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

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. Cannabis and related compounds have created significant research interest as a promising therapy in neurodegenerative and movement disorders.

Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol in Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Approximately one-third of patients with epilepsy presents seizures despite adequate treatment. Hence, there is the need to search for new therapeutic options. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major chemical component of the resin of Cannabis sativa plant, most commonly known as marijuana. The anti-seizure properties of CBD do not relate to the direct action on cannabinoid receptors, but are mediated by a multitude of mechanisms that include the agonist and antagonist effects on ionic channels, neurotransmitter transporters, and multiple 7-transmembrane receptors.

Self-Medication of Somatic and Psychiatric Conditions Using Botanical Marijuana

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.

[MEDICAL CANNABIS – A SOURCE FOR A NEW TREATMENT FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE?]

Medical uses of Cannabis sativa have been known for over 6,000 years. Nowadays, cannabis is mostly known for its psychotropic effects and its ability to relieve pain, even though there is evidence of cannabis use for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis centuries ago. In order to examine this subject we will focus on some major autoimmune diseases such as diabetes type I and rheumatoid arthritis.

The level of evidence of medical marijuana use for treating disabilities: a scoping review

Twenty-nine states have bypassed federal regulations by legalizing marijuana (MJ) either medicinally, recreationally or both. The FDA states that there is no empirical evidence that MJ is effective to treat these disorders. With over a billion individuals living with a disability across the globe, it is crucial to fully research the efficaciousness and safety of medical MJ to treat this population. There is sufficient evidence that medical marijuana is effective in treating epileptic seizures and chronic pain. Medical marijuana may improve the level of functioning and quality of life for individuals with certain disabilities.

Prospects of Cannabidiol for Easing Status Epilepticus-Induced Epileptogenesis and Related Comorbidities

The hippocampus is one of the most susceptible regions in the brain to be distraught with status epilepticus (SE) induced injury. SE can occur from numerous causes and is more frequent in children and the elderly population. Administration of a combination of anti-epileptic drugs can abolish acute seizures in most instances of SE but cannot prevent the morbidity typically seen in survivors of SE such as cognitive and mood impairments and spontaneous recurrent seizures. In this review, we confer the promise of cannabidiol, an active ingredient of Cannabis sativa, for preventing or easing SE-induced neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, cognitive and mood impairments, and the spontaneous recurrent seizures.

Cannabinoids: a new approach for pain control?

To analyze available data related to the use of cannabinoids in medicine, with a special focus on pain management in cancer. The use of cannabis for medical purposes is growing but there are still numerous questions to be solved: effectiveness, safety, and specific indications. The endocannabinoid system is a potential therapeutic target. Cannabinoids may be considered as potential adjuvant in cancer-related pain management.

Plant-derived medicines for neuropathies: a comprehensive review of clinical evidence

Neuropathy is defined as the damage to the peripheral or central nervous system accompanied by pain, numbness, or muscle weakness, which can be due to congenital diseases or environmental factors such as diabetes, trauma, or viral infections. As current treatments are not sufficiently able to control the disease, studies focusing on the identification and discovery of new therapeutic agents are necessary.

Cannabinoid control of neuroinflammation related to multiple sclerosis

The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) has been known by many names but the question remains ‘Can we call it medicine?’ There has been renewed interest in the value of cannabis for the control of neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis, where it has been shown to have some effect on spasticity and pain both experimentally and in clinical trials in humans.

Neuroprotection in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Progressive Multiple Sclerosis by Cannabis-Based Cannabinoids

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the major immune-mediated, demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Compounds within cannabis, notably Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) can limit the inappropriate neurotransmissions that cause MS-related problems and medicinal cannabis is now licenced for the treatment of MS symptoms. However, the biology indicates that the endocannabinoid system may offer the potential to control other aspects of disease.