Abstract Cannabis use is widespread and associated with worsened prognosis for young adults with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Few cannabis harm reduction interventions have been evaluated for this population, despite potential to improve outcomes in those not ready for cannabis abstinence/reduction-focused interventions. This study aimed to determine a) the acceptability of a digital harm reduction intervention, the Cannabis Harm-reducing App to Manage Practices Safely (CHAMPS) and b) the feasibility of conducting a trial comparing FEP-specialized early intervention services (EIS)+CHAMPS versus EIS-only with this population. We conducted a multi-site pilot randomized controlled trial comparing both arms in 101 young adults (18 - 35 years old) with...

Abstract Objective: People with a psychotic disorder are more likely to experience pain and interference from pain in their daily lives. There is also a high prevalence of cannabis use among people with psychotic disorders, which is known to be effective in pain management. This study investigates whether pain is a predictor of cannabis use in people with psychosis. Since sedating antipsychotics may also suppress pain, this is included as a covariate. Methods: This sample included 108 Dutch people with a psychotic disorder, participating in the VAT observational cohort study. Cross-sectional regression analyses were performed with cannabis use (yes/no and units per week) as outcomes, and pain...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose, and Design Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and debilitating diseases, especially in the elderly. Hemp seed oil is a plant product that has been used as a food or drug since ancient times because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Methods A double-blind, active, placebo-controlled trial was done to assess the efficacy of hemp seed oil on knee OA. Ninety patients were randomly allocated to three groups; hemp seed oil, diclofenac gel, and placebo via a blocked randomization method, and were asked to apply the topical treatment daily for 2...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Aims: In the context of increasing cannabis use, understanding how cannabis affects specific driving behaviors is crucial in mitigating risks and ensuring road safety. Design and setting: The current study included 38 adults aged 18–40 years, administered a single 0.5 g acute dose of vaporized cannabis (5.9% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 13% THC or placebo) in a randomized, within-subject, double-blind, counterbalanced design. Throughout each of the three, 8-h assessment days, at 4 time points, participants underwent simulated driving tests, including lane-keeping, car following, and overtaking tasks, capturing 19 behavioral metrics. An SPSS linear mixed model assessed the main effects...

Abstract Introduction: There has been a recent significant increase in medical cannabis prescribing in Australia despite weak evidence for its effectiveness in treating the most common indications. Concern has been raised about the potential harms of inappropriate prescription of cannabis; however, there have been no prior published cases of psychosis secondary to medicinal cannabis in Australia. Case Presentation: We present a case of a 21-year-old Indigenous male with psychosis following switching from illicitly obtained cannabis to prescription cannabis, which resulted in Othello delusions towards his partner, violence towards her and ultimately an attempt to end his life. Discussion: Cannabis use is linked to the development of a...

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Abstract Background Social acceptability and perceived risks/benefits are key attitudinal factors that influence substance use, and a major concern about cannabis legalization is an increase in more favourable attitudes ultimately leading to greater cannabis misuse. This study investigated perceptions of cannabis acceptability and risks/benefits over the 5 years following legalization in Canada, the first G7 nation to have legalized cannabis nationally, in a longitudinal observational cohort of community adults. Methods Participants (60 % female, median age = 29, 48% reporting cannabis use pre-legalization) were non-clinical adults from the general community who were assessed up to 11 times from September 2018 to October 2023 (mean...

Abstract Objective Very few publications have reported the impact of artisanal cannabis use on overall quality of life among people with drug-resistant epilepsy. This study aimed to evaluate the association of artisanal cannabis use among adults with drug-resistant epilepsy with quality of life, and to determine if an association exists between Quality-of-Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31) ‘T scores’ and different clinical variables. Methods This study included patients admitted to a Canadian tertiary care epilepsy center as part of a larger study. These patients were confirmed to have drug-resistant epilepsy by an epileptologist at the Ambulatory Epilepsy Clinic. Patients were categorized into cannabis users (CAN...