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Study Finds Cannabis Inversely Associated With Hypertension In HCV Patients

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

We previously reported that a peer reviewed study in France determined that medical cannabis use was associated with a lower BMI in patients diagnosed with hepatitis C (HCV). A separate study from France also found that cannabis is inversely associated with obesity among HCV patients.

It is estimated that as many as 58 million people suffer from hepatitis C worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 1.1 million deaths occurred in 2019 due to hepatitis B and C, and their effects include ‘liver cancer, cirrhosis, and other conditions caused by chronic viral hepatitis.’

Hepatitis C is spread by contact with contaminated blood, such as from sharing needles or from people using unsterile tattoo equipment. Yet another study in France examined cannabis and HCV, and the results of this latest study indicate that cannabis use is inversely associated with hypertension in HCV patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Marseille, France: HCV (Hepatitis C virus)-infected patients who consume cannabis are less likely than non-users to suffer from either hypertension or other metabolic disorders, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

French researchers assessed the relationship between current and/or lifetime cannabis use and metabolic disorders in a cohort of 6,364 subjects infected with HCV.

Investigators reported, “Former and current cannabis use were both inversely associated with hypertension in both analyses (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.74 and 0.45).” They also possessed fewer metabolic disorders (e.g., obesity, diabetes, etc.) than did those with no history of cannabis consumption.

They concluded: “In a large cohort of people with chronic HCV infection living in France, current or former cannabis use was associated with a lower risk of hypertension and a lower number of metabolic disorders. … Future research should also explore the biological mechanisms underlying these potential benefits of cannabis use, and test whether they translate into reduced mortality in this population.”

Prior studies have identified an association between cannabis use and lower rates of diabetes and fatty liver disease in Hep-C infected subjects. Other studies have consistently identified a relationship between marijuana consumption and lower rates of obesity.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use inversely associated with metabolic disorders in Hepatitis C-infected patients,” appears in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Additional information on cannabis and Hepatitis C is available from NORML. Additional information on cannabis and hypertension is available.

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Argentina Adds New Cannabis Varieties To National Catalog Of Cultivars

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business, Policy, Science.

Argentina has experienced a lot of cannabis industry and policy activity in recent months. For instance, right before the start of last summer lawmakers in Argentina passed a measure to boost the nation’s emerging cannabis industry.

Weeks later, Argentina’s Supreme Court rendered a decision that permitted medical cannabis patients to cultivate their own cannabis in some instances. Roughly a month ago, Argentina’s government issued its first domestic production license, shortly after which the government launched a public company to provide seeds, testing, and training to the emerging domestic industry.

The most recent activity out of Argentina involves new cannabis genetics being added to the nation’s cultivar catalog. Per Minuto Ya:

New varieties were incorporated into the National Registry of Cultivars of INASE , thus expanding the supply of propagation materials destined to supply the R&D projects approved by the Ministry of Health and the users registered in REPROCANN .

The new varieties are ANANDA001, from Anandamida Organic SAS; JEALOUS 10 by Diego Di Maggio; Polaris, by Lucia de Souza Madeira; and TROPICANA WFC, by Facundo J. Meligene.

Any time that growers have more cannabis genetics to select from it’s a good thing. And with that in mind, while it is great that four new cultivars were added in Argentina, it is not nearly enough.

Several countries around the world now permit medical cannabis to be cultivated for industry purposes. Many of them do not limit the types of cannabis strains that can be cultivated, and yet, they have experienced no issues related to strains (and why would they?).

Argentina’s medical cannabis industry is starting to make strides, however, there’s obviously still a lot of unnecessary restrictions and limitations in place. Hopefully Argentina’s program continues to expand, and at a more rapid pace, so that as many suffering patients can be helped as possible in the near future.

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Inhaled Cannabis “Safe And Effective” For Treating Lower Back Pain According To New Study

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Since at least 1990, and likely prior, lower back pain is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, roughly 7.5% of the world’s population experiences some level of lower back pain.

The study defined lower back pain as, “pain in the area on the posterior aspect of the body from the lower margin of the twelfth ribs to the lower gluteal folds with or without pain referred into one or both lower limbs that lasts for at least one day.”

Lower back pain can be caused by a number of factors, including work-related injuries. For some suffering patients, lower back pain comes and goes. However, for many others, the lower back pain is chronic in nature and continues for weeks or months on end. In severe cases, the pain never goes away at all.

