Tag Archives: medical marijuana

Effects of Medical Marijuana on Migraine Headache Frequency in an Adult Population.

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“No clinical trials are currently available that demonstrate the effects of marijuana on patients with migraine headache; however, the potential effects of cannabinoids on serotonin in the central nervous system indicate that marijuana may be a therapeutic alternative.

Thus, the objective of this study was to describe the effects of medical marijuana on the monthly frequency of migraine headache.

The frequency of migraine headache was decreased with medical marijuana use.

Prospective studies should be conducted to explore a cause-and-effect relationship and the use of different strains, formulations, and doses of marijuana to better understand the effects of medical marijuana on migraine headache treatment and prophylaxis.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26749285

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

Human rights, public health and medicinal cannabis use.

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“This paper explores the interplay between the human rights and drug control frameworks and critiques case law on medicinal cannabis use to demonstrate that a bona fide human rights perspective allows for a broader conception of ‘health’.

This broad conception, encompassing both medicalised and social constructionist definitions, can inform public health policies relating to medicinal cannabis use.

The paper also demonstrates how a human rights lens can alleviate a core tension between the State and the individual within the drug policy field.

The leading medicinal cannabis case in the UK highlights the judiciary’s failure to engage with an individual’s human right to health as they adopt an arbitrary, externalist view, focussing on the legality of cannabis to the exclusion of other concerns.

Drawing on some international comparisons, the paper considers how a human rights perspective can lead to an approach to medicinal cannabis use which facilitates a holistic understanding of public health.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26692654

Medical Marijuana.

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“The use of medicinal marijuana is increasing. Marijuana has been shown to have therapeutic effects in certain patients, but further research is needed regarding the safety and efficacy of marijuana as a medical treatment for various conditions. A growing body of research validates the use of marijuana for a variety of healthcare problems, but there are many issues surrounding the use of this substance. This article discusses the use of medical marijuana and provides implications for home care clinicians.”

The Use of Medicinal Marijuana for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of the Current Literature.

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“This study seeks to understand the current literature regarding the use of medicinal marijuana in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Analysis revealed that most reports are correlational and observational in basis with a notable lack of randomized, controlled studies.

Many of the published studies suggest a decrease in PTSD symptoms with marijuana use… there is a growing amount of neurobiological evidence and animal studies suggesting potential neurologically based reasons for the reported efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS:

Posttraumatic stress disorder is 1 of the approved conditions for medicinal marijuana in some states. While the literature to date is suggestive of a potential decrease in PTSD symptomatology with the use of medicinal marijuana, there is a notable lack of large-scale trials, making any final conclusions difficult to confirm at this time.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26644963

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Self-Medication of Somatic and Psychiatric Conditions Using Botanical Marijuana.

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“As a complement to research evaluating botanical marijuana as a medical therapy for various somatic and psychiatric conditions, there is a growing body of research assessing marijuana users’ self-reports of the symptoms and conditions for which they use marijuana without a physician’s recommendation.

As part of two larger web-based surveys and one in-situ survey at an outdoor marijuana festival, we asked regular marijuana users if they consumed the drug without a physician’s recommendation and, if so, to describe (or select from a checklist) the conditions for which they used marijuana as a medication.

Participants reported using marijuana to self-medicate a wide variety of both somatic conditions (such as pain, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome) and psychiatric conditions (such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia).

Because fewer than half of the American states, and only a few countries, allow physicians to recommend medicinal marijuana, these findings may be of interest to clinicians as they treat patients, to lawmakers and policymakers as they consider legislation allowing physicians to recommend botanical marijuana for somatic and psychiatric conditions, and to researchers evaluating conditions that individuals elect to self-medicate using botanical marijuana.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26595140

The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Body Weight.

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“This study is the first to examine the effects of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on body weight, physical wellness, and exercise.

Using data from the 1990 to 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the enforcement of MMLs is associated with a 2% to 6% decline in the probability of obesity.

We find some evidence of age-specific heterogeneity in mechanisms. For older individuals, MML-induced increases in physical mobility may be a relatively important channel, while for younger individuals, a reduction in consumption of alcohol, a substitute for marijuana, appears more important.

These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that MMLs may be more likely to induce marijuana use for health-related reasons among older individuals, and cause substitution toward lower-calorie recreational ‘highs’ among younger individuals.

Our estimates suggest that MMLs induce a $58 to $115 per-person annual reduction in obesity-related medical costs.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26602324

Cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting in adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

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“Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use.

Cannabis-based medications (cannabinoids) are based on its active element, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and have been approved for medical purposes.

Cannabinoids may be a useful therapeutic option for people with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting that respond poorly to commonly used anti-emetic agents (anti-sickness drugs).

Cannabis-based medications may be useful for treating refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26561338

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

[Psychedelics and quasi-psychedelics in the light of contemporary research: medical cannabis, MDMA, salvinorin A, ibogaine and ayahuasca].

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“According to the long-held official view these drugs are entirely harmful and have no medical use. However, a recent surge of clinical and pharmacological studies in the field indicates that many psychedelic-like agents have therapeutic potentials under proper circumstances.

In this paper, from a biomedical and psychological perspective, we provide a brief review of the general effects and promising treatment uses of medical cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), salvinorin A, ibogaine and the dimethyltryptamine-(DMT)-containing ayahuasca.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26485742

Cannabis – the Israeli perspective.

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“Short overviews are presented on the historical uses of cannabis in the Middle East and on the more recent scientific and medical research on phytocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, with emphasis on research contributions from Israel. These are followed by examples of research projects and clinical trials with cannabinoids and by a short report on the regulation of medical marijuana in Israel, which at present is administered to over 22,000 patients.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26426888