Science – Page 27 – International Cannabis Business Conference

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Italian Study Finds THC-Dominant Extracts Reduce Alzheimer’s-Induced Agitation

Written by Frank Schuler on February 27, 2023. Posted in Science.

As of 2012, researchers estimated that as many as 24 million people globally were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and that the number of people diagnosed with the condition would double every 20 years for the foreseeable future.

“Alzheimer disease is the leading cause of dementia beginning with impaired memory. The neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease include diffuse and neuritic extracellular amyloid plaques in brain that are frequently surrounded by dystrophic neurites and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles.” stated the authors of the previously cited study from 2012.

It is still unknown what exactly causes Alzheimer’s, although medical professionals seem to think that it’s a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the condition.

The cannabis plant may be able to help reduce Alzheimer’s-induced agitation according to a new study out of Italy. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Modena, Italy: The twice-daily use of THC-dominant plant-derived extracts is associated with symptom mitigation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to observational trial data published in the Italian journal La Clinica Terapeutica.

Italian researchers assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis extracts containing 22 percent THC and 0.5 percent CBD in 30 patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s disease. Study participants administered the extracts twice daily for 12 weeks.

Investigators reported reductions in patients’ agitation, apathy, irritability, sleep disturbances, and eating disturbances following cannabis treatment. They further acknowledged “lower levels of physically and verbally aggressive behaviors … in all patients.” Forty-five percent of subjects experienced “a significant decrease in cognitive impairment.” None of the patients complained of any adverse side effects. All of the patients exhibited increased quality of life and a “decrease in caregiver burden and costs of medical care and assistance.”

Authors concluded, “The results of our clinical trial suppose the effectiveness and in particular the safety of [a natural] CBD/THC preparation in two main symptoms of AD, agitation and weight loss.”

Prior trials have demonstrated the ability of both natural cannabis extracts and synthetic cannabinoids to mitigate various symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Preclinical data has shown that both THC and synthetic THC agonists can modulate neuroinflammation and the formation of amyloid plaque in the brain – both of which are believed to play a key role in the development of AD.

Full text of the study, “Oral THC | CBD cannabis extract in main symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: Agitation and weight loss,” appears in La Clinica Terapeutica. Additional information on cannabinoids and Alzheimer’s disease is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

International Researchers Cure Horse’s Behavioral Disorders Using 4-Weeks Of CBD Treatment

Written by Frank Schuler on February 26, 2023. Posted in Science.

A team of international researchers from Italy and Brazil published findings earlier this month in the science publication Veterinary and Animal Science in which they reported a “successful outcome of four weeks-therapy with CBD” in a clinical case involving a 22-year-old Quarter horse that was experiencing behavioral disorders.

The clinical case study was a collaboration between investigators from the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy and the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University Metodista of São Paulo in Brazil.

At the heart of the study was a 22-year-old mare subject that was reportedly suffering from “chronic crib-biting and wind-sucking,” which are common behavioral disorders in horses for various reasons, including but not limited to poor welfare. According to the researchers, “Any alteration from the conditions found in nature can lead to the occurrence of some specific behaviours, called stereotypies which are characterised as repetitive, consistent patterns of behaviour usually defined as having no apparent ultimate or proximal functions.”

“According to the owner report, the mare had presented this behaviour for the past 15 years; previous clinical approaches, such as a cervical collar, environmental enhancement, diet change, and chemical tranquilizers (acepromazine 0,1 mg/kg T.I.D) were not successful.” the researchers stated in their findings.

“At anamnesis, it was revealed that the mare used to be a sport horse with an intensive training routine. Once her sports career was over, the owners retired her and kept her partially in the paddock and partially in the box (average 3 h/day at the paddock). The sport career was over at the age of 10 years old, while the behaviour disorder started at the age of 7 years old, getting progressively worse over the years.” the researchers stated about the horse that was the focus of the study.

“The horse was placed in therapy with commercially available isolated CBD 200 mg/ml at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/daily q12h per os. The dose and frequency were determinate based on previous case report and veterinary pharmacological studies (Ellis and Contino 2021). During the therapy, there were no changes in food quality/quantity or the daily routine of the mare.” the researchers stated about the CBD treatment specifically.

