Science – Page 24 – International Cannabis Business Conference

Cannabis Associated With Improved Symptoms In Fibromyalgia Patients Per New Study

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

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.”

Fibromyalgia is a serious problem across the globe, affecting people of all ages. It is estimated that as many as one out of every twenty people on the planet suffers from the condition to some degree.

Unfortunately, there is currently no known cure for fibromyalgia. However, researchers in the United Kingdom recently found evidence that medical cannabis products can be an effective treatment for some fibromyalgia patients. The study also found that patients reduced their use of opioids. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Fibromyalgia (FM) patients who use cannabis products for at least one month report improvements in their health-related quality of life, according to observational data published in the journal Brain and Behavior.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis products (either oils, flower, or a combination of both) in over 300 FM patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. All of the participants possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis products. (Since 2018, specialists have been permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Authors assessed the efficacy of cannabis at one, three, six, and 12 months.

Researchers reported: “Statistically significant improvements [were] observed in validated fibromyalgia-specific, pain, sleep, anxiety, and health-related quality of life metrics. Furthermore, a statistically significant reduction in opioid consumption was seen at the end of [the] follow-up. … CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] were generally well-tolerated.”

They concluded, “CBMP treatment was associated with improvements in fibromyalgia-specific symptoms, in addition to sleep, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. … Subgroup analysis suggests that those with prior exposure to cannabis were likely to experience improvements in more domains, as well as fewer adverse events, [as] compared to cannabis-naïve counterparts.”

Prior studies assessing the use of cannabis products in patients enrolled in the UK registry have similarly reported them to be effective and well-tolerated among those suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions.

Fibromyalgia patients frequently self-report using cannabis to successfully manage symptoms of the disorder. Israeli data published late last year reported that cannabis therapy is associated with quality of life improvements in FM patients who have previously failed to respond to conventional prescription medications.

Full text of the study, “Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia: Analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry,” appears in Brain and Behavior. Additional information on cannabis and fibromyalgia is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Cannabis Is Not Predictive Of Adverse Cardiovascular Events According To Meta-Analysis

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

Every so often mainstream media headlines pop up claiming that cannabis increases the risk of various cardiovascular diseases. Typically, when someone dives deeper into the studies behind those headlines they quickly realize that the headlines are based on junk science (at best).

Headlines like that are meant to scare the public, presumably so that they will support continued prohibition. However, prohibition is where the true harm lies and cannabis is not predictive of an adverse cardiovascular event, as demonstrated by a recent study out of Thailand. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Bangkok, Thailand: A history of cannabis use is not associated with a significantly increased risk of suffering from an adverse cardiovascular event, according to review data published in the journal Toxicological Reports.

Investigators reviewed findings from 20 observational studies involving over 183 million subjects. They reported, “Cannabis use was not significantly associated with acute MI [myocardial infarction], stroke, [or other] adverse CV [cardiovascular] events.”

Researchers cautioned, however, that it remains unclear whether certain formulations of cannabis (such as higher THC products) and/or heavier patterns of use might potentially be associated with a more elevated risk. Therefore, they opined that their results should be interpreted with caution.

“To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first meta-analysis regarding cannabis-related adverse cardiovascular events, including acute MI and stroke, though there are some systematic reviews on this topic,” they concluded. “Contrary to the notions based on previous literature and biological explanations, this meta-analysis found that cannabis use insignificantly predicts all major cardiovascular adverse events. … However, considering the heterogeneity among studies, it is vital to take a cautious stance toward the findings. Specific conditions of cannabis use such as cannabis preparation, route of administration, dosage, duration, and time after exposure can affect outcomes, and further investigations are needed.”

The investigators’ findings are similar to those of a 2021 literature review of 67 studies published in The American Journal of Medicine , which concluded, “[M]arijuana itself does not appear to be independently associated with excessive cardiovascular risk factors.”

Full text of the study, “Cannabis and adverse cardiovascular events: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies,” appears in Toxicological Reports.

Australian Researchers Find Sustained Improvements In Medical Cannabis Patients’ Health-Related Quality Of Life

Written by Frank Schuler on May 21, 2023. Posted in Science.

This should be obvious, but the true measurement of something being a medicine or not is if it helps improve someone’s quality of life. Unfortunately, that measurement has not historically been applied to cannabis, and in many countries that is still the case.

Cannabis is not prohibited due to it being an unhealthy substance, but rather, prohibiting cannabis supports various political and non-cannabis industry efforts. The cannabis plant is one of the most versatile plants on earth and is indeed medicine, and that was/is ‘bad for business’ for various people in power around the world.

