All posts tagged: Impairment

Long-Term Cannabis Use Can Impair Learning

April 2, 2020 Cannabis, Cognition, Mental Health, Tobacco

Cognitive, physical, and mental health outcomes between long-term cannabis and tobacco users

In Summary

Researchers have recently compared long-term cannabis and tobacco users, finding that cannabis users had more difficulties learning but better health overall than tobacco users. This study compared tobacco and cannabis users after they had abstained from their chosen substance for 15 hours before running through a myriad of texts. Although it took cannabis users longer to acquire and recall novel information cannabis users reported better psychological, somatic, and general health than tobacco users, as well as lowered stress levels, more similar to controls. Tobacco users were also revealed to have more emotional problems than cannabis users and controls. This research may prove beneficial in the creation of programs that utilize cannabis to aid in the cessation of tobacco use.

This research, while highlighting the advantages of cannabis use over tobacco use, also emphasizes the negative impact of cannabis on individuals in school. Whether those individuals are enrolled in a high school or upper-level academic program, consistent use of cannabis may prove harmful to their overall performance. Patients should always discuss their concerns with their recommending physicians, and should be mindful of the current gaps in medical knowledge concerning cannabis. This information also does not apply to every cannabis-based product, like most topicals. Topicals, unless high-dose tetrahydrocannabinol patches, generally do not cause psychoactive effects and would, therefore, have no affect learning. More research is needed to fully understand which cannabinoids, doses, and frequency of doses, affect learning so that patients are well informed about their medications.

The study is available for review or download here

Cognitive-physical-and-mental-health-outcomes-between-long-term-cannabis-and-tobacco-users Download

View more studies like this in the CED Foundation Archive

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An Analysis of Sudden Cardiac Death Exposes the Danger of Tobacco and Cocaine

December 21, 2019 Abuse, Addiction, Adolescents, Adult, Adverse Effects, Cannabis, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Cardiovascular Effects, Future Medicine, Impairment, Products, THC

Sudden cardiac death associated to substances of abuse and psychotropic drugs consumed by young people- A population study based on forensic autopsies

In Summary:

A recent study out of Spain has revealed alarming trends among cases of sudden cardiac death associated with substances of abuse consumed by young people. Half of the 15-36-year-olds who suffered sudden cardiac death were found with illicit substances in their bodies, primarily cannabis, tobacco, and cocaine. Researchers found that although cannabis was the most common substance found in the deceased systems, cocaine and tobacco are known to have a stronger impact on the cardiovascular system and lead to ischemic heart disease, which is often the more acute causes of sudden death. It was also mentioned here that the duration of cannabis is far longer in the body than that of either tobacco or cocaine, and this duration may easily confuse people to associate it as a trigger for sudden death.

However, on the other hand, there are several tragic cases of young, otherwise heart-healthy individuals who have died with cannabis as the only substance discovered. Fortunately, these cases are extraordinarily rare, but unfortunately, no reproducible association has been established, so the mysterious concerns are not easily relieved or forgotten.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

While the return of medical cannabis to modern medical care seems to bring with it a return of appreciation for more naturalistic care, it is critical for us all to recognize that we still have much to learn. The tools and high standards of scientific evaluation have only recently been applied to cannabis, and there are reasonable arguments that the usual tools may not actually apply (for example, some are suggesting that the placebo effect, a cornerstone of randomized control trials may be a facet of effects related to the endocannabinoid system.)

For these, and a great many other unknowns, it is important for the discerning consumer to consult with trusted resources, including friends, family, scientists, and where possible, doctors, to ensure the appropriateness of use on an individual basis.

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Sudden cardiac death associated to substances of abuse and psychotropic drugs consumed by young people- A population study based on forensic autopsies Download

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2SmffX3 inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis?

November 27, 2019 Blood-Levels, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Colon Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Impairment, Ovarian Cancer, Pain, Prostate Cancer, Science, Women in Cannabis

Oncologists Should Recommend Cannabis-Based Medicine for Palliative Care

Oncologists are encouraged to recommend cannabis: cannabis-based medicine for palliative care and more

In Summary:

Earlier this June, a review was published that encourages oncologists to recommend cannabis products to their patients as a safe and effective method of palliative care. The opinion piece highlights how cannabis is a useful treatment for a variety of illnesses (nausea, vomiting, sleep, mood, anxiety), and encourages practitioners to prescribe cannabis for their patients so that they can appreciate the safety and effectiveness of the product.

