Category Archives: News Stories

Compound in cannabis may help treat epilepsy, researchers say

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“British researchers have determined that a little-studied chemical in the cannabis plant could lead to effective treatments for epilepsy, with few to no side effects.

The team at Britain’s University of Reading, working with GW Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, tested cannabidivarin, or CBDV, in rats and mice afflicted with six types of epilepsy and found it “strongly suppressed seizures” without causing the uncontrollable shaking and other side effects of existing anti-epilepsy drugs.

The casual use of marijuana — or cannabis — to control seizures dates back to ancient times. Its most prominent component, THC, is among those shown in animal studies to have strong anti-convulsant properties…”

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/14/news/la-sn-cannabis-cbdv-epilepsy-20120914

Cannabis anti-convulsant shakes up epilepsy treatment

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 by Douglas Heaven

“The versatile cannabis plant may have a new use: it could be used to control epileptic seizures with fewer side effects than currently prescribed anti-convulsants.

Ben Whalley at the University of Reading, UK, and colleagues worked with GW Pharmaceuticals in Wiltshire, UK, to investigate the anti-convulsant properties of cannabidivarin (CBDV), a little-studied chemical found in cannabis and some other plants.

There is “big, historical, anecdotal evidence” that cannabinoids can be used to control human seizures, says Whalley, but the “side-effect baggage” means there have been relatively few studies of its pharmaceutical effect on this condition.

The team investigated the effectiveness of CBDV – one of around 100 non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in cannabis – as an anti-convulsant. They induced seizures in live rats and mice that had been given the drug. These animals experienced less severe seizures and lower mortality compared with animals given a placebo. The drug also had fewer side effects and was better tolerated than three of the most widely prescribed anticonvulsants.

Epileptic seizures affect about one per cent of the population. Left uncontrolled, they can lead to depression, cognitive decline and death. If you control the seizures, says Whalley, “the chances of death drop away completely”. The decision about whether to test the drug in humans will be made next year.

“This is a very positive result,” says Ley Sander, an epilepsy specialist at University College London, UK, who was not involved in the study. “We need new drugs,” he says. “For 20-30 per cent of people with epilepsy, nothing seems to work.”

But he urges caution. “The animals in the study are made epileptic,” he says, which is not how epilepsy is acquired in humans. He adds that what you see in animal models doesn’t always translate directly into humans.

“Most compounds showing promise in preclinical studies never reach market,” warns Mark Richardson of the Epilepsy Research Group at King’s College London. “But I agree that these results justify progressing further down the drug development pipeline.””

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22263-cannabis-anticonvulsant-shakes-up-epilepsy-treatment.html

High hopes for new marijuana drug

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Marijuana

“Researchers have developed a synthetic compound which gives the benefits of marijuana without the high.

US researchers are developing a marijuana-derived synthetic compound to relieve pain and inflammation without the mood-altering side effects associated with other marijuana based drugs.

Professor Sumner Burstein, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, presented his team’s findings at last week’s national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

He is hopeful about the potential of the synthetic compound to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis.

The synthetic compound is called ajulemic acid, and has a formula based on that of THC. It has already produced encouraging results in animal studies of pain and inflammation, and is currently being tested on humans.

Exactly how ajulemic acid works is still under investigation but it appears to suppress chemical mediators, such as prostaglandins and cytokines, known to cause inflammation.

“We believe the compound will replace aspirin and similar drugs in most applications because of its lack of toxic side effects”, said Professor Burstein, referring to extensive animal studies, as well as a safety trial of the compound conducted in France last year among 15 healthy volunteers.

No clinically adverse effects were reported, including gastrointestinal ulcers, which have been associated with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

But most significantly, no mood-altering side effects were reported. With an increasing number of medically beneficial compounds being found in marijuana, such as THC and CBD, researchers have been searching for years for ways to utilise these therapeutically without their associated “high”. They have had little success until now.

“Some people want the high,” admits Professor Burstein. “But the medical community wants efficacy without this effect.”

As well as animal studies of their own that show the compound is as potent a painkiller as morphine, Professor Burstein notes other promising animal studies that have been published. In rodent models of rheumatoid arthritis, the compound prevented joint damage. Tests of MS in rats showed the drug relieves muscle stiffness associated with the disease.

It is now undergoing tests in Germany in a group of 21 patients with chronic pain who take ajulemic acid orally twice daily, in capsule form.

