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5 Medications You Should Avoid Using With Cannabis

May 23, 2023 Published by

While cannabis undoubtedly has a wide range of potential benefits, including pain and anxiety relief, there are some prescription medications you should avoid using with weed, even if you are a medical marijuana patient. Cannabis may interact negatively with your medication or dull the medication’s impact, potentially creating a range of health risks.

If you’re currently prescribed any of the following medications, you should consider refraining from cannabis use until you have had an opportunity to discuss the potential outcomes and best options with your doctor.

Prescription Opioids

Although both prescription opioids and medical cannabis can be used to treat long-term or chronic pain, the two should not be used together.

One opioid medication worth mentioning is oxycodone. An opioid like oxycodone can be incredibly addictive on its own. Some doctors may be able to help moderate oxycodone use and ensure its use is as safe as possible. When you mix oxycodone with other drugs, like cannabis, the risks only increase. One study found that combining oxycodone and cannabis leads to an increased risk of depression and anxiety and unintentionally subdues a patient’s central nervous system to a dangerous degree.

However, there is a plus side: Medical cannabis can potentially be used to reduce prescription opioid intake, which ultimately reduces the chances of negative side effects such as dependence and overdose. Those who intend to utilize medical cannabis to reduce their opioid intake should speak to a qualified healthcare professional to get the appropriate support and tapering programs, which improves the chances of overcoming dependence.

Blood Thinners

Blood thinners, which regulate the ease of blood flow throughout the body, require incredibly careful dosages in the first place, and adding cannabis to the mix can be risky. Some blood thinners are drastically affected by cannabis use. One study found that using blood thinners and cannabis simultaneously can lead to the increased potency of certain blood-thinning medications.

Doctors prescribe people medicines at certain dosages for a reason. With some blood thinners, the potential exists, in practice, for people to essentially be taking a significantly higher amount of medication than their doctor intended. If you are on blood thinners and actively use cannabis, your doctor might recommend lowering the prescribed dose of your medicine or suggest you reduce or cease cannabis use.

SSRIs

SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have a lot of potential uses but are most commonly used as antidepressants to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder. More research is needed to determine whether patients need to avoid cannabis entirely when taking a prescribed SSRI. Still, until then, patients should be aware of potential issues, be careful, and seek their physician’s advice.

Some initial warning signs suggest that antidepressants’ effectiveness may be dulled by co-use with cannabis. Some studies also suggest that cannabinoids like CBD can prevent your body from eliminating antidepressants such as escitalopram and sertraline, which can lead to an increase of antidepressants in the body. This, in turn, can lead to an increased risk of side effects such as panic attacks.

On the other hand, some patients on SSRIs may benefit from the medical use of some marijuana products, as cannabis can have antidepressant qualities when dosed appropriately. Moreover, cannabis may be useful in reducing antidepressant intake. As always, open and honest communication with your healthcare provider is the best course of action when combining SSRIs and cannabis.

Benzodiazepines

Some studies suggest that there could be potential benefits to using cannabis to aid in the withdrawal from benzodiazepines, though further research is needed. Those with forms of epilepsy like Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome may also find that CBD reduces their need for antiseizure medications, many of which are sedative and benzodiazepine-based (e.g., lorazepam, midazolam, diazepam, and clonazepam).

Combining cannabis use with active benzodiazepine use, however, could be a different story. Benzodiazepines are depressant, sedative-like drugs known for general potency. Like blood thinners, cannabis use can effectively increase the amount of benzodiazepines in the body. In other words, cannabis use can ramp up the potency of a drug like Xanax, which is already quite powerful on its own.

Those who wish to utilize cannabis to reduce their benzodiazepine intake should do so under medical supervision, especially as benzodiazepine withdrawal can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Ritalin

Ritalin is a stimulant often used to treat conditions like ADHD. While CBD or low-dose THC may help manage some of Ritalin’s side effects, some studies have found that cannabis use can result in minimized effectiveness of Ritalin.

Due to its ability to potentially dull Ritalin’s effectiveness, those prescribed Ritalin should work with their doctors to determine whether they should continue using cannabis.

The Bottom Line

Several prescription drugs should not be combined with cannabis use, or at the very least, should be done so under medical supervision. With that said, it is important to remember that cannabis is not the sole, potentially problematic factor for adverse medical reactions. All potentially negative drug interactions should be taken seriously, whether cannabis is involved in any way or not.

Even grapefruit has been shown to negatively interact with some forms of medication, leading to the term ‘The Grapefruit Effect.’ This is because grapefruit can inhibit the liver enzyme, cytochrome P450 (CYP 450), which metabolizes many drugs and medications. CBD has a similar effect.

As always, you should be open and honest with your doctor so that, together, you can make informed, responsible decisions about what medications are best for your health. Medical cannabis can be an amazing tool for managing chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and many other conditions but, like everything, it requires careful consideration and is not for everyone.

