RESOURCES & RESEARCH

We are passionate about supporting our patients to take control of their health. This can mean many things from adopting a meditation practice to making dietary changes and of course, incorporating plant medicine. This page is a work in progress and will evolve as studies about cannabis and other lifestyle factors continue to be published. We hope this will be a guide for you to make choices about your body and to better understand the questions to ask when shopping for a cannabis product.

CANNABIS RESEARCH

CANCER

Cancer & the Entourage Effect / Whole Plant Medicine

Appraising the “entourage effect”: Antitumor action of a pure cannabinoid versus a botanical drug preparation in preclinical models of breast cancer

Extensive preclinical research has demonstrated that cannabinoids, the active ingredients of Cannabis sativa, trigger antitumor responses in different models of cancer. Most of these studies have been conducted with pure compounds, mainly Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabis plant, however, produces hundreds of other compounds with their own therapeutic potential and the capability to induce synergic responses when combined, the so-called “entourage effect”. Here, we compared the antitumor efficacy of pure THC with that of a botanical drug preparation (BDP). The BDP was more potent than pure THC in producing antitumor responses in cell culture and animal models of ER+/PR+, HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancer.

Anti-Cancer Properties of Cannabis

Cannabidiol (CBD) as a Potent Anticancer Drug

This review outlines some of the mechanisms that have been identified for CBD to inhibit tumor growth in several types of cancers and highlights the importance of exploring CBD and CBD analogues as potential therapeutic agents.

Targeting Glioma Initiating Cells with a combined therapy of cannabinoids and temozolomide

This study suggests that temozolomide together with combinations of THC and CBD – and specifically those containing a higher proportion of CBD – may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of glioblastoma.

Cannabinoids in Glioblastoma Therapy: New Applications for Old Drugs

Accumulating evidence indicates that cannabinoids have potent anti-tumor functions and might be used successfully in the treatment of glioblastoma. This review article summarizes the latest findings on the molecular effects of cannabinoids on glioblastoma, in in vitro and in pre-clinical studies in animal models and patients.

D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and N-arachidonyl glycine are full agonists at GPR18 receptors and induce migration in human endometrial HEC-1B cells

The study provides data that the Gi/ocoupled GPCR, GPR18, was activated by D9-THC and additional data showing that CBD acted as an antagonist at this same receptor. These results demonstrate that greater concentrations of D9-THC are required to activate GPR18 receptors, than of CBD to produce GPR18 antagonism, a difference that is likely to affect the therapeutic outcome of existing pharmacotherapies that combine both D9-THC and CBD.

TRPV2 is a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in triple negative breast cancer 

Transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins play an important role in pain and temperature sensation, and they may also control the growth and spread of tumors. One member of the TRP family, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 2 (TRPV2), can be activated by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (CBD).

Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Oral cannabinoid-rich THC/CBD cannabis extract for secondary prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains an important issue for patients receiving chemotherapy despite guideline-consistent antiemetic therapy. Trials using delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-rich (THC) products demonstrate limited antiemetic effects, significant adverse events and flawed study design. Trials using cannabidiol-rich (CBD) products demonstrate improved efficacy and psychological adverse event profile.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Hot Flashes

Dronabinol for the Treatment of Paraneoplastic Night Sweats in Cancer Patients:
A Report of Five Cases

This study reports that Dronabinol and/or medicinal cannabis are promising therapies to alleviate night sweats in cancer patients, and may also help alleviate hot flashes in post-menopausal women.

Endometriosis

D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and N-arachidonyl glycine are full agonists at GPR18 receptors and induce migration in human endometrial HEC-1B cells

The study provides data that the Gi/ocoupled GPCR, GPR18, was activated by D9-THC and additional data showing that CBD acted as an antagonist at this same receptor. These results demonstrate that greater concentrations of D9-THC are required to activate GPR18 receptors, than of CBD to produce GPR18 antagonism, a difference that is likely to affect the therapeutic outcome of existing pharmacotherapies that combine both D9-THC and CBD.

NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES

Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids

This review provides animal and human research data on the current clinical neurological uses for CBD individually and in combination with Δ9-THC. It shows the neuroprotective, antiinflammatory, and immunomodulatory benefits of phytocannabinoids and their applications in various clinical syndromes.

Cannabidiol enhances morphine antinociception, diminishes NMDA-mediated seizures and reduces stroke damage via the sigma 1 receptor

Cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-psychotomimetic compound present in the Cannabis sativa plant, exhibits therapeutic potential for various human diseases, including chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, ischemic stroke, epilepsy and other convulsive syndromes, neuropsychiatric disorders, neuropathic allodynia and certain types of cancer.

ENDOCRINE AND REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS / SAFETY

Estrogenic effects of marijuana smoke condensate and cannabinoid compounds

This study showed that smoking cannabis has an estrogenic effect on the endocrine system, and that this effect is mostly caused not by the cannabinoid compounds themselves but by the complex ingredients generated by smoking marijuana.

Cannabinoid exposure and altered DNA methylation in rat and human sperm

Little is known about the reproductive effects of paternal cannabis exposure. This study evaluated associations between cannabis or THC exposure and altered DNA methylation in sperm from 12 male cannabis users and 12 non-users, as well as animal studies. Among other findings, in humans the researchers found that cannabis use altered sperm DNA methylation, although currently, the effect of these alterations will require further study.  Moreover, consistent with previous studies, they also found that men using cannabis had significantly lower sperm concentrations than non-users.

Potential Risks Associated with Pre-Natal Exposure to Cannabis

 Human epidemiological and animal studies have found that prenatal cannabis exposure influences brain development and may have long-lasting impacts on cognitive functions of fetal development.

DIETARY + LIFESTYLE

Potential Health Impacts of Excessive Flavonoid Intake

Plant flavonoids are common dietary components that have many potent biological properties. Early studies of these compounds investigated their mutagenic and genotoxic activity in a number of in vitro assays. Recently, a renewed interest in flavonoids has been fueled by the antioxidant and estrogenic effects ascribed to them. This has led to their proposed use as anticarcinogens and cardioprotective agents, prompting a dramatic increase in their consumption as dietary supplements. Unfortunately, the potentially toxic effects of excessive flavonoid intake are largely ignored. At higher doses, flavonoids may act as mutagens, pro-oxidants that generate free radicals, and as inhibitors of key enzymes involved in hormone metabolism. Thus, in high doses, the adverse effects of flavonoids may outweigh their beneficial ones, and caution should be exercised in ingesting them at levels above that which would be obtained from a typical vegetarian diet. The unborn fetus may be especially at risk, since flavonoids readily cross the placenta. More research on the toxicological properties of flavonoids is warranted given their increasing levels of consumption.