"Cannabis sativa defines a medicinal plant with significant pharmacological properties."
Kumar P et al (2021) Phytotherapy Research, 35(11), 6010-6029.
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There is a wealth of research about cannabis and the endocannabinoid system
As a scientist I will always believe we need more research – it is our nature to be constantly seeking to understand the unknown. But I think that we often are fed the line of “we need more research” before we validate cannabis as medicine and to me that is not true. I believe we have more than enough evidence that cannabis is therapeutic and a reduction of harm from other options for many different chronic, often debilitating conditions.
Do we know enough about the therapeutic benefits of using cannabis and relative risks at medicinal doses and dose schedules to say there’s a net benefit? I believe we have more than enough scientific information to say, “yes we do.” The problem is not the cannabis. The problem is a lack of education and accountability in our community coupled with an intentional negative framing of cannabis research in the mainstream media.
Here are some great open access (free) scientific journal articles and reviews that cover the unique therapeutic actions of the endocannabinoid system and how cannabis can be a tool for balancing it.
- Hui-Chen Lu and Ken Mackie. (2017) An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system. HHS Author Manuscripts 79(7), 516-525. [LINK]
- Russo EB. (2016) Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency reconsidered: current research supports the theory in migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, and other treatment-resistant syndromes. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 1(1), 154-165. [LINK]
- Gunduz-Cinar O. (2021) The endocannabinoid system in the amygdala and modulation of fear. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 105, 110116. [LINK]
- Peters KZ, Cheer JF, and Ronini R. (2021) Modulating the Neuromodulators: Dopamine, Serotonin, and the Endocannabinoid System. Trends in Neuroscience 44(6), 464-477. [LINK]
- Spanagel R. (2020) Cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in reward processing and addiction: from mechanisms to interventions. Dialogues Clin Neurosci 22(3), 241-250. [LINK]
- Sharkey KA and Wiley JW. (2016) The role of the endocannabinoid system in the brain-gut axis. Gastroenterology 151(2), 252-266. [LINK]
- Laezza C et al (2020) The endocannabinoid system: a target for cancer treatment. International J Molecular Sciences 21(3), 747. [LINK]
- Meccariello R et al. (2020) The epigenetics of the endocannabinoid system. International J Molecular sciences 21(3), 1113. [LINK]
- Christensen C et al. (2022) Clinical research evidence supporting administration and dosing recommendations of medicinal cannabis as analgesic in cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Medicine 12(1), 307. [LINK]
- Sherpa ML et al . (2022) Efficacy and safety of medical marijuana in migraine headache: a systematic review. Cureus 14(12), e32622. [LINK]
- Orsolini L et al. (2019) Use of medical cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a systematic review. Medicina (Kaunas) 55(9), 525. [LINK]
- Schleider LB, et al. (2019) Real life experience of medical cannabis treatment in autism: analysis of safety and efficacy. Scientific Reports 9, 200. [LINK]
- Hergert DC et al. (2021) Use of medical cannabis to treat traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma 38(14), 1904-1917. [LINK]
- Petzke F et al. (2022) Cannabis-based medicines and medical cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain. CNS Drugs 36(1), 31-44. [LINK]
- Livingston SJ et al (2020) Cannabis glandular trichomes alter morphology and metabolite content during flower maturation. Plant Journal 101(1), 37-56. [LINK]
- Balant M et al. (2021) Traditional uses of Cannabis: an analysis of the CANNUSE database. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 279(28) 114362. [LINK]
- Hurgobin B et al. (2021) Recent advances in Cannabis sativa genomics research. The New Phytologist 230(1) 73-89. [LINK]
- VanDolah HJ, Bauer BA, and Mauck KF. (2019) Clinicians’ Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 94(9), 1840-1851. [LINK]
- Porter B et al. (2022) Cannabidiol (CBD) use by older adults for acute and chronic pain. J Gerontol Nursing 47(7), 6-15. [LINK]
- Baswan SM et al. (2020) Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) for skin health and disorders. Clin Cosmetic Investig Dermatology 13, 927-942. [LINK]
- Mlost J, Bryk M, and Starowicz K. (2020) Cannabidiol for pain treatment: focus on pharmacology and mechanism of action. International J of Molecular Sciences 21(22), 8870. [LINK]
- Shannon S et al. (2019) Cannabidiol in anxiety and sleep: a large case series. The Permanente Journal 23, 18-41. [LINK]
- Pellati F et al. (2018) Cannabis sativa L. and nonpsychoactive cannabinoids: their chemistry and role against oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer. Biomed Research International, 1691428. [LINK]
- Batalla A et al. (2021) The impact of cannabidiol on human brain function: a systematic review. Frontiers Pharmacology 11, 618184. [LINK]
- Iftikhar A et al. (2021) Applications of Cannabis sativa L in food and its therapeutic potential: from a prohibited drug to a nutritional supplement. Molecules 26(24), 7699. [LINK]
"Psilocybin-assisted treatment may be feasible, efficacious, toxicologically safe, physiologically well-tolerated, and may have enormous potential in psychiatric medicine, as evidenced by decades of multiple clinical studies and thousands of years of anecdotal reports"
Lowe H et al (2021) Molecules, 26(10), 2948