Author: Frank Schuler

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Survey Finds Athletes Report Using Cannabis Products To Promote Exercise Recovery

Written by Frank Schuler on September 25, 2023. Posted in Science.

For many years athletes were discouraged from consuming cannabis at all costs. They were often told by their coaches and trainers that cannabis was bad for them, that it was a ‘gateway drug,’ and that it would ruin their athletic aspirations.

These days many athletes openly admit to being cannabis consumers, including elite athletes in professional sports leagues. Those athletes, as well as amateur athletes who consume cannabis, are proving that cannabis can absolutely be a part of an active lifestyle.

A recent study was conducted in the United States that surveyed athletes to gain insight into their cannabis consumption habits. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Kent, OH: Those who engage in regular exercise frequently report consuming cannabis products to assist in recovering from physical activity, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Researchers affiliated with Kent State University in Ohio surveyed over 100 subjects who reported using cannabis and regularly engaging in aerobic and/or resistance exercise.

Investigators summarized their findings as follows: “Twenty-two participants (20 percent) reported using CBD for recovery from aerobic exercise and 25 participants (23 percent) reported CBD use to recover from resistance exercise. Sixty-eight participants (61 percent) reported using THC after aerobic exercise for recovery. Similarly, 67 participants (60 percent) reported using THC after resistance exercise for recovery. When participants were asked, ‘Do you feel that cannabis in the form of CBD aids in your recovery?’ 93 percent stated ‘yes’ while seven percent stated, ‘I’m not sure.’ When asked, ‘Do you feel that THC aids in your recovery?’, 87 percent of participants stated, ‘yes’ while 13 percent stated, ‘I’m not sure’. No participant answered, ‘no’, for either of these questions. All of the participants felt that use of cannabis was low risk regarding health outcomes.”

The authors concluded: “The present study demonstrated that in addition to more traditional recovery methods, cannabis is used as an ergogenic recovery aid by individuals that exercise regularly. … More data are necessary to understand the role of cannabis in exercise recovery as well as perceived ergogenic benefits of cannabis by individuals who both regularly participate in exercise and habitually use cannabis.”

Another study published in the same journal earlier this year reported that the twice-daily use of topical CBD alleviates chronic pain in former elite-level (professional) athletes.

Several other studies have found that cannabis use is associated with increased exercise frequency, including among older adults. Yet another study, published in July, found that subjects reported “a more positive exercise experience” when they ran immediately after having used cannabis compared to when they did not.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use for exercise recovery in trained individuals: A survey study,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Cannabis Extracts Associated With Sustained Chronic Health Condition Improvements

Written by Frank Schuler on September 20, 2023. Posted in Science.

Anyone who has suffered from one or more health conditions knows that it can negatively impact a person’s quality of life. In some cases, one or more health conditions can completely debilitate the suffering patients’ day-to-day existence.

Part of the negative impact on the patient’s life is due to the health condition(s) that the patient is suffering from, however, in many cases that lower quality of life is compounded by the pharmaceutical medication regimen that the patient is tasked with.

Medical cannabis is being used as an alternative to many traditional pharmaceuticals, and a recent study in Australia found that cannabis extracts were associated with sustained improvements in reported quality of life among patients suffering from a range of conditions. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: The use of plant-derived cannabis extracts is associated with health-related quality of life improvements in patients suffering from pain, fatigue, and other chronic conditions, according to observational trial data published in the journal PLOS One.

Australian investigators assessed the efficacy of cannabinoid extracts in a cohort of 2,300+ patients authorized to use medical cannabis. (Under Australian law, physicians may authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.) Study participants consumed extracts containing varying percentages of THC and CBD for three months.

Consistent with the results of other large-scale observational studies, researchers reported clinically meaningful improvements following cannabis treatment.

“This study found [that] overall HRQL [health-related quality of life] improved over 3-months in patients accessing prescribed MC [medicinal cannabis] in Australia,” authors reported. “Results showed both statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall HRQL and fatigue for people with chronic health conditions. Similar improvements were found in pain scores for participants with chronic pain; depression scores for patients with depression; and anxiety scores in patients with anxiety.”

They concluded: “Our findings suggest that prescribing MC in clinical practice may alleviate symptoms of pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic health conditions and improve overall HRQL. … The findings from this study contribute to the ongoing evidence for decision making both in clinical practice and at policy level.”

Full text of the study, “Health-related quality of life in patients accessing medicinal cannabis in Australia: The QUEST initiative results of a 3-month follow-up observational study,” appears in PLOS One.

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Vaporized Cannabis Associated With Reduced Symptoms In PTSD Patients

Written by Frank Schuler on September 20, 2023. Posted in Science.