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Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis?Download

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2Dz4UhT inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Are medical patients victims of #vapegate?

November 15, 2019 Business of Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Impairment, Retail Cannabis, Solo Sciences, Vaping

A popular (and welcome) take on the vaping situation is coming out to support medical consumers as a type of victim of the circumstances. There is a level of scientific understanding that is a necessary, and still incomplete, part of the discussion. For example, some of the dominant methods of lab testing for cannabis (plate culturing) are based on food safety protocols that are generations old, incorporates a system of understanding that is not the only means of testing or understanding (genetic sequencing, for instance) and, while we have learned a great deal mastering the current testing, we may be missing important safety concerns.

Another critical area of growth at hand is the clinical understanding of the implications of mainstream cannabis consumption. We have some information, but there is always more yet to learn. In order for Cannabis Medicine to catch up with the accomplishments and accolades of modern Medicine, we must overcome generations (and engrained systems) of academic road-blockages. Still more stands in the way of a well-oiled, safe cannabis-consuming culture, and that is reproducibility of clean product and the assurance that a consume is obtaining (and consuming) clean, safe product. These are solved, perhaps with regulatory oversight and technology, either within the public or private sectors.

Forbes photo of medical cannabis as victims of vaping ban

For example, one of the elements of the current medical market that is still in need of close inspection and consideration is the potential contamination of vaporized products related to the construction materials of vapor technology itself. Devices are often made with metal solder which can contain and propel cadmium and/or other metals that are unhealthy for consumption. Similarly, heated plastics and other construction materials may be unsuitable as conduits for consumption by inhalation.

See https://www.cedfoundation.com/2019/09/05/vape-gate-2019-review-of-the-risks-of-vaping/ for a more complete review of some of these elements.

Nevertheless, it is wonderful to see public interest and discussion on this subject, which seems to touch on never common to many. Open-minded discussion, incorporating differing viewpoints will help us all grow to become a healthier and safer, cannabis-consuming culture.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurphy/2019/11/14/medical-cannabis-patients-should-not-be-victims-of-vaping-bans/#30f70a783a6f

SENIORS, CBD, AND THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION

November 14, 2019 Adult, Cannabis Education, Cannabis News, CBD, CED In The News, Dementia, Dr Caplan, Elderly, Future Medicine, Geriatrics, Impairment, Seniors

Kudos @abbierosner for this moving piece in CBD Today, “SENIORS, CBD, AND THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION” The article reviews an evolving #CBD playing field, the fears, the market, and a few sprinkled quotes by Dr Laurie Vollen, @JamiePaz, and me!

Seniors, CBD, and the laws of attraction article substance

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Participants in Cannabis for Chronic Pain Study Describe Life-Changing Results

November 14, 2019 Adolescents, Adult, Adverse Effects, Anti-inflammatory properties, Anxiety, Cannabinoids, Cannabis, Cannabis Education, Cannabis Science, Case Study, Cognition, Future Medicine, Impairment, Memory, Pain

Restored Self: A Phenomenological Study of Pain Relief by Cannabis

In Summary:

In an Israeli qualitative study investigating the impact of cannabis use on chronic pain patients, all but one of the nineteen study participants experienced pain relief after cannabis use. Participants explained how cannabis allowed them to not just discontinue medications treating their pain, but also medications treating secondary outcomes of their pain, such as poor sleep and anxiety. Patients described feeling “a sigh of relief,” being “reborn” or being saved by cannabis use after years of debilitating pain and medication side effects.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

The pathway through which cannabis works to combat pain is different from the usual pathways doctors have used for the last 90 years. Prior to the 1930s, cannabis was used routinely, just about everywhere, but political and social agendas kidnapped the medicine and hid it away from most of the mainstream and from routine medical education.

