How Does CBD Oil Make You Feel?

One of the most popular wellness ingredients today is cannabidiol (CBD). The compound is naturally found in hemp plants and is now being used for all sorts of possible therapeutic effects. 

Though there is no shortage of testimonials on CBD gummies for sleep and its possible benefits, there may still be some confusion on how CBD oil makes you feel. Read more to learn about what to expect with top-shelf hemp products.

What are the Effects of CBD?

Before diving into how CBD feels, it is important to first discuss your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). This relatively unstudied system is made up of endocannabinoids (receptors), the cannabinoids that bind to them, and the enzymes that break them down. 

THC is the cannabinoid known for producing the infamous marijuana high with its psychoactive effects. It works by activating the CB1 receptors of the ECS. 

Cannabidiol, on the other hand, is non-psychoactive and has been observed to inhibit activity in these CB1 receptors and counteract THC’s effects. 

Taken together, these naturally-occurring cannabinoids produce what is known as an entourage effect. This synergistic interaction is reported to produce heightened effects compared to taking just THC or CBD alone.  

How CBD Feels

Ingesting hemp oil provides a more systemic effect and is the preferred method of consumers looking to benefit from its possible anti-anxiety and chronic pain-relieving effects. 

Meanwhile, buying and using a CBD for pain is thought to produce more localized anti-inflammatory effects and pain relief, such as for joint pain.

Current research suggests that hemp has a very good safety profile and is well-tolerated by many people. People who have tried CBD have further compared its feeling to a runner’s high, or the natural rush of endorphins that lifts your mood.

Many consumers report feelings of relaxation and calmness after taking their cannabidiol fix. There is no standard formulation that works universally for everyone as its effects are dependent on several factors, including the type of CBD you are taking, the total cannabidiol content, and individual factors like tolerance, weight, and metabolism. 

Different concentrations of hemp also influence their effects. Full-spectrum CBD is a formulation that contains up to 0.3 % THC as well as other cannabinoids like cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG). The level of THC in full-spectrum hemp is not enough to get you high but the presence of all-natural cannabinoids produces the desired entourage effect.

Broad-spectrum CBD produces a similar entourage effect but the formulation has the notable exclusion of THC. If you want to avoid any and all THC, then this formulation is best for you. Lastly, CBD isolates are processed to contain no other cannabinoids and terpenes but cannabidiol. This pure formulation is also popular but does not produce an entourage effect. 

One formulation of hemp products that is gaining popularity contains a 1:1 CBD-to-THC ratio. Users report that this concentration is beneficial as a sleeping aid as it may produce an intoxicated feeling attributed to higher amounts of THC.

Does CBD Make You Hungry?

People curious about this cannabis substance also wonder about its other side effects like the “munchies,” a popular side effect of using marijuana. The munchies are actually effects of THC which alter the part of the brain that controls your appetite. 

THC also increases levels of the ghrelin hormone, causing you to feel hungry. 

As such, CBD does not cause the munchies. However, cannabidiol may relieve nausea and calm your digestive tract. By feeling less nauseated, you may end up feeling less pain overall and experience more fulfillment with your meals. 

Of course, the effects of cannabidiol highly depend on how much you take. While there is a recommended CBD dosage, it’s best to consult a doctor.

Does CBD Give You Energy?

As to how CBD makes you feel, those you have tried industrial hemp oil report a mental clarity which is quite opposite from the feeling of intoxication. 

According to them, cannabidiol can make you less distracted, sharpen your cognitive abilities, and make you more alert. It is this cognitive health benefit that many people desire when they take CBD. 

Is CBD Oil Addictive?

It is understandable if you might think that CBD is addictive. After all, it comes from the cannabis plant. However, CBD is not addictive, and using it does not produce a “stoned” feeling that its cousin marijuana has become infamous for. 

A study examined the abuse potential of CBD and it concluded that the compound does not display any signs of abuse potential.

What Happens When You Stop Using CBD Oil?

Cannabidiol may be effective in managing symptoms of anxiety but it should not replace the medications that you are already using. Frequent users of this substance who suddenly stop using it may also experience withdrawal symptoms including irritability, dizziness, nausea, and fogginess.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. A CBD product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and must be taken as a supplement only. 

The Secret To Weight Loss And Curbing Cravings

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

Guest post by Liz D. liz@cbd-news.co

One of the most challenging aspects of weight loss is controlling the craving for food. A whole industry has been built around weight loss and the problem of obesity. However, many experts believe one of the keys to losing those extra pounds is simply to take in fewer calories than you burn each day. 

But like most issues in life, it’s not that easy. Also, craving for a specific delicacy is quite different from hunger. Usually, you know you’re hungry when your stomach begins to growl, your head feels light, and you can’t stop thinking about eating. Maybe you make a trip to the medical mushroom dispensary a few times but still can’t seem to get your craving under control. 

But how do you know you’re just craving and not hungry?

The Broccoli Test

Photo by Sara Bakhshi on Unsplash

A simple test, known as the broccoli test, can help tell you if you’re just craving food or feeling hungry. Here it is: If a bowl of broccoli isn’t appealing to satisfy you for your feelings, then it’s very likely that you have a craving. However, it’s important to note that there may be valid reasons behind your body’s craving for a specific food. 

However, intense craving can upset your diet plans and your resolutions to eat well. Thus, overriding rational thinking with thoughts such as “You only live once!” or “Just this once!” or “You deserve this!” 

The first step to weight loss and curbing cravings is knowing that everyone gets these feelings. Therefore, they are absolutely normal. What you need is a key to help you remain on track and overcome those thoughts of “Just one doughnut.”

This secret is broken down into three formats as follows:

Good - Try Fighting The Craving

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Most people try this option and undoubtedly fail in the long-term. This approach to weight loss isn’t long-term and is draining. Usually, you use every ounce of your will to avoid thinking about the foods you usually crave. This strategy only has one problem; it feels like torture. 

Here is an example. If someone asked you not to think about brown bears; you could think about all things except brown bears. You’ll quickly realize that trying to avoid the thought of something will always bring that thing to mind. In other words, the attempt to suppress the thought becomes a fixation. Thus, the reason why a restrictive diet usually fails. 

In the long run, most people give in to the internal dialogue, which is usually a debate “I shouldn’t eat this; I should eat that.” This goes on, and all you need to do to get rid of this is to eat whatever you can’t stop thinking about. That’s why there’s the need for another approach, the kind of strategy that addresses weight loss and craving at the same time. 

Better - Distractions From Craving

Some people adopt the strategy of distractions. It’s often common to forget your meals when you’re very busy. Other activities, such as bathing and drinking water, can also be overlooked when you’re immersed in something. But there’s a reason why this happens. Usually, high levels of concentration keep the thoughts of craving away. 

Thus, distractions are more effective than restrictive eating. Also, you have a wide range of activities such as problem-solving games, hobbies, and work. According to studies reported in the Appetite journal, individuals who partook in the studies experienced less temptation to eat food when distracted. 

The research discovered that indulging playing only for three minutes was enough to overcome craving. Thus, playing some Candy Crush or Playstation 4 games gives your fingers and mind some interesting things to do. Irrespective of what you choose to distract yourself, it’s vital to decide before the thoughts of craving creep in. 

It’s undeniable that this strategy works. However, there’s a secret solution that deals with the root cause and serves as the best option for curbing craving. 

Best - Address the Root Cause

Photo by Егор Камелев on Unsplash

A much smarter and more effective option is to tackle your craving with a substance known to affect the human body at the physiological level. In this case, the secret to fighting food craving is a strong psychedelic called psilocybin. Psilocybin mushrooms, which you can get at any medical mushroom dispensary, are also useful for testing several conditions such as depression, chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

But how does this work?

Psilocybin helps repress craving by activating your serotonin receptors. You can call these receptors “nature’s own appetite suppressants,” which is how Psychology Today refers to them. They help shut off your normal appetite and suppress the craving for food. Thus, giving you the feeling of satisfaction even though your stomach may not be full. As a result, you will end up eating less and losing more. 

In addition to this, you want to ask yourself why you’re craving food. Often, you’ll know the right thing to do, so the right question is, “Why can’t you do it?” You want to find out if you’re frustrated, bored, stressed, or anxious about anything. 

