Medical Uses of Cannabis

Explore the Effect of Cannabis on Blood Pressure: What is Present Medical Evidence The consumption of cannabis is a personal reaction that can vary significantly in blood pressure through dosage, mode of consumption, or individual physiology. The typical reaction to THC is, then, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, this reaction can happen within minutes of inhalation. On the back end of the metabolism process, it may end up having a hypotensive effect. Regular tracking of blood pressure would ideally help you identify your personal reaction pattern to cannabis consumption and help identify any concerning trends happening before it becomes an issue. Understanding Strain-Specific Cardiovascular Effects and Interactions Different cannabis strains will exhibit different blood pressure responses because each strain carries different cannabinoid profiles. The cannabis strain must be identified for its physiological interactions with blood pressure based on the specific chemical composition present. Furthermore, each strain will be considerably different making strain selection important for managing an individual person’s cardiovascular health. Type of Strain Percentage of THC Percentage of CBD Blood Pressure Effect Risk to Cardiovascular Health High-THC Sativa 15% – 30% < 1% Initial increase in BP Moderate to High Balanced Hybrid 8% – 15% 8% – 15% Typically moderate fluctuation Low to Moderate CBD-Dominant < 5% in THC 15%-25% in CBD Might stabilize Low High-CBD Hemp <0.3% 10% – 20% Minimal changes to BP Very low Timing of Cannabis Around Actual Physical Activity Using cannabis before exercise can heighten blood pressure fluctuations, and generally increase the cardiac workload without beneficial effects. Some timing recommendations are: Don’t use cannabis 2-3 hours before intense physical activity If you are monitoring blood pressure, particularly monitor it diligently it more often in the first couple of weeks of using cannabis Always time your cannabis use during planned periods of rest or low/low to moderate activity Time patterns should remain the same each time to allow more consistent predictions of bodily responses Coordinate with Healthcare Provider Team In the same way that many prescriptions for blood pressure issues will interact with pieces of the cannabis compounds, cannabis can amplify or decrease the therapeutic levels of those cardiovascular effects. Coordinate monitoring schedules, and dosages with your healthcare provider team to a degree that will usefully modify your cannabis usage pattern in a way to create more effective overall health. Chest pain, severe dizziness, heart palpitations for a long time, and blood pressure values above 180/120mmHg should prompt medical assessments. Likely emergency issues experiencing dangerous cardiovascular responses that should not be dealt with via self-managing options. Responsible use will require regular education, appropriate monitoring by health care providers, and possible medical management adjusted for one’s individual health care profile. The effect of cannabis on blood pressure remains a developing area of medical evidence and research. As more evidence is produced and published, it updates our understanding and ever-changing ways cannabis will affect blood pressure and cardiovascular responses.

Potential of Cannabis Extracts to Help Combat Cancer Cells: Expert Views You Should Know Recently, laboratory studies have painted a compelling picture: certain cannabinoids in cannabis extracts act in the body with cancer cell receptors in interesting ways. For example, THC and CBD appear to induce cancer cell apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in malignant cells without adversely affecting healthy tissue (to a large extent).    These cannabinoid effects noted on cancer cells reflect a unique precision for cancer treatment as opposed to traditional chemotherapy, which has a kill-all effect on both cancer and healthy cells. Identifiable Compounds with Promise for Cancer Cells The therapeutic action of cannabis compounds is likely rooted in the volume of chemicals it contains. Below is a summary of important distinctions drawn from research today: Cannabidiol (CBD): exhibits anti-proliferative effects on a variety of cancer cell lines Delta-9-THC: claimed ability to suppress tumor growth in some cancer types Cannabigerol (CBG): Carbon 1 which can result in disrupted metabolic use of energy in cancer cells Terpenes: may improve the overall anticancer effects with synergistic action Study Progress of Cannabis Extract Applications to Cancer Cancer Type Study Phase Cannabinoid of Importance Observed Results Treatment Duration Glioblastoma Phase II THC:CBD (1:1) 15-30% tumor shrinkage months Breast Cancer Preclinical High-CBD extract inhibition of metastasis weeks Prostate Cancer Phase I CBG-dominant decreased PSA levels weeks Lung Cancer Laboratory full spectrum extract cell migration inhibition weeks Colon Cancer Phase I/II CBD isolate reduced inflammation scores weeks Pancreatic Cancer Preclinical THC + terpenes increased response to chemotherapy weeks Leukemia Laboratory Pure cannabinoids decrease in blast cell counts weeks Note: This changing data represents preliminary observations in ongoing studies. Acceptable results may differ enormously from individual case analysis while requiring larger clinical trials for confirmation. Observational studies indicate that methods of delivery of cannabis extracts seem to make a significant impact on the ability of compounds to reach cancer cells. Liposomal encapsulation and nanoemulsion technology seem to have demonstrated bioavailability and directed delivery to sites of tumor neogenesis quite effectively. Clinical Research Updates Current human research that focuses on formulations of cannabis extracts as adjuncts to treatment paradigms is gaining traction. Providing optimal doses and identifying the most favorable tumor types to respond to cannabinoids are ongoing efforts. The prospects look bright for cannabis-based cancer treatment, but we are still in the early stages of understanding its full therapeutic value.