The post 5 Medications You Should Avoid Using With Cannabis appeared first on Cannabis Now.

New Study Finds Cannabis A Safe, Effective Treatment For Cancer Pain

May 4, 2023 Published by

A new study led by a team of Irish, American and Canadian researchers has determined that medical cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for pain caused by cancer when combined with other drugs. The researchers, who are affiliated with the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and the Medical Cannabis Programme in Oncology at Cedars Cancer Centre in Canada, McGill University and Harvard Medical School, concluded that medicinal cannabis is “a safe and effective complementary treatment for pain relief in patients with cancer.”

The study, which was published this week by the peer-reviewed journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, sought to investigate the effectiveness of medical cannabis in reducing pain in cancer patients. The research also examined the effectiveness of medical cannabis in reducing the use of other medications in patients with cancer.

“Our data suggest a role for medicinal cannabis as a safe and complementary treatment option in patients with cancer failing to reach adequate pain relief through conventional analgesics, such as opioids,” the authors of the study wrote.

In their introduction, the researchers note that approximately 38% of cancer patients experience moderate to severe pain. The rate is even higher for some groups of patients, with 55% of patients undergoing anticancer treatment and 66% of patients with advanced, metastatic or terminal disease experiencing pain. Painkillers, often powerful opioids, are the standard treatment for cancer pain, but about a third of patients who use the drugs still experience pain.

To conduct the study, the research team surveyed 358 adult cancer patients over a period of three years to collect real-world data on cancer pain and its treatment. The average age of participants in the study group was 57, and 48% of patients were men. The most common cancer diagnoses were genitourinary, breast and bowel cancers.

About a quarter of the patients were given medical cannabis products rich in THC, 17% were given CBD-dominant formulations and 38% were given a balanced mix of the two products.  Every three months for a period of one year, study participants were surveyed and asked how much pain they were experiencing. Patients were also asked how many drugs they took to treat the pain.

Medical Cannabis Reduced Cancer Pain

At three, six and nine months into the study, patients experienced a significant reduction in pain, as measured by factors including pain severity, average pain intensity and overall interference with day-to-day life. Additionally, the research revealed that medical cannabis formulations with a balanced mix of THC and CBD were most effective at reducing the pain experienced by patients during the study.

The researchers also observed a reduction in the number of medications taken by participants during the study period and concluded that medical cannabis was a safe and effective complementary option for patients. 

“The particularly good safety profile of [medicinal cannabis] found in this study can be partly attributed to the close supervision by healthcare professionals who authorized, directed, and monitored [the] treatment,” the researchers wrote.

Overall, the medical cannabis products were well tolerated by the patients in the study group. The most commonly reported side effects of the medical cannabis treatments were fatigue and sleepiness, but only by two and three patients, respectively.

The team of researchers recommended further study into using cannabis as a treatment for pain caused by cancer, writing that their “findings should be confirmed through randomized placebo-controlled trials.” They also recommended continued research “particularly to understand any benefits and risks of these medicines for children and young people.”

The post New Study Finds Cannabis A Safe, Effective Treatment For Cancer Pain appeared first on High Times.

Fentanyl Overdoses See Dramatic Spike in U.S., According to Report

May 4, 2023 Published by

The number of deadly overdoses from fentanyl surged between 2016 and 2021, according to a disquieting new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, which was released on Wednesday, found that 69,943 died of a fentanyl-induced overdose in 2021 at a rate of 21.6. That is up considerably from 2016, when 18,499 died of an overdose from fentanyl at a rate of 5.7.

According to CNN, the Centers for Disease Control typically “reports overdose data by broader drug categories.”

“Fentanyl, for example, is grouped with other synthetic opioids like tramadol and nitazenes. But for Wednesday’s report, researchers took a closer look at the specific drugs that are included on death certificates for people who died of overdoses, highlighting demographic differences,” CNN reported.

Caleb Banta-Green, a research professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute, told CNN that specifying the drug that caused the overdose is crucial for researchers.

“We need to know exactly what people are dying from so we know what services they need to stay alive,” said Banta-Green. 

The report found an increase in deadly overdose from several other drugs as well. 

“The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl more than tripled over the study period, from 5.7 per 100,000 standard population in 2016 to 21.6 in 2021, with a 55.0% increase from 2019 (11.2) to 2020 (17.4), and a 24.1% increase from 2020 to 2021 (21.6). The rate of drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine more than quadrupled, from 2.1 in 2016 to 9.6 in 2021,” the CDC reported. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine more than doubled, from 3.5 in 2016 to 7.9 per 100,000 in 2021. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving heroin decreased by 40.8%, from 4.9 in 2016 to 2.9 in 2021, although this decrease was not statistically significant. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving oxycodone decreased 21.0%, from 1.9 in 2016 to 1.5 in 2021.” 