Sometimes, the strong urge to indulge is due to certain overwhelming circumstances in your life. Hence, craving can become a signal or symptom of an underlying problem, to which you might be having an emotional response. 

You can also adopt the following two tips to reduce the number of calories you take and slowly reduce your cravings. 

#1 

Eat food with high amounts of fiber. These will help fill your stomach faster. Thus, you’ll not over-indulge and they keep you chewing longer. Also, you feel satisfied for longer. Some of these foods include apples, pineapple, and carrot. Because most of these foods are chewy, they trick your brain into signaling that you’re full quickly. 

#2

Add regular drinking of water to your daily routine. Aside from the fact that water will help keep you full, it is also very beneficial in several ways. According to the Mayoclinic, an adult male needs about 15.3 cups of water each day, the equivalent of 3.7 liters. 

Conclusion

Irrespective of where you find yourself in your weight loss journey, every day offers a new challenge and the opportunity to take one step forward. Depending on which of these three options you’re using, you may reach your goals sooner or later. However, you can walk away from the entire process, a better person if you use the best strategies and tips. 

Mindfulness meditation enhances positive effects of psilocybin

October 24, 2019

Science Daily/University of Zurich

Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the clinical application of classic psychedelics in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Researchers of the University of Zurich have now shown that mindfulness meditation can enhance the positive long-term effects of a single dose of psilocybin, which is found in certain mushrooms.

Hallucinogens such as LSD or psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms," alter the perception of those who take them: The boundaries between the self and the world begin to dissolve and feelings of bliss and unity are triggered. Such experiences of self-transcendence and reduced self-focus are similar to those brought about by mindfulness meditation. They can reduce stress, prompt feelings of enduring happiness and increase empathy and altruism. In contrast to this, exaggerated self-focus, recurring negative thoughts and emotions about one's self, and impaired social interactions are characteristic features of psychiatric disorders such as depression.

Enhanced experience of self-transcendence

Researchers at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich have now for the first time examined the potential synergistic effects of combining mindfulness meditation and psilocybin. The scientists recruited 40 meditation experts who were taking part in a five-day mindfulness retreat. In the double-blind study, the participants were administered either a single dose of psilocybin or a placebo on the fourth day of the group retreat. Using various psychometric and neurocognitive measurements, the team of researchers were able to show that mindfulness meditation increased the positive effects of psilocybin, while counteracting possible dysphoric responses to the psychedelic experience. "Psilocybin markedly increased the incidence and intensity of self-transcendence virtually without inducing any anxiety compared to participants who received the placebo," says first author Lukasz Smigielski, who conducted the study directed by UZH professor of psychiatry Franz Vollenweider.

Sustained beneficial effects

At the four-month follow-up, the meditation experts who had been given psilocybin demonstrated more beneficial changes in psychosocial functioning, better self-acceptance and more empathy than the placebo control group. According to Vollenweider, the intensity of self-transcendence experienced during the retreat played a key role for these enduring changes. In a previously published study, he and his team used magnetic resonance imaging to show that experiences of self-transcendence result in lasting changes to neural connections in the brain, and more specifically in the regions that are active when we think about ourselves.

The research group found that besides meditation depth, the participants' openness and optimism were conducive to a positive response to psilocybin. "These factors can help us predict a positive response," says Vollenweider. At the same time, skills that are trained during mindfulness meditation -- such as regulating one's attention and reappraising emotions -- seem to buffer potential negative reactions to psilocybin.

Potential for treating affective disorders

"Our findings shed light on the interplay between pharmacological and extra-pharmacological factors in psychedelic states of mind," says Vollenweider. "They indicate that mindfulness training enhances the positive effects of a single dose of psilocybin, and can increase empathy and permanently reduce ego-centricity. This opens up new therapeutic avenues, for example for the treatment of depression, which is often accompanied by increased self-focus and social deficits."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191024075003.htm

Cannabis shows potential for mitigating sickle cell disease pain

July 17, 2020

Science Daily/University of California - Irvine

Cannabis appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for the chronic pain that afflicts people with sickle cell disease, according to a new clinical trial co-led by University of California, Irvine researcher Kalpna Gupta and Dr. Donald Abrams of UC San Francisco. The findings appear in JAMA Network Open.

"These trial results show that vaporized cannabis appears to be generally safe," said Gupta, a professor of medicine on the faculty of UCI's Center for the Study of Cannabis. "They also suggest that sickle cell patients may be able to mitigate their pain with cannabis -- and that cannabis might help society address the public health crisis related to opioids. Of course, we still need larger studies with more participants to give us a better picture of how cannabis could benefit people with chronic pain."

Opioids are currently the primary treatment for the chronic and acute pain caused by sickle cell disease. But the rise in opioid-associated deaths has prompted physicians to prescribe them less frequently, leaving sickle cell patients with fewer options.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was the first to employ such gold-standard methods to assess cannabis's potential for pain alleviation in people with sickle cell disease. The cannabis used in the trial was obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- part of the National Institutes of Health -- and contained equal parts of THC and CBD.

"Pain causes many people to turn to cannabis and is, in fact, the top reason that people cite for seeking cannabis from dispensaries," Gupta said. "We don't know if all forms of cannabis products will have a similar effect on chronic pain. Vaporized cannabis, which we employed, may be safer than other forms because lower amounts reach the body's circulation. This trial opens the door for testing different forms of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain."

Twenty-three patients with sickle cell disease-related pain completed the trial, inhaling vaporized cannabis or a vaporized placebo during two five-day inpatient sessions that were separated by at least 30 days. This allowed them to act as their own control group.

Researchers assessed participants' pain levels throughout the treatment period and found that the effectiveness of cannabis appeared to increase over time. As the five-day study period progressed, subjects reported that pain interfered less and less with activities, including walking and sleeping, and there was a statistically significant drop in how much pain affected their mood. Although pain levels were generally lower in patients given cannabis than in those given the placebo, the difference was not statistically significant.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200717133236.htm

6 Reasons To Fall In Love With CBD

Guest post, Grace Hawkins

Ever since industrial hemp got legalized, there's been a significant influx of CBD (cannabidiol) products in the market. The industry is approximately worth more than a billion dollars and is still on a substantial rise. Online stores and convenience stores have already started selling CBD in various types and forms.

The Brightfield Research group has estimated that CBD markets are expected to have a 57% annual growth. Medical cannabis is facing acceptance and appreciation from the pharmaceutical industry. Medical professionals have discovered that CBD can naturally treat chronic pain, inflammation, epileptic seizures, and several other conditions. A survey from the Brightfield Group concluded that 42% of respondents turned to CBD products, and have stopped using pharmaceutical drugs or medication. The FDA has approved Epidiolex, a first-ever cannabis-derived drug for treating rare forms of epilepsy. Let us talk about the reason why you should consider falling in love with CBD. 

1.   Research Shows Promising Results

 Research in the field of cannabidiol has gone through numerous trials and studies.  Fortunately, the research has shown positive results. In 2017, the World Health Organization stated that CBD's pure state is well-tolerated by humans and animals. There are currently no risks and chances of physical dependence. Research shows a lot of encouraging results; therefore, the hype for CBD has reached another level. It might prove to be useful, especially on matters regarding epilepsy. It's always advisable to check in with your doctor before replacing any of your medication with CBD. 

2.   Can Alleviate Chronic Pain

 CBD affects ECS minutely. Instead, it activates or transforms other compounds present in the endocannabinoid system. If our body produces increased amounts of amandine, a compound responsible for regulating pain, it may reduce pain intensity. Studies have suggested that CBD can be used to treat chronic pain and inflammation. In 2017, the Health and Medical Division of US National Academies concluded that CBD is effective for neuropathic pain in adults and improves sclerosis spasticity symptoms.

3.   Can Improve Sleep Cycle

If you have insomnia, here's some good news for you. People consuming CBD have reported improvement in their sleep cycle when consumed an hour before bedtime. Therefore, it promotes a relaxing goodnight sleep. CBD is an excellent muscle relaxer as well. If your chronic pain keeps you awake at night, the best way to deal with the issues is by going for CBD edibles before bed. *Weed online canada Retailers can give you a greater insight into what options are available for consumption. 
(*This is not an endorsement by AV Stim, LLC implied or otherwise.)

