Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids
July 18, 2017
Science Daily/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits -- but without the psychotropic high.
The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Foods such as meat, eggs, fish and nuts contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body converts into endocannabinoids -- cannabinoids that the body produces naturally, said Aditi Das, a University of Illinois professor of comparative biosciences and biochemistry, who led the study. Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body can support the body's immune system and therefore are attractive targets for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics, she said.
In 1964, the Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam was the first to discover and isolate THC from marijuana. To test whether he had found the compound that produces euphoria, he dosed cake slices with 10 milligrams of pure THC and gave them to willing friends at a party. Their reactions, from nonstop laughter, to lethargy, to talkativeness, confirmed that THC was a psychotropic cannabinoid.
It wasn't until 1992 that researchers discovered endocannabinoids produced naturally in the body. Since then, several other endocannabinoids have been identified, but not all have known functions.
Cannabinoids bind to two types of cannabinoid receptors in the body -- one that is found predominantly in the nervous system and one in the immune system, Das said.
"Some cannabinoids, such as THC in marijuana or endocannabinoids can bind to these receptors and elicit anti-inflammatory and anti-pain action," she said.
"Our team discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega-3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules that predominantly bind to the receptors found in the immune system," Das said. "This finding demonstrates how omega-3 fatty acids can produce some of the same medicinal qualities as marijuana, but without a psychotropic effect."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718142909.htm
Closing medical marijuana dispensaries increases crime
July 11, 2017
Science Daily/University of California, Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business
A new study published in the July issue of the Journal of Urban Economics finds that contrary to popular belief, medical marijuana dispensaries (MMDs) reduce crime in their immediate areas.
In the study, titled, "Going to pot? The impact of dispensary closures on crime," researchers Tom Y. Chang from the USC Marshall School of Business, and Mireille Jacobson from The Paul Merage School of Business at UC Irvine, examined the short-term mass closing of hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles that took place in 2010.
"Contrary to popular wisdom, we found an immediate increase in crime around dispensaries ordered to close relative to those allowed to remain open," said Jacobson.
The two researchers found similar results when they examined restaurant closures.
"The connection between restaurants and MMDs is that they both contribute to the 'walkability score' of a given area. Areas with higher scores have more 'eyes upon the street' a factor that is proven to deter some types of crime," said Jacobson.
The types of crime most impacted by MMD and restaurant closures were property crime and theft from vehicles. The researchers attributed this result to the fact that these types of crimes are most plausibly deterred by bystanders.
"Our results demonstrate that the dispensaries were not the crime magnets that they were often described as, but instead reduced crime in their immediate vicinity," said Jacobson.
When Chang and Jacobson examined the impact of temporary restaurant closures in Los Angeles County, they found an increase in crime similar to what they found with MMDs. They also found that once a restaurant reopened, crime immediately disappeared.
Jacobson added, "We can conclude from our research that retail businesses are effective in lowering crime, even when the retail business is a medical marijuana dispensary."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170711125704.htm
Scientists lay the groundwork for a reliable marijuana breathalyzer
Researchers have measured a fundamental physical property of the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana
https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2017/07/170706113152_1_540x360.jpg
July 6, 2017
Science Daily/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
An important step has been taken toward a reliable marijuana breathalyzer by measuring the vapor pressure of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- a measurement that, due to the compound's chemical structure, is very difficult and has not been accomplished before.
Marijuana is now legal for recreational or medicinal use in at least 28 states and the District of Columbia. But driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal no matter which state you're in. To enforce the law, authorities need a simple, rigorous roadside test for marijuana intoxication.
Although several companies are working to develop marijuana breathalyzers, testing a person's breath for marijuana-derived compounds is far more complicated than testing for alcohol.
But scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken an important step toward that goal by measuring a fundamental physical property of the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Specifically, they measured the vapor pressure of this compound -- a measurement that, due to the compound's chemical structure, is very difficult and has not been accomplished before. The results were published in Forensic Chemistry.
