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Five new medical cannabis studies to know about

Catch up on the latest research from some of the world’s leading universities.

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Five new medical cannabis studies to know about

Since cannabis has become more widely available to scientists worldwide, research studies into the plant and its therapeutic properties are at an all-time high.

The latest medical cannabis studies have explored the stigma faced by UK medical cannabis patients, the antipsychotic effects of CBD and the analgesic effects of cannabis for musculoskeletal conditions.

Here we summarise five of the latest medical cannabis studies from the likes of King’s College London, Imperial College London, the University of Washington, the University of Puerto Rico and more.

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Study investigates the antipsychotic properties of CBD

study released this month adds to the growing body of research exploring the anti-psychotic potential of CBD.

The potential antipsychotic properties of CBD have been studied before but the mechanisms behind this remain unclear.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation conducted by scientists at King’s College London involved 19 healthy ‘control’ subjects and 15 participants with early psychosis.

The results found that CBD modulates brain regions involved in salience processing in the brain which is thought to have a role in the pathophysiology of psychosis.

The researchers concluded that “CBD modulates brain regions involved in salience processing in the brain which is thought to have a role in the pathophysiology of psychosis”.

Patients with cutaneous lymphoma note improvement in symptoms

study published in the latest edition of Complementary Therapies in Medicine has found that cannabis use is common among patients with cutaneous lymphoma. Those that use cannabis for their condition reported moderate improvements in their symptoms, notably itching which is prevalent among those suffering from the disease.

Cutaneous lymphoma is a rare type of cancer that affects the white blood cells which normally assist the body’s immune system. Less than 350 people are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year.

The researchers, which included academics from the University of Washington, University of California University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, found that over half (55 percent) of the 119 respondents had used cannabis.

There was strong interest in learning more about cannabis and cancer among the patients, the study found. The researchers said further studies are needed to elucidate the risks and benefits of cannabis among cutaneous lymphoma patients.

More than 80 per cent of medical cannabis patients experience stigma

Researchers at the University of West Scotland, Imperial College London and Sapphire Medical Clinics have found that the majority of UK medical cannabis patients feel they experience stigma surrounding their medicine.

The qualitative survey of 450 participants revealed that 81.3 percent felt uncomfortable telling friends about their prescription while 76.9 percent and 61.3 percent felt uncomfortable telling family and healthcare professionals respectively.

When asked about wider society, only 32.9 percent thought society in general was approving of their treatment.

Medical cannabis patients continue to face issues with the police and government agencies due to a lack of awareness of the drug’s legal status. This is reflected in the survey responses which showed that 57.1 per cent of participants were afraid of what the police or criminal justice system might think about their treatment and 55.3 percent felt a similar way about government agencies.

“This study highlights those patients treated with [cannabis-based medical products] experience a high prevalence of perceived stigma from many corners of society,” The researchers stated in the paper’s abstract.

“Future work should be undertaken to explore strategies to reduce perceived stigma at an individual and community level to avoid discrimination of patients, likely increasing appropriate access.”

Cannabis and pain levels in musculoskeletal conditions

study authored by researchers at the University of Puerto Rico aimed to evaluate the perceived analgesic efficacy of medical cannabis in managing pain linked to musculoskeletal conditions.

Published this month, the study involved a 28-question survey distributed to patients at a major medical cannabis centre in Puerto Rico over two months. The respondents reported their pain using the Numeric Rating Scale which involves selecting a whole number from zero to ten that best reflects the pain’s intensity.

The evaluation of 184 patients showed an average pain reduction score of 4.02, while those suffering specifically from musculoskeletal conditions reported a higher average reduction score of 4.47.

89 percent of the participants considered medical cannabis to be more effective for managing pain than traditional opiate-based pain medications.

In the paper’s discussion, the researchers wrote: “Despite their known risks, avoiding opioid use has been a challenge because of the high pain rates in the postoperative period. Therefore, exploring effective and safer alternatives is crucial to fighting the opioid pandemic. Medical cannabis is a promising alternative for replacing opioids.

“Additional studies on medical cannabis should evaluate whether the experience and perspective presented through this study could translate into satisfactory and consistent clinical outcomes,” the researchers concluded.

Comparing CBD administration methods for dogs

Oral administration is the most common route of administration among pet owners who give their dogs CBD.

new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science sought to explore the efficacy of alternative methods including intranasal (administration via the nose) and intrarectal (administration via the rectum).

CBD concentrations in dogs that received a dose through intrarectal administration were below the limit of quantification leading to the researchers advising against the administration route in clinical application.

While intranasal administration proved more effective with a faster absorption rate than oral consumption, the researchers concluded that “oral delivery remains the most favourable route for CBD delivery due to its more feasible administration”.

The research was carried out by a collaboration of scientists from Ghent University, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Utrecht University and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

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