For many years, medical cannabis patients largely consumed cannabis by smoking flower. However, in recent years the different types of cannabis products and consumption methods have increased considerably.

A popular cannabis consumption method among medical patients that is not new is vaporizing flower. Vaporizers such as the Volcano can provide tremendous relief for patients while limiting the amount of inhaled carcinogens.

Researchers in Canada recently conducted a study involving vaporized cannabis and patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. Below is more information about the study via a new release from NORML:

Vancouver, Canada: The short-term use of herbal cannabis consisting of a balanced ratio of THC and CBD is associated with symptom reductions in patients with post-traumatic stress, according to data published in the journal Trials.

Canadian researchers assessed subjects’ use of vaporized cannabis over a three-week period.

Investigators reported, “Comparison of CAPS [Clinician Administered PTSD Scale] scores pre and post treatment identified a trend toward reduction in PTSD symptoms. … However, under-recruitment resulted in low power and prohibited placebo comparison, making these results more suggestive than persuasive.”

They concluded, “Positive trending results and high patient need mandate future studies of cannabis for the treatment of PTSD.”

Two recent observational studies, one from Australia and the other from the United Kingdom, reported that patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress respond favorably to medical cannabis treatment. By contrast, a 2021 clinical trial reported that the inhalation of marijuana flowers provided limited benefits compared to placebo in treating symptoms of PTSD.

Full text of the study, “A small clinical trial of vaporized cannabis for PTSD: Suggestive results and directions for future study,” appears in Trials. Additional information on cannabis and post-traumatic stress is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Survey Finds That Many Canadian Nurses Don’t Receive Medical Cannabis Training

Written by Frank Schuler on September 17, 2023. Posted in Science.

Humans have consumed cannabis for many centuries. It’s unknown when the first human discovered the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant, however, we know that it was at least several thousand years ago.

It wasn’t until the last century that medical cannabis was prohibited, and the negative impact of that prohibition cannot be overstated. In addition to making criminals out of patients, cannabis prohibition also significantly hindered medical cannabis research.

Additionally, cannabis prohibition has created a situation in which medical professionals are woefully uneducated on the topic of cannabis. With so many humans consuming cannabis, there’s no excuse for medical professionals to know little to nothing about the cannabis plant.

A recent survey conducted in Canada highlights the problem, with most participating Canadian nurses indicating that they did not receive any training about medical cannabis. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Winnipeg, Canada: Fewer than four in ten Canadian nursing students say that they receive information about the use of medical cannabis during their training, according to survey data published in the journal Nurse Education Today.

Over three hundred nursing students participated in the survey. Only 38 percent acknowledged “receiving any education on cannabis in their nursing program.” Over 90 percent of respondents acknowledged that they would feel uncomfortable discussing cannabis with their patients without further educational training.

“Education on both medical and non-medical cannabis is needed to support future nurses addressing cannabis use in their clinical practice,” the study’s authors concluded. “Nursing institutions must implement and evaluate curricula to ensure nursing students are adequately prepared to address cannabis use in their clinical practice and their own fitness to practice.”

Cannabis has been legally available in Canada via a doctor’s authorization since 2001. The Canadian government legalized marijuana products for adults in 2018.

The study’s findings are consistent with those of prior surveys of health professionals in Canada and the United States which report that most doctors and nurses believe that they receive insufficient training with regard to cannabis.

Full text of the study, “Baccalaureate nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, educational needs, and use of medical and non-medical cannabis at five institutions in Manitoba, Canada: A cross-sectional analysis,” appears in Nurse Education Today.

Cannabis Extracts Associated With Quality Of Life Improvements In Autism Patients

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2023. Posted in Science.

Emerging cannabis science shows a lot of promise for a number of health conditions that people suffer from, but one that seems to be particularly promising is in the area of cannabis and autism. It’s an area of study that seems to be getting more focus in recent years.

International researchers estimate that as much as 1% of the world’s population has autism, although many patients go undiagnosed for various reasons. A team of researchers in Brazil recently conducted a quality-of-life study focused on autism and cannabis extracts, and the results are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Brasilia, Brazil: Autistic patients who use plant-derived cannabis extracts perceive benefits in their symptoms and reduce their use of prescription medications, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

A team of Brazilian researchers assessed the use of individually tailored doses of cannabis extracts in 20 subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most patients (80 percent) consumed cannabis extracts for at least six months. Patients used extracts dominant in either CBD or THC. All extracts were administered orally via drops.

Cannabis treatment was associated with perceived symptom improvements as well as with reductions in patients’ use of neuropsychiatric medications. Reported side effects from cannabis treatment were mostly “mild and temporary.”

