Category: Health Care

The use of oral formulations of cannabis and cannabinoids mitigate symptoms in patients with refractory pain, according to the findings of three recent human trials. In the first study, Australian researchers assessed the use of plant-derived cannabis extract oils over a three-month period in patients suffering from treatment-resistant pain. All participants experienced reductions in their pain … Continue reading Orally Administered Cannabinoids Effective in Treating Refractory Pain

The administration of oral THC (e.g., dronabinol) is associated with prolonged survival times in patients with advanced illnesses who are at the end-stages of their lives, according to preliminary data posted online by a team of German researchers.  Investigators assessed the use of cannabis-based medicines in relation to survival times in a cohort of patients in Specialized … Continue reading Oral THC Treatment Associated with Prolonged Survival Times in Palliative Outpatient Care Patients

The use of either whole-plant cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids is effective at mitigating back pain, according to a review of randomized controlled studies published in Global Spine Journal. A team of investigators affiliated with the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, Washington conducted a systematic review of the use of cannabinoids to treat nonsurgical back pain. In each of … Continue reading Review: Cannabinoids Effective for Mitigating Back Pain

Chronic pain patients dramatically reduce their use of prescription opioids following their enrollment into a statewide medical cannabis access program, according to data published in the journal Cureus.  A team of investigators assessed opioid use trends in a cohort of 63 pain patients following their registration into Delaware’s medical cannabis program. All 63 patients were using prescription opioids … Continue reading Study: Chronic Pain Patients Significantly Decrease Opioid Use Following Initiation of Medical Cannabis

Participants in the opioid recovery subreddit online social platform frequently report consuming cannabis as an option for managing symptoms of opioid withdrawal, according to data published in the journal PLoS One.  Investigators affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco and with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore analyzed all online posts mentioning cannabis … Continue reading Analysis: Opioid Recovery Subreddit Users Frequently Report Using Cannabis for Treating Withdrawal Symptoms

The use of either herbal cannabis or medicines containing plant-derived cannabinoids is associated with significant reductions in patients’ neuropathic pain, according to a review of placebo-controlled clinical trial data published in the Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Researchers with the University of Southern California reviewed data from 17 placebo-controlled clinical trials involving 861 neuropathic pain patients. … Continue reading Analysis: Plant-Derived Cannabinoids Provide Relief from Neuropathic Pain

More than a quarter of patients diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease report having used cannabis therapeutically, according to survey data published in the Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal. A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine surveyed IBD patients about their use of medical marijuana. Medical cannabis products are legal in Puerto Rico for … Continue reading Survey: IBD Patients Frequently Report Using Medical Cannabis

Between 20 percent and one-third of older adults who consume CBD-dominant cannabis products for medical purposes reduce their use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines, according to data published in the journal Drugs & Aging.  A team of Canadian researchers assessed marijuana consumption patterns in a cohort of nearly 10,000 patients ages 65 and older over a six-year period. … Continue reading Study: Use of CBD-Dominant Cannabis Associated with Reduced Prescription Drug Use Among Some Older Adults

Surgery patients with a history of moderate cannabis use are no more likely to experience adverse perioperative outcomes than are those with no history of use, according to data presented at the 2021 Meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Canadian researchers assessed surgical outcomes among a cohort of cannabis users and non-users at a … Continue reading Analysis: Cannabis Use Not Associated with Increased Risk of Adverse Perioperative Outcomes

A significant percentage of health care practitioners possess only limited knowledge about the use and efficacy of medical cannabis, according to survey data published in the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.  A team of investigators affiliated with the Oregon Health & Science University surveyed 178 health care professionals (physicians, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners) attending … Continue reading Survey: Many Health Care Professionals Possess a “Poor” Understanding of Cannabis Use for Medical Purposes