through this strategy, nine cannabinoid analogues were synthesised, including four rare varin-type compounds, and screened against five human cancer cell lines.
Among them, cannabinovarin (CBNV) and Δ6a,10a-THCV exhibited potent cytotoxicity against breast (MCF-7) and colon (HCT-116) cancer cells, with IC50 values of 15-30 µM. Mechanistic investigations revealed apoptosis induction via mitochondrial membrane disruption and reactive oxygen species generation.
These findings establish extract engineering as a rapid and efficient route to access rare cannabinoids, highlighting CBNV and Δ6a,10a-THCV as promising anticancer leads for further mechanistic and in vivo evaluation.”
“In recent years, and even more since its legalization in several jurisdictions, cannabis and the endocannabinoid system have received an increasing amount of interest related to their potential exploitation in clinical settings.
Cannabinoids have been suggested and shown to be effective in the treatment of various conditions.
In cancer, the endocannabinoid system is altered in numerous types of tumours and can relate to cancer prognosis and disease outcome. Additionally, cannabinoids display anticancer effects in several models by suppressing the proliferation, migration and/or invasion of cancer cells, as well as tumour angiogenesis.
Along with cannabinoids, cannabis contains several other compounds that have also been shown to exert anti-tumorigenic actions.”
“Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in several diseases, including cancer.”
“Based on the preliminary evidence in various models, it appears that cannabinoids target key signaling pathways involved in all the hallmarks of cancer. Additionally to the cannabinoids, a large number of terpenes and flavonoids, some of them also present in cannabis, exhibit cytotoxicity against a variety of cancers.”
“Considering all the available literature at this time, much stronger experimental evidence (obtained in vitro, in vivo and even in a few clinical trials) support that THC and cannabidiol (CBD) have better anticancer activity than for the other cannabinoids.”