"Vapor pressure describes how a compound behaves when it transitions from a liquid to a gas," said Tara Lovestead, a NIST chemical engineer and the lead author of the study. "That's what happens in your lungs when a molecule leaves the blood to be exhaled in your breath. So if you want to accurately measure blood levels based on breath, you need to know the vapor pressure."
Law enforcement agencies are interested in a breathalyzer because roadside collection of blood or urine would be impractical and invasive. Lovestead is not designing a breathalyzer herself. Rather, by measuring this fundamental physical property, she and her colleagues are laying the technical groundwork for manufacturers to develop accurate devices.
While this research is an important step forward, more research will still be needed to understand how breath levels of THC correlate with blood levels, and what blood levels of THC indicate that a person is too impaired to drive.
What is Vapor Pressure?
Vapor pressure tells you how adventurous a molecule is. Even when they are in solid or liquid form, molecules are in a constant state of jiggly motion, and some will escape as a gas. Molecules with a high vapor pressure, such as ethyl alcohol, are constantly escaping. That's why when you open a bottle of whiskey, you can instantly smell the alcohol molecules that have collected in the air space beneath the cap.
Ethyl alcohol escapes so easily because it is a small molecule with a simple shape. But THC molecules are large and complex, with loops and spurs that cause them to stick together. This results in a very low vapor pressure -- so low that you can't measure it the usual way, which would involve putting THC in a closed container and waiting for the pressure to equalize.
"You'd be waiting a very long time," Lovestead said.
A New Technique
The researchers overcame that obstacle by using a technology called PLOT-cryo -- short for porous layer open tubular cryogenic adsorption. "PLOT-cryo is an extremely sensitive technique for capturing and analyzing things in the vapor phase," said Tom Bruno, a NIST research chemist and co-author of the study. "It was a natural candidate for this type of problem."
Bruno invented PLOT-cryo in 2009 for use with airport puffer machines that blow air onto passengers or luggage, then sniff the air for traces of explosives. At the time, existing technology could detect the explosive traces in the air, but could not precisely identify which compounds were present. PLOT-cryo solved that problem. The technology has since been used to sniff fire debris for evidence of arson and to find clandestine graves by following the faintest scent of decomposition.
PLOT-cryo is so sensitive that it can capture and analyze even the relatively few molecules of THC that escape into the vapor phase. In this experiment, the researchers used pure THC, purchased in compliance with a DEA research license. They swept an inert gas across the sample to capture escaping molecules, then chilled the gas to collect them (that's where the "cryo" part of the name comes from). By measuring the mass of the recovered molecules in a known volume and temperature of sweep gas, the researchers calculated the vapor pressure.
The researchers also calculated the vapor pressure of a second compound, cannabidiol, which is considered less psychoactive than THC.
Measurements are Fundamental
When it comes to alcohol breathalyzers, NIST helps ensure accurate results by manufacturing ampules of ethyl alcohol mixed to extremely precise concentrations. Police agencies use these as reference standards to calibrate their breathalyzers. This ensures that different devices used in different jurisdictions produce consistent results -- something that's particularly important when guilt or innocence hangs in the balance.
Similarly, accurate vapor pressure measurements for THC will help ensure that marijuana breathalyzers are calibrated to a consistent standard.
"Fundamental measurements are the basis of standardization," Bruno said. "We're laying the foundation for the reliable systems of the future."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170706113152.htm
Study answers why ketamine helps depression, offers target for safer therapy
June 21, 2017
Science Daily/UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have identified a key protein that helps trigger ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects in the brain, a crucial step to developing alternative treatments to the controversial drug being dispensed in a growing number of clinics across the country.
Ketamine is drawing intense interest in the psychiatric field after multiple studies have demonstrated it can quickly stabilize severely depressed patients. But ketamine -- sometimes illicitly used for its psychedelic properties -- could also impede memory and other brain functions, spurring scientists to identify new drugs that would safely replicate its antidepressant response without the unwanted side effects.
A new study from the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute has jumpstarted this effort in earnest by answering a question vital to guiding future research: What proteins in the brain does ketamine target to achieve its effects?
