Abstract Cannabis (marijuana) is now legal for either medicinal use or recreational use in 33 states with more states considering legalization for medicinal and/or recreational use. More women planning pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding will present with exposure to marijuana. A familiarity with the pharmacology and potential effects for pregnancy and lactation is important for the obstetrical care provider to permit optimal counseling for the gravida. This paper provides a pertinent review of cannabis for the obstetrical care provider. The literature available for review concludes that no amount of marijuana and associated product use in pregnancy and lactation is safe. Cannabis and associated product use...

Abstract As U.S. states steadily legalize its distribution and the prevalence of its use in people of reproductive age continues to rise, the need to understand the effects of marijuana on human physiology is becoming increasingly urgent. While marijuana is well-known for its psychoactive effects and applications in controlling pain and nausea, little is known about its effects on reproduction. This review includes in vitro studies which consistently demonstrate associations between marijuana consumption and low sperm count, dysregulated menstruation, and abnormal placentation. While many in vivo studies associate maternal marijuana use with stillbirth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and offspring psychosis, significant literature negates these relationships by...

ABSTRACT  Purpose: We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effects of medical marijuana on symptoms that are relevant to movement disorders with a focus on Huntington disease (HD). Methods: A systematic review by literature search through PubMed and EBSCO electronic databases was conducted for relevant studies reported after 2002 on the effects of medical marijuana or cannabis use on tremor, spasm, spasticity, chorea, sleep quality and HD-specific rating scales. Study selection, quality assessment and data extraction was performed by three reviewers. Outcome measures were changes in psychomotor, and sleep related symptoms. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated. Results: A total of 22 studies were reviewed. There was...

Abstract Background Precise cannabis treatment dosing remains a major challenge, leading to physicians’ reluctance to prescribe medical cannabis. Objective To test the pharmacokinetics, analgesic effect, cognitive performance and safety effects of an innovative medical device that enables the delivery of inhaled therapeutic doses of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in patients with chronic pain. Methods In a randomized, three-arms, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial, 27 patients received a single inhalation of Δ9-THC: 0.5mg, 1mg, or a placebo. Δ9-THC plasma levels were measured at baseline and up to 150-min post-inhalation. Pain intensity and safety parameters were recorded on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS) at pre-defined time points. The...

Abstract Cannabis abuse is a common phenomenon among adolescents. The dominant psychoactive substance in Cannabis sativa is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, in the past 40 years the content of the psychoactive ingredient THC in most of the preparations is not constant but has increased due to other breeding and culturing conditions. THC acts as the endocannabinoids at CB1 and CB2 receptors but pharmacologically can be described as a partial (not a pure) agonist. Recent evidence shows that activation of the CB1 receptor by THC can diminish the production of neuronal growth factor in neurons and affect other signalling cascades involved in synapsis formation. Since these factors play...

Abstract Cannabis has been considered as a therapeutic strategy to control intractable epilepsy. Several cannabis components, especially cannabidiol (CBD), induce antiseizure effects. However, additional information is necessary to identify the types of epilepsies that can be controlled by these components and the mechanisms involved in these effects. This review presents a summary of the discussion carried out during the 2nd Latin American Workshop on Neurobiology of Epilepsy entitled “Cannabinoid and epilepsy: myths and realities.” This event was carried out during the 10th Latin American Epilepsy Congress in San José de Costa Rica (September 28, 2018). The review focuses to discuss the use of CBD...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Marijuana may be used by some patients with gastroparesis (Gp) for its potential antiemetic, orexigenic, and pain-relieving effects. Aims The aim of this study was to describe the use of marijuana by patients for symptoms of Gp, assessing prevalence of use, patient characteristics, and patients’ perceived benefit on their symptoms of Gp. Methods Patients with symptoms of Gp underwent history and physical examination, gastric emptying scintigraphy, and questionnaires assessing symptoms. Patients were asked about the current use of medications and alternative medications including marijuana. Results Fifty-nine of 506 (11.7%) patients with symptoms of Gp...

Abstract For many centuries, cannabis (marijuana) has been used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Currently, there are about 192 million cannabis users worldwide, constituting approximately 3.9% of the global population. Cannabis comprises more than 70 aromatic hydrocarbon compounds known as cannabinoids. Endogenous circulating cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids, such as anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol, their metabolizing enzymes (fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase) and 2 G-protein coupled cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, together represent the endocannabinoid system and are present throughout the human body. In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the activated endocannabinoid system reduces gut motility, intestinal secretion and epithelial permeability, and induces inflammatory leukocyte...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: The opioid epidemic has spurred investigations for nonopioid options, yet limited research persists on medical marijuana's (MMJ) efficacy in managing cancer-related symptoms. Objective: We sought to characterize MMJ's role on symptomatic relief and opioid consumption in the oncologic population. Design: Retrospective chart review of MMJ-certified oncology patients was performed. Divided patients into MMJ use [MMJ(+)] versus no use [MMJ(−)], and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)-reported pain cohorts: “mild-moderate” versus “severe.” Measurements: Medical records were reviewed for ESAS, to measure physical and emotional symptoms, and opiate consumption, converted into morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Minimal clinically important differences were determined....