“In 2021, the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths was highest for deaths involving fentanyl (21.6 per 100,000 standard population), followed by methamphetamine (9.6), cocaine (7.9), heroin (2.9), and oxycodone (1.5). Patterns were similar when stratified by sex,” the report continued.

The CDC said that it “analyzed literal text from the National Vital Statistics System mortality data for deaths occurring in the United States among U.S. residents.”

“From 2016 through 2021, age-adjusted drug overdose death rates involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine increased, while drug overdose death rates involving oxycodone decreased,” the CDC reported. “In 2021, the age-adjusted death rates for males were higher than the rates for females for all drugs analyzed. Among those aged 25–64, the highest rate of drug overdose deaths involved fentanyl; although a similar pattern was observed among those aged 0–24 years and 65 and over, no significant differences were observed between the rates. Fentanyl was also the most frequent opioid or stimulant drug involved in drug overdose deaths for the race and Hispanic-origin groups analyzed.” 

As CNN said, “[p]harmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid intended to help patients, such as those with cancer, manage severe pain.” 

“It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and typically prescribed in the form of skin patches or lozenges. But most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose and death in the United States are linked to illegally made fentanyl, according to the CDC,” CNN reported.

The post Fentanyl Overdoses See Dramatic Spike in U.S., According to Report appeared first on High Times.

Owners of OxyContin Maker Paid $19M to Institution That Advises Opioid Policy

April 25, 2023 Published by

Members of the Sackler family–the wealthy owners behind Purdue Pharma and OxyContin—paid upwards of $19 million in donations to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, a powerful institution that advises U.S. opioid policy, according to a bombshell report by The New York Times.

The Times outlined a series of events that pose a possible conflict of interest. Dr. Raymond Sackler, his wife, Beverly, and the couple’s foundation started donating large sums of money to the Academies in 2008, according to treasurer reports. They died in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Dame Jillian Sackler also made millions of dollars’ worth of donations to the Academies beginning in 2000. The Academies invested the funds, growing to over $31 million by the end of 2021.

The allegations continue: The Pain Care Forum, a group co-founded by Burt Rosen, the Purdue lobbyist at the time, pushed for legislation introduced in 2007 and 2009 that included plans calling for an Academies report to “increase the recognition of pain as a significant public health problem.”

If the allegations are true, they present a serious conflict of interest. So the Times called upon Michael Rehn Von Korff—a medical researcher who studies the treatment of chronic pain, among other fields, for insight on the matter.

“I didn’t know they were taking private money,” Von Korff told The New York Times. “It sounds like insanity to take money from principals of drug companies and then do reports related to opioids. I am really shocked.”

Last Prisoner Project founder Steve DeAngelo posted the report on Instagram and called the revelations “disgusting.” Medical cannabis is frequently used as an alternative to opioids for some situations.

The Role of OxyContin in the Opioid Crisis

OxyContin was developed and patented in 1996 by Purdue Pharma L.P. and was originally available in multiple doses, the U.S. Department of Justice notes. At first, it appeared that OxyContin revolutionized medicine, but then the opioid epidemic unfolded. 

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, (HHS) over 760,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose, with nearly 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2020 involving an opioid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the number of drug overdose deaths “quintupled since 1999.”

A 2011 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report claims that 100 million Americans suffered from chronic pain—one-third of the entire U.S. population—and while that’s often cited by government organizations, now that number is being challenged as preposterous. That report influenced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve at least one powerful opioid, Zohydro, which is a slow release hydrocodone.

In 2016, just months after the National Academies scooped up a $10 million Sackler family donation, the F.D.A. asked the institution to form a committee to create new recommendations on opioids. But the Academies were blamed for having sketchy ties to opioid makers, including Purdue Pharma. Four people were removed from the panel after that incident.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine was created by Abraham Lincoln, and U.S. laws are shaped by the data it releases. For the past few decades though, the academy was utilized to combat the American opioid crisis.

The opioid crisis is complex and it’s difficult to distinguish between people who are addicted and people who genuinely have high levels of pain. But the overdose death toll is impossible to ignore as it surpasses death toll numbers from war and sickness. In 2017, the HHS declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency.

There is also another side to the story. Megan Lowry from the National Academies told The New York Times that the Sackler donations “were never used to support any advisory activities on the use of opioids or on efforts to counter the opioid crisis,” and that they are prevented from returning the Sackler donations because of legal restrictions.

The post Owners of OxyContin Maker Paid $19M to Institution That Advises Opioid Policy appeared first on High Times.

Study: Medical MJ Improves Quality of Life, Reduces Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Patients

April 17, 2023 Published by

Many cannabis advocates and consumers are already well aware of the many benefits of the plant, one being its potential to curb opioid use and potentially replace opioids as a treatment for pain in certain cases. According to an observational study published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, patients with chronic pain who use cannabis products for six months not only reported decreases in their daily opioid consumption but also improvements in their health-related quality of life.

