Tag Archives: marijuana

Effects of cannabinoids and their receptors on viral infections.

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“Cannabinoids, the active ingredient in marijuana, and their derivatives have received remarkable attention in the last two decades because they can affect tumor growth and metastasis.

There is a large body of evidence from in vivo and in vitro models showing that cannabinoids and their receptors influence the immune system, viral pathogenesis, and viral replication.

The present study reviews current insights into the role of cannabinoids and their receptors on viral infections.

The results reported here indicate that cannabinoids and their receptors have different sequels for viral infection.

Although activation or inhibition of cannabinoid receptors in the majority of viral infections are proper targets for development of safe and effective treatments, caution is required before using pharmaceutical cannabinoids as a treatment agent for patients with viral infections.”

Marijuana kills brain cancer, new study confirms

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“The active molecules in cannabis kill brain cancer — another study has revealed.”

“Scientists using an extract of whole-plant marijuana rich in pot’s main psychoactive ingredient THC as well as cannabidiol (CBD) showed “dramatic reductions in tumor volumes” of a type of brain cancer.”  http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/11/18/marijuana-kills-brain-cancer-new-study-confirms/

“Marijuana kills brain cancer, new study confirms. The active molecules in cannabis kill brain cancer — another study has revealed.” http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2014/11/18/marijuana-kills-brain-cancer-new-study-confirms/#13130101=0

“Marijuana Kills Brain Cancer Cells. Researchers have found that the THC in marijuana causes brain cancer cells to die in both mice and humans.”  http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/health/Marijuana_Kills_Brain_Cancer_Cells_All__National_.html

“Marijuana Kills Brain Cancer, New Study Confirms” http://cancerguide.byethost8.com/marijuana-kills-brain-cancer-new-study-confirms-sfgate-blog/

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

Metabolic fingerprinting of Cannabis sativa L., cannabinoids and terpenoids for chemotaxonomic and drug standardization purposes.

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“Cannabis sativa L. is an important medicinal plant.

In order to develop cannabis plant material as a medicinal product quality control and clear chemotaxonomic discrimination between varieties is a necessity.

Therefore in this study 11 cannabis varieties were grown under the same environmental conditions. Chemical analysis of cannabis plant material used a gas chromatography flame ionization detection method that was validated for quantitative analysis of cannabis monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and cannabinoids. Quantitative data was analyzed using principal component analysis to determine which compounds are most important in discriminating cannabis varieties.

In total 36 compounds were identified and quantified in the 11 varieties. Using principal component analysis each cannabis variety could be chemically discriminated. This methodology is useful for both chemotaxonomic discrimination of cannabis varieties and quality control of plant material.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21040939

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol attenuates allogeneic host-versus-graft response and delays skin graft rejection through activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 and induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

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“Immune cells have been shown to express cannabinoid receptors and to produce endogenous ligands. Moreover, activation of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells has been shown to trigger potent immunosuppression.

Despite such studies, the role of cannabinoids in transplantation, specifically to prevent allograft rejection, has not, to our knowledge, been investigated previously. In the current study, we tested the effect of THC on the suppression of HvGD as well as rejection of skin allografts…

Together, our research shows, for the first time to our knowledge, that targeting cannabinoid receptors may provide a novel treatment modality to attenuate HvGD and prevent allograft rejection.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26034207

Synergy between cannabidiol, cannabidiolic acid, and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol in the regulation of emesis in the Suncus murinus (house musk shrew).

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“Smoked marijuana contains over 100 different cannabinoids, including the psychoactive compound Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

THC, CBD, and its acidic precursor, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), have all been shown to have antiemetic properties in the Suncus murinus.

Here we show that when subthreshold antiemetic doses of CBD or CBDA are combined with a subthreshold antiemetic dose of THC in the S. murinus, both lithium-chloride-induced vomiting and abdominal retching are dramatically suppressed.

These results suggest that combined effects of these compounds may lead to better control of vomiting with fewer side effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26030435

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

High prevalence of cannabis use among Aka foragers of the Congo Basin and its possible relationship to helminthiasis

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Cover image for Vol. 27 Issue 3

“Little is known about cannabis use in hunter-gatherers. Therefore, we investigated cannabis use in the Aka, a population of foragers of the Congo Basin.

Because cannabis contains anthelminthic compounds,” http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/anthelmintic ” and the Aka have a high prevalence of helminthiasis, we also tested the hypothesis that cannabis use might be an unconscious form of self-medication against helminths.

THCA levels were negatively correlated with parasite infection and reinfection, supporting the self-medication hypothesis.

This, to our knowledge, is the first biomarker-validated study of cannabis use in a hunting-gathering population, and also the first to explore the relationship between the use of cannabis, which is toxic to helminths, and intestinal helminth infection.

