Benefits of CBD, how to use it to improve your overall health
Guest Post by Eva Gore, Alta Farms
CBD products include CBD gummies, CBD oil and CBD beverages.
Just in case you did not know, CBD is a type of cannabinoid that is obtained from the hemp cannabis plant. It is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that does not make you high or alter your brain or motor skills. On the other hand, the cannabinoid that does make you experience a “high” is called THC which is found within the sugar, aerial leaves, and flower of the marijuana cannabis plant. There is only 0.3% THC in the CBD Herbal Tea products I am recommending to you today.
So, you might be thinking, “If CBD won’t make me high, then what is the point of using it?” What I can tell you is that the benefits of cannabinoids extend way beyond altering brain function. As a matter of fact, your body is in possession of an endocannabinoid system which operates with the natural cannabinoid receptors in your brain and immune system, to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, aid in controlling stress and help you have a good night’s sleep, all of which and including other things, put at risk your internal homeostasis. While taking CBD products, you still are in control and are able to maintain full brain functionality.
Here are the top 10 health advantages of consuming CBD products. Although gummies are good, most people respond better to CBD in a soluble form. For example, just a cup of CBD infused tea at night before bed will have you feeling the results relatively quick in 15 minutes.
1) CBD can alleviate Depression and Anxiety
According to the World Health Organization, over 300 million people in the world suffer from depression and a significant percentage of these people also struggle with anxiety too. These are two profoundly serious mental disorders that can devastate the quality of a person’s life. Nevertheless, more and more medical researchers have found that CBD will reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety for people. It even helps overcome social anxiety and public speaking anxiety too.
2) Greatly reduces Pain
CBD gets the most interest because of its ability to decrease pain. CBD can reduce everything from the physical pain caused by arthritis to the neuropathic pain caused by multiple sclerosis. If you live with an inflammatory disease which is causing you physical suffering, then try some CBD oil, Salve, Tea or Gummies and you should see that pain dissipating very quickly.
3)Overcoming Drug Addiction
Drug addiction can affect the crucial brain pathways that cause you to develop a dependency to addictive substances like morphine or heroin. CBD works to correct the brain circuits accountable for stimulating the addiction in the first place so that you do not have a dependency on those drugs as much going forward in the future.
4) Prevent Diabetes
Yes, you read this correctly! CBD is understood to inhibit a condition called insulitis which destroys pancreatic beta cells. Because insulitis is a big cause of Type I Diabetes, taking steps to prevent insulitis can help avert diabetes too. For those people who already have diabetes, CBD may lower the side effects of the disease like memory loss and neuroinflammation.
5) Reduces Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes. Just taking one dose of CBD each day, you may find yourself having lower blood pressure. This means you would have a decreased chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart disease.
6) Fights recurring Insomnia
Do you regularly have trouble falling asleep? If your answer is yes, then even just 18mg CBD might be the answer you are searching for to help reduce insomnia or any other sleep related difficulties you may be experiencing. CBD has the ability to reduce anxiety and then lessen the effects of worry which cause you to stay awake at night.
7) Eradicates and Prevents Acne
Because CBD contains anti-inflammatory properties it will help lower the production of sebum within the skin. Sebum is a naturally produced oil which protects the skin. When disproportionate amounts of sebum are produced, it causes acne to develop on the surface and create those annoying pimples and blackheads. Consuming CBD oil and using CBD lotions can lower the production of sebum, so the sometimes painful acne can clear up quickly.
8) Reduces and even prevents Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms
The biggest contributor to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is Neuroinflammation. CBD will act to reduce and may even prevent neuroinflammation by acting to safeguard your neurons from the free radicals that want to destroy them. This means you will lessen chance of having to deal with Alzheimer’s disease or its progressive symptoms.
9) Anti-psychotic Effects
Psychotic symptoms have been found to lessen with CBD treatment in people suffering from a variety of mental disorders, like schizophrenia and psychosis. These results have not been medically proven for all types of mental disorders, though people living with these disorders have apparently noticed a welcomed relief from CBD.
