Category Archives: THC (Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol)

The phytocannabinoid, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabivarin, can act through 5-HT₁A receptors to produce antipsychotic effects.

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“This study aimed to address the questions of whether Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) can (i) enhance activation of 5-HT1 A receptors in vitro and (ii) induce any apparent 5-HT₁A receptor-mediated antipsychotic effects in vivo…

Our findings suggest that THCV can enhance 5-HT₁A receptor activation, and that some of its apparent antipsychotic effects may depend on this enhancement.

We conclude that THCV has therapeutic potential for ameliorating some of the negative, cognitive and positive symptoms of schizophrenia.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25363799

Control of Breast Cancer by the Endocannabinoid System

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“Activation of the endocannabinoid system through CB1, CB2 and additional receptor subtypes results in the inhibition of a broad range of cancers.

The endocannabinoid system was discovered through research focusing on the classical cannabinoid agonist, ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC), and other synthetic cannabinoids.

This proposal will focus on the potential treatment of human breast cancer using cannabinoids as selective antitumor agents.

We have found that cannabinoid compounds activating CB1, CB2 and additional receptor subtypes can inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness and we have discovered down-stream targets that potentially link cannabinoid receptor stimulation to these effects.

Furthermore, our preliminary studies provide evidence that endogenous endocannabinoid tone tonically inhibits metastatic breast cancer cell proliferation and invasiveness through the activation of cannabinoid receptors.

Our preliminary data also suggests that cannabinoid compounds possess selective efficacy, having less adverse effects on the normal human cells from which the breast cancers arise.

Since toxicity in healthy tissue limits the efficacy of current cancer treatments, discovering the mechanism behind selective efficacy in human tissues is of clinical importance.

Cannabinoids can inhibit multiple types of tumor growth in vivo…

Testing the hypotheses outlined in the application may lead to the development of effective inhibitors of breast, and perhaps other, cancers.

This research may also elucidate novel mechanisms related to the anticancer activity of cannabinoids, and will serve to develop the career of the candidate in the field of cancer biology.”

 http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/K01-CA111723-01A2

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/breast-cancer/

Cannabis for the Management of Pain: Assessment of Safety Study (COMPASS).

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“Cannabis is widely used as a self-management strategy by patients with a wide range of symptoms and diseases including chronic noncancer pain.

The safety of cannabis use for medical purposes has not been systematically evaluated. We conducted a prospective cohort study to describe safety issues among subjects with chronic noncancer pain.

A standardized herbal cannabis product (12.5% THC) was dispensed to eligible subjects for a one-year period; controls were subjects with chronic pain from the same clinics who were not cannabis users.

The primary outcome consisted of serious adverse events (SAEs) and non-serious adverse events (AEs). Secondary safety outcomes included pulmonary and neurocognitive function and standard hematology, biochemistry, renal, liver and endocrine function.

Secondary efficacy parameters included pain and other symptoms, mood, and quality of life.

Two hundred and sixteen individuals with chronic pain were recruited to the cannabis group (141 current users and 58 ex-users) and 215 controls (chronic pain but no current cannabis use) from seven clinics across Canada. The median daily cannabis dose was 2.5g/d.

There was no difference in risk of SAEs between groups.

Medical cannabis users were at increased risk of non-serious AEs; most were mild to moderate. There were no differences in secondary safety assessments.

Quality-controlled herbal cannabis, when used by cannabis-experienced patients as part of a monitored treatment program over one year, appears to have a reasonable safety profile.

This study evaluated the safety of cannabis use by patients with chronic pain over one year. The study found that there was a higher rate of adverse events among cannabis users compared to controls but not for serious adverse events at an average dose of 2.5g herbal cannabis per day.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26385201

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/pain-2/

Effect of combined doses of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on acute and anticipatory nausea using rat (Sprague- Dawley) models of conditioned gaping.

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“Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) found in cannabis both reduce the distressing symptom of nausea…

Combined subthreshold doses of THC  and CBDA reduced acute nausea.

