5 most important studies of medical cannabis (Autumn 2018)
- In today's article, we summarize some major advances in research into the therapeutic properties of cannabis
- New findings come from the study of the treatment of cancer, stomach problems, schizophrenia, autism and CBD (cannabidiol)
The third quarter of this year is a really busy period for the cannabis scene, full of surprising and needless to say good news. US national drug agency approved the first official medical preparation based based substances from marijuana Epidiolex, which will be used in health care as well as other widely recognized drugs. Coca Cola and Budweiser have announced that they are about to enter the cannabis market. Cannabis companies are exciting the stock market and are becoming one of the best investments of today.
All this cannabis enthusiasm is further underlined by the ever new and especially promising results of studies focusing on the treatment of a wide range of diseases using medical marijuana. Today we look at 5 cannabis studies that further deepen our understanding of the healing potential of this already very promising herb.
New use for very small doses of CBD
The action of the cannabinoid CBD is manifested in the human brain in more than 65 different areas - to imagine, these areas can be imagined as targets that the CBD intentionally hits. However, just the high number of targets makes CBD dosing such a complex problem - the higher the dose, the more targets we hit (activating more brain areas). By hitting and activating different numbers, there are changes in the resulting effect of CBD on the user's body. Thus, it is necessary to determine which of the therapeutic benefits of CBD occur from the lowest possible dose, and then to map the spectrum of effects with increasing dose.
“When a higher dose of CBD is given, some of the benefits we see in a lower dose may disappear completely. More does not necessarily mean better here. The action of CBD is a very complex process. ”
A group of Spanish researchers recently identified just one of the therapeutically beneficial targets that can be activated with a very small dose of CBD. The researchers specifically mapped the function of CBD, which in this case blocks the activity of sigma 1 receptors responsible for the down-regulation of NMDA receptors. It is these receptors that play a critical role in functions such as pain relief or the body's ability to recover from a stroke.
In a series of experiments, the researchers compared the mice's responses to pain as well as their ability to recover from a stroke. As a result, CBD-treated mice recovered better from a stroke than "sober" mice. Observing the effect of CBD on pain, in turn, has shown that CBD is able to drastically improve the effect of morphine, which therefore needs to be applied slightly less to achieve the same effect.
A deeper understanding of the function of cannabis against nausea
As for problems with the digestive tract and its function, doctors have always understood the causes of vomiting much better than the causes of nausea. A recent study by Canadian researchers reveals a deeper understanding of the brain functions associated with nausea, and identified the cannabinoid CBD as a potential therapeutic that has a beneficial effect against nausea. The researchers also claim that CBD can continue to make the already high-quality effect of THC against nausea more effective. CBD is particularly useful here to reduce the subjectively negative effects of THC for some patients.
According to the theory of Canadian scientists, one of the main causes of nausea is an increase in the content of serotonin in an area of the brain called the insular cortex. Activation of the 5-HT3 receptor by serotonin molecules results in nausea. When the same scientists realized that the cannabinoid THC, on the other hand, reduced serotonin levels in this area of the brain, they were understandably excited. Thus, their theory fits in beautifully, and it seems that they may have deciphered both the cause of the nausea and the mechanism of their treatment.
In addition, when CBD is mixed into the cannabinoid mix, a completely different type of receptor activation occurs in said brain region. 5-HT3 receptors, the activation of which induces nausea, are completely omitted from the whole process during the action of CBD.
Further theories about the effects of CBD and THC against nausea will be exposed to research shortly. Particulary speaking about:
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Activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors directly reduces serotonin release
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CBD activates 5-HT1A receptors
This hypothesis will, of course, be sought after by researchers in future studies, but there is already hope in the combined effects of THC and CBD for many people suffering from chronic or frequent nausea. In addition, the radically low toxicity of these substances could make the resulting drug one of the safest drugs available.
Cannabis and schizophrenia : doctors are changing their minds
The notion that marijuana users have a much higher chance of developing schizophrenia has been at the forefront among doctors, cannabis opponents and users themselves for decades. Recently, however, the results of three important studies have come to light, forcing researchers to acknowledge that they have so far viewed the whole issue incorrectly. Thanks to these studies, there is a change in the understanding of the potential effects of cannabis use on the psyche and mental state of a given user.
