Study: Patients Exhibit Few Changes In Driving Performance Following Medical Marijuana Use
Hawthorne, Australia: Patients display few changes in their driving performance following the use of medical cannabis products, according to data published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Australian researchers assessed simulated driving performance in a cohort of 40 patients authorized to consume cannabis. (Under Australian law, physicians may authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.) Participants completed a baseline driving assessment prior to their participation in the study. On the day of the study, patients consumed their typical dose of medical cannabis (either cannabis-based extracts or flowers) at the testing site prior to engaging in a battery of driving simulator tests.
Researchers identified no significant changes from patients’ baseline driving performance that would indicate psychomotor impairment.
They reported: “In this open-label semi-naturalistic study, simulated and perceived driving performance among 40 patients was assessed prior to and following self-administration of their own prescribed medical cannabis product. While oil users tended to have higher SDLP [standard deviation in lateral positioning] values, this was stable over time and there was no evidence of impairment for either administration route. Furthermore, the lack of changes in speed variability suggests a modest but sustained stabilization of vehicle control. … [N]o notable evidence of driving impairment (i.e. a significant decline in driving performance metrics within the simulated driving scenario) was observed for either consumption modality, relative to baseline.”
The study’s authors concluded, “Overall, this semi-naturalistic study suggests that medical cannabis, used as prescribed, has a negligible impact on simulated driving performance.”
The study’s findings are consistent with those of several others determining that daily cannabis consumers, and patients especially, exhibit tolerance to many of cannabis’ psychomotor-influencing effects. According to the findings of a literature review published in the journal of the German Medical Association, “Patients who take cannabinoids at a constant dosage over an extensive period of time often develop tolerance to the impairment of psychomotor performance, so that they can drive vehicles safely.”
Full text of the study, “A semi-naturalistic open-label study examining the effect of prescribed medical cannabis use on simulated driving performance,” appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Analysis: Cannabis Products Provide Sustained Improvements In Sleep Quality For Patients With Insomnia
London, United Kingdom: Insomnia patients who consume cannabis products report sustained improvements in their sleep quality, according to data published in the journal Brain & Behavior.
British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis products (either oils, flower, or a combination of both) in over 60 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Cohort participants possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis products. (Since 2018, specialists have been permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Authors assessed the efficacy of cannabis at one, three, and six months.
Researchers reported that cannabis products were “well tolerated” and that they were associated with better sleep, reduced anxiety, and greater quality of life.
They concluded: “More than 40 percent of participants who completed each PROM [patient-reported outcome measure] round reported clinically significant improvement in their sleep quality at each time period. These results show that initiation of CBMP [cannabis-based medicinal products] therapy was associated with improvements in those patients who had previously failed to respond to currently licensed treatments for insomnia.”
Other studies assessing the use of cannabis products in patients enrolled in the UK Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions.
Placebo-controlled clinical trial data has previously affirmed the efficacy of plant-derived cannabis extracts in patients suffering from chronic insomnia.
Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with insomnia,” appears inBrain & Behavior.
Analysis: CBD Dosing Not Associated With Changes In Disease Progression In Patients With Advanced Forms Of Cancer
Queensland, Australia: The use of CBD among patients with advanced-stage cancer is not associated with changes in either disease progress or survival, according to data published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
Australian researchers compared outcomes of CBD versus placebo in a cohort of cancer patients. Study participants consumed either CBD (up to a maximum of 600 mg per day) or placebo daily for nearly three months.
No changes in either disease progression or survival were identified between the two groups.
The study’s authors concluded: “No significant difference was noted in disease progression or survival in patients with advanced cancer receiving CBD oil versus placebo in the context of this clinical trial. … Given the effect cannabinoids appear to have on cancer cell growth in vitro, it is not impossible to consider an anticancer role for these compounds, though we saw no specific benefit on disease progression with CBD prescription, or indeed survival.”
While numerous preclinical studies and a limited number of case reports have documented anti-cancer effects associated with cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, these effects have not been replicated in controlled human studies.
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol oil or placebo in advanced cancer-disease progression and survival: A secondary analysis,” appears in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
South Dakota: Lawmakers Roll Back Employment Protections For State-registered Medical Cannabis Patients
Pierre, SD: House and Senate lawmakers have advanced legislation, SB 12, rolling back certain employment protections for state-authorized medical cannabis patients.
The protections were initially included in comprehensive ballot initiative language approved by voters in 2020. Since then, lawmakers have repeatedly sought to repeal aspects of the law and/or significantly amend it.
Specifically, SB 12, permits employers to either fire or refuse to hire patients for “safety-sensitive jobs” if they test positive for THC metabolites on a drug screen. The legislation also prohibits patients from suing an employer for wrongful termination if they fail an employer-mandated drug test. (Cannabis urinalysis tests detect the presence of inert THC metabolites which may be present for weeks or even months following exposure.)
Proponents of the bill included the Associated General Contractors of South Dakota, the South Dakota Retailers Association, and the South Dakota Home Builders Association.
The measure awaits final approval from Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, who is expected to sign it into law. Over 8,500 South Dakotans are registered with the state to access medical cannabis products.
The majority of states with medical cannabis access laws provide employment protections for patients. Additionally, nearly half of adult use legalization states — including California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island — have enacted workplace protections limiting employers’ ability to test for or sanction employees for their cannabis use while away from the job.
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