4.   Its Legal Status

 For decades, all varieties of the cannabis plant have been considered Schedule I Substance. This means that they have high chances of abuse and no medical use. Substances with higher levels of THC are still illegal in the US. However, derivatives of the hemp plants have been legalized in many places. According to the Farm Bill of 2018, CBD containing a maximum of 0.3% of THC has been nationally legalized. Businesses have started selling as well as in many local stores. The ways of consumption vary from CBD edibles to oils and supplements. 

5.   Safe For Pets 

 Another quality of CBD is that it's safe for animals. Like humans, all animals have an endocannabinoid system. This system ensures that the cell receptors accept the benefits of CBD. It means that you and your pets can safely consume this natural remedy. Research has shown that CBD has helped alleviate symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and osteoarthritis in their pets. 

6.   Reduced Mental Issues

 In recent times, CBD has drawn increasing interest as a treatment for many neuropsychology disorders. Fear and anxiety are natural responses that are necessary to cope with survival threats. But the excessive presence of concern can be a disability. According to studies, CBD shows positive results for curbing anxiety. Other than that, active research is being conducted, and experiments have suggested that it may decrease symptoms of schizophrenia. CBD is also considered to be useful for PTSD,  insomnia, and depression. It can be a great muscle relaxed as well. Those wanting to vape CBD can visit authorized smoke shop supplies retailers and reap all benefits.

Conclusion

 That's not all; it even shows promise to cure addiction among people. Since the benefits are immense, it has been positively received by the public. The CBD market is continuing to grow and has received great reviews from users. There's been an influx of CBD products in various forms, such as oils, bath bombs, edibles, supplements, dog treats, etc. The future of this industry is undoubtedly bright.

6 Ways Cannabis Coffee Will Put-off Your Anxiety & Energize Your Mornings

 By guest contributor: Crystal Wilson

If you need a morning pick me up and a boost to start your day, then mixing cannabis with your morning coffee may do the trick.  Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that increases mood and alertness. Cannabis contains THC and CBD, which stimulate as well as relax the mind and body. On their own, coffee and cannabis serve different purposes and have different results. Most likely, you consume coffee in the morning to wake up or to fight the afternoon slump. In comparison, you may indulge in marijuana in the evening after a long workday and to unwind. Pairing coffee with cannabis may just be the exact recipe needed to have an alert, less anxious, and more energized day.  

1)   Science Shows Promise 

Scientists previously researched the effects of caffeine and THC, and CBD within the body separately, but there is limited research on combining cannabis and coffee. The early research shows promise that this is the perfect combination to get you going in the morning. A 2014 study conducted on monkeys showed that when they consumed less caffeine, they wanted less THC, and when the monkeys consumed more caffeine, they wanted more THC. The takeaway is that you can be satisfied with an equal amount of caffeine and coffee and, as a result, consume less and have a desired result. 

 Caffeine does not give you energy but blocks the receptors in your brain from receiving adenosine, the chemical that causes drowsiness. When you drink too much coffee, adenosine finally reaches the receptors causing the midday crash. Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system, which balances the mood, memory, sleep, metabolism, and immune functions. Stress throws the mind and body off-balance, and the endocannabinoid system tries to rebalance your body.  

2)   Aids with Anxiety 

THC to CBD ratio in cannabis causes different reactions in individuals, and the same is true for the caffeine level in your favorite coffee beverage. It also depends on your intention, the feeling you are trying to achieve, and what works best for your needs and body, especially if you are dealing with anxiety. Cannabis helps with anxiety and even depression. The non-psychoactive ingredient CBD reduces stress and relaxes the mind and body.  However, if you enjoy coffee, but often feel anxious after a cup of joe, adding cannabis, more specifically CBD, may help reduce anxiety and boost energy.  

3)   Reduces Side Effects

A good cup of coffee wakes up in the morning, keeps you alert during the day, and helps fight fatigue to push through long days.  If mixing cannabis and coffee may be too intense for the weekday, adding CBD to your morning coffee may be a better alternative. CBD comes into a wide range of products, such as CBD oil, and you can add a few drops to your morning latte or sip your black coffee and enjoy edibles Canada alongside your drink. However, drinking too much coffee can cause unwanted side effects such as being jittery, anxious, and increased heartbeat. CBD counteracts the adverse side effects of caffeine consumption and lets the coffee do the work as intended.

4)   Increases Happiness

A recent study discovered that combining cannabis with coffee causes the psychoactive ingredient THC and caffeine to increase dopamine levels, the happiness hormone. On their own, cannabis and coffee give off a euphoric high, but together they intensify.  Adding cannabis to your coffee gives you more energy and boosts your mood, and you can start the day with a more positive perspective.   

Terpenes are equally important cannabinoids that give each cannabis strain its flavor profile, such as taste and smell. The terpene known as limonene gives cannabis citrus notes and improves mood and stress. So, it is crucial when choosing a cannabis strain or product to mix to carefully review the components to ensure you are pairing your coffee with the perfect strain for maximum effect.  

5)   A Longer High 

When you smoke marijuana, you inhale cannabis directly into the lungs, and it immediately enters the bloodstream. After about 10 to 15 minutes, you feel the full effects, and they last for about 75 minutes. If you ingest cannabis, it takes about six hours to peak, causing a more prolonged high. When ingested, the liver metabolizes the THC, which makes the feeling more intense and the marijuana more potent. The liver also metabolizes caffeine. Therefore, the combination of caffeine and THC creates a more intense, prolonged high. Even Vaping could be better option then smoking. 

6)   Enhances Mental Alertness 

Both CBD and caffeine increase mental alertness and allow you to focus more on specific tasks. CBD will balance out the caffeine that can make you fidgety and anxious, and help you stay relaxed and at ease. To fight that afternoon sluggishness, discreetly slip some CBD oil into your office coffee and intake the benefits of being energized and relaxed. You can also sneak a CBD gummy or edible to curve your afternoon sweet tooth and increase your alertness. 

If you decide to consume cannabis instead of just CBD, you need to be mindful of the properties of different cannabis strains. Different strains of cannabis have varying effects. For example, Sativa strains typically give you more energy and act more as a stimulant, just like caffeine. When deciding to mix cannabis with coffee, it is better to choose a Sativa strain or a hybrid to get the most effective response. 

With all-new trends surrounding cannabis and coffee, it is crucial to find a combination for your needs and your body. It is essential to start small and gradually increase as needed. Whether you are a coffee lover or a cannabis lover, you might find combing the two will provide an experience that is not only productive but euphoric.

Daily cannabis use lowers odds of using illicit opioids among people who have chronic pain

Science Daily/University of British Columbia

For those using illicit opioids to manage their chronic pain, cannabis may be a beneficial -- and a less dangerous -- alternative, according to new research from the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).

Researchers from the BCCSU and University of British Columbia (UBC) interviewed more than 1,100 people at highest risk of opioid overdose in Vancouver between 2014 and 2017 who reported substance use and major or chronic pain. They found that daily cannabis use was associated with significantly lower odds of daily illicit opioid use, suggesting people are replacing opioids with cannabis to manage their pain.

The study was published today in a special issue of PLOS Medicine on substance dependence.

"These findings, in combination with past research, again demonstrate that people are using cannabis to help manage many different conditions, including pain. And in some cases, they're using cannabis in place of opioids," says senior author Dr. M-J Milloy, a research scientist at BCCSU and the Canopy Growth professor of cannabis science at UBC. "In the midst of an ongoing public health emergency caused by opioid overdose deaths, the results suggest that increasing access to cannabis for therapeutic purposes could help curb overdose risk associated with illicit opioid use."

Results from a statistical model showed that people who used cannabis every day had nearly 50 per cent lower odds of using illicit opioids every day compared to cannabis non-users, whereas people who reported occasional use of cannabis were neither more nor less likely than non-users to use illicit opioids on a daily basis.

Researchers further found that there may be an intentional therapeutic element associated with at least daily cannabis use. For instance, daily users were significantly more likely than occasional users to report a number of therapeutic uses of cannabis, including addressing pain, stress, nausea, mental health, and symptoms of HIV or side effects of HIV antiretroviral therapy, or improving sleep.