10) Helps Fight Cancer
Once again, the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD provide anti-tumor effects as well. If you are concerned about developing a cancerous tumor in your, lung, breast, brain, colon, or even prostate, we recommend dosing on CBD consistently. It has been purported that it might even prevent cancer from spreading if it already exists within the system.
New to CBD?
I recommend starting simply with a warm cup of delicious CBD tea at night. This way you get used to the unique taste and you will be able to monitor how you feel after consuming it. Alta Farms in Utah bring to us a unique tasting line of specially formulated CBD Herbal Teas (18mg CBD per cup) mixed specifically with natural herbs and spices, to help with pain and inflammation, anxiety and stress and insomnia. If you find the CBD flavor too overwhelming, Alta Farms also have CBD Isolate infusions where there is absolutely no distinct hempy taste.
Nearly third of US young people prescribed psychoactive drugs admit misusing them
Stimulants and tranquillisers more frequently misused than opioids
February 2, 2021
Science Daily/BMJ
Nearly a third of US teens and young adults prescribed a psychoactive drug misuse that drug, with the likelihood of misuse rising with age, suggests an analysis of national survey responses published in the online journal Family Medicine & Community Health.
Stimulants and tranquillisers were more likely to be misused than opioids, the findings indicate.
Drug overdose is a leading cause of unintentional death in the US, most cases of which involve opioid painkillers, but not all.
Data on the misuse of other prescription psychoactive drugs are few and far between. And every year more than 1 in 3 teens and young adults in the US is prescribed one of these drugs.
To plug this knowledge gap, the researchers drew on the responses of 110,556 US 12-25 year olds who took part in the 2015-2018 National Survey of Drug Use and Health Sampling.
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Overall, around a third (35%) said they had taken a prescribed psychoactive drug in the past year, and a similar proportion (31%) said they had misused that drug.
While opioids were the most commonly prescribed drug, misuse of stimulants and tranquillisers was higher, with nearly 45% of users admitting to this.
One in 10 respondents said they took at least two prescribed psychoactive drugs, with nearly 6 in 10 (58%) confessing to misusing one of these. And 87% admitted to misusing another substance, such as alcohol, cigarettes, cigars, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, inhalants, or hallucinogens.
Use and misuse of a prescribed psychoactive drug increased with age. While one in four teens (12-17 year olds) reported taking any psychoactive prescribed drug over the past year, and around 6% reported taking at least two such drugs, this increased to 41% and 13.5%, respectively, among 18-25 year olds.
Among the teen users of psychoactive prescription drugs, opioids were the most frequently used (19%) followed by stimulants (7%), tranquillisers (4%) and sedatives (2%).
Around 1 in 5 users of prescribed psychoactive drugs said they misused them, with tranquillisers most often misused (40%), followed by stimulants (24%), opioids (nearly 18%), and sedatives (14%).
Among 18-25-year-olds prescribed psychoactive drugs in the past year, 35% reported misuse of at least one drug. And among those prescribed at least two of these drugs, 61% reported misuse and just under 94% reported concurrent use of another substance.
Analyses of the responses from the 18-25-year-olds revealed that, compared with those who had never touched other substances, misuse of psychoactive prescription drugs increased in tandem with more recent use of these substances and number used.
Among 18-25 year-olds, opioids were again the most commonly prescribed psychoactive drug (30%), followed by stimulants (14%), tranquillisers (11.5%) and sedatives (3.5%).
The estimated proportion of misuse in this age group was highest for tranquillisers (45%) followed by stimulants (51%), opioids (23%) and sedatives (19%).
This is an observational study, and therefore can't establish cause, added to which the researchers acknowledge that the study was based on self report; the time frames over which some variables were measured weren't consistent; and misuse was very broadly defined.
Nevertheless, they conclude that the overlap in the profiles of those who use for medical reasons and those who misuse is a strong indicator of how likely they are to abuse psychoactive drugs.
"It is important to monitor the diversity of medication misuse behaviours among youth and young adults, given their potential for abuse liability," they write.
"Modifiable risk factors for prescription substance misuse, such as tobacco and other non-prescription substance use, underscore the need for comprehensive approaches towards health promotion among youth and young adults," they add.
They note that 11.5% of the 18-25 year olds reported serious psychological distress, which was consistently associated with misuse of every psychoactive prescription drug assessed.
