Abstract Objective:Methamphetamine and cannabis are two widely used, and frequently co-used, substances with possibly opposing effects on the central nervous system. Evidence of neurocognitive deficits related to use is robust for methamphetamine and mixed for cannabis. Findings regarding their combined use are inconclusive. We aimed to compare neurocognitive performance in people with lifetime cannabis or methamphetamine use disorder diagnoses, or both, relative to people without substance use disorders. Method:423 (71.9% male, aged 44.6 ± 14.2 years) participants, stratified by presence or absence of lifetime methamphetamine (M−/M+) and/or cannabis (C−/C+) DSM-IV abuse/dependence, completed a comprehensive neuropsychological, substance use, and psychiatric assessment. Neurocognitive domain T-scores and...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The possible medicinal use of cannabinoids for chronic diseases emphasizes the need to understand the long-term effects of these compounds on the central nervous system. We provide a quantitative synthesis of empirical research pertaining to the non-acute (residual) effects of cannabis on the neurocognitive performance of adult human subjects. Out of 1,014 studies retrieved using a thorough search strategy, only 11 studies met essential a priori inclusion criteria, providing data for a total of 623 cannabis users and 409 non- or minimal users. Neuropsychological results were grouped into 8 ability domains, and effect sizes were calculated by...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Recent years have been transformational in regard to the perception of the health risks and benefits of cannabis with increased acceptance of use. This has unintended neurodevelopmental implications given the increased use of cannabis and the potent levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol today being consumed by pregnant women, young mothers and teens. In this Review, we provide an overview of the neurobiological effects of cannabinoid exposure during prenatal/perinatal and adolescent periods, in which the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a fundamental role in neurodevelopmental processes. We highlight impaired synaptic plasticity as characteristic of developmental exposure and the important...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic component of the glandular hairs of Cannabis sativa. It displays a plethora of actions including anticonvulsive, sedative, hypnotic, antipsychotic, antiinflammatory and neuroprotective properties. However, it is well established that CBD produces its biological effects without exerting significant intrinsic activity upon cannabinoid receptors. For this reason, CBD lacks the unwanted psychotropic effects characteristic of marijuana derivatives, so representing one of the bioactive constituents of Cannabis sativa with the highest potential for therapeutic use. The present review reports the pharmacological profile of CBD and summarizes results from preclinical and clinical studies utilizing CBD, alone...

Opinion statement The potential medicinal properties of Cannabis continue to garner attention, especially in the brain tumor domain. This attention is centered on quality of life and symptom management; however, it is amplified by a significant lack of therapeutic choices for this specific patient population. While the literature on this matter is young, published and anecdotal evidence imply that cannabis could be useful in treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite, reducing pain, and managing seizures. It may also decrease inflammation and cancer cell proliferation and survival, resulting in a benefit in overall patient survival. Current literature poses the challenge that it does not provide standardized...

Abstract As cannabinoid-based medications gain popularity in the treatment of refractory medical conditions, it is crucial to examine the neurocognitive effects of commonly prescribed products to ensure associated safety profiles. The present study aims to investigate the acute effects of a standard 1 mL sublingual dose of CannEpil®, a medicinal cannabis oil containing 100 mg cannabidiol (CBD) and 5 mg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on neurocognition, attention, and mood. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects design assessed 31 healthy participants (16 female, 15 male), aged between 21 and 58 years, over a two-week experimental protocol. Neurocognitive performance outcomes were assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, with the Profile of Mood States questionnaire, and the...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabis is one of the most used drugs of abuse. It affects the brain reward system in animals, and has proven rewarding and addictive potential in humans. We used functional MRI to measure brain activity during reward anticipation in a monetary reward task. Long-term cannabis users were compared to healthy controls. An additional control group consisting of nicotine users was included. Cannabis users showed attenuated brain activity during reward anticipation in the nucleus accumbens compared to non-smoking controls, but not compared to smoking controls. Cannabis users showed decreased reward anticipation activity in the caudate nucleus, compared to both...

Abstract As previous work has highlighted the significance of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) genes with respect to cannabis dependence (CD), this study sought to characterize the neural mechanisms that underlie these genetic effects. To this end, we collected DNA samples and fMRI data using a cue-elicited craving paradigm in thirty-seven 3-day-abstinent regular marijuana users. The participants were grouped according to their genotype on two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) earlier associated with CD phenotypes: rs2023239 in CNR1 and rs324420 in FAAH. Between-group comparisons showed that carriers of the CNR1 rs2023239 G allele had significantly greater activity in reward-related areas of the brain, such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), inferior frontal...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract In animal studies, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been found to affect brain morphology, particularly within areas rich in cannabinoid receptors (e.g., hippocampus, cerebral cortex). While cannabis remains the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, there has been limited work investigating its effects on human brain tissue. In this paper, we conducted a systematic review of existing structural magnetic resonance imaging studies to examine whether cannabis use is associated with significant changes in brain anatomy. We identified only 13 structural neuroimaging studies, which were diverse in terms of sample characteristics (e.g., age of participants, duration and frequency...