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Study: No Evidence of Residual Cannabis Effects on Driving Performance
San Diego, CA: Consumers who abstain from cannabis for 48 hours drive no differently than abstainers, according to driving simulator data published in the journal Psychopharmacology.
Researchers affiliated with the University of California at San Diego evaluated driving performance in a cohort of 191 cannabis consumers. Participants completed a 25-minute simulated drive following 48 hours of cannabis abstinence. In phase II of the study, a subset of near-daily consumers was matched against non-using controls.
“The current study showed no evidence of a dose-effect relationship between simulated driving performance following a brief abstinence period,” investigators reported. “The current study also shows no evidence of short-term residual effects on simulated driving performance when comparing frequent cannabis users to a healthy non-using comparison group.”
Despite subjects’ lack of psychomotor impairment, researchers acknowledged that some participants tested positive for THC at levels that would classify them as “under the influence” in states with either zero-tolerant or per se THC blood limits. That’s because THC and its metabolites remain present in bodily fluids for extended periods of time following cannabis abstinence, whereas the acute effects of cannabis on psychomotor skills largely dissipate within a few hours. Accordingly, NORML opposes the imposition of per se THC limits for motorists and has alternatively called for the expanded use of mobile performance technology like DRUID.
The study’s authors concluded: “In regular cannabis users who abstained for ≥ 48 hours, we found no evidence of residual cannabis effects on simulated driving performance. This included no relationship between driving simulator performance and cannabis use intensity, days of abstinence, or cannabinoid concentrations, nor differences on these measures when comparing the most frequent cannabis users to a non-using comparison group. … Results of this study have implications for how future policy might weigh different pieces of evidence in the absence of objective confirmation of acute cannabis intoxication, such as one’s cannabis use history or residual blood THC, in everyday determinations of impaired driving.”
Numerous studies have previously reported no correlation between the detection of either THC or its metabolites in blood, urine, saliva, and breath and impaired driving performance. Nevertheless, several states have enacted laws criminalizing drivers who operate a motor vehicle with trace levels of THC or THC metabolites, regardless of whether the driver is impaired.
Full text of the study, “Short-term residual effects of smoked cannabis on simulated driving performance,” appears in Psychopharmacology.
Study: Patients With Generalized Anxiety Experience Clinical, Cognitive Improvements Following Use of Plant-Derived CBD Extracts
Belmont, MA: Patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) exhibit symptomatic and cognitive improvements following the daily use of full-spectrum CBD-dominant extracts, according to clinical trial data published in the journal Biomedicines.
Investigators affiliated with Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Boston assessed the daily use of 30mg of plant-derived CBD in 12 patients with GAD. Researchers evaluated changes in participants’ clinical and cognitive performance over six weeks of treatment.
Patients experienced “dramatic reductions” in anxiety during the first week of the trial, and they exhibited “significant improvements” on assessments of mood, sleep, and quality of life throughout the duration of the study. Participants also “demonstrated significantly improved performance on measures of executive function relative to baseline, evidenced by faster response time[s] … as well as higher accuracy” on neurocognitive assessments.
No participants experienced any serious adverse events during the trial.
“Results from this open-label clinical trial provide evidence that a hemp-derived, full-spectrum, high-CBD product similar to those currently available in the marketplace may be both safe and efficacious for the treatment of anxiety,” the study’s authors concluded. “Given the potential benefits observed in this trial, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of hemp-derived high-CBD products are warranted to obtain robust data regarding the safety and efficacy of CBD-containing products for anxiety.”
Clinical data published in July in the Journal of Affective Disorders reported that the consumption of THC-dominant cannabis products is also associated with sustained reductions in anxiety.
Data published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that the adoption of statewide marijuana legalization laws is associated with significant declines in the dispensing of prescription anxiolytic drugs like benzodiazepines.
Full text of the study, “Clinical and cognitive improvement following treatment with a hemp-derived, full-spectrum, high-cannabidiol product in patients with anxiety: An open-label pilot study,” appears in Biomedicines.
Study: Adjunctive Use of FDA-Approved CBD Formulation Reduces Seizures in Pediatric Patients With Rett Syndrome
Milan, Italy: Children and teens diagnosed with Rett Syndrome (RTT) who take Epidiolex experience reductions in seizure frequency, according to data published in the Open Access Journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (aka Epilepsia).
Italian researchers assessed the efficacy of the use of FDA-approved, plant-derived CBD (Epidiolex) in 27 RTT patients with drug-resistant seizures. Participants consumed Epidiolex in conjunction with other medications. The median treatment duration was 14 months.
Following treatment, two-thirds of the cohort exhibited a greater than 50 percent reduction in seizure frequency, with 26 percent of participants experiencing a greater than 75 percent reduction. Many of the patients’ caregivers also observed positive changes beyond seizure control, including better attention, improved sleep, and enhanced motor function. Side effects related to CBD treatment were mild.
“Our findings suggest a strong trend toward the efficacy of CBD in reducing seizure frequency,” the study’s authors concluded. “The consistency of the response, combined with the absence of seizure aggravation and a favorable safety profile, highlights purified cannabidiol (Epidiolex) CBD as a promising therapeutic option for individuals with RTT. Moreover, beyond seizure control, a substantial proportion of patients also showed improvements in behavior, attention, and reactivity – especially among those who responded to treatment – further supporting the potential benefits of CBD in this population.”
A prior study concluded that RTT patients show improvements in alertness, communication skills, anxiety, and other symptoms following the twice-daily use of cannabis extracts containing standardized amounts of CBD and THC.
In 2018, Food and Drug Administration officials granted market approval to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol for the treatment of Dravet Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome – two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.
Full text of the study, “Is purified cannabidiol a treatment opportunity for drug-resistant epilepsy in subjects with typical Rett syndrome and CDKL5 deficiency disorder,” appears in Epilepsia.
Analysis: Vaporizers’ Components May Expose Consumers to Heavy Metals
Karnataka, India: Components within certain cannabis vape cartridges may leach metals such as nickel and cadmium when exposed to high temperatures, according to a literature review published in the journal Scientific World.
A pair of researchers reviewed data from nine previously published studies. Studies identified the presence of heavy metals like nickel, chromium, lead, cobalt, cadmium, and copper in cannabis vape (CV) e-liquids and aerosols. Investigators suggested that “long-term contact between the metal parts of the CV and the acidic liquid may cause metal dissolution.”
They reported: “Metals like Pb [lead], Co [cobalt], Cr [chromium], Ni [nickel], and Cu [copper] are released from the structural components of CVs when operated at high temperatures. Factors like device age and storage, vape liquid composition and pH, operating temperature, and design characteristics of CVs influence metal dissolution. … However, these results cannot be generalized to all CVs, as the studies were primarily experimental.”
The study’s authors concluded: “Regulatory guidelines are needed to prevent CV liquid contamination from accessories or packaging. … Future research is warranted into the adverse health implications of heavy metals released from CVs through animal and human studies.”
NORML has previously cautioned that various components in portable vape cartridges – including heating coils, wicks, metal cores, and mouthpieces – can be sources of elemental emissions.
Separate analyses of the aerosol produced by nicotine-filled e-cigarette devices have similarly detected metal emissions. Metal exposure over time has been linked to a variety of serious health concerns, including lung disease, brain damage, and cardiovascular disease.
Full text of the study, “Heavy metals in cannabis vape and their health implications — A scoping review,” appears in The Scientific World Journal.
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