Abstract Objective: Evidence is accumulating that components of the Cannabis sativa plant may have therapeutic potential in treating psychiatric disorders. Medicinal cannabis (MC) products are legally available for prescription in Australia, primarily through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Special Access Scheme B (SAS-B). Here we investigated recent prescribing practices for psychiatric indications under SAS-B by Australian doctors. Methods: The dataset, obtained from the TGA, included information on MC applications made by doctors through the SAS-B process between 1st November 2016 and 30th September 2022 inclusive. Details included the primary conditions treated, patient demographics, prescriber location, product type (e.g., oil, flower or capsule) and the general cannabinoid content of...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabis consumer products are a $4.6 billion industry in the U.S. that is projected to exceed $14 billion by 2025. Despite an absence of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation or clinical data, thousands of nutraceuticals, topical consumer products, and beauty products claim benefits of hemp or cannabidiol. However, a lack of required quality control measures prevents consumers from knowing the true concentration or purities of cannabis-labeled products. Thirteen over-the-counter consumer products were examined for the presence of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA). Additionally, the efficacy...

Abstract Objective Forthcoming legislative changes will legalize and make cannabis widely available in Canada. We conducted an analysis of Ontario’s birth registry to determine recent trends and correlates of cannabis use in pregnancy. Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study assembled from the Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario database, covering live births and stillbirths in Ontario between April 2012 and December 2017. Trends in self-reported cannabis use in pregnancy were analyzed according to maternal age and area-level socio-economic status (SES) using log binomial regression analysis. Results A total of 10,731 women reported cannabis use in pregnancy. Prevalence increased from 1.2% in...

Abstract Introduction: There is growing recognition of the potential of cannabis to treat various medical conditions and symptoms, such as chronic pain, spasticity, and epilepsy. However, one of the biggest challenges is the assurance of a standardized cannabis product that contains a consistent amount of its main psychoactive substances delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and which is compliant with predetermined specifications for these compounds. This is crucial not only to ensure consistent cannabis quality and dosage for patients but also to effectively translate research findings into clinical practice. Methods: This systematic literature review provides an overview of the effects of standardized cannabis products from Bedrocan, a...

Please use this link to access this publication. ABSTRACT Many cannabis users report therapeutic benefits from cannabis consumption, even when not recommended by a physician. To date, few data on therapeutic users of cannabis in France are available. Using a cross-sectional survey held in 2020, we collected sociodemographic, health and substance use data from 4150 daily cannabis users in France. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with exclusive therapeutic use of cannabis. Approximately 10% (n = 453) of the participants reported using cannabis exclusively for therapeutic purposes. Exclusive therapeutic users of cannabis differed from non-exclusive (i.e. recreational and mixed) users, especially regarding age...

Abstract Background The Veterans Health Administration tracks urine drug tests (UDTs) among patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) and recommends discussing the health effects of cannabis use. Objective To determine the occurrence of cannabis-related discussions between providers and patients on LTOT during six months following UDT positive for cannabis, and examine factors associated with documenting cannabis use. Design We identified patients prescribed LTOT with a UDT positive for cannabis in 2019. We developed a text-processing tool to extract discussions around cannabis use from their charts. Subjects Twelve thousand seventy patients were included. Chart review was conducted on a random sample of 1,946 patients. Main...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background and Objectives Limited evidence guides the efficacy and safety of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). Healthcare providers lack requisite knowledge to advise and support patients. This study aimed to describe and compare several aspects of initial CTP interactions across different provider types. Methods Adult cannabis consumers (N = 507) from the United States completed an anonymous online survey about their initial CTP interaction with their healthcare provider. Providers were categorized into four groups (Mental Health [MH], Family Medicine [FM], Medical Clinics [MC], and Other Specialty [OS]). Analyses compared several aspects of the interaction (e.g., risk mitigation,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Cannabis use is associated with outcomes like income, legal problems, and psychopathology. This finding rests largely on correlational research designs, which rely at best on statistical controls for confounding. Here, we control for unmeasured confounders using a longitudinal study of twins. Method: In a sample of 4,078 American adult twins first assessed decades ago, we used cotwin control mixed effects models to evaluate the effect of lifetime average frequency of cannabis consumption measured on substance use, psychiatric, and psychosocial outcomes. Results: On average, participants had a lifetime cannabis frequency of about one to two...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Population prevalence and patterns of cannabis use for mental health (CUMH) are underexplored. This is important to understand in the Canadian territories which has the highest prevalence of cannabis use in Canada. This study aimed to examine socio-demographic factors associated with CUMH in the territories and associations between CUMH and cannabis use outcomes. Methods This study is a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from the 2022 Cannabis Policy Study in the Territories, including 2431 respondents aged 16+. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine socio-demographic characteristics associated with CUMH. Among past 12-month cannabis...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background and Objective: An increasing number of countries are deciding to regulate the medicinal and/or recreational use of cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.). However, there is a lack of information on the impact of regular consumption of this substance on public health. In this study, for the first time, regular cannabis consumers in Spain were assessed using health indicators, comparing these data with the general population. Methods: Various items of the Enquesta de Salut de Catalunya (ESCA) and other items related to cannabis use were selected to build a survey and administer it to a representative sample of regular...