"Mental health and medical providers would benefit from using a team approach and having open communication with other healthcare providers to ensure evidence-based guidelines are used when assessing for, and treating, mental health and substance use difficulties," they conclude.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210202192756.htm
Frequent cannabis use by young people linked to decline in IQ
January 28, 2021
Science Daily/RCSI
A study has found that adolescents who frequently use cannabis may experience a decline in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) over time. The findings of the research provide further insight into the harmful neurological and cognitive effects of frequent cannabis use on young people.
The paper, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in Psychological Medicine.
The results revealed that there were declines of approximately 2 IQ points over time in those who use cannabis frequently compared to those who didn't use cannabis. Further analysis suggested that this decline in IQ points was primarily related to reduction in verbal IQ.
The research involved systematic review and statistical analysis on seven longitudinal studies involving 808 young people who used cannabis at least weekly for a minimum of 6 months and 5308 young people who did not use cannabis. In order to be included in the analysis each study had to have a baseline IQ score prior to starting cannabis use and another IQ score at follow-up. The young people were followed up until age 18 on average although one study followed the young people until age 38.
"Previous research tells us that young people who use cannabis frequently have worse outcomes in life than their peers and are at increased risk for serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. Loss of IQ points early in life could have significant effects on performance in school and college and later employment prospects," commented senior author on the paper Professor Mary Cannon, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Youth Mental Health, RCSI.
"Cannabis use during youth is of great concern as the developing brain may be particularly susceptible to harm during this period. The findings of this study help us to further understand this important public health issue," said Dr Emmet Power, Clinical Research Fellow at RCSI and first author on the study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210128134755.htm
Legal cannabis stores linked to fewer opioid deaths in the United States
Findings may have implications for tackling opioid misuse
January 27, 2021
Science Daily/BMJ
Access to legal cannabis stores is associated with a reduction in opioid related deaths in the United States, particularly those linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, finds a study published by The BMJ today.
Opioids are 'morphine-type' drugs that relieve short-term (acute) pain and pain at the end of life. There is little evidence that they are helpful for long-term (chronic) pain, but they are often prescribed for this reason.
This has led to widespread misuse and a sharp rise in overdose deaths, particularly in the United States. In 2018, there were more than 46,000 fentanyl related deaths, representing over two thirds of all US opioid related deaths that year.
Some studies have suggested that increased access to cannabis stores -- legally authorised to sell medical and recreational cannabis -- may help to reduce opioid related deaths, but the evidence so far is mixed.
To explore this further, researchers examined relationships between medical and recreational cannabis stores (referred to as dispensaries) and opioid related deaths from 2014 to 2018.
Their findings are based on data for 812 counties within the 23 US states that allowed legal cannabis dispensaries to operate by the end of 2017.
Information on state level cannabis legislation was combined with county level data on licensed dispensaries and opioid related mortality rates.
After controlling for population characteristics and other potentially influential factors, the researchers found that counties with a higher number of active cannabis dispensaries were associated with reduced opioid related mortality rates.
According to this estimate, an increase from one to two dispensaries in a county was associated with an estimated 17% reduction in all opioid related mortality rates.
This association held for both medical and recreational dispensaries and appeared particularly strong for deaths associated with synthetic opioids other than methadone, with an estimated 21% reduction in mortality rates associated with an increase from one to two dispensaries.
An increase from two to three dispensaries was associated with a further 8.5% reduction in all opioid related mortality rates.
This study is the first to examine the association between active cannabis dispensary operations and opioid related mortality rates at the more fine grained county level.
However, the results are observational, so can't establish cause, and the researchers stress that while cannabis is generally thought to be less addictive than opioids, it still carries potential harms and public safety risks should not be ignored.
But they say their findings suggest "a potential association between increased prevalence of medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries and reduced opioid related mortality rates."
And they call for "a greater understanding of the impact of cannabis legalization on opioid misuse and public health outcomes before policy makers can weigh the potential benefits against the harms of promoting cannabis legalization."
In a linked editorial, researchers argue that cannabis liberalization "cannot be regarded as a remedy to the opioid crisis until a robust evidence base is available."