Higher doses of THC or CBDA alone, as well as these combined doses also reduced acute nausea.

Combined subthreshold doses of THC:CBDA are particularly effective as a treatment for acute nausea. At higher doses, CBDA may attenuate THC-induced interference with learning.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26381155

Neural correlates of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol interactions in mice: implications for medical cannabis.

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“It has been proposed that medicinal strains of cannabis and therapeutic preparations would be safer with a more balanced concentration ratio of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD), as CBD reduces the adverse psychotropic effects of THC.

The aim of this study is to investigate whether CBD modulates THC-induced functional effects and c-Fos expression in a 1:1 dose ratio that approximates therapeutic strains of cannabis and nabiximols.

These data re-affirm that CBD modulates the pharmacological actions of THC and provide information regarding brain regions involved in the interaction between CBD and THC.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26377899

Cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (CAMS) study: safety and efficacy data for 12 months follow up

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“To test the effectiveness and long term safety of cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (MS), in a follow up to the main Cannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis (CAMS) study.

There was suggestive evidence for treatment effects of Δ9-THC on some aspects of disability.

There were no major safety concerns.

Overall, patients felt that these drugs were helpful in treating their disease.

These data provide limited evidence for a longer term treatment effect of cannabinoids.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739436/

Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) reduces Default Mode Network and increases Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity in Healthy Volunteers.

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“The cannabinoid CB1 Neutral Antagonist Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv) has been suggested as a possible treatment for obesity but without the depressogenic side-effects of inverse antagonists such as Rimonabant.

Our findings are the first to show that treatment with the CB1 neutral antagonist THCv decreases resting state functional connectivity in the Default Mode network and increases connectivity in the Cognitive Control network and Dorsal Visual Stream network.

This effect profile suggests possible therapeutic activity of THCv for obesity where functional connectivity has been found to be altered in these regions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26362774

High Times for Painful Blues: The Endocannabinoid System in Pain-Depression Comorbidity.

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“Depression and pain are two of the most debilitating disorders worldwide and have an estimated cooccurrence of up to 80%. Comorbidity of these disorders is more difficult to treat, associated with significant disability and impaired health-related quality of life than either condition alone, resulting in enormous social and economic cost.

Several neural substrates have been identified as potential mediators in the association between depression and pain, including neuroanatomical reorganization, monoamine and neurotrophin depletion, dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, and neuroinflammation.

However, the past decade has seen mounting evidence supporting a role for the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system in affective and nociceptive processing, and thus, alterations in this system may play a key role in reciprocal interactions between depression and pain.

This review will provide an overview of the preclinical evidence supporting an interaction between depression and pain and the evidence supporting a role for the endocannabinoid system in this interaction.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26342110

“The plant Cannabis sativa has been used as a medicine throughout the world for several thousand years, with reports of its use in treating painful symptoms appearing as early as 2600 BC. The principal psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis sativa, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), was first identified in 1964, and subsequent studies to understand its mechanism of action led to the discovery of the endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system… Because of the distribution of the endocannabinoid system throughout spinal and supraspinal regions, it is in a prime position to regulate neurophysiological activities such as affective and nociceptive processing… evidence suggests a prominent role for the endocannabinoid system in the interaction between depression and pain,” http://ijnp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/09/04/ijnp.pyv095.long

Clinical perspectives on medical marijuana (cannabis) for neurologic disorders.

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“The American Academy of Neurology published an evidence-based systematic review of randomized controlled trials using marijuana (Cannabis sativa) or cannabinoids in neurologic disorders.

Several cannabinoids showed effectiveness or probable effectiveness for spasticity, central pain, and painful spasms in multiple sclerosis.

The review justifies insurance coverage for dronabinol and nabilone for these indications.

Many insurance companies already cover these medications for other indications.

It is unlikely that the review will alter coverage for herbal marijuana.

Currently, no payers cover the costs of herbal medical marijuana because it is illegal under federal law and in most states.

Cannabinoid preparations currently available by prescription may have a role in other neurologic conditions, but quality scientific evidence is lacking at this time.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26336632