The study evaluated more than 700 chronic pain patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry who were treated with plant-derived cannabis products, such as oils, flower or a combination of both. All patients were authorized to access cannabis products through a doctor’s authorization.

In the introduction, “Despite growing evidence implicating [cannabis-based medicinal products] as a viable chronic pain treatment, the results have been heterogenous, differing based on the type of [cannabis-based medicinal product] administered, chronic pain type assessed, and study duration.” 

They added that more research is still needed regarding the long-term safety of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMP), along with factors such as the route of administration, age, body mass index and prior cannabis exposure’s influence on safety.

“As further clinical trials addressing these unknowns are awaited, patient registries can assist by collecting prospective data from patients prescribed CBMPs in a real-world setting,” authors continue.

Researchers assessed the efficacy of medicinal cannabis for participants at one, three and six months. Primary outcomes were measured through a number of questionnaires, specifically asking patients to rate their pain, share the character and severity of their pain, rate their sleep quality, share frequency of anxiety symptoms, gauge problems with mobility and overall gauge if a patient’s quality of life has improved or declined since starting treatment.

The results were consistent with previous studies, as investigators reported that treatment with oil-based products, dried flower or a combination of both are associated with “statistically significant improvement in pain relief and sleep quality” from chronic pain patients after six months of treatment.

“Additionally, patients prescribed oils or both types of CBMPs experienced reduced anxiety and an improvement in their ability to perform daily activities,” researchers continue. “Patients prescribed a combination of both CBMPs recorded improvements in their self-care and mobility abilities. Collectively, this evidence signals that [the] initiation of CBMP treatment is associated with improved [health-related quality of life].”

Authors also noted that there was a total reduction of 3.28% in mean opioid dose for patients after six months of treatment compared to the baseline.

Study Consistent with Past Research on Pot and Chronic Pain

Looking ahead, researchers said that future studies and clinicians should “consider the impact of gender and prior cannabis use” when using cannabis-based medicinal products, along with whether or not these factors influence the extent of health-related quality of life improvements.

Cannabis use for chronic pain is not uncommon. A study released earlier this year found that nearly one in three patients with chronic pain use cannabis for relief. The study also noted that “Most persons who used cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain reported substituting cannabis in place of other pain medications including prescription opioids.”

The observed reduction in opioid use is also consistent with a collection of previous studies finding cannabis access is associated with reduced rates of opioid use and abuse. Another 2023 study, including a total of 8,165 chronic pain patients, similarly found that receiving medical cannabis for “a longer duration” was associated with a reduction in prescription opioid use.

Another study published in 2022 found that a majority of patients, nearly four out of five research participants, reported “cessation or reduction in pain medication use” after beginning a regimen of medical cannabis.

The post Study: Medical MJ Improves Quality of Life, Reduces Opioid Use in Chronic Pain Patients appeared first on High Times.

Texas Expands Restrictive Medical Pot Program To Combat Opioid Epidemic

March 29, 2023 Published by

Texas is broadening its restrictive medical cannabis program to include patients fighting chronic pain, the Houston Chronicle reports, in addition to expanding approved THC dosing limits from one percent to 10mg. While that may seem shockingly low to medical patients in states with more liberal cannabis laws, currently, Texas’s medical marijuana law is CBD-only, as it allows for only one percent of THC. The new law, which goes into effect on September 1, 2023, might not win the Lone Star state stoner points, but at the least, it’s a step in the right direction. The original bill tried to cap the prescribed THC dose to 5mg but then amended the bill to a volumetric dose limit of 10 milligrams.

Legal adult-use cannabis in Texas is non-existent, so forget about strolling into a dispensary to grab some dabs anytime soon. The state’s Compassionate-Use Program, or CUP, was initially passed in 2015, limiting medical use of less-than-one-percent cannabis to intractable epilepsy. The list of qualifying conditions was expanded in 2019 and again in 2021 by the Texas Legislature to include autism, cancer, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, multiple sclerosis, and several others. 

Now, Texas lawmakers drafted a bill that adds “a condition that causes chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid” to the list. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 Americans lives with chronic pain. Per the newly passed Texas bill, the Department of State Health Services will be allowed to specify which “debilitating medical conditions” qualify for the program.

The bill, HB 1805l, was written by Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick and was approved by the House Public Health Committee with a 10-0 vote Monday, March 20. The passage of HB 1805l comes after further momentum from lawmakers in the state. Earlier in March, Texas lawmakers held a hearing on House Bill 218 from Democrat Rep. Joe Moody that, if passed, would lower the penalties for possession of cannabis and cannabis concentrates.

