The potential for medicinal cannabis to help manage challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability: A perspective review

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Around 2% of the population have intellectual disabilities. Over one-third people with intellectual disabilities (PwID) present with ‘challenging behaviour’, which nosologically and diagnostically is an abstract concept. Challenging behaviour is influenced by a range of bio-psycho-social factors in a population, which is unable to suitably comprehend and/or communicate concerns. This predisposes to poor health and social outcomes. There is no evidence-based treatments for managing challenging behaviour. Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are being trialled for a range of disorders, which are over-represented in PwID and provoke challenging behaviours, such as severe epilepsy, spasticity, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, pain, etc.

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Factors associated with suicide in people who use drugs: a scoping review

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Suicide is a significant contributor to global mortality. People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk of death by suicide relative to the general population, but there is a lack of information on associated candidate factors for suicide in this group. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of existing evidence on potential factors for death by suicide in PWUD.

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Cannabis use to manage stimulant cravings among people who use unregulated drugs

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We sought to analyze the association between cannabis use to manage stimulant cravings and self-reported changes in stimulant use among structurally marginalized people who use unregulated drugs (PWUD). The data for this secondary analysis was collected from a cross-sectional questionnaire administered to people who concurrently use cannabis and unregulated stimulants in Vancouver, Canada. We used logistic regression models to analyze the association between cannabis use to manage stimulant cravings and self-reported changes in the frequency of stimulant use.

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The highs and the lows: Recreational marijuana laws and mental health treatment

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Recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) continue to grow in popularity, but the effects on mental health treatment are unclear. This paper uses an event-study within a difference-in-differences framework to study the short-run impact of state RMLs on admissions into mental health treatment facilities. The results indicate that shortly after a state adopts an RML, they experience a decrease in the average number of mental health treatment admissions. The findings are driven by white, Black, and Medicaid-funded admissions and are consistent for both male and female admissions. The results are robust to alternative specifications and sensitivity analysis.

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Cannabinoids in the management of behavioral, psychological, and motor symptoms of neurocognitive disorders: a mixed studies systematic review

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We undertook this systematic review to determine the efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicine as a treatment for behavioral, psychological, and motor symptoms associated with neurocognitive disorders

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cAMP Signaling–Mediated Phosphorylation of Diacylglycerol Lipase α Regulates Interaction With Ankyrin-G and Dendritic Spine Morphology

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Diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGLα), a major biosynthetic enzyme for endogenous cannabinoid signaling, has emerged as a risk gene in multiple psychiatric disorders. However, its role in the regulation of dendritic spine plasticity is unclear.

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Cannabis and Psychosis: a Critical Overview of the Relationship

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Authors: Charles Ksir, Carl L Hart Published in Current Psychiatry Reports February 2016 Abstract Interest in the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis has increased dramatically in recent years, in part…

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Targeting the Endocannabinoid System in Psychiatric Illness.

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Prevalence of psychiatric disorders continues to rise globally, yet remission rates and patient outcome remain less than ideal. As a result, novel treatment approaches for these disorders are necessary to decrease societal economic burden, as well as increase individual functi…

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Survey of Psychiatrists On Medical Cannabis

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Psychiatric Times invited psychiatrists to complete a survey about medicinal marijuana and didn’t expect nearly 2200 people to complete that survey in just a few days. The results, reported in…

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