Science – Page 38 – International Cannabis Business Conference

Canadian Patients With Insomnia Report Improvements With Medical Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on May 16, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Insomnia is a condition in which people have a hard time falling asleep and/or staying asleep, and it is one of the most common health conditions found around the globe.

The condition can have a tremendously negative impact on a person’s life, making nearly every aspect of life harder, especially among people with severe cases of insomnia.

Various medications exist to help treat insomnia, including prescription medications. Many of them can yield horrible side effects and the ones that don’t are often ineffective at treating insomnia.

Researchers in Canada recently explored the relationship between the cannabis plant and insomnia, and the results of the study are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Ottawa, Canada: Patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders report subjective improvements following the use of cannabis and a significant percentage of them report being able to either reduce or discontinue their use of prescription medications, according to data published in the Canadian Pharmacists Journal.

Canadian investigators assessed the impact of marijuana on sleep disorders in a cohort of 38 patients authorized to access medical cannabis products. Patients were assessed at baseline and then three months after initiating cannabis.

Investigators reported that 71 percent of patients experienced subjective improvement in their sleep. Thirty-nine percent of the study’s subjects were able to either “completely discontinue [their use of] insomnia medications or reduce their use from nightly administration to as-needed administration with the use of medical cannabis.”

The study’s results are consistent with other observational studies, such as those here and here, finding that patients with sleep disorders typically experience improvements in their symptoms from cannabis.

Authors concluded, “[O]ngoing clinical trials of cannabinoids in patients living with insomnia are integral to ensuring evidence-based decisions on the role of cannabinoid therapies in the treatment of sleep disorders.”

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use in patients with insomnia and sleep disorders: Retrospective chart review,” appears in theCanadian Pharmacists Journal.

pillows bed sleep insomnia pillows bed sleep insomnia

Canadian Cannabis Consumers Report Improvements In Insomnia

Written by Johnny Green on May 9, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Insomnia is one of the most prevalent health conditions around the world. It is estimated that as many as 60% of the world’s population suffers from insomnia to some degree.

The inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, which is the essential definition of insomnia, can be caused by a number of factors, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, a different health condition, and/or side effects from various medications.

For most sufferers of insomnia, the main negative impact on their life is that they are constantly tired. However, it can also contribute to major health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

A team of researchers in Canada recently conducted a study involving depression and anxiety patients that suffer from insomnia to see if cannabis helped treat their condition(s). Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Ontario, Canada: The use of cannabis products is associated with perceived improvements in insomnia in patients suffering from either anxiety or depression, according to data published in the journal BMC Psychiatry.

A team of Canadian researchers assessed the effectiveness of cannabis in managing insomnia in a cohort of 677 subjects. Study participants suffered from either anxiety, depression, or from both conditions simultaneously. Subjects self-administered cannabis products at home and reported symptom changes in real time on a mobile software application. Investigators analyzed reports from over 8,400 cannabis-use sessions recorded over a three-year period.

Consistent with prior reports, subjects from all three groups reported significant benefits from cannabis. Participants perceived CBD-dominant products to be less effective than others.

“This naturalistic investigation of cannabis use for insomnia suggests that individuals with depression, anxiety, and comorbid depression and anxiety perceive benefits from using cannabis for sleep,” authors concluded. “In addition, compared to other cannabis strains, CBD-dominant products may be less helpful for sleep, specifically in individuals with depression. The current study highlights the need for placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for sleep in individuals with mood and anxiety disorders.”

Full text of the study, “An investigation of cannabis use for insomnia in depression and anxiety in a naturalistic sample,” appears in BMC Psychiatry.

Does CBD Cause Physical Dependency?

Written by Johnny Green on May 9, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is arguably the most popular cannabinoid on the planet right now. As evidence of that, consider the fact that ‘CBD’ is Google’d more often than ‘THC’, and that has been the case for multiple years now.

Interest in CBD has spiked partially because of increased availability thanks to recent policy reforms around the globe, as well as partially because it is effectively helping suffering patients treat their conditions.

CBD is just one of the dozens of cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant. It does not cause intoxication and can be infused into a number of products.

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States recently collaborated on a study to try to determine if CBD causes physical dependency and/or withdrawal symptoms in rats.

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a constituent of the cannabis plant with a diverse array of pharmacological activities as well as potential therapeutic uses. An oral formulation of CBD (Epidiolex^® in the US; Epidyolex^® in Europe) is approved for treating seizures associated with rare and severe forms of epilepsy. These studies, which supported the approval of the medication, investigated abuse-related effects of CBD in rats and nonhuman primates (NHPs) using drug self-administration, drug discrimination, and physical dependence procedures and characterized its pharmacokinetics.” the researchers stated in their study abstract.

