“To systematically review all available evidence on efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for treating neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Tag Archives: Cannabinoids
Therapeutic Use of Cannabis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
“The marijuana plant Cannabis sativa and its derivatives, cannabinoids, have grown increasingly popular as a potential therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies have shown that modulation of the endocannabinoid system, which regulates various functions in the body and has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD, has a therapeutic effect in mouse colitis. The plant Cannabis sativa has been used in medicinal practice for thousands of years. Anecdotal reports have suggested a therapeutic role for cannabis in the treatment of IBD for hundreds of years. A case report from 1990 describes patients with IBD maintaining remission of disease via cannabis use. Cannabinoids appear to have a clear role in gut pathology and offer a potential target for drug intervention in the treatment of IBD. Cannabis seems to be of symptomatic benefit to patients often refractory to conventional medicines.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5193087/]]>
InMed Announces Progress on COPD Treatment Using Cannabinoids
“Recent research has indicated that cannabinoid-based therapies might be effective in ameliorating the most important symptoms of COPD.” “Researchers have observed that cannabinoids can be bronchodilatory, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory, suggesting that cannabinoid-based therapies might offer safer and more effective treatment options for COPD.” “Additionally, studies have suggested that cannabinoids might help promote better sleep, support the immune system, work as an expectorant, relieve pain, and have anti-microbial properties.” https://copdnewstoday.com/2016/12/08/inmed-announces-progress-copd-treatment-using-cannabinoids/ http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/]]>
A user's guide to cannabinoid therapies in oncology.
“”Cannabinoid” is the collective term for a group of chemical compounds that either are derived from the Cannabis plant, are synthetic analogues, or occur endogenously.
Although cannabinoids interact mostly at the level of the currently recognized cannabinoid receptors, they might have cross reactivity, such as at opioid receptors.
Patients with malignant disease represent a cohort within health care that have some of the greatest unmet needs despite the availability of a plethora of guideline-driven disease-modulating treatments and pain and symptom management options.
Cannabinoid therapies are varied and versatile, and can be offered as pharmaceuticals (nabilone, dronabinol, and nabiximols), dried botanical material, and edible organic oils infused with cannabis extracts. Cannabinoid therapy regimens can be creative, involving combinations of all of the aforementioned modalities.
Patients with malignant disease, at all points of their disease trajectory, could be candidates for cannabinoid therapies whether as monotherapies or as adjuvants.
The most studied and established roles for cannabinoid therapies include pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and anorexia.
Moreover, given their breadth of activity, cannabinoids could be used to concurrently optimize the management of multiple symptoms, thereby reducing overall polypharmacy.
The use of cannabinoid therapies could be effective in improving quality of life and possibly modifying malignancy by virtue of direct effects and in improving compliance or adherence with disease-modulating treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28050136
“The Cannabis plant has a long and colourful history that spans more than 5000 years of world history and human usage. In contemporary times, the term “cannabis” has commonly been supplanted by the more colloquial term “marijuana” (also spelled “marihuana”). An extremely versatile and easily cultivatable plant, Cannabis was used by ancient cultures for food, fibre, and medicinal purposes. The integration and broader utilization of cannabinoid therapies within the domain of oncology (including palliation) carries the potential not only for improved health care outcomes for patients but also for economic savings and greater safety for society. Patient reports of improvement in quality of life, especially for those undergoing intensive treatment regimens, could be key to patients continuing with lifesaving or life-prolonging therapies.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5176373/
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A user’s guide to cannabinoid therapies in oncology.
“”Cannabinoid” is the collective term for a group of chemical compounds that either are derived from the Cannabis plant, are synthetic analogues, or occur endogenously.
Although cannabinoids interact mostly at the level of the currently recognized cannabinoid receptors, they might have cross reactivity, such as at opioid receptors.
Patients with malignant disease represent a cohort within health care that have some of the greatest unmet needs despite the availability of a plethora of guideline-driven disease-modulating treatments and pain and symptom management options.
Cannabinoid therapies are varied and versatile, and can be offered as pharmaceuticals (nabilone, dronabinol, and nabiximols), dried botanical material, and edible organic oils infused with cannabis extracts. Cannabinoid therapy regimens can be creative, involving combinations of all of the aforementioned modalities.