Thankfully, there is a growing body of research that supports the fact that cannabis is medicine, and slowly but surely cannabis prohibition is eroding. A recent study out of Australia found that medical cannabis patients’ health-related quality of life improved after the use of medical cannabis. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Melbourne, Australia: Patients suffering from pain, cancer, anxiety, and insomnia report significant, sustained improvements in their health-related quality of life following the use of cannabis products, according to observational data published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Australian researchers evaluated cannabis-related outcomes in a cohort of more than 3,100 patients authorized to use medical cannabis. (Under Australian law, physicians may only authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.) Study participants consumed various formulations of cannabis, with most patients using products high in CBD content. Most patients in the cohort were over 50 years old.

Consistent with numerous other studies, authors reported, “Patients using medical cannabis reported improvements in health-related quality of life, which were mostly sustained over time. Adverse events were rarely serious.”

They concluded: “In this retrospective case series, patients reported improvements … after commencing treatment with medical cannabis … on all eight [of the] health-related quality of life domains assessed. … Further high-quality trials are required.”

Observational trial data from a cohort of nearly 3,000 chronically ill patients in the United Kingdom also recently reported that the use of medical cannabis products is well tolerated and improves subjects’ health-related quality of life.

Full text of the study, “Assessment of medical cannabis and health-related quality of life,” appears in JAMA Network Open. Information on medical cannabis use is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Cannabis Use by Older Adult Populations.’

Fibromyalgia pain doctor hospital Fibromyalgia pain doctor hospital

Canadian Cancer Patients Report Decreased Pain, Fewer Opioids After Cannabis Treatment

Written by Frank Schuler on May 13, 2023. Posted in Science.

Arguably the top place for cannabis research right now is in Canada, largely due to the fact that the nation currently has the best national cannabis laws on the planet. Canada is one of only three countries to have passed a national cannabis legalization measure, with the other two being Uruguay and Malta.

The favorable laws, in turn, make barriers and hurdles to launching and completing research projects less daunting. Canada’s cannabis consumer and patient populations are considerably larger than that of Uruguay and Malta combined, and the North American country is a wealth of cannabis-focused data, including data pertaining to medical cannabis patients and use.

Researchers in Canada recently conducted a study involving cancer patients who completed medical cannabis treatments. What the study participants reported after their medical cannabis treatments is insightful. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Montreal, Canada: Cannabis is associated with sustained reductions in cancer pain and may be safely incorporated in cancer patients’ treatment regimens, according to data published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.

Canadian researchers affiliated with McGill University assessed the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis in 358 cancer patients. Study participants consumed cannabis as an adjunctive treatment for one year.

Subjects experienced statistically significant decreases in pain within three months. Patients maintained their pain relief throughout the study. Participants who consumed cannabis flower containing nearly equal percentages of THC and CBD experienced greatest relief.

Although some patients reported side-effects from cannabis, most of these episodes were categorized as “non-serious.” Patients were most likely to report experiencing sleepiness or fatigue.

Investigators reported: “We found MC [medical cannabis] to be a safe and effective treatment option to help with cancer pain relief. THC/CBD balanced products appear to perform better as compared with THC-dominant and CBD-dominant products. Furthermore, we observed consistent decreases in medication burden and opioid use in our patient population. Hence, our data suggest a role for MC as a safe and complementary treatment option in patients with cancer failing to reach adequate pain relief through conventional analgesics, such as opioids.”

Dozens of studies document decreases in patients’ consumption of opioids, benzodiazepines, and other prescription medications following their use of cannabis.

Numerous placebo-controlled trials document the ability of either inhaled or vaporized herbal cannabis to significantly mitigate pain in various patient populations, including those suffering from HIV, diabetes, spinal cord injury, or severe treatment-resistant neuropathy (nerve pain). A 2017 review by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that “conclusive or substantial evidence” exists for cannabis’ efficacy in patients suffering from chronic pain, stating, “Patients who [are] treated with cannabis or cannabinoids are more likely to experience a clinically significant reduction in pain symptoms.”

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis is effective for cancer-related pain: Quebec Cannabis Registry results,” appears in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Australian Arthritis Patients Report Improvements Following Use Of Plant-Derived CBD

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

According to the Global RA Network, roughly 350 million people around the globe currently suffer from some form of arthritis, making it one of the most common health conditions found around the world.

Arthritis is the number one chronic disease in North America that results in a disability. Women are more likely to develop arthritis than men, and people of any age can be diagnosed with the condition, although it’s more common for older people to be diagnosed.

The cannabis plant has been used to treat arthritis for thousands of years to some degree, and a team of researchers in Australia recently conducted a study that found that CBD was beneficial for arthritis patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: Patients suffering from arthritis report decreased pain and improvements in their health-related quality of life following the use of cannabis products containing significant percentages of CBD, according to observational trial data published in the British Journal of Pain.

Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of a variety of plant-derived cannabis products in a cohort of chronic pain patients, approximately one-third of whom suffered from arthritis. (Under Australian law, physicians may only authorize medical cannabis products to patients that have been unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments).

