Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of ketamine enantiomers and its metabolites Chun Yang, Jianjun Yang, Ailin Luo and Kenji Hashimoto Translational Psychiatry, 2019, 9, 280 doi : 10.1038/s41398-019-0624-1 Abstract Although the robust antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression are beyond doubt, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effects remain unknown. NMDAR inhibition and the subsequent α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) activation are suggested to play a role in the antidepressant effects of ketamine. Although (R)-ketamine is a less potent NMDAR antagonist than (S)-ketamine, (R)-ketamine has shown more marked and longer-lasting antidepressant-like [...]
Lire la suiteCBD Isolates Vs. Full-Spectrum CBD Martin A. Lee On February 22, 2015 https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-isolates-vs-full-spectrum-cbd A groundbreaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant CBD-rich cannabis extract as compared to single-molecule CBD. A groundbreaking study from Israel has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant CBD-rich cannabis extract as compared to single-molecule cannabidiol (CBD). Published in the journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy (Feb. 2015), the article directly challenges one of the sacred cows of Big Pharma and the medical-industrial complex—the notion that “crude” botanical preparations are inherently low grade and less effective than pure, single-molecule compounds. Entitled “Overcoming the Bell-Shaped Dose-Response of Cannabidiol by Using Cannabis [...]
Lire la suiteIs CBD Really Non-Psychoactive ? Jahan Marcu, Ph.D., Ali S. Matthews, and Martin A. Lee On May 17, 2016 https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-really-non-psychoactive Data shows that CBD interacts directly with the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in therapeutically relevant ways while modulating THC's psychoactive effects. Cannabidiol and the CB1 Receptor Understanding how cannabidiol (CBD) exerts its myriad effects on human physiology is a work in progress. Thus far, scientists have identified more than 60 different molecular pathways through which CBD operates. It is known, for example, that CBD acts through multiple receptor-independent channels and it also binds to various receptors in the brain, including serotonin 5HT1A (which contributes to CBD’s [...]
Lire la suiteCBD : The Cinderella Molecule Martin A. Lee On February 09, 2017 Originally published in High Times (Feb. 2017) https://www.projectcbd.org/culture/cbd-cinderella-molecule High Times cover story by Martin A Lee highlights the breakthrough research on CBD, and how it has revolutionized the story of cannabis medicine. “This changes everything!” That was the immediate reaction of Bay Area journalist Fred Gardner as he stood in the office of Steep Hill Laboratory in Oakland and eyed a chromatogram showing the unusual cannabinoid content of a hitherto unknown marijuana strain. The year was 2009, and the strain of interest, an oddity called Soma A-Plus, didn’t top the charts with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), [...]
Lire la suiteCBD User's Guide Project CBD On March 13, 2018 (Updated on March 25, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-users-guide Project CBD has created a beginner’s guide for cannabidiol & cannabis therapeutics to address key questions of CBD users. A Beginner’s Guide to CBD & Cannabis Therapeutics In 2009, a handful of CBD-rich cannabis strains were discovered serendipitously in Northern California, America’s cannabis breadbasket, where certified patients could access medical marijuana legally. Thus began a great laboratory experiment in democracy involving CBD-rich cannabis therapeutics. The advent of whole plant CBD-rich oil as a grassroots therapeutic option has changed the national conversation about cannabis. It’s no longer a question of whether [...]
Lire la suiteCBD & Cannabis Dosage Guide Martin A. Lee On May 16, 2018 (Updated on April 1, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-dosage-guide High dose? Low dose? CBD? THC? Optimizing one's therapeutic use of cannabis may take some experimentation. It can be relatively easy to experience medical benefits from cannabis. A puff or two of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich flower can do the trick for a lot of people. Smoking marijuana, however, is not the be-all and end-all of cannabis therapeutics. There are many ways to experience the medical benefits of cannabis, and some of them are even non-intoxicating. In recent years, the advent of potent cannabis oil concentrates, non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) products, [...]
Lire la suiteCBD & the Psychedelic Receptor Lex Pelger On March 11, 2018 (Updated on April 16, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-psychedelic-receptor CBD and LSD bind to the same serotonin receptor, which mediates psychedelic altered states. But cannabidiol has anti-psychotic properties and doesn't cause hallucinations. In a shorthand that drives scientists mad, serotonin is often called ‘the neurotransmitter of happiness.’ This tag is especially troublesome as more and more flaws become apparent in the ‘serotonin hypothesis’ of depression – the idea that depression is caused by a serotonin deficit, which a pill (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor) could correct.1 Serotonin is a complex molecule in the brain and the [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelics & Cannabis Therapeutics Martin A. Lee April 17, 2019 https://www.projectcbd.org/culture/psychedelics-cannabis-therapeutics High doses of THC are hallucinogenic, and microdosing LSD is a lot like CBD. These mighty molecules can relieve human suffering and they act through the endocannabinoid system. Although it may not be obvious during these Trump-rattled times, we’re in the midst of a psychedelic revival. There is more interest than ever before in experimenting with LSD, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, ketamine, and other psychedelic drugs. This renaissance is happening without all the fanfare of the day-glo Sixties, when lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) escaped from the laboratory and assumed the lead role in an improbable [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy – an updated review Marcin Kopka Journal of Epileptology, 2019, 27, Doi : 10.2478/joepi-2019-0004 SUMMARY Introduction : It is estimated that 30% of people with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite treatment. The approval of many new antiseizure drugs during the past two decades has not substantially reduced the proportion of patients with medically refractory disease. Patients need new treatments. Many families choose to try alternative therapy options. An abundance of preclinical evidence and anecdotal human data support the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy. Aim : The present review paper aims to present the current state of [...]
Lire la suiteDMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time Andrew R. Gallimore and David P. Luke Originally published as Gallimore, A., & Luke, D. : DMT research from 1956 to the edge of time. In King, D., Luke, D., Sessa, B., Adams, C. & Tollen, A. (Eds.), Neurotransmissions : Essays on Psychedelics from Breaking Convention (pp.291-‐316). London: Strange Attractor. (2015).
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