Category Archives: Obesity

Therapeutic potential of cannabinoid medicines.

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Drug Testing and Analysis

“Cannabis was extensively used as a medicine throughout the developed world in the nineteenth century but went into decline early in the twentieth century ahead of its emergence as the most widely used illicit recreational drug later that century. Recent advances in cannabinoid pharmacology alongside the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) have re-ignited interest in cannabis-based medicines.

The ECS has emerged as an important physiological system and plausible target for new medicines. Its receptors and endogenous ligands play a vital modulatory role in diverse functions including immune response, food intake, cognition, emotion, perception, behavioural reinforcement, motor co-ordination, body temperature, wake/sleep cycle, bone formation and resorption, and various aspects of hormonal control. In disease it may act as part of the physiological response or as a component of the underlying pathology.

In the forefront of clinical research are the cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, and their contrasting pharmacology will be briefly outlined. The therapeutic potential and possible risks of drugs that inhibit the ECS will also be considered. This paper will then go on to review clinical research exploring the potential of cannabinoid medicines in the following indications: symptomatic relief in multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and weight in the context of cancer or AIDS, psychosis, epilepsy, addiction, and metabolic disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24006213

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dta.1529/abstract

Pot smokers skinnier than non-tokers, study says – NBCNews

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“We’re all familiar with the stereotype of the typical pot smoker — a lumpy, lazy couch potato with one hand wrapped around the remote and the other elbow-deep in a bag of nacho cheese Doritos.

But new research out of France gives a different spin to the stereotypical stoner.

“Cannabis is supposed to increase appetite,” says Dr. Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes, France and co-author of a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. “So we hypothesized that cannabis users would be more likely to have higher weight than non-users and be more likely to be obese.”

Instead, Le Strat and his colleagues found just the opposite.

“We found that cannabis users are less likely to be obese than non-users,” he says. “We were so surprised, we thought we had [made] a mistake. Or that our results were due to the sample we studied. So we turned to another completely independent sample and found exactly the same association…”

“I know when we think about smoking pot, one of the jokes is that it gives you the munchies and dry mouth so you drink a bunch of water and eat a bunch of Cheetos,” she says.

“Maybe we need to adjust the stereotype.””

More: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/pot-smokers-skinnier-non-tokers-study-says-1C6437141

Peripherally restricted CB1 receptor blockers.

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“Antagonists (inverse agonists) of the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor showed promise as new therapies for controlling obesity and related metabolic function/liver disease.

These agents, representing diverse chemical series, shared the property of brain penetration due to the initial belief that therapeutic benefit was mainly based on brain receptor interaction. However, undesirable CNS-based side effects of the only marketed agent in this class, rimonabant, led to its removal, and termination of the development of other clinical candidates soon followed. Re-evaluation of this approach has focused on neutral or peripherally restricted (PR) antagonists.

Supporting these strategies, pharmacological evidence indicates most if not all of the properties of globally acting agents may be captured by molecules with little brain presence. Methodology that can be used to eliminate BBB penetration and the means (in vitro assays, tissue distribution and receptor occupancy determinations, behavioral paradigms) to identify potential agents with little brain presence is discussed.

Focus will be on the pharmacology supporting the contention that reported agents are truly peripherally restricted. Notable examples of these types of compounds are: TM38837 (structure not disclosed); AM6545 (8); JD5037 (15b); RTI-12 (19).”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23902803

The pot diet

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“Never mind the munchies, study finds that pot smokers weigh less than non-smokers.”

“Turns out that in spite of the late-night pizza binges and countless bags of Doritos they consume, the average marijuana user is actually less likely to be obese than the general, non-pot-smoking public.”

 More: http://healthyliving.msn.com/blogs/daily-apple-blog-post?post=5adb2a7c-1969-4a65-8554-1275f46faa94&_p=f178c720-63e5-4a6a-b939-6ba03f0bdc94

Cannabis and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for weight loss?

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“Obesity is one of the highest preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. It has been well known for a long time that exposure to cannabis produces an increase of appetite (a phenomenon referred to as the ‘munchies’). This phenomenon led to an exploration of the role of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of obesity and associated metabolic syndrome.

This effort subsequently led to the development of a successful therapeutic approach for obesity that consisted of blocking the cannabinoid CB1 receptors using ligands such as Rimonabant in order to produce weight loss and improve metabolic profile. Despite being efficacious, Rimonabant was associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety and therefore removed from the market.

We recently discovered that the prevalence of obesity is paradoxically much lower in cannabis users as compared to non-users and that this difference is not accounted for by tobacco smoking status and is still present after adjusting for variables such as sex and age.

Here, we propose that this effect is directly related to exposure to the Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) present in cannabis smoke.

