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Study: Long-Term Use of Cannabis Extracts Safe and Effective in Dementia Patients

Geneva, Switzerland: The administration of plant-derived extracts containing a two-to-one ratio of CBD to THC is associated with behavioral improvements and few adverse side effects in dementia patients, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

A team of Swiss researchers assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of the adjunctive use of cannabis extracts in a cohort of dementia patients (mean age: 81 years). Participants received an average of 12.4 mgs of THC and 24.8 mgs of CBD per day for up to 13 months.

Investigators reported "marked improvements" in patients' symptoms over the course of the trial, including reduced agitation. They reported "no problems related to the treatment and limited adverse drug reactions."

They concluded, "A long-term THC/CBD (1:2) medication can be administered safely and with overall positive clinical improvement to poly medicated older adults with severe dementia and associated problems."

The study's results are similar to those recently reported in a placebo-controlled trial which determined that the sublingual administration of CBD-dominant plant extracts reduced agitation and improved sleep in dementia patients.

Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids for behavioral symptoms in severe dementia: Safety and feasibility in a long-term pilot observational study in nineteen patients," appears in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Survey: IBD Patients Report Fewer ER Visits Following Initiation of Medical Cannabis

Bronx, NY: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) report symptom mitigation and fewer emergency room visits following the use of cannabis products, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.

Investigators affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City surveyed a cohort of 236 IBD patients registered in the state's medical cannabis access program.

Respondents "reported fewer emergency room visits in the 12 months after versus before MC [medical cannabis] use and less impact of symptoms on daily life." Subjects in the study were most likely to consume THC-dominant products via vaporization. Minor adverse effects, specifically drowsiness, were reported among a minority (4.2 percent) of subjects.

Authors concluded: "MC users with IBD perceive symptom benefits and report decreased emergency room visits without serious adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm these results with objective measures of healthcare utilization and disease activity."

Observational trials have previously documented that cannabis use is associated with "decreased inpatient health care utilization" in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and with fewer disease-related hospitalizations in patients with Crohn's. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 21 patients with refractory Chron's disease, nearly half achieved disease remission following their use of herbal cannabis.

Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis use patterns and adverse effects in inflammatory bowel disease," appears in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.

Study: Oro-Buccal Cannabis Spray Provides Relief in Cancer Patients with Refractory Pain

New South Wales, Australia: Terminal cancer patients with refractory pain respond favorably to a proprietary cannabis spray containing equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD, according to data published in the journal PLOS One.

A team of Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of a novel water-soluble oro-buccal nanoparticle spray containing 2.5 mgs of THC and 2.5 mgs of CBD in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer and intractable pain.

Researchers reported that cannabis dosing was associated with improvements in pain relief among all patients, with those patients suffering from bone metastasis experiencing the greatest levels of relief. No serious adverse events were reported, though some patients did experience drowsiness following treatment.

Patients also reported improvements in appetite and emotional well-being.

"This study demonstrated that the administration of the investigative cannabis-based medicine was generally safe and tolerated in a short-term exposure in a cohort of patients with advanced incurable cancers with controlled pain or intractable pain despite opioid treatment," authors concluded. "There was a reduction in pain overall for the study cohort of 12 percent by the end of the treatment phase. ... [This] cannabis-based medicine ... is of significant clinical interest given that this formulation was a self-titrated medicine, that showed preliminary analgesic efficacy in a subgroup of patients."

Full text of the study, "Pilot clinical and pharmacokinetic study of delat-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol nanoparticle oro-buccal spray in patients with advanced cancer experiencing uncontrolled pain," appears in PLOS One.

Oklahoma: Voters to Decide Marijuana Legalization Measure in March Election

Oklahoma City, OK: Voters will decide on a citizens' initiated measure legalizing the adult-use marijuana market in a special election to be held in March.

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt issued the executive proclamation calling for the special election on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

State Question 820, sponsored by the group Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, permit adults to legally possess and home-cultivate personal use qualities of cannabis while also establishing a licensed, retail marketplace. Those with past marijuana convictions, or those who are currently incarcerated for certain cannabis-related crimes, would be able to petition the courts for either record expungement or re-sentencing consideration.

In July, advocates for SQ 820 turned in nearly twice the total of signatures necessary to qualify the initiative for the 2022 ballot. However, the Secretary of State's office took an excessive amount of time to ultimately verify proponents' signatures. Opponents of the measure then filed a series of questionable legal challenges litigating various facets of the campaign, including challenges to the initiative's summary language. Although justices ultimately dismissed those challenges, they did so after time had elapsed for state officials to include SQ 820 on this year's printed ballots.

"After all the delays caused by the new signature count process, we are excited to finally be going to the ballot on March 7, 2023, so that Oklahomans can experience the benefits of SQ820 without further delay," Michelle Tilley, campaign director for OSLM / Yes on 820, told the website Marijuana Moment. "Republicans, Libertarians, Democrats and independents alike are excited to stop wasting law enforcement resources and start reaping the hundreds of millions of dollars in financial benefits that come with legalizing, regulating and taxing recreational marijuana for adults in Oklahoma."

Voters in five states - Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota - will be deciding on similar adult use legalization measures in November.