The findings suggest that some people who use drugs and who are experiencing pain might be using cannabis as an ad-hoc, self-directed strategy to reduce the frequency of opioid use.

"These findings point to a need to design formal clinical evaluations of cannabis-based strategies for pain management, opioid use disorder treatment supports, and wider harm reduction initiatives," says Stephanie Lake, a PhD candidate at UBC's school of population and public health, and the lead author of the study.

Milloy is currently planning controlled trials to evaluate whether cannabis could help people with opioid use disorder stay on their treatment and serve as a substitute to opioid use.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119141233.htm

Ayahuasca compound changes brainwaves to vivid 'waking-dream' state

November 19, 2019

Science Daily/Imperial College London

Scientists have peered inside the brain to show how taking DMT affects human consciousness by significantly altering the brain's electrical activity.

DMT (or dimethyltryptamine) is one of the main psychoactive constituents in ayahuasca, the psychedelic brew traditionally made from vines and leaves of the Amazon rainforest. The drink is typically prepared as part of a shamanic ceremony and associated with unusual and vivid visions or hallucinations.

The latest study is the first to show how the potent psychedelic changes our waking brain waves -- with researchers comparing its powerful effects to 'dreaming while awake'.

The work, led by researchers from the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and published today in the journal Scientific Reports, may help to explain why people taking DMT and ayahuasca experience intense visual imagery and immersive 'waking-dream' like experiences.

DMT is a naturally occurring chemical found in miniscule amounts in the human brain but also in larger amounts in a number of plant species around the world.

Accounts from people who have taken DMT report intense visual hallucinations often accompanied by strong emotional experiences and even 'breakthroughs' into what users describe as an alternate reality or dimension.

But scientists are interested in using the powerful psychoactive compound for research as it produces relatively short but intense psychedelic experiences, providing a window for collecting data on brain activity when consciousness is profoundly altered.

In the latest study, the Imperial team captured EEG measures from healthy participants in a clinical setting, in a placebo-controlled design.

A total of 13 participants were given an intravenous infusion of DMT at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Clinical Research Facility.

Volunteers were fitted with caps with electrodes to measure the brain's electrical activity, before, during and after their infusion, with the peak of the psychedelic experience lasting around 10 minutes.

Analysis revealed that DMT significantly altered electrical activity in the brain, characterised by a marked drop off in alpha waves -- the human brain's dominant electrical rhythm when we are awake. They also found a short-lived increase in brainwaves typically associated with dreaming, namely, theta waves.

In addition to changes in the types of brainwaves, they also found that, overall, brain activity became more chaotic and less predictable -- the opposite to what is seen in states of reduced consciousness, such as in deep sleep or under general anaesthesia.

"The changes in brain activity that accompany DMT are slightly different from what we see with other psychedelics, such as psilocybin or LSD, where we see mainly only reductions in brainwaves," said lead author Christopher Timmermann, from the Centre for Psychedelic Research.

"Here we saw an emergent rhythm that was present during the most intense part of the experience, suggesting an emerging order amidst the otherwise chaotic patterns of brain activity. From the altered brainwaves and participants' reports, it's clear these people are completely immersed in their experience -- it's like daydreaming only far more vivid and immersive, it's like dreaming but with your eyes open."

Mr Timmermann explains that while it's unclear as to whether DMT may have any clinical potential at this stage, the group hopes to take the work further by delivering a continuous infusion of DMT to extend the window of the psychedelic experience and collect more data.

The team says future studies could include more sophisticated measurements of brain activity, such as fMRI, to show which regions and networks of the brain are affected by DMT. They believe the visual cortex, the large area towards the back of the brain, is likely to be involved.

Dr Robin Carhart-Harris, head of Centre for Psychedelic Research, said: "DMT is a particularly intriguing psychedelic. The visual vividness and depth of immersion produced by high-doses of the substance seems to be on a scale above what is reported with more widely studied psychedelics such as psilocybin or 'magic mushrooms'.

"It's hard to capture and communicate what it is like for people experiencing DMT but likening it to dreaming while awake or a near-death experience is useful.

"Our sense it that research with DMT may yield important insights into the relationship between brain activity and consciousness, and this small study is a first step along that road."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191119075305.htm

Insufficient evidence that medicinal cannabinoids improve mental health

October 28, 2019

Science Daily/The Lancet

The most comprehensive analysis of medicinal cannabinoids and their impact on six mental health disorders -- combining 83 studies including 3,000 people -- suggests that the use of cannabinoids for mental health conditions cannot be justified based on the current evidence. This is due to a lack of evidence for their effectiveness, and because of the known risks of cannabinoids.

Meta-analysis finds inadequate evidence that cannabinoids relieve depression, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, or psychosis.

The most comprehensive analysis of medicinal cannabinoids and their impact on six mental health disorders -- combining 83 studies including 3,000 people -- suggests that the use of cannabinoids for mental health conditions cannot be justified based on the current evidence. This is due to a lack of evidence for their effectiveness, and because of the known risks of cannabinoids.

The new findings, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, find insufficient evidence medicinal cannabinoids improve disorders overall or their symptoms, although there is a very low quality evidence that pharmaceutical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may lead to a small improvement in symptoms of anxiety in individuals with other medical conditions, such as chronic pain or multiple sclerosis.

Medicinal cannabinoids include medicinal cannabis and pharmaceutical cannabinoids, and their synthetic derivatives, THC and cannabidiol (CBD). Around the world, these are increasingly being made available for medicinal purposes (e.g. in the United States, Australia, and Canada), including for the treatment of mental health disorders. However, there are concerns around the adverse effects of this availability, as there is a large body of evidence indicating that non-medicinal cannabis use can increase the occurrence of depression, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms.

Professor Louisa Degenhardt of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney, Australia, and lead author of the study says: "Our findings have important implications in countries where cannabis and cannabinoids are being made available for medical use. There is a notable absence of high-quality evidence to properly assess the effectiveness and safety of medicinal cannabinoids compared with placebo, and until evidence from randomised controlled trials is available, clinical guidelines cannot be drawn up around their use in mental health disorders."

She continues: "In countries where medicinal cannabinoids are already legal, doctors and patients must be aware of the limitations of existing evidence and the risks of cannabinoids. These must be weighed when considering use to treat symptoms of common mental health disorders. Those who decide to proceed should be carefully monitored for positive and negative mental health effects of using medicinal cannabinoids." 

This study follows The Lancet Series on Drug Use, which includes a paper on cannabis where the authors assess the current and possible future public health impacts of the legalisation of cannabis production, sale, and use in the Americas. They summarise the overall evidence on medicinal use of cannabinoids, regulation, and how medicinal use may have affected recreational use.

The authors set out to examine the available evidence for all types of medicinal cannabinoids. They included all study designs and investigated the impact on remission from and symptoms of six mental health disorders in adults: depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychosis.

They included published and unpublished studies between 1980 and 2018 and included 83 eligible studies, 40 of which were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (the others were open-label trials, where participants knew which treatment they were taking). Of the 83 studies, 42 looked at depression (including 23 RCTs), 31 looked at anxiety (17 RCTs), eight looked at Tourette syndrome (two RCTs), three were on ADHD (one RCT), 12 were on PTSD (one RCT), and 11 were on psychosis (six RCTs).

In most RCTs examining depression and anxiety, the primary reason for cannabinoid use was for another medical condition such as chronic non-cancer pain or multiple sclerosis. In the studies looking at the other four disorders, the cannabinoid was used to treat the mental health disorder. Few randomised controlled trials examined the role of pharmaceutical CBD or medicinal cannabis; most looked at THC, with or without CBD.

The authors found that pharmaceutical THC (with or without CBD) improved anxiety symptoms among individuals with other medical conditions (seven studies of 252 people), though this may have been due to improvements in the primary medical condition. The authors suggest further research should explicitly study the effects of cannabinoids on anxiety and depression.

Pharmaceutical THC (with or without CBD) worsened negative symptoms of psychosis (one study, 24 people) and did not significantly affect any other primary outcomes for the mental health disorders examined. It also increased the number of people who had adverse events (ten studies; 1,495 people) and withdrawals due to adverse events (11 studies; 1,621 people) compared with placebo across all mental health disorders examined.