Patients with malignant disease, at all points of their disease trajectory, could be candidates for cannabinoid therapies whether as monotherapies or as adjuvants.
The most studied and established roles for cannabinoid therapies include pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and anorexia.
Moreover, given their breadth of activity, cannabinoids could be used to concurrently optimize the management of multiple symptoms, thereby reducing overall polypharmacy.
The use of cannabinoid therapies could be effective in improving quality of life and possibly modifying malignancy by virtue of direct effects and in improving compliance or adherence with disease-modulating treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28050136
“The Cannabis plant has a long and colourful history that spans more than 5000 years of world history and human usage. In contemporary times, the term “cannabis” has commonly been supplanted by the more colloquial term “marijuana” (also spelled “marihuana”). An extremely versatile and easily cultivatable plant, Cannabis was used by ancient cultures for food, fibre, and medicinal purposes. The integration and broader utilization of cannabinoid therapies within the domain of oncology (including palliation) carries the potential not only for improved health care outcomes for patients but also for economic savings and greater safety for society. Patient reports of improvement in quality of life, especially for those undergoing intensive treatment regimens, could be key to patients continuing with lifesaving or life-prolonging therapies.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5176373/
Cannabis, Tobacco, Alcohol Use, and the Risk of Early Stroke
“Current knowledge on cannabis use in relation to stroke is based almost exclusively on clinical reports. By using a population-based cohort, we aimed to find out whether there was an association between cannabis use and early-onset stroke, when accounting for the use of tobacco and alcohol.
Conclusions—We found no evident association between cannabis use in young adulthood and stroke, including strokes before 45 years of age. Tobacco smoking, however, showed a clear, dose–response shaped association with stroke.”
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2016/12/27/STROKEAHA.116.015565 “New Study: Cigarettes Tied To Increased Stroke Risk But Not Marijuana” http://www.weednews.co/new-study-cigarettes-tied-to-increased-stroke-risk-but-not-marijuana/
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Medical Cannabis in the Palliation of Malignant Wounds—A Case Report
“Anecdotal accounts of the use of topical extracts from the cannabis plant being used on open wounds date back to antiquity. In modern times, cannabinoid therapies have demonstrated efficacy as analgesic agents in both pharmaceutical and botanical formats. Medical cannabis (MC), also known as medical marijuana,… The endogenous cannabinoid system, consisting of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, is ubiquitous throughout the human body. Available research shows that cancer cells express higher levels of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, relative to their noncancer counterparts, while also demonstrating an overall state of upregulation. Human in vitro studies, using nonmelanoma skin lines, have demonstrated direct induction of tumor cell apoptosis and inhibition of tumor-related angiogenesis, both by way of activation of cannabinoid receptors.
The analgesic outcomes observed in this case are supported by the results of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabinoids for medical use. Unlike intact skin, which is polar and hydrophilic, wounds lack epithelial coverage and are nonpolar and lipophilic. Therefore, lipophilic compounds such as the THC and CBD cannabinoids may be readily absorbed through cutaneous wounds.
Before the use of topical MC oil, the patient’s wound was growing rapidly. Yet, after a few weeks, a modest regression of his malignant wound was observed while the patient used topical MC. This secondary outcome suggests that topical MC may promote antineoplastic activity as per the findings of Casanova et al.
In summary, this is the first case report to demonstrate the potential for MC to provide effective pain and symptom management in the setting of malignant wounds. The rapid onset of analgesia after topical placement suggests that the effects were mediated through absorption of the THC and CBD cannabinoids that subsequently interacted with peripheral nociceptors, immune cells, and cancer cells. The postapplication analgesia may be because of the gastrointestinal absorption of ingested residual MC oil. This case suggests that MC delivered in vaporized and topical oil formats warrants further investigation in human malignancy, including randomized controlled trials capable of establishing long-term efficacy, optimal dosage, schedules of administration, mixture composition, and safety.”
