THC Total Health Care

A comprehensive research archive dedicated to the science of cannabis

Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history.

Posted on September 12, 2018 by David Worrell

“Cannabis sativa L. (C. sativa) is an annual dioecious plant, which shares its origins with the inception of the first agricultural human societies in Asia. Over the course of time different parts of the plant have been utilized for therapeutic and recreational purposes, for instance, extraction of healing oils from seed, or the use of inflorescences for their psychoactive effects. The key psychoactive constituent in C. sativa is called Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC). The endocannabinoid system seems to be phylogenetically ancient, as it was present in the most primitive vertebrates with a neuronal network. N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are the main endocannabinoids ligands present in the animal kingdom, and the main endocannabinoid receptors are cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor and cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptor.

AIM OF THE STUDY:

The review aims to provide a critical and comprehensive evaluation, from the ancient times to our days, of the ethnological, botanical, chemical and pharmacological aspects of C. sativa, with a vision for promoting further pharmaceutical research to explore its complete potential as a therapeutic agent.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS:

A detailed comparative analysis of the available resources for C. sativa confirmed its origin and traditional spiritual, household and therapeutic uses and most importantly its popularity as a recreational drug. The result of several studies suggested a deeper involvement of phytocannabinoids (the key compounds in C. sativa) in several others central and peripheral pathophysiological mechanisms such as food intake, inflammation, pain, colitis, sleep disorders, neurological and psychiatric illness. However, despite their numerous medicinal benefits, they are still considered as a menace to the society and banned throughout the world, except for few countries. We believe that this review will help lay the foundation for promoting exhaustive pharmacological and pharmaceutical studies in order to better understand the clinical relevance and applications of non-psychoactive cannabinoids in the prevention and treatment of life-threatening diseases and help to improve the legal status of C. sativa.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30205181 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874118316611?via%3Dihub]]>

Targeting Glioma Initiating Cells With A Combined Therapy Of Cannabinoids And Temozolomide.

Posted on September 10, 2018 by David Worrell

“Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive type of brain tumor due, at least in part, to its poor response to current anticancer treatments. These features could be explained, at least partially, by the presence within the tumor mass of a small population of cells termed Glioma Initiating Cells (GICs) that has been proposed to be responsible for the relapses occurring in this disease. Thus, the development of novel therapeutic approaches (and specifically those targeting the population of GICs) is urgently needed to improve the survival of the patients suffering this devastating disease. Previous observations by our group and others have shown that Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main active ingredient of marijuana) and other cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD) exert antitumoral actions in several animal models of cancer, including gliomas. We also found that the administration of THC (or of THC + CBD at a 1:1 ratio) in combination with temozolomide, the benchmark agent for the treatment of GBM, synergistically reduces the growth of glioma xenografts. In this work we investigated the effect of the combination of TMZ and THC:CBD mixtures containing different ratios of the two cannabinoids in preclinical glioma models, including those derived from GICs. Our findings show that TMZ + THC:CBD combinations containing a higher proportion of CDB (but not TMZ + CBD alone) produce a similar antitumoral effect as the administration of TMZ together with THC and CBD at a 1:1 ratio in xenografts generated with glioma cell lines. In addition, we also found that the administration of TMZ + THC:CBD at a 1:1 ratio reduced the growth of orthotopic xenografts generated with GICs derived from GBM patients and enhanced the survival of the animals bearing these intracranial xenografts. Remarkably, the antitumoral effect observed in GICs-derived xenografts was stronger when TMZ was administered together with cannabinoid combinations containing a higher proportion of CBD. These findings support the notion that the administration of TMZ together with THC:CBD combinations – and specifically those containing a higher proportion of CBD – may be therapeutically explored to target the population of GICs in GBM.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30195736

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295218303897

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Cannabis analgesia in chronic neuropathic pain is associated with altered brain connectivity.

Posted on September 7, 2018 by David Worrell

“To characterize the functional brain changes involved in δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) modulation of chronic neuropathic pain.

RESULTS:

THC significantly reduced patients’ pain compared to placebo. THC-induced analgesia was correlated with a reduction in functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the sensorimotor cortex. Moreover, the degree of reduction was predictive of the response to THC. Graph theory analyses of local measures demonstrated reduction in network connectivity in areas involved in pain processing, and specifically in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which were correlated with individual pain reduction.

