The relationship between cannabis and anorexia nervosa: a scoping review

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Relapse rates in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) remain high, warranting exploration of further treatments. Cannabinoid agonists are of interest as they have shown successful outcomes in the treatment of associated conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. This scoping review explores the endocannabinoid system (ECS), benefits/harms/null effects of cannabinoid treatment, and harms of cannabis use in AN. PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 2010 and August 2023, with human participants that explored the ECS, cannabinoid treatment, or cannabis use, and included 1 or more keywords for both cannabis and AN in the title and or abstract. Reports describing secondary anorexia, reports not available in English, grey literature, reports combining data from AN with other conditions, and reports only reporting the prevalence of cannabis abuse/dependence were excluded. Data were extracted from 17 reports (n = 15 studies). For the ECS, outcomes included genetics such as allele expression related to the ECS, cannabinoid receptor availability, and circulating levels of endocannabinoids. For benefits/harms/null effects of cannabinoid treatment, outcomes included changes in weight, eating disorder (ED) symptoms, physical activity (PA), and hormones. For harms of cannabis use, outcomes included genetics related to cannabis use disorder and associations between cannabis use and ED symptoms.

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Health-related quality of life in patients accessing medicinal cannabis in Australia: The QUEST initiative results of a 3-month follow-up observational study

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Time perception received growing interest in psychiatry for its psychopathological implications. Cannabis use can cause a subjective experience of temporal perception alteration and increases the risk of emergence of mental illnesses such as psychotic and mood disorders. In this framework, we systematically reviewed the findings regarding the clinical, cognitive, and neurobiological correlates of time alterations due to cannabis consumption. According to preclinical results, cannabis exerts a dose-dependent time overestimation, associated with motor inhibition and circadian alterations. Clinical results reported that cannabis impair time estimation and time reproduction abilities, causing subjective temporal fragmentation and depersonalization symptoms. The alteration of timing mediated by cannabis use might depend on a dopaminergic indirect action and on structural, functional, and metabolic alterations of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. Despite the potential interest, however, only few studies explored the link between cannabis-induced alterations of time processing and psychiatric symptoms.

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Clinical, Cognitive, and Neurobiological Correlates of Impaired Timing Abilities Associate to Cannabis Use: a Systematic Review

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Time perception received growing interest in psychiatry for its psychopathological implications. Cannabis use can cause a subjective experience of temporal perception alteration and increases the risk of emergence of mental illnesses such as psychotic and mood disorders. In this framework, we systematically reviewed the findings regarding the clinical, cognitive, and neurobiological correlates of time alterations due to cannabis consumption. According to preclinical results, cannabis exerts a dose-dependent time overestimation, associated with motor inhibition and circadian alterations. Clinical results reported that cannabis impair time estimation and time reproduction abilities, causing subjective temporal fragmentation and depersonalization symptoms. The alteration of timing mediated by cannabis use might depend on a dopaminergic indirect action and on structural, functional, and metabolic alterations of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuit. Despite the potential interest, however, only few studies explored the link between cannabis-induced alterations of time processing and psychiatric symptoms.

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Updated clinical recommendations for the management of tuberous sclerosis complex associated epilepsy

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Children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), may experience a variety of seizure types in the first year of life, most often focal seizure sand epileptic spasms. Drug resistance is seen early in many patients, and the management of TSC associated epilepsy remain a major challenge for clinicians. In 2018 clinical recommendations for the management of TSC associated epilepsy were published by a panel of European experts. In the last five years considerable progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of epileptogenesis and three interventional randomized controlled trials have changed the therapeutic approach for the management of TSC associated epilepsy. Pre-symptomatic treatment with vigabatrin may delay seizure onset, may reduce seizure severity and reduce the risk of epileptic encephalopathy.

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Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Effect of Cannabidiol Against Enveloped and Nonenveloped Viruses

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Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychoactive cannabinoid of the Cannabis sativa plant, is a powerful antioxidant compound that in recent years has increased interest due to causes effects in a wide range of biological functions. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a virus transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which causes neurological diseases, such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Although the frequency of viral outbreaks has increased recently, no vaccinations or particular chemotherapeutic treatments are available for ZIKV infection. The major aim of this study was to explore the in vitro antiviral activity of CBD against ZIKV, expanding also to other dissimilar viruses.

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Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Neurological Disorders: A Comprehensive Review

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Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is a principal psychoactive extract of Cannabis sativa and has been traditionally used as palliative medicine for neuropathic pain. Cannabidiol (CBD), an extract of hemp species, has recently attracted increased attention as a cancer treatment, but Δ9-THC is also requiring explored pharmacological application. This study evaluated the pharmacological effects of Δ9-THC in two human colorectal cancer cell lines. We inves-tigated whether Δ9-THC treatment induces cell death in human colorectal cancer cells.

