In the announcement by ANVISA, the National Agency for Health Surveillance of Brazil, a new class of medical cannabis products will be prescribed by doctors and sold through pharmacies, enabling safe and legal patient access.
In Italy, medical grade cannabis (MGC) can be prescribed for different medical conditions, including drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), once standard and approved therapies have failed, or caused non-tolerable side effects. Here, we present a retrospective case series report of five patients with DRE who started therapy with MGC. Despite the small sample size and open-label nature of the data, we show that MGC may be successfully used to treat DRE. This is especially true when considering that no valid therapeutic option exists for these patients and that MGC was extremely well tolerated.
Significant advances have increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet this has not translated into any greatly effective therapies. It appears that a number of abnormal physiological processes occur simultaneously in this devastating disease. Based on the currently available scientific data, it is reasonable to think that cannabis might significantly slow the progression of ALS, potentially extending life expectancy and substantially reducing the overall burden of the disease.
The Liberal Democrats have a pledge to legalise cannabis in their manifesto.
Around the world attitudes towards the use of cannabis are shifting.
Mexico’s new government plans to legalise recreational cannabis use, as does the incoming government of Luxembourg. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is considering a referendum on what its approach should be.
Neurodegenerative diseases are increasing in parallel to the lengthening of survival. The management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease (PD) and PD-related disorders, and motor neuron diseases (MND), is mainly targeted to motor and cognitive impairment, with special care for vital functions such as breathing and feeding. Emerging evidences on the possible anti-nociceptive effects of cannabis or botulinum toxin might be available soon.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. There is currently no definitive epilepsy cure. However, in recent years, medicinal cannabis has been successfully trialed as an effective treatment for managing epileptic symptoms, but whose mechanisms of action are largely unknown. Lately, there has been a focus on neuroinflammation as an important factor in the pathology of many epileptic disorders.
country legend Willie Nelson played two shows at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre and gave an interview to local news station KSAT-TV about touring life and his career-long love affair with cannabis. In the chat, the 86-year-old musician revealed, “I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful.” Because of that, he’s given up smoking pot: “I don’t smoke anymore [to] take better care of myself,” he explained.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is one of the most disabling and sometimes painful sensorimotor ailment of the nervous system that has only in recent years become more widely accepted as a clinical disorder with its own distinct features. Usually, symptoms respond well to dopamine agonists, anticonvulsants, or opiates, but still a subset of patients remains refractory to medical therapy and/or reports serious side effects.
the Government has released the draft legislation that would govern the growth, sale and use of recreational cannabis should New Zealand vote ‘yes’ in next year’s referendum, Laura Walters reports