Endocannabinoid system acts as a regulator of immune homeostasis in the gut

Posted on April 24, 2017 by David

“Exogenous cannabinoids such as marijuana exert their influence through cannabinoid receptors. Endogenous cannabinoids such as anandamide (AEA) function through the same receptors, and their physiological roles are a subject of intense study. Here, we show that AEA plays a pivotal role in maintaining immunological health in the gut. The immune system in the gut actively tolerates the foreign antigens present in the gut through mechanisms that are only partially understood. We show that AEA contributes to this critical process by promoting the presence of CX3CR1^hi macrophages, which are immunosuppressive. These results uncover a major conversation between the immune and nervous systems. In addition, with the increasing prevalence of ingestion of exogenous marijuana, our study has significant implications for public health.” http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/04/18/1612177114.full

“Our study unveils a role for the endocannabinoid system in maintaining immune homeostasis in the gut/pancreas and reveals a conversation between the nervous and immune systems using distinct receptors.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28439004

“Active ingredients in both hot peppers and cannabis calm the gut’s immune system” https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-04-ingredients-hot-peppers-cannabis-calm.html

Anti-inflammatory effects of the cannabidiol derivative dimethylheptyl-cannabidiol – studies in BV-2 microglia and encephalitogenic T cells

Posted on April 24, 2017 by David

“Preparations derived from Cannabis sativa (marijuana and hashish) have become widespread since ancient times, both as therapeutic agents and in recreational smoking.

Among the more than 60 phytocannabinoids identified in Cannabis extracts, the two most abundant are Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychotropic constituent, and cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-psychoactive component.

Cannabinoids were shown to exert a wide range of therapeutic effects, and many of the cannabinoids, especially CBD, were shown to possess potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. In addition, it was shown that several cannabinoids have pro-apoptotic, neuroprotective, and antitumor properties

Dimethylheptyl-cannabidiol (DMH-CBD), a non-psychoactive, synthetic derivative of the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), has been reported to be anti-inflammatory in RAW macrophages. Here, we evaluated the effects of DMH-CBD at the transcriptional level in BV-2 microglial cells as well as on the proliferation of encephalitogenic T cells.

The results show that DMH-CBD has similar anti-inflammatory properties to those of CBD. DMH-CBD downregulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines and protects the microglial cells by inducing an adaptive cellular response against inflammatory stimuli and oxidative injury. In addition, DMH-CBD decreases the proliferation of pathogenic activated T_MOG cells.

Several CBD derivatives were also shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties.

The results show that DMH-CBD induces similar anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and stress response effects to those previously observed for CBD.”

https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jbcpp.2016.27.issue-3/jbcpp-2015-0071/jbcpp-2015-0071.xml

It’s Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month. Please Be Aware.

Posted on April 1, 2017 by David

“Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month. While smoking and tobacco use are still major risk factors, the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients is young, healthy, nonsmoking individuals due to the connection to the HPV virus. We cannot stop this virus from spreading; our only hope to save lives is with professional involvement and public awareness.” http://oralcancerfoundation.org/events/oral-head-neck-cancer-awareness-month/

“Oral Sex Linked to Rise in Oral Cancers” https://www.roswellpark.org/cancertalk/201304/oral-sex-linked-rise-oral-cancers

“Role of human papilloma virus in the oral carcinogenesis” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19542661 “A causal role for human papillomavirus in head and neck cancer.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15135592/

“Bogarting that joint might decrease oral hpv among cannabis users. The development of oral cancer is not a result of smoking cannabis per se; rather, it is hypothesized to be a result of contracting hpv through various forms of sharing and passing joints and other smoking apparatuses. Therefore, it is hypothesized that bogarting (and not passing) joints might decrease oral hpv among cannabis smokers.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2794675/

“Additive found in toothpaste and food products could cause cancer, say scientists” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/toothpaste-additive-e171-titanium-dioxide-food-products-cancer-cause-scientists-a7541956.html

