“Accumulating evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may be an effective and safe anxiolytic agent and potentially also an antidepressant.
Prohedonic Effect of Cannabidiol in a Rat Model of Depression.
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Tag Archives: safe
Medical cannabis: considerations for the anesthesiologist and pain physician.
“New regulations are in place at the federal and provincial levels in Canada regarding the way medical cannabis is to be controlled. We present them together with guidance for the safe use of medical cannabis and recent clinical trials on cannabis and pain.
Health Canada has approved a new regulation on medical marijuana/cannabis, the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations: The production of medical cannabis by individuals is illegal. Health Canada, however, has licensed authorized producers across the country, limiting the production to specific licenses of certain cannabis products. There are currently 26 authorized licensed producers from seven Canadian provinces offering more than 200 strains of marijuana.
We provide guidance for the safe use of medical cannabis.
The recent literature indicates that currently available cannabinoids are modestly effective analgesics that provide a safe, reasonable therapeutic option for managing chronic non-cancer-related pain.
The science of medical cannabis and the need for education of healthcare professionals and patients require continued effort. Although cannabinoids work to decrease pain, there is still a need to confirm these beneficial effects clinically and to exploit them with acceptable benefit-to-risk ratios.”
A systematic review of plant-derived natural compounds for anxiety disorders.
“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses affecting human beings. They range from panic to generalized anxiety disorders upsetting the well-being and psychosocial performance of patients. Several conventional anxiolytic drugs are being used which in turn result in several adverse effects. Therefore, studies to find suitable safe medicines from natural sources are being conducted by researchers.
The aim of the present study is to comprehensively review phytochemical compounds with well-established anxiolytic activities and their structure-activity relationships as well as neuropsychopharmacological aspects. Results showed that phytochemicals like; alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, cinnamates, terpenes and saponins possess anxiolytic effects in a wide range of animal models of anxiety.
The involved mechanisms include interaction with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors at benzodiazepine (BZD) and non-BZD sites with various affinity to different subunits, serotonergic 5-hydrodytryptamine (5-HT)1A and 5-HT2A/C receptors, noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, glycine and glutamate receptors, and κ-opioid receptor as well as cannabinoid (CB)1 and CB2 receptors.
Phytochemicals also modulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and improve brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V (TRPV)3, nitric oxide cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) pathway and monoamine oxidase enzymes are other targets of phytochemicals with anxiolytic activity.
Taking together, these phytochemicals may be considered as supplements to conventional anxiolytic therapies in order to improve efficacy and reduce adverse effects.
Further preclinical and clinical studies are still needed in order to recognize the structure-activity relationships, metabolism, absorption, and neuropsychopharmacological mechanisms of plant-derived natural agents.”
Medicinal Cannabis: In Vitro Validation of Vaporizers for the Smoke-Free Inhalation of Cannabis.
“Inhalation by vaporization is a promising application mode for cannabis in medicine.
An in vitro validation of 5 commercial vaporizers was performed with THC-type and CBD-type cannabis.
Temperature-controlled, electrically-driven vaporizers efficiently decarboxylate inactive acidic cannabinoids and reliably release their corresponding neutral, active cannabinoids.
Thus, they offer a promising application mode for the safe and efficient administration of medicinal cannabis.”
Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis Oil for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: An-Open Label, Add-On, Pilot Study.
“Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
OBJECTIVE:
To measure efficacy and safety of medical cannabis oil (MCO) containing THC as an add-on to pharmacotherapy, in relieving behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
Eleven AD patients were recruited to an open label, 4 weeks, prospective trial.
RESULTS:
Ten patients completed the trial. Significant reduction in CGI severity score and NPI score were recorded. NPI domains of significant decrease were: Delusions, agitation/aggression, irritability, apathy, and sleep and caregiver distress.
CONCLUSION:
Adding MCO to AD patients’ pharmacotherapy is safe and a promising treatment option.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757043
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/alzheimers-disease-ad/
Cannabidiol Effective and Safe at 3 Months for Epilepsy
“New open-label data from the expanded-access treatment program involving the cannabidiol Epidiolex(GW Pharma) show the median reduction in frequency of convulsive seizures after 3 months of treatment was 45% in all patients but higher in those with Dravet syndrome, among the most severe types of epilepsy.