http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(16)30328-1/fulltext “Can Cannabis Oil Help Heal Wounds?” http://www.livescience.com/57500-can-medical-cannabis-help-heal-wounds.html “Oral cancer patient, 44, claims cannabis oil helped to shrink a hole in his cheek that was caused by the disease” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4124752/Oral-cancer-patient-44-claims-cannabis-oil-helped-shrink-hole-cheek-caused-disease.html“Miracle plant: Can medical marijuana heal wounds?” http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/medical-marijuana-heal-wounds-article-1.3384572
“Cannabis Oil Shows Potential To Heal Cancer Wounds Fast” http://www.healthaim.com/cannabis-oil-shows-potential-heal-cancer-wounds-fast/71395]]>US Traffic Fatalities, 1985–2014, and Their Relationship to Medical Marijuana Laws
“Objectives. To determine the association of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) with traffic fatality rates.
Methods. Using data from the 1985–2014 Fatality Analysis Reporting System, we examined the association between MMLs and traffic fatalities in multilevel regression models while controlling for contemporaneous secular trends. We examined this association separately for each state enacting MMLs. We also evaluated the association between marijuana dispensaries and traffic fatalities.
Results. On average, MML states had lower traffic fatality rates than non-MML states. Medical marijuana laws were associated with immediate reductions in traffic fatalities in those aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 44 years, and with additional yearly gradual reductions in those aged 25 to 44 years. However, state-specific results showed that only 7 states experienced post-MML reductions. Dispensaries were also associated with traffic fatality reductions in those aged 25 to 44 years.
Conclusions. Both MMLs and dispensaries were associated with reductions in traffic fatalities, especially among those aged 25 to 44 years. State-specific analysis showed heterogeneity of the MML–traffic fatalities association, suggesting moderation by other local factors. These findings could influence policy decisions on the enactment or repealing of MMLs and how they are implemented.”
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303577
“Medical Marijuana: Traffic Deaths Drop In States That Legalized Cannabis Use” http://www.techtimes.com/articles/190597/20161230/medical-marijuana-traffic-deaths-drop-in-states-that-legalized-cannabis-use.htm
The arguments for and against cannabinoids application in glaucomatous retinopathy.
“Glaucoma represents several optic neuropathies leading to irreversible blindness through progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss. Reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) is known as the only modifiable factor in the treatment of this disorder.
Application of exogenous cannabinoids to lower IOP has attracted attention of scientists as potential agents for the treatment of glaucoma.
Accordingly, neuroprotective effect of these agents has been recently described through modulation of endocannabinoid system in the eye.
In the present work, pertinent information regarding ocular endocannabinoid system, mechanism of exogenous cannabinoids interaction with the ocular endocannabinoid system to reduce IOP, and neuroprotection property of cannabinoids will be discussed according to current scientific literature.
In addition to experimental studies, bioavailability of cannabinoids, clinical surveys, and adverse effects of application of cannabinoids in glaucoma will be reviewed.”
Identification of an endocannabinoid system in the rat pars tuberalis-a possible interface in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system?
“Endocannabinoids (ECs) are ubiquitous endogenous lipid derivatives and play an important role in intercellular communication either in an autocrine/paracrine or in an endocrine fashion. Recently, an intrinsic EC system has been discovered in the hypophysial pars tuberalis (PT) of hamsters and humans. In hamsters, this EC system is under photoperiodic control and appears to influence the secretion of hormones such as prolactin from the adenohypophysis. We investigate the EC system in the PT of the rat, a frequently used species in endocrine research.
By means of immunocytochemistry, enzymes involved in EC biosynthesis, e.g., N-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) and diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGLα) and enzymes involved in EC degradation, e.g., fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), were demonstrated in PT cells of the rat. Immunoreactions (IR) for FAAH and for the cannabinoid receptor CB1 were observed in corticotrope cells of the rat adenohypophysis; these cells were identified by antibodies against proopiomelanocortin (POMC) or adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). In the outer zone of the median eminence, numerous nerve fibers and terminals displayed CB1 IR. The majority of these were also immunolabeled by an antibody against corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF).
These results suggest that the EC system at the hypothalamo-hypophysial interface affects both the CRF-containing nerve fibers and the corticotrope cells in the adenohypophysis. Our data give rise to the hypothesis that, in addition to its well-known role in the reproductive axis, the PT might influence adrenal functions and, thus, the stress response and immune system.”