Abstract Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) are an emerging therapeutic option in the management of primary chronic pain, using the role of the endocannabinoid system in modulating central and peripheral pain processes. Despite promising preclinical data, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence to support the use of CBMPs for chronic pain. This study aimed to investigate the health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients with chronic pain who were prescribed CBMP oil preparations (Adven, Curaleaf International, Guernsey, UK). This study is a case series of patients from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, who were treated with CBMP oils for an indication of chronic pain. The primary...

Abstract Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) are an emerging therapeutic option in the management of primary chronic pain, using the role of the endocannabinoid system in modulating central and peripheral pain processes. Despite promising preclinical data, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence to support the use of CBMPs for chronic pain. This study aimed to investigate the health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients with chronic pain who were prescribed CBMP oil preparations (Adven, Curaleaf International, Guernsey, UK). This study is a case series of patients from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, who were treated with CBMP oils for an indication of chronic pain. The primary...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background and Objectives Recent observations indicate that cannabis use can result in cardiovascular complications including arrhythmias. We studied the relationship between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and arrhythmia hospitalization. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2010–2014). Patients (age 15–54) with a primary diagnosis for arrhythmia (N = 570,556) were compared with non-arrhythmia (N = 67,662,082) inpatients for odds ratio (OR) of CUD by the logistic regression model, adjusted for demographics and comorbid risk factors. Results The incidence of CUD in arrhythmia inpatients was 2.6%. Among cannabis users, the most prevalent arrhythmia was atrial fibrillation (42%), followed...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabis is one of the most commonly and widely used psychoactive drugs. The rates of cannabis misuse have been increasing. Therefore, understanding the effects of cannabis use on the brain is important. Adolescent and adult rodents exposed to repeated administration of cannabinoids show persistent microstructural changes in the hippocampus both pre- and post-synaptically. Whether similar alterations exist in human cannabis users, has not yet been demonstrated in vivo. Positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]UCB-J, a radioligand for the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), were used to study hippocampal synaptic integrity in vivo in an equal...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective:Reduced motivation is often noted as a consequence of cannabis use. However, previous work has yielded mixed results and focused largely on adults. To address these limitations, this study examined longitudinal associations between cannabis use and self-reported motivation in a large adolescent sample. Method:Participants were 401 adolescents aged 14–17 at baseline who completed five bi-annual assessments. We assessed motivation at three timepoints using two self-report questionnaires: the Apathy Evaluation Scale and the Motivation and Engagement Scale (disengagement, persistence, planning, self-efficacy, and valuing school subscales). Controlling for relevant covariates, we used latent growth curve modeling to...

Abstract Objective To examine county level associations between the prevalence of medical and recreational cannabis stores (referred to as dispensaries) and opioid related mortality rates. Design Panel regression methods. Setting 812 counties in the United States in the 23 states that allowed legal forms of cannabis dispensaries to operate by the end of 2017. Participants The study used US mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention combined with US census data and data from Weedmaps.com on storefront dispensary operations. Data were analyzed at the county level by using panel regression methods. Main outcome measure The main outcome measures were the log transformed, age adjusted mortality rates...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Despite its extensive use, there is a paucity of research on consumption and purchasing patterns of cannabis, especially by modes of delivery. Objective: To assess the self-reported use and frequency of use of 12 different cannabis modes of delivery, their associated purchase sources, self-reported price, average consumption amount, and knowledge of THC and CBD levels. Methods: The Cannabis Purchase and Consumption Tool, an online survey, sampled Canadians 16-30 years old (N = 868) in October 2017. Final sample included participants reporting use of any mode of cannabis within the past 30-days (N = 185). Results: The most common modes...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The objective of this study was to identify how cannabis use features within the sexual lives of young sexual minority men who use substances, and how this might intersect with features of their contemporary socio-cultural contexts in a setting where non-medical cannabis was recently legalised: Vancouver, Canada. Forty-one sexual minority men ages 15 to 30 years were recruited between January and December 2018 to participate in in-depth, semi-structured 1-2 h interviews about their experiences of using substances (e.g. cannabis) for sex. Drawing on constant comparative analytic techniques, two themes emerged with regards to participants’ perceptions of, and...

Abstract Background Heavy cannabis use is known to have an adverse impact on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcomes in the general population and in patients presenting for surgery. However, there have been no studies that have focused on patients undergoing vascular surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to determine the perioperative risk of cannabis use disorder (CUD), primarily cardiovascular risk, in perioperative vascular surgery patients. Methods Using the National Inpatient Sample from 2006 to 2015, we conducted a retrospective cohort study involving those undergoing one of six elective and emergent vascular surgical procedures (carotid endarterectomy [CEA], infrainguinal bypasses, open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortobifemoral bypass, endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, or peripheral...