US Traffic Fatalities, 1985–2014, and Their Relationship to Medical Marijuana Laws

Posted on December 31, 2016 by David

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“Objectives. To determine the association of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) with traffic fatality rates.

Methods. Using data from the 1985–2014 Fatality Analysis Reporting System, we examined the association between MMLs and traffic fatalities in multilevel regression models while controlling for contemporaneous secular trends. We examined this association separately for each state enacting MMLs. We also evaluated the association between marijuana dispensaries and traffic fatalities.

Results. On average, MML states had lower traffic fatality rates than non-MML states. Medical marijuana laws were associated with immediate reductions in traffic fatalities in those aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 44 years, and with additional yearly gradual reductions in those aged 25 to 44 years. However, state-specific results showed that only 7 states experienced post-MML reductions. Dispensaries were also associated with traffic fatality reductions in those aged 25 to 44 years.

Conclusions. Both MMLs and dispensaries were associated with reductions in traffic fatalities, especially among those aged 25 to 44 years. State-specific analysis showed heterogeneity of the MML–traffic fatalities association, suggesting moderation by other local factors. These findings could influence policy decisions on the enactment or repealing of MMLs and how they are implemented.”

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303577

“Medical Marijuana: Traffic Deaths Drop In States That Legalized Cannabis Use” http://www.techtimes.com/articles/190597/20161230/medical-marijuana-traffic-deaths-drop-in-states-that-legalized-cannabis-use.htm

Marijuana Compounds: A Nonconventional Approach to Parkinson’s Disease Therapy

Posted on December 13, 2016 by David

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“Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is the second most common neurological illness in United States. Neurologically, it is characterized by the selective degeneration of a unique population of cells, the nigrostriatal dopamine neurons.

The current treatment is symptomatic and mainly involves replacement of dopamine deficiency. This therapy improves only motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and is associated with a number of adverse effects including dyskinesia. Therefore, there is unmet need for more comprehensive approach in the management of PD.

Cannabis and related compounds have created significant research interest as a promising therapy in neurodegenerative and movement disorders. In this review we examine the potential benefits of medical marijuana and related compounds in the treatment of both motor and nonmotor symptoms as well as in slowing the progression of the disease. The potential for cannabis to enhance the quality of life of Parkinson’s patients is explored.

Marijuana has been shown to improve nonmotor symptoms of PD such as depression, pain, sleep, and anxiety. Moreover, components of cannabis have been demonstrated to have neuroprotective effect due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiexcitotoxic properties.

Due to combination of the above mentioned beneficial effects, cannabis may provide a viable alternative or addition to the current treatment of Parkinson’s disease.” https://www.hindawi.com/journals/pd/2016/1279042/

“Marijuana: Could it slow Parkinson’s disease progression? Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological illness in the United States, causing tremors, slowness of movement, postural instability, and impaired balance and coordination. But findings from a new review suggest symptoms of the condition could be improved with marijuana.” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314648.php

“Marijuana Compounds: A Nonconventional Approach to Parkinson’s Disease Therapy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28050308

What is THC?

Posted on December 4, 2016 by David

“THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in certain areas of the brain associated with thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and time perception. THC attaches to these receptors and activates them and affects a person’s memory, pleasure, movements, thinking, concentration, coordination, and sensory and time perception, according to NIDA.

THC is one of many compounds found in the resin secreted by glands of the marijuana plant. More of these glands are found around the reproductive organs of the plant than on any other area of the plant. Other compounds unique to marijuana, called cannabinoids, are present in this resin.

One cannabinoid, CBD is nonpsychoactive, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and actually blocks the high associated with THC.”

http://www.livescience.com/24553-what-is-thc.html

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/thc-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/

Δ9-THC-Caused Synaptic and Memory Impairments Are Mediated through COX-2 Signaling

Posted on December 4, 2016 by David

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“Marijuana has been used for thousands of years as a treatment for medical conditions.

However, untoward side effects limit its medical value. Here, we show that synaptic and cognitive impairments following repeated exposure to Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC) are associated with the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostanoids in the brain. COX-2 induction by Δ⁹-THC is mediated via CB1 receptor-coupled G protein βγ subunits.

Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of COX-2 blocks downregulation and internalization of glutamate receptor subunits and alterations of the dendritic spine density of hippocampal neurons induced by repeated Δ⁹-THC exposures. Ablation of COX-2 also eliminates Δ⁹-THC-impaired hippocampal long-term synaptic plasticity, spatial, and fear memories.

Importantly, the beneficial effects of decreasing β-amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration by Δ⁹-THC in Alzheimer’s disease animals are retained in the presence of COX-2 inhibition.

These results suggest that the applicability of medical marijuana would be broadened by concurrent inhibition of COX-2.”

http://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(13)01360-3

“Cannabidiolic acid as a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory component in cannabis.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18556441

Medical Cannabis – another piece in the mosaic of autoimmunity?