"Now that we have a target in place, we can study the pathway and develop drugs that safely induce the antidepressant effect," said Dr. Lisa Monteggia, Professor of Neuroscience at UT Southwestern's O'Donnell Brain Institute.
The study published in Nature shows that ketamine blocks a protein responsible for a range of normal brain functions. The blocking of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor creates the initial antidepressant reaction, and a metabolite of ketamine is responsible for extending the duration of the effect.
The blocking of the receptor also induces many of ketamine's hallucinogenic responses. The drug -- used for decades as an anesthetic -- can distort the senses and impair coordination.
But if taken with proper medical care, ketamine may help severely depressed or suicidal patients in need of a quick, effective treatment, Dr. Monteggia said.
Studies have shown ketamine can stabilize patients within a couple of hours, compared to other antidepressants that often take a few weeks to produce a response -- if a response is induced at all.
"Patients are demanding ketamine, and they are willing to take the risk of potential side effects just to feel better," Dr. Monteggia said. "This demand is overriding all the questions we still have about ketamine. How often can you have an infusion? How long can it last? There are a lot of aspects regarding how ketamine acts that are still unclear."
Dr. Monteggia's lab continues to answer these questions as UT Southwestern conducts two clinical trials with ketamine, including an effort to administer the drug through a nasal spray as opposed to intravenous infusions.
The results of these trials will have major implications for the millions of depressed patients seeking help, in particular those who have yet to find a medication that works.
A major national study UT Southwestern led more than a decade ago (STAR*D) yielded insight into the prevalence of the problem: Up to a third of depressed patients don't improve upon taking their first medication, and about 40 percent of people who start taking antidepressants stop taking them within three months.
Ketamine, due to the potential side effects, is mainly being explored as a treatment only after other antidepressants have failed. But for patients on the brink of giving up, waiting weeks to months to find the right therapy may not be an option.
"Ketamine opens the door to understanding how to achieve rapid action and to stabilize people quickly. Because the (NMDA) receptor that is the target of ketamine is not involved in how other classical serotonin-based antidepressants work, our study opens up a new avenue of drug discovery," said Dr. Monteggia, who holds the Ginny and John Eulich Professorship in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170621165928.htm
Rates of marijuana use, heavy use, and cannabis use disorder depend on where you live
Increase in marijuana use reported for adults over the age of 26 in states with less regulated medical marijuana programs
June 15, 2017
Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Adult marijuana use rose significantly in states that passed loosely regulated medical marijuana laws (MMLs) according to a new study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Center. Highest increases were reported among adults ages 26 and over. Little change was found in past-month marijuana use among adolescents or young adults between the ages 18 and 25. The findings are published online in the journal Addiction.
Adults 26 years of age and older living in states with less regulated medical marijuana programs increased past-month marijuana use from 4 percent to 6.59 percent after the laws were enacted. No significant change was found in the prevalence of cannabis use disorder among adolescents or adults after states enacted medical marijuana laws, regardless whether programs were highly regulated or "loose."
Using data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health from 2004-2013 the researchers analyzed trends over time with particular emphasis on age groups. This included obtaining prevalences of marijuana use outcomes at the state level by year and whether the enacted laws included a highly regulated ("medicalized") or less regulated ("non-medical") program. Participants were classified as having marijuana abuse or dependence based on DSM-IV criteria.
"In addition to the increase in rates of marijuana use among this age group, we found that the magnitude of impact on rates of marijuana use was greatest among heavy users," said Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health, and senior author. Findings showed an annual increase in near-daily users of 2.36 percent.
There remains concern that with the increase in prevalence of marijuana use, especially heavy use, there will be a proportionate increase in the percent of the population meeting diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder. "If this is the case, states with non-medical or lax programs may bear the brunt of this increase, especially among adults over age 25," noted Arthur Robin Williams, MD, fellow, Department of Psychiatry at Columbia, and first author of the study.
However, it may be too early to detect trends regarding the prevalence of cannabis use disorder as the time lag between initiation of marijuana use, escalation of use, and meeting diagnostic criteria for the disorder is often several years.
