A Scoping Review of the Use of Cannabis and Its Extracts as Potential Harm Reduction Strategies: Insights from Preclinical and Clinical Research

Authors: James Siklos-Whillans, Alia Bacchus, Laurie A. Manwell Published in International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction March 2020 Abstract Cannabis as a harm reduction strategy (HRS) is supported by evidence…

Trends in Cannabis Use Among Older Adults in the United States, 2015-2018.

Authors: Benjamin H. Han, Joseph J. Palamar
JAMA Internal Medicine, 24 February 2020

With the legalization of cannabis in many states for medical and/or recreational purposes, there is increasing interest in using cannabis to treat a variety of long-term health conditions and symptoms common among older adults. The use of cannabis in the past year by adults 65…

Cocaine and Marijuana Use Among Young Adults With Myocardial Infarction.

Authors: Ersilia M. DeFilippis, Avinainder Singh, Sanjay Divakaran, Ankur Gupta, Bradley L. Collins, et al
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 5 June 2018

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse is increasingly prevalent among young adults, but data on cardiovascular outcomes remain limited. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of cocaine and marijuana use in adults with their first myocardial infarction (M…

Rates and Predictors of Conversion to Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder Following Substance-Induced Psychosis.

Authors: Marie Stefanie Kejser Starzer, Merete Nordentoft, Carsten Hjorthøj
American Journal of Psychiatry, April 2018

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the rates of conversion to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder after a substance-induced psychosis, as well as risk factors for conversion. METHOD: All patient information was extracted from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Psychi…

The Potential of Cannabidiol Treatment for Cannabis Users With Recent-Onset Psychosis.

Authors: Britta Hahn
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 13 January 2018

A major factor associated with poor prognostic outcome after a first psychotic break is cannabis misuse, which is prevalent in schizophrenia and particularly common in individuals with recent-onset psychosis. Behavioral interventions aimed at reducing cannabis use have been un…

The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system.

Authors: Michael A. P. Bloomfield, Abhishekh H. Ashok, Nora D. Volkow, Oliver D. Howes
Nature, 17 November 2016

The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, are a pressing concern for global mental health. Patterns of cannabis use are changing drastically owing to legalization, the availability of synthetic analogues (commonly termed spice)…

Does Cannabis Cause, Exacerbate or Ameliorate Psychiatric Disorders? An Oversimplified Debate Discussed.

Authors: Margaret Haney, A. Eden Evins
Neuropsychopharmacology, January 2016

There have been extensive policy shifts in the legality of recreational and therapeutic use of cannabis in the United States, as well as a steady increase in the number of people using the drug on a regular basis. Given these rapid societal changes, defining what is known scie…

Psychotic experiences are linked to cannabis use in adolescents in the community because of common underlying environmental risk factors.

Authors: Sania Shakoor, Helena M.S. Zavos, Philip McGuire, Alastair G. Cardno, et al
Psychiatry Research, 30 June 2015

Cannabis users are more likely to have psychotic experiences (PEs). The degree to which these associations are driven by genetic or environmental influences in adolescence is unknown. This study estimated the genetic and environmental contributions to the relationship between…

Use of Prescription Pain Medications Among Medical Cannabis Patients

Authors: Brian E. Perron, Kipling Bohnert, Angela K. Perone, Marcel O. Bonn-Miller, Mark Ilgen
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, May 2015

OBJECTIVE: Management of chronic pain is one of the most common reasons given by individuals seeking medical cannabis. However, very little information exists about the concurrent use of cannabis and prescription pain medication (PPM). This study fills this gap in knowledge by…

Cannabinoid CB2 receptors modulate midbrain dopamine neuronal activity and dopamine-related behavior in mice.

Authors: Hai-Ying Zhang, Ming Gao, Qing-Rong Liu, Guo-Hua Bi, Xia Li, Hong-Ju Yang, et al
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 November 2014

Cannabinoid CB2 receptors (CB2Rs) have been recently reported to modulate brain dopamine (DA)-related behaviors; however, the cellular mechanisms underlying these actions are unclear. Here we report that CB2Rs are expressed in ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons and functi…

Young adult sequelae of adolescent cannabis use: an integrative analysis.

Authors: Edmund Silins, L. John Horwood, George C. Patton, David M. Fergusson, Craig A. Olsson, et al
The Lancet Psychiatry, September 2014

BACKGROUND: Debate continues about the consequences of adolescent cannabis use. Existing data are limited in statistical power to examine rarer outcomes and less common, heavier patterns of cannabis use than those already investigated; furthermore, evidence has a piecemeal app…

Medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality in the United States, 1999-2010.

Authors: Marcus A. Bachhuber, Brendan Saloner, Chinazo O. Cunningham, et al
JAMA Internal Medicine, October 2014

IMPORTANCE: Opioid analgesic overdose mortality continues to rise in the United States, driven by increases in prescribing for chronic pain. Because chronic pain is a major indication for medical cannabis, laws that establish access to medical cannabis may change overdose mort…