While Texas cannabis laws, in accordance with their other social policies, such as reproductive rights, are still highly regressive, this new bill does show that Texas is aware of the grave issue of opioid addiction and seeks to tackle it from a harm reduction perspective, by allowing chronic pain patients cannabis. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 106,000 persons in the U.S. died from a drug-involved overdose in 2021, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids. According to The Texas Workforce Commission, there was an 80% increase in synthetic opioid-related deaths reported in Texas in 2021 compared to 2020. In addition, as Benzinga points out, a recent study shows that direct payments from opioid manufacturers to physicians have significantly decreased following the legalization of medical cannabis. And, as a reminder, even the DEA states that no deaths from cannabis overdose have occurred. While recreational cannabis is illegal in Texas, you can pick up some nasty (and fatal) synthetic THC options if you need a deadly reminder of the hypocrisy of strict marijuana laws. 

While the cannabis laws in Texas are highly restricted, they do not necessarily match the state’s citizens’ views on the plant. According to a study at the University of Houston, which conducted an online survey of 1,200 Texan adults 18 and older, 4 out of 5 adults said they would support an expanded medical marijuana program. Those surveyed also said they favor decriminalizing marijuana possession, and additionally, two-thirds of them said they would support legalizing recreational adult use. So, while the newly passed bill is a win for chronic pain patients, the state’s lawmakers have much work ahead of them if they wish to address their voter’s needs accurately.   

The post Texas Expands Restrictive Medical Pot Program To Combat Opioid Epidemic appeared first on High Times.

Study Finds CBD Curbs Opioid Cravings in Female Rats

March 27, 2023 Published by

Studies and data have already confirmed that cannabis use, containing THC, tends to help people reduce or eliminate opioid use, generally for symptom management when cannabis can act as a suitable substitute. However, CBD might have a substantial role to play in the conversation. New preclinical data published in the journal Addiction Neuroscience suggests that the cannabinoid could hold potential for reducing opioid cravings in rats. To researchers’ knowledge, it’s the first comprehensive study of the behavioral and physiological effects of inhaled vapor from high-CBD whole-plant cannabis (hemp) extract. 

Curbing Opioid Use in Rats

Researchers affiliated with Washington State University and Legacy Research Institute in Portland specifically studied the efficacy and safety profile of vaporized CBD among a cohort of female rats. Investigators note the studies demonstrating the “opioid-sparing effects of cannabis,” pointing out that the role of CBD in these effects is “poorly defined” and the potential of high-CBD whole-plant extract (WPE) “to attenuate tolerance and enhance morphine antinociception has not been characterized.”

They also pointed out the need for more studies on WPE products, given the millions of people who consume them worldwide. 

Additionally, researchers point out that many prior studies have largely relied on male subjects, a concern given that women have higher prevalence of chronic pain conditions, consume more CBD products than men and are more vulnerable to opioid abuse and withdrawal.

Researchers reference the many potential therapeutic applications of CBD, citing that effects may vary by pain condition and that chronic pain products adaptations in the endocannabinoid systems in brain regions critical for pain processing. 

“Thus, it is critical to conduct systematic research about high-CBD WPE’s antinociceptive effects and health impacts in the context of persistent pain and prolonged drug administration,” researchers said.

The study utilized a WPE with 64.2% CBD and 7.1% THC and a placebo (propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin). 

Promising Results and a Need for Further Investigation

Researchers examined a number of outcomes among rats exposed to the WPE vapor. In measuring the psychoactivity of the WPE vapor, researchers found no differences in cognitive function between rats using WPE and the control, along with no significant differences in social behavior. There were also no differences in lung morphometrics in rats exposed to the control versus WPE, and WPE had no impact on either the motivation to engage in drug-seeking behavior.

The study also observed whether acute WPE inhalation could reduce the self-administration of morphine in pain-naïve rats.

Authors concluded, “The ability of WPE to reduce opioid reward and drug seeking behavior appears quite robust and of great clinical utility.” They also point out that, unlike their previous studies in male rats with inflammatory pain, “the presence of neuropathic pain in females reduced opioid-seeking behavior.”

Given the (roughly) 10:1 CBD:THC ratio, researchers also concluded that some of their observations may have been due to the interaction between CBD and THC. 

Ultimately, researchers said the results suggest that inhaled, high-CBD WPE “has modest anti-allodynic benefits,” or combatting pain caused by stimuli that usually do not elicit pain. They added that this supports the hypothesis that THC is the primary analgesic component of inhaled cannabis, even though WPE seems to carry promise in reducing opioid use and drug-seeking behavior. 

“Because of its promising safety profile and the absence of reinforcing effects compared to the standard excipient used in most vapor administration research, WPE may also be a more suitable and clinically-relevant control excipient for future vapor administration studies,” they said. Looking ahead, researchers suggested additional systematic research to fully evaluate the potential of CBD as an adjunct treatment for opioid use disorder.

CBD and Addiction: Adding to Past Research

While this topic may need more attention, previous research has indeed confirmed the potential CBD carries in curbing opioid use. 