A growing number of patients suffering from chronic lower back pain are turning to cannabis for relief, including via inhaled consumption methods. According to a new study out of Israel, inhaled cannabis is safe and effective in those instances. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Haifa, Israel: The inhalation of THC-dominant cannabis flower long-term safely mitigates symptoms of chronic lower back pain in a manner that is more effective than the use of CBD-dominant extracts, according to observational trial data published in the Israeli journal Rambam Maimonides.

Israeli researchers assessed the safety and efficacy of THC-dominant flowers and CBD-dominant sublingual extracts in a cohort of patients with low back pain. Study participants engaged in the daily use of extracts for one year, followed by the use of cannabis flower in year two.

Researchers reported, “THC-rich smoked cannabis inflorescence was more effective than CBD-rich cannabis-extracts for inducing symptom relief in LBP [lower back pain],” as assessed on a visual analogue scale and by a disability index. Additionally, patients’ use of analgesic medicines fell significantly during year two of the trial. No serious adverse events were reported.

Authors concluded: “Our findings indicate that inhaled THC-rich therapy is more effective than CBD-rich sublingual extract therapy for treating low back pain and that cannabis therapy is safe and effective for chronic low back pain.”

An estimated 111,000 Israelis are currently licensed to use medical cannabis products. More than half of those patients utilize cannabis to treat chronic pain conditions.

Several prior studies have similarly demonstrated that cannabis use is associated with reduced opioid consumption in patients with chronic back pain.

Full text of the study, “Comparing sublingual and inhaled cannabis therapies for low back pain: An observational open-label study,” appears in Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. Additional information on the use of cannabis for chronic pain is available from NORML.

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Study Finds That CBD May Offset THC-Induced Anxiety

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

The cannabis plant is one of the most versatile plants on earth, and quite possibly could be the most versatile plant on the planet. Although, that can prove to be a two-edged sword of sorts, in that when cannabis’ complexities interact with human biology it can yield some undesirable consequences.

To be clear, I am not stating that cannabis is harmful in the manner that cannabis prohibitionists describe. However, it is a fact that when some people consume cannabis, particularly if they consume an amount of cannabis that exceeds what they are usually comfortable consuming, it can contribute to the person experiencing some level of anxiety.

It is never fun to experience anxiety, whether it’s a little anxiety or a lot of anxiety. Typically, the effects of THC are responsible for the person experiencing an increased level of anxiety, and fortunately, another cannabinoid appears to be able to offset those effects to some degree according to a recent study out of The Netherlands. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Maastricht, The Netherlands: Subjects who consume cannabis containing equal amounts of THC and CBD report experiencing less anxiety than they do after consuming THC-dominant cannabis, according to trial data published in the journal Psychopharmacology.

Dutch investigators assessed perceived anxiety levels in a cohort of 26 subjects following single doses of vaporized cannabis. Subjects vaporized cannabis samples that were either high in THC (13.75 mgs), high in CBD (13.75 mgs), contained equal amounts of both CBD and THC, or that contained no cannabinoids.

Investigators reported that THC-dominant and THC/CBD equivalent samples significantly increased participants’ self-rated state of anxiety compared to placebo, but subjects reported less anxiety after consuming the latter. Specifically, they reported, “Combined treatment of THC and CBD delayed the onset of … anxiety, reduced its magnitude and shortened its duration compared to inhalation of THC alone.”

The study’s findings are consistent with those of prior studies documenting CBD’s anxiolytic effects, and determining that subjects who consume cannabis flowers containing equal ratios of THC and CBD are less likely to report experiencing adverse effects, such as feelings of paranoia.

Authors concluded: “The present study showed that cannabis containing equivalent concentrations of THC and CBD induces less self-rated … anxiety compared to THC-only cannabis in healthy volunteers. … The THC/CBD combination might be more favorable in clinical settings, and it may be a reasonable public health strategy to encourage cannabis breeds containing THC/CBD mixtures where recreational use of cannabis is now legal.”

Full text of the study, “Cannabis containing equivalent concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) induces less state anxiety than THC-dominant cannabis,” appears in Psychopharmacology.

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Israeli Bioreactor Yields Exponentially More Potent Cannabis Cells

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Israel has long served as an international cannabis research hub. In fact, Israel is home to the most famed cannabis researcher of all time, Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Prof. Mechoulam, who is dubbed the ‘Godfather of Cannabis Research,’ is credited with being the first scientist to describe the chemical structure of cannabidiol (CBD), and also for being the first to isolate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

During an era when most countries seemingly did everything that they could to hinder cannabis research, Israel embraced it. As a result, the country has an enormous head start on most, if not all, other countries when it comes to cannabis research.