The data are “very positive and promising,” said lead author Orrin Devinsky, MD, professor, neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry, and director, New York University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.” http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/855768
“More Positive Results With Cannabidiol in Epilepsy” http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/853781
Cannabinoids in the management of chronic pain: a front line clinical perspective.
“Chronic pain is an escalating public health problem. Currently available treatments are inadequate to control chronic pain conditions, and there is a critical need for novel treatments.
Over a half century of elegant preclinical research has identified the presence of a sophisticated endocannabinoid system that is part of our natural pain and immune defense network.
Convergent work has supported the significant potential to exploit this system to decrease pain and inflammation.
Although the clinical research remains in its infancy, recent systematic reviews have found that 25 of 30 randomized controlled trials have demonstrated a significant analgesic effect.
The authors concluded that cannabinoids currently available for clinical use demonstrate a modest analgesic effect and are safe for the management of chronic pain.
There is a critical need for more translational research so that the excellent work of Dr. Itai Bab and our basic science colleagues around the world can move forward in providing novel cannabinoid-based medicines.
This should include more potent analgesics that are limited in side effects with several routes of delivery. Our patients deserve additional agents for pain control with a novel mechanism of action, and cannabinoids are the new frontier.”
Medical Marijuana: Reducing Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients
“Medical marijuana is a justifiable treatment for spasticity in patients with MS.
Interviews indicate that many patients choose marijuana over other medicines because they experience minimal side effects and rapid improvements in motor functioning…
Compared to the steroids, tranquilizers, and sedatives usually prescribed for MS patients, marijuana is remarkably safe and benign…
There is a lack of evidence for long-term risks associated with marijuana use. The short-term risks are minimal and short-lived.
Studies verify the positive relationship between medical marijuana use and reduced spasticity.
Voters are realizing the cruelty associated with robbing a terminally or chronically ill patient from the medicine that most relieves their pain.
MS is a chronic disease that can lead to severe pain and disability if untreated. For these reasons, medical marijuana should be available to patients who understand the risks associated with its use.
Until medical research develops an equally effective oral drug, marijuana will remain a reasonable option for patients suffering from MS.”
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/medicalmarijuana.htm
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/
Clinical Use of Cannabinoids for Symptom Control in Multiple Sclerosis.
“The endocannabinoid system was discovered in 1988 but has received little attention for its potential therapeutic possibilities.
That has started to change, and since 2000, a significant number of clinical trials of cannabinoids, principally for the control of spasticity in multiple sclerosis, have been undertaken. These studies have been difficult because of the nature of the disease and have involved patients for whom other therapies have failed or proved inadequate.
This paper outlines the background to the use of cannabinoids available and discusses the principles of practice associated with their safe use.
The focus has been on nabiximols, being the most studied and the only cannabinoid that has been both adequately researched for use in multiple sclerosis and granted a license by the regulators. However, what has emerged is that the effect for many patients can be much wider than just control of spasticity.
Within and outside of neurology there seems to be an expanding range of possibilities for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26289248
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/
The safety and efficacy of 3% Cannabis seeds extract cream for reduction of human cheek skin sebum and erythema content.
“Escalated sebum fabrication is seen with an unattractive look and adds to the growth of acne. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of 3%Cannabis seeds extract cream on human cheek skin sebum and erythema content.
For this purpose, base plus 3% Cannabis seeds extract and base (control) were prepared for single blinded and comparative study. Healthy males were instructed to apply the base plus 3% Cannabis seeds extract and base twice a day to their cheeks for 12 weeks.
Adverse events were observed to determine skin irritation. Measurements for sebum and erythema content were recorded at baseline, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th week in a control room with Sebumeter and Mexameter.
Base plus 3% Cannabis seeds extract was found to be safe in volunteers.
Measurements demonstrated that skin sebum and erythema content of base plus 3%Cannabis seeds extract treated side showed significant decrease (p<0.05) compared with base treated side.
Base plus 3% Cannabis seeds extract showed safety.
It was well tolerated for the reduction of skin sebum and erythema content.
Its improved efficacy could be suggested for treatment of acne vulgaris, seborrhea, papules and pustules to get attractive facial appearance.”