“To assess the results of the therapy, the mare was followed up under constant observation, for 7 days before the therapy and then during the treatment by the veterinary team divided into shifts, which provided the number of hours spent with the stereotypy (Fig. 2a) pre- and during administration of CBD. The mare was also weighted weekly, with the first weight measured at the start of the 7 days observation period prior to therapy.” the researchers stated about assessing the subject’s treatment.

“The results after 30 days of therapy were positive and no regression in behaviour was seen by the owners after the treatment ended. To the best of the Authors’ knowledge, this is the first published case describing the successful treatment and management of a chronic crib-biting, wind-sucking horse with the oral administration of CBD, enhancing welfare and life quality.” the researchers concluded.

This may be the first study of its kind, however, it’s not the first animal science study in general. This latest study adds to a growing body of evidence which proves that just as cannabis can provide wellness benefits to humans, so too can it do the same for animals. Medical cannabis as it pertains to veterinary medicine is an emerging sector of the medical cannabis industry, and a particularly promising one at that.

According to Grand View Research the global veterinary medicine industry was worth an estimated $44.59 billion in 2022 alone.

Study Finds That Cannabis Use Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure Levels

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

A French researcher has concluded that both current and lifetime cannabis use are associated with lower blood pressure levels after assessing the relationship between cannabis use and blood pressure among a population-based cohort of over 91,000 subjects. The research findings were recently published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports.

The investigator reported: “In adjusted covariates models, lifetime heavy cannabis use was associated with decrease in both SBP [systolic blood pressure], DBP [diastolic blood pressure], and PP [pulse pressure] in both genders, but with a higher effect among women. … Current cannabis use was associated with lower SBP levels in men and in women. Same results were observed for DBP and PP.”

He concluded, “Longitudinal studies are needed in general populations and then in hypertensive patients to highlight the potential lowered BP effect of cannabis in a medical use.”

A 2021 Israeli study of elderly hypertension subjects determined, “Cannabis treatment for three months was associated with a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as heart rate.” A US study published last year in The American Journal of Medicine reported, “Current cannabis use was associated with lower resting heart rate” in middle-aged subjects. The administration of oral CBD extracts has also been associated with reduced blood pressure levels in healthy volunteers.

Numerous other studies have also demonstrated the ability of cannabinoids to influence blood pressure and other cardiovascular responses, though many of these effects are short-term in duration and subjects typically become tolerant to some of them (e.g., tachycardia). According to a literature review published in the journal Neuropharmacology: “The endocannabinergic system plays an important cardiovascular regulatory role not only in pathophysiological conditions associated with excessive hypotension but also in hypertension. Thus, the pharmacological manipulation of this system may offer novel therapeutic approaches in a variety of cardiovascular disorders.”

Full text of the study, “Association between cannabis use and blood pressure levels according to comorbidities and socioeconomic status,” appears in Nature: Scientific Reports. Additional information on cannabinoids and blood pressure regulation is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Cannabis Use Prior To Bedtime Is Associated With Improved Sleep According To Israeli Study

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

Consuming cannabis prior to bedtime is associated with improved sleep in patients with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress (PTS) according to data recently published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Researchers in Israel conducted a study involving a cohort of 14 subjects with combat-related traumatic stress. All of the study’s participants previously explored various conventional treatments with those treatments proving to be unsuccessful.

According to the researchers, none of the patients were cannabis consumers prior to enrolling in the study. Study participants consumed cannabis ‘in the evenings’ in an outpatient setting for a period of at least six-months as part of the study parameters.

Investigators reported: “After treatment with cannabis, total sleep score, subjective sleep quality, and sleep duration significantly improved. … Total PTSD symptom score and its subdomains (intrusiveness, avoidance, and alertness) showed [also] improvement.” By contrast, cannabis treatment was not associated with reducing patients’ frequency of nightmares. None of the patients reported any side-effects from cannabis, nor did any elect to cease using cannabis prior to the end of the study period.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published study examining long-term cannabis efficacy in chronic combat treatment-resistant PTSD patients,” authors concluded. “The study’s findings show an overall improvement in sleep quality and duration, as well as a decrease in PTSD symptoms. … Future research should clarify the long-term effects of cannabis on different groups of patients suffering from PTSD.”

