Posts

Potential, Limitations and Risks of Cannabis-Derived Products in Cancer Treatment

/by

It is easy to find success stories on the internet of patients with cancer who seem to benefit from using cannabis products. However, scientific substantiation is usually lacking. Therefore, there are critical questions among clinicians and other healthcare providers about the potential of cannabis products in cancer care. In this article, we aim to give direction for making choices about the responsible use of cannabis products in oncology by addressing the following questions: How does cannabis work? What is medicinal cannabis? What kind of cannabis products are in use? What is their legal status? Is there evidence for therapeutic effects in patients with cancer? What is the risk–benefit balance in terms of adverse effects, (potential) drug interactions, symptom management and antitumour activity? May cannabis products provide added value in the treatment of patients with cancer? We end up with an outlook and perspective determining the place of cannabis products in oncology.

Read more

Medicinal cannabis for patients with chronic non-cancer pain: analysis of safety and concomitant medications

/by

This study aimed to explore the incidence of adverse events (AEs) reported by patients when initiating medicinal cannabis treatment for chronic pain, and the association of cannabis constituents, dose and concomitant medicines with AE incidence.

Read more

The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids

/by

There is increasing interest in the use of cannabinoids for disease and symptom management, but limited information available regarding their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to guide prescribers. Cannabis medicines contain a wide variety of chemical compounds, including the cannabinoids delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is psychoactive, and the nonpsychoactive cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis use is associated with both pathological and behavioural toxicity and, accordingly, is contraindicated in the context of significant psychiatric, cardiovascular, renal or hepatic illness.

Read more

Potential Adverse Drug Events with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Due to Drug–Drug Interactions.

/by

Authors: Joshua D. Brown
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 28 February 2020
—
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. While the safety of THC and cannabis has been extrapolated from millennia of recreational use, medical marijuana programs have increased exposure among medically complex individuals with comorbid co…

Read more

Drug-drug interaction between clobazam and cannabidiol in children with refractory epilepsy.

/by

Authors: Alexandra L. Geffrey, Sarah F. Pollack, Patricia L. Bruno, Elizabeth A. Thiele
Epilepsia, August 2015
—
OBJECTIVE: Under an expanded access investigational new drug (IND) trial, cannabidiol (CBD) is being studied as a possible adjuvant treatment of refractory epilepsy in children. Of the 25 subjects in the trial, 13 were being treated with clobazam (CLB). Because CLB and CBD are…

Read more