"We believe our current, largely negative findings however cannot definitely rule out impending increases in cannabis use disorder without further study. The effects of changes in marijuana use prevalences might only be reflected with analyses conducted in future years with more data points," said Dr. Martins.
As of the November 2016 election, 28 states and Washington D.C. had legalized the use of marijuana for medical indications through the passage of medical marijuana laws either by voter initiative or legislative action. Additionally, 8 states and Washington D.C. (all of which allow for medical marijuana) have now fully legalized the recreational use of marijuana by adults over age 21. In addition to differing combinations of these laws, states also vary tremendously in regulations guiding their programs and participant eligibility.
Drs. Martins and Williams recommend further investigation of key aspects of regulation that are currently lacking among non-medical programs. These include active physician oversight, requiring participation in state-licensed dispensaries, and the use of state-licensed products as they may have greater influence on individual morbidity and social costs than the mere passage of medical marijuana laws.
"While the United States has entered a new era of marijuana control policy over the past two decades, our findings strongly suggest researchers should not treat all states with medical marijuana laws uniformly," said Dr. Martins.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170615213250.htm
Marijuana use among college students on rise following Oregon legalization
June 14, 2017
Science Daily/Oregon State University
College students attending an Oregon university are using more marijuana now that the drug is legal for recreational use, but the increase is largely among students who also report recent heavy use of alcohol, a new study has found.
Oregon State University researchers compared marijuana usage among college students before and after legalization and found that usage increased at several colleges and universities across the nation but it increased more at the Oregon university. None of the universities were identified in the study.
"It does appear that legalization is having an effect on usage, but there is some nuance to the findings that warrant further investigation," said the study's lead author, David Kerr, an associate professor in the School of Psychological Science in OSU's College of Liberal Arts.
"We found that overall, at schools in different parts of the country, there's been an increase in marijuana use among college students, so we can't attribute that increase to legalization alone."
The results were published today in the journal Addiction. Co-authors are Harold Bae and Sandi Phibbs of OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences and Adam Kern of the University of Michigan.
The study is believed to be the first to examine marijuana usage patterns following legalization of recreational marijuana in Oregon and the first to examine the effects of any state's legalization on college students. Voters in Oregon approved legalization in 2014 and the law took effect in 2015.
Oregon's legalization of marijuana is part of a larger trend among U.S. states, but little research has been done so far to understand the impact. In their study, Kerr and his colleagues set out to begin addressing some of those questions.
"It's an important current issue and even the most basic effects have not been studied yet, especially in Oregon," he said. "There are a lot of open questions about how legalization might affect new users, existing users and use of other substances."
Researchers used information collected in the Healthy Minds Study, a national survey of college students' mental health and well-being -- including substance use -- conducted by the University of Michigan. The study is designed to give colleges and universities information to help them understand the needs of their student populations.
As part of the survey, participants are asked about marijuana and cigarette use in the previous 30 days, as well as frequency of heavy alcohol use within the previous two weeks.
Using data from a large public university in Oregon and six other four-year universities around the country where recreational marijuana is not legal, researchers compared rates of marijuana use before and after the drug was legalized in Oregon. They also examined frequency of heavy alcohol use and cigarette use at those points.
The researchers found that the overall rates of marijuana use rose across the seven schools. Rates of binge drinking -- where a person consumes four to five or more drinks in a period of about two hours -- stayed the same and cigarette use declined in that period.
"It's likely that the rise in marijuana use across the country is tied in part to liberalization of attitudes about the drug as more states legalize it, for recreational or medical purposes or both," Kerr said. "So legalization both reflects changing attitudes and may influence them even outside of states where the drug is legal."
Researchers also found that marijuana use rates were generally higher, overall, among male students; those living in Greek or off-campus housing; those not identifying as heterosexual; and those attending smaller, private institutions.
One area where legalization had a marked impact was among college students who indicated recent binge drinking; students at the Oregon university who reported binge drinking were 73 percent more likely to also report marijuana use compared to similar peers at schools in states where marijuana remains illegal.
