Entries by Michelle Smith

Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke Among Children

Question How is cannabis smoking in the home associated with resident children’s exposure to cannabis smoke, as measured by urinary biomarkers?

Findings In this cross-sectional study of 275 children, the odds of detectable THC equivalents in children’s urine were 5 times higher in households with reported in-home cannabis smoking compared with households without.

Question How is cannabis smoking in the home associated with resident children’s exposure to cannabis smoke, as measured by urinary biomarkers?

Findings In this cross-sectional study of 275 children, the odds of detectable THC equivalents in children’s urine were 5 times higher in households with reported in-home cannabis smoking compared with households without.

Meaning These results suggest that reducing in-home cannabis smoking could substantially reduce children’s exposure to cannabis smoke, which contains toxic chemicals including known carcinogens.

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Effectiveness of Palmitoylethanolamide (Levagen+) Compared to a Placebo for Reducing Pain, Duration, and Medication Use during Migraines in Otherwise Healthy Participants—A Double-Blind Randomised Controlled Study

Migraines are a common neurological disorder that generally affects young to middle-aged adults and females more than males. Various treatment options are available; however, these can cause undesirable side effects. Therefore, alternative treatments with minimal side effects are still being investigated. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a signalling lipid known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Previous prophylactic research has reported PEA supplementation to decrease pain associated with migraines. Upon commencement of migraine symptoms, participants were supplemented with either 600 mg of PEA (Levagen+) or a placebo (maltodextrin). Once a dose was taken, participants recorded a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain every 30 min for 4 h or until the migraine resolved.

Effect of cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis plant derivative, against Candida albicans growth and biofilm formation

Fungal resistance to available antifungal molecules has emerged as a significant and continued threat. Several plants, including cannabis, have promising antimicrobial activities, potentially including those against Candida albicans. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activities of cannabidiol (CBD) against C. albicans. Yeast cells were treated once or twice with different concentrations (from 0 to 20 µg/mL) of CBD, showing a significant (p < 0.05) decrease of the growth of C. albicans, with cell concentrations ranging from 5.1 × 106 cells/mL in the control to 1.8 × 106 cells/mL after one exposure to 20 µg/mL CBD. This growth reduction was greater after two exposures to CBD.

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Controlled Inhalation of Tetrahydrocannabinol-Predominant Cannabis Flos Mitigates Severity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Improves Quality of Sleep and General Mood in Cannabis-Experienced UK Civilians: A Real-World, Observational Study

Approximately 4% of the UK population experiences PTSD. Individuals must exhibit symptoms across four clusters to receive a diagnosis: intrusion, avoidance, altered reactivity, and altered mood. Evidence suggests that cannabinoid agonists such as nabilone and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may alleviate PTSD symptoms. We investigated the safety and effectiveness of THC-predominant cannabis flowers for inhalation to manage PTSD symptoms in a real-world setting.

Comprehensive cannabinoid profiling of acid-treated CBD samples and Δ8-THC-infused edibles

Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) is increasingly popular as a controversial substitute for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in cannabinoid-infused edibles. Δ8-THC is prepared from cannabidiol (CBD) by treatment with acids. Side products including Δ9-THC and other isomers that might end up in Δ8-THC edibles are less studied. In this paper, three orthogonal methods, namely reversed-phase (RP)-UHPLC-DAD/HRMS, normal-phase/argentation (silica-Ag(I))-HPLC-DAD/MS, and GC-FID/MS were developed for analysis of cannabinoid isomers, namely Δ8-THC, Δ9-THC, CBD, Δ8-iso-THC, Δ(4)8-iso-THC, and hydrated THC isomers. Eight acid-treated CBD mixtures contained various amounts of Δ8-THC (0–89%, w/w%), high levels of Δ9-THC (up to 49%), Δ8-isoTHC (up to 55%), Δ(4)8-iso-THC (up to 17%), and three hydrated THC isomers. Commercial Δ8-THC gummies were also analyzed, and issues like overclaimed Δ8-THC, excessive Δ9-THC, undeclared Δ8-iso-THC, and Δ(4)8-iso-THC were found. These findings highlight the urgency of improving regulations towards converting CBD to Δ8-THC for use as food ingredients.

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Cannabinoids as therapeutic agents for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: Involvement of aromatase and hormone receptors

Despite the success of endocrine therapy, resistance development demands the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC). Several studies revealed that cannabinoids exert crucial anti-cancer effects in these tumors. In fact, we showed that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) decrease ER+ BC cell viability, modulating aromatase and ERs. Considering this and the fact that Cannabis has several minor phytocannabinoids whose therapeutic effects are still unknown, the actions of cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabichromene (CBC) in sensitive and resistant ER+ BC models were explored.

Weight loss and improved mood after aerobic exercise training are linked to lower plasma anandamide in healthy people

Anandamide, a major endocannabinoid, participates in energy metabolism homeostasis and neurobehavioral processes. In a secondary analysis of an open-label, randomized controlled trial, we investigated the long-term effect of aerobic exercise on resting plasma anandamide, and explored its relationship with changes in body weight, cardiorespiratory fitness, and mood status in healthy, physically inactive individuals. Participants recruited between March 2013 to August 2015 at the UNIFESP’s Neurology/Psychobiology Department were randomly allocated into a 12-weeks supervised moderate exercise program, or into waitlist, control condition.

Weight Loss and Therapeutic Metabolic Effects of Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)-Infused Mucoadhesive Strips

Metabolic syndrome is due to dysregulation that starts with fat accumulation, causing inflammatory response, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and fatty liver disease. The endocannabinoid system, via cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), has been shown to be involved with energy homeostasis and regulation of appetitive behavior via activity in the hypothalamus, limbic forebrain and amygdala and in the peripheral tissues including adipose, liver and muscle. Therefore, two phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), a CB1 neutral antagonist, and cannabidiol (CBD), a negative allosteric modulator of CB1, are expected to have therapeutic metabolic benefits, including weight loss.