“An internet search with searchwords “cannabis cures cancer” produce a wealth of sites claiming that cannabis has this effect. These sites are freely accessible to the general public and thus contribute to public opinion. But do Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) cure cancer? In the absence of clinical data other than a safety study and case reports, preclinical data should be evaluated in terms of its predictive value. Using a strict approach where only concentrations and/or models relevant to the clinical situation are considered, the current preclinical data does not yet provide robust evidence that systemically administered Δ9 -THC will be useful for the curative treatment of cancer. There is more support for an intratumoural route of administration of higher doses of Δ9 -THC. CBD produces effects in relevant concentrations and models, although more data are needed concerning its use in conjunction with other treatment strategies.”
Tag Archives: treatment
Activation of Cannabinoid Type Two Receptors (CB2) Diminish Inflammatory Responses in Macrophages and Brain Endothelium.
“Chronic neuroinflammatory disorders (such as HIV associated neurodegeneration) require treatment that decreases production of inflammatory factors by activated microglia and macrophages and protection of blood brain barrier (BBB) injury secondary to activation of brain endothelium.
Cannabioid type 2 receptor (CB2) is highly expressed on macrophages and brain microvasular enndothelial cells (BMVEC) and is upregulated in inflammation and HIV infection. It has been shown that CB2 activation dampened inflammatory responses in macrophages and BMVEC.
In this study, we assessed by PCR array the expression of a wide range of genes increased in macrophages and BMVEC in inflammation. TNFα treatment upregulated 33 genes in primary human BMVEC, and two highly selective CB2 agonists diminished expression of 31 and 32 genes.
These results were confirmed by functional assays (BBB protection after inflammatory insult and decreased migration of monocytes across BMVEC monolayers after CB2stimulation). Similarly, CB2 stimulation in primary human macrophages led to the suppression of 35 genes out of the 50 genes upregulated by LPS. Such changes in gene expression paralleled diminished secretion of proinflammatory factors.
These results indicate the potential utility of CB2agonists for the treatment of neuroinflammation.”
A systematic review of the antipsychotic properties of cannabidiol in humans.
“Despite extensive study over the past decades, available treatments for schizophrenia are only modestly effective and cause serious metabolic and neurological side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of schizophrenia.
A highly promising new pharmacological target in the context of schizophrenia is the endocannabinoid system…
the non-psychotropic, plant-derived cannabinoid agent cannabidiol (CBD) may have antipsychotic properties, and thus may be a promising new agent in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Here we review studies that investigated the antipsychotic properties of CBD in human subjects.
Results show the ability of CBD to counteract psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment associated with cannabis use as well as with acute THC administration.
In addition, CBD may lower the risk for developing psychosis that is related to cannabis use.
These effects are possibly mediated by opposite effects of CBD and THC on brain activity patterns in key regions implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, such as the striatum, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
The first small-scale clinical studies with CBD treatment of patients with psychotic symptoms further confirm the potential of CBD as an effective, safe and well-tolerated antipsychotic compound, although large randomised clinical trials will be needed before this novel therapy can be introduced into clinical practice.”
The Effectiveness of Cannabinoids in the Management of Chronic Nonmalignant Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review.
“… a systematic review to assess the effectiveness of cannabis extracts and cannabinoids in the management of chronic nonmalignant neuropathic pain…
Randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) involving cannabis and cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain were selected…
Evaluation of these studies suggested that cannabinoids may provide effective analgesia in chronic neuropathic pain conditions that are refractory to other treatments.
Conclusion: Cannabis based medicinal extracts used in different populations of chronic nonmalignant neuropathic pain patients may provide effective analgesia in conditions that are refractory to other treatments. ”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25635955
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/neuropathic-pain/
Cannabidiol Attenuates Sensorimotor Gating Disruption and Molecular Changes Induced by Chronic Antagonism of NMDA receptors in Mice.
“Preclinical and clinical data suggest that cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotomimetic compound from Cannabis sativa, induces antipsychotic-like effects…
These results indicate that repeated treatment with CBD, similar to clozapine, reverses the psychotomimetic-like effects and attenuates molecular changes observed after chronic administration of an NMDAR antagonist.
These data support the view that CBD may have antipsychotic properties.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25618402
“Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug… a controlled clinical trial comparing CBD with an atypical antipsychotic drug have confirmed that this cannabinoid can be a safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16612464
“A critical review of the antipsychotic effects of cannabidiol: 30 years of a translational investigation… These results support the idea that CBD may be a future therapeutic option in psychosis, in general and in schizophrenia, in particular.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22716160
Protective effects of cannabidiol on lesion-induced intervertebral disc degeneration.
