#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Thu, 18 Mar 2021 04:20:21 PST
Nearly 25 Percent of Parkinson's Patients Have Used Cannabis During the Past Six Months
New York, NY: Nearly 25 percent of US patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) report having recently consumed cannabis, according to survey data compiled by the Parkinson's Foundation and published in the Nature imprint, Parkinson's Disease.
Among respondents, 24.5 percent affirmed having used cannabis in the prior six months. The majority of these consumers reported that it provided them with either "moderate or considerable improvement" in their symptoms, particularly in addressing anxiety, pain, sleep disorders, stiffness, and tremors. Most of these respondents said that they did not possesses a formal recommendation from their primary care physician to use cannabis. Slightly more than 20 percent of those who had recently tried cannabis reported no significant improvements in their condition.
Unlike many other patient populations, few PD patients reported reducing or eliminating their use of prescription medications in lieu of cannabis.
The study's authors concluded, "Our results suggest that although there are many people with PD using cannabis as a [complementary alternative] treatment for their motor and non-motor symptoms, the lack of formal guidance about cannabis usage for PD may underlie inconsistencies in use and reported effectiveness."
A just-published survey of German patients with PD reported that nearly one-in-ten respondents use cannabis to mitigate symptoms of the disease. Observational trial data has previously reported that cannabis inhalation is associated with improvements in tremor, rigidity, pain, sleep, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) in patients with Parkinson's.
Full text of the study, "Weeding through the haze: A survey on cannabis use among people living with Parkinson's disease in the US," appears in NPJ Parkinson's Disease.
Survey: Cannabis Use by Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Associated with Reductions in Need for Prescription Medicines
Derby, CT: The majority of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who consume medical cannabis report that it offsets symptoms of the disease and that it also reduces their need for prescription medications, according to survey data published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
A team of investigators affiliated with the Yale University-Griffin Prevention Research Center conducted structured surveys with 115 MS patients regarding their use of cannabis. Respondents were most likely to report that cannabis was effective in reducing symptoms of pain, insomnia, muscle cramps and spasms, as well as improving mood.
Consistent with studies of other patient populations, "a significant proportion of respondents" reported having either "stopped or reduced" their use of prescription medications after finding cannabis to be more effective for symptom management. In particular, patients frequently reported reducing or ceasing their use of "opioids, benzodiazepines, muscle relaxers and other pain medications" -- a finding that is also consistent with other studies.
Authors concluded: "MCU [medical cannabis use] among PWMS [patients with MS] can lead to the reduction or discontinuation of several categories of prescription medications for symptoms of MS. Persons reporting the most benefit from MCU tended to have a milder form of MS with less disability. ... This study confirms the benefit of cannabis in several common MS symptoms, extending these findings to show that benefit can be related to baseline severity of some symptoms."
The medicinal use of cannabis is relatively common among people with MS, with an estimated one-in-five patients reporting current use. A marijuana plant-derived oral extract drug, Sativex, is approved for the treatment of MS-related spasticity in a number of countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. It is not approved in the United States.
Full text of the study, "Patterns of medical cannabis use among patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis," appears in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
Study: Majority of Gynecologic Oncology Patients Say Medical Cannabis Is as Effective or Superior to Prescription Anti-Cancer Medicines
New Haven, CT: The majority of gynecologic oncology patients report that medical cannabis products are either as effective or more effective than prescription medications at mitigating symptoms of cancer and cancer-related treatments, according to data published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology Reports.
Investigators affiliated with Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut surveyed 31 gynecologic oncology patients at a single institution with respect to their use of medical cannabis. Seventy-four percent of the participants were undergoing either chemotherapy or immunotherapy at the time of the study.
Eighty-three percent of subjects reported that cannabis was effective for symptom management, specifically in the mitigation of neuropathy, insomnia, and anxiety, as well as for stimulating appetite. Most patients perceived the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis to be either equal to or superior to conventional medications. Consistent with the findings of other studies, many patients reported decreasing their use of opioids after initiating medical cannabis therapy.
