Marijuana, blood sugar control linked, study says – ABC

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“Regular marijuana use is associated with favorable indices related to diabetic control, say investigators. They found that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin and were less likely to be insulin resistant, even after excluding patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Their findings are reported in the current issue of The American Journal of Medicine.”

File photo. (AP)
 
“Marijuana has been used for centuries to relieve pain, improve mood and increase appetite. Outlawed in the United States in 1937, its social use continues to increase and public opinion is swinging in favor of the medicinal use of marijuana…”
 

More: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/health&id=9114798

Cannabidiol (CBD): Fighting Inflammation & Aggressive Forms of Cancer

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“Marijuana contains at least 60 known chemicals called cannabinoids, which activate cannabinoid receptors in your body. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the main component responsible for the psychoactive effects, or “high,” marijuana is known for. While THC is known to have some medicinal value, there has been recent investigation into a new cannabinoid that is rumored to have more medicinal benefits than any single pharmaceutical drug on the market.”

“What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

This cannabinoid is known as Cannabidiol (CBD), and is the second most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis. Research done by G.W. Pharmaceuticals suggests that CBD could be used for treating symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, diabetes, nausea, bowel disorders, and many other hard-to-control side effects. According to an article from Projectcbd.com, CBD has even demonstrated neuroprotective effects, and its anti-cancer potential is currently being explored.

While it was originally believed that THC is a breakdown product of CBD, it is now known that both THC and CBD are actually metabolites of their decarboxylated acidic forms, THCa and CBDa. These acidic precursors are decarboxylated (essentially dried) by heat or extraction to produce THC and CBD; only then do they become psychoactive. The compound has medicinal benefits without the “high” that some patients do not desire. This makes CBD appealing to patients who are looking for an alternative to their current meds, which often have opiate-like effects.”

More: http://www.medicaljane.com/2012/12/20/cannabidiol-cbd-medicine-of-the-future/

Study: Cannabinoids Offer Likely Therapeutic Option For Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress

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“Future research targeting cannabinoids and their receptors may lead to evidence-based treatments for patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to clinical trial data published in May in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Investigators at the New York University School of Medicine reported that subjects diagnosed with PTSD typically possess elevated quantities of endogenous cannabinoid receptors in regions of the brain associated with fear and anxiety. Investigators also determined that many of these subjects experience a decrease in their natural production of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter, resulting in an imbalanced endocannibinoid regulatory system.

Researchers speculated that an increase in the body’s production of cannabinoids would likely restore subjects’ natural brain chemistry and psychological balance. They affirmed, “[Our] findings substantiate, at least in part, emerging evidence that … plant-derived cannabinoids such as marijuana may possess some benefits in individuals with PTSD by helping relieve haunting nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD.”

Authors concluded: “The data reported herein are the first of which we are aware of to demonstrate the critical role of CB1 (cannabinoid) receptors and endocannabinoids in the etiology of PTSD in humans. As such, they provide a foundation upon which to develop and validate informative biomarkers of PTSD vulnerability, as well as to guide the rational development of the next generation of evidence-based treatments for PTSD.”

More: http://norml.org/news/2013/05/30/study-cannabinoids-offer-likely-therapeutic-option-for-patients-with-post-traumatic-trauma

[From cannabis to selective CB2R agonists: molecules with numerous therapeutical virtues].

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“Originally used in Asia for the treatment of pain, spasms, nausea and insomnia, marijuana is the most consumed psychotropic drug worldwide. The interest of medical cannabis has been reconsidered recently, leading to many scientific researches and commercialization of these drugs.

Natural and synthetic cannabinoids display beneficial antiemetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in numerous diseases, however accompanied with undesirable effects due to the CB1 receptor. Present researches focus on the design of therapeutical molecules targeting the CB2 receptors, and thus avoiding central side effects and therefore psychotropic effects caused by the CB1 receptor.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23732102

Association between Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Expression and Akt Signalling in Prostate Cancer

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“In prostate cancer, tumour expression of cannabinoid CB1 receptors is associated with a poor prognosis. One explanation for this association comes from experiments with transfected astrocytoma cells, where a high CB receptor expression recruits the Akt signalling survival pathway. In the present study, we have investigated the association between CB1 receptor expression and the Akt pathway in a well-characterised prostate cancer tissue microarray.

