Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabis is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs globally. Mounting evidence indicates that cannabis use, particularly consumption during young adulthood, is related to adverse mental and behavioral outcomes and an increased risk of the onset and relapse of psychosis. However, the neuromechanism underpinnings of heavy cannabis use (HCU) in young adults remain largely unknown, and no study has yet investigated the development of hippocampal shape in young adults with HCU. Twenty young adults with HCU and 22 matched non-cannabis-use healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Neuroimaging scanning and clinical assessments for all participants were performed at baseline (BL) and...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Anorexia (loss of appetite) is a prevalent and distressing symptom in people with cancer, with limited effective interventions. Medicinal cannabis has shown promise in improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer. Aim: To assess the efficacy of medicinal cannabis for improving appetite-related symptoms in people with cancer, considering measures and outcomes, interventions and toxicity. Design: Systematic review with narrative approach to synthesis and meta-analysis. Data sources: Databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, CENTRAL), websites and trials registries were searched from inception to February 2021. Included studies were randomised controlled trials (RCT) in English peer-reviewed journals comparing medicinal...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Cannabis is among the most consumed psychoactive substances world-wide. Considering changing policy trends regarding the substance, it is crucial to understand more clearly its potential acute and residual adverse effects from a public health viewpoint. Cognitive function is one of the targeted areas with conflicting findings. This meta-review measured the magnitude of acute and residual effects of cannabis on cognition in adolescents and adults provided by meta-analyses and evaluated quality of evidence. Methods A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Meta-analyses were included if they quantitatively examined...

Abstract Objective To assess the impact of fetal exposure to cannabis on adiposity and glucose-insulin traits in early life. Research Design and Methods We leveraged a subsample of 103 mother-child pairs from Healthy Start, an ethnically diverse Colorado-based cohort. Twelve cannabinoids/metabolites of cannabis (including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) were measured in maternal urine collected at ~27 weeks’ gestation. Fetal exposure to cannabis was dichotomized as exposed (any cannabinoid > limit of detection [LOD]) and not exposed (all cannabinoids < LOD). Fat mass and fat-free mass were measured via air displacement plethysmography at follow-up (mean age: 4.7 years). Glucose and insulin were obtained after an overnight fast. Generalized...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between reported prenatal cannabis use and neonatal and maternal outcomes and whether the legalisation of cannabis in Canada affected the rates of reported use or the association with maternal and neonatal outcomes. Design Population-based retrospective cohort study. Setting Routinely collected data in a real-world setting. Population All women in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia with singleton births between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2021. Methods The association between cannabis use and maternal and neonatal outcomes was examined using generalised linear models with inverse probability weighting. Main outcome measures...

Abstract Chronic use of drugs may alter the brain’s reward system, though the extant literature concerning long-term cannabis use and neural correlates of reward processing has shown mixed results. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis than adults; however, this has not been investigated for reward processing. As part of the ‘CannTeen’ study, in the largest functional magnetic resonance imaging study of reward processing and cannabis use to date, we investigated reward anticipation and feedback in 125 adult (26–29 years) and adolescent (16–17 years) cannabis users (1–7 days/week cannabis use) and gender- and age-matched controls, using the Monetary Incentive Delay...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract With the increased prevalence, potency, and acceptability of cannabis use during pregnancy, it is important to understand the developmental effects of prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE). This review discusses methodological considerations for studies of PCE, including the assessment of exposures, covariates, and outcomes, and reviews findings from prospective, longitudinal studies of PCE. There is some evidence for associations between PCE and restricted growth at birth, but not for long-term effects on growth. PCE appears to have subtle yet enduring effects on memory and achievement in children and adolescents. Despite differences in sample demographics and measurement, there are remarkably consistent effects...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Neurodegenerative diseases and dementia pose a global health challenge in an aging population, exemplified by the increasing incidence and prevalence of its most common form, Alzheimer's disease. Although several approved treatments exist for Alzheimer's disease, they only afford transient symptomatic improvements and are not considered disease-modifying. The psychoactive properties of Cannabis sativa L. have been recognized for thousands of years and now with burgeoning access to medicinal formulations globally, research has turned to re-evaluate cannabis and its myriad phytochemicals as a potential treatment and adjunctive agent for neurodegenerative diseases. Purpose This review evaluated the neuroprotective potential of C. sativa’s active constituents for potential therapeutic use in dementia...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Goals: We measure for the first time how a wide range of cannabis products affect nausea intensity in actual time. Background: Even though the Cannabis plant has been used to treat nausea for millennia, few studies have measured real-time effects of common and commercially available cannabis-based products. Study: Using the Releaf App, 886 people completed 2220 cannabis self-administration sessions intended to treat nausea between June 6, 2016 and July 8, 2019. They recorded the characteristics of self-administered cannabis products and baseline symptom intensity levels before tracking real-time changes in the intensity of their nausea. Results: By...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The naturally occurring cannabis plant has played an established role in pain management throughout recorded history. However, in recent years, both natural and synthetic cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM) have gained increasing worldwide attention due to growing evidence supporting their use in alleviating chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain associated with an array of conditions. In view of these products’ growing popularity in both the medical and commercial fields, we carried out a systematic review to ascertain the effects of cannabis and its synthetically derived products on orofacial pain and inflammation. The application of topical dermal cannabidiol formulation has shown positive findings such as reducing...