“Twenty-eight states currently allow for comprehensive public medical cannabis programs, and this number continues to grow. Approximately 1 in 10 adult cannabis users in the United States use it for medical purposes. Numerous studies have investigated its uses for chronic pain, spasticity, anorexia, and nausea. In recent years, researchers have also investigated its use for the treatment of dermatologic conditions including pruritus, inflammatory skin disease, and skin cancer.” http://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(17)30308-0/abstract]]>
Tag Archives: cannabis
Neurological aspects of medical use of cannabidiol.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is among the major secondary metabolites of Cannabis devoid of the delta-9-tetra-hydrocannabinol psychoactive effects. It is a resorcinol-based compound with a broad spectrum of potential therapeutic properties, including neuroprotective effects in numerous pathological conditions. CBD neuroprotection is due to its antioxidant and antiinflammatory activi-ties and the modulation of a large number of brain biological targets (receptors, channels) involved in the development and maintenance of neurodegenerative diseases.
OBJECTIVE:
Aim of the present review was to describe the state of art about the pre-clinical research, the potential use and, when existing, the clinical evidence related to CBD in the neurological field.RESULTS:
Laboratory and clinical studies on the potential role of CBD in Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS), cerebral ischemia, were examined.CONCLUSIONS:
Pre-clinical evidence largely shows that CBD can produce beneficial effects in AD, PD and MS patients, but its employment for these disorders needs further confirmation from well designed clinical studies. CBD pre-clinical demonstration of antiepileptic activity is supported by recent clinical studies in human epileptic subjects resistant to standard antiepileptic drugs showing its potential use in children and young adults affected by refractory epilepsy. Evidence for use of CBD in PD is still not supported by sufficient data whereas only a few studies including a small number of patients are available.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28412918]]>Individual prolactin reactivity modulates response of nucleus accumbens to erotic stimuli during acute cannabis intoxication: an fMRI pilot study.
“Self-report studies indicate that cannabis could increase sexual desire in some users. We hypothesized that intoxication increases activation of brain areas responsive to visual erotica, which could be useful in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder, a condition marked by a lack of sexual desire.
The aim of this study is to assess the aphrodisiacal properties of cannabis.
Cannabis intoxication increases activation of the right nucleus accumbens to erotic stimuli. This effect is limited to users whose prolactin is not elevated in response to intoxication. This effect may be useful in the treatment of low sexual desire.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28401285]]>Cannabis 'mimics love hormone in the brain', study finds – marking new research possibilities for autism
“Cannabis has a reputation for inducing feelings of peace and love – and now scientists claim they have found the reason why. A new study reveals the illegal drug acts much in the same way as chemicals produced by the natural ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, which is known to boost emotional feelings and bonding towards romantic partners, between mothers and babies and friends. The research, conducted on mice, found that higher levels of oxytocin led to the release of anandamide – which behaves very similarly in the brain to the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC. Both chemicals attach to the same brain cell receptors, producing a similar ‘high’. As part of the study, the researchers found that blocking anandamide reduced the pro-social effects of oxytocin – while a drug which preserved anandamide in the mice’s brains seemed to make them happier around other mice than other, untreated, animals. Scientists say the results could highlight new paths for research in the treatment of autism, for which symptoms often include difficulty socialising. It is very difficult to directly deliver oxytocin to the brain, however.
Dr Daniele Piomelli, of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy, said another strategy could be to intervene further down the oxytocin-anandamide pathway.
The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-10-27/cannabis-mimics-love-hormone-in-the-brain-study-finds/
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Cannabis ‘mimics love hormone in the brain’, study finds – marking new research possibilities for autism
“Cannabis has a reputation for inducing feelings of peace and love – and now scientists claim they have found the reason why.
A new study reveals the illegal drug acts much in the same way as chemicals produced by the natural ‘love hormone’ oxytocin, which is known to boost emotional feelings and bonding towards romantic partners, between mothers and babies and friends.
The research, conducted on mice, found that higher levels of oxytocin led to the release of anandamide – which behaves very similarly in the brain to the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC.
Both chemicals attach to the same brain cell receptors, producing a similar ‘high’.
As part of the study, the researchers found that blocking anandamide reduced the pro-social effects of oxytocin – while a drug which preserved anandamide in the mice’s brains seemed to make them happier around other mice than other, untreated, animals.
Scientists say the results could highlight new paths for research in the treatment of autism, for which symptoms often include difficulty socialising.
It is very difficult to directly deliver oxytocin to the brain, however.
Dr Daniele Piomelli, of the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy, said another strategy could be to intervene further down the oxytocin-anandamide pathway.
The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-10-27/cannabis-mimics-love-hormone-in-the-brain-study-finds/
Intentional cannabis use to reduce crack cocaine use in a Canadian setting: A longitudinal analysis.