The study highlights the limited evidence and the low quality of the evidence that exists around using cannabinoids for treatment of mental health conditions. There is a need for high-quality research to understand the effects of different cannabinoids on a range of outcomes for people with mental health disorders.

Professor Degenhardt says: "Cannabinoids are often advocated as a treatment for various mental health conditions. Countries that allow medicinal cannabinoid use will probably see increased demand for such use. Clinicians and consumers need to be aware of the low quality and quantity of evidence for the effectiveness of medicinal cannabinoids in treating mental health disorders and the potential risk of adverse events. Given the likely interest but scant evidence to guide patient and clinician decisions around cannabinoids for mental health, there is an urgent need for randomised controlled trials to inform whether there are benefits of cannabinoids for these indications."

The authors highlight that their analysis and conclusions are limited by the small amount of available data, small study sizes, and the differences in findings between small studies. There is no recommended approach for addressing these issues in systematic reviews, but they tried to minimise them by keeping the focus of the review narrow. They also note that most studies are based on pharmaceutical cannabinoids, rather than medicinal cannabis, but plant products are most often used by those taking cannabinoids for medicinal purposes in the USA.

In a related Comment article, Professor Deepak Cyril D'Souza of Yale University School of Medicine, USA, says: "The process of drug development in modern medicine is to first demonstrate efficacy and safety in clinical trials before using the drug clinically. With cannabinoids, it seems that the cart (use) is before the horse (evidence). For cannabinoids to be used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders they should be tested in RCTs and subjected to the same regulatory approval process as other prescription medications."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191028213912.htm

The frostier the flower, the more potent the cannabis

Advanced microscopy reveals internal structures of cannabis biochemical factories

October 28, 2019

Science Daily/University of British Columbia

Cannabis flowers with the most mushroom-shaped hairs pack the biggest cannabinoid and fragrance punch, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

While the cannabis leaf is iconic, it's the chemicals produced by the tiny, frostlike hairs on cannabis flowers that give the plant its psychoactive and medicinal properties and distinctive smell.

In a study published in The Plant Journal, UBC researchers have revealed the unique structures and chemical outputs of the different types of hairs, or glandular trichomes, for the first time.

Their findings confirm what many cannabis connoisseurs have long suspected: that the largest, mushroom-shaped stalked glandular trichomes are the richest source of THC- and CBD-forming metabolites and fragrance-giving terpenes.

"Despite its high economic value, our understanding of the biology of the cannabis plant is still in its infancy due to restricted legal access," said co-lead author Teagen Quilichini, a postdoctoral fellow at UBC botany and Anandia Laboratories Inc. "Trichomes are the biochemical factories of the cannabis plant and this study is the foundation for understanding how they make and store their valuable products."

Previous research had identified three types of glandular trichomes based on their appearance -- bulbous, sessile and stalked -- but their relative contributions to the chemical production of cannabis flowers were unknown.

For this study, the UBC researchers used a combination of advanced microscope techniques and chemical profiling to examine the internal structures and development of individual trichomes in a fast-flowering hemp variety of Cannabis sativa called 'Finola.'

They found that under ultraviolet light, the stalked trichomes emitted a bright blue colour and contained a large, distinctive pie-shaped disc of cells. The smaller sessile trichomes, which do not have a stalk, emitted a red colour, had smaller secretory discs, and produced fewer fragrant terpenes.

"We saw that stalked glandular trichomes have expanded "cellular factories" to make more cannabinoids and fragrant terpenes," said co-lead author Sam Livingston, a PhD candidate at UBC botany. "We also found that they grow from sessile-like precursors and undergo a dramatic shift during development that can be visualized using new microscopy tools.

As a result, Livingston explains, UV light could be used to monitor trichome maturity on flowers and inform optimal harvest times.

The researchers also conducted a gene expression analysis to investigate how instructions in trichome DNA are converted into the plant's biochemical products. They found that the stalked trichomes in Finola were strongly geared towards making cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and terpenes.

"We found a treasure trove of genes that support the production of cannabinoids and terpenes," said principal investigator Anne Lacey Samuels, a botany professor at UBC. "With further investigation, this could be used to produce desirable traits like more productive marijuana strains or strains with specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles using molecular genetics and conventional breeding techniques."

Next, the researchers will investigate how trichomes export and store the metabolites they produce.

"Trichomes store the metabolites in their cell walls," said Livingston. "And what's really astounding is that such high levels of product should be toxic to the cells, so we want to understand how they manage this."

The research was funded by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and a MITACS Elevate postdoctoral fellowship, in partnership with Anandia Laboratories.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191028092408.htm

Years of education may impact drinking behavior and risk of alcohol dependence

October 25, 2019

Science Daily/Springer

Higher educational attainment -- spending more years in education -- may impact people's drinking behaviour and reduce their risk of alcohol dependence, according to a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for death and disability worldwide. Identifying factors associated with how much, how often and what people drink may be important for developing and improving intervention and treatment strategies. Previous studies have suggested that educational attainment may influence drinking, but with conflicting results.

To assess the possible effects of educational attainment on alcohol use behaviours and alcohol dependence, a team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health, USA used two -sample Mendelian randomisation statistical methods. The authors used genetic data generated by international genomics consortiums and examined a set of 53 genetic variants previously associated with differences in educational attainment, and their links with certain alcohol use behaviours. They tested which of the 53 variants associated with educational attainment in one study were present in the DNA of people who reported different alcohol use behaviours in the other study.

Dr Falk Lohoff, the corresponding author said: "Using data from a total of approximately 780,000 study participants, we found that genetic variants associated with an additional 3.61 years of schooling were associated with an approximately 50% reduced risk of alcohol dependence. The presence of genetic variants associated with educational attainment also affected the pattern of alcohol use and type of alcoholic beverage people consumed."

The authors showed that genetic variants associated with higher educational attainment were not associated with the total amount of alcohol people drank in a week, but with a reduced frequency of binge drinking (consuming six or more units of alcohol per session), frequency of memory loss due to drinking, total drinks consumed per drinking day and weekly intake of distilled spirits, beer and cider. The association with drinking fewer spirits was more pronounced in women than it was in men, while decreased average weekly beer plus cider intake was more pronounced in men than women.

Genetic variants associated with increased educational attainment were also associated with more frequent drinking in both men and women, with drinking alcohol with meals, especially in men, and with higher consumption of wine. Dr Lohoff said: "It is important to understand that while these genetic variants allow us to investigate the possible effect of educational attainment on alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence, this doesn't mean that educational attainment can't be modified. The possible effect of educational attainment on drinking that we show in this study, suggests that increasing educational attainment may be a useful target for prevention programs against problematic alcohol use, alcohol dependence, and their consequences."

The authors caution that as the genetic data examined in this study was obtained from people from Anglophone countries, the applicability of the findings to other countries may be limited. Replication of the findings using data from different countries and ethnicities is necessary.

As educational attainment only measures completed years of schooling, determining how various aspects of education differently impact alcohol consumption was not possible, but should be investigated in future studies, the authors add.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025075838.htm

Even short-term 'vaping' causes inflammation in non-smokers

October 16, 2019

Science Daily/Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

E-cigarette (e-cig) use is rising at concerning levels among both smokers and non-smokers, and new research data suggests that even short-term e-cig use can cause cellular inflammation in never-smoker adults.

Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC -- James) report the first evidence of biological changes correlated with e-cig use in never-smokers in the journal Cancer Prevention Research on Oct. 16.

Using a procedure called bronchoscopy to test for inflammation and smoking-related effects, researchers report a measurable increase in inflammation after four weeks of e-cig use (without nicotine or flavors). Although the magnitude of change was small compared with a control group, the pilot data suggests that even short-term usage can result in inflammatory changes at a cellular level. Inflammation from smoking is an important driver of lung cancer and other respiratory disease development.

Peter Shields, MD, senior author of the study and deputy director of the OSUCCC -- James, says any level of cellular inflammation correlated with e-cig use is concerning because the biological and health effects of e-cig constituents such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine -- while "generally regarded as safe" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when used in foods and cosmetics -- are unknown when heated and inhaled with e-cigs. Researchers note that even in this small study, there were observable effects.