Researchers reported that pain patients were most likely to respond to products containing balanced ratios of THC and CBD. However, over half of the patients with arthritis reported “clinically meaningful improvements” following the use of products containing only CBD.

“Although the CBD-only products did not reach statistical significance in the overall chronic pain cohort, participants with arthritis did report significant improvements in pain intensity and pain impact scores,” authors reported. “With arthritis being an inflammatory condition, the anti-inflammatory actions of CBD may be resulting in improved outcomes in these patients.”

Patients who experienced side-effects from their use of cannabis products were most likely to report dry mouth, drowsiness, and fatigue.

“In this analysis, medicinal cannabis, depending on the ratio of CBD to THC, appeared to be associated with significant improvements in pain intensity, pain interference, social functioning and pain impact scores,” investigators concluded. “Balanced and CBD-only products [were] associated with the highest HRQoL [health-related quality of life] improvements.”

Survey data published last year in the Journal of Cannabis Research similarly reported that arthritis patients typically experience symptom improvements and reduce their use of prescription medications following the use of CBD. The results of a randomized clinical trial published in June in the Journal of Hand Surgery concluded that the administration of a topical formula containing hemp-derived CBD is associated with significant improvements in patients with thumb basal joint arthritis.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis for Australian patients with chronic refractory pain including arthritis,” appears in the British Journal of Pain. Additional information on cannabinoids and arthritis is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Patients Frequently Use Cannabis As A Sleep Aid According To Australian Survey

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

Insomnia is a major problem around the world. Whether people suffer from insomnia as a primary condition, or it is caused by a different primary condition, an inability to fall asleep and/or stay asleep can have a massively negative impact on a person’s overall health, both physically and mentally.

When a human is sleep deprived, they become more irritable, and handling daily tasks becomes more difficult. A lack of sleep impairs brain functions such as memory and decision-making, and it can lead to depression. Physically, insomnia can impair patients’ immune systems, among other concerns.

The cannabis plant has served as a sleep aid for many insomnia sufferers over many years, and that appears to be the case in Australia according to the results of a recent survey. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Sydney, Australia: Patients frequently report consuming cannabis to treat sleep-related issues, particularly insomnia, according to survey data published in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Sydney surveyed 1,600 Australians regarding their use of medical cannabis.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed acknowledged consuming cannabis to mitigate symptoms of a sleep disorder, typically insomnia.

Most respondents said that cannabis greatly improved their sleep quality. A majority of respondents also said that they decreased their consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol following their use of cannabis – a finding that is consistent with other studies.

Those who reported consuming cannabis were most likely to acknowledge using THC-dominant cannabis products.

“[Our study] shows that the majority of participants reported an improvement in their subjective sleep symptoms since commencing medical cannabis,” authors concluded. “[I]t is imperative that randomized, placebo-controlled trials using quality-assured products are conducted to better understand the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid treatment in patients with clinician-diagnosed sleep disorders.”

The survey’s findings are similar to those of numerous other studies documenting that patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders report subjective improvements following cannabis use. Data published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine reported that the enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws is associated with a significant reduction in the sales of over-the-counter sleep aids among the general public.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis use patterns for sleep disorders in Australia: Results of the cross-sectional CAMS-20 survey,” appears in Nature and Science of Sleep. Additional information on the use of cannabis for insomnia is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

woman smelling smell cannabis plant garden outdoor sungrown terpene terpenes

Terpenes Enhance THC’s Ability To Interact With Endogenous Receptor

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

For many years very little was known about cannabis terpenes. Terpenes are the compounds contained in the cannabis plant that gives it its smell. Scientists currently estimate that the cannabis plant contains over 150 different terpenes, with different genetics containing different ratios of terpene levels.

An example of a cannabis terpene is pinene, which is one of the most common terpenes found in cannabis terpene profile testing results. Pinene is known for having a forest-type smell, and can also be found in pine nuts, rosemary, and sage.

Researchers in Israel recently examined cannabis terpenes and how they interact with the endogenous CB1 receptor, and what they found regarding THC’s interaction with the receptor and terpenes could change the way cannabis products and treatments are developed going forward. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Jerusalem, Israel: Terpenes in the cannabis plant enhance the ability of THC to interact with the endogenous CB1 receptor, potentially heightening its effects, according to preclinical data published in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology.

Israeli scientists evaluated the role of terpenes in CB1 receptor-mediated functions. Researchers also assessed the extent to which terpenes acted as direct CB1 receptor agonists and as modulators of THC agonism.

Researchers reported certain terpenes – including borneol, geraniol, limonene, linalool, ocimene, sabinene, and terpineol – amplified THC activity at the CB1 receptor, even at low quantities.