Depending on these results, which will be available in about six weeks, the researchers predict the synthetic compound could be on offer by prescription within two years.

It could also be a promising alternative to current drugs used to treat arthritis, such as COX-2 inhibitors. These have been linked to adverse side effects, including heart attacks and stroke.”

http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2002/08/26/656786.htm?fb_action_ids=460011707368809&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

Cannabis drug ‘fights pain without high’

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   “Scientists have developed a cannabis-based medicine which relieves chronic pain without any of the “high” normally associated with the drug.

They believe the discovery could pave the way for cannabis-based medication to become available by prescription within two years.

Much of the controversy surrounding the medicinal use of cannabis has centred on fears that it would be used solely for its mood-altering effects.

However, scientists at the University of Massachusetts in the United States say their discovery should help authorities to overcome these fears.

Dr Sumner Burstein and colleagues say early trials of the medication in animals and healthy patients have been promising.

The medication, called ajulemic acid or CT3, has been manufactured in laboratories.

It maximises the medicinal effects of tertrahydrocannabinol – the key ingredient of cannabis – without any of the mind-altering effects.

‘More effective’

In animal tests, this compound was found to be between 10 to 50 times more effective at reducing pain than tetrahydrocannabinol.

Those tests showed that ajulemic acid was very effective at preventing the joint damage associated with arthritis and relieving the muscle stiffness associated with multiple sclerosis.”

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2207478.stm

Marijuana-Derived Compound Targets Pain, Inflammation

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   “Researchers are developing a marijuana-derived synthetic compound to relieve pain and inflammation without the mood-altering side effects associated with other marijuana based drugs.

  They say the compound could improve treatment of a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Their findings were presented at the 224th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

   The compound, called ajulemic acid, has produced encouraging results in animal studies of pain and inflammation. It is undergoing tests in a group of people with chronic pain and could be available by prescription within two to three years, the researchers say.

 “We believe that [the compound] will replace aspirin and similar drugs in most applications primarily because of a lack of toxic side effects,” says Sumner Burstein, Ph.D., lead investigator in the study and a professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular pharmacology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. “The indications so far are that it’s safe and effective,” he added.”

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/08/020822071026.htm

Medical Marijuana Inc. Marijuana Extract Cannabidiol (CBD) Anti-inflammatory Properties

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 “SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Medical Marijuana Inc (OTC: MJNA) is pleased to announce that studies have shown Cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-inflammatory properties. Medical Marijuana Inc. through CannaBANK has a patent pending on an extraction method from Cannabis (Marijuana) and its industrialized non psychoactive counterpart Hemp, allowing Cannabidiol (CBD) to be isolated in its pure form. Once isolated the Cannabidiol can be added as a direct counter agent or as an additive to other current anti-inflammatory products.

Medical Marijuana Inc. is planning on expanding its Cannabidiol sales through licensing agreements with companies already involved in the heavily marketed nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets.

Resources and Abstracts on Anti-inflammatory properties of Cannabidiol:
United States National Library of Medicine (PubMed)”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19199042
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3034694/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19070683
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18641283
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469842
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14963641

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110923005989/en/Medical-Marijuana-Marijuana-Extract-Cannabidiol-CBD-Anti-inflammatory?fb_action_ids=459561104080536&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=news_view&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

Hippies Vindicated: Human-produced Cannabinoids Have Anti-inflammatory Powers

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“Extracts of the hemp plant cannabis are traditionally used as a popular remedy against inflammation. At the beginning of the last century this natural remedy was even available at every chemist’s. But due to the intoxicating effect of the component THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) the plant was taken off the chemist’s shelves in the 1930s.”

“Scientists from the University of Bonn have discovered in experiments with mice that Endocannabinoids play an important role in regulating inflammation processes. In their animal experiments, a solution with an important component made from cannabis reduced allergic reactions of the skin.”

 “When inflammation occurs the endocannabinoids act like someone stepping on the brakes. They prevent the body from doing too much of a good thing and the immune reaction from getting out of control. This is consistent with the fact that at the beginning of the infection the endocannabinoid concentration increased in the mice. ‘Apart from that there are strains of mice in which the breakdown of these active substances produced by the body is malfunction-ing,’ Evelyn Gaffal says. ‘They have an increased endocannabinoid concen-tration in their skin. In our experiments these animals also showed a less marked allergic reaction.'”

