Cannabis

Dr David Allen talks to Medical Marijuana 411 about his experience with cannabis, strokes, stroke prevention and the human endocannabinoid system. Dr Allen is one of the featured medical professionals in the Medical Marijuana 411 online education courses for medical professionals, patients and dispensary technicians. This is an example of the video content that is part of the online education. With more thank 800 peer reviewed citations, downloadable graphics, Medical Marijuana 411 is the leader in cannabis education. Check out the entire list of certifications and courses offered at http://www.medicalmarijuana411.com

In this installment of Cannabis Conversations, Dr. Ethan Russo discusses clinical endocannabinoid deficiency and ways to target the endocannabinoid system for therapeutic benefit.

Scientia Pharmaceutica, an international, peer-reviewed Open Access journal.

United Patients Group is the leading source for Medical Marijuana & Medical Cannabis Info. Dr. Sulak, Optimal Cannabis Dosing Guidelines Presented by UPG!

After a century of banishment, both euphoric (“marijuana”) and non-euphoric (“industrial hemp”) classes of Cannabis sativa are attracting billions of dollars of investment as new legitimate crops. Most domesticated C. sativa is very tall, a phenotype that is desirable only for hemp fibre obtained from the stems. However, because the principal demands today are for chemicals from the inflorescence and oilseeds from the infructescence, an architecture maximizing reproductive tissues while minimizing stems is appropriate. Such a design was the basis of the greatest short-term increases in crop productivity in the history of agriculture: the creation of short-stature (“semi-dwarf”), high-harvest-index grain cultivars, especially by ideotype breeding, as demonstrated during the “Green Revolution.” This paradigm has considerable promise for C. sativa. The most critical dwarfing character for breeding such productivity into C. sativa is contraction of internodes. This reduces stem tissues (essentially a waste product except for fibre hemp) and results in compact inflorescences (which, on an area basis, maximize cannabinoid chemicals) and infructescences (which maximize oilseed production), as well as contributing to ease of harvesting and efficiency of production on an area basis. Four sources of germplasm useful for breeding semi-dwarf biotypes deserve special attention: (1) Naturally short northern Eurasian wild plants (often photoperiodically day-neutral, unlike like most biotypes) adapted to the stress of very short seasons by maximizing relative development of reproductive tissues. (2) Short, high-harvest-index, oilseed plants selected in northern regions of Eurasia. (3) “Indica type” marijuana, an ancient semi-dwarf cultigen tracing to the Afghanistan-Pakistan area. (4) Semi-dwarf strains of marijuana bred illegally in recent decades to avoid detection when grown clandestinely indoors for the black market. Although the high THC content in marijuana strains limits their usage as germplasm for low-THC cultivars, modern breeding techniques can control this variable. The current elimination of all marijuana germplasm from breeding of hemp cultivars is short-sighted because marijuana biotypes possess a particularly wide range of genes. There is an urgent need to develop public gene bank collections of Cannabis.

The objective was to investigate the effects of heat pretreatment and simulated gastrointestinal digestion on potential antioxidant, anticancer and an…

This is a true story about Barry Shoda, a man diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and a deadly brain tumor. His doctor told him he had only a short time to live. Barry did several things to save his life, including taking a CBD oil made from hemp. This documentary provides hope that people with cancer can have an effective alternative to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. When I learned that Barry's brain tumor had stopped growing after taking CBD hemp oil, I knew I had to tell his story. I directed, filmed, produced and edited this 8-minute documentary as my culminating project for New Vista High School in Boulder, Colorado. I know many people who have cancer in their family. I hope this documentary can be valuable as another way to deal with cancer, and possibly to save people's lives.

(2016). Effects of Ethephon on Terpenoids in Cannabis sativa L. in Vegetative Stage. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants: Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 94-102.

Background The approval of 9-δ-tetrahydocannabinol and cannabidiol (THC:CBD) oromucosal spray (Sativex) for the management of treatment-resistant multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity opened a new opportunity for many patients. The aim of our study was to describe Sativex effectiveness and adverse events profile in a large population of Italian patients with MS in the daily practice setting. Methods We collected data of all patients starting Sativex between January 2014 and February 2015 from the mandatory Italian medicines agency (AIFA) e-registry. Spasticity assessment by the 0–10 numerical rating scale (NRS) scale is available at baseline, after 1 month of treatment (trial period), and at 3 and 6 months. Results A total of 1615 patients were recruited from 30 MS centres across Italy. After one treatment month (trial period), we found 70.5% of patients reaching a ≥20% improvement (initial response, IR) and 28.2% who had already reached a ≥30% improvement (clinically relevant response, CRR), with a mean NRS score reduction of 22.6% (from 7.5 to 5.8). After a multivariate analysis, we found an increased probability to reach IR at the first month among patients with primary and secondary progressive MS, (n=1169, OR 1.4 95% CI 1.04 to 1.9, p=0.025) and among patients with >8 NRS score at baseline (OR 1.8 95% CI 1.3–2.4 p

Researchers have presented the first findings of a large study of cannabidiol for treating seizures.

Children affected by primary hyperlipidemia have a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) during adulthood. Several studies have repor…

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

Background Cervical cancer remains a global health related issue among females of Sub-Saharan Africa, with over half a million new cases reported each year. Different therapeutic regimens have been suggested in various regions of Africa, however, over a quarter of a million women die of cervical cancer, annually. This makes it the most lethal cancer amongst black women and calls for urgent therapeutic strategies. In this study we compare the anti-proliferative effects of crude extract of Cannabis sativa and its main compound cannabidiol on different cervical cancer cell lines. Methods To achieve our aim, phytochemical screening, MTT assay, cell growth analysis, flow cytometry, morphology analysis, Western blot, caspase 3/7 assay, and ATP measurement assay were conducted. Results Results obtained indicate that both cannabidiol and Cannabis sativa extracts were able to halt cell proliferation in all cell lines at varying concentrations. They further revealed that apoptosis was induced by cannabidiol as shown by increased subG0/G1 and apoptosis through annexin V. Apoptosis was confirmed by overexpression of p53, caspase 3 and bax. Apoptosis induction was further confirmed by morphological changes, an increase in Caspase 3/7 and a decrease in the ATP levels. Conclusions In conclusion, these data suggest that cannabidiol rather than Cannabis sativa crude extracts prevent cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cancer cell lines.