Although the conventional view is that drug abuse impairs immunity, thus increasing susceptibility to infection, if recreational drug use is explained by the drugs’ antiparasitic properties, this would suggest that the immune system plays a key role in regulating drug use.”  

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.22740/full

“Medical Marijuana Smoking Linked to Parasite Prevention. Scientists from Washington State University have suggested that smoking cannabis may have a beneficial effect with regard to the avoidance of intestinal parasite infections, which could explain why the drug has such a long history of recreational use… those who smoked cannabis had a lower rate of infection.” http://www.newhistorian.com/medical-marijuana-smoking-linked-to-parasite-prevention/3936/

Maternal marijuana use and neonatal morbidity.

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“Marijuana use is becoming increasingly common in the obstetric population, however it is unknown whether it is associated with poor neonatal outcomes. We sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors for marijuana use in pregnancy, and to evaluate whether marijuana use is independently associated with poor neonatal outcomes.

CONCLUSION:

Marijuana use is common in pregnancy, but may not be an independent risk factor for poor neonatal outcomes in term pregnancies.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26026918

Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Marijuana, Cannabinoids, and Therapeutic Implications in Medicine and Headache: What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been ….

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“The use of cannabis, or marijuana, for medicinal purposes is deeply rooted though history, dating back to ancient times. It once held a prominent position in the history of medicine, recommended by many eminent physicians for numerous diseases, particularly headache and migraine.

Through the decades, this plant has taken a fascinating journey from a legal and frequently prescribed status to illegal, driven by political and social factors rather than by science.

However, with an abundance of growing support for its multitude of medicinal uses, the misguided stigma of cannabis is fading, and there has been a dramatic push for legalizing medicinal cannabis and research.

Almost half of the United States has now legalized medicinal cannabis, several states have legalized recreational use, and others have legalized cannabidiol-only use, which is one of many therapeutic cannabinoids extracted from cannabis.

Physicians need to be educated on the history, pharmacology, clinical indications, and proper clinical use of cannabis, as patients will inevitably inquire about it for many diseases, including chronic pain and headache disorders for which there is some intriguing supportive evidence…

The literature suggests that the medicinal use of cannabis may have a therapeutic role for a multitude of diseases, particularly chronic pain disorders including headache.

Supporting literature suggests a role for medicinal cannabis and cannabinoids in several types of headache disorders including migraine and cluster headache, although it is primarily limited to case based, anecdotal, or laboratory-based scientific research.

Cannabis contains an extensive number of pharmacological and biochemical compounds, of which only a minority are understood, so many potential therapeutic uses likely remain undiscovered.

Cannabinoids appear to modulate and interact at many pathways inherent to migraine, triptan mechanisms ofaction, and opiate pathways, suggesting potential synergistic or similar benefits.

Modulation of the endocannabinoid system through agonism or antagonism of its receptors, targeting its metabolic pathways, or combining cannabinoids with other analgesics for synergistic effects, may provide the foundation for many new classes of medications.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26015168

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

Cannabidiol Rescues Acute Hepatic Toxicity and Seizure Induced by Cocaine.

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“Cocaine is a commonly abused illicit drug that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The most severe and common complications are seizures, ischemic strokes, myocardial infarction, and acute liver injury. Here, we demonstrated that acute cocaine intoxication promoted seizure along with acute liver damage in mice, with intense inflammatory infiltrate.

Considering the protective role of the endocannabinoid system against cell toxicity, we hypothesized that treatment with an anandamide hydrolysis inhibitor, URB597, or with a phytocannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), protects against cocaine toxicity.

URB597 (1.0 mg/kg) abolished cocaine-induced seizure, yet it did not protect against acute liver injury.

Using confocal liver intravital microscopy, we observed that CBD reduced acute liver inflammation and damage induced by cocaine and prevented associated seizure.

Additionally, we showed that previous liver damage induced by another hepatotoxic drug (acetaminophen) increased seizure and lethality induced by cocaine intoxication, linking hepatotoxicity to seizure dynamics.

These findings suggest that activation of cannabinoid system may have protective actions on both liver and brain induced by cocaine, minimizing inflammatory injury promoted by cocaine, supporting its further clinical application in the treatment of cocaine abuse.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25999668

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4427116/

[Cannabinoids in medicine].

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“Cannabinoids have been known for many centuries because of their various effects in healthcare. They are primarily effective in reducing nausea, vomiting, pain, anorexia, spasticity and depression. Some other effects are known, all seem to be mediated by cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system. In the past years, medical use has been proven in several studies. Today, the therapeutical use of cannabinoids in medicine is increasing, and access was made easier. Especially in pain-management and palliative care, they seem to be a valuable therapeutic option.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19165445