Blog

A growing number of countries are deciding to ditch prohibition. What comes next? IN AN anonymous-looking building a few minutes’ drive from Denver International Airport, a bald chemotherapy patient and a pair of giggling tourists eye the stock on display. Reeking packets of mossy green buds—Girl Scout Cookies, KoolAid Kush, Power Cheese—sit alongside cabinets of…

First published: 09 January 2016 | https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.1673 |Citations: 53 Abstract Study Objective No clinical trials are currently available that demonstrate the effects of marijuana on patients with migraine headache; however, the potential effects of cannabinoids on serotonin in the central nervous system indicate that marijuana may be a therapeutic alternative. Thus, the objective of this…

Medical marijuana might help migraine sufferers reduce the frequency of their headaches, a new study suggests. In the study of 121 people with migraines, 103 said they had fewer migraines after they began using marijuana, the researchers found. Another 15 people said the frequency of their headaches remained the same during the treatment, and three…

PMID: 26187456 PMCID: PMC4536087 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.05.013 Abstract Background: Evidence suggests that the cannabinoid system is involved in the maintenance of opioid dependence. We examined whether dronabinol, a cannabinoid receptor type 1 partial agonist, reduces opioid withdrawal and increases retention in treatment with extended release naltrexone (XR-naltrexone). Methods: Opioid dependent participants were randomized to receive dronabinol…

Researchers at Columbia University monitored patients undergoing treatment for opiate addiction – and found that patients who smoked weed were more able to sleep, less anxious, and more likely to complete their course. The researchers also found that dosing patients with dronabinol – a drug consisting of the ‘active’ ingredient in cannabis, THC – helped…

Despite the importance of pain as a warning physiological system, chronic neuropathic pain is frequently caused by damage in the nervous system, followed by persistence over a long period, even in the absence of dangerous stimuli or after healing of injuries. Chronic neuropathic pain affects hundreds of millions of adults worldwide, creating a direct impact…

Cannabis ‘safer and less addictive than many substances,’ according to research A new study by researchers at the University of Victoria and UBC suggests pot is getting a bad rap as a gateway drug. The study indicates cannabis can actually be a safer substitute for potentially more dangerous drugs like prescription opiates, alcohol and illicit substances….

Overview Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a plant grown in many parts of the world. It makes a resin (thick substance) that contains compounds called cannabinoids (see Question 1). By federal law, possessing Cannabis is illegal in the United States outside of approved research settings. However, a growing number of states, territories, and the…

Mice with pancreatic cancer treated with a combination of cannabidiol (CBD) and chemotherapy survived nearly three times��longer than those treated with chemotherapy alone, according to a new study that spotlights the potential for human treatment. CBD, the non-psychoactive (non-intoxicating) compound in marijuana, has already been shown to improve side effects of chemotherapy like nausea and vomiting. The latest…

Marijuana is the name given to the dried buds and leaves of varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant, which can grow wild in warm and tropical climates throughout the world and be cultivated commercially. It goes by many names, including pot, grass, cannabis, weed, hemp, hash, marihuana, ganja, and dozens of others. Marijuana has been…