Much of our knowledge of the endocannabinoid system in schizophrenia comes from behavioral measures in rodents, like prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle and open-field locomotion, which are commonly used along with neurochemical approaches or drug challenge designs. Such methods continue to map fundamental mechanisms of sensorimotor gating, hyperlocomotion, social interaction, and...
Cannabis use represents a major public health issue throughout the globe. Yet, we still lack the most fundamental knowledge on long-term effects of cannabis on neural, cognitive, and behavioral function. Part of this stems from how cannabis has been measured historically. To this end, most empirical examinations of cannabis have consolidated all types of cannabis collectively. However, this...
Recent studies have posited a relationship between cannabis use and the biological stress system, but this critical relationship has not been evaluated during the ultra high-risk (UHR) period immediately preceding the onset of psychotic disorders. Salivary cortisol samples were collected on 46 UHR and 29 control adolescents; these individuals were assessed for current cannabis use with a urine...
BACKGROUND: Cannabis and tobacco have contrasting cognitive effects. Smoking cannabis with tobacco is prevalent in many countries and although this may well influence cognitive and mental health outcomes, the possibility has rarely been investigated in human experimental psychopharmacological research. METHOD: The individual and interactive effects of cannabis and tobacco were evaluated in 24...
Cannabis sativa is one of the most widely recreational drugs and its use is more prevalent among depressed patients. Some studies reported that Cannabis has antidepressant effects while others showed increased depressive symptoms in Cannabis users. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the effect of Cannabis extract on the depressive-like rats. Twenty four rats were divided into:...
Purpose of ReviewThe lack of clarity about the effect of cannabis use on cognition may be attributable to the considerable heterogeneity among studies in terms of cannabis composition. This article selectively reviews studies examining the distinctive effects of cannabinoids on human cognition, particularly those of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).Recent...
Over the last few years, hundreds of new psychoactive substances (NPS) have been identified in Europe. Apart from some herbal compounds, NPS mainly include synthetic cannabinoids and a range of new synthetic stimulants (e. g., cathinones). Synthetic NPS are often developed whilst modifying the basic chemical (e. g., phenethylamine or tryptamine) structure. Although the pharmacology and...
Plant-based drugs of abuse are as old as recorded human history. Although traditional addictive substances, such as opium, cannabis and coca, have been controlled by the United Nations anti-drug conventions, many, if not most, natural plants with addictive or abuse liability remain elusive. Therefore, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned the emerging threat from new...
Cannabis use in youth is rising and has been linked to deficits in cognitive functioning. However, cognitive findings have primarily been based on small samples of users seeking treatment, and few studies have evaluated cognition in occasional cannabis users. Here, we examined 4,568 adolescents and young adults (ages 14–21 years) drawn from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, a...
BACKGROUND: Synthetic Cannabinoids (SC) are the widest and most diffused class of Novel Psychoactive Substances. The short- and long- term health risks associated with the consumption of SC are often unknown to both users and health professionals. This review aims to provide a synthesis of the most recent and relevant insights on the pharmacology, clinical and psychopathological aspects of SC....
Studies from preclinical animal models indicate that sustained activation of CB1 receptor signaling is a major contributing factor for the onset of cognitive deficits associated to chronic cannabis use, in particular within the working memory and decision-making domains. Yet, very few studies have been designed to directly assess the role of CB1 receptors in mediating the effects of cannabis on...
Introduction: “Bath salts” target the endocannabinoid system in a similar manner to cannabis. In the case of designer drug misuse, subjects seem to be at higher risk of psychotic symptoms. Aims: To investigate the nature and frequency of psychotic symptoms associated with cannabis and/or bath salts misuse in a male inpatient population. Method: The files of 107 patients admitted to the...
European PsychiatryApril 1, 2017M. Gomez Revuelta, María Juncal Ruiz, O. Porta Olivares et al.
Introduction The association between cannabis and psychosis makes crucial the intervention on cannabis use disorder at first episodes of psychosis (FEP), especially among young population. In this group of patients, the harmful potential of cannabis is more evident by its influence on neurodevelopment. However, the nature of the association cannabis-psychosis is not clearly described. It seems...
BackgroundWith the rapid and intensive spread of marihuana abuse among youth, Japanese society is focusing on law enforcement against drug abusers. In 2016, a mass killing allegedly committed by a marihuana abuser was reported in Japan.ObjectivesTo consider that common recognition of the diverse process and potential risks of cannabis psychosis should be shared among psychiatrists.AimsElicit...
The recent trend towards legalization and commercialization of marijuana in the US has resulted in a significant drop in the perceived risks of cannabis use among all age groups. Thus, legalization has further advances the common misperception that cannabis abuse and dependence are generally safe and devoid of neuropsychiatric sequelae. Yet there are numerous acute, as well as numerous...
Purpose To examine how cannabis use and polysubstance use among cannabis users relate to psychosis spectrum (PS) symptoms in a large community-based sample of US youth. Methods 4,171 youth (age 14–21; mean=16.90, SD=1.85; 55% female) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) completed assessments of substance use, PS symptoms, and confounding variables (e.g., demographics, comorbid...
Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae) has a long history of utilization as a fiber and seed crop in China, and its achenes (“seeds”) as well as other plant parts have been recorded in Chinese medical texts for nearly 2000 years. While the primary applications of cannabis in Chinese medicine center around the use of the achenes, ancient indications for the female inflorescence, and other plant parts...
Although cannabis has been used throughout human history, the scientific investigation of its effects only began with the isolation of THC in the 1960’s. Once discovered it was another 20 years before the mechanism by which THC produces its psychoactive effects in the brain, the CB1 receptor, was discovered. Cannabis contains over 80 cannabinoid compounds, but THC is the only intoxicating...
Women report greater sensitivity to the subjective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Similarly, female rodents tend to be more sensitive to some pharmacological effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids. This study examined sex differences in discriminative stimulus and response rate effects of THC and synthetic cannabinoids in rats. A cumulative dosing THC discrimination procedure was...
This review of the scientific literature examines the potential adult sequelae of exposure to cannabis and related synthetic cannabinoids in adolescence. We examine the four neuropsychiatric outcomes that are likely most vulnerable to alteration by early cannabinoid use, as identified within both the clinical and preclinical research: cognition, emotional functioning, risk for psychosis, and...