We therefore propose the seemingly paradoxical hypothesis that THC or a THC/cannabidiol combination drug may produce weight loss and may be a useful therapeutic for the treatment of obesity and its complications.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23410498

How marijuana could help cure obesity-related diseases

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“A British company says that two compounds found in marijuana leaves could treat patients whose weight puts them at high risk for heart disease and stroke.”

The leaves of the marijuana plant contain two compounds that increase the amount of energy the body burns, according to a new study.
 
“According to a new British study, marijuana leaves (not the buds that Willie Nelson loves so dearly) contain two compounds that boost the metabolism of mice, leading to lower levels of fat and cholesterol in the body — the latest addition to a growing body of evidence that marijuana may be useful in countering ailments related to obesity. One study in March found that a brain chemical similar in structure to an active compound in cannibis could help people shed weight, while another study last September concluded that pot smokers were less likely to be obese than non-potheads, though for reasons that remain unclear. The researchers at Britain’s GW Pharmaceuticals who are responsible for the latest weed development are already testing the two compounds on humans.
Here, a guide to their findings:”
 

The cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) ameliorates insulin sensitivity in two mouse models of obesity

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“Δ9-Tetra-hydrocannabivarin (THCV) is a naturally occurring analogue of the psychoactive principle of cannabis, Δ9-tetra-hydrocannabinol (THC).

THCV is a new potential treatment against obesity-associated glucose intolerance with pharmacology different from that of CB1 inverse agonists/antagonists.

In conclusion, THCV produces therapeutic metabolic effects in two different mouse models of obesity. In particular, its strongest effects are exerted on plasma glucose and insulin levels, especially following an OGTT in DIO mice and on liver triglycerides in ob/obmice.

Based on these data, it can be suggested that THCV may be useful for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes, either alone or in combination with existing treatments. Given the reported benefits of another non-THC cannabinoid, CBD in type 1 diabetes, a CBD/THCV combination may be beneficial for different types of diabetes mellitus.”

Full Text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671751/

New study suggests marijuana prevents diabetes

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“A provocative study comes right as Massachusetts begins a new medical marijuana law. The theory? Using pot could lower your risk of diabetes.

We’ve all heard about “the munchies,” that urge to eat more when under the influence of marijuana.

But a new study published by the American Journal of Medicine finds despite the habit among recreational pot users to take in more calories, it doesn’t lead to weight gain. And the benefits of marijuana don’t end there.

“What we saw was that people who were current users of marijuana had improved sensitivity to insulin compared to non-users, they had better good cholesterol, and reduced waist circumference,” said Dr. Murray Mittleman, lead author and researcher at Harvard Medical School.

The research included more than 4,600 men and women participating in a national nutrition survey in the last decade. Marijuana users maintained more normal blood sugar levels compared to non-users, which meant their bodies were regulating insulin well. That puts them at a lower diabetes risk.

“When somebody smokes marijuana there are a variety of compounds that are present in marijuana, some of which may partially block some of the receptors as well as stimulate others, which is why people use it presumably,” said Mittleman.

Blocking certain receptors could be what’s behind the health benefits found in the study. Researchers say the findings point to the importance of more marijuana research.

“We just had the medical marijuana passed here in Massachusetts. But two states now have recreational use approved and we really are opening up the doors to the use of this drug. Yet we don’t have the information that we need to make sensible recommendations,” said Mittleman.

As for the latest findings, could marijuana be the next diabetes drug?”

http://www.wcvb.com/news/investigative/new-study-suggests-marijuana-prevents-diabetes/-/12520878/20364894/-/bu6cmu/-/index.html

Marijuana Blood Sugar: Can Pot Help Curb Diabetes?

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“Can marijuana use lower one’s risk of developing diabetes through controlling blood sugar levels? The answer is yes, according to a recently released study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
 
The research, which was conducted between 2005 and 2010 and included more than 4,600 men and women in a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that compounds in cannabis could help to control blood sugar levels.
 

Despite its reputation for increasing one’s appetite, three prior studies have also shown that pot use often leads to a reduced chance of becoming obese, resulting in a lower body-mass-index and less of a chance of developing diabetes, notes Time.”

 

Study: Smoking Marijuana Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk

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 “You may have heard that marijuana smokers get hungry after using the drug, and the authors of a new study point out that marijuana users tend to take in more calories than their counterparts.But, their study found that pot smokers aren’t any more likely to be obese than non-smokers. 

Equally surprising, the researchers found marijuana may actually be a tool in controlling blood sugar — and may be key in helping diabetics keep their condition in check.

The new study, which was published on May 15 in The American Journal of Medicine, showed that regular marijuana use was linked to significantly lower levels of fasting insulin.

 Smokers were also less likely to be insulin resistant, a condition where the body’s cells no longer respond to a hormone that controls carbohydrates and fat metabolism called insulin. High levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance could lead to diabetes.”

More: http://www.wltx.com/news/health/article/236973/291/Study-Smoking-Marijuana-Linked-to-Lower-Diabetes-Risk-