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that the ACC and DLPFC, 2 major cognitive-emotional modulation areas, and their connections to somatosensory areas, are functionally involved in the analgesic effect of THC in chronic pain. This effect may therefore be mediated through induction of functional disconnection between regulatory high-order affective regions and the sensorimotor cortex. Moreover, baseline functional connectivity between these brain areas may serve as a predictor for the extent of pain relief induced by THC.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30185448 http://n.neurology.org/content/early/2018/09/05/WNL.0000000000006293]]>

Fast extraction of cannabinoids in marijuana samples by using hard-cap espresso machines.

Posted on September 5, 2018 by David Worrell

“A simple, quick and low cost procedure was developed for the extraction of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabinol from marijuana samples, based on the use of a hard-cap espresso extraction with 2-propanol. After extraction, cannabinoids were directly determined after appropriate dilution by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry, reaching a limit of detection from 0.03 to 0.05 mg g^-1. Extraction efficiency was evaluated by the comparison of results obtained for seized samples by the proposed method and a reference methodology based on ultrasound-assisted extraction. Moreover, ion mobility was proposed for the rapid and sensitive determination of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol providing a quick response for the analysis of seized marijuana samples in 1 min, including extraction, dilution and determination.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30172516 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039914018308178?via%3Dihub

“Turns Out You Can Use Espresso Machines to Make Marijuana Extracts” https://www.civilized.life/articles/espresso-machine-marijuana-extracts/

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Should Cannabinoids Be Added to Multimodal Pain Regimens After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty?

Posted on September 2, 2018 by David Worrell

“This study investigated the effects of dronabinol on pain, nausea, and length of stay following total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

CONCLUSION:

These findings suggest that further investigation into the role of cannabinoid medications for non-opioid pain control in the post-arthroplasty patient may hold merit.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30170713 “In conclusion, our study suggests that cannabinoids may have a role in post-arthroplasty pain management and may reduce patient’s need for opioid-containing pain medications. Further randomized, prospective clinical trials are warranted to shed more light onto the possible beneficial effects of cannabinoid medications in the orthopedic surgery patient population.” https://www.arthroplastyjournal.org/article/S0883-5403(18)30670-3/fulltext]]>

Cannabis in liver disorders: a friend or a foe?

Posted on September 1, 2018 by David Worrell

“The recent legalization of recreational marijuana use in some parts of the world, the discovery of new indications for the clinical application of cannabis, and the acceptance of the use of cannabis in practice has been paralleled by extensive research on the active components of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system within the human body. In this review, we evaluate the available evidence on cannabis and its constituents and the application of this evidence in clinical practice, focusing particularly on the liver and liver diseases. Constituents of cannabis, such as cannabidiol and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol, have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects both in in vitro and clinical studies, and appear to have potential in the symptom management and treatment of various liver diseases that were previously considered difficult to manage conservatively. In addition, the manipulation of the inherent endocannabinoid response system has found favor in many clinical fields and has generated considerable research and clinical interest. Moreover, evidence with regard to the adverse effects of marijuana use in liver diseases is weak, which has led to raise a question on the prior rules, with regard to a denial of liver transplantation to marijuana users. All in all, the recent trends in research, clinical experiences, as well as the legislature, has opened up new avenues towards the widespread clinical application of cannabis and its derivatives as well as modifiers of the components of the endocannabinoid system. More research is required to fully exploit these new evidences.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30169449 https://insights.ovid.com/crossref?an=00042737-900000000-97980

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Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin impairs epithelial calcium transport through inhibition of TRPV5 and TRPV6.

Posted on September 1, 2018 by David Worrell

“Compounds extracted from the cannabis plant, including the psychoactive Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and related phytocannabinoids, evoke multiple diverse biological actions as ligands of the G protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. In addition, there is increasing evidence that phytocannabinoids also have non-CB targets, including several ion channels of the transient receptor potential superfamily. We investigated the effects of six non-THC phytocannabinoids on the epithelial calcium channels TRPV5 and TRPV6, and found that one of them, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), exerted a strong and concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on mammalian TRPV5 and TRPV6 and on the single zebrafish orthologue drTRPV5/6. Moreover, THCV attenuated the drTRPV5/6-dependent ossification in zebrafish embryos in vivo. Oppositely, 11-hydroxy-THCV (THCV-OH), a product of THCV metabolism in mammals, stimulated drTRPV5/6-mediated Ca²⁺ uptake and ossification. These results identify the epithelial calcium channels TRPV5 and TRPV6 as novel targets of phytocannabinoids, and suggest that THCV-containing products may modulate TRPV5- and TRPV6-dependent epithelial calcium transport.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30170189 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1043661818311095

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The Association Between Tetrahydrocannabinol and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Utilizing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Posted on August 30, 2018 by David Worrell

“To further define the relationship between tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), specifically how THC use associates with the frequency of LUTS in young community-dwelling men in the United States.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database was queried (2005-2008). Men ages 20-59 who completed the urinary and substance abuse questionnaires were included. The presence of LUTS was defined as having ≥2 of the following: nocturia (≥2), hesitancy, incomplete emptying, or incontinence. THC use was self-reported, and participants were considered regular smokers if they endorsed smoking at least once per month. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the relationship between THC and LUTS.

