Marijuana may ease pain, but it’s not risk-free, experts say

[Purple Power]

Marijuana may ease pain, but its not risk-free, experts say

January 12, 2017



By Delthia Ricks





HIGHLIGHTS

• More research needed to understand health benefits
  
• Known to help multiple sclerosis, cancer patients
  

I

n a sweeping review covering the therapeutic and illicit uses of marijuana, a blue-ribbon panel of scientists concluded Thursday that while certain compounds in the plant help combat chronic pain, recreational pot is not risk-free.



Claims about the medical benefits of marijuana have been increasing but the data, experts said, is strongest for only a few: Medical marijuana helps people with chronic pain, particularly when ingested as a synthetic derivative called a cannabinoid. It also eases muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. Cancer patients who have experienced nausea and vomiting likewise improve when taking a cannabinoid, the committee concluded.



The panel called for more research to better understand additional benefits



The 395-page report, compiled by panelists who were convened by the National Academies division of Medicine, drew nearly 100 conclusions after evaluating more than 10,000 studies published between 1999 and 2016. The Academies include divisions of sciences and engineering, which also impanel experts to address pressing research issues.



Dr. Robert Duarte, director of the pain center for the Northwell Health systems Great Neck division said medical marijuana isnt the first drug doctors offer people with chronic pain.



Typically, they will have to fail two or three standard treatments, Duarte said, before therapeutic marijuana is recommended. He was not a member of the academys committee.



Panelists, meanwhile, dubbed recreational pot the most popular illicit drug in the United States. But its appeal also has brought consequences, experts said.



Car crashes were more common among users, and those who indulged while pregnant were more likely to have low birth-weight babies, the report found.....





<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.newsday.com/news/health/marijuana-may-ease-pain-but-it-s-not-risk-free-experts-say-1.12947517">http://www.newsday.com/news/health/marijuana-may-ease-pain-but-it-s-not-risk-free-experts-say-1.12947517</a>

[Purple Power]

Assessing the scientific evidence: What is known about cannabis and health effects



Conclusions in 'Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids' report



1/12/17

By <span><a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.thecannabist.co/author/awallace/">Alicia Wallace</a>, The Cannabist Staff</span>



A sweeping assessment on marijuana research by the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx">National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine</a> published Jan. 12 analyzed 10,000 studies conducted since 1999. A team of researchers for the U.S. scientific academy quantified the weight of current scientific evidence, with recommendations for future study. The report made the following conclusions about what is known about cannabis:



Conclusive evidence



Defined as: Many supportive findings from good-quality studies with no credible opposing findings. A firm conclusion can be made, and the limitations to the evidence, including chance, bias, and confounding factors, can be ruled out with reasonable confidence. Therapeutic effects: Strong evidence from randomized controlled trials to support the conclusion that cannabis/cannabinoids are an effective or ineffective treatment. Other health effects: Strong evidence from randomized controlled trials to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis/cannabinoid use and the health endpoint.



Effective in treating chronic pain in adults



Effective as antiemetic properties to prevent and treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting



Effective in improving multiple sclerosis spasticity symptoms



Substantial evidence



Defined as: Several findings from good- to fair-quality studies with very few or no credible opposing findings. A general conclusion can be made, but limitations, including chance, bias, and confounding factors, cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence. Therapeutic effects: Some evidence to support the conclusion that cannabis/cannabinoids are an effective or ineffective treatment. Other health effects: There is some evidence to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis/cannabinoid use and the health endpoint.



Long-term cannabis smoking and worse respiratory symptoms and frequent chronic bronchitis episodes (statistical association)



Increased risk of motor vehicle crashes (statistical association)



Maternal cannabis smoking contributes to lower birth weight of the offspring (statistical association)



Development of schizophrenia or other psychoses, with the highest risk among the most-frequent users (statistical association)



Stimulant treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescence is not a risk factor for problem cannabis use



Being male and being a smoker are risk factors for cannabis use to progress to problem cannabis use



Cannabis use at an earlier age is a risk factor for the development of problem cannabis use





Moderate evidence



Defined as: Several findings from good- to fair-quality studies with very few or no credible opposing findings. A general conclusion can be made, but limitations, including chance, bias, and confounding factors, cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence. Therapeutic effects: Some evidence to support the conclusion that cannabis/cannabinoids are an effective or ineffective treatment. Other health effects: Some evidence to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis/cannabinoid use and the health endpoint.