As further proof that Israel is on the cutting edge of cannabis science, it is being reported that researchers in Israel have boosted the potency of cannabis cells twelve fold by creating them in a bioreactor. Per Times of Israel:

An Israeli company has cloned hemp cells and used a bioreactor to grow them into a substance with all the active compounds of cannabis — and 12 times the potency.

BioHarvest Sciences says the breakthrough could make the medical benefits of cannabis available in cheaper, cleaner and greener form. It has started applying for the necessary licenses to manufacture and sell its product for medical use in Israel and the United States.

How long it will take for the products to actually make it to patients is anyone’s guess at this point. For that matter, I suppose it’s still possible that the process could get derailed in some way, as all things international cannabis are typically more complex than they need to be.

It’s unclear if the end product has been tested on humans yet and determined to be safe for patient consumption. Sufficiently arriving at that determination alone could take some time and involve a process that is riddled with hurdles.

Still, it’s a possibly huge scientific breakthrough. The cannabis cells produced in the bioreactors reportedly only take three weeks to create from start to finish. That is a significantly shorter window of time compared to traditional cultivation methods (up to six months in some cases).

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Cannabis Extracts Safe And Effective In Dementia Patients Per Switzerland Study

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Cannabis extracts are growing in popularity around the globe within the medical cannabis community for a multitude of reasons. For many years, cannabis flower was the most prominent form of medical cannabis, however, more and more patients are increasingly going the extract route.

For those that are not familiar, cannabis extracts are exactly what the name implies. They are products that are created as the result of processing cannabis flower via various methods to extract and concentrate cannabinoids from the flower.

The rise in use of cannabis extracts has been paralleled by new questions regarding whether cannabis extracts are safe for patients, both in the short and long terms. A team of researchers in Switzerland recently examined long term use of cannabis extracts among dementia patients, and the results of the study were insightful. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Geneva, Switzerland: The administration of plant-derived extracts containing a two-to-one ratio of CBD to THC is associated with behavioral improvements and few adverse side effects in dementia patients, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

A team of Swiss researchers assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of the adjunctive use of cannabis extracts in a cohort of dementia patients (mean age: 81 years). Participants received an average of 12.4 mgs of THC and 24.8 mgs of CBD per day for up to 13 months.

Investigators reported “marked improvements” in patients’ symptoms over the course of the trial, including reduced agitation. They reported “no problems related to the treatment and limited adverse drug reactions.”

They concluded, “A long-term THC/CBD (1:2) medication can be administered safely and with overall positive clinical improvement to poly medicated older adults with severe dementia and associated problems.”

The study’s results are similar to those recently reported in a placebo-controlled trial which determined that the sublingual administration of CBD-dominant plant extracts reduced agitation and improved sleep in dementia patients.

Full text of the study, “Cannabinoids for behavioral symptoms in severe dementia: Safety and feasibility in a long-term pilot observational study in nineteen patients,” appears in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

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Cannabis Spray Shows Promise For Cancer Patients With Refractory Pain

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

One area of cannabis research that is of particular interest to people around the globe, and for obvious reasons, pertains to how the cannabis plant can be used to help people suffering from cancer. It’s one of the most intriguing, and yet also controversial topics in the cannabis world.

A growing body of peer-reviewed research is finding that the cannabis plant can help effectively treat cancer and related symptoms. It is important to differential between the claim that ‘cannabis can help treat cancer’ versus ‘cannabis cures cancer.’

Many personal patient experiences back up the claim that cannabis may cure cancer, in some instances. However, it is a very cruel thing to tell someone that is suffering from cancer that something, cannabis included, will absolutely cure their cancer, guaranteed. After all, nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to medicine and treatment regimens.

More research needs to be conducted, and hopefully one day there is a cure found for cancer, and if the cure does indeed prove to involve cannabis, that would be amazing. Until that time, the cannabis plant can still do other things to help suffering cancer patients, including when it comes to pain management.

A recent study out of Australia examined a specific cannabis spray to see if it helped treat cancer patients experiencing refractory pain, and the results of the study are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

New South Wales, Australia: Terminal cancer patients with refractory pain respond favorably to a proprietary cannabis spray containing equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD, according to data published in the journal PLOS One.

A team of Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of a novel water-soluble oro-buccal nanoparticle spray containing 2.5 mgs of THC and 2.5 mgs of CBD in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer and intractable pain.

Researchers reported that cannabis dosing was associated with improvements in pain relief among all patients, with those patients suffering from bone metastasis experiencing the greatest levels of relief. No serious adverse events were reported, though some patients did experience drowsiness following treatment.

Patients also reported improvements in appetite and emotional well-being.