“Mouthwash And Poor Dental Hygiene May Up The Risk Of Oral Cancer” http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/04/08/300257396/mouthwash-and-poor-dental-hygiene-may-up-the-risk-of-oral-cancer

“Gum Disease Linked to Risk of Oral Cancer Causing Virus” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-21/gum-disease-linked-to-risk-of-oral-cancer-causing-virus

“Unhealthy lifestyles blamed for sharp rise in mouth cancer cases” http://www.itv.com/news/2016-11-25/bad-habits-linked-to-soaring-rates-of-mouth-cancer/

“Type of food and risk of oral cancer. To reduce the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma, the most common oral cancer, diet must be optimized, primarily to reduce calorie intake, monounsaturated fat, and red or processed meat. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, and cereals, which are the major source of vitamins and fiber, should be adequate in the daily diet. Optimal levels of daily allowance of micronutrients like vitamin C, E, antioxidants, zinc, beta-carotene, and folate are effective in prevention of oral cancer. Consumption of fried or broiled foods and employment of microwave cooking, because of formation of heterocyclic amines, must be avoided because of increasing risks of oral cancer including the salivary gland tumors.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17367228

“Coffee consumption associated with reduced risk of oral cancer: a meta-analysis” http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212440315013656

“Tobacco and alcohol use are among the strongest risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.” https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and-oropharyngeal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

“Marijuana use on its own does not merit definitive oral cancer development, according to research. In fact, cannabis also contains cannabinoids, such as THC, which contain anticancer properties. Some of these anticancer properties include the slowing of the inflammatory arm of the immune system designed to slow free-radical growths. Some researchers link medicinal marijuana to these anticancer properties.” http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2014/04/should-marijuana-users-be-worried-that-smoking-causes-oral-cancer.html

“Marijuana has been used in herbal remedies for centuries. More recently, scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or cause death in certain types of cancer cells.” http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/chemotherapyeffects/marijuana-and-cancer

“Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory. Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells but do not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.” http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq#section/all

“Marijuana Kills Cancer Cells, Admits The U.S. National Cancer Institute” http://naturalsociety.com/marijuana-kills-cancer-cells-admits-the-u-s-national-cancer-institute/

“US government says cannabis kills cancer cells” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11820620/US-government-says-cannabis-kills-cancer-cells.html

“US government finally admits that cannabis kills cancer cells” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/government-finally-admits-cannabis-kills-6303176

“Review of Various Herbal Supplements as Complementary Treatments for Oral Cancer. Diet changes, supplementation with antioxidants, high-dose vitamin C therapy, and cannabinoid use have been suggested to decrease cancer cell replication and increase chance of remission.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26863913

“Cannabinoids Offer Some Hope for Oral Cancer Pain” https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/meeting-summary/cannabinoids-offer-some-hope-oral-cancer-pain

“Cannabinoids Attenuate Cancer Pain and Proliferation in a Mouse Model. Our results suggest that systemic administration of cannabinoids decease oral cancer pain. Our findings suggest a direct role for cannabinoid mechanisms in oral cancer pain and proliferation. The systemic administration of cannabinoid receptor agonists may have important therapeutic implications wherein cannabinoid receptor agonists may reduce morbidity and mortality of oral cancer. The present findings suggest that cannabinoid treatment may be a promising alternative therapy for oral cancer pain management.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099480/

“Cannabinoids Inhibit Cellular Respiration of Human Oral Cancer Cells. The primary cannabinoids, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) and Δ⁸-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁸-THC) are known to disturb the mitochondrial function and possess antitumor activities. These observations prompted us to investigate their effects on the mitochondrial O₂ consumption in human oral cancer cells (Tu183). This epithelial cell line overexpresses bcl-2 and is highly resistant to anticancer drugs. A rapid decline in the rate of respiration was observed when Δ⁹-THC or Δ⁸-THC was added to the cells. These results show the cannabinoids are potent inhibitors of Tu183 cellular respiration and are toxic to this highly malignant tumor.” https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/312686