How Cannabis Can Help Manage Endometriosis: An Essential Guide for Women Endometriosis is a disorder affecting millions of women globally. It results in extreme pain and can change and affect the lives of these women. Many women find traditional means of managing endometriosis ineffective and are turning towards alternative means of treating it, including cannabis treatment, to pursue meaningful relief.   What is endometriosis pain? Endometriosis is when tissues resembling those of the uterus grow outside of the uterus. This causes inflammation, adhesions, and pain. Endometriosis is chronic and debilitating. Women suffering from endometriosis can experience pelvic pain, heavy menstruation, digestive issues, infertility and more. A significant portion of women try to manage their endometriosis pain with medications, or incorporate alternative therapies, and are left feeling as though they are not managing their pain effectively. Understanding how cannabis can relieve pain Cannabis contains cannabinoids that influence the body’s endocannabinoid system. For our purposes, we will focus on THC and CBD. These cannabinoids are significant in the body’s pain perception and inflammatory response. THC will relieve pain directly, while CBD provides relief from inflammation, with no psychoactive properties. Both qualities make cannabis effective when treating the complicated symptoms associated with endometriosis. What can cannabis do for endometriosis? Although research is scarce on Endometriosis and Weed combinations, studies have shown endometriosis and cannabis can provide an abundance of other therapeutic benefits including; reducing intensity of pelvic pain, limiting inflammation in the endometrial tissues, or aiding sleep for women who are sleep deprived due to their chronic pain. Many women have also reported massively reducing their reliance upon opioids, when women with endometriosis incorporate cannabis treatment options into their therapies. Ways to consume cannabis and dosing There are a variety of methods in which cannabis can be consumed, each has various benefits when managing endometriosis. As an example, vaporizing cannabis in a vaporizer provides quick relief for acute episodes of pain; edibles can provide longer lasting assessments for chronic symptoms, and topical options or patches can help alleviate localized pelvic pain where you are not planning to experience side effects. Establishing a starting point for dosing is important. Start with low doses and gradually and consistently increase the dosage until you have found an appropriate therapeutic level of dosing with your desired response. Discussing with your healthcare provider When you begin the process of discussing cannabis as a management option for your endometriosis, it will be important to have your health care team integrate Endometriosis and Weed options into your overall treatment plan. Many gynecologists are becoming increasingly educated around cannabis therapies and may help you establish a combined, your unique combo of treatment plans with your standard medications. Keeping detailed symptom journals as you recognize a meaningful response to cannabis treatment options will be beneficial when reporting back to your doctor to help when making adjustments to your overall treatment protocol. Combining cannabis treatment with dietary changes and stress relief practices, and appropriate medical treatment can provide the greatest symptom relief. 

Does marijuana affect dopamine? Understanding The Neural Connection Marijuana can have a profound impact on dopamine from the THC connection in the brain’s reward system. The THC binding to the VTA neurons induce the dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, which is the primary reward center of the brain, creating the euphoric feelings when using cannabis.    Mechanism of the Reward Pathway THC’s effect on dopamine follows the same neural pathway and induces a reward in a different mechanism than other substances that produce dopamine. Instead of activating the dopamine cells directly like cocaine or amphetamines would by activating the dopamine neurons, THC works by removing the inhibition on these dopamine cells.  Changes in Dopamine Release: Acute vs Chronic The chronic user of cannabis will display complex changes in dopamine function. While a light user will obtain a rush of dopamine with small amounts of cannabis, most chronic users will experience a different effect over time. The chronic or high-dose users will generally develop a much more blunted increase in dopamine levels with regular use of cannabis. A chronic user will likely need much larger quantities of cannabis in order to get the same effect they experienced before. This is considered tolerance. This adaptation that takes place in the brain is the same adaptation that takes place when someone repeatedly takes THC, the body adapts the repeated use and decreases their ability to produce dopamine and the sensitivity of dopamine receptors. Individual Factors Influence Responses Clearly, genetic factors will impact the effect that marijuana nicotine will have on dopamine release. People with certain genetic profiles have stronger responses to dopamine, meaning they may be more vulnerable to addiction. Individuals with other genetic profiles do not have much dopamine activation resulting from cannabis use. CBD and Dopamine Function In contrast to THC, CBD does not have direct effects on dopamine, and we may even influence THCs dopamine activity. CBD has been shown to decrease dopamine release in the reward circuits of the brain, which could partially explain why high CBD strains have little euphoric release. We cannot conclude anything definitively based on these separate actions because their co-existence seems to be critical to the overall dopamine response.  Consequences of Depressing Motivational Systems Marijuana use has questionable consequences on the motivational systems mediated by dopamine, and there is a possibility that heavy users experience an amotivational syndrome. Those with depressive depressive functioning have less interest in natural reward systems receive norepinephrine, and consequent to dopamine: food, social connections, and achievement outcomes.  Therapeutic dopamine system considerations The effects of MJ on dopamine function may be useful for patients who are dealing with dopamine system dysfunction. Some PD patients report symptom relief when they smoke cannabis, but those primarily because cannabis may impact their indirect support to their dopamine system. Patients with schizophrenia or other mood disorders with similar pathogens promise to experience exacerbations of their symptoms because of THC dopamine-enhancing effects. Age vulnerability to the dopamine system Adolescents are particularly sensitive to the dopamine function impacts of marijuana because the brains are still undergoing development. There is a critical delivery period of THC that may impact the development of the changes in the dopamine system, with long term consequences for performance and susceptibility. Future directions The advances in neuro-imaging and brain scanning continue to find new functions for cannabis interaction and more developmental descriptions about marijuana use. Together with these understandings will offer new perspectives on THC use: tolerance, safety and therapeutic use, and substance abuse and addiction.