Posted on November 20, 2016 by David

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“Legalization of cannabis’ medicinal use is rapidly increasing worldwide, raising the need to evaluate medical implications of cannabis. Currently evidence supports cannabis and its active ingredients as an immune-modulating agents, affecting T-cells, B-cells, Monocytes and Microglia-cells, causing an overall reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines. Due to the supporting evidence of cannabinoids as an immune-modulating agent, research focusing on cannabinoids and autoimmunity has emerged. Several clinical trials in multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and fibromyalgia suggest cannabis’ effectiveness as an immune-modulator. However, contradicting results and lack of large scale clinical trials obscure these results. Though lacking clinical research, in-vitro and in-vivo experiments in rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes type 1 and systemic sclerosis, demonstrate a correlation between disease activity and cannabinoids.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27859024

Medical cannabis and mental health: A guided systematic review

Posted on November 16, 2016 by David

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“This review considers the potential influences of the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) on areas of interest to mental health professionals, with foci on adult psychopathology and assessment. We identified 31 articles relating to the use of CTP and mental health, and 29 review articles on cannabis use and mental health that did not focus on use for therapeutic purposes. Results reflect the prominence of mental health conditions among the reasons for CTP use, and the relative dearth of high-quality evidence related to CTP in this context, thereby highlighting the need for further research into the harms and benefits of medical cannabis relative to other therapeutic options. Preliminary evidence suggests that CTP may have potential for the treatment of PTSD, and as a substitute for problematic use of other substances. Extrapolation from reviews of non-therapeutic cannabis use suggests that the use of CTP may be problematic among individuals with psychotic disorders. The clinical implications of CTP use among individuals with mood disorders are unclear. With regard to assessment, evidence suggests that CTP use does not increase risk of harm to self or others. Acute cannabis intoxication and recent CTP use may result in reversible deficits with the potential to influence cognitive assessment, particularly on tests of short-term memory.

Cannabis use does not appear to increase risk of harm to self or others.”

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735816300939

“Marijuana could help treat drug addiction, mental health, study suggests” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161116102847.htm

“Marijuana may help combat substance abuse, mental health disorders” http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314159.php

“Medical cannabis may help treat mental health problems and opioid addiction” http://www.news-medical.net/news/20161116/Medical-cannabis-may-help-treat-mental-health-problems-and-opioid-addiction.aspx

Splendor in the Grass? A Pilot Study Assessing the Impact of Medical Marijuana on Executive Function

Posted on October 23, 2016 by David

“To date, few studies have investigated the potential impact of MMJ use on cognitive performance, despite a well-documented association between recreational marijuana (MJ) use and executive dysfunction. The current study assessed the impact of 3 months of MMJ treatment on executive function, exploring whether MMJ patients would experience improvement in cognitive functioning, perhaps related to primary symptom alleviation.

Results suggest that in general, MMJ patients experienced some improvement on measures of executive functioning, including the Stroop Color Word Test and Trail Making Test, mostly reflected as increased speed in completing tasks without a loss of accuracy.

On self-report questionnaires, patients also indicated moderate improvements in clinical state, including reduced sleep disturbance, decreased symptoms of depression, attenuated impulsivity, and positive changes in some aspects of quality of life. Additionally, patients reported a notable decrease in their use of conventional pharmaceutical agents from baseline, with opiate use declining more than 42%.

Data from the current investigation provide preliminary evidence that after 3 months of treatment, MMJ users did not experience executive functioning deficits, which are often observed in regular, recreational MJ users. In fact, MMJ patients evidenced improvement in certain aspects of performance on these measures, particularly with regard to time required to complete tasks.”

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphar.2016.00355/full

Effect of medical cannabis on thermal quantitative measurements of pain in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Posted on October 11, 2016 by David

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“Cannabis can alleviate pain of various etiologies.

This study assessed the effect of cannabis on motor symptoms and pain parameters in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

CONCLUSIONS:

Cannabis improved motor scores and pain symptoms in PD patients, together with a dissociate effect on heat and cold pain thresholds. Peripheral and central pathways are probably modulated by cannabis.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Quantitative sensory test results are significantly altered following cannabis consumption in patients with PD. Cannabis probably acts on pain in PD via peripheral and central pathways.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27723182

Acute and chronic effects of cannabidiol on Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC)-induced disruption in stop signal task performance.

Posted on October 5, 2016 by David

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“Recent clinical and preclinical research has suggested that cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) have interactive effects on measures of cognition; however, the nature of these interactions is not yet fully characterized.

To address this, we investigated the effects of Δ9-THC and CBD independently and in combination with proposed therapeutic dose ratios of 1:1 and 1:3 Δ9-THC:CBD in adult rhesus monkeys performing a stop signal task (SST).

These results indicate that CBD, when combined with Δ9-THC in clinically available dose ratios, does not exacerbate and, under restricted conditions may even attenuate, Δ9-THC’s behavioral effects.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27690502

Use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Posted on September 24, 2016 by David

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“Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug on the European market. Over 16 million young Europeans have used it at least once in the last few years. The recent trends in the consumption of marihuana differ between countries. Some countries face an increase in the prevalence of cannabis use, including Poland, where the level cannabis use has been systematically increasing since the 1990’s. According to a recent ESPAD study, 19% of Polish adolescents aged 15-16 have used cannabis in the last year. Marihuana is also a leading substance when analyzing the data of seizures and crimes. The recent EMCDDA Annual report on the drug situation in Europe notes the increasing potency in cannabis available on the market. Some countries face an increasing number of emergencies caused by marihuana, which was unlikely to have happened previously. In almost all European countries there is an ongoing discussion about loosening marijuana laws or its complete legalization. There is also ongoing discussion on the use of marihuana in therapy as a medicine. Many scientific studies are being conducted in this field. Some of the results are promising; however, there is no well-designed human trial which would unequivocally confirm that medical cannabis is effective as a medicine, or more effective than other medicines on the market. The problem is that the debate on the medical use of marihuana becomes more ideological and less professional. The medical use of marihuana is strongly supported by organizations lobbying for the legalization of cannabis use. Research on the medical use of cannabis should be continued, as there are some promising results supporting therapy in different medical conditions. However, the use of cannabis as a medicine should be discussed only among professionals. If marihuana is to be used for medical purposes, the fact that it is the most popular illicit drug in Europe is irrelevant.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27660881