Tag Archives: cannabis

Cannabinoid Replacement Therapy (CRT): Nabiximols (Sativex) as a novel treatment for cannabis withdrawal.

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“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.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25777582

Cannabis in cancer care.

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“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.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25777363

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/cancer/

Cost-effectiveness of Sativex in multiple sclerosis spasticity: new data and application to Italy.

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“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/

Role of endogenous cannabinoid system in the gut.

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“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?

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“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.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21269798

Synthetic cannabis: a comparison of patterns of use and effect profile with natural cannabis in a large global sample.

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“Natural cannabis was preferred to synthetic cannabis by 93% of users, with natural cannabis rated as having greater pleasurable effects when high and being more able to function after use. Synthetic cannabis was associated with more negative effects, hangover effects, and greater paranoia…

Users report a strong preference for natural over synthetic cannabis…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23291209

Risk of emergency medical treatment following consumption of cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids in a large global sample.

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“Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. Often marketed to reflect their similar effects to cannabis, their use has been associated with a range of negative health effects. We sought to determine the relative risk of seeking emergency medical treatment (EMT) following use of SCs and natural cannabis.

The relative risk associated with the use of SCs was 30 (95% CI 17.5-51.2) times higher than that associated with cannabis. Significantly more symptoms (p=0.03) were reported by respondents seeking treatment for SCs than for cannabis.

CONCLUSIONS:

Whilst these findings must be treated with caution, SCs potentially pose a greater risk to users’ health than natural forms of cannabis. Regulation is unlikely to remove SCs from the market, so well-informed user-focused health promotion messages need to be crafted to discourage their use.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25759401

Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Oral Cannabidiol When Administered Concomitantly With Intravenous Fentanyl in Humans.

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“Objectives: Cannabidiol (CBD) is hypothesized as a potential treatment for opioid addiction, with safety studies an important first step for medication development. We determined CBD safety and pharmacokinetics when administered concomitantly with a high-potency opioid in healthy subjects.

Conclusions: Cannabidiol does not exacerbate adverse effects associated with intravenous fentanyl administration. Coadministration of CBD and opioids was safe and well tolerated. These data provide the foundation for future studies examining CBD as a potential treatment for opioid abuse.”

http://journals.lww.com/journaladdictionmedicine/Abstract/publishahead/Safety_and_Pharmacokinetics_of_Oral_Cannabidiol.99700.aspx

Identification of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in the human placenta.

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“Synthetic cannabinoids, the psychoactive components of the Cannabis sativa (marijuana) and their endogenous counterparts, act through two G protein-coupled receptors, CB1 and CB2.

The endocannabinoids are metabolized by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).

We have examined CB1 receptor and FAAH expression in human term placenta by immunohistochemistry.

CB1 receptor was found to be present in all layers of the membrane, with particularly strong expression in the amniotic epithelium and reticular cells and cells of the maternal decidua layer. Moderate expression was observed in the chorionic cytotrophoblasts. The expression of FAAH was the highest in amniotic epithelial cells, chorionic cytotrophoblast and maternal decidua layer.

Our results suggest that the human placenta is a likely target for cannabinoid action and metabolism. ”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12744923

Hebrew U. Researchers Find Cannabis Can Strengthen Bones

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Arutz Sheva

“Researchers at Hebrew University have found that extracts from the cannabis plant can help strengthen human bones, preventing osteoporosis, according to an Israel21c report.”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/96146#.VPH1lE33-ix

“Peripheral cannabinoid receptor, CB2, regulates bone mass… These results demonstrate that the endocannabinoid system is essential for the maintenance of normal bone mass by osteoblastic and osteoclastic CB2 signaling. Hence, CB2 offers a molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, the most prevalent degenerative disease in developed countries.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1334629/

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/osteoporosis-2/