Although some may interpret these findings as evidence supporting cannabis liberalization to address the opioid crisis, they point out that "such conclusions are currently premature without evidence of causality."
Further experimental studies including individual level data of those with use of prescription opioids and illicit opioids "would inform a more nuanced understanding of the substitution between opioids and cannabis," they conclude.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210127193325.htm
The dangers of drugged driving are outpacing drunk driving
January 26, 2021
Science Daily/University of Cincinnati
A recent study of drugged driving, by a team of University of Cincinnati researchers, shows that a sizable percentage of individuals reported the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs while operating behind the wheel.
"We need to focus our efforts on drugged driving, in addition to drunk driving, because drugged driving causes such a high level of fatalities, says Andrew Yockey, a doctoral student in UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services and researcher at the UC Center for Prevention Science.
Yockey is lead author on the study "Drugged driving among U.S. adults: Results from the 2016-2018 national survey on drug use and health" -- published in the Journal of Safety Research.
"Even though less people are driving, drugs are increasing in availability and are being found in more reports of drugged driving in the U.S.," says Yockey.
The study found that while 8.52% of adults reported driving under the influence of alcohol, compared to 4.49% who drove under the influence of marijuana, a sizable number of adults used both marijuana and other drugs while under the influence of alcohol.
The most commonly reported drugs used while drugged driving are marijuana and opioids, with nearly one in five individuals reporting the use of marijuana while driving a vehicle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additionally, the study states:
Sexual minorities drove under the influence of alcohol more often than heterosexuals, and a sizable percentage also used marijuana and other drugs including inhalants (70.34%), cocaine (68.9%) and hallucinogens (63.7%) while driving.
Multiracial individuals had heightened involvement in driving under the influence of marijuana.
Males were significantly more likely than females to engage in drugged driving.
The research looked at sample data in the United States, the most recent available at the time of the study collected from the National Survey Drug Use and Health Survey; researchers say that current estimates are trending the same, despite fewer people driving during the pandemic.
According to the most current data from the National Institutes of Health, in 2016, among people killed in driving accidents that year, 43.6% of drivers who were drug tested and had positive results: 50.5% were positive for two or more drugs and 40.7% were positive for alcohol.
The UC study is the first of its kind to examine drugged driving over multiple years among adults in the U.S., says Yockey and the study's co-authors: Keith King, the center's director, and co-director Rebecca Vidourek, both professors at UC's School of Human Services.
As legalization of marijuana and other drugs becomes more prevalent, King says, "There is serious concern as to how legalization will affect driving behaviors among adults," adding that more research is needed to specifically evaluate the impact of legalization; particularly among those found to be most vulnerable such as sexual minorities.
While the team utilizes research to identify the risk factors, their efforts also concentrate on education, preferably at an early age, and identifying prevention strategies that are culturally relevant.
For example, Vidourek says that some cultures and communities are less likely to view marijuana as a drug and potentially harmful substance, which may affect its use while driving. "Identifying messages and strategies that are culturally relevant is imperative," she says.
"We need to be vigilant because the trends are increasing," says Yockey.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126171607.htm
Cannabis use both helps and hurts entrepreneurial creativity
January 26, 2021
Science Daily/Washington State University
When entrepreneurs dream up ideas for new businesses, cannabis use might help, and hinder, their creativity, according to a new study in the Journal of Business Venturing by Washington State University researchers.
The study found that cannabis-using entrepreneurs generated new business ideas such as a weightless, gravity-free virtual reality workout, that were more original, but less feasible, compared to those who do not use cannabis.
"Originality and feasibility are both crucial in entrepreneurship -- one without the other limits potential value creation," said Benjamin Warnick, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems and Entrepreneurship at the WSU Carson College of Business.
Warnick and colleagues found the increased originality and decreased feasibility of cannabis users' business ideas relative to non-users only surfaced for entrepreneurs who reported relatively strong passion for exploring new business ideas. The effect was absent for cannabis-using entrepreneurs with experience founding more than one business.
For the study, Warnick led a team of WSU researchers including Alexander Kier, assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the Carson College of Business, Carrie Cuttler, assistant professor of psychology, and Emily LaFrance, recent WSU psychology Ph.D. graduate.
