Abstract Although the medicinal properties of Cannabis species have been known for centuries, the interest on its main active secondary metabolites as therapeutic alternatives for several pathologies has grown in recent years. This potential use has been a revolution worldwide concerning public health, production, use and sale of cannabis, and has led inclusively to legislation changes in some countries. The scientific advances and concerns of the scientific community have allowed a better understanding of cannabis derivatives as pharmacological options in several conditions, such as appetite stimulation, pain treatment, skin pathologies, anticonvulsant therapy, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. However, there is some controversy regarding the legal and...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Rationale Certifications for medical cannabis are generally restricted to a small number of specific medical conditions, yet patients frequently report symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression as reasons for use. This is a critical concern for researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers, yet research in this area is currently obstructed by the lack of a focused review or empirical synthesis on patient-reported reasons for medical cannabis use. Objectives AND METHOD: The first aim of this project was to conduct the first systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical studies of patient-reported symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression as reasons for medical cannabis use. The...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Although increasing rates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are well documented among veterans, little is known about their use of cannabis specifically for medicinal purposes. The present study characterizes such use and compares veterans reporting cannabis use for medicinal (n = 66) versus recreational (n = 77) purposes on (a) sociodemographic factors, (b) psychiatric disorders (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder [MDD], and CUD), (c) other substance use, (d) reasons for cannabis use and cannabis-related problems, and (e) physical and mental health. Participants were veterans deployed post 9/11/2001 recruited from a...

Abstract Background: The political climate around Cannabis as a medicine is rapidly changing. Legislators are adopting policies regarding appropriate medical applications, while the paucity of research may make policy decisions around conditions for which Cannabis is an effective medicine difficult. Methods: An anonymous online survey was developed to query medical Cannabis users about the conditions they use Cannabis to treat, their use patterns, perception of efficacy, and physical and mental health. Participants were recruited through social media and Cannabis dispensaries in Washington State. Results: A total of 1429 participants identified as medical Cannabis users. The most frequently reported conditions for which they used Cannabis were pain (61.2%),...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background In 2014 Health Canada replaced the Marihuana for Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) with the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR). One of the primary changes in the new program has been to move from a single Licensed Producer (LP) of cannabis to multiple Licensed Producers. This is the first comprehensive survey of patients enrolled in the MMPR. Methods Patients registered to purchase cannabis from Tilray, a federally authorized Licenced Producer (LP) within the MMPR, were invited to complete an online survey consisting of 107 questions on demographics, patterns of use, and cannabis substitution effect....

Abstract Background. Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract than from synthetic products. However, almost all the research conducted to date has been performed with synthetic products. We followed patients with a medicinal cannabis license to evaluate the advantages and side effects of using cannabis by cancer patients. Methods. The study included two interviews based on questionnaires regarding symptoms and side effects, the first held on the day the license was issued and the second 6–8 weeks later. Cancer symptoms and cannabis side effects were documented on scales from 0 to 4 following the CTCAE. The distress thermometer was used also. Results....

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction: Washington State allows marijuana use for medical (since 1998) and recreational (since 2012) purposes. The benefits of medicinal cannabis (MC) can be maximized if clinicians educate patients about dosing, routes of administration, side effects, and plant composition. However, little is known about clinicians’ knowledge and practices in Washington State. Methods: An anonymous online survey assessed providers’ MC knowledge, beliefs, clinical practices, and training needs. The survey was disseminated through health care providers’ professional organizations in Washington State. Descriptive analysis compared providers who had and had not authorized MC for patients. Survey results informed the...

Abstract Background Regulatory changes are increasing access to both medical cannabis and cannabis in general. As such, understanding patterns of recreational and medical cannabis use is a high public health priority. Objectives Patterns of cannabis use (recreational and medical), other substance use, and psychiatric symptoms were characterized in a large sample of community adult cannabis users in Canada, prior to federal cannabis legalization. Methods This was a self-report assessment of 709 cannabis users (Mean age = 30.19 (11.82) years; 55.01% female). Patterns of overall substance use and psychiatric symptomatology were compared based on recreational/medical cannabis status. Results Overall, 61.4% of participants endorsed exclusively recreational use, while 38.6% reported some level of medical use. Of all medical...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background A growing number of countries are providing pharmaceutical grade cannabis to chronically ill patients. However, little published data is known about the extent of medicinal cannabis use and the characteristics of patients using cannabis on doctor’s prescription. This study describes a retrospective database study of The Netherlands. Methods Complete dispensing histories were obtained of all patients with at least one medicinal cannabis prescription gathered at pharmacies in The Netherlands in the period 2003–2010. Data revealed prevalence and incidence of use of prescription cannabis as well as characteristics of patients using different cannabis varieties. Results...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract This review considers the potential influences of the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) on areas of interest to mental health professionals, with foci on adult psychopathology and assessment. We identified 31 articles relating to the use of CTP and mental health, and 29 review articles on cannabis use and mental health that did not focus on use for therapeutic purposes. Results reflect the prominence of mental health conditions among the reasons for CTP use, and the relative dearth of high-quality evidence related to CTP in this context, thereby highlighting the need for further research into the harms and...