Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract The increased legal availability of cannabis has led to a common misconception that it is a safe natural remedy for, among others, pregnancy-related ailments such as morning sickness. Emerging clinical evidence, however, indicates that prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) predisposes offspring to various neuropsychiatric disorders linked to aberrant dopaminergic function. Yet, our knowledge of how cannabis exposure affects the maturation of this neuromodulatory system remains limited. Here, we show that male, but not female, offspring of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-exposed dams, a rat PCE model, exhibit extensive molecular and synaptic changes in dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Currently, a combination of marijuana cannabinoids including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) is used as a drug to treat muscle spasticity in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Because these cannabinoids can also suppress inflammation, it is unclear whether such patients benefit from suppression of neuroinflammation and if so, what is the mechanism through which cannabinoids act. In the currently study, we used a murine model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), to study the role of gut microbiota in the attenuation of clinical signs of paralysis and inflammation caused by cannabinoids. THC + CBD treatment attenuated EAE and caused significant decrease...

Abstract Background The main psychoactive component of cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can impair driving performance. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating cannabis component, is thought to mitigate certain adverse effects of THC. It is possible then that cannabis containing equivalent CBD and THC will differentially affect driving and cognition relative to THC-dominant cannabis. Aims The present study investigated and compared the effects of THC-dominant and THC/CBD equivalent cannabis on simulated driving and cognitive performance. Methods In a randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover design, healthy volunteers (n = 14) with a history of light cannabis use attended three outpatient experimental test sessions in which simulated driving and cognitive performance were assessed...

Abstract Medical cannabis use is increasing worldwide. Clinicians are commonly asked by patients to provide guidance on its safety and efficacy. Although there has been an increase in research on the role of medical cannabis for a number of different conditions, we found that there was a paucity of clear safety guidance on its use. We aim to address this issue by answering two pertinent clinician safety questions: 1 Can medical cannabis be safely used in this patient? 2. What strategies can be used to ensure that any harms from medical cannabis are mitigated? To address these questions, we reviewed available evidence and provided...

Abstract Marijuana ( Cannabis sativa ) is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide as well as in the Unites States. Prolonged use of marijuana or repeated administration of its primary psychoactive constituent, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can lead to physical dependence in humans and laboratory animals. The changes that occur with repeated cannabis use include alterations in behavioral, physiological, and biochemical responses. A variety of withdrawal responses occur in cannabis-dependent individuals: anger, aggression, irritability, anxiety and nervousness, decreased appetite or weight loss, restlessness, and sleep difficulties with strange dreams. But the long half-life and other pharmacokinetic properties of THC result in delayed expression of withdrawal symptoms, and...

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 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...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Electronic cigarettes, pens, cartridges and other devices were developed as nicotine delivery systems not requiring combustion of tobacco leaves. This technology was subsequently employed to deliver the cannabis component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) via products often manufactured without adequate quality oversight and sold illegally. Recently, five patients presenting within a 2-month period with acute respiratory failure due to acute lipoid pneumonia after inhaling THC-containing concentrates or oils have been described. We report a 28-year-old previously healthy man who presented in acute respiratory failure 2 weeks after initiating use of a street-purchased THC-containing vape cartridge. Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology with...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabinoids can enhance the antinociceptive effects of opioids in a synergistic manner, potentially reducing the analgesic dosage of opioids and improving pain therapy. This strategy has also been used as a rationale to combine certain antidepressants and opioids. In this experiment, opioid-induced thermal antinociception was assessed in rhesus macaques using a warm-water tail-withdrawal procedure with 3 water temperatures (40, 50, and 55 °C). In general, the acute antinociceptive effects of intramuscular (i.m.) cumulative doses of heroin were studied alone or in combination with i.m. (-)-trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), or the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline. A nonantinociceptive...