Abstract Background: Despite the absence of rigorous prospective studies, there has been an increase in the use of cannabis-based medicinal products. During the study period, the use of medical cannabis in Israel was tightly regulated by national policy. Through a prospective study of approximately 10,000 patients, we aimed to characterize the medical cannabis patient population as well as to identify treatment adherence, safety, and effectiveness. Methods and Findings: In this study of prescribed medical cannabis patients, adherence, safety, and effectiveness were assessed at 6 months. Treatment adherence was assessed by the proportion of patients purchasing the medication out of the total number of patients (excluding deceased...

Abstract The use of Cannabis sativa is currently recognized to ease certain types of chronic pain, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea, and improve anxiety. Nevertheless, few studies highlighted the therapeutic potential of C. sativa extracts and related phytocannabinoids for a variety of widespread skin disorders including acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus, and pain. This review summarized the current evidence on the effects of phytocannabinoids at the cutaneous level through the collection of in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies published on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science until October 2020. Phytocannabinoids have demonstrated potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-acne properties by various mechanisms involving either CB1/2-dependent and independent pathways. Not only...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated the potential anticancer activity of cannabinoids, yet little clinical data exist to support this. Nearly 40% of patients with cancer using cannabis believe it will treat their cancer with numerous anecdotal reports shared online through social media platforms. Case reports have been published in peer-reviewed journals, but often lack key clinical information to validate anticancer claims. Methods: We reviewed literature in PubMed and EBSCO databases that evaluated the relationship between cannabis or the endocannabinoid system and potential anticancer activity. We also reviewed online sources, books, and ClinicalTrials.gov for reports or studies on using cannabis...

Abstract Concomitant use of cannabis with other drugs may lead to cannabis–drug interactions, mainly due to the pharmacokinetic mechanism involving the family of CYP450 isoenzymes. This narrative systematic review aimed to systematize the available information regarding clinical relevance of cannabis–drug interactions. We utilized the PubMed/Medline database for this systematic review, using the terms drug interactions and cannabis, between June 2011 and June 2021. Articles with cannabis–drug interactions in humans, in English or Spanish, with full-text access were selected. Two researchers evaluated the article’s inclusion. The level of clinical relevance was determined according to the severity and probability of the interaction. Ninety-five articles were identified...

ABSTRACT Objectives Anxiety disorders are one of the most common reasons for seeking treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). Current pharmacological treatments are variable in efficacy and the endocannabinoid system has been identified as a potential therapeutic target. This study aims to detail the changes in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and clinical safety following CBMP therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Methods A case series from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry was performed. Primary outcomes included changes from baseline in patient-reported outcome measures (the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), EQ-5D-5L (a measure of health-related quality of life), and Sleep Quality Scale (SQS)) at 1, 3 and...

Abstract Background Cannabis-based medicines are widely used in the treatment of a number of medical conditions. Unfortunately, cognitive disturbances are often reported as adverse events, although conversely, cognitive improvements have been reported. Hence, the objective of the present study was to identify, critically appraise and synthesise research findings on the potential impact of cannabis-based medicines on cognitive functioning. Methods Four databases (EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus) were systematically searched. Studies were included if they provided findings on the impact of cannabis-based medicines in controlled settings on cognitive functioning measured by recognized cognitive tests in human adults. Study participants were required to be their own...

Abstract Objective Expanding access to legal cannabis has dovetailed with increased interest in medical cannabis (MC) use; however, there is a paucity of research examining MC use to alleviate menopause-related symptoms. This survey study assessed patterns of MC use in perimenopausal and postmenopausal individuals. Methods Participants (perimenopausal, n = 131; postmenopausal, n = 127) completed assessments of menopause-related symptomatology and cannabis use, including modes of use, type of use, and menopause-related symptoms addressed by MC use. Results Most participants reported current cannabis use (86.1%) and endorsed using MC for menopause-related symptoms (78.7%). The most common modes of use were smoking (84.3%) and edibles (78.3%), and the top menopause-related...

Abstract Resting state fMRI has been employed to identify alterations in functional connectivity within or between brain regions following acute and chronic exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis. Most studies focused a priori on a limited number of local brain areas or circuits, without considering the impact of cannabis on whole-brain network organization. The present study attempted to identify changes in the whole-brain human functional connectome as assessed with ultra-high field (7T) resting state scans of cannabis users (N = 26) during placebo and following vaporization of cannabis. Two distinct data-driven methodologies, i.e. network-based statistics (NBS) and connICA, were used to identify changes...

Abstract Whilst the cannabis-cancer link has been traditionally described as controversial recent whole nation and whole continent studies have demonstrated that well documented laboratory-based multimodal cannabinoid genotoxicity is indeed reflected in numerous cancer types in larger epidemiological series. A recent longitudinal human sperm epigenome-wide DNA methylation screen in both cannabis dependence and cannabis withdrawal has revealed remarkable insights into the manner in which widespread perturbations of DNA methylation may lead to cancerogenic changes in both the exposed and subsequent generations as a result of both cannabis exposure and withdrawal. These results therefore powerfully strengthen and further robustify the causal nature of the relationship between...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Purpose of Review With cannabis legalization expanding throughout the world, an unprecedented number of people now have access to legal cannabis. This expanded legalization has also created an extensive retail market that includes a litany of cannabis products, which vary on factors such as chemical profile (i.e., chemotype), formulation, and intended route of administration. Despite increases in cannabis access and product variety, research on the effects of product and user characteristics on drug effect profiles is limited. Recent Findings Controlled laboratory studies are important because they can reveal what factors influence the pharmacokinetic (PK) and...