They reported: “The results demonstrate that all terpenes, when tested individually, activate CB1 receptors, at about 10-50 percent of the activation by THC alone. The combination of some of these terpenes with THC significantly increases the activity of the CB1 receptor, compared to THC alone. In some cases, several fold. Importantly, this amplification is evident at terpene to THC ratios similar to those in the cannabis plant, which reflect very low terpene concentrations.”

Authors concluded: “The use of selected terpenes may enable reducing the THC dose in some treatments, and as a result, potentially minimizing the THC-related adverse effects. This would also help in adjusting the treatment to more sensitive populations such as children and elderly. Enrichment with selected terpenes may allow for composition adjustment to personal needs and to changes during chronic use, such as for daytime versus for sleep.”

The findings expand upon those of a 2021 study documenting that certain terpenes activate CB1 and CB2 receptors, and that the combined administration of cannabinoids and terpenes produce additive effects. Authors of that study similarly suggested, “[T]erpenes could be used to enhance the analgesic properties of cannabis/cannabinoid therapy, without worsening the side effects of cannabinoid treatment.”

A study published earlier this year reported that cannabis flowers with elevated levels of the terpenes myrcene and terpinolene are associated with greater perceived symptom relief among patients.

Full text of the study, “Selected cannabis terpenes synergize with THC to produce increased CB1 receptor activation,” appears in Biochemical Pharmacology.

Canadian Study Finds Cannabis Products Effective In Self-Management Of Myofascial Pelvic Pain

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

Myofascial pelvic pain syndrome is a health condition involving pelvic pain that is often described by sufferers as ‘short, tight, tender pelvic floor muscles that can include palpable nodules or trigger points.’

While it’s unclear how many people around the globe suffer from the condition, it is estimated that 22% to 94% of cases of chronic pelvic pain involve myofascial pain. Chronic pelvic pain is one of the most common gynecologic conditions around the planet.

Treatments for myofascial pelvic pain vary from patient to patient, with many patients relying on their own regimens for treatment. Cannabis is a popular medicine for sufferers, and according to a recent study in Canada, there’s good reason to incorporate it into treatment strategies. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Vancouver, Canada: A significant percentage of women suffering from myofascial pelvic pain (MPP) acknowledge using cannabis and/or cannabis-products as a way to effectively mitigate their symptoms, according to data published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

Canadian investigators surveyed 135 female patients with MPP, 57 percent of whom acknowledged using cannabis. Among marijuana consumers, 79 percent said that they used cannabis products to treat their pelvic pain. Nearly eighty percent of those respondents said that they began using cannabis because conventional treatments were ineffective. Nearly half of consumers said that they used cannabis daily, and more than half did so via inhalation.

“On a scale of zero (totally ineffective) to 10 (totally effective), 69 percent of users rated the effectiveness of cannabis as 7 or higher at relieving pelvic pain,” authors reported. Among non-users, 64 percent said that they “would be willing” to try cannabis as an option to treat pelvic pain.

A survey’s findings are consistent with those of prior studies finding that an increasing percentage of patients with pelvic pain are accessing either cannabis or cannabis products, and that those patients who do so are consuming fewer opioids.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use preferences in women with myofascial pelvic pain: A cross-sectional study,” appears in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

UK Study Fails To Identify Cannabis As A Risk Factor For Development Of Psychosis

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

Cannabis opponents and mainstream media outlets have claimed for many years that cannabis is bad for human brains. As part of their claim, opponents often suggest that cannabis use causes psychosis.

Psychosis is a serious mental health condition that is always worthy of research and thoughtful discussion, which is why public health strategies should be led by science and not the harmful political views of a small group of lawmakers.

Researchers in the United Kingdom recently conducted a study in which they examined what, if any, role cannabis use plays in the development of psychosis. Below is more information about the study’s findings via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: A history of cannabis use is not associated with an increased risk of developing psychosis, even among those predisposed to the disorder, according to data published in the journal Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

A team of investigators from Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom examined the association between cannabis use and incidences of psychotic disorders in clinically at-risk subjects. Researchers assessed subjects at baseline and then followed them for a period of two years.

They reported: “There was no significant association between any measure of cannabis use at baseline and either transition to psychosis, the persistence of symptoms, or functional outcomes.”

Authors concluded, “Our primary hypothesis was that cannabis use in CHR [clinically high risk] subjects would be associated with an increased rate of later transition to psychosis. However, there was no significant association with any measure of cannabis use. … These findings are not consistent with epidemiological data linking cannabis use to an increased risk of developing psychosis.”

Although the use of cannabis and other controlled substances tends to be more common among those with psychotic illnesses, studies indicate that lifetime incidences of acute marijuana-induced psychosis are relatively rare among the general population.

Data published last year in the New Zealand Medical Journal reported that those with a history of cannabis consumption do not typically exhibit more severe symptoms of psychosis than do those with no history of regular use.

Full text of the study, “Influence of cannabis use on incidence of psychosis in people at clinical high risk,” appears in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.