Abstract The existing literature largely focuses on health risks and other pharmacodynamics of using cannabis, with fewer investigations of other normative psychological effects from consumption among otherwise healthy people. We measured several basic constructs of social psychology corresponding to the concept of prosociality among 146 healthy young adults between 18 and 25 years (M = 18.9, SD = 1.4) with varying detectable levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their urine, controlling for participant’s sex, age, ethnicity, and childhood socio-economic status. Compared to THC-free individuals, cannabis users scored higher than non-users on validated measures of Prosocial Behaviors (d = .34, p = .04), the Empathy Quotient (d = .36, p < .01), Moral Harmlessness (d = .76, p < .01) and Moral Fairness (d = .49, p < .01), but exhibited a...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Introduction: Cannabis use for pain relief is commonly reported, yet laboratory studies and clinical trials suggest that cannabinoids are weak analgesics, and it is unclear whether perceived reductions in pain from before to after cannabis use relate to factors such as dose, method of administration, phytocannabinoid content, or the age or gender of the user. We determined whether inhalation of cannabis decreased self-reported pain ratings as well as whether user gender, age, time, method of administration, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) content, or dose of cannabis contribute to changes in these ratings. We also examined whether tolerance may develop...

Abstract Background: In addition to the major phytocannabinoids, trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.) synthesizes over 120 additional cannabinoids that are known as minor cannabinoids. These minor cannabinoids have been proposed to act as agonists and antagonists at numerous targets including cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) receptors, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and others. The goal of the present study was to determine the agonist effects of the minor cannabinoids: cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabitriol (CBT) and cannabidivarin (CBDV) at the CB1 receptor. In addition, the CB1 receptor antagonist effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ9-THCV) were compared with its isomer...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Marijuana (cannabis) can cause cardiovascular side effects, yet the mechanisms and treatments remain poorly understood. In a recent study published in Cell, Wei et al. discovered that soy isoflavone genistein attenuates Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC, a main constituent from marijuana)-induced endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis by directly antagonizing peripheral cannabinoid receptor 1, demonstrating a therapeutic potential for ameliorating the cardiovascular side effects of cannabis.

Abstract Purpose of review Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition which manifests as a disproportionate response of fear to a perceived threat. Different types of anxiety disorders vary in their pathophysiology, symptoms and treatments. The causes of anxiety disorders are complex and largely unknown; however, it has been suggested that a number of brain mechanisms and neurotransmitters are involved in the development of these conditions. While there are non-pharmacological treatments for anxiety, many patients are prescribed medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and/or benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, these medications have issues with efficacy and safety, and therefore, there is...

Please use this link to access publication OBJECTIVE: The endocannabinoid system is involved in pain perception and inflammation. Cannabis contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which are cannabinoids that bind to endocannabinoid system receptors. A fatty acid amide called palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) enhances endogenous cannabinoids. Given that use of medical cannabis is increasing, we sought to characterize patterns of cannabis use for gynecologic pain and its effectiveness as an analgesic. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov using terms for “woman,” “cannabis,” and “pain” or “pelvic pain” or “endometriosis” or “bladder pain” or “cancer.” The search was restricted to English-language articles published between January...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Introduction:Cannabis sativa L. (C. sativa) is used since ancient times to produce fabrics, baskets, and cords. Later, different ethnic groups used to burn the leaves and flowers of psychotropic cultivars with high Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (D9-THC) levels, during the religious or propitiatory rites to alter the state of consciousness. To date, it is not known whether also nonpsychotropic cultivars of C. sativa were used during these rites, and whether these varieties could have an effect on human behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral effects of an extract of nonpsychotropic C. sativa (NP-CS) in mice. Materials and Methods: An extract of a nonpsychotropic...

Abstract The combination of the ongoing opioid crisis, inappropriateness of long-term use of NSAIDs, limited efficacy and tolerability of existing analgesics and the fact that no new analgesics (except for anti-migraine medications) were launched during the past two decades, has considerably depleted the arsenal of chronic pain pharmacotherapy. No wonder therefore, that the old-new player, medicinal cannabis (MC), has erupted onto the pain field. Indeed, MC, which consists of herbal cannabis (HC), in either inflorescence or oil extract forms, and cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMP), is being increasingly used in chronic pain management. As a result of public pressure by media, patient advocacies and political...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Purpose This systematic review assesses currently available clinical information on which cannabinoids and what range of doses have been used to achieve positive effects in a diversity of medical context. Methods The data were collected according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol guidelines. Inclusion criteria were articles that assessed administration of any cannabinoid to any clinical population, reported in the ClinicalTrials.gov or PubMed databases, that involved a comparison with other treatment or placebo and a result measurement to assess the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the cannabinoid. Exclusion criteria were review or letter; articles not in the English...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Cannabis has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. Given the dangerous and unpleasant side effects of existing analgesics, the chemical constituents of Cannabis have garnered significant interest for their antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. To date, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) remain the two most widely studied constituents of Cannabis in animals. These studies have led to formulations of THC and CBD for human use; however, chronic pain patients also use different strains of Cannabis (sativa, indica and ruderalis) to alleviate their pain. These strains contain major cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, but they also contain a wide variety of cannabinoid and noncannabinoid...