“The results open up new options for the treatment of skin allergies and inflammation. Firstly, drugs which prevent the breakdown of endocannabin-oids look promising. But the old household remedy cannabis could also make a comeback as an ointment. In the experiment on mice this approach has already been successful. ‘If we dabbed THC solution on to the animals’ skin shortly before and after applying the allergen, a lot less swelling occurred than normal,’ Professor Thomas Tüting explains. ‘THC attaches itself to cannabin-oid receptors and activates them. In this way the active substance reduces the allergic reaction.’ Incidentally, ointment like this would probably not have an intoxicating effect, for this the amount of THC contained would be much too small.”

http://www.science20.com//news/marijuana_benefit_also_human_produced_cannabinoids_have_anti_inflammatory_powers?fb_action_ids=459596310743682&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

 

Marijuana Compound Treats Schizophrenia with Few Side Effects:Clinical Trial

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“A compound found in marijuana can treat schizophrenia as effectively as antipsychotic medications, with far fewer side effects, according to a preliminary clinical trial.

“Because it comes from marijuana, there are obvious political issues surrounding its use. Extracting it from the plant is also expensive. But the biggest barrier may be that CBD is a natural compound, and therefore can’t be patented the way new drugs are. That means that despite the possibility that it could outsell their current blockbuster antipsychotic drugs, pharmaceutical companies aren’t likely to develop it — a particularly striking fact when you consider that every major manufacturer of new generation antipsychotics in the U.S. has so far paid out hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in fines for mismarketing these drugs. Yet they still reaped huge profits.”

“For people with schizophrenia and their families, of course, it is likely to be infuriating that non-scientific issues like marijuana policy and patenting problems could stand in the way of a treatment that could potentially be so restorative. While it’s possible that these study results may not hold up or that researchers could discover problems related to long-term use of CBD,  it’s hard to imagine that they could be any worse than what patients already experience.”

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/30/marijuana-compound-treats-schizophrenia-with-few-side-effects-clinical-trial/

How Cannabinoids May Slow Brain Aging

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Stoners aren’t known for their memory prowess but a new review suggests that drugs similar to marijuana’s active ingredients may hold promise for preventing— or even reversing— brain aging and possibly Alzheimer‘s and other degenerative brain diseases.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/29/how-cannabinoids-may-slow-brain-aging/#ixzz2AjCxutuI

Curing addiction with cannabis medicines

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“Smokers trying to quit in the future could do it with the help of cannabis based medicines, according to research from The University of Nottingham.

Teams of pharmacologists, studying the cannabis-like compounds which exist naturally in our bodies (endocannabinoids), are exploring the potential for medical treatment. This includes treating conditions as diverse as obesity, diabetes, depression and addiction to substances like nicotine.

Scientists have known about endocannabinoids since the mid-1990s. This led to an explosion in the number of researchers looking into the future medical uses of cannabinoids and cannabis compounds.

Dr Steve Alexander, Associate Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences, focused on a number of these projects in editing the first themed podcast for the British Journal of Pharmacology.

Dr Alexander said: “It is clear that there is very realistic potential for cannabinoids as medicines. Scientists are looking at a range of possible applications.”

One of these researchers is Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the University: “The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors. And so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety, there’s a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds.”

Addiction is a real target – researchers like Professor Kendall believe the endocannabinoids could be a crucial link to addictive behaviour: “We know that the endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in reward pathways and drug seeking behaviour. So this tends to indicate that that if the link involving endocannabinoids and the reward pathway, using inhibitors, can be interrupted, it could turn down the drive to seek addictive agents like nicotine.”

Because cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down blood pressure, it is hoped that related compounds can be used in patients with conditions like hypertension.

Dr Michael Randall, a cardiovascular pharmacologist at the University has looked at how endocannabinoids cause blood vessels to relax. “This could have many implications,” Dr Randall said. “The endocannabinoids appear to lower blood pressure under certain conditions; states of shock for example. If the endocannabinoids are of physiological importance, this could have real therapeutic possibilities.”

“In terms of getting better medicines the endocannabinoid system has a lot to offer,” said Dr Alexander. “The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited, but by increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our stock.”

The University of Nottingham”

http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/36296/Curing_addiction_with_cannabis_medicines.html