“Disc degeneration is a multifactorial process that involves hypoxia, inflammation, neoinnervation, accelerated catabolism, and reduction in water and glycosaminoglycan content…
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major nonpsychotropic phytocannabinoid of Cannabis sativa (up to 40% of Cannabis extracts). Contrary to most cannabinoids, CBD does not produce psychotomimetic or cognitive effects. Interesting, in the last years it has been suggest that CBD produces a plethora of others pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-proliferative, anti-anxiety, hypnotic and antiepileptic, anti-nausea, anti-ischemic, anti-hyperalgesic, and anti-inflammatory…
The present study investigated the effects of cannabidiol intradiscal injection in the coccygeal intervertebral disc degeneration induced by the needle puncture model using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analyses…
Cannabidiol significantly attenuated the effects of disc injury induced by the needle puncture. Considering that cannabidiol presents an extremely safe profile and is currently being used clinically, these results suggest that this compound could be useful in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269422/
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/spinal-cord-injury/
Cannabidiol protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by modulating mitochondrial function and biogenesis.
“Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used, potent chemotherapeutic agent; however, its clinical application is limited because of its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. DOX’s cardiotoxicity involves increased oxidative/nitrative stress, impaired mitochondrial function in cardiomyocytes/endothelial cells, and cell death.
Cannabidiol is a non-psychotropic constituent of marijuana, which is well-tolerated in humans, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and recently discovered antitumor properties.
We aimed to explore the effects of cannabidiol in a well-established mouse model of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy…
Treatment with cannabidiol markedly improved DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction, oxidative/nitrative stress and cell death. Cannabidiol also enhanced the DOX-induced impaired cardiac mitochondrial function and biogenesis.
These data suggest that cannabidiol may represent a novel cardioprotective strategy against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and the above described effects on mitochondrial function and biogenesis may contribute to its beneficial properties described in numerous other models of tissue injury.”
Proapoptotic effect of endocannabinoids in prostate cancer cells.
“Recent evidence shows that derivatives of Cannabis sativa and its analogs may exert a protective effect against different types of oncologic pathologies.
The purpose of the present study was to detect the presence of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) on cancer cells with a prostatic origin and to evaluate the effect of the in vitro use of synthetic analogs…
Based on these results, we suggest that endocannabinoids may be a beneficial option for the treatment of prostate cancer that has become nonresponsive to common therapies.”
Cannabidiol increases survival and promotes rescue of cognitive function in a murine model of Cerebral Malaria.

“Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication resulting from Plasmodium falciparuminfection that might cause permanent neurological deficits.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychotomimetic compound of Cannabis sativa with neuroprotective properties.
In the present work, we evaluated the effects of CBD in a murine model of CM.
CBD treatment resulted in an increase in BDNF expression in the hippocampus and decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus (TNF-α) and prefrontal cortex (IL-6).
Our results indicate that CBD exhibits neuroprotective effects in CM model and might be useful as an adjunctive therapy to prevent neurological symptoms following this disease.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25595981
“Cannabidiol adjuvant treatment increases survival in the murine model of CM. Cannabidiol adjuvant treatment promotes rescue of behavioral and cognitive function.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306452215000196
Cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the dorsal hippocampus and prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex modulate anxiety-like behavior in rats: additional evidence.
“Endocannabinoids (ECBs) such as anandamide (AEA) act by activating cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) or 2 (CB2) receptors. The anxiolytic effect of drugs that facilitate ECB effects is associated with increase in AEA levels in several encephalic areas, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
Activation of CB1 receptors by CB1 agonists injected directly into these areas is usually anxiolytic.
However, depending on the encephalic region being investigated and on the stressful experiences, opposite effects were observed, as reported in the ventral HIP. In addition, contradictory results have been reported after CB1 activation in the dorsal HIP (dHIP).
Therefore, in the present paper we have attempted to verify if directly interfering with ECB metabolism/reuptake in the prelimbic (PL) portion of the medial PFC (MPFC) and dHIP would produce different effects in two conceptually distinct animal models: the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the Vogel conflict test (VCT).
We observed drugs which interfere with ECB reuptake/metabolism in both the PL and in the dentate gyrus of the dHIP induced anxiolytic-like effect, in both the EPM and in the VCT via CB1 receptors, suggesting CB1 signaling in these brain regions modulate defensive responses to both innate and learned threatening stimuli.
This data further strengthens previous results indicating modulation of hippocampal and MPFC activity via CB1 by ECBs, which could be therapeutically targeted to treat anxiety disorders.”