"The implication of this study is that longer term use, increased daily use and the addition of flavors and nicotine may promote additional inflammation," says Shields. "The general perception among the public is that e-cigs are 'safer' than cigarettes. The reality is the industry is changing so fast ¬- and with minimal regulation -- that usage is outpacing the rate of our scientific understanding. It's becoming a public health crisis we should all take very seriously from a general pulmonary health, cancer risk and addiction perspective. E-cigs may be safer than smoking, but that is not the same as safe, and we need to know how unsafe they are."

With the recent reports of lung disease and deaths associated with vaping, the effects of vaping nicotine and marijuana oils makes this research more critical.

For this pilot study, OSUCCC -- James researchers recruited 30 healthy, non-smoking volunteers to directly assess the impact of tobacco and e-cig use on the lungs through bronchoscopy, an outpatient test in which a doctor inserts a thin tube through the nose or mouth to view the airways. A small sample of lung cells is collected from fluid in the lungs. Participants were randomized to a four-week intervention with e-cigs containing only 50% propylene glycol (PG) or 50% vegetable glycerine (VG) without nicotine or flavors. (PG and VG are used in e-cig devices.) Results from these tests were then compared to a separate control group of never-smokers. Researchers did not see levels of inflammation higher than the controls, but there was an increase in inflammation among the users who inhaled more of the e-cigs.

In August 2016, the FDA was granted regulatory authority over e-cig product design. Data about e-cig toxicity in humans is urgently needed to establish scientific evidence-based regulatory policies.

"Human clinical trials can provide valuable information regarding actual toxicant exposure and risk for disease. Through the randomized clinical trial of healthy never-smokers over a month, we found that an increase in urinary propylene glycol, a marker of inhalation-e-cig intake, was significantly correlated with increased inflammatory response in the lung," says Min-Ae Song, first author of the manuscript and environmental health researcher at the Ohio State College of Public Health. "Future studies could be of longer duration, include an assessment of flavors, the effect by varying ratios of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, and examine randomization of smokers to e-cigs."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191016104252.htm

Potential therapy to treat detrimental effects of marijuana

October 15, 2019

Science Daily/University of Maryland School of Medicine

A new study using a preclinical animal model suggests that prenatal exposure to THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, makes the brain's dopamine neurons (an integral component of the reward system) hyperactive and increases sensitivity to the behavioral effects of THC during pre-adolescence.

As a growing number of U.S. states legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, an increasing number of American women are using cannabis before becoming pregnant and during early pregnancy often to treat morning sickness, anxiety, and lower back pain. Although emerging evidence indicates that this may have long-term consequences for their babies' brain development, how this occurs remains unclear.

A University of Maryland School of Medicine study using a preclinical animal model suggests that prenatal exposure to THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, makes the brain's dopamine neurons (an integral component of the reward system) hyperactive and increases sensitivity to the behavioral effects of THC during pre-adolescence. This may contribute to the increased risk of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis later in adolescence that previous research has linked to prenatal cannabis use, according to the study published today in journal Nature Neuroscience.

The team of researchers, from UMSOM, the University of Cagliari (Italy) and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary), found that exposure to THC in the womb increased susceptibility to THC in offspring on several behavioral tasks that mirrors the effects observed in many psychiatric diseases. These behavioral effects were caused, at least in part, by hyperactivity of dopamine neurons in a brain region called the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which regulates motivated behaviors.

More importantly, the researchers were able to correct these behavioral problems and brain abnormalities by treating experimental animals with pregnenolone, an FDA-approved drug currently under investigation in clinical trials for cannabis use disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder.

"This is an exciting finding that suggests a therapeutic approach for children born to mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy," said Joseph Cheer, PhD, a Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "It also raises important questions that need to be addressed such as how does pregnenolone exert its effects and how can we improve its efficacy? Do these detrimental effects persist into adulthood, and if so, could they also be treated in a similar way?"

The researchers concluded that as physicians caution pregnant women against alcohol and cocaine intake because of their detrimental effects to the fetus, they should also, based on these new findings, advise them on the potential negative consequences of using cannabis 

Vaping-associated lung injury may be caused by toxic chemical fumes

October 2, 2019

Science Daily/Mayo Clinic

Research into the pathology of vaping-associated lung injury is in its early stages, but a Mayo Clinic study published in The New England Journal of Medicine finds that lung injuries from vaping most likely are caused by direct toxicity or tissue damage from noxious chemical fumes.

Researchers reviewed lung biopsies from 17 patients, all of whom had vaped and were suspected to have vaping-associated lung injury. The study was the first to examine a group of biopsies from patients with lung injury due to vaping. Researchers found no evidence of tissue injury caused by accumulation of lipids -- fatty substances such as mineral oils -- which has been suspected as a possible cause of the lung injuries associated with vaping.

"While we can't discount the potential role of lipids, we have not seen anything to suggest this is a problem caused by lipid accumulation in the lungs. Instead, it seems to be some kind of direct chemical injury, similar to what one might see with exposures to toxic chemical fumes, poisonous gases and toxic agents," says Brandon Larsen, M.D., Ph.D., a surgical pathologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona, and a national expert in lung pathology.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 800 lung injury cases that are associated with electronic cigarette use, or vaping, over the past few months. Twelve deaths have been confirmed in 10 states, and investigative findings suggest that products containing THC -- the principal psychoactive compound in marijuana -- or other cannabis oils, such as cannabidiol or CBD, may play a role in the outbreak.

Some states have imposed a temporary ban on the sale of e-cigarettes or flavored liquids used in them while researchers investigate health-related issues. The Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on all nontobacco flavors of vaping liquids. The CDC recommends that e-cigarettes should not be used by children, young adults, pregnant women or adults who don't already use tobacco products. The American Lung Association has warned that e-cigarettes are not safe and can cause irreversible lung damage and disease.

Of the 17 biopsies that were examined, two were from Mayo Clinic patients. The others were from hospitals around the country that were sent to Mayo Clinic for further investigation. All of the patients had vaped, and 71% had vaped with marijuana or cannabis oils. All showed acute lung injury, including pneumonitis, and two of the patients died.

"We were not surprised by what we found, regarding toxicity," says Dr. Larsen, senior author of the study. "We have seen a handful of cases, scattered individual cases, over the past two years where we've observed the same thing, and now we are seeing a sudden spike in cases. Our study offers the first detailed review of the abnormalities that may be seen in lung biopsies to help clinicians and pathologists make a diagnosis in an appropriate clinical context."

Vaping-associated lung injury can be difficult to diagnose, unless clinicians and pathologists are armed with information beforehand, Dr. Larsen says.

"This is a public health crisis, and a lot of people are working frantically around the clock to find out what the culprit or culprits could be -- and what chemicals may be responsible," Dr. Larsen says. "Based on what we have seen in our study, we suspect that most cases involve chemical contaminants, toxic byproducts or other noxious agents within vape liquids."

In the meantime, the public should heed what leading medical organizations and public health agencies are saying about the dangers of vaping.

"Everyone should recognize that vaping is not without potential risks, including life-threatening risks, and I think our research supports that," he says. "It would seem prudent based on our observations to explore ways to better regulate the industry and better educate the public, especially our youth, about the risks associated with vaping."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191002181133.htm

Cannabis study reveals how CBD offsets the psychiatric side-effects of THC

September 30, 2019

Science Daily/University of Western Ontario

Researchers at Western University have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

It has been previously shown that strains of cannabis with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD can cause increased psychiatric effects, including paranoia, anxiety and addictive-behaviours, but why that was occurring was not fully understood.

Steven Laviolette, PhD, and his research team used rats to investigate the role of a molecule in the brain's hippocampus called extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) which triggers the neuropsychiatric effects of THC.

"For years we have known that strains of cannabis high in THC and low in CBD were more likely to cause psychiatric side-effects," said Laviolette, a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Our findings identify for the first time the molecular mechanisms by which CBD may actually block these THC-related side-effects."