The 254 entrepreneurs who participated in the study completed a new venture ideation task, generating as many ideas for a new business as possible based on virtual reality technology. The entrepreneurs also answered questions about the extent of their business experience, passion for entrepreneurship and cannabis use patterns.
A panel of experts then rated the originality and feasibility of the idea each entrepreneur identified as their best.
For the purposes of their study, the researchers separated the entrepreneurs into cannabis users and non-users. The cannabis users reported using the drug an average of nearly 20 times in the past month.
The WSU scientists' work could ultimately play a role in helping entrepreneurs and the business community determine if, when and how cannabis use may be beneficial or detrimental to the venture creation process.
"This is the first study we know of that looks at how any kind of drug use influences new business ideation," said Warnick, "But there is still much to explore in this area."
Warnick noted that the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use have been shown to last for up to a month -- including increased impulsivity and free-thinking tendencies.
Results of the current study held whether or not the cannabis users reported being high at the time of the experiment, but the authors call for future research to consider how being high might influence entrepreneurs' creativity via a randomized experiment.
While the results of the study suggest the effects of marijuana use may have some benefits in the early brainstorming stages of the venture ideation process, the researchers stressed the importance of grounding creativity in reality to successfully launch a new company.
"Our results suggest that cannabis-using entrepreneurs might benefit from non-users' insights to develop the feasibility of their ideas," Kier said. "This may be especially true for cannabis users who tend to get very excited about coming up with new ideas or don't have much experience founding new businesses, since others can serve as a grounding influence, providing a reality-check on their ideas."
As legalization of cannabis continues across the country and the stigma of the drug fades, the researchers hope their work will help paint a clearer picture of the implications of cannabis use among entrepreneurs.
"Clearly there are pros and cons to using cannabis that deserve to be investigated further," Warnick said. "As the wave of cannabis legalization continues across the country, we need to shed light on the actual effects of cannabis not only in entrepreneurship but in other areas of business as well."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210126102800.htm
Marijuana use typically drops at the beginning of the year, then climbs in summer and fall
Seasonal variation may be explained by new year's resolutions
January 11, 2021
Science Daily/New York University
Marijuana use increases throughout the calendar year, with use up 13 percent on average at the end of each year (2015-2019) compared to the beginning, according to a new study published in the journalDrug and Alcohol Dependence.
"We found that marijuana use is consistently higher among those surveyed later in the year, peaking during late fall or early winter before dropping at the beginning of the following year. We think this may be due, in part, to a 'Dry January' in which some people stop drinking alcohol or even stop using marijuana as part of a New Year's resolution," said Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, an affiliated researcher with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at NYU School of Global Public Health, and the study's lead author. "We're now in the time of year when people are the least likely to use marijuana."
Prior research shows that alcohol and drug use vary by time of year, with drug use often increasing during summer months, possibly due, in part, to social events. These seasonal variations can inform interventions -- for instance, studies show that programs to reduce heavy drinking among college students should begin during the summer.
To better understand seasonal trends in marijuana use, Palamar and his colleagues analyzed data from 282,768 adolescents and adults who responded to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2015 to 2019. The survey asked participants about their past-month use of marijuana and other substances, and the researchers estimated their use within each calendar quarter: January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December.
Each year, as the calendar year progressed, marijuana use grew, increasing in summer and fall months before dropping as each new year began. While 8.9 percent reported using marijuana in January through March, 10.1 percent reported using in October through December, a 13-percent relative increase.
These seasonal trends occurred independently of annual growth in marijuana use and were seen across nearly all groups surveyed, regardless of sex, race/ethnicity, and education level. Teens were one exception; their marijuana use grew in the summer but declined in the fall months back to winter and spring levels.
Recreational use may be driving the growth throughout the year, as similar small increases occurred among those living in states with and without legal medical marijuana, and among those without a prescription for medical marijuana. Seasonal marijuana use also increased among those who reported using other substances, including alcohol, nicotine, and especially LSD.
