Cigarette smoking more harmful than cannabis use
Cannabis smoking and tobacco smoking appear to have disparate impacts on lung health, according to data published in the journal “Respiratory Research.”
Investigators affiliated with the University of California at Davis assessed the impact of tobacco smoke and cannabis smoke on airway health by analyzing subjects’ exhaled breath condensate (EBC).
They reported that cannabis consumers possessed breath profiles similar to those of nonsmokers. By contrast, tobacco smokers possessed profiles with elevated levels of certain inflammatory biomarkers.
“Cigarettes upregulate these inflammatory fatty acids, but we didn’t see that nearly as much with marijuana and marijuana products,” one of the study’s authors said. “When we look at the signatures from the marijuana smokers, they look closer to nonusers and nonsmokers than the tobacco smokers, and that was a surprise to us.”
Prior studies have similarly determined that cannabis consumers are exposed to fewer harmful toxicants as compared to those who smoke tobacco cigarettes.
Numerous studies have concluded that cannabis smoke and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic. Moreover, the use of vaporization technology, which heats herbal cannabis to a set temperature below the point of combustion, is associated with reduced exposure to toxic gases and has been identified as a “safe and effective” cannabis delivery device in clinical trial settings.
Full text of the study, “Impacts of vaping and marijuana use on airway health as determined by exhaled breath condensate,” appears in “Respiratory Research.” Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, “Cannabis Exposure and Lung Health.”
Patients with epilepsy improve after medical cannabis therapy
Patients with refractory epilepsy report sustained improvements in their symptoms following the use of medical cannabis preparations, according to observational data published in the journal Brain and Behavior.
British investigators assessed the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in a cohort of 134 patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. (British health care providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Patients’ outcomes were assessed at one, three, and six months.
Medical cannabis treatment was associated with improvements in patient reported, epilepsy specific outcomes, alongside improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and health-related quality of life. Over 96% of study subjects reported no adverse events from cannabis treatment.
“Treatment with CBMPs was associated with an improvement in both epilepsy-specific and general HRQoL (health-related quality of life) outcomes at one, three and six months,” the study’s authors said. “This study shows the promising potential of CBMPs as an adjunctive treatment option in the management of TRE (treatment-resistant epilepsy.)”
In 2018, regulators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted market approval to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among those enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for patients diagnosed with cancer-related pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, hypermobility disorders, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.
Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for epilepsy,” appears in “Brain and Behavior.” Additional information on cannabis and epilepsy is available from NORML’s publication, “Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.”
Cannabis use in arthritis
patients linked with reduced mortality, hospital costs
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who consume cannabis are less likely to die while hospitalized and they incur fewer hospital-related expenses as compared to non-users, according to data published in the journal “Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings.”
Researchers affiliated with St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City assessed the relationship between cannabis use and inpatient outcomes in a cohort of more than 3.3 million RA patients over five years.
After adjusting for age, gender, race and comorbidities, cannabis use at the time of hospitalization was linked to decreased mortality (odds ratio: 0.50), depression (OR: 0.47), chronic pain (OR: 0.45), and anxiety (OR: 0.55). Cannabis consumers also incurred nearly 10% fewer hospital-related charges per visit.
“While these findings suggest potential benefits of cannabis use for symptom management, it is important to recognize that the current evidence is observational,” the study’s authors said. “Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms of these associations and to develop strategies that maximize the benefits of cannabis use while minimizing the risks.”
Other studies have similarly linked cannabis use with decreased in-hospital mortality, specifically among patients with acute myocardial infarction, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastroparesis, pancreatitis, HIV, burn-related injuries, traumatic brain injuries and various other types of severe trauma.
Survey data reports that as many as one in five arthritis patients use cannabis products to mitigate their symptoms and reduce their use of prescription opioids.
Full text of the study, “Inpatient outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis in hospitalized patients using cannabis: Data from the National Inpatient Sample,” appears in Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings. Additional information on cannabis and arthritis is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.
Chronic pain patients
improve with CBD use
Most patients who consume CBD say that it significantly reduces their chronic pain, according to data published in the scientific journal “Cureus.”
Researchers affiliated with the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine surveyed the efficacy of CBD in 121 chronic pain patients. Participants rated their pain at baseline and following CBD treatment on a scale of zero (no pain) to 10 (worst pain they have ever felt).
Over 98% of respondents reported pain mitigation following their use of CBD. On average, patients’ baseline pain fell 2.6 points on the 10-point numerical rating scale. Most participants (55%) reported no adverse side effects from CBD treatment.
Investigators reported that “CBD has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain in study respondents, regardless of the cause. Over 98% of participants self-reported an improvement to some extent of their chronic pain, ranging from a minimal reduction in pain (i.e., 1/10), to a complete resolution of chronic pain (i.e., 10/10), through CBD treatment.”
“The findings from the current project indicate that a majority of participants believe their chronic pain has improved with the usage of a CBD supplement,” the study’s authors said. “Most subjects used CBD between one and three times a day, with many finding relief with a dose of 100 mg or less. Furthermore, most respondents experienced either mild side effects or no side effects at all. Altogether, these findings may be comforting to individuals concerned about taking pain medication too frequently, at high doses, or about its associated adverse effects. While our research is certainly not exhaustive, it is a clear indication that the possibility of great benefit of CBD treatment exists in treating chronic pain.”
A placebo-controlled study performed by researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in Los Angeles previously reported that the use of commercially available CBD products is associated with “clinically meaningful” improvements in patients’ pain, anxiety, and sleep quality.
Full text of the study, “A survey on the use of cannabidiol isolate, its perceived benefits, and associated side effects among subjects with chronic pain,” appears in Cureus.