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience demonstrates that rats that were given THC had higher levels of activated ERK, showed more anxiety behaviours and were more sensitive to fear-based learning. Rats that were given both CBD and THC acted like the control rats: they had normal levels of activated ERK, less anxiety behaviours, and were less sensitive to fear-based learning.

Based on these results, the research team proposes that CBD blocks the ability of THC to overstimulate the ERK pathway in the hippocampus and thus prevent its negative side-effects.

"Our findings have important implications for prescribing cannabis and long-term cannabis use. For example, for individuals more prone to cannabis-related side-effects, it is critical to limit use to strains with high CBD and low THC content," said Laviolette. "More importantly, this discovery opens up a new molecular frontier for developing more effective and safer THC formulations."

PhD Candidate and Vanier Scholar Roger Hudson, lead author on the study, says another interesting finding was that CBD alone had no effect on the ERK pathway. "CBD by itself had no effect," he said. "However, by co-administering CBD and THC, we completely reversed the direction of the change on a molecular level. CBD was also able to reverse the anxiety-like behaviour and addictive-like behaviour caused by the THC."

Laviolette says they will be following up these studies by continuing to identify the specific features of this molecular mechanism. The research team will examine ways to formulate THC with fewer side effects and to improve the efficacy of CBD-derived therapies.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930131115.htm

Older adults with COPD more likely to use synthetic cannabinoids

September 23, 2019

Science Daily/St. Michael's Hospital

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that's often associated with a variety of health problems, including chronic muscle pain and insomnia. Psychoactive drug classes, like cannabinoids, are often prescribed to help reduce pain, promote sleep and decrease breathlessness. A study has found that older adults with COPD were twice as likely to use prescription synthetic oral cannabinoids compared to older adults without COPD, raising safety concerns.

A study published today in Drugs & Aging found that older adults in Ontario with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were twice as likely to use prescription synthetic oral cannabinoids compared to older adults without COPD.

Using provincial health administrative databases, researchers found that while synthetic oral cannabinoid use was relatively low among adults over the age of 66 with COPD (0.6 per cent), this group was twice as likely to be using these drugs compared to adults of the same age without COPD (0.3 per cent).

The research led by St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and the not-for-profit research institute ICES raises concerns about the use of synthetic cannabinoids, human-made versions of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- a key chemical in marijuana. When ingested, THC activates receptors in the central nervous system, producing a variety of potential effects including sedation, anxiety, muscle weakness and pain relief.

COPD is a progressive lung disease that causes breathing difficulty, but it can be associated with a variety of other problems too, like chronic muscle pain and insomnia. Psychoactive drug classes, like cannabinoids, are often prescribed to help reduce pain, promote sleep and decrease difficult-to-control breathlessness.

"Our study showed that patients and clinicians are turning to cannabinoids more frequently to manage the symptoms associated with COPD, but little is known about the potential dangers associated with this medication class," said Dr. Nicholas Vozoris, lead author, a respirologist at St. Michael's and an associate scientist at the hospital's Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and ICES.

"Previous studies by our team found that other psychoactive drugs, like opioids and benzodiazepines, are frequently used in COPD. We wanted to find out if this was the case too for synthetic oral cannabinoids."

Researchers also found that synthetic oral cannabinoids were used more frequently in subgroups of older adults with COPD at heightened risk for adverse events, such as those with psychiatric disease and those receiving other sedating psychoactive medications.

"Safety recommendations provided for these medications advise against prescribing cannabinoids in these groups," said Dr. Vozoris. "And yet these individuals with COPD are being exposed at greater rates."

The team also found that synthetic oral cannabinoids were used more often in potentially concerning ways among older adults with COPD, including more frequently at higher doses and for longer durations of time.

"Though the use of these drugs isn't too frequent today, without careful monitoring of the way they're being prescribed and used now, we could end up with larger problems in the future," Dr. Vozoris said.

As one of the first studies to describe the use of this drug class in individuals with COPD, Dr. Vozoris said these results provide a basis for future research to examine the effects of oral synthetic cannabinoid use on respiratory outcomes among individuals with COPD.

The results also provide a foundation for clinicians to make more informed decisions regarding the use of this drug class.

"We hope that clinicians read our paper and walk away with a better understanding of this drug class," said Dr. Vozoris. "We'd like them to reflect on their own prescribing practices and ensure cannabinoid drugs are used and prescribed with vigilance."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190923130929.htm

CBD may alleviate seizures, benefit behaviors in people with neurodevelopmental conditions

September 18, 2019

Science Daily/University of North Carolina Health Care

A marijuana plant extract, also known as cannabidiol (CBD), is being commonly used to improve anxiety, sleep problems, pain, and many other neurological conditions. Now UNC School of Medicine researchers show it may alleviate seizures and normalize brain rhythms in Angelman syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental condition.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the research conducted using Angelman syndrome animal models shows that CBD could benefit kids and adults with this serious condition, which is characterized by intellectual disability, lack of speech, brain rhythm dysfunction, and deleterious and often drug-resistant epilepsy.

"There is an unmet need for better treatments for kids with Angelman syndrome to help them live fuller lives and to aid their families and caregivers," said Ben Philpot, PhD, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology and associate director of the UNC Neuroscience Center. "Our results show CBD could help the medical community safely meet this need."

CBD, which is a major phytocannabinoid constituent of cannabis, has already shown to have anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic effects. And in 2018, the FDA approved CBD for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy, but little is known about the potential anti-seizure and behavioral effects of CBD on Angelman symptom.

The Philpot lab is a leader in the creation of genetically modified mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders, and they use these models to identify new treatments for various diseases, such as Rett, Pitt-Hopkins, and Angelman syndromes.

In experiments led by first author Bin Gu, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Philpot lab, the UNC-Chapel Hill researchers systematically tested the beneficial effects of CBD on seizures, motor deficits, and brain activity abnormalities -- as measured by EEG -- in mice that genetically model Angelman syndrome, with the expectation that this information could guide eventual clinical use.

The researchers found that a single injection of CBD substantially lessened seizure severity in mice when the seizures were experimentally triggered by elevated body temperature or loud sounds. A typical anti-convulsant dose of CBD (100 mg/kg) caused mild sedation in mice but had little effect on motor coordination or balance. CBD also restored the normal brain rhythms which are commonly impaired in Angelman syndrome.

"We're confident our study provides the preclinical framework necessary to better guide the rational development of CBD as a therapy to help lessen seizures associated with Angelman syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders," Gu said.

Philpot and Gu added that patients and families should always seek advice from their physician before taking any CBD products, and that a human clinical trial is needed to fully understand its efficacy and safety.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190918105631.htm

Scientists find psychiatric drugs affect gut contents

September 9, 2019

Science Daily/European College of Neuropsychopharmacology

Scientists have found that antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs can change the quantity and composition of gut bacteria in rats. These results raise questions about the specificity of psychoactive drug action, and if confirmed in humans whether psychiatrists might need to consider the effects on the body before prescribing. The research team is currently carrying out a large-scale human observational study which aims to answer the questions posed by these findings. This work is presented at the ECNP Conference in Copenhagen following part-publication in a peer-review journal (see Notes for Editors).

Scientists are increasingly finding that the microbiome -- the bacterial content of the digestive system -- has effects on other functions in the body, and vice versa. A group of Irish-based scientists has given 7 groups of rats (8 animals in each group) normal or slightly elevated levels of individual psychopharmaceuticals, including Lithium, valproate, and the antidepressants fluoxetine (Prozac) and escitalopram. After 4 weeks of treatment, the scientists examined the gut bacteria -- the microbiome -- to see what the effects the drugs had (see abstract for experimental details).

They found that some drugs consistently increased the number of certain bacteria in the gut. For example, lithium and valproate (both used for bipolar disorder) increased the numbers of Clostridium and other bacteria. In contrast, the (SSRI) antidepressants escitalopram and fluoxetine significantly inhibited growth of bacterial isolated strains such as E.coli.

Describing the work, lead researcher, Ms Sofia Cussotto (University College, Cork) said:

"We found that certain drugs, including the mood stabiliser lithium and the antidepressant fluoxetine, influenced the composition and richness of the gut microbiota. Although some psychotropic drugs have been previously investigated in in vitro settings, this is the first evidence in an animal model.