Post-traumatic stress has been a qualifying condition for medical cannabis in Israel since 2014. Currently, it is estimated that roughly 10 percent of all Israelis authorized to access medical cannabis use it to treat various symptoms of PTS.

This latest study builds on prior studies, which have similarly reported improvements in sleep duration and in insomnia in patients with and without PTS. The enactment of adult-use cannabis legalization is also correlated with a decrease in the sale of over-the-counter sleep aid medications.

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Cannabis Associated With Significant Decreases In Pain Patient Prescription Drug Use

Written by Frank Schuler on February 19, 2023. Posted in Science.

Sixty five percent of chronic pain patients at 3 pain centers in Germany reported ceasing opioid use after starting medical cannabis treatment according to the results of a recent survey published in the German science journal Schmerz. Additionally, 60 percent reported ceasing the use of antidepressants, and 58 percent reported ceasing their use of anticonvulsants according to the survey.

In addition to the patients themselves, physicians also separately completed the self-developed questionnaire. Participating physicians reported that 61 percent of the study’s participants achieved “substantial pain relief,” 66 percent achieved better sleep, and 34 percent achieved improvements in their mental well-being.

The survey involved 187 patients from three pain centers in the German federal state of Saarland, all of which received at least one treatment of a prescribed medical cannabis-based product (CbMs). The cross-sectional study’s data was collected from January 1 to December 31, 2021.

“CbMs can contribute to a clinically relevant reduction in pain, sleep problems and muscle tension and can improve daily functioning in carefully selected and supervised patients with chronic pain.” the study’s authors stated.

“CbM can contribute to the reduction or complete cessation of other pain medications (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids).” the researchers concluded. This particular survey builds on the results of previous research.

Data published earlier this month in the journal JAMA Network Open reports that nearly one in four pain patients residing in states where medical cannabis access is legal self-identify as cannabis consumers.

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 with severe treatment-resistant neuropathy (nerve pain). These positive results have been replicated in clinical trials utilizing relatively low doses of cannabis as well as in trials using plant-derived cannabis extracts.

A 2017 report 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.”

Cannabis Associated With Improvements In Patients With Headache Disorders

Written by Frank Schuler on February 19, 2023. Posted in Science.

Anyone that has experienced a headache knows that it is no fun at all. A headache is a painful sensation in any part of a person’s head, with pain ranging from minor to severe. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck (or some combination of these factors) can play a role in primary headaches.”

For some patients, headaches can be very common. Patients that fit that description have a condition known as ‘headache disorder,’ which is characterized by recurrent headaches. Headache disorder is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system.

The cannabis plant may possess the power to help people effectively treat headache disorders, as demonstrated by a recent study from the United Kingdom. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: The use of cannabis products is associated with symptomatic improvements in patients with headache disorders, according to observational trail data published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis-derived products in 97 patients diagnosed with migraine and other headache disorders. Study subjects were participants in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, and each of them possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis. Study participants consumed cannabis by either vaporizing marijuana flowers or by ingesting plant-derived extracts containing both THC and CBD. Researchers assessed subjects’ symptoms compared to baseline at one, three, and six-months.

Cannabis therapy was associated with sustained improvements in pain, anxiety, sleep, and other health-related outcomes. Fewer than one-in-five patients reported experiencing any adverse events from cannabis. Most events were perceived to be mild.

“[While] these results provide promise with respect to the changes in health-related quality of life experienced by those with primary headache disorders, there is a still a requirement for further RCTs [randomized placebo-controlled trials] to be conducted to understand the true efficacy of CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] for this indication,” authors concluded. “However, whilst these are awaited, the present study outcomes with respect to safety and efficacy, provides useful insights to inform current clinical practice.”

