Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Rationale and objectives Cognitive processing impairments have been associated with acute cannabis use, but there is mixed evidence regarding the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use. Several neuroimaging studies have noted selective-attention processing differences in those who chronically use cannabis, but the neural dynamics governing the altered processing is unclear. Methods Twenty-four adults reporting at least weekly cannabis use in the past 6 months on the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised were compared to 24 demographically matched controls who reported no prior cannabis use. All participants completed a visual selective attention processing task while...

Abstract Background The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of non-daily and daily cannabis use among persons 15 years and older in South Africa. Method In a national cross-sectional 2017 survey, 39,207 persons 15 years and older (Median = 34 years) responded to a questionnaire on cannabis use and health variables. Multinominal logistic regression was used to assess the determinants of nondaily and daily cannabis use among the general population and logistic regression for the determinants of daily cannabis use among active cannabis users. Results Results indicate that 5.0% of the participants engaged in non-daily and 2.8% in daily cannabis use in the past 3 months. In adjusted...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose of Review This review examines the neurocognitive effects of cannabis and relevant developmental factors across adolescence (age 13–21), adulthood (21–65), and older adulthood (65 +). Recent Findings Cannabis use is robustly associated with poorer neurocognitive functioning; however, studies that carefully control for confounds have often not found any evidence for impairment. Notably, the endocannabinoid system may underly how cannabis use affects neurocognitive functions, including heightened vulnerability during adolescence. In contrast, the endocannabinoid system may underlie protective neurocognitive effects of cannabis in older adults. Notably, older adults have reported sharp increases in recent cannabis use. Summary...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract There are no FDA-approved treatments for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Preclinical research has shown that the 5HT-2C agonist lorcaserin attenuates cue-induced reinstatement of THC seeking and self-administration. The goal of this placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, within-subject human laboratory study was to examine lorcaserin's effects on cannabis intoxication and self-administration. Lorcaserin (10 mg BID) was administered during one of two 13-day inpatient phases and placebo during the other; each phase was separated by ≥7 days of washout. Inpatient phases comprised (1) standardized cannabis administration (7.0% THC) at no financial cost (intoxication), counterbalanced with (2) the option to self-administer cannabis following...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Research has indicated that cannabis consumption through alternative modes of use such as eating/drinking or vaping may be increasing in areas where cannabis has been legalized. However, there is little research that examines these different modes of cannabis use in a Canadian youth context. The purpose of this study was to identify pre-legalization modes of cannabis use (smoking, eating/drinking, vaping) among a sample of 45,677 secondary school students who participated in year 6 (2017/18) of the COMPASS study. Within our sample, 24.9% reported cannabis use within the last 12 months; among those, 38.7% reported occasional use,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Adolescence is a crucial developmental period where neural circuits are refined and the brain is especially vulnerable to external insults. The endocannabinoid (eCB) system undergoes changes during adolescence which affect the way in which it modulates the development of other systems, in particular dopamine circuits, which show protracted development into adolescence. Given the rise of cannabis use by adolescents and young people, as well as variants containing increasingly higher concentrations of THC, it is now crucial to understand the unique effects of adolescent exposure to cannabis on the developing brain and it might shape future adult vulnerabilities to conditions such...

Abstract Symptomatic management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is complex and many symptoms, especially non-motor symptoms, are not effectively addressed with current medications. In the US, cannabis has become more widely available for medical and recreational use, permitting those in the PD community to try alternative means of symptom control. However, little is known about the attitudes towards, and experiences with, cannabis use among those living with PD. To address this shortcoming, we distributed an anonymous survey to 7,607 people with PD in January 2020 and received 1339 responses (17.6%). 1064 complete responses were available for analysis. Respondents represented 49 states with a mean age...

Abstract Metallic nanoparticles, especially gold nanoparticles, are used in the therapy of various diseases. Recently, many chemotherapeutic supplements or drugs have been formulated with gold nanoparticles. One option for synthesizing gold nanoparticles is to use herbs. Many previous studies have shown that medicinal herbs increase the antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties of gold nanoparticles against tumor cell lines. In this study, gold nanoparticles were prepared and synthesized in an aqueous medium using Cannabis sativa L leaf extract as stabilizing and reducing agents. In addition, we evaluated the anti-leukemia effects of gold nanoparticles against acute T-cell leukemia and lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. Characterization of gold nanoparticles was done with FE...

Abstract Objectives To assess the motivation of cancer survivors to consume medical cannabis and to assess the patterns of use, perceived efficacy, as well as side and adverse effects. Methods Cross-sectional survey among 190 Israeli cancer survivors who were licensed to use medical cannabis in a single institution. In addition to demographic information, the questionnaire examined patterns of use (including dosage, type of cannabis and way of administration), motivation for medical cannabis consumption, perceived efficacy, adverse and side effects, motivation for ceasing cannabis consumption, and tobacco smoking. Results The mean monthly dosage of cannabis consumed was 42.4 grams; 95.8% of respondents reported not consuming...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction: Acute and long-term adverse effects of heavy cannabis use (HCU) on neurocognitive function have been suggested, as much as regional changes of brain volume. However, little is known about the relationship between impaired cognition and brain structure in individuals with HCU. Objective: Here, we investigated associations between cognition and cortical thickness (CT) in males with HCU and male controls. Methods: Twenty-six individuals with HCU and 20 controls were examined using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and high-resolution structural MRI at 3T. CT was calculated using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12). Results: Individuals with HCU differed from controls with respect to verbal...