The adverse effects of cannabinoids: implications for use of medical marijuana

Posted on September 15, 2015 by David

“Wang and colleagues present a systematic review of the research on adverse effects of medical cannabis use.

The authors found that most of the adverse events reported in the randomized clinical trials were not serious; dizziness was the most common.

These findings support the conclusions of the Institute of Medicine, that short-term use of cannabinoids for medical purposes has an acceptable safety profile.

This provides reassurance on the safety of prescribing cannabinoids and the newer cannabis extract for the short-term symptomatic relief…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2413322/

Biomedical benefits of cannabinoids?

Posted on June 24, 2015 by David

“Cannabinoids appear to be of therapeutic value as antiemetics, antispasmodics, analgesics and appetite stimulants and may have potential uses in epilepsy, glaucoma and asthma.

This paper reviews the clinical trials which have been carried out with cannabinoids including Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic cannabinoids such as nabilone and levonantradol, and discusses the advantages and adverse effects of cannabinoids in clinical use.

The place of cannabinoids in modern medicine remains to be properly evaluated, but present evidence suggests that they could be valuable, particularly as adjuvants, for symptom control in a range of conditions for which standard drugs are not fully satisfactory.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20575778

Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Posted on June 24, 2015 by David

“Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms, but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear.

To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events (AEs) of cannabinoids.

There was moderate-quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity. There was low-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV infection, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome.

Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs. Common AEs included dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, somnolence, euphoria, vomiting, disorientation, drowsiness, confusion, loss of balance, and hallucination.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26103030

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2338251

Synergy between cannabidiol, cannabidiolic acid, and Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol in the regulation of emesis in the Suncus murinus (house musk shrew).

Posted on June 2, 2015 by David

“Smoked marijuana contains over 100 different cannabinoids, including the psychoactive compound Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

THC, CBD, and its acidic precursor, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), have all been shown to have antiemetic properties in the Suncus murinus.

Here we show that when subthreshold antiemetic doses of CBD or CBDA are combined with a subthreshold antiemetic dose of THC in the S. murinus, both lithium-chloride-induced vomiting and abdominal retching are dramatically suppressed.

These results suggest that combined effects of these compounds may lead to better control of vomiting with fewer side effects.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26030435

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/

[Cannabinoids in medicine].

Posted on May 18, 2015 by David

“Cannabinoids have been known for many centuries because of their various effects in healthcare. They are primarily effective in reducing nausea, vomiting, pain, anorexia, spasticity and depression. Some other effects are known, all seem to be mediated by cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system. In the past years, medical use has been proven in several studies. Today, the therapeutical use of cannabinoids in medicine is increasing, and access was made easier. Especially in pain-management and palliative care, they seem to be a valuable therapeutic option.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19165445

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) interferes with conditioned retching in Suncus murinus: an animal model of anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV).

Posted on April 28, 2015 by David

“Little is understood about effective countermeasures to the expression of anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV) in chemotherapy patients.

We present a model of ANV based on the emetic reactions of the Suncus murinus (musk shrew). Following two pairings of a novel distinctive contextual cue with the emetic effects of an injection of lithium chloride, the context acquired the potential to elicit retching in the absence of the toxin.

The expression of this conditioned retching reaction was completely suppressed by pretreatment with THC at a dose that did not suppress general activity.

This provides the first experimental evidence in support of anecdotal reports that THC suppresses ANV.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11277577

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, but not ondansetron, interfere with conditioned retching reactions elicited by a lithium-paired context in Suncus murinus: An animal model of anticipatory nausea and vomiting.

Posted on April 28, 2015 by David

“Chemotherapy patients report not only acute nausea and vomiting during the treatment itself, but also report anticipatory nausea and vomiting upon re-exposure to the cues associated with the treatment.

We present a model of anticipatory nausea based on the emetic reactions of the Suncus murinus (musk shrew). Following three pairings of a novel distinctive contextual cue with the emetic effects of an injection of lithium chloride, the context acquired the potential to elicit conditioned retching in the absence of the toxin.

The expression of this conditioned retching reaction was completely suppressed by pretreatment with each of the principal cannabinoids found in marijuana, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidiol, at a dose that did not suppress general activity.

These results support anecdotal claims that marijuana, but not ondansetron, may suppress the expression of anticipatory nausea.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16197970

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/

Cannabinoid agonists and antagonists modulate lithium-induced conditioned gaping in rats.

Posted on April 27, 2015 by David

“A series of experiments evaluated the potential of psychoactive cannabinoid agonists, delta-9-THC and HU-210, and non-psychoactive cannabinoids, Cannabidiol (CBD) and its dimethylheptyl homolog (CBD-dmh), to interfere with the establishment and the expression of conditioned gaping in rats.

All agents attenuated both the establishment and the expression of conditioned gaping.

Furthermore, the CB1 antagonist, SR-141716, reversed the suppressive effect of HU-210 on conditioned gaping.

Finally, SR-141716 potentiated lithium-induced conditioned gaping, suggesting that the endogenous cannabinoid system plays a role in the control of nausea.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14527182

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/

Effects of cannabinoids on lithium-induced conditioned rejection reactions in a rat model of nausea.

Posted on April 27, 2015 by David

“Marijuana has been reported to suppress nausea produced by chemotherapy treatment in human cancer patients.

… there is abundant evidence that cannabinoid agonists attenuate vomiting in emetic species…

The present experiments evaluated the potential of low doses of the cannabinoid agonists, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 0.5 mg/kg, i.p.), and HU-210 (0.001 mg/kg and 0.01 mg/kg, i.p.), and the CB(1) antagonist SR-141716A in modulating the establishment and the expression of lithium-induced conditioned rejection reactions in rats.

These results indicate that the establishment and the expression of lithium-induced conditioned rejection reactions are suppressed by pretreatment with cannabinoid agents.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12528012

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/

Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis and its synthetic dimethylheptyl homolog suppress nausea in an experimental model with rats.

Posted on April 27, 2015 by David

“Rats display conditioned rejection reactions during an oral infusion of a flavor previously paired with an emetic drug; considerable evidence indicates that these rejection reactions reflect nausea.

Here we report that cannabidiol, a major non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana and its synthetic dimethylheptyl homolog interfere with nausea elicited by lithium chloride and with conditioned nausea elicited by a flavor paired with lithium chloride.

These results suggest that cannabinoids without psychoactive side-effects may have therapeutic value in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11973447

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/nauseavomiting/