“Some US states have created de facto legal supply of cannabis for medical use. So far this policy does not appear to have increased cannabis use or cannabis-related harm.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25777798
Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, leads to EGR2-dependent anergy in activated encephalitogenic T cells.
“Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychoactive cannabinoid, has been previously shown by us to ameliorate clinical symptoms and to decrease inflammation in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35-55-induced mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis as well as to decrease MOG35-55-induced T cell proliferation and IL-17 secretion. However, the mechanisms of CBD anti-inflammatory activities are unclear…
Our data suggests that CBD exerts its immunoregulatory effects via induction of CD4(+)CD25(-)CD69(+)LAG3(+) cells in MOG35-55-activated APC/TMOG co-cultures. This is accompanied by EGR2-dependent anergy of stimulated TMOG cells as well as a switch in their intracellular STAT3/STAT5 activation balance leading to the previously observed decrease in Th17 activity.”
Cannabinoid Replacement Therapy (CRT): Nabiximols (Sativex) as a novel treatment for cannabis withdrawal.
“Cannabis is a common recreational drug that is generally considered to have low addictive potential.
However an increasing number of cannabis users are seeking treatment for dependence on the drug.
There is interest in using agonist (substitution) pharmacotherapies to treat cannabis dependence and here we outline a novel approach involving a buccal spray (Nabiximols) that contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
We review recent research with Nabiximols and highlight findings relevant to clinical practice.”
Cannabis in cancer care.
“Cannabis has been used in medicine for thousands of years prior to achieving its current illicit substance status.
Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa, mimic the effects of the endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), activating specific cannabinoid receptors, particularly CB1 found predominantly in the central nervous system and CB2 found predominantly in cells involved with immune function.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main bioactive cannabinoid in the plant, has been available as a prescription medication approved for treatment of cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and anorexia associated with the AIDS wasting syndrome.
Cannabinoids may be of benefit in the treatment of cancer-related pain, possibly synergistic with opioid analgesics.
Cannabinoids have been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of HIV-related peripheral neuropathy, suggesting that they may be worthy of study in patients with other neuropathic symptoms.
Cannabinoids have a favorable drug safety profile, but their medical use is predominantly limited by their psychoactive effects and their limited bioavailability.”
Cost-effectiveness of Sativex in multiple sclerosis spasticity: new data and application to Italy.
“This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Sativex® (9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol plus cannabidiol oromucosal spray) when used as add-on therapy for management of resistant MS-related spasticity in the context of the Italian healthcare system…
Sativex can be regarded as a cost-effective treatment option for patients with MS-related spasticity in Italy.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25771713
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/
Attenuation of kainic acid-induced status epilepticus by inhibition of endocannabinoid transport and degradation in guinea pigs.
“Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical emergency associated with a high rate of mortality if not treated promptly.
Exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids have been shown to possess anticonvulsant properties both in vivo and in vitro.
Here we study the influence of endocannabinoid metabolism on the development of kainic acid-induced SE in guinea pigs.
The present study provides electrophysiologic and behavioral evidences that inhibition of endocannabinoid metabolism plays a protective role against kainic acid-induced SE and may be employed for therapeutic purposes.”
Smoking Marijuana Regularly May Reduce Risk of Some Neck, Head Cancers – Fox News
“You’ve heard about using marijuana and drugs derived from it to keep some of the side effects of toxic cancer chemotherapy in check. But what if smoking marijuana for 10 to 20 years could actually protect against certain tumors?
In a study, researchers have found that long-term pot smokers were roughly 62 percent less likely to develop head and neck cancers than people who did not smoke pot.”
“A Population-based Case-Control Study of Marijuana Use and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812803/
Role of endogenous cannabinoid system in the gut.
“The plant Cannabis has been used in clinic for centuries, and has been known to be beneficial in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases, such as emesis, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal pain.
In this text, we’ll review the components of the endogenous cannabinoid system as well as its role in the regulation of gastrointestinal activities, thus providing relative information for further study.
Moreover, modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system in gastrointestinal tract may provide a useful therapeutic target for gastrointestinal disorders.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23963077
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/gastrointestinal-disorders/
Is there a legitimate role for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids for symptom management in chronic kidney disease?
“Chronic pain is a common and debilitating symptom experienced in the context of numerous other physical and emotional symptoms by many patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Management of pain with opioids in CKD can be problematic given the prominence of adverse effects of opioids in CKD, which may exacerbate symptoms, such as nausea, anorexia, pruritus, and insomnia, all of which impact negatively on patients’ health-related quality of life.
Novel therapeutic approaches for pain and symptom management in CKD are required.
Recent research in the area of cannabinoids (CBs) is legitimizing the use of cannabis-based medicine.
In this review, we describe the symptom burden borne by patients with CKD and review some of the key basic science and clinical literature to evaluate the potential use of CBs for the management of overall symptom burden in CKD.”
Cannabinoid receptors as therapeutic targets for dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis.
“Long-term exposure to bioincompatible peritoneal dialysis solutions is frequently complicated with peritoneal fibrosis and ultrafiltration failure.
As cannabinoid receptor (CBR) ligands have been reported to be beneficial to ameliorate the process of liver fibrosis, we strove to investigate their therapeutic potential to prevent peritoneal fibrosis…
Intraperitoneal administration of CBR ligands (CB(1)R antagonist and CB(2)R agonist) offers a potential therapeutic strategy to reduce dialysis-induced peritoneal fibrosis and to prolong the peritoneal survival in peritoneal dialysis patients.”