#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:20:21 PST
Clinical Trial: CBD Gel Mitigates Symptoms in Patients with Fragile X Syndrome
Brisbane, Australia: The administration of a proprietary transdermal CBD gel (aka ZYN002) is safe and effective in patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS), according to clinical trial data published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
A team of researchers from Australia, Canada, and the United States assessed the use of CBD in 18 patients (aged 6 to 17 years old) diagnosed with FXS. Subjects received twice-daily dosing (between 50 mgs and 250 mgs) of the gel product for 12 weeks.
Subjects experienced "a statistically significant reduction in the mean ADAMS [the Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Scale] total score from screening to week 12." Respondents also showed mean reductions on measurements of hyperactivity, social avoidance, general anxiety, and compulsive behavior.
Authors concluded, "In this open-label study, ZYN002 CBD gel was well tolerated and produced clinically and statistically meaningful reductions in anxiety and behavioral symptoms among children and adolescents with FXS. ... Given the lack of medications approved for the treatment of FXS, this open-label study findings highlight the urgent need for randomized, controlled, clinical trials to further assess the safety and efficacy of ZYN002 for FXS symptoms ranging from social avoidance, irritability, social unresponsiveness/lethargy, and stereotypy, to anxiety."
A series of case reports published in May similarly showed a reduction in FSX symptoms in patients treated with CBD. In two of the three cases, symptoms returned after CBD treatment was discontinued, but then improved following the reintroduction of CBD therapy.
Full text of the study, "A phase ½, open-label assessment of the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of transdermal cannabidiol (ZYN002) for the treatment of pediatric fragile X syndrome," appears in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Federal Report: Youth Marijuana Use Steadily Declining
Rockville, MD: The self-reported use of marijuana by teenagers continues to decline nationally, according to federal data reported by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The agency's 2018 report finds that past-year marijuana use by those ages 12 to 17 has fallen consistently since 2002, from 15.8 percent to 12.5 percent. Since 2012, when Colorado and Washington became the first states to regulate adult-use access, past-year youth use has fallen eight percent.
By contrast, self-reported cannabis use by Americans ages 18 and older has risen during this same time period.
The federal data also reports a consistent year-over-year decline in the prevalence of so-called "marijuana use disorder" among teens – a finding that is consistent with other studies.
Separate evaluations of marijuana use patterns specifically in cannabis legalization states show little if any change in cannabis use or access by teenagers. Data published online in JAMA Pediatrics in July reported that states with "recreational marijuana laws were associated with an eight percent decrease in the odds of marijuana use and a nine percent decrease in the odds of frequent marijuana use" among teens.
Gallup: One in Seven Americans Use CBD Products
Princeton, NJ: An estimated one in seven US adults acknowledges using CBD-infused products, according to national polling data compiled by Gallup.
Fourteen percent of Americans say that they utilize CBD. Use is most prevalent among those between the ages of 18 to 29.
Those consuming CBD products were most likely to report using them for pain (40 percent), anxiety (20 percent), or insomnia (11 percent).
In December, Congress enacted legislation removing industrial hemp (defined as cannabis containing less than 0.3 percent THC) and products containing cannabinoids derived from hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act. However, regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration have taken the position that such products cannot legally be marketed as either medicines, food additives, or health supplements. The agency has established a working group to address the issue, but has cautioned that regulations may not be forthcoming for some time.
Studies: Cannabis Access Associated with Fewer Opioid Overdoses
Amherst, MA: Legal access to cannabis is associated with a reduction in opioid-related fatalities, according to a pair of studies published in the journal Economic Inquiry.
In the first paper, researchers associated with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Colorado State University assessed the relationship between the passage of statewide marijuana legalization laws and opioid overdose fatalities. They reported that the passage of recreational marijuana laws is associated with an estimated reduction in annual opioid mortality "in the range of 20 to 35 percent, with particularly pronounced effects for synthetic cannabinoids."
The second paper, authored by a faculty member at the University at Arkansas at Little Rock, assessed the relationship between dispensary openings and opioid-related harms. The author reported, "[C]ounty‐level prescription opioid‐related fatalities decline by 11 percent following the opening a dispensary."
The papers' findings are similar to those of several prior observational studies. By contrast, data published in June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported that these trends were not sustainable over time.
Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Self-Reported Reductions in Pain
Albuquerque, NM: Patients self-report significant reductions in pain following cannabis consumption, according to data published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico assessed real-time responses from nearly 3,000 subjects concerning cannabis' impact on momentary pain intensity. They reported that subjects, on average, reported "a three-point drop in pain suffering on a zero-to-10 point scale immediately following cannabis consumption."
Authors reported that the use of herbal cannabis "was associated with greater pain relief than were other types of products, and higher tetrahydrocannabinol levels were the strongest predictors of analgesia and side effects prevalence across the five pain categories. In contrast, cannabidiol levels generally were not associated with pain relief except for a negative association between CBD and relief from gastrointestinal and non-specified pain."
Commenting on the findings, one of the study's lead investigators said, "Cannabis offers the average patient an effective alternative to using opioids for general use in the treatment of pain with very minimal negative side effects for most people."
Several placebo-controlled trials validate the pain-relieving properties of cannabis, particularly to mitigate neuropathy. A 2017 literature review by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined, "There is conclusive or substantial evidence that cannabis [is] effective for the treatment of chronic pain in adults."
Full text of the study, "The effectiveness of self-directed medical cannabis treatment for pain," appears in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Illinois: Governor Signs Medical Cannabis Expansion Law
Springfield, IL: Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzer has signed legislation into law expanding the pool of qualifying patients eligible for medical cannabis therapy.
Senate Bill 2023, which took effect upon signing, permits physicians to recommend medical cannabis for patients diagnosed with autism, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis, and several other conditions. It also permits physician assistants and registered nurses to issue cannabis recommendations.
The Governor also signed separate legislation into law (SB 455 aka Ashley's Law) mandating school districts to permit "a school nurse ... to administer a medical cannabis infused product to a student who is a registered qualifying patient while on school premises." The new law takes effect on January 1, 2020.
An estimated 40,000 Illinois residents are registered in the state's medical cannabis access program.