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Cell death induction and intracellular vesicle formation in human colorectal cancer cells treated with Δ9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol

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Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is a principal psychoactive extract of Cannabis sativa and has been traditionally used as palliative medicine for neuropathic pain. Cannabidiol (CBD), an extract of hemp species, has recently attracted increased attention as a cancer treatment, but Δ9-THC is also requiring explored pharmacological application. This study evaluated the pharmacological effects of Δ9-THC in two human colorectal cancer cell lines. We inves-tigated whether Δ9-THC treatment induces cell death in human colorectal cancer cells.

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A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Safety and Effects of CBN With and Without CBD on Sleep Quality

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The present study sought to determine the effects of cannabinol (CBN) alone and in combination with cannabidiol (CBD) on sleep quality. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study conducted between May and November 2022. Participants were randomized to receive either (a) placebo, (b) 20 mg CBN, (c) 20 mg CBN + 10 mg CBD, (d) 20 mg CBN + 20 mg CBD, or (e) 20 mg CBN + 100 mg CBD for seven consecutive nights. Participants were 18–55 years of age who self-rated sleep quality as “very poor” or “poor.” The primary endpoint was sleep quality, while secondary endpoints included sleep onset latency, number of awakenings, wake after sleep onset (WASO), overall sleep disturbance, and daytime fatigue

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The placental disposition of cannabidiol: an ex vivo perfusion study

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In the absence of safety data in humans, the use of cannabidiol (CBD) is not recommended during pregnancy. Yet >50% of pregnancies in women with epilepsy are unintended, making fetal exposure to CBD possible. As a small-molecule, highly lipid-soluble drug, CBD is likely to distribute into the placenta and cross it. To estimate the placental distribution profile of CBD and its potential short-term placental effects, we conducted an ex vivo perfusion study in human placentas.

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Anxiety severity and prescription medication utilization in first-time medical marijuana users

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Anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are qualifying psychiatric conditions for medical marijuana (MM) treatment in Pennsylvania. This study examined baseline prevalence and changes in prescription anxiety medication use three months following MM treatment initiation among individuals with these qualifying conditions. The study sample was comprised of 108 adults with anxiety or PTSD as a referring condition; they were enrolled in a longitudinal study evaluating biopsychosocial outcomes in new MM patients. Consenting participants completed an assessment battery at baseline and Month 3 (n = 94, 87 % follow-up rate) that included a measure of anxiety severity and questions about current anxiety medication prescription and desired (baseline) and actual (Month 3) reductions in medication use.

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Minor, Nonterpenoid Volatile Compounds Drive the Aroma Differences of Exotic Cannabis

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Cannabis sativa L. produces a wide variety of volatile secondary metabolites that contribute to its unique aroma. The major volatile constituents include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and their oxygenated derivates. In particular, the compounds ß-myrcene, D-(+)-limonene, ß-caryophyllene, and terpinolene are often found in greatest amounts, which has led to their use in chemotaxonomic classification schemes and legal Cannabis sativa L. product labeling. While these compounds contribute to the characteristic aroma of Cannabis sativa L. and may help differentiate varieties on a broad level, their importance in producing specific aromas is not well understood. Here, we show that across Cannabis sativa L. varieties with divergent aromas, terpene expression remains remarkably similar, indicating their benign contribution to these unique, specific scents.

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Anti-proliferative effect of Cannabidiol in Prostate cancer cell PC3 is mediated by apoptotic cell death, NFκB activation, increased oxidative stress, and lower reduced glutathione status

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Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer diagnosed in men in the world today. Almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas and develop from gland cells. We used the PC3 prostate cancer cell line, which is well studied and derived from a bone metastasis of a grade IV prostatic adenocarcinoma. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychoactive constituent of cannabis, is a cannabinoid with anti-tumor properties but its effects on prostate cancer cells are not studied in detail. Here, we found cannabidiol decreased prostate cancer cell (PC3) viability up to 37.25% and induced apoptotic cell death in a time and dose-dependent manner. We found that CBD activated the caspases 3/7 pathways and increased DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, we observed an increase of pro-apoptotic genes Bax, an increased level of reactive oxygen species, lower reduced glutathione level, and altered mitochondrial potential in response to CBD treatment leading to lower cellular ATP. Overall, our results suggest that CBD may be effective against prostate cancer cells.

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