Abstract Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide. Evidence indicated negative impact for cannabis on the brain. Animal research and in vitro studies using delta-9-THC (THC) or cannabis extracts with high THC content provided evidence for a detrimental effect on neuronal integrity with DNA damage, cell shrinkage, atrophy and apoptosis. The mechanisms by which herbal cannabis affects brain structure and function are not clear but impaired mitochondrial functioning, reduced glucose availability and inhibition of brain energetic metabolism by cannabis have been shown. Clinical studies investigating the effects of cannabis in humans found raised serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in chronic cannabis users....

ABSTRACT Background and Objective: Medical cannabis is becoming an acceptable treatment modality in medicine, especially for pain relief. Concurrently, cannabis use is becoming more prevalent worldwide, a public demand-driven trend despite the lack of established scientific basis. This observational open-label study sought to investigate the effectiveness of cannabis therapy for alleviating low back pain symptoms. Methods: Two types of cannabis treatment modalities were sequentially administered to chronic low back pain patients. After an initial 1-month washout period (WO1), the first modality was cannabidiol (CBD)-rich sublingual extract treatment administered for 10 months. Following another washout period, the second modality, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich smoked inflorescence (whole dried...

please use this link to access publication Abstract Purpose This study explored whether symptom relief differs by sex in patients with cancer receiving medical cannabis (MC) therapy. Methods This is an analysis of data collected from patients with cancer enrolled in the Quebec Cannabis Registry. MC was initiated for the therapeutic management of cancer symptoms. Patients completed the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r) questionnaire at baseline and 3-month follow-up. We examined the interaction between sex and time on each ESAS-r symptom and the interaction between time and tetrahydrocannabinol:cannabidiol (THC:CBD) ratios for each sex on total symptom burden. Results The analysis included 358 patients...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Currently, there is a renewed interest in treatments with medical cannabis and cannabinoids. Based on an increasing number of publications over the last decades that permitted new insights into mechanisms, efficacy and safety of cannabinoids, the use of cannabinergic medications is authorised in an increasing number of European and non-European countries. The alleviation of chronic, painful conditions is, since thousands of years, one of the primary reasons for the use of cannabis. Depending on the country, a wide range of medicinal cannabis preparations are available:ranging from defined cultivars of medical cannabis, mainly varying in their THC:CBD...

Please use this link to access publication Abstract Objective: Trait anger has been shown to be predictive of emotion-focused coping and alcohol use. Yet, the connection between cannabis use and trait anger remains poorly characterized. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between cannabis use and self-reported trait anger in youth seeking substance use treatment. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on youth (n=168) aged 14–26 presenting for an initial evaluation at an outpatient substance use treatment program. Patients self-reported trait anger score (TAS) and lifetime, recent, and Diagnostic and Statistics Manual-5th Edition diagnostic status of cannabis use were assessed. Clinician-coded psychiatric and substance...

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...