Clinicians’ Guide to Cannabidiol and Hemp Oils Harrison J. VanDolah, Brent A. Bauer, and Karen F. Mauck Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2019, 94, (9), 1840-1851 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.003 Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD) oils are low tetrahydrocannabinol products derived from Cannabis sativa that have become very popular over the past few years. Patients report relief for a variety of conditions, particularly pain, without the intoxicating adverse effects of medical marijuana. In June 2018, the first CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of rare, severe epilepsy, further putting the spotlight on CBD and hemp oils. There is a growing body of preclinical and [...]
Lire la suite2018 : A Watershed Year for Psychedelic Science ? Jacob S. Aday, Christopher C. Davoli, & Emily K. Bloesch Article, ·August 2019 DOI: 10.1177/2050324519872284 Abstract While interest in the study of psychedelic drugs has increased over much of the last decade, in this article we argue that 2018 marked the true turning point for the field. Substantive advances in the scientific, public, and regulatory communities in 2018 significantly elevated the status and long-term outlook of psychedelic science, particularly in the United States. Advances in the scientific community can be attributed to impactful research applications of psychedelics as well as acknowledgement in preeminent journals. In the [...]
Lire la suiteCase Series: Salvia divinorum as a Potential Addictive Hallucinogen Joseph El-Khoury, Evelyne Baroud The American Journal on Addictions, 2018, 27, 163–165 DOI: 10.1111/ajad.12715 Background and Objective : Recreational use of Salvia divinorum (salvia), a potent, naturally occurring hallucinogen, is on the rise internationally. Despite the paucity of information about its long term health effects, salvia is readily available and generally portrayed as a safe non-addictive substance. Methods and Results : We report on two patients who presented with an enduring and pervasive pattern of salvia use. Discussion and Conclusions : Evaluating patients for salvia use during clinical assessment is strongly encouraged, especially among young polysubstance users. Scientific [...]
Lire la suiteFlavonoid Derivative of Cannabis Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Preclinical Models of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Michele Moreau, Udoka Ibeh, Kaylie Decosmo Noella Bih, Sayeda Yasmin-Karim, Ngeh Toyang, Henry Lowe5 and Wilfred Ngwa Frontiers in Oncology, July 2019, Vol. 9, article 660. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00660 Abstract Pancreatic cancer is particularly refractory to modern therapies, with a 5-year survival rate for patients at a dismal 8%. One of the significant barriers to effective treatment is the immunosuppressive pancreatic tumor microenvironment and development of resistance to treatment. New treatment options to increase both the survival and quality of life of patients are urgently needed. This study reports on a new [...]
Lire la suiteThe moderating effect of psychedelics on the prospective relationship between prescription opioid use and suicide risk among marginalized women Elena Argento, Melissa Braschel, Zach Walsh, M. Eugenia Socias and Kate Shannon Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2018, 1–7 DOI : 10.1177/0269881118798610 Abstract Background/aims : Given high rates of depression and suicide among marginalized women, and increasing calls to integrate trauma-informed biomedical and community-led structural interventions, this study longitudinally examines the potential moderating effect of psychedelic use on the relationship between other illicit drug use and suicide risk. Methods : Data (2010–2017) were drawn from a community-based, prospective open cohort of marginalized women in Vancouver, Canada. Extended Cox regression [...]
Lire la suiteAnandamide administration alone and after inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats Marcello Solinas, Zuzana Justinova, Steven R. Goldberg and Gianluigi Tanda Journal of Neurochemistry, 2006, 98, 408–419. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.03880.x Abstract Although endogenous cannabinoid systems have been implicated in the modulation of the rewarding effects of abused drugs and food, little is known about the direct effects of endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors on brain reward processes. Here we show for the first time that the intravenous administration of anandamide, an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors, and its longer-lasting synthetic analog methanandamide, increase the extracellular dopamine [...]
Lire la suiteExpanding the Scientific Study of Self-Experience with Psychedelics Manesh Girn and Kalina Christoff Journal of Consciousness Studies, 2018, 25, (11–12), 131–54 Abstract : The nature of the self has long been a topic of discussion in philosophical and religious contexts, and has recently also garnered significant scientific attention. Although evidence exists to suggest the multifaceted nature of self-experience, the amount of research done on each of its putative components has not been uniform. Whereas selfreflective processing has been studied extensively, non-reflective aspects of self-experience have been the subject of comparatively little empirical research. This discrepancy may be linked to the methodological difficulties in experimentally [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic drug use in healthy individuals : a review of benefits, costs, and implications for drug policy James W.B. Elsey Drug Science, Policy and Law, 2017, Vol 3, 1-11 DOI: 10.1177/2050324517723232 Abstract The potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of mental health problems is increasingly being recognized. However, relatively little thrust has been given to the suggestion that individuals without any mental health problems may benefit from using psychedelic drugs, and that they may have a right to do so. This review considers contemporary research into the use of psychedelic drugs in healthy individuals, including neurobiological and subjective effects. In line with findings [...]
Lire la suitePsilocybin – Summary of knowledge and new perspectives Filip Tylš, Tomáš Páleníček, Jiří Horáček European Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014, 24, 342–356 Doi : 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.12.006 Abstract Psilocybin, a psychoactive alkaloid contained in hallucinogenic mushrooms, is nowadays given a lot of attention in the scientific community as a research tool for modeling psychosis as well as due to its potential therapeutic effects. However, it is also a very popular and frequently abused natural hallucinogen. This review summarizes all the past and recent knowledge on psilocybin. It briefly deals with its history, discusses the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and compares its action in humans and animals. It attempts to describe the mechanism of psychedelic effects [...]
Lire la suiteLysergic Acid Diethylamide and Psilocybin Revisited Mark A. Geyer Biological Psychiatry, 2015, Volume 78, Issue 8, 544-553 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.003 The past decade brought the beginnings of a renaissance in research on psychedelic drugs. Two articles in this issue of Biological Psychiatry signify that the resurrection of this long ignored topic has begun to mature and bear at least the promise of fruit. In the early 1970s, the onset of the “War on Drugs” brought with it a near-total hiatus in serious research on psychedelic drugs, especially in the United States. The resumption of credible work in this area has come from Switzerland, where many of [...]
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