According to a systematic review of the literature published in December, the inhalation of cannabis flowers is generally effective and well-tolerated among patients with migraine. Authors of the review concluded: “[M]edical marijuana has a significant clinical response by reducing the length and frequency of migraines. No severe adverse effects were noted. Due to its effectiveness and convenience, medical marijuana therapy may be helpful for patients suffering from migraines.”

Patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry with diagnoses of post-traumatic stress, depression, refractory epilepsy, and inflammatory bowel disease have also demonstrated symptomatic improvements following cannabis therapy.

Full text of the study, “UK Cannabis Registry: Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with headache disorders,” appears in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Additional information on cannabis and headaches is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Cultivating Cannabis For An Emerging International Cannabis Market

Written by Johnny Green on February 17, 2023. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

The act and art of cultivating the cannabis plant is far from a new thing. Researchers have found evidence of humans cultivating the cannabis plant in a domestic fashion going back roughly 12,000 years. Yet, the methods, techniques, and particularly the technology that humans have incorporated over time has evolved considerably.

For many years humans cultivated cannabis the same way that many crops were cultivated – by planting seeds into tilled soil and cultivating it under the sun using nothing more than rain or river/creek water. Over time fertilizer concoctions were eventually incorporated. Selective breeding techniques were eventually used by various cultivators, with particular genetics being grown for specific uses.

At some point cannabis cultivation operations moved indoors, both to control the environment that the plants were grown in to maximize yield as well as out of necessity to avoid detection by law enforcement. Advances in artificial lighting and feeding systems occurred as a result, with many of those advances still being used by producers today.

The cultivation sector of the emerging international cannabis industry is currently taking cannabis production to a level that was previously unfathomable. Advances in cultivation research and technology are allowing producers to cultivate cannabis that is of a higher quality and quantity than ever before.

One of the biggest benefits to cannabis reform efforts is the opening up of cannabis production research and innovation. No longer are cultivators restricting their crafts to closets and basements. They can completely operate out in the open and only be restricted by their creativity and ingenuity, and every cannabis consumer and patient on the planet is benefitting from it.

A group of leading cannabis production experts will be participating in a panel at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference in Barcelona on March 9th. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn directly from people that are at the forefront of the global cannabis production evolution. Panelists will include:

Marcus Richardson, Hashish Aficionado and Creator of Bubble Bags (Moderator)
Timo Bongartz, General Manager of Fluence Emea
Sabrina Carvalho, Cannabis Plant Specialist at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Neal Lund, Global Technical Advisor at RIOCOCO
Jeremy Youness, International Commercial Sales and Cannabis Cultivation Specialist at Fohse

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading cannabis business to business (B2B) event series on the planet, with previous conferences occurring in several countries on multiple continents. The event series is owned and operated by cannabis advocates that believe in celebrating cannabis culture, in addition to providing world-class cannabis industry education and networking opportunities.

The International Cannabis Business Conference has once again partnered with Spannabis, Europe’s top cannabis expo, to form another super-event that is a must-attend for anyone that is serious about succeeding in the emerging cannabis industry. Spannabis originally teamed up with the International Cannabis Business Conference in 2019, and the collaboration was a tremendous success. The 2023 super-event will be bigger and better than ever, with the collaboration event being the largest of its kind.

Not all networking opportunities are created equal, and that is particularly true in the cannabis space. International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by cannabis leaders from dozens of different countries, with the Barcelona B2B trade show serving as the first major international cannabis event of its type for 2023. The conference itself will be held at the L’Auditori de Cornellà, with the after-party being held at the Hotel Arts (Ritz-Carleton) Barcelona. You can view the event’s schedule at this link here.

The International Cannabis Business Conference also has additional upcoming events in Berlin in June 2023. Secure your tickets now before the events are sold out!

Review Of Longitudinal Studies Concludes Legalization Associated With Less Use Of Opioids

Written by Frank Schuler on February 15, 2023. Posted in Science.

One of the most promising areas of cannabis research hinges on the cannabis plant’s ability to treat pain. Researchers around the globe are conducting studies, reviewing data, and surveying patients to gain a better understanding of how cannabis can be effectively used for pain management.