"We think this tells us more about the people who binge drink than about the effects of alcohol itself," Kerr said. "Those who binge drink may be more open to marijuana use if it is easy to access, whereas those who avoid alcohol for cultural or lifestyle reasons might avoid marijuana regardless of its legal status."
The researchers also found that Oregon students under age 21 -- the minimum legal age for purchasing and using marijuana -- showed higher rates of marijuana use than those over 21.
"This was a big surprise to us, because legalization of use is actually having an impact on illegal use," said Bae, the study's primary statistician.
These initial findings about marijuana use among college students help form a picture of how legalization may be affecting people, Kerr said, but more study is needed before researchers can quantify the harms or net benefits of legalization for young people.
"Americans are conducting a big experiment with marijuana," Kerr said. "We need science to tell us what the results of it are."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170614160510.htm
Mixing booze, pot is a serious threat to traffic safety
Drivers testing positive for alcohol and marijuana are five times more likely to be responsible for causing fatal two-vehicle crashes than sober drivers involved in the same crashes
June 12, 2017
Science Daily/Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Use of marijuana in combination with alcohol by drivers is especially dangerous, according to a latest study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Drivers who used alcohol, marijuana, or both were significantly more likely to be responsible for causing fatal two-vehicle crashes compared to drivers who were involved in the same crashes but used neither of the substances. The findings are published in the journal, Annals of Epidemiology.
"The risk of crash initiation from concurrent use of alcohol and marijuana among drivers increases by more than fivefold when compared with drivers who used neither of the substances," said Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. The study also indicates that when used in isolation, alcohol and marijuana increase crash culpability by 437 percent and 62 percent, respectively.
The researchers analyzed data for 14,742 fatal two-vehicle crashes between 1993 and 2014 recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a database containing information on crashes that resulted in at least one fatality within 30 days and that occurred on U.S. public roads. Included in the study were 14,742 drivers who were responsible for causing the fatal crashes and 14,742 non-culpable drivers who were involved in the same crashes. Crashes involving single vehicles, more than two vehicles, commercial trucks, and two-vehicle crashes in which both drivers were responsible were excluded from the analysis.
Drivers who were responsible for the crashes were significantly more likely than non-culpable drivers to test positive for alcohol (28 percent vs. 10 percent), marijuana (10 percent vs. 6 percent), and both alcohol and marijuana (4 percent vs. 1 percent). Drivers who tested positive for alcohol, marijuana, or both were more likely than those who tested negative to be male, aged 25 to 44 years, and to have had a positive crash and violation history within the previous three years.
The three most common driving errors that led to these fatal crashes were failure to keep in proper lane (43 percent), failure to yield right of way (22 percent), and speeding (21 percent).
Since the mid-1990s, the prevalence of marijuana detected in fatally injured drivers has increased markedly. During the same time period, 28 states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation to decriminalize marijuana for medical use, including eight states that have further decriminalized possession of small amounts for adult recreational use. Although toxicological testing data indicate a continuing increase in marijuana use among drivers, a positive test does not necessarily infer marijuana-induced impairment.
"While alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities in the United States, driving under the influence of marijuana and other drugs has become more prevalent in the past two decades," said Dr. Li, who is also the founding director of Columbia University's Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention. "Countermeasures targeting both drunk driving and drugged driving are needed to improve traffic safety."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612135506.htm
Why the marijuana and tobacco policy camps are on very different paths
In new paper, researchers examine the diverging trajectories of the two communities, and what each could learn from the other
June 8, 2017
Science Daily/University at Buffalo
New research looked at diverging trajectories of cannabis and tobacco policies in the US and attempts to explain some of the reasoning behind the different paths, while discussing possible implications.
The regulatory approaches to marijuana and tobacco in the United States are on decidedly different paths and, according to researchers from the U.S. and Australia, neither side appears interested in learning from the other.
"The two policy communities have shown very little interest in each other's policy debates," Wayne Hall and Lynn Kozlowski write in a new paper published in the journal Addiction.
