“Twenty-eight states in the U.S have legalized medical marijuana, yet its impacts on severe health consequences such as hospitalizations remain unknown. Meanwhile, the prevalence of opioid pain reliever (OPR) use and outcomes has increased dramatically. Recent studies suggested unintended impacts of legalizing medical marijuana on OPR, but the evidence is still limited. This study examined the associations between state medical marijuana policies and hospitalizations related to marijuana and OPR.
Tag Archives: marijuana
EFFECTS OF CANNABIDIOL IN HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major nonpsychoactive cannabinoid of marijuana. Based on reports indicating possible efficacy of CBD in dystonic movements, we tried CBD in three patients with Huntington’s disease (HD). The patients;, aged 30 to 56, had HD of 7 to 12 years’ duration. Their condition has been slowly progressive and unresponsive to prior therapy with neuroleptics. Orally administered CBD was initiated at 300 mg/d and increased 1 week later to 600 mg/d for the next 3 weeks. Mild improvement ( 5 to 15%) in the choreic movements was documented using the tongueprotrusion test and a chorea severity evaluation scale after the first week. Further improvement (20 to 40%) was noticed after the second week of CBD, and this remained stable for the following 2 weeks. Except for transient, mild hypotension, no side effects were recorded, and laboratory tests were normal. Withdrawal of CBD after 48 hours resulted in return of choreic movements to the pre-CBD state.” http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/hunting1.htm]]>
EFFECTS OF CANNABIDIOL IN HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major nonpsychoactive cannabinoid of marijuana.
Based on reports indicating possible efficacy of CBD in dystonic movements, we tried CBD in three patients with Huntington’s disease (HD).
The patients;, aged 30 to 56, had HD of 7 to 12 years’ duration. Their condition has been slowly progressive and unresponsive to prior therapy with neuroleptics. Orally administered CBD was initiated at 300 mg/d and increased 1 week later to 600 mg/d for the next 3 weeks.
Mild improvement ( 5 to 15%) in the choreic movements was documented using the tongueprotrusion test and a chorea severity evaluation scale after the first week. Further improvement (20 to 40%) was noticed after the second week of CBD, and this remained stable for the following 2 weeks.
Except for transient, mild hypotension, no side effects were recorded, and laboratory tests were normal. Withdrawal of CBD after 48 hours resulted in return of choreic movements to the pre-CBD state.”
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/hunting1.htm
Marijuana and other cannabinoids as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A literature review.
“Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common in the general population, yet there are limitations to the effectiveness, tolerability, and acceptability of available first-line interventions. We review the extant knowledge on the effects of marijuana and other cannabinoids on PTSD. Potential therapeutic effects of these agents may largely derive from actions on the endocannabinoid system and we review major animal and human findings in this area. Preclinical and clinical studies generally support the biological plausibility for cannabinoids‘ potential therapeutic effects, but underscore heterogeneity in outcomes depending on dose, chemotype, and individual variation. Treatment outcome studies of whole plant marijuana and related cannabinoids on PTSD are limited and not methodologically rigorous, precluding conclusions about their potential therapeutic effects. Although controlled research on marijuana and other cannabinoids‘ effects on PTSD remains limited, rapid shifts in the legal landscape may now enable such studies, potentially opening new avenues in PTSD treatment research.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28245077]]>
Concise review of the management of iatrogenic emesis using cannabinoids: emphasis on nabilone for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
“Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a prevalent, distressing, and burdensome side effect of cancer chemotherapy. It is estimated to affect the majority of patients receiving certain anti-cancer drug regimens and can be treatment-limiting, even for life-saving medications. Despite seemingly numerous options, such as antimuscarinic anticholinergics, antihistamines, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, dopamine receptor antagonists, and neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists, preventative therapies are often inadequately effective, particularly for “delayed CINV”-leaving an important unmet clinical need.
Cannabinoid receptor agonists, by virtue of their unique mechanism of action and efficacy and safety data reported in clinical trials, appear to offer a useful additional option.
The mechanistic value of cannabinoids has been well known for many years, but these agents may have been underutilized in the past because of the notoriety and legal status of marijuana. While botanical marijuana contains nearly 500 components, including the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), nabilone is an established, single-entity synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist that has become the focus of renewed interest. We review the basic pharmacology and clinical trial data of nabilone for use in prophylaxis and treatment of CINV.”
Leaner and greener analysis of cannabinoids
“There is an explosion in the number of labs analyzing cannabinoids in marijuana (Cannabis sativa L., Cannabaceae) but existing methods are inefficient, require expert analysts, and use large volumes of potentially environmentally damaging solvents. The objective of this work was to develop and validate an accurate method for analyzing cannabinoids in cannabis raw materials and finished products that is more efficient and uses fewer toxic solvents. An HPLC-DAD method was developed for eight cannabinoids in cannabis flowers and oils using a statistically guided optimization plan based on the principles of green chemistry. A single-laboratory validation determined the linearity, selectivity, accuracy, repeatability, intermediate precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation of the method. Amounts of individual cannabinoids above the limit of quantitation in the flowers ranged from 0.02 to 14.9% w/w, with repeatability ranging from 0.78 to 10.08% relative standard deviation. The intermediate precision determined using HorRat ratios ranged from 0.3 to 2.0. The LOQs for individual cannabinoids in flowers ranged from 0.02 to 0.17% w/w. We developed an optimized HPLC-DAD method with reduced extraction time and greener solvents for adoption into cannabis testing laboratories. Sample turnaround is significantly reduced, while method validation confirmed that the method produces repeatable, accurate results. The sample preparation eliminates the use of chloroform, which has been routinely used in cannabinoid analysis, reducing material costs, use of greener solvents, and improved laboratory safety for personnel. This method can be used in a variety of settings from clinical studies, research, quality control, and regulatory evaluation of this growing industry. This is a significant improvement over previous methods and is suitable for a wide range of applications including regulatory compliance, clinical studies, direct patient medical services, and commercial suppliers.” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-017-0256-3]]>
The cannabinoid 1 receptor antagonist, AM251, prolongs the survival of rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
“It has recently been recognized that anandamide (arachidonylethanolamide), which is an endogeneous-cannabinoid (endocannabinoid), mediates septic shock.
Cannabinoid means a mind-active material in cannabis (marijuana).
Anandamide is mainly produced by macrophages. Cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor, which is one of the cannabiniod receptors, is also known to mediate hypotensive shock.
The role of endocannabinoids in the progression of acute pancreatitis is unclear. The aims of this study are to clarify their relationship and to find a new therapeutic strategy by regulating the endocannabinoid signaling in acute pancreatitis.
This is the first report to show that endocannabinoids are involved in the deterioration of acute pancreatitis and that the down-regulation of endocannabinoid signaling may be a new therapeutic strategy for severe acute pancreatitis.”
“1. Preparations from