Watch the Healing Brain Watch Party here → http://bit.ly/2whtBf4 (airing free through EOD Sun, May 26th, 2019) Discover exactly HOW to use the sacred plant to treat several brain conditions, including Alzheimer's, Dementia, Parkinson's, Stroke, and many more... Go here for all the details → http://bit.ly/2WkMkol Dr. Gerdeman is a neuroscientist and educator with a Ph.D. in Biology. In this expert interview, he speaks of his interest in the endocannabinoid system (ENC) and how it operates within our brain. Watch Dr. Gerdeman translate complex neuroscientific ideas about the ENC into everyday language and hear how he believes our brain has co-evolved with the sacred plant. If you need expert guidance and support with using medical cannabis for a brain disorder, consider our Healing Brain Masterclass. SAVE up to 60% OFF this weekend only → http://bit.ly/2WkMkol

Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotropic constituent of fiber-type cannabis plant, has been reported to possess diverse biological activities, incl…

The FDA hasn't banned the sale of cannabidiol oils because a drug company is interested in marketing them.

The cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and the cyclic vomiting syndrome in adults (CVS) are both characterized by recurrent episodes of heavy nausea, vomiting and frequently abdominal pain. Both syndromes are barely known among physicians. Literature ...

About three months ago, Harper died from complications of a rare form of childhood epilepsy known as CDKL5. The Howards were quick to act in donating her brain and skin cells to the Muotri Lab in La Jolla, California. The lab, part of UCSD’s Department of Pediatrics, is headed by Dr. Alysson Muotri, UCSD’s lead stem cell researcher.

Cannabinoids have been used for many centuries to ease pain and in the past decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in a number of path…

Animal studies and preliminary clinical trials have shown that cannabidiol (CBD)-enriched extracts may have beneficial effects for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. However, these compounds are not yet registered as medicines by regulatory agencies. We describe the cases of two children with treatment-resistant epilepsy (Case A with left frontal dysplasia and Case B with Dravet Syndrome) with initial symptom improvement after the introduction of CBD extracts followed by seizure worsening after a short time. The children presented typical signs of intoxication by Δ9-THC (inappropriate laughter, ataxia, reduced attention, and eye redness) after using a CBD-enriched extract. The extract was replaced by the same dose of purified CBD with no Δ9-THC in both cases, which led to improvement in intoxication signs and seizure remission. These cases support pre-clinical and preliminary clinical evidence suggesting that CBD may be effective for some patients with epilepsy. Moreover, the cases highlight the need for randomized clinical trials using high-quality and reliable substances to ascertain the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids as medicines.

Anecdotal and scientific evidence suggests that Cannabis use may be beneficial in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Here, we have investigated the effect of a standardized Cannabis sativa extract with high content of cannabidiol (CBD), here named CBD BDS for “CBD botanical drug substance,” on mucosal inflammation and hypermotility in mouse models of intestinal inflammation. Colitis was induced in mice by intracolonic administration of dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS). Motility was evaluated in the experimental model of intestinal hypermotility induced by irritant croton oil. CBD BDS or pure CBD were given - either intraperitoneally or by oral gavage – after the inflammatory insult (curative protocol). The amounts of CBD in the colon, brain, and liver after the oral treatments were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometry. CBD BDS, both when given intraperitoneally and by oral gavage, decreased the extent of the damage (as revealed by the decrease in the colon weight/length ratio and myeloperoxidase activity) in the DNBS model of colitis. It also reduced intestinal hypermotility (at doses lower than those required to affect transit in healthy mice) in the croton oil model of intestinal hypermotility. Under the same experimental conditions, pure CBD did not ameliorate colitis while it normalized croton oil-induced hypermotility when given intraperitoneally (in a dose-related fashion) or orally (only at...

Liver fibrosis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and lacks efficient therapy. Recent studies suggest the curcumin protects liver from fibrosis. However, curcumin itself is in low bioavailable concentration when administered orally, and the protective mechanism remains p …

Cannabis sativa L. is an important herbaceous species originating from Central Asia, which has been used in folk medicine and as a source of textile fiber since the dawn of times. This fast-growing plant has recently seen a resurgence of interest because of its multi-purpose applications: it is indeed a treasure trove of phytochemicals and a rich source of both cellulosic and woody fibers. Equally highly interested in this plant are the pharmaceutical and construction sectors, since its metabolites show potent bioactivities on human health and its outer and inner stem tissues can be used to make bioplastics and concrete-like material, respectively. In this review, the rich spectrum of hemp phytochemicals is discussed by putting a special emphasis on molecules of industrial interest, including cannabinoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds, and their biosynthetic routes. Cannabinoids represent the most studied group of compounds, mainly due to their wide range of pharmaceutical effects in humans, including psychotropic activities. The therapeutic and commercial interests of some terpenes and phenolic compounds, and in particular stilbenoids and lignans, are also highlighted in view of the most recent literature data. Biotechnological avenues to enhance the production and bioactivity of hemp secondary metabolites are proposed by discussing the power of plant genetic engineering and tissue culture. In particular two systems are reviewed, i.e., cell suspension and hairy root cu...