The researchers note that the consistent dip in marijuana use during winter months could be a result of a variety of factors: a lower supply this time of year from cannabis harvests, colder weather keeping people inside who usually smoke outdoors, or people quitting marijuana as a New Year's resolution.
"Ultimately, we hope that these findings can be utilized by researchers and clinicians alike," said study coauthor Austin Le, DDS, a research associate at NYU Langone Health and orthodontic resident at NYU College of Dentistry. "Researchers studying marijuana use should consider seasonal variation, as surveys administered at the end of the year may yield different results than at the beginning of the year. And for those who wish to reduce marijuana use, it appears the best time for such targeting may be later in the year -- when use is highest."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210111084233.htm
More than half of people using cannabis for pain experience multiple withdrawal symptoms
Minority experience worsening of symptoms over time, especially younger people
January 8, 2021
Science Daily/Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
More than half of people who use medical marijuana products to ease pain also experience clusters of multiple withdrawal symptoms when they're between uses, a new study finds.
And about 10% of the patients taking part in the study experienced worsening changes to their sleep, mood, mental state, energy and appetite over the next two years as they continued to use cannabis.
Many of them may not recognize that these symptoms come not from their underlying condition, but from their brain and body's reaction to the absence of substances in the cannabis products they're smoking, vaping, eating or applying to their skin, says the University of Michigan Addiction Center psychologist who led the study.
When someone experiences more than a few such symptoms, it's called cannabis withdrawal syndrome -- and it can mean a higher risk of developing even more serious issues such as a cannabis use disorder.
In the new research published in the journal Addiction, a team from the U-M Medical School and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System reports findings from detailed surveys across two years of 527 Michigan residents. All were participating in the state's system to certify people with certain conditions for use of medical cannabis, and had non-cancer-related pain.
"Some people report experiencing significant benefits from medical cannabis, but our findings suggest a real need to increase awareness about the signs of withdrawal symptoms developing to decrease the potential downsides of cannabis use, especially among those who experience severe or worsening symptoms over time," says Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., the addiction psychologist who led the analysis.
Long-term study in medical cannabis use
The researchers asked the patients whether they had experienced any of 15 different symptoms -- ranging from trouble sleeping and nausea to irritability and aggression -- when they had gone a significant time without using cannabis.
The researchers used an analytic method to empirically group the patients into those who had no symptoms or mild symptoms at the start of the study, those who had moderate symptoms (meaning they experienced multiple withdrawal symptoms) and those who had severe withdrawal issues that included most or all of the symptoms.
They then looked at how things changed over time, surveying the patients one year and two years after their first survey.
At baseline, 41% of the study participants fell into the mild symptoms group, 34% were in the moderate group and 25% were classed as severe.
Misconceptions about medical cannabis
Many people who turn to medical cannabis for pain do so because other pain relievers haven't worked, says Coughlin, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry who sees patients as part of U-M Addiction Treatment Services. They may also want to avoid long-term use of opioid pain medications because they pose a risk of misuse and other adverse health consequences.
She notes that people who experience issues related to their cannabis use for pain should talk with their health care providers about receiving other pain treatments including psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
The perception of cannabis as "harmless" is not correct, she says. It contains substances called cannabinoids that act on the brain -- and that over time can lead the brain to react when those substances are absent.
In addition to a general craving to use cannabis, withdrawal symptoms can include anxiety, sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, restlessness, depressed mood, aggression, irritability, nausea, sweating, headache, stomach pain, strange dreams, increased anger and shakiness.
Previous research has shown that the more symptoms and greater severity of symptoms a person has, the less likely they are to be able to reduce their use of cannabis, quit using it or stay away from it once they quit.
They may mistakenly think that the symptoms happen because of their underlying medical conditions, and may even increase the amount or frequency of their cannabis use to try to counteract the effect -- leading to a cycle of increasing use and increasing withdrawal.
Coughlin says people who decide to use a cannabis product for a medical purpose should discuss the amount, route of administration, frequency and type of cannabis product with their regular health provider. They should also familiarize themselves with the symptoms of cannabis withdrawal and tell their provider if they're experiencing them.
Feeling the urge to use cannabis after a period without use, such as soon after waking up, can be a sign of a withdrawal syndrome, she notes. So can the inability to cut back on use without experiencing craving or other symptoms of withdrawal.