“This study demonstrated that the administration of the investigative cannabis-based medicine was generally safe and tolerated in a short-term exposure in a cohort of patients with advanced incurable cancers with controlled pain or intractable pain despite opioid treatment,” authors concluded. “There was a reduction in pain overall for the study cohort of 12 percent by the end of the treatment phase. … [This] cannabis-based medicine … is of significant clinical interest given that this formulation was a self-titrated medicine, that showed preliminary analgesic efficacy in a subgroup of patients.”

Full text of the study, “Pilot clinical and pharmacokinetic study of delat-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol nanoparticle oro-buccal spray in patients with advanced cancer experiencing uncontrolled pain,” appears in PLOS One. Additional information on cannabis for pain mitigation is available from NORML.

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Argentina’s Government Launches Public Company To Provide Cannabis Seeds, Testing, And Training

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Business, Policy, Science.

Earlier this month Argentina’s government issued its first-ever license for domestic cannabis production. It was a big milestone for Argentina’s domestic cannabis industry. Another significant announcement was made this month by Argentina’s government which could have international implications.

Days ago Argentina’s government announced the launch of a new national company dedicated to pushing the nation’s cannabis industry forward. The company, called ‘Cannabis Conicet,’ will focus on providing the nation’s emerging cannabis industry with genetics, testing, and training. Per excerpts from InfoBae:

The legal cannabis universe is expanding rapidly. The Argentine State presented this Tuesday “Cannabis Conicet”, a national technology-based company dedicated to the marijuana plant industry, made up and directed by scientists from the organization, with the idea of ​​”allowing the democratization of production, distribution and access to cannabis and the hemp industry”, as announced by the Minister of Science and Technology, Daniel Filmus, during the premiere day.

The public company will be made up of professionals from the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet), the Arturo Jauretche National University (UNAJ) and the El Cruce Dr. Néstor Kirchner Hospital, but its authorities project that it will be a collective and federal work.

The new company seems to be primarily focused on the domestic industry in Argentina, with the ultimate goal right now appearing to be reducing Argentina’s reliance on the international cannabis community. For example, the term ‘scientific sovereignty’ was used by Ana Franchi, president of the Conicet, as part of the company’s announcement.

The development of tailored cannabis genetics, products, and other forms of intellectual property are going to play a very prominent role in the emerging cannabis industry going forward, and from that perspective, what Argentina is doing is a smart move.

Countries that solely rely on importing medical cannabis products from afar, which some nations currently do, will put those countries at a huge disadvantage once lawmakers finally decide to get on the right side of history.

While lawmakers that fit that description continue to drag their feet on cannabis reform and embracing the emerging cannabis industry domestically, countries like Argentina are stepping up their research and other scientific efforts. An opportunity cost clearly exists, and countries that are sitting on their hands need to get with the program as soon as possible.

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Study Associates Cannabis With Improved Sleep In Adults With PTSD

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a very serious issue all over the globe. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is estimated to be 3.9% in the general population, and a much higher rate for those that have lived in countries where war and conflict has occurred.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.”

As with most health conditions, there are varying degrees of severity when it comes to PTSD, ranging from mild anxiety all the way to full blown panic attacks occurring regularly to the point that the patient can’t function. Flashbacks and regular nightmares are also symptoms of PTSD.

Fortunately, the cannabis plant has been found by a growing list of studies to help people that suffer from PTSD. A recent study in Israel found that cannabis use is associated with improved sleep among adults with PTSD. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Haifa, Israel: The use of cannabis prior to bedtime is associated with perceived improvements in sleep in subjects diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to data published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Israeli researchers assessed the impact of cannabis on sleep in a cohort of 77 PTSD patients. Study participants kept a daily journal where they recorded numerous sleep measures each morning.

Investigators acknowledged that the use of cannabis was associated with self-reported improvements in sleep onset and a reduction in the frequency of nightmares. Subjects who consumed products higher in CBD were less likely to report early awakenings.

“Our data suggest that MC [medical cannabis] may help reduce nightmares and [that] CBD in particular may be important for preventing early awakenings,” they wrote. “This provides a strong basis for further hypotheses testing, potentially through clinical trials, of the sleep-inducing effects of MC and for testing CBD in particular.”

Authors concluded, “Given the high comorbidity of PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances and the potential for MC to have effects on both, a greater understanding of how patients experience the effects of MC on overall PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances is warranted.”

Prior studies have similarly reported that cannabis products may be associated with improved sleep duration and with improvements in insomnia. The enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization has also been correlated with a decrease in the sale of over-the-counter sleep aid medications.

Full text of the study, “Post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep, and medical cannabis treatment: A daily diary study,” appears in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. Additional information on cannabis and post-traumatic stress is available from NORML.