Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction There is a dearth of information on older users (65+ years) of medical cannabis, who may face unique challenges due to altered metabolism with aging, concurrent medication use, and risk of adverse effects. This observational study aimed to describe a large cohort of older medical cannabis users in Canada. Methods From Oct 2014 to Oct 2020, a commercial medical cannabis provider based in Canada collected anonymized data for research purposes from patient volunteers. Data included demographic, social, and health details (at intake) and cannabis products, self-perceived changes in symptoms and change in medications (at...

Abstract Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world. However, because of a changing legal landscape and rising interest in therapeutic utility, there is an increasing trend in (long-term) use and possibly cannabis impairment. Importantly, a growing body of evidence suggests that regular cannabis users develop tolerance to the impairing, as well as the rewarding, effects of the drug. However, the neuroadaptations that may underlie cannabis tolerance remain unclear. Therefore, this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study assessed the acute influence of cannabis on the brain and behavioral outcomes in two distinct cannabis user groups. Twelve occasional and 12 chronic cannabis users...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Research shows that cannabis use frequency is associated with cannabis dependence and health metrics. However, much less is known about how self-reported cannabis potency (THC and CBD) may be associated with the same metrics, and whether any associations exist after accounting for frequency of cannabis use. Moreover, even less is known about how these relations may differ across cannabis product forms. This exploratory study examined 1) associations between cannabis frequency, potency, and cannabis/health metrics, and 2) whether associations between potency and cannabis/health metrics remained after controlling for frequency of use. Methods Using a sample...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Despite tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)’s reputation for creating dramatic effects at high doses, empirical work rarely addresses cannabis’s impact on subjective responses common to the tryptamine psychedelics. We focused on these effects because they have preceded and covaried with the therapeutic impact of psilocybin in previous work. Aims: The current study examined if self-reported responses to cannabis products might parallel those found in clinical trials of psilocybin administration. We also investigated if measures of demographics and cannabis use might correlate with these responses. Methods: Participants reported the subjective effect of their highest THC experience using 27...

Abstract Inhalation by vaporization is a useful application mode for medical cannabis. In this study, we present the disposition of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), their acidic precursors, and their metabolites in serum, oral fluid, and urine together with the acute pharmacological effects in 14 healthy individuals treated with vaporized medical cannabis. THC and CBD peaked firstly in serum and then in oral fluid, with higher concentrations in the first biological matrices and consequent higher area under the curve AUCs. Acidic precursors Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) showed a similar time course profile but lower concentrations due to the fact that vaporization...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Issues The Cannabis sativa L. plant contains hundreds of phytocannabinoids, but putatively of highest importance to public health risk is the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is associated with risk for cannabis use disorder, affective disturbance, cognitive harm and psychomotor impairment. Recently, there has been an increase in the use and availability of concentrated cannabis products (or ‘concentrates’) that are made by extracting cannabinoids from the plant to form a product with THC concentrations as high as 90–95%. These products are increasingly popular nationwide. The literature on these widely available high potency concentrates is limited and there...

Abstract Cannabis sativa is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. Its main psychoactive component is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of over 100 phytocannabinoid compounds produced by the cannabis plant. THC is the primary compound that drives cannabis abuse potential and is also used and prescribed medically for therapeutic qualities. Despite its therapeutic potential, a significant subpopulation of frequent cannabis or THC users will develop a drug use syndrome termed cannabis use disorder. Individuals suffering from cannabis use disorder exhibit many of the hallmarks of classical addictions including cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms. Currently, there are no efficacious treatments for cannabis use disorder or withdrawal...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background An innovative naturalistic at-home administration procedure was used to investigate sex differences in subjective drug effects and verbal memory errors after ad libitum use of high potency state legal market Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrate. Methods Regular concentrate users were randomly assigned to ad libitum administration of one of two cannabis concentrate products (70 % or 90 % THC) that they purchased from a dispensary. 65 participants (N = 34 men, N = 31 women) were assessed in a mobile pharmacology lab before, immediately after, and 1 -h after ad libitum concentrate use. Plasma cannabinoids (THC, 11-OH-THC, CBD), subjective drug effects, and verbal memory errors were assessed...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Policy changes have increased access to cannabis for individuals with little or no prior exposure. Few studies have examined sex differences in cannabis effects among individuals with sporadic cannabis use or for nonsmoked routes of cannabis administration. Data from four double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were pooled to compare the acute pharmacodynamic effects of vaporized and oral cannabis in male (n = 27) and female (n = 23) participants who used cannabis infrequently (no use ≥30 days prior to randomization). Analyses compared peak change-from-baseline scores between male and female participants for subjective drug effects, cognitive/psychomotor performance, cardiovascular effects, and blood concentrations of...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabinoids have been in use for millennia for the treatment of various illnesses, particularly pain. However, cannabinoids as an accepted medicine remain controversial given their Schedule I substance status in the United States, thereby limiting their investigational and applicational potential. Additional challenges remain with medication production given differences in regional laws and regulations, causing great variability in products with lack of standards and controls, as well as how the medicine is delivered to the body (e.g. ingestible, smoked, vaporized, or topical options). Despite these logistical challenges, the literal growth and development of cannabis as a...