Pharmaceutical painkillers are commonly prescribed to pain patients, and while they can be effective in some cases at treating pain, in many other cases the patient becomes significantly addicted to the medicine that they were prescribed.

Researchers in Canada recently examined data to gain more insight into the cannabis plant’s ability to replace the use of opioids. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML, the results of which add to a growing body of evidence that cannabis is a preferable alternative to pharmaceutical opioids:

Montreal, Canada: The adoption of state laws regulating the sale of cannabis to adults is strongly associated with reductions in the use of prescription opioids, according to a review of longitudinal studies published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Canadian investigators reviewed data from 32 longitudinal studies evaluating public health outcomes in states that legalized adult-use cannabis sales compared to jurisdictions that did not.

Consistent with prior analyses, researchers identified “robust associations” between the enactment of adult-use legalization and decreases in the public’s use of prescription opioids.

“Most research articles included on this topic were evaluated as having high-quality evidence,” they acknowledged. “As such, the evidence is sufficient to establish a potentially beneficial association between recreational marijuana legislation and prescription opioid patterns.”

Though researchers acknowledged “moderate increases” in adults’ past-month use of cannabis following legalization, they identified “no increase in [use among] adolescents or young adults.” They also failed to identify any uptick in incidences of problematic marijuana use among young people – a finding consistent with prior data.

Authors reported inconsistent findings with respect to the potential impact of adult-use legalization on traffic safety or upon the public’s use of alcohol. They identified no increases in the public’s use of tobacco following marijuana legalization, and they failed to draw any conclusions regarding legalization’s impact on either crime rates or suicides due to a lack of sufficient data.

Full text of the study, “The clouded debate: A systematic review of comparative longitudinal studies examining the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on key public health outcomes,” appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

Cannabinoid Combination Possesses Synergistic Anti-Cancer Effects In Cellular Model

Written by Frank Schuler on February 12, 2023. Posted in Science.

The cannabis plant is made up of dozens of cannabinoids. THC and CBD may currently garner the most headlines, however, other cannabinoids are growing in popularity amongst patients and researchers.

A great example of that is cannabichromene (CBC). According to Science Direct, “CBC can be one of the most abundant nonpsychotropic CBs found in strains or varieties of Cannabis,” and “can cause strong anti-inflammatory effects.”

Researchers in Israel recently evaluated a combination of CBD and CBC and its effects in cellular models, and the results are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Jerusalem, Israel: According to preclinical data published in the journal Cancers, plant-derived extracts containing both CBD and CBC (cannabichromene) are highly effective at killing head and neck cancer cells in culture.

Israeli researchers assessed the anti-cancer activity of 24 plant-derived cannabinoids in head and neck cell cultures.

They reported that the administration of CBD and CBC at a ratio of two-to-one “maximizes the cytotoxicity of HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinoma] cells.” Authors also identified a similar “entourage effect” when CBD was combined with THC at a two-to-one ratio, but they suggested that the former combination possessed a more beneficial safety profile.

“Our research found CBC to enhance the cytotoxic effect of CBD, establishing additional support for the phenomenon of the entourage effect in phytocannabinoids,” investigators determined. “Considering the adverse psychotomimetic effects of THC, there is a clear advantage for favoring the CBD-CBC combination over CBD-THC for novel treatments for HNSCC.”

They concluded, “This research suggests using whole cannabis extracts, which are decarboxylated CBD-rich, to induce cancer cell death.”

Although cannabinoids possess well-established anti-cancer activity in preclinical models, scientists have largely been reluctant to try and replicate these results in controlled clinical trials.

According to a 2015 literature review, cannabis smoke exposure is not positively associated with the development of cancers of the head or neck. A 2009 study reported that the moderate long-term use of marijuana was associated with a reduced risk of head and neck cancers.

Full text of the study, “The effect of cannabis plant extracts on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the quest for cannabis-based personalized therapy,” appears in Cancers. Additional information on cannabinoids and cancer is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.