Analysis: Cannabis Use Not Associated With Elevated Risk of Carotid Artery Calcification
La Jolla, CA: People with a history of cannabis use do not possess higher rates of carotid artery calcification (CAC) in either middle age or older adulthood, according to data published in the journal Vascular Medicine. Carotid artery calcification is an established marker of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which is linked to an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, assessed the relationship between cannabis smoking and CAC in a representative cohort of 2,152 subjects between 45 and 84 years old.
Consistent with other studies, investigators determined, “In [this] racially and ethnically diverse cohort of older adults with a moderately high prevalence of carotid artery calcification, there were no statistically significant associations between a history of regular cannabis smoking, duration, or recency of cannabis smoking, and the prevalence of carotid calcified plaque.”
The study’s authors concluded: “The null findings reported herein are consistent with our previous research. … If smoking cannabis increases the risk of atherosclerotic disease, one would anticipate finding consistent evidence of adverse cardiac outcomes in human research. This is not the case.”
According to data published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the use of either alcohol or opioids is implicated in nearly 80 percent of all cardiovascular deaths related to substance use. By comparison, a history of cannabis use is associated with fewer than one percent of all substance use-related cardiovascular deaths.
Full text of the study, “Regular cannabis smoking and carotid artery calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA),” appears in Vascular Medicine.
Study: Patients Report Reduced Pain, Improved Mental Health Following Medical Cannabis Treatment
Melbourne, Australia: Chronic pain patients report physical and mental health improvements following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to observational data published in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.
Australian researchers assessed the use of medical cannabis preparations in 96 chronic pain patients. (Under Australian law, physicians may only authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.) Study participants consumed cannabis formulations either high in CBD, high in THC, or containing equal ratios of both cannabinoids. Patients’ symptoms were assessed at three, six, and 12 months.
Investigators reported: “We identified clear associations between patient commencement of a prescribed medicinal cannabis product and improvements in pain, mental health and sleep difficulties, with the most pronounced therapeutic effects visible within the first six months of treatment. Furthermore, significant improvements were noted across diverse domains of symptom interference on daily functions, suggesting an improved quality of life for patients. In relation to pain management, the majority of patients exhibited a notable decline in their use of both prescription and over-the-counter pain medications. This reduction in the use of other medications is consistent with the substantial improvements in pain severity reported by most patients.”
The most frequently reported adverse events were dry mouth and sleepiness.
The study’s authors concluded: “Overall, we found that the use of medicinal cannabis was associated with reduced pain during the first six months and improved mental well-being over 12 months. … Further longitudinal and controlled studies are necessary to better understand the sustained effects of cannabis-based medications on pain and mental health.”
Similarly designed studies of patients enrolled in the United Kingdom’s medical cannabis access program have reported that medical cannabis treatment is safe and effective for those suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, fibromyalgia, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions.
Full text of the study, “Changes in mental health symptoms associated with prescribed medicinal cannabis use: A one-year longitudinal study,” appears in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.
Study: Those With a History of Cannabis Use Are Less Likely To Use Opioids Following Lower Back Surgery
Chicago, IL: Patients with a history of cannabis use consume fewer opioids following lower back surgery as compared to matched controls, according to data published in the Asian Spine Journal.
Investigators affiliated with the Chicago Medical School and Yale University assessed opioid utilization trends in a cohort of 1,216 patients who had undergone lumbar fusion surgery. Half of the cohort had a history of cannabis consumption and half did not. Participants were tracked for six months.
“Cannabis users had lower rates of opioid utilization compared to non-cannabis users as early as two months after fusion [surgery],” researchers determined. “[This] relationship … persisted at six months.”
The study’s authors concluded: “We found that cannabis users tended to wean off opioid analgesics earlier than non-cannabis users postoperatively, offering support for the opioid-sparing effect of cannabis theory. … Knowledge of cannabis use patterns may potentially allow physicians to cater to individual needs and provide appropriate dose titration over time. This may help reduce opioid dependence and improve patient outcomes.”
Separate studies have reported that postoperative patients who self-report consuming cannabis are less likely than non-users to engage in the long-term use of prescription opioids.
Full text of the study, “Effects of cannabis use surgery on post-operative opioid utilization in lumbar fusion patients: An American retrospective study,” appears in the Asian Spine Journal.
Survey: Six Years After Legalization, Nearly Two-Thirds of Canadians Approve of the Policy Change
Ottawa, Canada: Sixty-two percent of Canadians approve of Parliament’s 2018 decision to legalize cannabis use and retail sales nationwide, according to nationally representative polling data.
The percentage of Canadians expressing support for legalization has held steady for the past four years. Fewer than 20 percent of Canadians favor legalizing and regulating the use of other controlled substances.
Pollsters also reported that the majority of Canadians purchase “all” of their cannabis products from legal retailers. Separate polling data has previously reported that the percentage of Canadian consumers transitioning to the legal cannabis market has grown year over year.
Additional polling information is available from Research Co.
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