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“CANNABINOIDS INHIBIT ORAL CANCER CELLS” https://pharmotech.ch/cannabinoids-inhibit-oral-cancer-cells/

“Evaluation of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors expression in mobile tongue squamous cell carcinoma: associations with clinicopathological parameters and patients’ survival. The present study provides evidence that CB1R and CB2R may play a role in the pathophysiological aspects of the mobile tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and even each molecule may constitute a potential target for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs for this type of malignancy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26459312

“Review: cannabidiol may be beneficial for oral mucositis. The researchers found evidence that oxidative stress control could prevent and relieve oral mucositis. Cannabidiol was found to be safe to use and demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties,” https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-02-cannabidiol-beneficial-oral-mucositis.html

“Salivary bacteria linked to oral cancers” http://middleeast.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(05)70266-7/abstract

“Antibacterial Cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: A Structure−Activity Study” http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np8002673

“Targeting Id1 reduces proliferation and invasion in aggressive human salivary gland cancer cells. Id1 suppression could represent a novel and effective approach for the treatment of salivary gland cancer.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3639030/

“Suppression of invasion and metastasis in aggressive salivary cancer cells through targeted inhibition of ID1 gene expression.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27087608

“Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells. CBD represents the first nontoxic exogenous agent that can significantly decrease Id-1 expression in metastatic breast cancer cells. Moreover, reducing Id-1 expression with cannabinoids could also provide a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of additional aggressive cancers because Id-1 expression was found to be up-regulated during the progression of almost all types” http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/6/11/2921.long

“Anticancer effects of anandamide on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells via the production of receptor-independent reactive oxygen species.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24797795

“The endocannabinoid system and cancer: therapeutic implication. Many in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that cannabinoids are efficacious in reducing cancer progression (i.e. inhibition of tumour growth and metastases as well as induction of apoptosis and other anti-cancer properties) in breast, prostate and bone cancer. Although this review focuses on these three types of cancer, activation of the endocannabinoid signalling system produces anti-cancer effects in other types of cancer.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01327.x/full

“Medical marijuana use in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy. The purpose of the study was to better understand why patients with history of head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiotherapy are using medical marijuana (MM). HNC patients report MM use to help with long-term side effects of radiotherapy.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27005465

“Head and neck cancer among marijuana users: A meta-analysis of matched case–control studies. No association between lifetime marijuana use and the development of head and neck cancer was found.” http://www.aobjournal.com/article/S0003-9969(15)30041-8/abstract

“A Population-based Case-Control Study of Marijuana Use and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Our study suggests that moderate marijuana use is associated with reduced risk of head and neck cancer (HNSCC). In fact, many of these studies reported non-significant protective estimates of effect, consistent with a possible anticarcinogenic action of cannabinoids.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812803/

“Smoking Marijuana Regularly May Reduce Risk of Some Neck, Head Cancers” http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/08/26/smoking-marijuana-regularly-may-reduce-risk-some-neck-head-cancers.html

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/head-and-neck-squamous-cell-carcinoma-hnscc/

Can Marijuana Cure Cancer? Mom Claims To Have Cured Son’s Leukemia By Secretly Giving Him Weed

Posted on March 30, 2017 by David

deryn

“Boy’s miracle recovery from rare cancer after mum gave him cannabis” http://metro.co.uk/2017/03/26/boys-miracle-recovery-from-rare-cancer-after-mum-gave-him-cannabis-6534160/

“A mother in England reports that she secretly gave her son marijuana, and credits it with curing his leukemia, and saving the teen’s life. Callie Blackwell chose to secretly give her dying son illegally bought marijuana to help him deal with the pain and anxiety from his aggressive leukemia, because she felt he had “nothing else to lose,” The Independent reported. The drug did far more than the mother could have hoped; it not only relieved Deryn’s pain, it reportedly cured his cancer. Now, Blackwell hopes to share her family’s story in an effort to raise awareness about the healing potential of marijuana.