Effective in improving short-term sleep outcomes in people with sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and multiple sclerosis



No statistical association between cannabis use and incidence of lung, head and neck cancers



Improved respiratory airway dynamics among cessation from acute cannabis smokers but not chronic use (statistical association)



Cannabis smoking leads to higher forced vital capacity (statistical association)



Cannabis use has increased risk of overdose injuries including respiratory distress among pediatric population in U.S. states where cannabis is legal (statistical association)



Acute cannabis use impairs cognitive functions such as learning, memory and attention (statistical association)



Individuals with psychotic disorders and a history of cannabis use have better cognitive performance (statistical association)



Cannabis use and increased symptoms of mania and hypomania in individuals with bipolar disorders (statistical association)



Small increased risk for development of depressive disorders (statistical association).......



<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/01/12/marijuana-research-review-10000-studies-analyzed/71215/">http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/01/12/marijuana-research-review-10000-studies-analyzed/71215/</a>

[Purple Power]

Marijuana Eases Pain, But Jurys Out On Other Health Benefits, Scientists Say

Researchers call for more studies to fill the gaps in knowledge about pot use.


01/13/2017

By Mary Papenfuss




Marijuana has proved to be a powerful aid in easing chronic pain and helping battle nausea, but results are mixed or largely inconclusive on other health benefits, as well as detriments, according to a massive new scientific review of cannabis studies.





The <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.nap.edu/read/24625/chapter/1">report</a>, released Thursday by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, analyzes an astounding 10,000 scientific studies on the drug. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Researchconcludes that marijuana definitely provides some health benefits, though other claims about the drug are far less clear.The scientists note that much information could be determined if researchers didnt have to battle restrictions caused by federal classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it currently has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.





It is often difficult for researchers to gain access to the quantity, quality, and type of cannabis product necessary to address specific research questions on the health effects of cannabis use, conclude the authors, a panel of experts led by Harvard public health researcher Marie McCormack.





Federal attitude aside,more than half of all U.S. states have legalized marijuana for medical use, and eight (plus the District of Columbia) have legalized the drug for recreational use.




The major conclusions in the study are that cannabis and cannabinoids are effective at significantly reducingchronic pain, particularly linked to muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. Theres also conclusive evidence that cannabis is effective at preventing and treating nausea related to chemotherapy.


There is moderate evidence that cannabis and cannabinoids are effective for improving short-term sleep outcomes for people suffering sleep disturbances linked to sleep apnea, fibromyalgia and chronic pain. The study also findslimited evidence that cannabis and cannabinoids are effective in increasing appetite and improving anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms.




It is often difficult for researchers to gain access to the quantity, quality, and type of cannabis product necessary to address specific research questions on the health effects of cannabis use.


study authors





There is insufficient or no evidence, however, to support or refute use of the drug for several other ailments and problems including cancer, epilepsy, addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinsons disease, the report concludes....



<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marijuana-health-benefits-study_us_58784988e4b0e58057fe27c4?utm_hp_ref=medical-marijuana">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marijuana-health-benefits-study_us_58784988e4b0e58057fe27c4?utm_hp_ref=medical-marijuana</a>

[Purple Power]

<div> The definitive guide to what experts know about the effects of marijuana use

</div>

<div></div>
By <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/christopher-ingraham/"><span>Christopher Ingraham</a></span>

January 13 2017





As eight states plus the District of Columbia have moved to fully legalize recreational marijuana,<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.cnn.com/specials/us/marijuana-debate">debates</a> on the <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?327627-3/marijuana-legalization-debate">merits of legalization</a> have focused on <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/">the effects of marijuana use</a> on individuals and society: is marijuana bad for your lungs, or for your brain?Does it have therapeutic applications? Is it safer than alcohol or tobacco?



Marijuana is one of the most <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=marijuana">studied substances</a> in scientific literature, butthe answers are scattered across tens of thousands of scientific papers. The quality of evidence these papers offer can vary wildlyand the results sometimescontradict each other.

Fortunately, the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering have broughta great deal of clarity to the situation with <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=24625&_ga=1.198930671.1791292794.1484233196">an encyclopedic report</a> summarizing pretty much everything researchers currently know (and don't know) about the health effects of marijuana use.



For the 395-page report, a team of dozens of drug policy experts at some of the nation's most prestigious universities analyzed 24,000 scientific papers to arrive at over 100 conclusions regarding the effects of marijuana use. In addition, they also published a number of recommendations for policymakers and researchers going forward.The work was sponsored by a number of public and private health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes on Drug Abuse.



Here's what they found:



Therapeutic effects

Can it treat chronic pain?The committee found strong evidence showing marijuana is effective at treating chronic pain in adults. Given the current public health crisis involving <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/08/heroin-deaths-surpass-gun-homicides-for-the-first-time-cdc-data-show/?utm_term=.637efc49f9ad">tens of thousands of deaths annually</a>due to painkiller overdose, this is a potentially significant finding.Numerous studies have found that medical marijuana availability may <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/15/new-study-finds-that-medical-marijuana-may-be-helping-to-curb-the-opioid-epidemic/?utm_term=.b67c92f495fd">decrease rates</a> of opioid dependence and overdose.



