Please use this link to access this publication. ABSTRACT There is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of marijuana (cannabis) and cannabinoid-based chemicals within the medical community and, particularly, for neurological conditions. This interest is driven both by changes in the legal status of cannabis in many areas and increasing research into the roles of endocannabinoids within the central nervous system and their potential as symptomatic and/or neuroprotective therapies. We review basic science as well as preclinical and clinical studies on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids specifically as it relates to movement disorders. The pharmacology of cannabis is complex, with over 60 neuroactive chemicals...

Abstract The discovery of endocannabinoid’s role within the central nervous system and its potential therapeutic benefits have brought forth rising interest in the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The present review aimed to synthesize and evaluate the available evidences on the efficacy of cannabis and its derivatives for psychiatric, neurodegenerative and movement disorders. A systematic search of randomized controlled trials of cannabis and its derivatives were conducted via databases (PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials). A total of 24 reports that evaluated the use of medical cannabis for Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia nervosa, anxiety, dementia, dystonia, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Aim: Currently, there exist no curative treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of medicinal cannabis to improve neurological conditions. Methods: A 12-month, open label, dose-finding, safety and efficacy study was conducted including 48 subjects with a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Results: In our participants, we observed a reduction in pain, improved sleep, enhanced well-being and less agitation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that medicinal cannabis might be useful in patients with neurodegenerative disorders in controlling pain, enhancing sleep, reducing difficult behaviors, controlling unusual and complex symptoms when other treatments have failed - this offers...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Previous studies suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) may potentiate or antagonize Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol’s (THC) effects. The current study examined sex differences in CBD modulation of THC-induced antinociception, hypolocomotion, and metabolism. Methods In Experiment 1, CBD (0, 10 or 30 mg/kg) was administered 15 min before THC (0, 1.8, 3.2, 5.6 or 10 mg/kg), and rats were tested for antinociception and locomotion 15–360 min post-THC injection. In Experiments 2 and 3, CBD (30 mg/kg) was administered 13 h or 15 min before THC (1.8 mg/kg); rats were tested for antinociception and locomotion 30–480 min post-THC injection (Experiment 2), or serum samples were taken 30–360 min post-THC injection to examine CBD modulation of THC metabolism (Experiment 3). Results In...

ABSTRACT  Purpose: We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effects of medical marijuana on symptoms that are relevant to movement disorders with a focus on Huntington disease (HD). Methods: A systematic review by literature search through PubMed and EBSCO electronic databases was conducted for relevant studies reported after 2002 on the effects of medical marijuana or cannabis use on tremor, spasm, spasticity, chorea, sleep quality and HD-specific rating scales. Study selection, quality assessment and data extraction was performed by three reviewers. Outcome measures were changes in psychomotor, and sleep related symptoms. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated. Results: A total of 22 studies were reviewed. There was...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The aberrant accumulation of disease-specific protein aggregates accompanying cognitive decline is a pathological hallmark of age-associated neurological disorders, also termed as proteinopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. Along with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, disruption in protein homeostasis (proteostasis), a network that constitutes protein surveillance system, plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology of these dementia disorders. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid of Cannabis sativa, is known for its pleiotropic neuropharmacological effects on the central nervous system, including the ability to abate oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and protein misfolding....

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Anecdotal references, preclinical, and non-randomized studies support the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for movement disorders (MD). To create an evidenced-based point of view for patients and physicians, we performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the use of cannabinoids in MD. The seven RCTs found on PD used different cannabis formulations. No improvement of motor symptoms was shown in any of the two RCTs with this as primary outcome (PO), but in the nabilone group, an improvement in quality of life was documented. Of the three RCTs having levodopa-induced dyskinesia as PO,...

Abstract Medical case reports suggest that cannabinoids extracted from Cannabis sativa have therapeutic effects; however, the therapeutic employment is limited due to the psychotropic effect of its major component, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The new scientific discoveries related to the endocannabinoid system, including new receptors, ligands, and mediators, allowed the development of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of several pathological disorders minimizing the undesirable psychotropic effects of some constituents of this plant. Today, FDA-approved drugs, such as nabiximols (a mixture of THC and non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD)), are employed in alleviating pain and spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Dronabinol and nabilone are used for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea...

Abstract The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is ubiquitous in most human tissues, and involved in the regulation of mental health. Consequently, its dysregulation is associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Together, the ECS and the expanded endocannabinoidome (eCBome) are composed of genes coding for CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R, CB2R), endocannabinoids (eCBs), and the metabolic enzyme machinery for their synthesis and catabolism. The activation of CB1R is associated with adverse effects on the central nervous system (CNS), which has limited the therapeutic use of drugs that bind this receptor. The discovery of the functional neuronal CB2R raised new possibilities for the potential and safe...

Abstract:   Cannabinoid pharmacology has experienced a notable increase in the last 3 decades which is allowing the development of novel cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of different human pathologies, for example, Ce- samet (nabilone) or Marinol (synthetic 9-tetrahydrocannabinol for oral administration) that were approved in 80s for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy treatment in cancer patients and in 90s for anorexia- cachexia associated with AIDS therapy. Recently, the British company GW Pharmaceuticals plc has developed an oromucosal spray called Sativex, which is constituted by an equimolecular combination of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol- and can- nabidiol-enriched botanical extracts. Sativex has been approved for...