Deryn was first diagnosed with his severe and aggressive form of leukemia, a type of cancer that originates in the blood cells, at age 10. At 14, doctors informed him that there was nothing more they could do, and the young teen went to live out the rest of his short life in a hospice facility. However, that was three years ago, and now at 17, Deryn has fully recovered from his disease and plans to start a career in the food industry. Callie teamed up with author Karen Hockney to write The Boy in 7 Million, a book detailing the family’s experience and highlighting the potential of marijuana in cancer treatment.

There have been a number of instances where marijuana was suspected of significantly improving, and in some cases even curing cancer, but the science remains inconclusive. Research suggests that cannabinoids—chemicals found in the marijuana plants—can target and kill cancer cells in ways that drugs cannot.” http://www.medicaldaily.com/can-marijuana-cure-cancer-mom-claims-have-cured-sons-leukemia-secretly-giving-414375

“Teenager dying of cancer ‘recovers after mother gives him marijuana'” http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/teenager-deryn-boy-dying-cancer-mother-callie-blackwell-recover-medical-marijuana-cannabis-weed-a7652106.html

‘I GAVE MY BOY CANNABIS’. Mum reveals she gave her cancer-stricken son CANNABIS in bid to ease his pain… and now he’s made a miracle recovery. Deryn Blackwell, who was expected to die, has defied doctors by surviving two deadly cancers” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3181956/mum-callie-blackwell-cancer-stricken-son-deryn-cannabis/

“I gave my little boy CANNABIS to help cure his cancer: Mother reveals how her teenage son who was given days to live made a miracle recovery when she gave him the drug behind his doctors’ backs” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4349232/Mother-gave-young-son-cannabis-help-cure-cancer.html

One in 7 Billion: Deryn Blackwell begins his hospital ordeal aged 10

“‘I gave my dying son cannabis to ease his cancer symptoms and he made a miracle recovery’ reveals mum” http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/i-gave-dying-son-cannabis-10103387

“I Secretly Gave My Son Cannabis to Save His Life | This Morning” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqvJOAV7oAc&t=4s

“This Morning fans praise mum who risks prosecution after giving son cannabis cancer drug” http://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/784387/This-Morning-Phillip-Schofield-Holly-Willoughby-cannabis-based-drug-cancer

“Mum claims cannabis cured son’s cancer after he was given days to live. A MUM has claimed that cannabis cured her son’s terminal cancer.” http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz-tv/hot-tv/600294/cannabis-cures-cancer-this-morning-holly-willoughby

“As teenage boy ‘beats’ cancer with cannabis oil here are nine illnesses the drug could ‘cure’. Deryn Blackwell’s parents secretly gave him the class B drug to ease his pain and anxiety as he underwent gruelling treatment in hospital for leukaemia and cancer.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/after-cannabis-oil-miracle-recovery-10111458

“I gave my cancer-stricken son weed and it saved his life” http://nypost.com/2017/03/26/i-gave-my-cancer-stricken-son-weed-and-it-saved-his-life/

“London mother claims cannabis helped her dying son recover from rare cancer” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/u-mother-claims-cannabis-helped-dying-son-recover-cancer-article-1.3010404

“Mother gives marijuana to cancer-struck son and he makes full recovery” http://topexaminer.com/2017/03/28/mother-gives-marijuana-cancer-struck-son-makes-full-recovery/

“CALLIE BLACKWELL SAYS CANNABIS OIL HELPED SON’S CANCER: ‘THE BOY IN 7 BILLION’” http://www.inquisitr.com/4095508/callie-blackwell-says-cannabis-oil-helped-sons-cancer-the-boy-in-7-billion/

“Teenager Dying Of Cancer Survives After His Mother Gives Him A Dose Of Marijuana” http://www.indiatimes.com/health/buzz/teenager-dying-of-cancer-survives-after-his-mother-gives-him-a-dose-of-marijuana-274499.html

