IACM-Bulletin of 9 October 2011

* Science: Cannabis improves symptoms of posttraumatic stress
disorder in an observational study

1.

Science: Cannabis improves symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder
in an observational study

According to an observational study by scientists of MaReNa
Diagnostic and Consulting Center in Bat-Yam, Israel, presented at the
Cannabinoid Conference 2011 in Bonn, Germany, the use of cannabis may
improve symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. As a part of their
routine consulting work, they assessed the mental condition of 79
adult PTSD patients, who applied to the Ministry of Health in order
to obtain a license for the medical use of cannabis. Only part of
them (about 50 per cent) got cannabis licenses and constitutes the
study group. They were followed for a period of about two years.

The majority of PTSD patients also used conventional medications,
prescribed by their treating physicians. The cannabis daily dosage
was about 2-3 grams per day. In most cases a significant improvement
in quality of life and pain, with some positive changes in severity
of posttraumatic stress disorder was observed. The patients reported
a discontinuation or lowering of the dosage of pain killers and
sedatives. The majority of improved PTSD patients belonged to groups
with either additional pain and/or depression. Researchers concluded
that "results show good tolerability and other benefits (...)
particularly, in the patients with either pain and/or depression
comorbidity."

More abstracts:
Abstract book of the Cannabinoid Conference 2011:
- http://www.cannabis-med.org
- http://www.cannabis-med.org/meeting/Bon … ctbook.pdf

(Source: Reznik I. Medical cannabis use in post-traumatic stress
disorder: a naturalistic observational study. Abstract presented at
the Cannabinoid Conference 2011, 8-10 September, Bonn, Germany.)

2.

News in brief

***USA: Rhode Island
State-run medical cannabis dispensaries will not be coming to Rhode
Island after Governor Lincoln Chafee scrapped the plan for fear it
was illegal under federal law. Chafee, who had earlier vowed support
for the measure, said he decided the state's planned dispensaries
could violate federal law and become a target of federal law
enforcement efforts. Before his reversal, Chafee had hoped to
implement a 2009 state law allowing cannabis distribution through
three state-run, so-called "compassion centers." (Source: Reuters of
30 September 2011)

***The Netherlands: Coffee shops
Foreign tourists have been banned from cannabis-selling coffee shops
in the Dutch border city of Maastricht. According to the BBC the ban
does not apply to visitors from Belgium or Germany, who make up the
majority of foreign clients. There are about 700 cannabis-selling
coffee shops throughout the Netherlands. (Source: BBC News of 1
October 2011)

***Science: Cannabis and accident risk
According to a meta-analysis of 9 epidemiological studies published
in English in the past 20 years on cannabis use and crash risk, the
relative risk reported in the studies ranged from 0.85 to 7.16,
resulting in a summary odds ratio of 2.66, by far less than with
alcohol. (Source: Li MC, et al. Epidemiol Rev. 2011 Oct 4. [in
press])

***Science: CBDA
According to research at the University of Bradford, UK, cannabidiol
(CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) exert similar effects on the
readiness for contractions of the gastrointestinal tract of Suncus
murinus (musk shrew). In electrically stimulated tissues CBDA
inhibited contractions induced by lower frequencies, while CBD
inhibited contractions induced by higher frequencies. These effects
were independent of cannabinoid receptors. CBDA is the precursor of
CBD in the plant. (Source: Cluny NL, et al. Arch Pharm Res
2011;34(9):1509-17.)

***Science: Placebo analgesia
According to research at the University of Turin, Italy, both opioid
receptors and the CB1 receptor are involved in pain reduction caused
by placebos. Researchers concluded from their investigations that
"the endocannabinoid system has a pivotal role in placebo analgesia
in some circumstances when the opioid system is not involved."
(Source: Benedetti F, et al. Nat Med. 2011 Oct 2. [in press])

***Science: Ischemia
According to research at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, Saudi
Arabia, cannabidiol (CBD) prevented the liver from damage caused by
reduced blood perfusion (ischemia). Researchers concluded that
cannabidiol represents a potential therapeutic option to protect the
liver against injury caused by transient reduced supply with oxygen.
(Source: Fouad AA, Jresat I. Eur J Pharmacol. 2011 Sep 14. [in
press])

***Science: Pain
Scientists at Lanzhou University, China, investigated the interaction
between neuropeptide FF receptors and the endocannabinoid system.
Their animal research indicates that activation of central
neuropeptide FF receptors increases cannabinoid-mediated central and
peripheral pain reduction. They concluded that "the present work may
pave the way for a new strategy of using combination treatment of
cannabinoid and NPFF agonists for pain management." (Source: Fang Q,
et al. Neuropharmacology. 2011 Sep 19. [in press])

***Science: Panic
According to research at the University of São Paulo, Brazil,
anandamide probably exerts both panicolytic (panic reducing) and
panicogenic (panic causing) effects via its opposite actions at CB1
receptors and vanilloid receptors. (Source: Casarotto PC, et al.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011 Sep 21. [in press])

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