How about nausea and vomiting?The report also turned up strong evidence that marijuana is effective at treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, and muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients........



<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/01/13/the-definitive-guide-to-what-experts-know-about-the-effects-of-marijuana-use/?utm_term=.5663f1186477">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/01/13/the-definitive-guide-to-what-experts-know-about-the-effects-of-marijuana-use/?utm_term=.5663f1186477</a>

[Purple Power]

Heres What the National Academys Medical Cannabis Report Actually Says

<div>
<div>Nick Jikomes
January 13, 2017


The release of <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx">The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids,</a>a comprehensive report by the National Academy of Sciences, has sparked a flurry of reaction around the nation. Cannabis advocates have focused on the reports conclusion that cannabis possesses therapeutic value for chronic pain patients, while others emphasized the reports warnings about car crashes and memory problems. <a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/01/12/cannabis-can-help-some-patients-but-doctors-say-more-research-needed/96495582/">USA Todays headline</a> captured the reports overall sense of caution: Marijuana can help some patients, but doctors say more research needed.



What is the report, what does it actually say, and why is it important? Weve got you covered.


What is The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids Report?

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine is a private, nonprofit NGO established more than 150 years ago to advise the nation on scientific matters. Its considered one of the gold standard institutions of science. In 1999, largely in reaction to Californias legalization of medical cannabis, the Institute of Medicine (the medical research arm of the National Academies) was tasked by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to conduct a systematic review of the scientific evidence pertinent to the health risks and benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids. To the White Houses surprise, the institute came back with a report that cautiously supported the idea that cannabis could have beneficial medicinal effects.



Almost two decades later, the National Academies put together this follow-up report to see what the science of the past 18 years has further revealed about cannabis and medicine.


What Kinds of Cannabis Research Did ItConsider?

The committee reached nearly 100 research conclusions based on consideration of more than 10,000 research articles. They gave more weight to articles published since 1999 report. From this information, each specific research conclusion was assigned to one of five levels of evidence: conclusive, substantial, moderate, limited, and no/insufficient evidence. Importantly, the committee focused exclusively on the human literature, and did not consider basic research conducted using animal models.

You can read the full report, highlights, and public release slides<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx">here</a>.




What Medical Applications Are Supported by Conclusive Evidence?

The committee found three medical applications for cannabis use supported by conclusive evidence (as opposed to substantial, moderate, limited, or insufficient evidence)........



<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="https://www.leafly.com/news/health/heres-national-academys-medical-cannabis-report-actually-says">https://www.leafly.com/news/health/heres-national-academys-medical-cannabis-report-actually-says</a>


</div></div>

[Purple Power]

Massive report acknowledges health benefits of pot while warning of risks



1/17/17

By Alicia Wallace

The Cannabist



As marijuana legalization becomes entrenched across America, the plants health benefits and adverse effects are rapidly becoming better known.



In the first comprehensive review by American researchers in decades, their assessment of 10,000 studies conducted since 1999 found cannabis has legitimate medicinal benefits for a variety of ailments, but also has been shown as a contributor to certain mental health issues and, to some degree, has a role as a gateway drug, according to the report published Thursday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.





Those are among nearly 100 conclusions reached by the U.S. scientific academy in a massive report on marijuana research to-date that includes directives for future study notably that more robust exploration is needed across a wide array of public health-focused areas.



Key committee members said they hoped their report would serve as a resource for both medical professionals and public health officials.



We know very little about the high-potency cannabis that people are smoking; we know very little about the different ways people are using (cannabis), said Ziva Cooper, a committee member and assistant professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University Medical Center.





The review of more than 10,000 scientific abstracts is documented in a 400-page report: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. In cataloging and assessing research as a whole, the report provides clarity on the current knowledge base and also shines a spotlight on whats lacking, particularly how cannabis is used in treating epilepsy and other conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.



Although there have been dramatic increases in both the availability and potency of marijuana products in recent years, there are no accepted standards for safe and appropriate use, the committee said.





The committee found areas of study that had the most substantial scientific evidence included:



Cannabis or cannabinoids are effective in treating chronic pain in adults, quelling chemotherapy-induced

nausea or vomiting and improving multiple sclerosis-related spasticity syndromes.



Long-term cannabis smoking triggers worse respiratory symptoms and more frequent bronchitis episodes.



There is a statistical association between cannabis use and increased risk of motor vehicle crashes.



A statistical association is evident between maternal cannabis smoking and lower birth weight of the offspring......



<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" href="http://www.dailydemocrat.com/health/20170117/massive-report-acknowledges-health-benefits-of-pot-while-warning-of-risks">http://www.dailydemocrat.com/health/20170117/massive-report-acknowledges-health-benefits-of-pot-while-warning-of-risks</a>