“In NHPs (n=5) that self-administered midazolam (0.01 or 0.032 mg/kg/infusion), CBD (0.1-3.2 mg/kg/infusion) failed to maintain responding above vehicle levels. CBD maintained very modest levels of self-administration in rats (n=7-8) that self-administered heroin (0.015 mg/kg/infusion) and did not increase drug-lever responding, up to a dose of 150 mg/kg (p.o.), in rats (n=6) trained to discriminate 0.5 mg/kg (i.p.) midazolam. In juvenile (5-6 weeks old) and adult (10-11 weeks old) male and female rats, discontinuation of chronic treatment (twice daily for 20 days) with an oral formulation of CBD (20 or 100 mg/kg, p.o.) did not reliably produce signs of withdrawal.” the researchers went on to say.

“Pharmacokinetic studies confirmed that the dosing regimens used in these studies resulted in therapeutically relevant plasma levels. Taken together, the lack of reliable self-administration, the failure to increase drug-lever responding in rats trained to discriminate midazolam, and the absence of withdrawal signs upon discontinuation of chronic treatment indicate that CBD has very low abuse potential and is unlikely to produce physical dependence.” the researchers concluded.

Obviously, this study involved lab rats and not humans, so the results need to be kept in perspective. With that being said, with so many humans now using CBD around the globe, and no reports of dependency or withdrawal, the results of this study seem to be in line with what we are seeing among the global human population in real-time.

New Study Looks At Cannabis, Anxiety, And Depression In Canada

Written by Johnny Green on May 9, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Anxiety and depression are major mental health conditions that affect a significant portion of the world’s population. As many as 275 million people suffer from anxiety globally, and as many as 5% of adults suffer from depression worldwide.

Clinical depression is a mental health disorder involving a ‘persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.’ Changes in sleep patterns, food intake, energy level, focus, daily behavior, and/or self-esteem are all symptoms of depression.

Anxiety is characterized as an ‘intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.’ An increased heart rate, rapid breathing, persistent sweating, and feeling tired are all symptoms of anxiety.

Many people that suffer from one of the mental health conditions also suffer from the other condition. For some patients, cannabis may help, as demonstrated by a recent study in Canada.

A team of researchers affiliated with Harvest Medicine in Calgary recently conducted a retrospective study involving medical cannabis patients and their use of cannabis to battle their anxiety and/or depression.

“Patients included in the study were at least 18 years of age with completed validated questionnaires for anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9) at their initial evaluation and at least one follow-up visit. There were 7,362 patients included in the sample, of which the average age was 49.8 years, and 53.1% were female.” the researchers stated regarding the study’s methodology.

“There were statistically significant improvements between baseline and follow-up scores for both the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, with larger improvements seen for patients who were actively seeking medical cannabis to treat anxiety or depression.” the researchers stated.

“From 12 months on, those reporting anxiety had an average decrease in GAD-7 scores that was greater than the minimum clinically important difference of 4, and the same was seen for patients reporting depression from 18 months on, with the average decrease in PHQ-9 scores more than the MCID minimum clinically important difference of 5.” the researchers also stated.

“This study provides some evidence to support the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a treatment for anxiety and depression.” the researchers concluded.

It’s always important to note that the cannabis plant is complex and human biology is complicated. What works for one person may not work for the next person, especially when it comes to anxiety and/or depression. Contact your medical care provider to see if cannabis may help treat your condition(s).

Youth Cannabis Exposure Is Not Associated With Changes In Brain Morphology

Written by Johnny Green on May 9, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

When it comes to cannabis politics, you will be hardpressed to find a talking point that is more popular among cannabis opponents than the ‘what about the children’ talking point.

Opposing cannabis reform in the context of politics is almost entirely based on fear-mongering and incorporating scare tactics, and using the thought of children in hypothetical doomsday scenarios is a common strategy for cannabis opponents.

One specific talking point relating to youth that cannabis opponents go to early and often relates to youth cannabis use and the young person’s brain. Cannabis opponents act as if one puff off of a joint will cause brain damage to the youth for the rest of the youth’s life.

To be clear, cannabis should be kept away from young people unless it’s for medical use approved by the youth’s doctor(s). With that being said, it’s an obvious fact that some young people will try cannabis, and according to a recent study out of Australia, such use will not result in changes in brain morphology.

Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Canberra, Australia: Cannabis exposure is not associated with significant changes in brain morphology in young adults, according to a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

A team of Australian researchers reviewed sixteen studies in order to assess whether cannabis exposure is associated with changes in brain volume. The review samples included 830 participants with a mean age of 22.5 years old. Of these, 386 were marijuana users (with cannabis use onset at 15-19 years) and 444 were controls.

Researchers identified no significant differences between youth cannabis users and controls in global and regional brain volumes.

