All posts tagged: mood

Medical Marijuana Offers Benefits Comparable to Prescription Medication, Without the Side Effects

Title: Preferences for Medical Marijuana over Prescription Medications Among Persons Living with Chronic Conditions: Alternative, Complementary, and Tapering Uses

In a survey of 30 patients using medical cannabis for a range of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis C, PTSD, among others, patients reported an array of benefits they have reaped from cannabis use. Patients successfully used cannabis in several ways: as an alternative to prescription medication, complementarily with prescription medicine, and to gradually replace use of prescription medication.

Benefits described by participants included the effects of cannabis lasting longer than that of opioids, lower risk of addiction, fewer side-effects. Patients also saw their sleep, anxiety, appetite, and adverse reactions improve with the use of medical cannabis. Larger, more controlled studies may suggest cannabis more affirmatively as an alternative or complementary therapy with prescription medications.

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDMedical Marijuana Offers Benefits Comparable to Prescription Medication, Without the Side Effects
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New Developments of Cannabinoid-Based Drugs

Title: Novel approaches in clinical development of cannabinoid drugs

A pamphlet has recently been published that highlights new approaches in the clinical development of cannabinoid-based therapies. The pamphlet begins with a look into how current cannabinoids affect patients based on gender, stress, physiological variations, and also delves into how cannabis works on the body in general.

A novel therapy that features an oral version of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a synthetic activator of cannabinoid-receptor-1 (CB1) is explored in this piece and frames it to be a promising future therapy. The pharmacological properties of these two novel therapies were optimized during development after various analysis techniques, forming medications that the authors hope to see in future clinical trials. 

Although the authors remain hopeful that their cannabis-based therapies will reach clinical trials soon, trials featuring cannabinoids are difficult to test in a formal setting because of a dire lack of funding. The federal government still lists cannabis as a Schedule I substance, under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that the federal government does not support the idea that cannabis has any medical use. Considering the legal status of cannabis, only privately-funded studies are able to take place, and unfortunately, that leaves cannabis research in an area of complete bias and prohibitively underfunded. Considering the massive literature supporting a myriad of novel therapeutic benefits, this is a costly reality to the health and well-being of millions.


View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:    http://bit.ly/2K7bbVX     inside the CED Foundation Archive

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Benjamin Caplan, MDNew Developments of Cannabinoid-Based Drugs
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Consuming CBD with THC Decreases Systemic Availability of THC

Title: Model-based analysis on systemic availability of coadministered cannabinoids after controlled vaporized administration 

A new study revealed findings that vaporizing cannabidiol (CBD) with ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) lowers the systemic availability of THC.

Researchers analyzed the blood plasma level of CBD and THC in a randomized, double-blind study, and found that those who inhaled a high dose of CBD were found to have lower levels of THC. Frequent cannabis users were found to have only minorly decreased levels of THC in their plasma when high doses of CBD was coadministered. Future studies should be conducted to examine the validity of these results for other consumption methods. 

This work highlights how those who have consumed too much THC can combat some of the symptoms associated with THC by consuming CBD. Occasionally, cannabis users may overindulge in THC and feel anxiety, panic, or dizziness. One of the best ways to combat such overindulgence (and lower the effects of THC) is to consume a high dose of CBD. Other, non-cannabis related, methods are also commonly recommended, such as relaxation or food with high levels of the terpenes caryophyllene and limonene. When using cannabis it’s important to start low and go slow in order to minimize the possibility of overindulgence. 

View this review (yellow link) or download:

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDConsuming CBD with THC Decreases Systemic Availability of THC
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Video: Cannabinoids, Internal States, and Anxiety

A new literature review summarizing the recent findings relating to cannabis and anxiety.

Researchers conclude that CBD and low-dose THC can cause relaxation and decrease anxiety and self-spun thoughts. Some studies show that high-dose THC can cause psychotic symptoms; however, studies also show that CBD can protect against those THC-induced symptoms. Therefore, using cannabis extracts with THC and CBD could be a safe way to reduce anxiety. 

View this review (yellow link) or download:

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDVideo: Cannabinoids, Internal States, and Anxiety
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Adolescent Executive Dysfunction in Daily Life: Relationships to Risks, Brain Structure and Substance Use

Researchers assessed 817 youth (aged 12 to 21) who previously participated in the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence study. They found that 123 subjects (15.2%) had used cannabis in the past year, and that cannabis use impaired inhibitory control, emotional control, and task planning.

View this review (yellow link) or download:

This paper is also stored here:    http://bit.ly/2L0aMWa     inside the CED Foundation Archive

Benjamin Caplan, MDAdolescent Executive Dysfunction in Daily Life: Relationships to Risks, Brain Structure and Substance Use
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Video: Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature

Researchers published a literature review that investigates the relationship between cannabis and sleep. They examined six major sleeping disorders: insomnia, sleep apnea, REM behavior disorder, nightmares, sleep with chronic pain, and daytime sleepiness.

They found that THC might worsen daytime sleepiness and delayed onset of sleep; however, THC might help patients who suffer from sleep apnea and nightmares. Meanwhile, CBD might reduce daytime sleepiness and insomnia while increasing the total amount of sleep.

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDVideo: Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature
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The Education of Dispensary Staff is Varied and Lacks Regulation

Training and Practices of Cannabis Dispensary Staff

How much medical training does your local budtender possess? An online survey sent to medical marijuana dispensary staff reported only 55% of staffers had any formal training for their position, with 20% reporting some background in medical/scientific training. The analysis reported that many among the dispensary staff are recommending cannabis choices that are consistent with current evidence, but some are recommending strains that are either ineffective or exacerbate a patient’s condition. The findings of this study stress the importance of consistent and well-regulated training of dispensary staff.

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDThe Education of Dispensary Staff is Varied and Lacks Regulation
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Influence of the CB1 cannabinoid receptors & antidepressant effects

Study finds that, for patients already taking antidepressants, activating and/or prohibiting the CB1 receptor in the brain might make those antidepressants more effective.

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

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Benjamin Caplan, MDInfluence of the CB1 cannabinoid receptors & antidepressant effects
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Dronabinol use in a patient with Bipolar Disorder

Dronabinol-Induced Hypomania: A Case Report and Literature Review

An HIV patient who also suffers from bipolar disorder was administered dronabinol, a synthetic cannabis alternative. Following a dosage increase, the previously stable patient presented to his psychiatrist in a state of hypomania. Although this singular case study cannot be used to make any definitive conclusion, it underscores the need for further research surrounding the effects of cannabis on mood

http://bit.ly/2W275Bb

Benjamin Caplan, MDDronabinol use in a patient with Bipolar Disorder
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Cannabinoids, Terpenoids, and ALSO flavonoids

I wonder if we should be spending as much time on flavonoids as we do on terpenes (including cannabinoids)?

There is little doubt that they play a powerful effect. Just as the minor cannabinoids tend to be overlooked by much of the general & scientific cultures… flavonoids are also largely passed-over.

This study, for example, indicates that some of the components of dark chocolate reduce the body’s production of the stress hormone, cortisol (not surprising to most who have every consumed chocolate, but… did you know that those components are also found all over nature, including inside cannabis?!)

I’ll start adding flavonoids to the list of info to start sharing!

http://bit.ly/2W6C0w8

Benjamin Caplan, MDCannabinoids, Terpenoids, and ALSO flavonoids
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