Hall, the lead author, is a professor at the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research at the University of Queensland, Australia, and is an expert on marijuana and other drug use issues. Kozlowski is professor of community health and health behavior in the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions and an expert on tobacco use and control.
Their paper takes a look at the diverging trajectories of cannabis and tobacco policies in the United States and attempts to explain some of the reasoning behind the different paths, while discussing possible implications.
For tobacco control, the push is toward what Kozlowski calls "a kind of prohibition," mandating that only very low nicotine cigarettes are sold. The cannabis policy community, however, is advocating for quite the opposite -- legal recreational use of marijuana.
Why are the approaches so different?
"One group perceives the downside of banning products and accepts an inevitability of some recreational use," Kozlowski said, referring to marijuana advocates, "and the other does not accept recreational use and seeks a kind of prohibition."
The differences can also be explained by examining who's part of each group. The tobacco control community includes tobacco researchers, public health advocates, non-governmental organizations and government officials. The cannabis community is more diverse, Hall and Kozlowski point out, noting that it comprises civil liberties lawyers, civil rights advocates and supporters of reforming drug laws.
The cannabis community has another thing going for it: the fact that the legalization of recreational marijuana was preceded by legalizing the drug for medical use. In a way, that has softened the response to legalizing marijuana for recreational use, Hall and Kozlowski say.
"If you think the product is able to cure some ills, then that can justify use. The fun of it becomes a kind of bonus," Kozlowski said.
Despite the differences, the two policy communities could learn a few lessons from each other. "For cannabis, assume that 'big cannabis' -- large legal cannabis businesses -- will behave with the same limited sense of corporate responsibility as has 'big tobacco,'" Kozlowski said. "For tobacco, give up on moving toward a prohibition of traditional cigarettes -- an endgame -- and use public health tools to minimize the use of the most dangerous tobacco products, cigarettes."
The paper also points out that the challenge for public policy makers in regulating marijuana is in applying what has worked in alcohol and tobacco control. That includes such policies as taxes based on potency to mitigate heavy use and dependence, limiting availability through trading hours and the number of outlets that sell the product, and restricting promotional activities.
"Lessons can be drawn from cannabis policy that are relevant to tobacco, and vice versa. Neither a focus on 'endgames' nor on burgeoning, legal retail markets should be approached uncritically," Kozlowski said.
In the end, Kozlowski added, "The proper regulation of recreational drug products that have some adverse effects should be to restrict youth access, promote cessation of use in those who desire to quit, promote less-harmful modes of use by providing accurate and useful information to consumers."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170608123528.htm
Cannabinoids used in sequence with chemotherapy are a more effective treatment for cancer
June 5, 2017
Science Daily/University of St George's London
New research has confirmed that cannabinoids -- the active chemicals in cannabis -- are effective in killing leukemia cells, particularly when used in combination with chemotherapy treatments.
Researchers also found that sequential use of an initial dose of chemotherapy first and then cannabinoids significantly improved overall results against the blood cancer cells. They found that combining existing chemotherapy treatments with cannabinoids had better results than chemotherapy alone, meaning that a similar level of effect could be achieved through using a lower dose of the chemotherapy.
If this were translated to humans, this lower dose of chemotherapy would mean that the side-effects of chemotherapy could be lessened.
In a study led by Dr Wai Liu at St George's, University of London, said: "We have shown for the first time that the order in which cannabinoids and chemotherapy are used is crucial in determining the overall effectiveness of this treatment.
"These extracts are highly concentrated and purified, so smoking marijuana will not have a similar effect. But cannabinoids are a very exciting prospect in oncology, and studies such as ours serve to establish the best ways that they should be used to maximise a therapeutic effect."
Cannabinoids are the active chemicals in cannabis, known more specifically as phytocannabinoids. When extracted from the plant and purified, they have been shown to possess anticancer properties, especially in certain cancers of the brain.
Researchers looked at cancer cells in the laboratory, trying different combinations of cannabinoids against leukemia cells. They tested whether existing chemotherapy treatments worked effectively alongside the cannabinoids, and whether using the drugs in a different order had an effect.
