The medical certificates of 30 patients with adult ADHD, who were granted approval by the German Health Ministry to use cannabis flowers between 2012 and 2014, were analysed with regard to course of disease, previous treatment efforts, and effects of self-medication with cannabis or therapy with cannabis-based medications. For adult patients with ADHD, who experience side effects or do not profit from standard medication, cannabis may be an effective and well-tolerated alternative. Read More
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer‐associated mortality worldwide; however, only limited therapeutic treatments are currently available. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of cannabinoids as novel therapeutic targets in HCC. In addition, the mechanism underlying the effects of a synthetic cannabinoid, WIN55, 212‐2, on the BEL7402 HCC cell line was investigated. These results provided a basis for the application of WIN in the treatment of HCC. Read More
A study recently published in Neurotherapeutics by researchers at the New York University School of Medicine reviews scientific evidence from pre-clinical and clinical trials of cannabinoids in epilepsy. These studies suggest that CBD avoids the psychoactive effects of the endocannabinoid system to provide a well-tolerated, promising therapeutic for the treatment of seizures. Future placebo-controlled clinical trials will provide insight into cannabinoid function and the potential neuroprotective effects of the endocannabinoid system. Read More
Researchers at Yale University published this review in Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports in 2015 with the goal of addressing the most important questions a clinician may have regarding the use of marijuana in epilepsy. They review data for the anticonvulsant properties of the different cannabinoids, mainly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and explore the safety data from animal and human studies. Read More
Researchers at the University of South Florida published an article in BioMed Central in 2004 summarizing the antiviral effects of THC and comparing THC with well-characterized antiviral drugs. They compiled data from the literature as well as from their own experimental results. The authors’ observations suggest that THC either directly or indirectly targets a viral gene shared by the herpesviruses. Read More
With the growing spread of cannabis abuse, a novel clinical disorder has emerged, termed Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
Researchers in Israel published a Case Communications report in the Israel Medical Association Journal in May 2015. The majority of patients with CHS are heavy users of cannabinoids, on a daily or almost daily basis for years.
Symptoms are characterized by recurrent attacks of severe nausea and vomiting and accompanying abdominal pain. Read More
This study reported and statistically analyzed psychometric data on PTSD symptoms collected during 80 psychiatric evaluations of patients applying to the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program from 2009 to 2011. Greater than 75% reduction in CAPS symptom scores were reported when patients were using cannabis compared to when they were not. Read More
In 2011, researchers in Israel published the first study evaluating the effect of cannabis on patients with Crohn’s disease. All patients stated that consuming cannabis had a positive effect, ameliorating disease activity and reducing the need for other conventional medications. The researchers hypothesized that the observed beneficial effect in this study may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis, but additional effects of cannabinoids may also play a role. Read More
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego performed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled crossover study in 16 patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy to assess the short-term efficacy and tolerability of inhaled cannabis. This trial of inhaled cannabis demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain in patients with treatment-refractory pain. This adds preliminary evidence to support further research on the efficacy of cannabinoids in neuropathic pain. Read More
In 2011, Nature Publishing Group released an article by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, who undertook a study of twenty-one individuals with chronic pain to delineate the synergistic effects of cannabinoids and opioids. The study concluded that vaporized cannabis augments the analgesic effects of opioids without significantly altering plasma opioid levels. The combination may allow for opioid treatment at lower doses with fewer side effects. Read More
