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The relationship between cannabis and anorexia nervosa: a scoping review

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Relapse rates in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) remain high, warranting exploration of further treatments. Cannabinoid agonists are of interest as they have shown successful outcomes in the treatment of associated conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. This scoping review explores the endocannabinoid system (ECS), benefits/harms/null effects of cannabinoid treatment, and harms of cannabis use in AN. PubMed, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 2010 and August 2023, with human participants that explored the ECS, cannabinoid treatment, or cannabis use, and included 1 or more keywords for both cannabis and AN in the title and or abstract. Reports describing secondary anorexia, reports not available in English, grey literature, reports combining data from AN with other conditions, and reports only reporting the prevalence of cannabis abuse/dependence were excluded. Data were extracted from 17 reports (n = 15 studies). For the ECS, outcomes included genetics such as allele expression related to the ECS, cannabinoid receptor availability, and circulating levels of endocannabinoids. For benefits/harms/null effects of cannabinoid treatment, outcomes included changes in weight, eating disorder (ED) symptoms, physical activity (PA), and hormones. For harms of cannabis use, outcomes included genetics related to cannabis use disorder and associations between cannabis use and ED symptoms.

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The Effect of Cannabis-Based Medicine in the Treatment of Cachexia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Cachexia is a prevalent condition associated with underlying chronic disease. Wasting of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue loss in cachectic patients is associated with higher rates of disability, reduced quality of life (QoL), and worse prognosis. There is a large unmet need to develop strategies to treat cachexia as there are currently no standardized guidelines in the management of cachexia. Activation of endogenous cannabinoid receptors, through exogenous cannabinoids, has demonstrated potential in increasing appetite, reducing catabolism, and has shown anti-inflammatory properties. Since no single pharmacological agent is currently recommended for use in cachexia, the potential of cannabinoids as an appetite stimulant warrants further research and assessment of current evidence.

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The effects of cannabinoids on the pharmacokinetics of indinavir and nelfinavir

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Cannabinoids, including smoked marijuana and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (dronabinol, Marinol), have been used to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV)-associated anorexia and weight loss. Concerns have been raised, however, that these compounds might have adverse effects on the immune system of subjects with HIV infection.

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Short-term effects of cannabinoids on immune phenotype and function in HIV-1-infected patients

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Cannabinoids, including smoked marijuana and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (dronabinol, Marinol), have been used to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV)-associated anorexia and weight loss. Concerns have been raised, however, that these compounds might have adverse effects on the immune system of subjects with HIV infection.

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Marijuana and Cannabinoids in ESRD and Earlier Stages of CKD

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Authors: Joshua L. Rein, Christina M. Wyatt Published in American Journal of Kidney Diseases August 2017 Abstract Marijuana is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States, and legal…

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Delegitimizing Cannabis Because of Its Recreational Use is the Real Lie

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Sherry Yafai, MD encourages the need for healthcare professionals to shift their perspective on cannabis in her column for Emergency Medicine News. “Delegitimizing medications based simply on their potential for recreational use or abuse is a dangerous and uninformed approach for physicians.”

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Possible therapeutic applications of cannabis in the neuropsychopharmacology field.

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Authors: Javier Fernández-Ruiz, Ismael Galve-Roperh, Onintza Sagredo, Manuel Guzmán
European Neuropsychopharmacology, 10 February 2020
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Cannabis use induces a plethora of actions on the CNS via its active chemical ingredients, the so-called phytocannabinoids. These compounds have been frequently associated with the intoxicating properties of cannabis preparations. However, not all phytocannabinoids are psychot…

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Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis?

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Authors: Donald I. Abrams
Current Treatment Options in Oncology, 3 June 2019
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Cannabis is a useful botanical with a wide range of therapeutic potential. Global prohibition over the past century has impeded the ability to study the plant as medicine. However, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been developed as a stand-alone pharmaceutical initially …

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A hunger for hunger: a review of palliative therapies for cancer-associated anorexia.

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Authors: Daniel S. Childs, Aminah Jatoi
Annals of Palliative Medicine, January 2019
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Cancer-associated anorexia, or loss of appetite, is prevalent, distressing to patients and their families, and associated with poorer outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. A well-defined therapeutic strategy remains to be defined. We present here a review of appetite loss…

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Integrating cannabis into clinical cancer care.

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Authors: D.I. Abrams
Current Oncology, March 2016
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Cannabis species have been used as medicine for thousands of years; only since the 1940s has the plant not been widely available for medical use. However, an increasing number of jurisdictions are making it possible for patients to obtain the botanical for medicinal use. For t…

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