Investigators reported: “In this manuscript we present the perceived improvements of ASD patients and their families over the course of 3 to 21 months of treatment with FCE [full-spectrum cannabis extracts], using a titration protocol that resulted in personalized CBD and THC dosages, resulting in individually tailored CBD to THC proportions. … Parents reported improvement in all aspects evaluated. Side effects observed during FCE treatment were mild. … As treatment evolved, most other medications had their doses reduced or were completely removed during FCE treatment, which is consistent with the subjective perception of general improvement after FCE treatment. Patients’ and their families’ quality of life improved in 19 out of the 20 cases.”

They concluded: “Our study expands the scientific data demonstrating that clinical use of cannabis extracts is a safe intervention with promising and valuable effects over many core and comorbid aspects of autism that are not achieved by conventional medications. … Based on our findings, we propose guidelines for individually tailored dosage regimens that may be adapted to locally available qualified FCEs and guide further clinical trials.”

Numerous other studies have also identified improvements in autism patients who consume either plant-derived extracts or cannabis flower. Survey data published in 2021 by the publication Autism Parenting Magazine reported that 22 percent of US caregivers or parents have provided CBD to an autistic child.

Full text of the study, “Individually tailored dosage regimen of full-spectrum cannabis extracts for autistic core and comorbid symptoms: A real-life report of multi-symptomatic benefits,” appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Additional information on cannabis and ASD is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

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Greek Cannabis Study Provides Encouraging News For Patients With Neurological Disorders

Written by Frank Schuler on September 5, 2023. Posted in Science.

Neurological disorders are serious medical conditions that affect the human brain as well as the nerves found throughout the human body and the spinal cord. Examples of neurological disorders include, but are not limited to:

Epilepsy
Alzheimer disease
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Brain tumours

Researchers in Greece recently examined the relationship between cannabis and neurological disorders and the results of their research were favorable. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Athens, Greece: Patients diagnosed with neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) experience improvements in their symptoms following medical cannabis treatment, according to data published in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

A team of Greek scientists assessed cannabis use in a cohort of 100 patients. Patients’ quality of life was assessed via the use of a 36-item health survey.

Researchers reported: “The majority of our patients who received medical cannabis to treat their neurological disorders (58 percent) reported decrease in their symptoms, [including] better energy and vitality … and an improvement in sleeping and appetite after receiving medical cannabis. … Participants, who reported a longer period of receiving medical cannabis, reported statistically significant more energy and vitality, but also better mental and general health status.”

Data published earlier this year similarly reported that the use of plant-derived cannabis oils containing balanced ratios of THC and CBD is safe and effective for older patients suffering from certain treatment-resistant neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and peripheral neuropathy.

Full text of the study, “Quality of life in patients receiving medical cannabis,” appears in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Additional information on the use of cannabis for the treatment of neurological disorders is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

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‘Cannabis Light’ Doesn’t Negatively Impact Simulated Driving Performance

Written by Frank Schuler on September 5, 2023. Posted in Science.

‘Cannabis light’ is very popular in many parts of the world right now, particularly in Europe. The term is used to describe cannabis that is low in THC and high in CBD. Many governments around the globe have reformed their laws and/or regulations in recent years to permit cannabis that is low in THC.

The rise in the use of low-THC products has generated questions regarding their safety as it pertains to driving impairment. According to a recent study conducted in Switzerland involving driving simulations, the products do not negatively impact driving performance. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Basel, Switzerland: The inhalation of high-CBD/low-THC cannabis doesn’t adversely impact driving abilities, according to clinical trial data published in the International Journal of Legal Medicine.

A team of Swiss researchers assessed the impact of CBD-dominant (< 1 percent THC) cannabis on simulated driving abilities.

Consistent with other studies assessing the influence of CBD on psychomotor skills, investigators acknowledged, “No significant differences regarding driving ability were found between the CBD-cannabis products and placebo.”

However, researchers reported that participants nonetheless tested positive for trace levels of THC in their blood in the hours immediately following their use of low-THC herbal cannabis. As a result, they cautioned that some consumers could potentially run afoul of traffic safety laws that impose per se limits for the presence of THC in blood despite having never been impaired.

Five states – Illinois, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington – impose various per se limits for the detection of trace amounts of THC in blood while ten states (Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin) impose zero tolerant per se standards. In these states, it is a criminal violation of the traffic safety laws to operate a vehicle with detectable levels of THC in blood – even absent any demonstrable evidence of psychomotor impairment.

