'Standard THC units': a proposal to standardize dose across all cannabis products and methods of administration T.P. Freeman, V.Lorenzetti Addictions, 2019, Oct 12. doi : 10.1111/add.14842 © 2019 Society for the Study of Addiction. Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS : Cannabis products are becoming increasingly diverse, and vary considerably in concentrations of ∆9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Higher doses of THC can increase the risk of harm from cannabis, while CBD may partially offset some of these effects. Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines currently lack recommendations based on quantity of use, and could be improved by implementing standard units. However, there is currently no consensus on [...]
Lire la suiteDriving Under the Influence of Marijuana and Illicit Drugs Among Persons Aged ≥16 Years — United States, 2018 Alejandro Azofeifa, DDS; Bárbara D. Rexach-Guzmán, MPH; Abby N. Hagemeyer, PhD; Rose A. Rudd, MSPH; Erin K. Sauber-Schatz, PhD Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2019, 68, (50), 1153-1157. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/923059?nlid=133476_425&src=WNL_mdplsfeat_200114_mscpedit_psyc&uac=292598PZ&spon=12&impID=2244648&faf=1 Abstract and Introduction Introduction In the United States, driving while impaired is illegal. Nonetheless, an estimated 10,511 alcohol-impaired driving deaths occurred in 2018.* The contribution of marijuana and other illicit drugs to these and other impaired driving deaths remains unknown. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicated [...]
Lire la suitePatient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy : An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Alexander B. Belser, Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, T. Cody Swift, Sara Terrana, Neşe Devenot, Harris L. Friedman, Jeffrey Guss, Anthony Bossis and Stephen Ross Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2017, 1 –35 Doi : 10.1177/0022167817706884 journals.sagepub.com/home/jhp Abstract The psychological mechanisms of action involved in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy are not yet well understood. Despite a resurgence of quantitative research regarding psilocybin, the current study is the first qualitative study of participant experiences in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Semistructured interviews were carried out with 13 adult participants aged 22 to 69 years (M = 50 years) with clinically elevated anxiety associated with a cancer [...]
Lire la suiteEvaluation of the effects of CBD hemp extract on opioid use and quality of life indicators in chronic pain patients : a prospective cohort study Alex Capano, Richard Weaver & Elisa Burkman Postgraduate Medicine, 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Doi : 10.1080/00325481.2019.1685298 ABSTRACT Context : Chronic pain is highly prevalent in most of the industrialized nations around the world. Despite the documented adverse effects, opioids are widely used for pain management. Cannabinoids, and specifically Cannabidiol, is proposed as an opioid alternative, having comparable efficacy with better safety profile. Objectives : We aim to investigate the impact [...]
Lire la suiteEffects of CBD-Enriched Cannabis sativa Extract on Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms : An Observational Study of 18 Participants Undergoing Compassionate Use Paulo Fleury-Teixeira, Fabio Viegas Caixeta, Leandro Cruz Ramires da Silva, Joaquim Pereira Brasil-Neto and Renato Malcher-Lopes Frontiers in Neurology, October 2019, Volume 10, Article 1145 doi : 10.3389/fneur.2019.01145 Autism Spectrum Disorders comprise conditions that may affect cognitive development, motor skills, social interaction, communication, and behavior. This set of functional deficits often results in lack of independence for the diagnosed individuals, and severe distress for patients, families, and caregivers. There is a mounting body of evidence indicating the effectiveness of pure cannabidiol (CBD) and [...]
Lire la suiteThe Role of Cannabis within an Emerging Perspective on Schizophrenia Jegason P. Diviant, Jacob M. Vigil, and Sarah S. Stith Medicines, 2018, 5, 86, 1-11. doi : 10.3390/medicines5030086 Abstract Background : Approximately 0.5% of the population is diagnosed with some form of schizophrenia, under the prevailing view that the pathology is best treated using pharmaceutical medications that act on monoamine receptors. Methods : We briefly review evidence on the impact of environmental forces, particularly the effect of autoimmune activity, in the expression of schizophrenic profiles and the role of Cannabis therapy for regulating immunological functioning. Results : A review of the literature shows that phytocannabinoid consumption may [...]
Lire la suiteMedical use of cannabis products. Lessons to be learned from Israel and Canada J. Ablin, P.A. Ste-Marie, M. Schäfer, W. Häuser, M.-A. Fitzcharles Der Schmerz, 2016, 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s00482-015-0083-4 © Deutsche Schmerzgesellschaft e.V. Published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg - all rights reserved 2015 Abstract Introduction : The German government intends to reduce the barriers for the medical use of cannabis products. A discussion on the indications and contraindications of the medical use of cannabis and on the changes of the regulatory framework has already begun in Germany. It is useful to draw from the experiences of other countries with a more liberal medical use of cannabis. Methods [...]
Lire la suiteAn update on cannabis use disorder with comment on the impact of policy related to therapeutic and recreational cannabis use Alan J. Budney,· Michael J. Sofis,· Jacob T. Borodovsky European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-018-0976-1 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract : Confusion and controversy related to the potential for cannabis use to cause harm, or alternatively to provide benefit, continues globally. This issue has grown in intensity and importance with the increased recognition of the public health implications related to the escalation of the legalization of cannabis and cannabinoid products. This selective overview and commentary attempt to succinctly [...]
Lire la suitePsychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future James J.H. Rucker, Jonathan Iliff, David J. Nutt Neuropharmacology, 2018, 142, 200e218 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.040 a b s t r a c t The classical psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide and mescaline, were used extensively in psychiatry before they were placed in Schedule I of the UN Convention on Drugs in 1967. Experimentation and clinical trials undertaken prior to legal sanction suggest that they are not helpful for those with established psychotic disorders and should be avoided in those liable to develop them. However, those with so-called ‘psychoneurotic’ disorders sometimes benefited considerably from their tendency to [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol as a potential treatment for psychosis Cathy Davies and Sagnik Bhattacharyya Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2019, Vol. 9, 1–16 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2045125319881916 Abstract : Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are heterogeneous and often debilitating conditions that contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. The introduction of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists in the 1950s revolutionised the treatment of psychotic disorders and they remain the mainstay of our treatment arsenal for psychosis. However, traditional antipsychotics are associated with a number of side effects and a significant proportion of patients do not achieve an adequate remission of symptoms. There is therefore a need for novel interventions, particularly those with a non-D2 antagonist mechanism of [...]
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