Mix weed with antibiotics: possible side effects Antibiotics are a class of drugs that kill bacteria while cannabis has effects that are mediated through THC and CBD on the nervous system, and immune system. While there are lots of effects of cannabis and antibiotics that are involving the nervous system and immune system that may overlap, and some of the effects of cannabis and antibiotics may directly contradict one another. There is no objective contraindication to smoking cannabis while taking an antibiotic. Common sense is always the best policy.  Affecting the metabolism of antibiotics: Cannabis can inhibit enzyme activity that is produced in the liver, and liver enzymes in the cytochrome family of enzymes specifically. The cytochrome P450 family of enzymes has some clinically important enzymes that metabolize all kinds of drugs, like many antibiotics. Inhibiting metabolic liver enzymes can result in increased (or decreased) concentrations of antibiotics in your blood. Significant increases (or decreases) in concentrations can change the antibiotic’s actions or produce more side effects from the clindamycin. Amplified side effects: Cannabis and antibiotics can have some overlapping adverse effects (ie: dizziness, sleepiness, nausea etc). If you are taking them both at the same time the dosing can amplify the adverse event profile from both medicinal agents – allowing the mixing of two polymerous medicinal plants to amplify side effects (that could make you feel more unpleasant), and it may significantly hinder your abilities to perform tasks requiring your full attention, at 100% of attention. Antibiotics and Immune Response: Antibiotics act on bacteria at a cellular level, whereas cannabis can and does interact with immune function. Some components of cannabis have been suggested as immunosuppressive. Researchers have identified components of the cannabis plant, which they have established a behavioral association to influence immune function. In theory, heavy use of cannabis may change immune response and potentially affect healing, yet we have no hard evidence. What Antibiotics are likely to interact with cannabis? We know that some single antibiotics go through hepatic metabolism where cannabis will affect: a. Macrolides (ie. erythromycin, clarithromycin) — Here there likely will be an interaction simply based on the fact it will affect hepatic metabolism. b. Fluoroquinolones (ie. ciprofloxacin) — Metabolized in part by considering hepatic metabolism, and thus potentially could be influenced. c. Rifampin — Strong hepatic enzyme inducer and can change the effects of cannabis and vice-versa. Most other antibiotics such as penicillins or cephalosporins are excreted unchanged and likely will not have a meaningful interaction. Recommended Approach to Using Cannabis and Antibiotic Use Direct your healthcare provider – You mention cannabis use to your prescriber or pharmacist, so risk assessment can occur if any. Assessment of a fact-based risk while using cannabis can depend on the antibiotic prescribed. Limit Higher Concentration THC – A higher uptake of THC possibly could enhance the side effects to be safer consider low THC or CBD dominant strains if you want to use cannabis. Anticipate Side Effects – Anticipate changes in increased dizziness, increased fatigue, or increased gastrointestinal disturbance and report to your prescriber always be cautious. Do your Round of antibiotics – Stop or make alterations to your antibiotic regimen at your own risk! Do Not do IT unless advised by a medical professional, even regardless of cannabis use. Avoid alcohol or other central nervous system depressants from the mix – Mixing cannabis and antibiotics with alcohol or other forms of CNS depressants could enhance negative side effects. There are very few studies in this field which means individual medicinal outcomes will vary greatly based on the antibiotic, cannabis strain, amount consumed, and individual biology. If you choose to consume cannabis while your healthcare provider has prescribed antibiotics, be informed, communicate with your healthcare providers, and monitor any of those systems in your body affected the most; you may be able to treat your symptoms and manage your recovery without aggravating your health.