With the expansion of cannabis legalization, the need for more research on this highly regulated plant has also increased. Government funding and private investment are expanding, and global research is providing information on the basic characteristics of cannabis and its medicinal potential, and is helping to reverse widespread beliefs about its harms.
Below are five of the best cannabis research articles of 2021.
CBD can reduce aggression in shelter dogs
Shortly after people began to appreciate the therapeutic effects of CBD, many wondered: Will it work with our pets as well?
Anecdotal reports have been accumulated from owners of epileptic or anxious dogs, or those suffering from chronic pain, of the benefits their dogs have experienced of CBD. There is less empirical evidence of the therapeutic benefits of CBD in dogs than in humans, but the number of studies on the benefits of CBD in veterinary medicine is accumulating.
In a recent study by Italian scientists, shelter dogs were given CBD oil for 45 days and their aggressive behavior against their human handlers was measured. All dogs in the CBD treatment group tolerated CBD well and showed no adverse effects.
Dogs treated with CBD showed a reduction in the number of aggressive behaviors and the benefits were more pronounced after 45 days of exposure. Stress-related behaviors were not affected by CBD in this particular study.
Although the strength of these findings is limited by the small sample size of the study (only 12 dogs per group) and the unbalanced group assignment, it reveals a potential new therapeutic use for CBD for our dear pets. One can imagine that many shelter workers, veterinarians, and hard-working volunteers would appreciate these CBD benefits.
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CBD has pain-reducing effects by acting directly on the brain
Most non-opioid pain medications work by reducing inflammation. Inflammation activates a specific set of sensory cells that send signals to the brain and activate a network of brain regions that, in turn, promote the sensation of pain.
Pain is usually reduced by blocking inflammation at the source of the injury, but it can also be relieved by altering the brain pain processing network. An ideal pain treatment would reduce inflammation and alter the processing of pain in the brain without causing an opioid-like dependence, but blocking the processing of brain pain has been shown to be challenging or fraught with adverse consequences.
The pain-relieving benefits of CBD have long been attributed to its anti-inflammatory effects. However, Iranian neuroscientists recently discovered that CBD also reduces pain by acting on a small region of the brain, the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in processing and responding to pain.
The group injected CBD directly into the nucleus accumbens of rats, limiting its effect on the brain and measured its sensitivity to pain after a pain-inducing procedure. CBD-treated rats showed reduced pain sensitivity, although inflammation at the site of injury was not blocked.
Their findings have an impact because they reveal that CBD can reduce pain by acting directly on the brain, not just reducing inflammation at the site of injury. This study reveals the need to further investigate the effectiveness of CBD in treating conditions of chronic pain where the pain is no longer the result of inflammation but of dysfunctional nerve signaling or brain processing.
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The case of the neuroprotective effects of cannabis is reinforced
By knowing the events through which the injury or illness causes brain damage, therapies can be designed to limit the damage.
Recently, Brazilian scientists tested the protective effects of CBD against stroke damage in rats. CBD is given 30 minutes before a stroke and then several hours later to protect against brain cell loss, structural damage, and resulting memory impairment.
Although the protective benefits of CBD have not yet been systematically tested in human clinical trials, these exciting results highlight the potential benefits of CBD for high-risk patients, such as those at risk for stroke. or heart attack.
In a separate study, Spanish scientists investigated the protective and restorative effects of THC on demyelinating disease. Myelin is an insulating substance that promotes faster electrical signals to our cells. The destruction of myelin, as seen in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, slows down the speed of communication in the nervous system and causes a number of deficiencies. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective strategies for recovering myelin once it has been destroyed.
Excitingly, this study showed that THC increased remyelination by promoting the activity of cells called oligodendrocytes, which are responsible for myelination of nerve cells, improving behavioral function in a model. of mouse with demyelinated lesion.
Although several more steps are needed before these findings can affect clinical practice, the ability of THC to promote remyelination provides exciting mechanical support for previous reports of patients with demyelinating diseases who have benefited from cannabis.
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Studies on twins assess the causal effects of cannabis use on adolescents
There are many widespread, but unfounded, beliefs about the negative effects of cannabis use. These claims often come from studies comparing cannabis users with non-consumers, but studies do not provide a causal link between cannabis and the alleged negative results.
Some myths include that cannabis use in teens can lead to psychosis or an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Others say cannabis is lazy and leads to poor physical health.
However, it is possible that these results may be attributed to genetic or family influences, which may lead people who are already at risk of developing psychosis or are less likely to exercise to use cannabis as well.
For a better view, scientists can study the twins, thus controlling for genetic and family factors, as the twins often have similar DNA and are exposed to the same home environment.
Two recent studies on twins may dispel some of these widespread negative beliefs. In one study, the effects of cannabis use on adolescents later in life as adults were assessed, specifically whether psychosis was experienced as adults. The association between cannabis and psychosis disappeared when compared to twins who use and do not use cannabis.
This argues against a causal link between adolescent cannabis use and the development of psychosis. Instead, it suggests that genetic or familial factors affect the brain in a way that increases the risk of developing psychosis while promoting behavioral patterns that lead to higher levels of cannabis use in adolescents.
A second study of twins with a similar approach found no causal link between weekly cannabis use and participation in exercise or physical health characteristics. In contrast, the scientists concluded that lower levels of exercise, heart rate, and exercise were better explained by genetic factors and family behavior patterns than by adolescent cannabis use.
We hope that these studies will force us to reconsider therapeutic interventions to guide them to the right causes.
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What are cannabis terpenes and what do they do?
The source of the cannabis skunk smell is revealed
The characteristic smell of cannabis comes from terpenes, and it is the combination of terpenes that gives each variety a unique scent.
The origin of the plant’s familiar skunk odor, common to most fresh shoots, was unknown until a team of scientists at California-based terpene company Abstrax Tech identified its origin.
The culprit, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol, was identified by a number of advanced chemical isolation and identification methods and confirmed by a controlled growth experiment. Levels of this compound increase substantially during the end of the flowering stage and reach their maximum during curing.
However, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol does not stay long; their levels drop substantially after only 10 days of storage. This high volatility explains why the skunk smell is stronger when smoking fresh cannabis and why it has been referred to detection in terpene isolation experiments so far.
Given its structural similarity to the compounds found in garlic, there are opportunities to further explore its health benefits along with other prominent terpenes, such as caryophyllene.
Josh Kaplan
Josh Kaplan, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor of behavioral neuroscience at Western Washington University. He is an avid science writer, educator, and runs a lab that investigates the therapeutic and developmental effects of cannabis.
Check out Josh Kaplan’s articles
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