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Hamburg, Germany: Cannabis inhalation is associated with sustained improvements in pain and sleep in patients with chronic neuropathy, according to data published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

German investigators assessed the use of herbal cannabis in a cohort of 99 patients suffering from neuropathic pain. Participants in the study inhaled cannabis containing moderate levels of THC (12 to 22 percent) for six weeks.

Researchers reported: “Within six weeks on the therapy, median pain scores decreased significantly from 7.5 to 4.0. The proportion of patients with severe pain (score >6) decreased from 96 percent to 16 percent. Sleep disturbance was significantly improved with the median of the scores decreased from 8.0 to 2.0. These improvements were sustained over a period of up to six months. There were no severe adverse events reported.”

Other surveys have identified similar pain decreases in neuropathy patients following their initiation of cannabis therapy.

The study’s authors concluded, “The results ... demonstrated that chronic neuropathic pain can be effectively, sustainably, and safely treated with medical cannabis.”

Data published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open reported that nearly one in three patients with chronic pain use cannabis as an analgesic agent and that many of them substitute it in place of opioids.

Full text of the study, “Medical cannabis alleviates chronic neuropathic pain effectively and sustainably without severe adverse effects: A retrospective study on 99 cases,” appears in Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

Clinical Trial: Adjunctive Use of CBD Effective in Patients with Focal Dystonia

San Francisco, CA: The adjunctive use of a proprietary plant-derived CBD oral solution (Epidiolex) improves symptoms of adult-onset blepharospasm (BPS), according to placebo-controlled trial data published in the journal Translational Vision Science & Technology. BPS is a form of focal dystonia associated with uncontrollable eyelid twitching, among other symptoms.

A team of investigators affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco assessed the adjunctive use of either Epidiolex or placebo over a six-month period in 12 patients with the disorder.

Researchers reported, “Daily 200 mg of sublingual CBD was found to be well-tolerated, without adverse events, and provided statistically significant improvements in several BPS parameters.”

They concluded: “CBD may be a useful adjunct to traditional BTX [botulinum toxins a/k/a Botox] injections for the treatment and symptom abatement of idiopathic adult-onset BPS. Further study with higher dosing is warranted.”

The findings are consistent with a pair of prior studies similarly determining that the use of cannabis formulations is beneficial for BPS patients. Israeli data published in August also reported that the long-term use of herbal cannabis is associated with sustained reductions in generalized dystonia symptoms and with improvements in patients’ overall quality of life.

Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol as an adjunct to botulinum toxin in blepharospasm: A randomized pilot study,” appears in Translational Vision Science & Technology.

Survey: Cannabis Treatment Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Neurological Disorders

Athens, Greece: Patients diagnosed with neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) experience improvements in their symptoms following medical cannabis treatment, according to data published in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

A team of Greek scientists assessed cannabis use in a cohort of 100 patients. Patients’ quality of life was assessed via the use of a 36-item health survey.

Researchers reported: “The majority of our patients who received medical cannabis to treat their neurological disorders (58 percent) reported decrease in their symptoms, [including] better energy and vitality ... and an improvement in sleeping and appetite after receiving medical cannabis. ... Participants, who reported a longer period of receiving medical cannabis, reported statistically significant more energy and vitality, but also better mental and general health status.”

Data published earlier this year similarly reported that the use of plant-derived cannabis oils containing balanced ratios of THC and CBD is safe and effective for older patients suffering from certain treatment-resistant neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and peripheral neuropathy.

Full text of the study, “Quality of life in patients receiving medical cannabis,” appears in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology.

Study: Inhalation of CBD-Rich Cannabis Doesn’t Negatively Impact Simulated Driving Performance

Basel, Switzerland: The inhalation of high-CBD/low-THC cannabis doesn’t adversely impact driving abilities, according to clinical trial data published in the International Journal of Legal Medicine.

A team of Swiss researchers assessed the impact of CBD-dominant (< 1 percent THC) cannabis on simulated driving abilities. Consistent with other studies assessing the influence of CBD on psychomotor skills, investigators acknowledged, “No significant differences regarding driving ability were found between the CBD-cannabis products and placebo.” However, researchers reported that participants nonetheless tested positive for trace levels of THC in their blood in the hours immediately following their use of low-THC herbal cannabis. As a result, they cautioned that some consumers could potentially run afoul of traffic safety laws that impose per se limits for the presence of THC in blood despite having never been impaired. Five states -- Illinois, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington -- impose various per se limits for the detection of trace amounts of THC in blood while ten states (Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin) impose zero tolerant per se standards. In these states, it is a criminal violation of the traffic safety laws to operate a vehicle with detectable levels of THC in blood -- even absent any demonstrable evidence of psychomotor impairment. NORML has long opposed the imposition of THC per se thresholds for cannabinoids in traffic safety legislation, opining: “The sole presence of THC and/or its metabolites in blood, particularly at low levels, is an inconsistent and largely inappropriate indicator of psychomotor impairment in cannabis consuming subjects. … Lawmakers would be advised to consider alternative legislative approaches to address concerns over DUI cannabis behavior that do not rely solely on the presence of THC or its metabolites in blood or urine as determinants of guilt in a court of law. Otherwise, the imposition of traffic safety laws may inadvertently become a criminal mechanism for law enforcement and prosecutors to punish those who have engaged in legally protected behavior and who have not posed any actionable traffic safety threat.” Full text of the study, “Effect of vaporizing cannabis rich in cannabidiol on cannabinoid levels in blood and on driving ability -- A randomized clinical trial,” appears in the International Journal of Legal Medicine.