A number of clinical studies are underway that are assessing the full potential of cannabinoids in patients with cancer. Researchers say more trials need to be carried out to establish the voracity of the claims.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170605085559.htm
Why pot-smoking declines, but doesn't end, with parenthood
June 1, 2017
Science Daily/University of Washington
Adults who smoke marijuana often cut back after becoming parents -- but they don't necessarily quit.
The influence of a significant other and positive attitudes toward the drug overall, in addition to the onset of parenthood, also are factors in whether someone uses marijuana.
It's a changing landscape for marijuana use, as laws ease and cultural acceptance grows -- in Washington state and elsewhere around the country. Against that backdrop, the study by the University of Washington's Social Development Research Group (SDRG) aims to present information about marijuana use among parents and nonparents alike.
"When it comes to adults, we don't know long-term consequences of moderate marijuana use in the legal context, so that we cannot say that we absolutely must intervene," explained Marina Epstein, a UW research scientist and lead author of the study. "However, when it comes to parents, their use is strongly related to their children's marijuana use, and that is a significant problem, since adolescent marijuana use can be harmful. Our study wanted to prepare us to build effective interventions for all adults if it becomes an issue."
The study, published online May 19 in Prevention Science, surveyed 808 adults (parents and nonparents), a group the SDRG first identified as fifth-graders at Seattle elementary schools in the 1980s as part of a long-term research project. For the marijuana study, participants were interviewed at specific intervals over a 12-year period, ending when most participants were 39 years old. That survey concluded in 2014 -- two years after marijuana was legalized in Washington. A parent-only subset of 383 people was surveyed at separate times, ending in 2011, just before the statewide vote that gave rise to pot shops.
Women and people of color made up approximately half the big study pool; of the parent subsample, about 60 percent were women, and an equivalent percentage were people of color.
The increasing availability of marijuana, along with shifting societal opinions about it, lends a timeliness to the findings and provides potential for further study, Epstein said. What factors affect behavior, especially among parents? Past studies have linked parenthood with decreased marijuana use; what makes this one different is the examination of other influences, too, and how those might inform intervention strategies.
More than half of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center report, and data from 2014 indicate a majority of Americans view alcohol as more damaging to a person's health than pot.
Meanwhile, concerns about the health effects of marijuana tend to focus on children and teens -- years when the brain is still developing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Drug Abuse stress the potential for long-term cognitive impairment, problems with attention and coordination and other risk-taking behaviors due to heavy marijuana use. For those reasons, medical professionals recommend that parents avoid using marijuana -- or drinking heavily -- around kids to prevent modeling the behavior.
The UW research found that, in general, a greater percentage of nonparents reported using marijuana in the past year than parents. At age 27, for example, 40 percent of nonparents said they had smoked pot, compared to about 25 percent of parents. By participants' early 30s, their marijuana use had declined, but a gap between the two groups remained: Slightly more than 16 percent of parents said they smoked pot in the past year, while 31 percent of nonparents reported the same.
But the study also showed that participants who started using marijuana as young adults were much more likely to continue to use into their mid- to late 30s, even after they became parents. Having a partner who used marijuana also increased the likelihood of participants' continued use. Those trends were true of both parents and nonparents, demonstrating the impact of attitudes and the behavior of others, Epstein said.
"This shows that we need to treat substance use as a family unit. It isn't enough that one person quits; intervention means working with both partners," she said. "We also need to tackle people's positive attitudes toward marijuana if we want to reduce use."
And while the health risks to adults are being debated, the focus on children can be a driver for prevention campaigns, Epstein said.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170601124057.htm
Benefits of medical marijuana for treatment of epilepsy examined
May 24, 2017
Science Daily/Elsevier
Although cannabis had been used for many centuries for treatment of seizure disorders, medical use became prohibited in the 20th century. However, with the loosening of laws regarding medical marijuana, research and clinical use of marijuana-derived substances are increasing. This has prompted the editors of Epilepsy & Behavior to produce a special issue that presents an in-depth assessment of the potential of cannabinoids for the effective treatment of epilepsy. Cannabinoids are components of the cannabis plant.
