Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Cannabaceae. Trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two major phytocannabinoids accounting for over 40% of the cannabis plant extracts, depending on the variety. At the University of Mississippi, different strains of C. sativa, with different concentration ratios of CBD and Δ9-TH...

A central tenet underlying the use of plant preparations is that herbs contain many bioactive compounds. Cannabis contains tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) a primary metabolite with reported psychotropic effects. Therefore, the presence of THC makes controversial the use of Cannabis to treat diseases by which their uses and applications were limited. The question then is: is it possible to use the e...

There is increasing interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicinal extracts in multiple sclerosis. Cognitive deficits that have been attributed to long-term heavy recreational use of cannabis are not necessarily extended to controlled pharmaceutical use of cannabis-based medicinal extracts. Available data indicate that after relatively short-term administration of cannabis-ba...

Cannabis as a medicine was used before the Christian era in Asia, mainly in India. The introduction of cannabis in the Western medicine occurred in the midst of the 19th century, reaching the climax in the last decade of that century, with the availability and usage of cannabis extracts or tinctures. In the first decades of the 20th century, the Western medical use of cannabis significantly dec...

The majority of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop troublesome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Anecdotal reports suggest that cannabis may alleviate LUTS, and cannabinoid receptors in the bladder and nervous system are potential pharmacological targets. In an open trial we evaluated the safety, tolerability, dose range, and efficacy of two whole-plant extracts of Cannabis sativa...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether plant-derived cannabis medicinal extracts (CME) can alleviate neurogenic symptoms unresponsive to standard treatment, and to quantify adverse effects. DESIGN A consecutive series of double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled single-patient cross-over trials with two-week treatment periods. SETTING Patients attended as outpatients, but took the CME at home. ...

High performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has been successfully applied to cannabis plant extracts in order to identify cannabinoid compounds after their quantitative isolation by means of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). MS conditions were optimized by means of a central composite design (CCD) approach, and the analysis method was fully validated. Six ma...

Canadian Network for Respiratory Care, Caledon, Ontario Correspondence: Ms Andrea White Markham, 16983 Highway 62, Eldorado, Ontario K0K 1Y0. Telephone 647-202-9803, e-mail [email protected] The current issue the Journal includes an article describing the use of vaporizers for medical marijuana. As respiratory therapists (RTs), we must be aware of the science behind the use of these devices an...

Bipolar affective disorder is often poorly controlled by prescribed drugs. Cannabis use is common in patients with this disorder and anecdotal reports suggest that some patients take it to alleviate symptoms of both mania and depression. We undertook a literature review of cannabis use by patients with bipolar disorder and of the neuropharmacological properties of cannabinoids suggesting possib...

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been the primary focus of cannabis research since 1964, when Raphael Mechoulam isolated and synthesized it. More recently, the synergistic contributions of cannabidiol to cannabis pharmacology and analgesia have been scientifically demonstrated. Other phytocannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabigerol and cannabichromene, exert additional effects of...