NORML has long opposed the imposition of THC per se thresholds for cannabinoids in traffic safety legislation, opining: “The sole presence of THC and/or its metabolites in blood, particularly at low levels, is an inconsistent and largely inappropriate indicator of psychomotor impairment in cannabis consuming subjects. … Lawmakers would be advised to consider alternative legislative approaches to address concerns over DUI cannabis behavior that do not rely solely on the presence of THC or its metabolites in blood or urine as determinants of guilt in a court of law. Otherwise, the imposition of traffic safety laws may inadvertently become a criminal mechanism for law enforcement and prosecutors to punish those who have engaged in legally protected behavior and who have not posed any actionable traffic safety threat.”

Full text of the study, “Effect of vaporizing cannabis rich in cannabidiol on cannabinoid levels in blood and on driving ability – A randomized clinical trial,” appears in the International Journal of Legal Medicine. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana and Psychomotor Performance.’

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Neuropathic Pain Patients Report Sustained Relief After Cannabis Use

Written by Frank Schuler on September 5, 2023. Posted in Science.

Neuropathic pain is typically caused by an ongoing, progressive nerve disease. However, neuropathic pain can also result after a patient experiences an injury or infection. Sufferers report experiencing a shooting, burning pain, as well as a feeling of tingling, numbness, or a loss of sensation in certain parts of their body.

International researchers estimate that as much as 7% of the global population suffers from neuropathic pain to some degree. Physical therapy, psychological counseling, and sometimes surgery are incorporated into regimens to treat the condition. Pharmaceutical medications are commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain, including anti-seizure drugs.

Cannabis is another form of treatment that patients are turning to, and according to a recent study in Germany, the treatments are effective at providing sustained relief to neuropathic pain patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Hamburg, Germany: Cannabis inhalation is associated with sustained improvements in pain and sleep in patients with chronic neuropathy, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

German investigators assessed the use of herbal cannabis in a cohort of 99 patients suffering from neuropathic pain. Participants in the study inhaled cannabis containing moderate levels of THC (12 to 22 percent) for six weeks.

Researchers reported: “Within six weeks on the therapy, median pain scores decreased significantly from 7.5 to 4.0. The proportion of patients with severe pain (score >6) decreased from 96 percent to 16 percent. Sleep disturbance was significantly improved with the median of the scores decreased from 8.0 to 2.0. These improvements were sustained over a period of up to six months. There were no severe adverse events reported.”

Other surveys have identified similar pain decreases in neuropathy patients following their initiation of cannabis therapy.

The study’s authors concluded, “The results … demonstrated that chronic neuropathic pain can be effectively, sustainably, and safely treated with medical cannabis.”

Data published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open reported that nearly one in three patients with chronic pain use cannabis as an analgesic agent and that many of them substitute it in place of opioids.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis alleviates chronic neuropathic pain effectively and sustainably without severe adverse effects: A retrospective study on 99 cases,” appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Cannabis Associated With Improvements In Patients With Chronic Pouchitis

Written by Frank Schuler on August 28, 2023. Posted in Science.

Roughly 5 million people around the globe suffer from ulcerative colitis, some of which will endure at least one surgery in their lifetime due to the condition. Of the patients that require surgery, roughly 20% of them will develop a condition known as chronic pouchitis.

Chronic pouchitis involves inflammation in the lining of a pouch created during surgery to treat ulcerative colitis, in addition to surgery from a small list of other diseases. Symptoms of the condition include diarrhea, abdominal pain, joint pain, cramps, and fever.

Researchers in Israel recently examined cannabis’ ability to help treat symptoms of chronic pouchitis. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Tel Aviv, Israel: The daily use of herbal cannabis provides sustained relief to patients diagnosed with chronic pouchitis, according to data published in the journal ACG Case Reports. (Pouchitis is an inflammatory condition that frequently occurs in patients following surgery to treat ulcerative colitis.)

Israeli researchers assessed the use of cannabis in nine patients with treatment-resistant pouchitis. Patients inhaled one gram of herbal cannabis (16 percent THC) daily in addition to their regular medications. Patients were monitored for one year.

Investigators reported: “Symptom improvement was reported by eight of nine patients, including improvements in abdominal pain and swelling, nausea, appetite, and general well-being. Mood, memory, concentration, sleep, alertness, and daily function were also improved. Patients reported no events of hallucinations, negative behavioral effects, restlessness, or confusion. None reported IBD [inflammatory bowel disease] exacerbation.”

They concluded: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the effect of cannabis consumption among patients with chronic pouchitis. … Cannabis use led to significant symptomatic improvement and better quality of life in this group of patients with refractory pouchitis. Larger, controlled studies are needed to further evaluate the role of cannabis in the treatment of chronic pouchitis.”

Prior studies have shown that cannabis can mitigate symptoms associated with a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and gastroparesis.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis improves clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients with chronic pouchitis,” appears in ACG Case Reports. Additional information on cannabis and GI disorders is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.