Posts

The case for medical marijuana in epilepsy.

Authors: Edward Maa, Paige Figi
Epilepsia, June 2014

Charlotte, a little girl with SCN1A-confirmed Dravet syndrome, was recently featured in a special that aired on CNN. Through exhaustive personal research and assistance from a Colorado-based medical marijuana group (Realm of Caring), Charlotte’s mother started adjunctive thera…

The case for assessing cannabidiol in epilepsy

Authors: Maria Roberta Cilio, Elizabeth A. Thiele, Orrin Devinsky
Epilepsia, June 2014

Intractable epilepsies have an extraordinary impact on cognitive and behavioral function and quality of life, and the treatment of seizures represents a challenge and a unique opportunity. Over the past few years, considerable attention has focused on cannabidiol (CBD), the ma…

Cannabis (medical marijuana) treatment for motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease: an open-label observational study.

Authors: Itay Lotan, Therese Treves, Yaniv Roditi, Ruth Djaldetti
Clinical Neuropharmacology, March-April 2014

OBJECTIVE: The use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent for various medical conditions has been well documented. However, clinical trials in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have yielded conflicting results. The aim of the present open-label observational study was to assess…

PTSD symptom reports of patients evaluated for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program.

Authors: George R. Greer, Charles S. Grob, Adam L. Halberstadt
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, January-March 2014

BACKGROUND: New Mexico was the first state to list post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a condition for the use of medical cannabis. There are no published studies, other than case reports, of the effects of cannabis on PTSD symptoms. The purpose of the study was to report…

The medical necessity for medicinal cannabis: prospective, observational study evaluating the treatment in cancer patients on supportive or palliative care.

Authors: Gil Bar-Sela, Marina Vorobeichik, Saher Drawsheh, Anat Omer, Victoria Goldberg, Ella Muller
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract than from synthetic products. However, almost all the research conducted to date has been performed with synthetic products. We followed patients with a medicinal cannabis license to eval…

Cannabinoid-opioid interaction in chronic pain.

Authors: D. I. Abrams, P. Couey, S. B. Shade, M. E. Kelly, N. L. Benowitz
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, December 2011

Cannabinoids and opioids share several pharmacologic properties and may act synergistically. The potential pharmacokinetics and the safety of the combination in humans are unknown. We therefore undertook a study to answer these questions. Twenty-one individuals with chronic pa…

Synthetic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol) can improve the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Authors: Glenn Schwarcz, Basawaraj Karajgi, Richard McCarthy
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, June 2009

We are reporting improvement of symptoms of schizophrenia in a small group of patients who received the cannabinoid agonist dronabinol (synthetic Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Before this report, cannabinoids had usually been associated with worsening of psychotic symptoms. I…

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: clinical diagnosis of an underrecognised manifestation of chronic cannabis abuse.

Authors: Siva P. Sontineni, Sanjay Chaudhary, Vijaya Sontineni, Stephen J. Lanspa
World Journal of Gastroenterology, 14 March 2009

Cannabis is a common drug of abuse that is associated with various long-term and short-term adverse effects. The nature of its association with vomiting after chronic abuse is obscure and is underrecognised by clinicians. In some patients this vomiting can take on a pattern si…

Marijuana dependence and its treatment.

Authors: Alan J. Budney, Roger Roffman, Robert S. Stephens, Denise Walker
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, December 2007

The prevalence of marijuana abuse and dependence disorders has been increasing among adults and adolescents in the United States. This paper reviews the problems associated with marijuana use, including unique characteristics of marijuana dependence, and the results of laborat…

Survey of medicinal cannabis use among childbearing women: patterns of its use in pregnancy and retroactive self-assessment of its efficacy against ‘morning sickness’.

Authors: Rachel E. Westfall, Patricia A. Janssen, Philippe Lucas, Rielle Capler
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, February 2006

A majority of women experience some nausea and/or vomiting during pregnancy. This condition can range from mild nausea to extreme nausea and vomiting, with 1-2% of women suffering from the life-threatening condition hyperemesis gravidarum. Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) may be use…

Survey on cannabis use in Parkinson’s disease: subjective improvement of motor symptoms.

Authors: Katerina Venderova, Evzen Růzicka, Viktor Vorısek, Peter Visnovsky
Movement Disorders, September 2004

An anonymous questionnaire sent to all patients attending the Prague Movement Disorder Centre revealed that 25% of 339 respondents had taken cannabis and 45.9% of these described some form of benefit.

Cannabinoids reduce symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome.

Authors: Kirsten R Müller-Vahl
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, October 2003

Currently, the treatment of Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is unsatisfactory. Therefore, there is expanding interest in new therapeutical strategies. Anecdotal reports suggested that the use of cannabis might improve not only tics, but also behavioural problems in patients with TS…