Abstract Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a multidimensional syndrome mainly occurring along the psychosis continuum. Cannabis use is known to increase symptoms of psychosis, particularly positive symptoms. However, the impact of cannabis use on FTD in individuals presenting symptoms along the psychosis continuum remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a meta-analysis examining the association between cannabis use and FTD in those individuals. We hypothesized that cannabis would worsen FTD. We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar databases up to July 2022. The results were collated through a random-effects model using the...

Abstract Background and Aims. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the onset of metabolic disorders which constitute risk factors for liver disease progression. Their impact may persist after the HCV infection has been cured. Cannabis use is associated with a lower risk of obesity and diabetes in both general and HCV populations. The associations between cannabis use and both dyslipidemia and hypertension have not yet been studied in persons with chronic HCV infection. Methods. Using cross-sectional data from the French ANRS CO22 Hepather cohort, we used regression models to test for an inverse relationship between cannabis use and (i) dyslipidemia, (ii) hypertension,...

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. The association between HCC and cannabis has been identified in mice; however, to our knowledge has not been identified in humans. Therefore, we aim to investigate the relation between HCC and cannabis use in humans. Methods: Using data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between 2002 and 2014, we identified the patients with HCC and cannabis use diagnosis using the International Classification of Disease 9th version codes (ICD-9). Then, we identified patients without cannabis use as the control group....

Abstract Background and Objectives There is a need to know more about cannabis use among terminally diagnosed older adults, specifically whether it operates as a complement or alternative to palliative care. The objective is to explore differences among the terminal illness population within the Illinois Medical Cannabis Program (IMCP) by their use of palliative care. Research Design and Methods The study uses primary, cross-sectional survey data from 708 terminally diagnosed patients, residing in Illinois, and enrolled in the IMCP. We compared the sample on palliative care utilization through logistic regression models, examined associations between palliative care and self-reported outcome improvements using ordinary least squares...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Daily use of marijuana is rising in adolescents, along with consumption of high potency marijuana products (high % Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC). These dual, related trends have opened gaps in understanding the long-term effects of daily consumption of a high dose of THC in adolescents and whether a therapeutic dose of cannabidiol (CBD) modulates THC effects. Methods Adolescent squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) were treated daily for four months with vehicle (n = 4), a high THC dose (1 mg/kg i.m.; n = 4), or THC + CBD (1 mg/kg +3 mg/kg i.m.; n = 4),...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Clinical and pre-clinical evidence demonstrates divergent psychotropic effects of THC vs. CBD. While THC can induce perceptual distortions and anxiogenic effects, CBD displays antipsychotic and anxiolytic properties. A key brain region responsible for regulation of cognition and affect, the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), is strongly modulated by cannabinoids, suggesting that these dissociable THC/CBD-dependent effects may involve functional and molecular interplay within the PFC. The primary aim of this study was to investigate potential interactions and molecular substrates involved in PFC-mediated effects of THC and CBD on differential cognitive and affective behavioural processing. Male Sprague Dawley...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Chronic pelvic pain in women is common and frequently difficult to treat. Chronic pelvic pain often develops in the setting of endometriosis, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, and vulvodynia. Cannabinoids are a promising treatment modality for non-cancer chronic pain, but have not been studied in women with chronic pelvic pain nor in specific chronic pelvic pain conditions. This review focuses on the interaction of the endocannabinoid system with the menstrual cycles, with endometriotic lesions, and within the bladder. Furthermore, it provides a brief overview of existing literature of the effects of endocannabinoids on chronic pain generally,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: People with spinal cord injuries (SCI) commonly experience pain and spasticity; limitations of current treatments have generated interest in cannabis as a possible therapy. Objectives: We conducted this systematic review to: 1) examine usage patterns and reasons for cannabinoid use, and 2) determine the treatment efficacy and safety of cannabinoid use in people with SCI. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were queried for keywords related to SCI and cannabinoids. Results: 7,232 studies were screened, and 34 were included in this systematic review. Though...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective Focal impaired awareness seizures (FIASs) are the most common seizure type in adults and are often refractory to medication. Management of FIASs is clinically challenging, and new interventions are needed for better seizure control. The amygdala-kindling model is a preclinical model of FIASs with secondary generalization. The present study assessed the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD), ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and a combination of CBD and THC in a 15:1 ratio at suppressing focal and secondarily generalized seizures in the amygdala-kindled rat. Methods Fully kindled, male Sprague Dawley rats, with bipolar electrodes implanted in the right amygdala,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that greatly impacts quality of life and amplifies caregiver burden. Agitation in AD may be associated with volume loss in the anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, insula, amygdala, and frontal cortex, as well as with degeneration of monoaminergic neurotransmission, disrupted circadian rhythms, and frailty. Current pharmacologic options have troubling safety concerns and only modest efficacy. There is increasing interest in cannabinoids as promising agents due to preclinical and early clinical research that suggest cannabinoids can elicit anxiolytic, antidepressant, and/or anti-inflammatory effects. Cannabinoids may relieve...