“No effective pharmacotherapies exist for the treatment of crack cocaine use disorders. Emerging data suggests that cannabinoids may play a role in reducing cocaine-related craving symptoms. This study investigated the intentional use of cannabis to reduce crack use among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). A period of intentional cannabis use to reduce crack use was associated with decreased frequency of crack use in subsequent periods among PWUD.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28399488]]>
Report from a Survey of Parents Regarding the Use of Cannabidiol (Medicinal cannabis) in Mexican Children with Refractory Epilepsy.
“Structured online surveys were used to explore the experiences of the parents of children with refractory epilepsy using medicinal cannabis in Mexico during September 2016. The surveys, which were completed in full, were reviewed, and 53 cases of children aged between 9 months and 18 years were identified. Of these, 43 cases (82%) were from Mexico and 10 (18%) were from Latin American countries. Of the 43 Mexican cases, the diagnoses were as follows: 20 cases (47%) had Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS); 13 cases (30%) had unspecified refractory epilepsy (URE); 8 cases (19%) had West syndrome (WS); 1 case (2%) had Doose syndrome (DS); and 1 case (2%) had Ohtahara syndrome (OS). In total, 47.1% of cases had previously been treated with 9 or more anticonvulsant therapies.
The parents reported a decrease in convulsions when cannabidiol was used in 81.3% of the cases; a moderate to significant decrease occurred in 51% of cases, and 16% of cases were free from seizure. The number of antiepileptic drugs being used was reduced in 9/43 (20.9%) cases. No serious adverse effects were reported, with only some mild adverse effects, such as increased appetite or changes in sleep patterns, reported in 42% of cases.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28392943
Cannabidiol reduces lung injury induced by hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in newborn piglets.
“Brain hypoxic-ischemic (HI) damage induces distant inflammatory lung damage in newborn pigs. We aimed to investigate the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on lung damage in this scenario.
RESULTS:
CBD prevented HI-induced deleterious effects on TLC and OI and reduced lung histological damage, modulating inflammation (decreased leukocyte infiltration and IL-1 concentration) and reducing protein content in BALF and EVLW. These effects were related to CBD-induced anti-inflammatory changes in the brain. HI did not increase oxidative stress in the lungs. In the lungs, WAY100635 blunted CBD’s beneficial effects on histological damage, IL-1 concentration and EVLW.CONCLUSIONS:
CBD reduced brain HI-induced distant lung damage, with 5-HT1A receptor involvement in these effects. Whether CBD’s effects on lungs were due to anti-inflammatory effects on the brain or to direct effects on lungs remains to be elucidated.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28388598 “Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury is a diagnostic term that encompasses a complex constellation of pathophysiological and molecular injuries to the brain induced by hypoxia, ischemia, cytotoxicity, or combinations of these conditions. The typical causes of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury – cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, near-drowning, near-hanging, and other forms of incomplete suffocation, carbon monoxide and other poisonous gas exposures, and perinatal asphyxia – expose the entire brain to potentially injurious reductions of oxygen (i.e., hypoxia) and/or diminished blood supply (ischemia).” http://www.internationalbrain.org/articles/hypoxicischemic-brain-injury/“Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage induces distant inflammatory lung injury in newborn piglets.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25950454
“Cannabidiol reduces lung injury induced by hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in newborn piglets.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28388598
]]>Substitution of medical cannabis for pharmaceutical agents for pain, anxiety, and sleep.
“A prior epidemiological study identified a reduction in opioid overdose deaths in US states that legalized medical cannabis (MC). One theory to explain this phenomenon is a potential substitution effect of MC for opioids. This study evaluated whether this substitution effect of MC for opioids also applies to other psychoactive medications.
New England dispensary members ( n = 1,513) completed an online survey about their medical history and MC experiences. Among respondents that regularly used opioids, over three-quarters (76.7%) indicated that they reduced their use since they started MC. This was significantly ( p < 0.0001) greater than the patients that reduced their use of antidepressants (37.6%) or alcohol (42.0%). Approximately two-thirds of patients decreased their use of anti-anxiety (71.8%), migraine (66.7%), and sleep (65.2%) medications following MC which significantly ( p < 0.0001) exceeded the reduction in antidepressants or alcohol use. The patient’s spouse, family, and other friends were more likely to know about their MC use than was their primary care provider.
In conclusion, a majority of patients reported using less opioids as well as fewer medications to treat anxiety, migraines, and sleep after initiating MC. A smaller portion used less antidepressants or alcohol. Additional research is needed to corroborate these self-reported, retrospective, cross-sectional findings using other data sources.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28372506
“The present study reports the behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuropathological effects of cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotropic constituent of