Patients often describe typical pain relievers as adjusting the impact of the pain. Reducing or quieting the pain, softening discomfort, allowing the sufferer to perform previously typical tasks without debilitation or dysfunction. Cannabis, on the other hand, is sometimes described as “taking the sufferer away from the pain,” rather than the other way around. The effects that cannabis can have on the reduction of inflammation, attention, memory, and relaxation, provide a new type of opportunity for relief.

Still, other patients describe the effects of cannabis through a lens of mental focus. Whereas in daily use we typically open a standard set of drawers, some have said, the use of cannabis allows the consumer to open up a different set of draws, and through this adjusted lens, to see discomfort from a different perspective.

For those suffering with chronic pain, years upon years of discomfort, suffering that, when paired with modern medicines, has only met frustration and further discomfort, cannabis is frequently seen as a welcome “sigh of relief.”

Sample of text discussing lack of adverse side effects of cannabis

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/32FZkUU inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Restored Self: A Phenomenological Study of Pain Relief by CannabisDownload

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Pre-clinical Evidence for Analgesic Effects of Cannabis Doesn’t Match Human Trial Results

October 18, 2019 Adult, Adverse Effects, Anxiety, Arthritis, Behavior change, Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Dr Caplan, Future Medicine, Impairment, Muscle Pain, Neuropathy, Pain, Stigma, Stress

Current evidence of cannabinoid-based analgesia obtained in preclinical and human experimental settings

In Summary:

Pre-clinical animal models of pain provide a wealth of data supporting the pain-relief capabilities of cannabis; however, reproducing this data in human clinical trials has proved difficult. Data from the animal pre-clinical trials point to cannabinoids reducing stress responses and pain-evoked stress, desensitizing pain receptors, and increased pain sensitivity in animals that lack cannabinoid receptors. However, human trials present conflicting results: several studies have shown dose-dependent relationships, and in the current review this was experienced by many participants, wherein lower and medium doses provided pain relief, but higher doses triggered increased sensitivity to pain. Controlled studies may show a lack of impressive pain relief effects, personal reports of pain relief associated with cannabis use are nearly universal in retrospective reports. This suggests that there may be an important effect on well-being or mood, rather merely sensory pain. Furthermore, the relieving effects of cannabis appear to impact men and women differently.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

Additionally, much of pain relief is subjective, in both sensation, description, and inside the study environment. The description of pain varies from person to person, and researchers may be asking the wrong questions to the right people or the right questions to the wrong people. In fact, a growing perspective is that this mismatch may be more common and more pronounced than previously recognized. The makeup of pain is also quite complicated. For instance, a limb might hurt, but if there is swelling or tenderness nearby, those may amplify the discomfort. How can we take the full picture into account in the form of helpful data points? What of the emotional or psychological impacts of pain? Is it even possible that such things can be fully understood, let alone measured reliably? Assuming that emotional phenomenon or stress/suffering can be conveyed to research scientists, how can we ever hope to compare one person’s experience to another’s? For example, one would imagine that frustration associated with the pain experienced by a venerable world war veteran, who has previously endured tremendous and complex pains and associated psychological trauma may be quite different from someone who has never experienced a particular pain before.

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Current evidence of cannabinoid-based analgesia obtained in preclinical and human experimental settingsDownload

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2P1v7MI inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Many Chronic Pain-Related Cannabis Studies Lack “High-Quality” Evidence

October 16, 2019 Adult, Behavior change, Cannabinoids, Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Future Medicine, Impairment, Injury, Muscle Pain, Neuropathy, Pain, Placebo-Controlled, Science, Stigma, Survey

Cannabis-based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults (Review)

In Summary:

In a recent Cochrane meta-analysis of studies investigating the use of medical cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain management, the authors determined that no results were what they could consider “high quality.” All data which related to degrees of pain relief, adverse events, and “Patient Global Impression of Change” were largely of very low or low quality, with some outcomes being of moderate quality. The meta-analysis concluded that no existing evidence backs up the use of cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain; however, the quality of evidence examined highlights the need for more controlled studies.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