One 2019 study administered a daily dose of CBD to participants for three consecutive days, followed by exposure to drug cues designed to stimulate physiological responses to addiction. The study found that “acute CBD administration, in contrast to placebo, significantly reduced both craving and anxiety induced by the presentation of salient drug cues compared with neutral cues.” Not only that, but the effects lasted seven days after the final CBD exposure.

CBD could also hold potential regarding addiction in general. One 2013 study found that inhalation of CBD significantly mitigates tobacco smokers’ desire for cigarettes. Using a CBD inhaler and a placebo, instructed to use the inhaler when they felt the urge to smoke, placebo-treated smokers showed no differences in the number of cigarettes smoked. Those treated with CBD reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by around 40% during treatment.

A 2022 review paper also notes that CBD could play a role in mitigating symptoms of opioid withdrawal. 

“Growing evidence suggests that CBD may have the potential to reduce anxiety, pain, and insomnia with also some signals for reducing craving, nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, and blood pressure,” authors report. “These clinical symptoms are commonly observed in [opioid use disorder] patients undergoing withdrawal, indicating that CBD could potentially be added to the standard opioid detoxification regimen to mitigate acute withdrawal-related symptoms as well as protracted withdrawal symptoms.”

The post Study Finds CBD Curbs Opioid Cravings in Female Rats appeared first on High Times.

2023 Farm-Bill, Delta-8 vs Delta-9, Isotonitazene, Medical Cannabis – The Cannadelics Sunday Edition

February 19, 2023 Published by

Welcome to the Cannadelics Sunday Edition, our weekly newsletter sent to our readers every Sunday morning with the leading stories of the week. This week the main articles were about 2023 Farm-Bill, Delta-8 THC vs Delta-9 THC, Isotonitazene – the new extra-string opioid, Poor-quality vape carts, THC-O clearance sale, Psychedelic medical settings, Medical Cannabis as a part of healthcare, Drugs on blue-monday and Salvia legality and more.

In addition the main stories of the week, each newsletter comes with three attractive deals, from our Deal Of The Day section. As always, the best Cannabis and Psychedelics offers are reserved for our subscribers, so subscribe here or use the sign-in form below.

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The Cannadelics Sunday Edition (2/19/2023) – Isotonitazene, Vape Carts, 2023 Farm-Bill, Delta-8 vs Delta-9, THC-O Sale and more

Hi,

Welcome to the Cannadelics Sunday edition, going out every Sunday with the top stories from the cannabis and psychedelics industries. This week we have a mixed bag of stories as well as a few deals from our deal-of-the-day segments.

Thanks for stopping by!

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THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

This week we have a pretty even mix of both cannabis and psychedelics news. 2023 Farm-Bill is coming soon, what to expect? A few popular topics explore the latest opioid to hit the market, which is said to be stronger than fentanyl and comes along with public fears of a worsening opioid epidemic. Also covered is how legal cannabis impacts big pharma, how a medical setting impacts psychedelic therapy, and more!

Worse Than Fentanyl? New Opioid Isotonitazene Deepens Opioid Issue

Isotonitazene is a newer opioid to cause problems
Isotonitazene is a newer opioid to cause problems

Considering how strong fentanyl is, and the absolute devastation it’s had on the American public, it’s a bit crazy to think that a new, and even stronger opioid was just released. It’s name is isotonitazene, and it is said to be 20-100 times more powerful than fentanyl, making it around 500 time stronger than morphine. Will this make the already terrible opioid situation, even worse?

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What’s The Deal with Shoddy Vape Carts Lately?

What’s The Deal with Shoddy Vape Carts Lately?

Over the past few months, we’ve observed a significant decrease in the caliber of the vape cartridges we purchase. Strangely, it’s not the concentrate inside that’s the issue, but rather the carts themselves. Whether it’s leakage or complete disintegration, the majority of vape carts we’ve bought in the past year have been of poor quality. What’s going on?

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2023 Farm-Bill Under Construction: What to Expect

2023 Farm-Bill
2023 Farm-Bill

It’s that time again… time for a new and “improved” farm bill. A farm bill is a set of laws that governs a wide array of food and agricultural program, including hemp which is federally legal. The last one sure shook things up with its legalization of industrial hemp and derived products. But it also created many messes. Now with the new 2023 farm bill under construction, the burning question is, how will it impact the industry?

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Does A Medical Setting Affect Psychedelic Treatment?

How does medical setting affect psychedelic treatment, 2023 farm-bill
Does A Medical Setting Affect Psychedelic Treatment?

As psychedelics gain acceptance quickly, laws in different states are changing to accommodate their possession and use. So far though, the only states to legalize have done so with an allowance for use in a medical/supervised setting. But is this really the most beneficial setting in which to use these compounds, or can it get in the way of true spiritual healing?

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DEAL OF THE DAY

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Additional Reading:

A few more articles for your reading pleasure, such as the 2023 farm-bill, medical cannabis, salvia, Delta 9 vs Delta 8 etc.

Delta-8 THC vs Delta-9 THC: What Are the Key Differences?

