2-Linoleoylglycerol Is a Partial Agonist of the Human Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor that Can Suppress 2-Arachidonolyglycerol and Anandamide Activity Leanne Lu, Gareth Williams, and Patrick Doherty* Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2019 Doi : 10.1089/can.2019.0030 Abstract Introduction : The cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor and cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor are widely expressed in the body and anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are their best characterized endogenous ligands. The diacylglycerol lipases (diacylglycerol lipase alpha and diacylglycerol lipase beta) not only synthesize essentially all the 2-AG in the body but also generate other monoacylglycerols, including 2- linoleoylglycerol (2-LG). This lipid has been proposed to modulate endocannabinoid (eCB) [...]
Lire la suiteTreatment of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome with Cannabis-Based Medicine : Results from a Retrospective Analysis and Online Survey Leonie M. Milosev, Nikolas Psathakis, Natalia Szejko, Ewgeni Jakubovski, and Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2018.0050 Abstract Introduction : Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by motor and vocal tics and psychiatric comorbidities, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive behavior/disorder (OCB/OCD). From anecdotal reports and preliminary controlled studies, it is suggested that cannabis-based medicine (CBM) may improve tics and comorbidities in adults with GTS. This study was designed to further investigate efficacy and safety of [...]
Lire la suiteIn Vivo Availability of Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Levels in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis Faith Borgan, Heikki Laurikainen, Mattia Veronese, Tiago Reis Marques, Merja Haaparanta-Solin, Olof Solin, Tarik Dahoun, Maria Rogdaki, Raimo KR Salokangas, Max Karukivi, Marta Di Forti, Federico Turkheimer, Jarmo Hietala, Oliver Howes for the METSY Group JAMA Psychiatry, 2019. doi : 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1427 IMPORTANCE Experimental and epidemiological studies implicate the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) in the pathophysiology of psychosis. However, whether CB1R levels are altered in the early stages of psychosis and whether they are linked to cognitive function or symptom severity remain unknown. OBJECTIVE To investigate CB1R availability in first-episode psychosis (FEP) without the [...]
Lire la suiteLong-Term Effects of Cannabis on Brain Structure Giovanni Battistella, Eleonora Fornari, Jean-Marie Annoni, Haithem Chtioui, Kim Dao, Marie Fabritius, Bernard Favrat, Jean-Frederic Mall, Philippe Maeder and Christian Giroud Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014, 39, 2041–2048. doi:10.1038/npp.2014.67 Abstract The dose-dependent toxicity of the main psychoactive component of cannabis in brain regions rich in cannabinoid CB1 receptors is well known in animal studies. However, research in humans does not show common findings across studies regarding the brain regions that are affected after long-term exposure to cannabis. In the present study, we investigate (using Voxel-based Morphometry) gray matter changes in a group of regular cannabis smokers in comparison with a group of [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol as a potential treatment for psychosis Cathy Davies and Sagnik Bhattacharyya Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2019, Vol. 9, 1–16 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2045125319881916 Abstract : Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are heterogeneous and often debilitating conditions that contribute substantially to the global burden of disease. The introduction of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists in the 1950s revolutionised the treatment of psychotic disorders and they remain the mainstay of our treatment arsenal for psychosis. However, traditional antipsychotics are associated with a number of side effects and a significant proportion of patients do not achieve an adequate remission of symptoms. There is therefore a need for novel interventions, particularly those with a non-D2 antagonist mechanism of [...]
Lire la suiteDrugs, Religion, and Cultural Heritage : An Analysis of the Public Policies Regarding the Use of Ayahuasca in Brazil Henrique Fernandes Antunes The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, 2018, Volume #, Issue #, http://doi.org/###################### Abstract : In 1985, ayahuasca was banned for a short period of time by the Federal Council of Drugs (CONFEN). After more than two decades of debates and public policies, the Brazilian government consolidated the regulation of ayahuasca consumption for religious purposes and recognized ayahuasca groups as legitimate religions and part of the cultural heritage of the Amazon region. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that [...]
Lire la suiteEmerging from the dark side : new therapeutic applications of scheduled psychoactive substances Edward James, Thomas L. Robertshaw & Andrew D. Westwell Future medicinal chemistry, February 2019 Doi : 10.4155/fmc-2018-0447 Keywords : harm reduction • healthcare • MDMA • positive psychology • psilocybin • psychoactive • psychotherapy The discovery and development of new medicines occupies years of painstaking and expensive scientific work, with multidisciplinary teams working together in the hope of developing a new chemical entity that outperforms the current standard of care within the chosen disease setting. Once optimized in the laboratory and achieving acceptable regulatory preclinical benchmarks, years of clinical evaluation are required [...]
Lire la suiteEndocannabinoid system in sexual motivational processes : Is it a novel therapeutic horizon ? Renata Androvicova, Jiri Horacek, Tibor Stark, Filippo Drago, Vincenzo Micale Pharmacological Research, 2017, 115, 200–208 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2016.11.021 a b s t r a c t The endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is composed of the cannabinoid receptors types 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) for marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (9-THC), the endogenous ligands (AEA and 2-AG) and the enzymatic systems involved in their biosynthesis and degradation, recently emerged as important modulator of emotional and non-emotional behaviors. For centuries, in addition to its recreational actions, several contradictory claims regarding the effects of Cannabis use in sexual functioning and behavior [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol as a potential treatment for psychosis C.D. Schubart, I.E.C. Sommer, P. Fusar-Poli, L. de Witte, R.S. Kahn, M.P.M. Boks European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014, 24 ,(1), 51–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.11.002 Abstract Although cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing psychosis, the cannabis constituent cannabidiol (CBD) may have antipsychotic properties. This review concisely describes the role of the endocannabinoid system in the development of psychosis and provides an overview of currently available animal, human experimental, imaging, epidemiological and clinical studies that investigated the antipsychotic properties of CBD. In this targeted literature review we performed a search for English articles using Medline and EMBASE. Studies were selected if [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids and Mental Health, Part 1 : The Endocannabinoid System and Exogenous Cannabinoids Andrew Penn Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 2019, 57, 9, 7-10. Doi : 10.3928/02793695-20190813-01 ABSTRACT The increasing public acceptance of cannabis and the proliferation of cannabis products in the market-place has coincided with more patients using the drug as a substitute for psychiatric medications or as an adjunctive treatment modality for psychiatric conditions, despite limited evidence of efficacy. With a goal of furthering harm-reduction eff orts in psychiatric nursing, the current article reviews the fundamentals of the endocannabinoid system in humans and the exogenous phytocannabinoids that act on this regulatory [...]
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