“This meta-analysis of structural MRI findings specific to youth regular cannabis users suggests no volume alterations, and no effect of age and cannabis use level on group differences in volumetry,” authors concluded. “Important areas for future work include measuring and embracing the role of cannabis potency, pubertal stage, and personal (and parental) education, to identify which brain maturation stage is most vulnerable to cannabis-related brain and mental health/wellbeing. New knowledge will be necessary to provide clear recommendations for preventive interventions targeting youth at risk and update addiction theory with novel mechanistic insights into neurodevelopment.”

Full text of the study, “Brain anatomical alterations in young cannabis users: A meta-analysis of structural neuroimaging studies,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Additional information is available from the NORML fact sheet, ‘Marijuana Exposure and Cognitive Performance.’

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Most Canadian Patients With MS Report Consuming Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on May 3, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious issue around the world. It is estimated that as many as 2.8 million people suffer from MS globally and that someone new is diagnosed with the health condition every 5 minutes.

MS is a progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, numbness, impairment of speech and of muscular coordination, blurred vision, and severe fatigue.

Cannabis has been found by a growing number of MS patients to help effectively and safely treat their condition. Those personal experiences are backed up by a growing number of peer-reviewed studies.

A recent study out of Canada reflects cannabis’ popularity as a form of treatment among MS patients. Below is more information about the recent Canadian MS study via a news release from NORML:

Edmonton, Canada: Most Canadians diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) report using cannabis to mitigate their symptoms, according to data published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Alberta, Department of Medicine surveyed MS patients’ frequency of cannabis use and their motivations for consuming it. Canadian officials legalized the use of medical cannabis products nearly two decades ago. Adult-use sales were legalized in 2018. An oral spray containing precise ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD (Sativex) has also been available by prescription in Canada for the treatment of MS since 2005.

Authors reported that nearly two-thirds of respondents had consumed cannabis during their lifetimes and that 52 percent identified themselves as current users. Patients most frequently reported consuming cannabis to address symptoms related to sleep (84 percent), pain (80 percent), and spasticity (69 percent). Respondents said that cannabis was “moderately to highly effective” at mitigating their symptoms. The majority of patients acknowledged learning about the therapeutic use of cannabis from “someone other than [their] healthcare provider.”

Human trials indicate that the use of both whole-plant cannabis and cannabis extracts can alleviate various symptoms of the disease as well as potentially modulate its progression.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis use in Canadians with multiple sclerosis,” appears in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Additional information about the use of cannabis in multiple sclerosis is available from NORML.

Scientists Observe Hemp Extracts Delaying The Aging Process In Honey Bees

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

Getting older stops being fun at some point. At least, I know that was the case for me. When you are younger you can’t wait to get old enough to go to school, or old enough to get a bike, or old enough to drive, or old enough to go to bars/dispensaries, etc.

But at some point aging becomes burdensome. Stuff starts to hurt that didn’t, hair stops growing in some places and starts growing in other places, and you aren’t able to do some of the physical things that you used to. For the physical things that you can still do, you do them slower and everything is sore for much longer afterwards.

Humans try very hard to delay or even try to reverse the aging process. It’s big business too. According to Statista, “in 2020, the global anti-aging market was estimated to be worth about 58.5 billion U.S. dollars. The anti-aging market is estimated to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of seven percent between 2021 and 2026.”

Obviously, not all anti-aging products work. A vast majority of them are nothing more than glorified snake oil that is used to financially prey upon people that want to age slower and live longer. However, there is one thing out there that may possess some promise for anti-aging product seekers – hemp.

Researchers affiliated with the Department of Invertebrate Ecophysiology and Experimental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland recently explored the relationship between honey bees and the consumption of hemp extracts.

“We examined the effect of hemp extract on the activity of the antioxidant system (catalase, peroxidase, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity) in the hemolymph of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera).” the researchers stated.

The study involved the researchers dividing the bees into three groups:

an experimental group fed with pure sugar syrup with cotton strips soaked with hemp extract put inside the cage
an experimental group fed with a mixture of sugar syrup with hemp extract
a control group fed with a mixture of sugar and a water-glycerine solution.

The researchers collected hemolymph samples on the 1st day of the study and every following week until all of the bees died. The researchers then examined the deceased bees.

“The activities of all antioxidant enzymes were higher for the experimental groups, compared to those for the control group. The highest antioxidant activities were noted in the group supplemented with cannabis with the use of syringes.” the researchers stated.

“Supplementation with hemp also increased the lifespan of bees in this group compared to that of the bees consuming only sugar syrup (control: 35 days), with 49 and 52 days for groups of cannabis on strips and in syrup, respectively. Hemp extract, thanks to its antioxidant properties, increased the activities of key antioxidant enzymes that protect the bee’s organisms against free radicals and thus delay the aging processes.” the researchers concluded.