"It simply came to our notice then. We see an increase in cannabis use among those with schizophrenia. However, this is not what has been claimed so far - that increased cannabis use leads to schizophrenia. Exactly opposite,"
Today, scientists have the opportunity to compare the DNA components of individuals. Using modern technology, it is possible to compare in detail important elements of DNA with respect to the behavior and personality traits of the examined patients. The more data obtained by scientists into the observation mechanism, the better their chances of finding a certain formula, which in turn are able to subsequently predict the development of various mental disorders. In this case, a pattern emerged that was identified as a link between schizophrenia and chronic cannabis use bordering on addiction.
"Subsequent statistical analysis has shown that schizophrenics have a much higher predisposition to cannabis use than mentally healthy people. Another logical inference is, of course, that schizophrenics tend to look for cannabis as an aid in coping with their mental disorder."
The obvious question is - how does cannabis help schizophrenics? One of the other studies compared brain scans, in which the activity of neurons in different areas of the brain can be seen. By observing the effect of CBD on the brain activity of schizophrenics, it was found that cannabidiol is able to normalize abnormal activity with relatively high success. The thought processes of schizophrenics are typically chaotic and appear to improve communication between the prefrontal cortex and the striatum, the two brain regions responsible for mediating proper cognitive function.
In addition, the last study looked at the ability of CBD to improve brain function while learning new things. Patients treated with cannabis were able to learn much more effectively than those given placebo. Thus, the very promising results of CBD logically suggest that schizophrenics should focus on schizophrenics (as well as self-medicated schizophrenics), especially on non-psychoactive cannabidiol, which currently has the most beneficial function in the treatment of schizophrenia.
Synergistic effect of cannabinoids on breast cancer
The effect of cannabinoids derived from cannabis and acting against the growth of tumors is of interest to a young but rapidly growing field of study. The positive effect of individual cannabinoids and even some terpenes against tumor growth has already been identified in several studies. However, research to date has focused mainly on the effect of single, separate cannabinoids. Only a recent study decided to observe the effect of a number of cannabinoids and terpenes acting simultaneously - synergistically. The so-called "entourage effect", ie the cooperation of cannabis substances provides a quite possibly more effective possibility of applying cannabis substances.
This concomitant, mass effect has recently been sought after by researchers in Madrid, who have decided to observe the effect in female breast cancer mice. The researchers thoroughly compared the resulting therapeutic effect of THC alone with the effect of many different cannabinoids combined.
"The research turned out almost exactly as the researchers expected - the full, synergistic effect of cannabinoids was more effective against tumor growth than THC alone."
In addition, an interesting finding was made by testing the function of five different terpenes combined with THC. Such a preparation had almost no effect on tumor growth, and the researchers therefore understandably concluded that the most effective medical preparations could be achieved by combining all cannabinoids. This study provides researchers with another important basis confirming the theory of the synergistic effect of cannabinoids and its significance in the medical effect of cannabis. Although it is necessary to approach each case of cancer uniquely and apply a model of therapy suitable for individual patients, the above findings move researchers hopefully in the right direction, which will quite likely lead to the development of even more effective ways to help with cancer.
Clinical studies confirm the effectiveness of cannabis against autism
In the case of autism and its treatment for cannabis, unofficial reports have begun to accumulate in recent years that marijuana really helps autism. However, so far the main problem (as we mentioned in previous articles) has been the lack of quality, official clinical trials. Here, too, the whole thing is gaining momentum.
"The result of the study is at least promising: as many as 61% of parents of autistic children feel that their symptoms and general condition have improved after cannabis administration."
The research discussed here was carried out in Israel. A total of 60 autistic children were observed. The researchers decided to administer a cannabis mix with a ratio of 20: 1 CBD : THC, which is guaranteed to have a completely negligible narcotic effect of THC. The positive result of the scientist was quite surprised: 61% of parents reported an improvement in the symptoms of autism and the general condition of their children. The greatest positives were observed in the areas of communication skills and anxiety: 47% showed an improvement in communication skills and 39% showed a reduction in restlessness and anxiety symptoms.
The exciting results of previous observations now motivate Israeli scientists to further research through a double-blind study. Double-blind studies are able to eliminate the bias of subjects, which in this case is expected and understandable for parents looking for hope for their children. Nevertheless, the interim results are unusually motivating, and it already looks like cannabis will have something to offer even to autistic people, for whom there is still no really effective therapeutic method.
Sources: sciencedirect.com sciencedirect2 nature.com neurology.org