“Mother risked 14 years in prison to smuggle cannabis into hospital for dying son – and she claims it saved his life.‘” http://metro.co.uk/2017/10/23/mother-risked-14-years-in-prison-to-smuggle-cannabis-into-hospital-for-dying-son-and-she-claims-it-saved-his-life-7021003/

“Teen boy ‘saved by cannabis’ reveals how his mum’s illegal drug-buying stopped him from dying. Deryn Blackwell, from Norfolk, was sent to a hospice shortly after his 14th birthday to live out his final few days. He was frail and in extraordinary pain after a relentless battle with a one in a billion form of cancer, Langerhans cell sarcoma. But after his parents secretly gave him cannabis oil to ease his pain and anxiety, he made a miracle recovery. Today, Deryn – who had also battled leukaemia – is a happy and healthy 17-year-old student, with friends and a girlfriend.” http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/teen-boy-saved-cannabis-reveals-11393969

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/leukemia/

Cannabis Reduces Opioid Dose in the Treatment of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

Posted on March 14, 2017 by David

Image result for journal of pain and symptom management

“Cannabinoids block pain responses in virtually every laboratory pain model tested.

In models of acute or physiological pain, cannabinoids are highly effective against thermal, mechanical, and chemical pain, and are comparable to opioids in potency and efficacy.¹ In models of chronic pain, cannabinoids exhibit efficacy in the modulation of both inflammatory² and neuropathic pain.³

Recent reviews describe an endogenous cannabinoid system involved in pain modulation that produces analgesia through the same brainstem circuitry involved in opioid analgesia.^1.^, ^4.^, ^5.^, ^6. Although co-administration of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with μ opioid agonists can potentiate the antinociceptive effects of each agent, an opioid is not required for cannabinoid analgesia.^5.^, ^6. Co-administration of a cannabinoid may lead to a lower opioid requirement. In an N-of-1 trial, oral THC reduced the pain of familial Mediterranean fever such that the use of breakthrough opioid for pain relief decreased significantly.⁷

Recently, in Canada, the Medical Marijuana Access Program allows patients to apply to Health Canada for access to dried cannabis for medicinal purposes. Although smoked cannabis is not an ideal delivery system, it is efficient and results in plasma concentration curves parallel to those seen after intravenous administration.⁸ We present three patients who used small doses of smoked marijuana in combination with an opioid.

These cases are consistent with preclinical work demonstrating that cannabinoids exhibit analgesic effects and may potentiate the antinociceptive effects of opioids. These patients were able to decrease the dose of opioid by 60–100% as compared to before the regular use of smoked marijuana. With the introduction of smoked marijuana, each patient reported better pain control.

Unfortunately, the source of smoked marijuana used by patients, and the percentage of THC in it, is unknown. All patients reported previous exposure to cannabis at some time in their lives before the onset of their pain, and the relevance of this experience also is unknown. Standardized measures of pain were not used, and the information presented was based on the patients’ verbal report when they presented for follow-up appointments at the Pain Management Unit. Nonetheless, these cases suggest that further research regarding the role of cannabinoids as analgesics and the combination of cannabinoids with opioids in the control of pain is needed.”

http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(03)00142-8/fulltext

Cannabis for Pain and Headaches: Primer.

Posted on March 11, 2017 by David

Image result for Curr Pain Headache Rep.

“Marijuana has been used both medicinally and recreationally since ancient times and interest in its compounds for pain relief has increased in recent years. The identification of our own intrinsic, endocannabinoid system has laid the foundation for further research.

Synthetic cannabinoids are being developed and synthesized from the marijuana plant such as dronabinol and nabilone. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of dronabinol and nabilone for chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) wasting. Nabiximols is a cannabis extract that is approved for the treatment of spasticity and intractable pain in Canada and the UK. Further clinical trials are studying the effect of marijuana extracts for seizure disorders.

Phytocannabinoids have been identified as key compounds involved in analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects. Other compounds found in cannabis such as flavonoids and terpenes are also being investigated as to their individual or synergistic effects.