Authors concluded: "The majority of patients in our study felt that medical cannabis was equivalent or superior in efficacy to other medications (e.g., opioids, antiemetics, anxiolytics, and sleep aids) in relieving their symptoms. ... Of the subset of patients using medical cannabis for pain, 63 percent reported a reduction in opioid use. ... These data suggest medical cannabis may be a reasonable alternative or adjunct to medications frequently used for cancer or treatment-related symptoms."
Full text of the study, "Prescribed medical cannabis in women with gynecologic malignancies: A single-institution survey-based study," appears in Gynecologic Oncology Reports.
Pennsylvania: Governor Issues Pardons for Those with Past Marijuana Convictions
Harrisburg, PA: Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has granted pardons to dozens of low-level marijuana offenders. The pardons were granted as part of an expedited process put into place last September via the Board of Pardons. That process, which was spearheaded by Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, explicitly facilitates the expedited review of those with criminal records for low-level marijuana violations.
To date, the Governor has issued expedited pardons to just under 100 marijuana offenders.
In recent months, lawmakers and public officials in various states have taken aggressive steps to review and vacate the criminal records of tens of thousands of people with marijuana convictions. In California alone, over 100,000 citizens had their records expunged. In several other states -- including Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, and Washington -- public officials granted pardons to tens of thousands of citizens with cannabis convictions.
Said NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano: "Millions of citizens unduly carry the burden and stigmatization of a past conviction for behavior that most Americans no longer believe ought to be a crime, and that in a growing number of states is no longer classify as a crime by statute. Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that officials move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization."
Review: THC Influences Driving Performance -- Less So in Medical Patients, Regular Consumers
Sydney, Australia: The administration of THC influences psychomotor performance; however, these changes in performance are less pronounced in subjects who are either regular consumers of cannabis or who are using it to treat a chronic medical condition.
A team of investigators at the University of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia analyzed 80 research studies, involving nearly 3,500 participants, assessing the acute effects of THC administration on driving performance.
Researchers reported that subjects under the influence of THC tended to exhibit changes in specific skills associated with safe driving, including changes in their reaction time, their ability to maintain lateral control, and their ability to multitask. Further, they acknowledged that more experienced consumers, as well as those who used cannabis primarily for medical purposes, were less likely to exhibit as significant changes in their performance -- a finding that is consistent with prior research papers, such as those here, here, and here.
Authors concluded: "Overall, our results confirm that Δ9-THC impairs aspects of driving performance and demonstrate that the magnitude and duration of this impairment depends on the dose provided, route of administration and frequency with which individuals use cannabis. ... Specifically, regular cannabis use (i.e. weekly or more often) was associated with less cognitive impairment following acute Δ9-THC administration. ... There appears to be no universal answer to the question of "how long to wait before driving?" following cannabis use: consideration of multiple factors is therefore required to determine appropriate delays between Δ9-THC use and the performance of safety-sensitive tasks."
Full text of the study, "Determining the magnitude and duration of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced driving and cognitive impairment: A systemic and meta-analytic review," appears in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
Mexico: Lawmakers Advance Adult-Use Legalization Plan
Mexico City, Mexico: Lawmakers in Mexico's lower chamber voted 316 to 129 on Wednesday in favor of amended legislation to legalize and license the adult-use marijuana market. Because House lawmakers made changes to the language of the bill, it must now go back to the Senate for reconsideration.
Under the proposal, those ages 18 and older would be permitted to legally possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to 28 grams). Home cultivation of up to six plants is also permitted. Corporate production and retail sales will be allowed under a commercial licensing scheme.
Medical cannabis production and distribution, which is already permitted on a limited basis, will continue to be regulated separately by Mexico's health ministry.
In 2018, justices on Mexico's Supreme Court struck down Mexico's marijuana criminalization laws and ordered lawmakers to enact legislation regulating the plant's production, sale, and use.
If approved, Mexico will join Canada and Uruguay as the only other countries to have formally adopted marijuana legalization nationwide.