Delta-8 THC vs Delta-9 THC, 2023 farm bill
Delta-8 THC vs Delta-9 THC

For centuries, cannabis has been a widely used substance valued for its psychoactive effects and medicinal properties. Among the many cannabinoids found in cannabis, two of the most prevalent psychoactive compounds today are Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC. Despite their similar names, these compounds differ in their chemical makeup, psychoactive effects, medicinal uses, and legal status. What distinguishes Delta-8 THC from Delta-9 THC?

Continue reading »

Colombia Now Has Mandatory Medical Cannabis as a Part of Healthcare

Colombia is instituting medical cannabis as a part of healthcare
Colombia Now Has Mandatory Medical Cannabis as a Part of Healthcare

Columbia ended 2022 on a high note by announcing that medical cannabis is now a mandatory part of their healthcare program. That means that approved, plant-based cannabis products will be covered by insurance, for all residents. Resolution 2808 also added more medical conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis, like: chronic and neuropathic pain, cancer pain, sleep disorders, epilepsy, and fibromyalgia.

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In Which US States is Salvia Illegal?

Salvia regulation in different states
Salvia regulation in different states

Because salvia has managed to mostly fly under the radar with only small windows of popularity over the years, it has managed to uphold a much looser legal structure than other hallucinogenic drugs. At the federal level, it’s actually completely legal. However, several states have implemented some form of legislation to regulate the plant and its products. 

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Do People Consume More Drugs on Blue Monday?

Do People Consume More Drugs on Blue Monday?
Do People Consume More Drugs on Blue Monday?

Monday’s suck, but according to past studies, one particular Monday is worse than the rest. Blue Monday, or the third Monday of January, holds the title of Blue Monday, the worst Monday of the year. An interesting facet to all this, is what happens on Blue Monday, and more specifically, do people use more drugs on that day in order to ease their Monday blues?

Continue reading »

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thc-o sale 50% discount
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Keep Yourself Informed

All the latest from Psychedelics and Cannabis
All the latest from Psychedelics and Cannabis

For all the latest from Psychedelics and Cannabis, follow our Telegram Channel.

 Get our daily updates

News from the Week:


*** Meet Psilomethoxin, the Love Child of Psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT

*** The Positives and Negatives of Magic Mushrooms

*** 5 Weirdest ways to Consume Cannabis

*** Salvia: Tricks of Use for the Best Experience

*** The Lowdown On Syria As The New Captagon Narco State

*** Why is Everyone ‘Shelving’ their Drugs?

*** Global Mushrooms Legality

We hope you enjoyed this week’s review. We work hard to find and verify the best products, so we may include affiliate links to support the maintenance and development of this site. 

Best, 
The Cannadelics team 

*** Disclaimer: As the legality of cannabinoids and psychedelics changes between state to state, you should always check with your local authorities first.

The post 2023 Farm-Bill, Delta-8 vs Delta-9, Isotonitazene, Medical Cannabis – The Cannadelics Sunday Edition appeared first on Cannadelics.

Study: Legal MJ Laws Create ‘Significant’ Dip in Pharmacy-Based Codeine Distribution

January 24, 2023 Published by

The study, published January 19 in Health Economics, found a significant reduction in pharmacy-based codeine distribution among states that have legalized cannabis for recreational use. From a public health perspective, it’s a promising finding, continuing to affirm that cannabis is leading people away from prescription opioids, which contribute to more than 10,000 overdose deaths annually.

Codeine has seen a rise in popularity as a recreational drug over the last several years, especially among teens. Users often mix codeine cough syrup with soda (often called Lean, Purple Drank or Sizzurp); while it often leads to a feeling of relaxation and happiness, the feelings are not long-lasting, one reason for the substance’s high potential for abuse.

Generally, codeine (especially in syrup form) is prescribed in conjunction with other medications to reduce coughing and relieve pain.

“A reduction in the misuse of opioids will save lives,” said doctoral candidate and lead author Shyam Raman in a Cornell University blog post discussing the study. “Our research indicates that recreational cannabis laws substantially reduce distribution of codeine to pharmacies, an overlooked potential benefit to legalizing recreational cannabis use.”

The study is believed to be one of the first to separately examine the impact on recreational cannabis laws on shipments of opioids to hospitals, pharmacies and other endpoint distributors. The authors additionally note that the study adds to existing literature by examining the impacts of recreational cannabis laws on prescription opioid dispensing “across all payers and endpoints,” to adjust for important opioid-related policies such as prescribing limits and modeling opioids separately by time.

Ultimately, the research revealed a 267% reduction in pharmacy-based distribution of codeine and as much as a 37% reduction after recreational cannabis laws were in effect for four years or more. There was, however, “a minimal impact” on distribution of other opioids, like oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine in any setting. The study authors also noted a “minimal impact” on codeine distribution by hospitals, which they say have “less permissive policies than pharmacies.”

