Medical Marijuana.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by David

“The use of medicinal marijuana is increasing. Marijuana has been shown to have therapeutic effects in certain patients, but further research is needed regarding the safety and efficacy of marijuana as a medical treatment for various conditions. A growing body of research validates the use of marijuana for a variety of healthcare problems, but there are many issues surrounding the use of this substance. This article discusses the use of medical marijuana and provides implications for home care clinicians.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26645838

The Use of Medicinal Marijuana for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of the Current Literature.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by David

“This study seeks to understand the current literature regarding the use of medicinal marijuana in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Analysis revealed that most reports are correlational and observational in basis with a notable lack of randomized, controlled studies.

Many of the published studies suggest a decrease in PTSD symptoms with marijuana use… there is a growing amount of neurobiological evidence and animal studies suggesting potential neurologically based reasons for the reported efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS:

Posttraumatic stress disorder is 1 of the approved conditions for medicinal marijuana in some states. While the literature to date is suggestive of a potential decrease in PTSD symptomatology with the use of medicinal marijuana, there is a notable lack of large-scale trials, making any final conclusions difficult to confirm at this time.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26644963

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Self-Medication of Somatic and Psychiatric Conditions Using Botanical Marijuana.

Posted on November 28, 2015 by David

“As a complement to research evaluating botanical marijuana as a medical therapy for various somatic and psychiatric conditions, there is a growing body of research assessing marijuana users’ self-reports of the symptoms and conditions for which they use marijuana without a physician’s recommendation.

As part of two larger web-based surveys and one in-situ survey at an outdoor marijuana festival, we asked regular marijuana users if they consumed the drug without a physician’s recommendation and, if so, to describe (or select from a checklist) the conditions for which they used marijuana as a medication.

Participants reported using marijuana to self-medicate a wide variety of both somatic conditions (such as pain, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome) and psychiatric conditions (such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia).

Because fewer than half of the American states, and only a few countries, allow physicians to recommend medicinal marijuana, these findings may be of interest to clinicians as they treat patients, to lawmakers and policymakers as they consider legislation allowing physicians to recommend botanical marijuana for somatic and psychiatric conditions, and to researchers evaluating conditions that individuals elect to self-medicate using botanical marijuana.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26595140

The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Body Weight.

Posted on November 28, 2015 by David

“This study is the first to examine the effects of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on body weight, physical wellness, and exercise.

Using data from the 1990 to 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the enforcement of MMLs is associated with a 2% to 6% decline in the probability of obesity.

We find some evidence of age-specific heterogeneity in mechanisms. For older individuals, MML-induced increases in physical mobility may be a relatively important channel, while for younger individuals, a reduction in consumption of alcohol, a substitute for marijuana, appears more important.

These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that MMLs may be more likely to induce marijuana use for health-related reasons among older individuals, and cause substitution toward lower-calorie recreational ‘highs’ among younger individuals.

Our estimates suggest that MMLs induce a $58 to $115 per-person annual reduction in obesity-related medical costs.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26602324

Cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting in adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Posted on November 13, 2015 by David

“Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use.

Cannabis-based medications (cannabinoids) are based on its active element, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and have been approved for medical purposes.

Cannabinoids may be a useful therapeutic option for people with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting that respond poorly to commonly used anti-emetic agents (anti-sickness drugs).

Cannabis-based medications may be useful for treating refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26561338

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

[Psychedelics and quasi-psychedelics in the light of contemporary research: medical cannabis, MDMA, salvinorin A, ibogaine and ayahuasca].

Posted on October 21, 2015 by David

“According to the long-held official view these drugs are entirely harmful and have no medical use. However, a recent surge of clinical and pharmacological studies in the field indicates that many psychedelic-like agents have therapeutic potentials under proper circumstances.

In this paper, from a biomedical and psychological perspective, we provide a brief review of the general effects and promising treatment uses of medical cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), salvinorin A, ibogaine and the dimethyltryptamine-(DMT)-containing ayahuasca.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26485742

Cannabis – the Israeli perspective.

Posted on October 2, 2015 by David

“Short overviews are presented on the historical uses of cannabis in the Middle East and on the more recent scientific and medical research on phytocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, with emphasis on research contributions from Israel. These are followed by examples of research projects and clinical trials with cannabinoids and by a short report on the regulation of medical marijuana in Israel, which at present is administered to over 22,000 patients.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26426888

Cannabis and Endocannabinoid Signaling in Epilepsy.

Posted on September 27, 2015 by David

“The antiepileptic potential of Cannabis sativa preparations has been historically recognized.

Recent changes in legal restrictions and new well-documented cases reporting remarkably strong beneficial effects have triggered an upsurge in exploiting medical marijuana in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Parallel research efforts in the last decade have uncovered the fundamental role of the endogenous cannabinoid system in controlling neuronal network excitability raising hopes for cannabinoid-based therapeutic approaches.

However, emerging data show that patient responsiveness varies substantially, and that cannabis administration may sometimes even exacerbate seizures. Qualitative and quantitative chemical variability in cannabis products and personal differences in the etiology of seizures, or in the pathological reorganization of epileptic networks, can all contribute to divergent patient responses.

Thus, the consensus view in the neurologist community is that drugs modifying the activity of the endocannabinoid system should first be tested in clinical trials to establish efficacy, safety, dosing, and proper indication in specific forms of epilepsies.

To support translation from anecdote-based practice to evidence-based therapy, the present review first introduces current preclinical and clinical efforts for cannabinoid- or endocannabinoid-based epilepsy treatments.

Next, recent advances in our knowledge of how endocannabinoid signaling limits abnormal network activity as a central component of the synaptic circuit-breaker system will be reviewed to provide a framework for the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the beneficial and adverse effects.

Finally, accumulating evidence demonstrating robust synapse-specific pathophysiological plasticity of endocannabinoid signaling in epileptic networks will be summarized to gain better understanding of how and when pharmacological interventions may have therapeutic relevance.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26408165

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/epilepsy-2/

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/

Clinical perspectives on medical marijuana (cannabis) for neurologic disorders.

Posted on September 4, 2015 by David

“The American Academy of Neurology published an evidence-based systematic review of randomized controlled trials using marijuana (Cannabis sativa) or cannabinoids in neurologic disorders.

Several cannabinoids showed effectiveness or probable effectiveness for spasticity, central pain, and painful spasms in multiple sclerosis.

The review justifies insurance coverage for dronabinol and nabilone for these indications.

Many insurance companies already cover these medications for other indications.

It is unlikely that the review will alter coverage for herbal marijuana.

Currently, no payers cover the costs of herbal medical marijuana because it is illegal under federal law and in most states.

Cannabinoid preparations currently available by prescription may have a role in other neurologic conditions, but quality scientific evidence is lacking at this time.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26336632