Because there is no medically accepted standard for medical cannabis dosing for different conditions, patients are often faced with a wide array of cannabis products that vary in strength and route of administration. Some products could pose more risk for development of withdrawal symptoms than others, Coughlin says.
For example, people who smoked cannabis tended to have more severe withdrawal symptoms than others, while people who vaped cannabis reported symptoms that tended to stay the same or get worse, but generally did not improve, over time.
As more states legalize cannabis for medical or general use, including several states that will legalize its use based on the results of last November's election, use is expected to grow.
More about the study
The researchers asked the patients about how they used cannabis products, how often, and how long they'd been using them, as well as about their mental and physical health, their education and employment status.
Over time, those who had started off in the mild withdrawal symptom group were likely to stay there, but some did progress to moderate withdrawal symptoms.
People in the moderate withdrawal group were more likely to go down in symptoms than up, and by the end of the study the number of the people in the severe category had dropped to 17%. In all, 13% of the patients had gone up to the next level of symptoms by the end of the first year, and 8% had transitioned upward by the end of two years.
Sleep problems were the most common symptom across all three groups, and many in the mild group also reported cravings for cannabis. In the moderate group, the most common withdrawal symptoms were sleep problems, depressed mood, decreased appetite, craving, restlessness, anxiety and irritability.
The severe withdrawal symptom group was much more likely to report all the symptoms except sweatiness. Nearly all the participants in this group reported irritability, anxiety, and sleep problems. They were also more likely to be longtime and frequent users of cannabis.
Those in the severe group were more likely to be younger and to have worse mental health. Older adults were less likely to go up in withdrawal symptom severity, while those who vaped cannabis were less likely to transition to a lower withdrawal-severity group.
The study didn't assess nicotine use, or try to distinguish between symptoms that could also be related to breakthrough pain or diagnosed/undiagnosed mental health conditions during abstinence.
Future directions
Coughlin and her colleagues hope future research can explore cannabis withdrawal symptoms among medical cannabis patients further, including the impact of different attempts to abstain, different types of use and administration routes, and interaction with other physical and mental health factors. Most research on cannabis withdrawal has been in recreational users, or "snapshot" looks at medical cannabis patients at a single point in time.
Further research could help identify those most at risk of developing problems, and reduce the risk of progression to cannabis use disorder, which is when someone uses cannabis repeatedly despite major impacts on their lives and ability to function.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210108142134.htm
Cannabis strength soars over past half century
November 16, 2020
Science Daily/University of Bath
New research shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger carrying an increased risk of harm.
The team behind the study from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, synthesised data from over 80,000 cannabis samples tested in the past 50 years from street samples collected in the USA, UK, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand. Their findings are published in the journal Addiction and the research was funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction.
The researchers investigated how concentrations of THC (the intoxicating component of cannabis responsible for giving users a 'high') had changed over time in different types of cannabis. In herbal cannabis, they found that THC concentrations increased by 14% from 1970 to 2017. This was primarily due to a rising market share of stronger varieties such as sinsemilla relative to traditional herbal cannabis which contains seeds and less THC.
The team have previously found consistent evidence that frequent use of cannabis with higher levels of THC carries an increased risk of problems such as addiction and psychotic disorders.
Lead author Dr Tom Freeman, Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath said: "As the strength of cannabis has increased, so too has the number of people entering treatment for cannabis use problems. More Europeans are now entering drug treatment because of cannabis than heroin or cocaine."
The researchers found that the increases in THC were particularly high for cannabis resin, with THC concentrations rising by 24% between 1975 and 2017. Cannabis resin is extracted from herbal cannabis and is now typically stronger than herbal cannabis according to the findings.
They also looked at concentrations of cannabidiol or CBD, which is not intoxicating but may have potential medical uses such as helping people to quit cannabis. In contrast to THC, they found no evidence for changes in CBD in cannabis over time.
Study co-author Sam Craft also from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath explained: "Cannabis resin -- or 'hash' -- is often seen as a safer type of cannabis, but our findings show that it is now stronger than herbal cannabis. Traditionally, cannabis resin contained much lower amounts of THC with equal quantities of CBD, however CBD concentrations have remained stable as THC has risen substantially, meaning it is now much more harmful than it was many years ago."