Senior author Coleman Drake, of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, called these findings particularly meaningful, citing previous studies’ focuses on more potent opioids. Codeine, he said, is “a weaker drug with a higher potential for addiction.”

Drake continued, “It indicates people may be obtaining codeine from pharmacies for misuse, and that recreational cannabis laws reduce this illicit demand.”

W. David Bradford (University of Georgia) and Johanna Catherine Maclean, Ph.D. (George Mason University) were also authors on the study.

Maclean spoke about the similarities and differences between cannabis and opioids based on health, noting that while the two substances can both be used to minimize chronic pain symptoms, they aren’t equivalent when it comes to the impact on an individual’s health. The authors conclude that codeine is particularly likely to be used non-medically; therefore, the findings further support the promise of legal cannabis from a public health perspective.

“Increasing legal access to cannabis may shift some consumers away from opioids and toward cannabis,” Maclean said. “While all substances have some risks, cannabis use is arguably less harmful to health than the nonmedical use of prescription opioids.”

The study follows a number of other recent analyses similarly looking at the impact of cannabis legalization on drug use, prescribed or otherwise. In September 2022, one study found that nearly four out of five patients reported “cessation or reduction in pain medication use” after they began using medical cannabis regularly. 

American youth have also been shown to steer away from booze in favor of cannabis over the years, with cannabis use rising 245% since the year 2000 in the U.S., while alcohol use has steadily declined over that same period. Another adjacent outcome, a new federally funded study found that people living in states with legal cannabis experience lower rates of alcohol use disorder, compared to those states where cannabis is still criminalized.

The post Study: Legal MJ Laws Create ‘Significant’ Dip in Pharmacy-Based Codeine Distribution appeared first on High Times.

Study: A Quarter of People With Chronic Pain Use Cannabis

January 10, 2023 Published by

With medical cannabis legal in the majority of states in the country, the number of adults who have turned to the treatment for chronic pain has likewise increased.

That is the finding of a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan that was published in JAMA Network Open last week. 

The researchers contacted 1,724 adults, 96% of whom (1,661) completed the full survey. 

Among them, “31.0%…of adults with chronic pain reported having ever used cannabis to manage their pain; 25.9%… reported using cannabis to manage their chronic pain in the past 12 months, and 23.2%… reported using cannabis in the past 30 days,” the researchers wrote. 

The researchers said that “more than half of adults who used cannabis to manage their chronic pain reported that use of cannabis led them to decrease use of prescription opioid, prescription nonopioid, and over-the-counter pain medications, and less than 1% reported that use of cannabis increased their use of these medications.” 

“Fewer than half of respondents reported that cannabis use changed their use of nonpharmacologic pain treatments,” they wrote in their findings. “Among adults with chronic pain in this study, 38.7% reported that their used of cannabis led to decreased use of physical therapy (5.9% reported it led to increased use), 19.1% reported it led to decreased use of meditation (23.7% reported it led to increased use), and 26.0% reported it led to decreased used of cognitive behavioral therapy (17.1% reported it led to increased use).” 

Thirty-seven states in the U.S. have medical cannabis programs on the books. Among adults living with chronic pain in those states, “3 in 10 persons reported using cannabis to manage their pain,” according to the new study.

“Most persons who used cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain reported substituting cannabis in place of other pain medications including prescription opioids. The high degree of substitution of cannabis with both opioid and nonopioid treatment emphasizes the importance of research to clarify the effectiveness and potential adverse consequences of cannabis for chronic pain,” the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that state cannabis laws have enabled access to cannabis as an analgesic treatment despite knowledge gaps in use as a medical treatment for pain. Limitations include the possibility of sampling and self-reporting biases, although NORC AmeriSpeak uses best-practice probability-based recruitment, and changes in pain treatment from other factors (eg, forced opioid tapering).” 

The findings serve as another source of encouragement for advocates who hope patients continue to seek treatment from cannabis, rather than highly addictive prescription drugs. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than 564,000 people died from overdoses involving any opioid, including prescription and illicit opioids, from 1999-2020.”

The CDC says that the “rise in opioid overdose deaths can be outlined in three distinct waves.”

“The first wave began with increased prescribing of opioids in the 1990s, with overdose deaths involving prescription opioids (natural and semi-synthetic opioids and methadone) increasing since at least 1999,” according to the CDC. “The second wave began in 2010, with rapid increases in overdose deaths involving heroin. The third wave began in 2013, with significant increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, particularly those involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl. The market for illicitly manufactured fentanyl continues to change, and it can be found in combination with heroin, counterfeit pills, and cocaine.”

Mark Bicket, one of the authors of the new study who also serves as assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and co-director of the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, said that the “fact that patients report substituting cannabis for pain medications so much underscores the need for research on the benefits and risk of using cannabis for chronic pain.”

The post Study: A Quarter of People With Chronic Pain Use Cannabis appeared first on High Times.