Guest Editors Jerzy Szaflarski, MD, PhD, Director of the Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Orrin Devinsky, MD, Director, Epilepsy Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, comment that, "There is an enormous dissociation between the widespread use of cannabis-based therapies to treat diverse epilepsies and our understanding about the efficacy and safety of different cannabinoids in treating different epilepsy syndromes." Because much of the political pressure to allow for medical marijuana use came from patients and lay groups, the goal of this special issue is "to evaluate the concerns and gaps in cannabinoid knowledge and medical education, and to create a curriculum as a first step in building a broader Education Roadmap."
This special issue provides an overview for general neurologists and epileptologists, including historical aspects of cannabis use for epilepsy, overview of cannabis botany, general aspects of the endocannabinoid system as it pertains to epilepsy, pharmacology of cannabinoids, available anecdotal and clinical trial data of cannabinoid use for the treatment of epilepsy, safety data, discussion of possible effects of cannabinoids on the brain including neuroimaging data, and the legal aspects of cannabis production, distribution, and use for the treatment of epilepsy.
Raphael Mechoulam, PhD, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Director of the Institute for Drug Research at Hebrew University, provides an insightful historical perspective. He notes that non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) is officially approved for the treatment of intractable pediatric epilepsy in Israel, but it took over 35 years to conduct the studies and obtain the results. "I expect that over the next decade we shall see major advances both in the medical-scientific and the treatment aspects of epilepsy with the help of CBD and related cannabinoids," explains Dr. Mechoulam.
To move a plant-based drug from research studies to clinical use is a particular challenge for pharmaceutical companies. Suman Chandra, PhD, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Mississippi, and co-authors review how the United States and United Kingdom have addressed the problem of securing uniform supplies of medically pure and potent cannabinoids. They review cultivation and processing of marijuana at two institutions with extensive experience, GW Pharmaceuticals in the U.K. and the University of Mississippi in the U.S.
Because both media coverage of cannabis use in epilepsy and inconsistent classification of medical marijuana usage in different U.S. states have short-circuited the rigorous scientific protocols of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), quality validation may be lacking. Dustin Sulak, DO, Integr8 Health (Falmouth, ME) and co-investigators review how "artisanal" cannabis preparations, not subject to state regulatory controls, are being used in Washington and California. They also relate four case studies of pediatric epilepsy patients that illustrate the complexities of treatment due to variability of these preparations.
As an example of how interest in medical use of cannabis can be driven by social media and word-of-mouth, Anastasia S. Suraev, The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, The University of Sydney, and co-authors surveyed the Australian epilepsy community. This online survey was promoted by Epilepsy Action Australia, a national non-profit organization that provides education and services to people with epilepsy and their families. There were 976 responses, about 60% from adults with epilepsy and the remainder from children with epilepsy. Overall, 14% reported currently using or having previously used cannabis products to treat epilepsy. Of the 389 children with epilepsy included in the survey, 13% had a reported history of cannabis product use for epilepsy. Of these, 71% of parents/guardians rated cannabis products as successful in helping them manage their child's seizures. Furthermore, 51% of parents/guardians reported reduced use of anti-epileptic drugs by their child after commencing use of cannabis products.
Although cannabis is currently legal for medical purposes in half of the states and another seventeen states allow products that are high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for medical use, none of these products has been approved by the FDA. Alice Mead, JD, LLM, GW Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Carlsbad, CA) provides an overview of the legal aspects of cannabis and cannabidiol, including cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and use for medical purposes.
"We hope these articles help stimulate greater understanding and more importantly, stimulate more studies to scientifically define the potential benefits and harms of cannabis-based therapies for epilepsy," note Dr. Szaflarski and Dr. Devinsky. "We need to develop a curriculum to address the rapidly changing scientific and regulatory landscape surrounding the medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids."
The special issue can be found online at: http://www.epilepsybehavior.com/issue/S1525-5050(17)X0007-3
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170524131139.htm