There are several implications of this work. First of all, some studies have shown that depressed or schizophrenic patients can have altered microbiota composition, therefore psychotropic drugs might work on intestinal microbes as part of their mechanisms of action. Of course, this has to be proved. Given that antidepressants, for example work on some people but not others, making an allowance for microbiome may change an individual's response to antidepressants. On the other hand, microbiome-targeting effects might be responsible for the side effects associated with these medications. All these hypotheses have to be tested in preclinical models and in humans, and this is our next step."

Commenting, Professor Serguei Fetissov from Rouen University, France said:

"These early data are intriguing, and worthy of further investigation. At the moment it would be premature to ascribe a direct role of gut bacteria in the action of antidepressant drugs until this work can be reproduced in humans, which is what the authors now hope to do. The composition of gut microbiota is very sensitive to the metabolic processes of the body and can change naturally, through drug-induced metabolic shifts in the brain and other organs. Some of the changes reported here, for example increased Christensenella, can be indeed beneficial, but overall significance of drug-induced changes of bacterial composition on the metabolic and mental health needs further research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190909095019.htm

Medical marijuana laws impact use among sexual minorities differently than heterosexuals

Daily marijuana use is seven times higher among bisexual women than heterosexual women

September 4, 2019

Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Bisexual women had higher rates of past-year and daily marijuana use compared to heterosexual women, according to a study just published at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Gay/lesbian women were also more likely to report daily marijuana use and past year medical marijuana use than heterosexual women. While previous research has explored the association between state-level medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and marijuana use (MU) and MU disorder (MUD) among the general U.S. population, this is the first to explore this relationship for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals, including gender differences. The findings are online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

"Our work builds on the Institute of Medicine report highlighting the importance of conducting additional research on LGB populations across the life course," said Morgan Philbin, PhD, assistant professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia's Mailman School. ""While research has explored how LGB discrimination polices may impact substance use, less work has explored how substance use policies may impact LGB men and women differently than heterosexuals."

The researchers analyzed data from 126,463 adults 18 and older in the 2015-2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to study the odds of past-year marijuana use, any past-year medical marijuana use, daily/near-daily marijuana use, and marijuana use disorder. They also tested the interaction between residence in a state with medical marijuana laws and sexual identity.

When the researchers examined the relationship between state MML status and MU outcomes they found that gay/lesbian women in MML states had higher daily/near-daily (300+ days/year) MU than gay/lesbian women in non-MML states while bisexual women in MML states had higher past-year use than bisexual women in non-MML states; both lesbian/gay and bisexual women in MML states had higher medical MU than those in non-MML states.

"We further extended these findings to estimate daily/near-daily MU prevalence, which was seven times higher among bisexual women than heterosexual women and 2.3 times as high for bisexual men compared to heterosexual men," noted Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology and senior author.

Past-year marijuana use was 10 percent among heterosexual women, 26 percent among gay/lesbian women and 40 percent among bisexual women. Daily use was lower among heterosexual women (1.5 percent) compared to lesbians (6 percent) and bisexual women (10 percent). Similar patterns emerged for past-year marijuana use disorder.

Past-year marijuana use for medical reasons was reported by slightly more than one percent of heterosexual women, 5 percent of lesbian/gay women and 5.5 percent of bisexual women.

Compared to heterosexual men (17 percent), past-year use marijuana was higher among bisexual men, (30 percent) and gay men (29 percent). Daily marijuana use among men was highest among bisexual men (9 percent) followed by gay (7 percent) and heterosexual men (4 percent). Any past-year medical marijuana use was 2 percent among heterosexual men, 5 percent among gay men and 4 percent among bisexual men.

Rates of daily marijuana use or marijuana use disorder for gay men did not differ significantly in states that had passed medical marijuana laws compared to states that had not passed these laws.

While beyond the scope of these analysis, the difference in policy effects of medical marijuana laws for bisexual women compared to heterosexual women may be a result of the high levels of stigma faced by bisexual women, according to the researchers. This could result in self-medication with medical marijuana even in states without MMLs if LGB adults are in part using marijuana to alleviate sexual minority stress.

"Our results support existing literature by demonstrating that bisexual women have higher marijuana use disorder compared to heterosexual women. This is part of a larger health burden, as bisexual women are twice as likely to have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders yet often have little contact with service providers," observed Philbin.

"This study represents an important contribution to the literature on the structural determinants of substance use for LGB individuals and demonstrates the need to allocate resources that target sexual minority women, especially as medical marijuana laws and recreational marijuana laws continue to change at the state level," said Martins. "Future surveys that capture how individuals identify will help us pinpoint how state-level marijuana policies may differentially impact specific sub-populations, ultimately advancing the development of more health-promoting policies for all."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190904113222.htm

Cannabis may hold promise to treat PTSD but evidence lags behind use

September 3, 2019

Science Daily/University College London

As growing numbers of people are using cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new UCL study reports that prescriptions are not backed up by adequate evidence.

The systematic review, published in the Journal of Dual Diagnosis, finds that the active components of cannabis, called cannabinoids, may hold promise as a treatment for PTSD, particularly for reducing nightmares and helping people sleep, but more research is needed to determine whether these drugs should be used in routine clinical practice.

"There has been a recent surge of interest in the use of cannabinoids to treat PTSD, particularly from military veterans, many of whom are already self-medicating or obtaining prescriptions in some American states," said the study's lead author, Dr Chandni Hindocha (UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit).

"The lack of evidence supporting cannabis as a PTSD treatment is striking given the vast interest in it, and the large unmet need for better PTSD treatments," she said.

PTSD is a potentially debilitating condition affecting roughly 1% of the UK population, typically consisting of re-experiencing a traumatic event through intrusive memories, flashbacks or nightmares, and often involves hyper-reactivity (a state of constant vigilance) and insomnia.

Psychotherapies (talking therapies) including trauma-focussed cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to be effective for PTSD. However, not everyone can access talking therapies and they do not work for everyone, so many people still need to take prescribed medications. Existing drugs approved for PTSD do not work for everyone, and can have side effects, so researchers say there is an urgent need to identify new treatments.

A growing number of people have turned to cannabinoids, which is an approved treatment for PTSD in most states in the USA that permit medical cannabis.

Cannabinoids, the active ingredients of cannabis, which include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), may be helpful at treating PTSD as they can change how the brain processes memories. The cannabinoids act on the brain's in-built endocannabinoid system which also regulates other brain functions that are affected by PTSD.

The research team conducted a systematic review of all studies where someone with a PTSD diagnosis has been using a cannabinoid to reduce their symptoms, and they assessed the quality of each study.

They found 10 studies that met their criteria, which cover a range of products including smoked cannabis, THC or CBD separately in oil or pill form, and a synthetic cannabinoid called nabilone.

Every study had medium to high risk of bias and all were assessed as low in quality due to limitations such as small sample size, retrospective study design, lack of a control group or placebo, short follow-up periods, and not reporting other medication use or addiction. Only one study was a randomised controlled trial, investigating nabilone, but it was in a small sample over a relatively short period of time.

The researchers say there are still many unanswered questions about the safety and efficacy of cannabis-based medications for PTSD, and potential long-term effects such as addiction or a risk of psychosis.

The existing evidence shows promise, however, as some studies showed that cannabis products appeared to reduce PTSD symptoms such as insomnia and nightmares.

"Based on the evidence, we cannot yet make any clinical recommendations about using cannabinoids to treat PTSD. Current prescribing of cannabinoids for PTSD is not backed up by high quality evidence, but the findings certainly highlight the need for more research, particularly long-term clinical trials," said the study's senior author, Dr Michael Bloomfield (UCL Psychiatry and the Traumatic Stress Clinic, St Pancras Hospital).

"Many of these studies have been conducted in military veterans, but we also need to be looking at other groups, as PTSD can vary depending on the nature of the trauma so different approaches may benefit different groups," he added.

Dr Hindocha added: "Unfortunately, medicinal uses of cannabis have historically been difficult to study due to legal restrictions, so it could take a long time before there is enough evidence to support clinical recommendations. New approaches are needed to make the most of existing evidence in the meantime."

The study was conducted by researchers at UCL and the University of Amsterdam, and was supported by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190903194249.htm