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world but has recently been legalised in Canada, Uruguay and several states in the USA. The findings of this new study have particular relevance in light of growing demands to legalise cannabis in an attempt to make it safer. Most recently a referendum in New Zealand (which ultimately failed to receive public support) included measures to limit the strength of cannabis sold through legalisation.
The researchers argue that increases in cannabis strength highlight the need to implement wider strategies for harm reduction similar to those used for alcohol -- such as standard units and public guidelines on safer consumption limits.
Dr Tom Freeman added: "As the strength of cannabis has risen, consumers are faced with limited information to help them monitor their intake and guide decisions about relative benefits and risks. The introduction of a standard unit system for cannabis -- similar to standard alcohol units -- could help people to limit their consumption and use it more safely."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201116092241.htm
Cannabis reduces OCD symptoms by half in the short-term
October 20, 2020
Science Daily/Washington State University
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, report that the severity of their symptoms was reduced by about half within four hours of smoking cannabis, according to a Washington State University study.
The researchers analyzed data inputted into the Strainprint app by people who self-identified as having OCD, a condition characterized by intrusive, persistent thoughts and repetitive behaviors such as compulsively checking if a door is locked. After smoking cannabis, users with OCD reported it reduced their compulsions by 60%, intrusions, or unwanted thoughts, by 49% and anxiety by 52%.
The study, recently published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, also found that higher doses and cannabis with higher concentrations of CBD, or cannabidiol, were associated with larger reductions in compulsions.
"The results overall indicate that cannabis may have some beneficial short-term but not really long-term effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder," said Carrie Cuttler, the study's corresponding author and WSU assistant professor of psychology. "To me, the CBD findings are really promising because it is not intoxicating. This is an area of research that would really benefit from clinical trials looking at changes in compulsions, intrusions and anxiety with pure CBD."
The WSU study drew from data of more than 1,800 cannabis sessions that 87 individuals logged into the Strainprint app over 31 months. The long time period allowed the researchers to assess whether users developed tolerance to cannabis, but those effects were mixed. As people continued to use cannabis, the associated reductions in intrusions became slightly smaller suggesting they were building tolerance, but the relationship between cannabis and reductions in compulsions and anxiety remained fairly constant.
Traditional treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder include exposure and response prevention therapy where people's irrational thoughts around their behaviors are directly challenged, and prescribing antidepressants called serotonin reuptake inhibitors to reduce symptoms. While these treatments have positive effects for many patients, they do not cure the disorder nor do they work well for every person with OCD.
"We're trying to build knowledge about the relationship of cannabis use and OCD because it's an area that is really understudied," said Dakota Mauzay, a doctoral student in Cuttler's lab and first author on the paper.
Aside from their own research, the researchers found only one other human study on the topic: a small clinical trial with 12 participants that revealed that there were reductions in OCD symptoms after cannabis use, but these were not much larger than the reductions associated with the placebo.
The WSU researchers noted that one of the limitations of their study was the inability to use a placebo control and an "expectancy effect" may play a role in the results, meaning when people expect to feel better from something they generally do. The data was also from a self-selected sample of cannabis users, and there was variability in the results which means that not everyone experienced the same reductions in symptoms after using cannabis.
However, Cuttler said this analysis of user-provided information via the Strainprint app was especially valuable because it provides a large data set and the participants were using market cannabis in their home environment, as opposed to federally grown cannabis in a lab which may affect their responses. Strainprint's app is intended to help users determine which types of cannabis work the best for them, but the company provided the WSU researchers free access to users' anonymized data for research purposes.
Cuttler said this study points out that further research, particularly clinical trials on the cannabis constituent CBD, may reveal a therapeutic potential for people with OCD.
This is the fourth study Cuttler and her colleagues have conducted examining the effects of cannabis on various mental health conditions using the data provided by the app created by the Canadian company Strainprint. Others include studies on how cannabis impacts PTSD symptoms, reduces headache pain, and affects emotional well-being.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201020081733.htm