This article will review relevant literature regarding medical use of marijuana and cannabinoid pharmaceuticals with an emphasis on pain and headaches.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28281107

Cannabis Use Has Negligible Effects Following Severe Traumatic Injury.

Posted on March 9, 2017 by David

Image result for J Trauma Nurs

“Nearly half of all states have legalized medical marijuana or recreational-use marijuana. As more states move toward legalization, the effects on injured patients must be evaluated.

This study sought to determine effects of cannabis positivity at the time of severe injury on hospital outcomes compared with individuals negative for illicit substances and those who were users of other illicit substances.

Cannabis users suffering from severe injury demonstrated no detrimental outcomes in this study compared with nondrug users.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28272189

Medical marijuana policies and hospitalizations related to marijuana and opioid pain reliever.

Posted on March 8, 2017 by David

“Twenty-eight states in the U.S have legalized medical marijuana, yet its impacts on severe health consequences such as hospitalizations remain unknown. Meanwhile, the prevalence of opioid pain reliever (OPR) use and outcomes has increased dramatically. Recent studies suggested unintended impacts of legalizing medical marijuana on OPR, but the evidence is still limited. This study examined the associations between state medical marijuana policies and hospitalizations related to marijuana and OPR.

Hospitalizations related to marijuana and OPR increased sharply by 300% on average in all states. Medical marijuana legalization was associated with 23% (p=0.008) and 13% (p=0.025) reductions in hospitalizations related to opioid dependence or abuse and OPR overdose, respectively; lagged effects were observed after policy implementation. The operation of medical marijuana dispensaries had no independent impacts on OPR-related hospitalizations. Medical marijuana polices had no associations with marijuana-related hospitalizations.

Medical marijuana policies were significantly associated with reduced OPR-related hospitalizations but had no associations with marijuana-related hospitalizations. Given the epidemic of problematic use of OPR, future investigation is needed to explore the causal pathways of these findings.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28259087

EFFECTS OF CANNABIDIOL IN HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE

Posted on March 6, 2017 by David

Image result for cannabidiol huntington's

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major nonpsychoactive cannabinoid of marijuana.

Based on reports indicating possible efficacy of CBD in dystonic movements, we tried CBD in three patients with Huntington’s disease (HD).

The patients;, aged 30 to 56, had HD of 7 to 12 years’ duration. Their condition has been slowly progressive and unresponsive to prior therapy with neuroleptics. Orally administered CBD was initiated at 300 mg/d and increased 1 week later to 600 mg/d for the next 3 weeks.

Mild improvement ( 5 to 15%) in the choreic movements was documented using the tongueprotrusion test and a chorea severity evaluation scale after the first week. Further improvement (20 to 40%) was noticed after the second week of CBD, and this remained stable for the following 2 weeks.

Except for transient, mild hypotension, no side effects were recorded, and laboratory tests were normal. Withdrawal of CBD after 48 hours resulted in return of choreic movements to the pre-CBD state.”

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/hunting1.htm

Marijuana and other cannabinoids as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A literature review.

Posted on March 1, 2017 by David

Image result for Depression and Anxiety journal

“Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in the general population, yet there are limitations to the effectiveness, tolerability, and acceptability of available first-line interventions.

We review the extant knowledge on the effects of marijuana and other cannabinoids on PTSD.

Potential therapeutic effects of these agents may largely derive from actions on the endocannabinoid system and we review major animal and human findings in this area.

Preclinical and clinical studies generally support the biological plausibility for cannabinoids‘ potential therapeutic effects, but underscore heterogeneity in outcomes depending on dose, chemotype, and individual variation.

Treatment outcome studies of whole plant marijuana and related cannabinoids on PTSD are limited and not methodologically rigorous, precluding conclusions about their potential therapeutic effects.

Although controlled research on marijuana and other cannabinoids‘ effects on PTSD remains limited, rapid shifts in the legal landscape may now enable such studies, potentially opening new avenues in PTSD treatment research.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28245077