Weekly Stories, Studies, Surveys, Poll Results, Laws, etc.
Study: Cannabis Provides Sustained Relief for Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression
London, United Kingdom: Patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression report sustained improvements in their health-related quality of life following the use of medical cannabis preparations, according to longitudinal data published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
British investigators assessed the adjunctive use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in a cohort of 698 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. (British healthcare providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Patients’ outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Study participants consumed either herbal cannabis or oil extracts containing standardized concentrations of THC and CBD.
Consistent with prior observational studies, participants reported “improvement[s] in mood, anxiety, general health-related quality of life, and sleep” over the duration of the study, with subjects reporting the most dramatic changes during the first three months. Few participants reported any serious adverse events. Patients who presented with the most severe depressive symptoms at baseline exhibited the greatest overall improvement in their symptoms.
The study’s authors concluded: “This UK Medical Cannabis Registry study of patients with treatment-resistant depression prescribed CBMPs demonstrated sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in depression, anxiety, health-related quality of life, and sleep quality over 24 months. Improvements were most pronounced within the first three months and were sustained thereafter. Adverse events were infrequent and predominantly mild to moderate. … Further randomized controlled trials, stratified by comorbidity profiles and product composition, are required to confirm efficacy, optimize treatment regimens, and clarify long-term safety.”
Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry have reported them to be beneficial for those diagnosed with treatment-resistant epilepsy, cancer-related pain, anxiety, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypermobility disorders, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, substance use disorders, insomnia, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.
Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A two-year case series of clinical outcomes in depression,” appears in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
CBD-Rich Cannabis Extracts Reduce ADHD Symptoms in Children With Autism
Tel Aviv, Israel: The administration of CBD-rich oil extracts in children with autism is associated with reduced impulsivity and improvements in other ADHD-related symptoms, according to data published in the journal Current Neuropharmacology.
Israeli researchers assessed the efficacy of CBD-dominant extracts in a cohort of children diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) over three-to-six months. Study participants were assessed at baseline and at the completion of the study by their schoolteachers utilizing a standardized rating scale (the Conners’ Teaching Rating Scale questionnaire).
Assessments revealed “significant improvements … in the following categories: anxious-shyness, perfectionism, ADHD index, emotional liability, and hyperactive-impulsivity.” Participants also demonstrated reduced hyperactivity and improvements in their ability to maintain attention, though these changes did not reach statistical significance.
The study’s authors concluded: “This is the first prospective study to evaluate the effects of CBD-rich cannabis on ADHD symptoms in children with ASD using standardized teacher-based Assessments (CTRS). The findings indicate improvements in core behavioral domains. While previous studies have focused primarily on parent-reported outcomes or small-scale trials, our results support emerging evidence on the role of cannabinoids in modulating attention and emotional regulation. … These findings support the need for future clinical trials to validate efficacy and determine optimal dosing.”
Placebo-controlled clinical trials have previously demonstrated that CBD-rich cannabis extracts are safe and effective in mitigating symptoms in children with ASD, while observational studies indicate that cannabis inhalation reduces ASD symptoms in adults.
Full text of the study, “CBD-Rich cannabis therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder may improve symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficit: An open-label study, appears in Current Neuropharmacology.
Survey: Medical Cannabis Use Common Among Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Vancouver, Canada: Patients with cystic fibrosis frequently acknowledge consuming cannabis products to ease their symptoms, according to survey data published in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
Canadian researchers surveyed 110 patients with either cystic fibrosis (CF) or cystic fibrosis-related disorders (CFTR). (Cannabis products are legal in Canada for both medical purposes and for adult use.)
Nearly half of those surveyed acknowledged being current cannabis consumers. Most (85 percent) consumers said that they used cannabis products explicitly for therapeutic relief, primarily for the treatment of insomnia, stress, anxiety, joint pain, low appetite, depression, and/or abdominal pain. Most respondents described cannabis as medically efficacious and said that it improved their health-related quality of life. Respondents frequently acknowledged cannabis to be “just as or more effective” than traditional prescription medications.
“Use of cannabis was common in this sample of adults with CF and CFTR-related disorder,” the study’s authors concluded. “Cannabis use and vaping should be routinely and openly discussed during CF clinic visits so that healthcare providers can ensure patients receive education about evidence for potential risks versus benefits and ultimately support patients in making informed decisions about cannabis use and vaping.”
Full text of the study, “Evaluating the use and perceptions of cannabis and vaping post-cannabis legalization in people with cystic fibrosis and CFTR-related disorders: Survey results from a large Canadian adult cystic fibrosis clinic,” appears in BMJ Open Respiratory Research.
Ohio: Attorney General Rejects Bid To Challenge Marijuana Recriminalization Law
Columbus, OH: The state’s Attorney General has rejected a petition that sought to repeal certain provisions of Senate Bill 56, arguing that the proposal’s summary language was misleading.
“Upon review of the summary, we identified omissions and misstatements that, as a whole, would mislead a potential signer as to the scope and effect of SB 56,” the AG determined.
In December, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB 56 into law. The law amends and repeals various provisions of Ohio’s voter-approved adult-use legalization law. Among the more significant changes, it criminalizes possessing marijuana products obtained from out-of-state, including products legally purchased at licensed dispensaries in neighboring jurisdictions. It also repeals provisions protecting adult-use consumers from facing either workplace or professional disciplinary action, as well as other forms of discrimination based solely upon their private marijuana use (such as the denial of parental rights or certain hospital procedures, such as organ transplants).
Other provisions in the law impose new criminal sanctions upon those who either possess or transport certain cannabis products if they are not in their original, unopened packaging and restrict the retail sale of hemp-derived products, including beverages, solely to state-licensed dispensaries.
Following the passage of SB 56, business owners and other advocates formed the group Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, which sought to place a referendum on the November ballot asking voters to reject the law. Activists now have the option of revising and resubmitting their petition for reconsideration.
A spokesperson for the groups says that it intends to do so, stating, “Voters this November will have the opportunity to say no to SB 56, no to government overreach, no to closing 6,000 businesses and abandoning thousands of Ohio workers, and no to defying the will of Ohioans who overwhelmingly supported legalizing cannabis in 2023.”
A summary of SB 56’s revisions to Ohio’s adult-use marijuana legalization and hemp laws is available from Ohio State University.
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