Obviously, bees are not the same as humans, so how this applies to the human species is something that needs to be researched before any applicable conclusions can be made. However, the results as they pertain to bees are still very insightful. Hemp extracts are perfectly safe for bees and for humans, so boosting the consumption of hemp extracts in both species is a no-lose situation.

It is no secret that the global bee population is dwindling and that it could lead to catastrophic effects on the world’s ecosystems. Helping bees stay alive longer is always a good thing, and from that perspective, the results of this study are very remarkable and will hopefully be used to effectively help the world’s bee population.

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Researchers In Korea Make Surprising Discovery Involving Cannabis Stems

Written by Johnny Green on May 2, 2022. Posted in Archives, Science.

The cannabis plant is arguably the most useful plant on earth. Cannabis enthusiasts throughout human history have used it for countless purposes, including medicine and sacrament.

It’s also no secret that the cannabis plant has been used by humans for personal enjoyment as well. When cannabis buds are smoked, vaporized, and/or infused into consumables it can yield euphoric effects.

Cannabis plants are comprised of dozens of cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabinoids are the subject of numerous studies, including studies focused on cannabis’ ability to battle inflammation.

But what about the stems of the cannabis plant? Are they useful for battling inflammation in any meaningful way? Researchers in Korea set out to answer that question via a recent study, the results of which were made public earlier this month.

A team of researchers from the Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-industry, the Biomaterials Research Institute, and Andong National University in Korea examined shelled seeds, roots, and stems from cannabis plants. The researchers looked at non-cannabinoid phytochemicals in those parts of the cannabis plant to see if they possessed any anti-inflammation properties.

“Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Cannabis extracts from plant parts of shelled seeds, roots, and stems containing no or trace amounts of cannabinoids.” the researchers stated.

“Among water and ethanol extracts from three plant parts, Cannabis stem ethanol extract (CSE) had the most potent free radical scavenging activities and suppressive effects on the production of nitric oxide from macrophages. In further studies using macrophages, CSE effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylations, and cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species.” the researchers concluded.

“Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses of CSE showed several active compounds that might be associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Collectively, these findings indicate that CSE counteracts LPS-induced acute inflammation and apoptosis, suggesting pharmaceutical applications for the stem part of C. sativa.” the researchers went on to state.

These findings are significant given the fact that so much medical cannabis product creation is focused on the buds of the cannabis plant. For many producers, the stems are just a useless byproduct nuisance that often gets discarded. In the future, it’s possible that the stems could prove to be just as valuable from a profit and wellness standpoint as the cannabis buds themselves.

British Cannabis Chronic Pain Study Hits Setbacks

Written by Marguerite Arnold on April 27, 2022. Posted in Science.

Plans for the second British medical cannabis study hit the skids after concerns it would “soften” criminal laws against cannabis use

The British have seen many roadblocks on the way to cannabis reform. This is not just when it comes to recreational cannabis. Despite the legalization of the CBD market earlier this month, high THC cannabis remains a political third rail – especially when used for chronic pain.

A recent trial to treat this condition with cannabis, launched by a private Harley Street clinic, has just been dramatically scaled back after it failed to gain the approval of a needed ethics panel.

The plan had been to enroll up to 5,000 patients and allow them to use a tamper-proof inhaler (at a cost of about $350 per month) to consume whole-plant cannabinoids, including THC. After that, the goal was to encourage the National Health Service (or NHS) to finally cover medical cannabis costs for patients suffering from chronic pain.

So far, while it is possible to obtain high THC cannabis in the UK for medical purposes, it is impossible to receive reimbursement for chronic pain – which the government explicitly excluded from coverage.

In the United States, chronic pain is the condition most cited for regular cannabis use.

About 1 in 3 adults in the UK suffers from chronic pain – a condition characterized as severe pain that lasts more than three months.

The Domino Effect

Those who opposed the trial seem less concerned about the health of British citizens, and more about the slippery slope of legalizing more widespread medical use.
The news is significant in that it comes on the heels of news that over 5,000 medical licenses have been issued on the island of Guernsey, where cannabis cultivation, including of the high THC kind, is well underway.

Those who opposed the new British trial specifically noted that medical reform has inevitably led to recreational reform.

Sadly, this newest defeat also means that the British public, even those who are legitimately sick and use the plant to treat medical conditions that are unresponsive to other drugs – still face criminal prosecution for doing so.

As any patient who relies on THC to treat chronic pain knows, CBD flower is a poor substitute. While many use CBD to take the most extreme edge off, it is not a long-term solution.

As of today, only Project TWENTY21 dispenses medical cannabis as part of a widespread trial in the UK.