Medical cannabis meets insomnia and cryptocurrency
SciCann enters partnership with Global Cannabis Applications Corp., and iCAN-Israel Cannabis teams with Aura Medical to deliver insomnia formulation.
Is cannabis an effective treatment for joint pain?
Cannabis has been used to treat pain for thousands of years. However, since the early part of the 20th century, laws restricting cannabis use have limited its evaluation using modern scientific criteria. Over the last decade, the situation has started to change because of the increased availability of cannabis in the United States for either medical or recreational purposes, making it important to provide the public with accurate information as to the effectiveness of the drug for joint pain among other indications. Preclinical and human data that do exist indicate that the use of cannabis should be taken seriously as a potential treatment of joint pain.
Eight Pennsylvania cultivators approved to begin growing medical cannabis
Pennsylvania regulators have given the go-ahead to eight cultivators to begin growing medical marijuana, putting sales on track to begin in 2018. Once the product is ready, dispensaries should have plenty of customers to buy it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The governor’s office said that more than 10,000 patients have signed up for the program,…
A systematic review of the effect of cannabidiol on cognitive function: Relevance to schizophrenia
CBD improves cognition in multiple preclinical models of cognitive impairment, including models of neuropsychiatric (schizophrenia), neurodegenerative (Alzheimer’s disease), neuro-inflammatory (meningitis, sepsis and cerebral malaria) and neurological disorders (hepatic encephalopathy and brain ischemia). The efficacy of CBD to improve cognition in schizophrenia cannot be elucidated due to lack of clinical evidence; however, given the ability of CBD to restore cognition in multiple studies of impairment, further investigation into its efficacy in schizophrenia is warranted. Potential mechanisms underlying the efficacy of CBD to improve cognition are discussed.
Norway’s Parliament Votes To Decriminalize All Drug Use
“This is the start of a big rush reform. Now a big effort is being done to switch the system from punishment to help.” Norway’s Parliament is set to decriminalize illicit drugs and divert people found with small quantities into treatment options rather than pursuing criminal prosecution. Drug use, from marijuana to cocaine and heroin,…
The endocannabinoid system as a target for addiction treatment: Trials and tribulations
Addiction remains a major public health concern, and while pharmacotherapies can be effective, clinicians are limited by the paucity of existing interventions. Endocannabinoid signaling is involved in reward and addiction, which raises the possibility that drugs targeting this system could be used to treat substance use disorders. This review discusses findings from randomized controlled trials evaluating cannabinergic medications for addiction. Current evidence suggests that pharmacotherapies containing delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, such as dronabinol and nabiximols, are effective for cannabis withdrawal. Dronabinol may also reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled “A New Dawn in Cannabinoid Neurobiology”.
No rush’ to legalise medical cannabis
A GP hotline NSW Health claims will “cut the red tape” for medical cannabis will take advice from a doctor who has said we should “stop the hype” around the drug and there is “no rush” to legalise it. Medical cannabis advocates are concerned at the involvement of Professor Jennifer Martin in the $6 million…
VA in Arkansas won’t prescribe, pay for medical marijuana
As state officials work on plans to provide marijuana, the federal government considers it illegal. Although Arkansas voters have approved the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, doctors with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will not be allowed to recommend or prescribe the drug to veterans, and the V.A. will not pay for it.…
Cannabinoids in Pediatrics
Despite its controversial nature, the use of medical marijuana and cannabis-derived medicinal products grows more popular with each passing year. As of November 2016, over 40 states have passed legislation regarding the use of either medical marijuana or cannabidiol products. This review will deliver the history of marijuana use and legislation in the United States in addition to the currently available medical literature to equip pediatric health care providers with resources to provide patients and their parents the best recommendation for safe and appropriate use of cannabis-containing compounds.
Medical Marijuana: Just the Beginning of a Long, Strange Trip?
Medical marijuana continues to gain acceptance and become legalized in many states. Various species of the marijuana plant have been cultivated, and this plant can contain up to 100 active compounds known as cannabinoids. Two cannabinoids seem the most clinically relevant: Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which tends to produce the psychotropic effects commonly associated with marijuana, and cannabidiol (CBD), which may produce therapeutic effects without appreciable psychoactive properties. Although there is still a need for randomized controlled trials, preliminary studies have suggested that medical marijuana and related cannabinoids may be beneficial in treating people with chronic pain, inflammation, spasticity and other conditions.