Depending on the system of organization one prefers, pain can be divided up into different subtypes. For one system, it’s three subtypes: neuropathic, nociceptive, and “other.” For another system, pain can be organized by timing (sharp, acute, chronic, breakthrough), location (bone, soft tissue, nerve, referred, phantom), or by the relative system (emotional, cancer, body.) This review discusses the subtype category of “neuropathic pain” as a means of grouping pain to study. The measures used to assess the pain are as subjective as the categories themselves. Clearly, compounding the two subjective divisions is unlikely to produce “high quality” data, but it is a misleading interpretation to take away that there is no good quality information to glean from the observations this review organizes, and also a misinterpretation to jump to an idea that cannabis is not helpful. Rather, given the statistical tools we currently use, and the subjective systems of understanding pain are not well-matched to translating the effects of cannabis on pain into this type of data.

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Cannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults Download

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/31mpiMi inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Spinal Cord Injury and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Use Cannabis to Manage Symptoms

October 16, 2019 Adult, Anti-inflammatory properties, Anxiety, Behavior change, Cannabinoids, Cannabis, Cannabis Science, Concussion, Impairment, Injury, Memory, Pain, Science, Traumatic Brain Injury, Veterans

Cannabis Use in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury or Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Colorado

In Summary:

Spinal cord injury patients report that medical cannabis helped them alleviate many symptoms of their injury including spasticity, pain, sleep disruptions, stress, and anxiety. Traumatic brain injury patients list their reason for use as reducing stress/anxiety and improving sleep. Both groups of patients reported recreational use prior to and following injury for a variety of reasons.

Dr. Caplan and the #MDTake:

Healing from traumatic injuries is never solely a matter of local tissue changes. The injured tissues, and the experience of being injured create ripple effects which can disrupt multiple other organ systems, and the entire experience of normalcy. A chemical stress response is one of the most common (and often adaptive) responses to an injury, but the burden of stress, adapting to a new illness, and associated loss of normalcy and sleep can be disastrous to the process of healing. As anxiety and sleeplessness snowball into daily problems themselves, a kernel of injury sometimes amplifies to become a life-altering change.

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Cannabis Use in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury or Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Colorado Download

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/2IXaXzP inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Adolescent Cannabis Use Linked to Sleep Disturbances

September 9, 2019 Adolescents, Adverse Effects, Behavior change, Cannabis Dependence, Cannabis Science, Case Study, Cognition, Gender, Impairment, Legislation, Mental Health, Pediatrics, Sleep, Social Equity, Stigma, Stress

Sleep Disturbances, Psychosocial Difficulties and Health Risk Behavior

Summary info:

A Dutch study investigated sleep disturbances in adolescents. Sleep disruption was linked to cannabis use, psychosocial difficulties, health risk behavior, and increased suicidality. Additionally, gender disparity in results suggests that girls may be more susceptible to sleep disturbances than boys , a result consistent with past recognition of some gender discrepancies in cannabis activity. These results highlight the importance of discouraging haphazard cannabis use, during adolescence, and the need for further gender-focused research surrounding sleep habits and cannabis use.

Dr Caplan, CED Foundation, and the #MDTake:

There are a few important issues that converge in this review. Generally, the question of adolescents’ use, (as an alternative way of describing the question of effects on a developing brain.) Also, this paper raises valuable questions about how cannabis may be interacting with sleep hygiene, for better or for worse. Psychosocial impact and risky behaviors are very complex topics to engage, even with a fairly large population sample of (n=16,781.) There are lots of intercorrelated topics assessed, analyzed, and discussed in the review, and it is all-too-easy to want to find causal patterns that are not apparent, again for better or worse, unless one chooses to construe the results or interpretation with causation in mind. Realistically, it is very likely to find overlap in a population of adolescents who have psychosocial difficulties, engage in risky behaviors, have increased risk of suicidality, and consume cannabis. To point to one of the components, arbitrarily, as the primary cause of the others is to unnecessarily and unjustly oversimplify a complex set of circumstances. The essential tenet, different genders seem to react differently with cannabis, is an excellent take-away, and also that we have much more still to learn.

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Sleep Disturbances, Psychosocial Difficulties and Health Risk BehaviorDownload

This paper is also stored here: http://bit.ly/314TsEC inside the CED Foundation Archive

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