RESULTS:

Among 3,037 men who met inclusion criteria, 14.4% (n=477) of subjects reported THC use. In multivariable analyses, adjusting for clinical variables, regular THC users remained significantly less likely to report LUTS (odds ratio of 0.55; CI 95% 0.408-0.751, p<0.01) compared to non-users.

CONCLUSION:

Obesity, diabetes, and multiple co-morbidities are well-established risk factors for LUTS within the NHANES. Regular THC use, however, appears to be protective from LUTS in young community-dwelling men.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30142408 https://www.goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(18)30881-1/fulltext]]>

Medicinal Properties of Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonoids in Cannabis, and Benefits in Migraine, Headache, and Pain: An Update on Current Evidence and Cannabis Science.

Posted on August 29, 2018 by David Worrell

Related image “Comprehensive literature reviews of historical perspectives and evidence supporting cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of pain, including migraine and headache, with associated neurobiological mechanisms of pain modulation have been well described. Most of the existing literature reports on the cannabinoids Δ⁹ -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), or cannabis in general. There are many cannabis strains that vary widely in the composition of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds. These components work synergistically to produce wide variations in benefits, side effects, and strain characteristics. Knowledge of the individual medicinal properties of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids is necessary to cross-breed strains to obtain optimal standardized synergistic compositions. This will enable targeting individual symptoms and/or diseases, including migraine, headache, and pain.

OBJECTIVE:

Review the medical literature for the use of cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of migraine, headache, facial pain, and other chronic pain syndromes, and for supporting evidence of a potential role in combatting the opioid epidemic. Review the medical literature involving major and minor cannabinoids, primary and secondary terpenes, and flavonoids that underlie the synergistic entourage effects of cannabis. Summarize the individual medicinal benefits of these substances, including analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

CONCLUSION:

There is accumulating evidence for various therapeutic benefits of cannabis/cannabinoids, especially in the treatment of pain, which may also apply to the treatment of migraine and headache. There is also supporting evidence that cannabis may assist in opioid detoxification and weaning, thus making it a potential weapon in battling the opioid epidemic. Cannabis science is a rapidly evolving medical sector and industry with increasingly regulated production standards. Further research is anticipated to optimize breeding of strain-specific synergistic ratios of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals for predictable user effects, characteristics, and improved symptom and disease-targeted therapies.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30152161]]>

Variability of Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity Symptoms in Response to THC:CBD Oromucosal Spray: Tracking Cases through Clinical Scales and Video Recordings.

Posted on August 26, 2018 by David Worrell

“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative autoimmune demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Patients exhibit heterogeneous patterns of disabling symptoms, including spasticity. In the majority of patients with MS spasticity, it and its associated symptoms contribute to disability, interfere with performance of everyday activities, and impair quality of life. Even under treatment with oral antispasticity drugs, about a third of patients continue to experience spasticity of moderate to severe intensity, underscoring the need for additional treatment options. The efficacy of tetrahydrocannabinol: cannabidiol (THC:CBD) oromucosal spray as add-on therapy in patients with refractory MS spasticity has been demonstrated in clinical trials and observational studies. To gain insight into patients’ response to treatment at the individual level, in-depth changes from baseline in various clinical scales and video-assessed parameters were evaluated in patients with resistant MS spasticity before and after 1 month of treatment with THC:CBD oromucosal spray. All 6 patients showed ≥20% improvement in the spasticity Numerical Rating Scale (i.e., were initial responders to treatment), but displayed individual variability in other spasticity-related parameters. Improved Modified Ashworth Scale scores were observed in 5 cases, with a reduction of -2/-3 points in lower limb scores for 1 patient who also showed benefit in terms of a more stable gait but modest improvement in the timed 10-meter walk test (10MWT). Improvement in the 10MWT (or 25-foot walk test) was noted in 4 of the 6 cases. THC:CBD oromucosal spray also improved upper limb function as indicated by faster 9-Hole Peg Test results.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30140216

https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/490376

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