Abstract Background and Purpose Although useful as a rapid-acting antidepressant drug, ketamine is known to induce psychotomimetic effects, which may interfere with its therapeutic use. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychostimulant compound from Cannabis sativa, which has shown promising antidepressant effects without inducing hyperlocomotion. AMPA receptor activation is involved in the antidepressant effect induced by ketamine, but its relevance for the effects of CBD is not known. Moreover, given that CBD has antipsychotic and antidepressant properties, it is unknown whether adding CBD to ketamine could potentiate the antidepressant properties of ketamine while also attenuating its psychostimulant effects. Experimental approach S-Ketamine (2.5, 3, 5, 10, 30...

Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most abundant non-psychoactive component of cannabis; it displays a very low affinity for cannabinoid receptors, facilitates endocannabinoid signaling by inhibiting the hydrolysis of anandamide, and stimulates both transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 and 2 and serotonin type 1A receptors. Since CBD interacts with a wide variety of molecular targets in the brain, its therapeutic potential has been investigated in a number of neuropsychiatric diseases, including anxiety and mood disorders. Specifically, CBD has received growing attention due to its anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. As a consequence, and given its safety profile, CBD is considered a promising new agent in the...

Abstract Objective: Two primary compounds of the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), differentially and dose-dependently affect mood and anxiety. In this systematic review, the authors summarize the design and results of controlled trials assessing the effects of THC and CBD on affective disorders, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Methods: A keyword search of eight online literature databases identified eight randomized controlled trials of defined CBD or THC doses for the target populations. Results: A 1-month trial of daily THC (up to 3 mg per day) for DSM-II anxiety disorder reduced anxiety symptoms, but symptoms were very low throughout...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Increasing evidence suggests an essential role of the endocannabinoid system in modulating cognitive abilities, mood, stress, and sleep. The psychoactive effects of cannabis are described as euphoric, calming, anxiolytic, and sleep-inducing and positively affect the mood, but can also adversely affect therapy. The responses to cannabinoid medications depend on the patient's endocannabinoid system activity, the proportion of phytocannabinoids, the terpenoid composition, and the dose used. There is some evidence for a therapeutic use of phytocannabinoids in psychiatric conditions. THC and CBD may have opposing effects on anxiety. Current guidelines recommend caution in using THC in...

Abstract Cannabis use and depression management have been studied, with a preponderance of exacerbating effects, but there are few studies on postpartum depression (PPD). Depression affects a significant number of women, with a portion of it manifesting as PPD in childbearing women in the United States each year. The pharmacologic management approaches have disadvantages such as side effects, cost-benefit ratio, contraindications, use reluctance, medication adherence, and stigmatization in patients. Anecdotal claims of medical cannabis' therapeutic benefits have led to widespread legalization in several regions, making cannabis and its extracts a possible alternative. Cannabis is widely used during pregnancy and in general. Even though substance...

Abstract Background Little is known about cannabis use for insomnia in individuals with depression, anxiety, and comorbid depression and anxiety. To develop a better understanding of distinct profiles of cannabis use for insomnia management, a retrospective cohort study was conducted on a large naturalistic sample. Methods Data were collected using the medicinal cannabis tracking app, Strainprint®, which allows users to monitor and track cannabis use for therapeutic purposes. The current study examined users managing insomnia symptoms in depression (n = 100), anxiety (n = 463), and comorbid depression and anxiety (n = 114), for a total of 8476 recorded sessions. Inferential analyses used linear mixed effects modeling to examine self-perceived...

ABSTRACT Background Although pre-clinical experiments associate cannabinoids with reduced depressive symptoms, there is a paucity of clinical evidence. This study aims to analyze the health-related quality of life changes and safety outcomes in patients prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for depression. Methods A series of uncontrolled cases from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry were analyzed. The primary outcomes were changes from baseline in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), and EQ-5D-5 L at 1, 3, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included adverse events incidence. Results 129 patients were identified for inclusion. Median PHQ-9 at baseline was 16.0 (IQR: 9.0–21.0)....

Please use this link to access this publication Abstract Chronic stress impairs radial neural stem cell (rNSC) differentiation and adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), whereas promoting AHN can increase stress resilience against depression. Therefore, investigating the mechanism of neural differentiation and AHN is of great importance for developing antidepressant drugs. The nonpsychoactive phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to be effective against depression. However, whether CBD can modulate rNSC differentiation and hippocampal neurogenesis is unknown. Here, by using the chronic restraint stress (CRS) mouse model, we showed that hippocampal rNSCs mostly differentiated into astrocytes under stress conditions. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed that the FoxO signaling...

Abstract Major depressive disorder and major depressive episodes (MDD/MDE) are characterized by the activation of the immune–inflammatory response system (IRS) and the compensatory immune–regulatory system (CIRS). Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid isolated from the cannabis plant, which is reported to have antidepressant-like and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of CBD on IRS, CIRS, M1, T helper (Th)-1, Th-2, Th-17, T regulatory (Treg) profiles, and growth factors in depression and healthy controls. Culture supernatant of stimulated (5 μg/mL of PHA and 25 μg/mL of LPS) whole blood of 30 depressed patients and 20 controls was assayed for...

Abstract Mood disorders are the most prevalent mental conditions encountered in psychiatric practice. Numerous patients suffering from mood disorders present with treatment-resistant forms of depression, co-morbid anxiety, other psychiatric disorders and bipolar disorders. Standardized essential oils (such as that of Lavender officinalis) have been shown to exert clinical efficacy in treating anxiety disorders. As endocannabinoids are suggested to play an important role in major depression, generalized anxiety and bipolar disorders, Cannabis sativa was suggested for their treatment. The endocannabinoid system is widely distributed throughout the body including the brain, modulating many functions. It is involved in mood and related disorders, and its activity may be modified...