Conclusions/Significance

The present study provides data that is consistent with the hypothesis that at a high CB1 receptor expression, the Akt signalling pathway becomes operative.”

Full Text: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065798

Study: Cannabis may prevent brain damage – FOX

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“Marijuana continues to be a paradox as it makes its way from illicit drug to wonder medicine being used to treat a number of symptoms and disorders more safely than traditional pharmaceuticals.”

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“In the latest news, cannabis, which has been associated with long-term cognitive deficits in chronic users, is now being tested as a treatment to preserve brain function after traumatic injury.

…some reports have shown that cannabis has neuroprotective effects. Studies have suggested that it has protective effects in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”

More: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/study-cannabis-may-prevent-brain-damage/

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/06/study-cannabis-may-prevent-brain-damage/#ixzz2VXJJw9yc

Marijuana habit not linked to lung cancer – Clinical Psychiatry News

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“Regular cannabis smokers are no more likely to develop lung cancer than are people who indulge occasionally.”

“The finding of no significant increased risk held true whether the smokers imbibed once or twice – or more – each day, and regardless of how many years they had smoked, Dr. Li Rita Zhang reported at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research.”More: http://www.clinicalpsychiatrynews.com/news/across-specialties/single-article/marijuana-habit-not-linked-to-lung-cancer/73840afd2cca226b9e6a9ddc7cb0d039.html

http://www.oncologypractice.com/single-view/marijuana-habit-not-linked-to-lung-cancer/73840afd2cca226b9e6a9ddc7cb0d039.html

Transient changes in the endocannabinoid system after acute and chronic ethanol exposure and abstinence in the rat: a combined PET and microdialysis study.

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“Recent biochemical and post-mortem evidence suggests involvement of the endocannabinoid system in alcohol drinking behaviour and dependence…

CONCLUSION:

This study provides in vivo evidence that acute ethanol consumption is associated with enhanced endocannabinoid signalling in the NAcc, indicated by an increased CB1R binding and AEA content. In addition, chronic ethanol exposure leads to regional dysfunctions in CB1R levels, involving the hippocampus and caudate-putamen that are reversible within 2 weeks in this animal model.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23740372

Cannabinoid (CB)1 receptors are critical for the innate immune response to TLR4 stimulation.

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“Sickness behaviours are host defence adaptations that arise from integrated autonomic outputs in response to activation of the innate immune system. These behaviours include fever, anorexia, and hyperalgesia intended to promote survival of the host when encountering pathogens. Cannabinoid (CB) receptor activation can induce hypothermia and attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-evoked fever. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of CB1 receptors in the LPS-evoked febrile response. CB1 receptor-deficient (CB1-/-) mice did not display LPS-evoked fever; likewise pharmacological blockade of CB1 receptors in wild-type mice blocked LPS-evoked fever. This unresponsiveness is not limited to thermogenesis, as the animals were not hyperalgesic after LPS administration. A toll-like receptor (TLR)3 agonist and viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid evoked a robust fever in CB1-/- mice suggesting TLR3-mediated responses are functional. LPS-evoked c-Fos activation in areas of the brain associated with the febrile response was evident in wild-type mice but not in CB1-/- mice. Liver and spleen TLR4 mRNA were significantly lower in CB1-/- mice compared to wild-type, and peritoneal macrophages from CB1-/- mice did not release pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. These data indicate that CB1 receptors play a critical role in LPS-induced febrile responses through inhibiting TLR4-mediated cytokine production.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23739343

An Effective Prodrug Strategy to Selectively Enhance Ocular Exposure of a Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1/2) Agonist.

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“Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness, with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) a prominent risk factor. IOP can be efficaciously reduced by administration of topical agents. However, the repertoire of approved IOP-lowering drug classes is limited, and effective new alternatives are needed. Agonism of the cannabinoid receptors CB1/2 significantly reduces IOP clinically, and experimentally. However, development of CB1/2 agonists has been complicated by the need to avoid cardiovascular and psychotropic side effects. Compound A is a potent CB1/2 agonist that is highly excluded from the brain. In a phase I study, compound A eyedrops were well tolerated and generated an IOP-lowering trend, but were limited in dose and exposure due to poor solubility and ocular absorption. Here we present an innovative strategy to rapidly identify compound A prodrugs that are efficiently metabolized to the parent compound, for improved solubility and ocular permeability, while maintaining low systemic exposures.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23738526