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Cannabis as Medicine? Overview

It is utterly mind-blowing that people have no idea that Cannabis has been part of the medical prescription landscape for over 20 years. That’s right T. G. A (Therapeutic Goods Administration) trialled and approved cannabis based medicines have been available as an option to alleviate, if only in small ways, some of the symptoms of a couple of diseases or help with recovery from treatment. However, the claims of this plant being a ‘miracle cure’ for just about everything, have existed for of 100 years… yet in no credible and advanced research has any of the properties of the Cannabis plant ‘cured’ anything, ever!

There is no argument that some components of this incredibly complex plant can have some therapeutic benefit, be it ever so small, but deriving such from the plant with out co-opting some of the more detrimental components has proven incredibly difficult. On top of that, the evidence emerging from latest science, sees that some of these therapies, do more harm than good, with the temporary alleviating of a symptom on one hand, and incurring along term genetic harm on the other!

Again if facts and evidence matter to your best-practice health care, then this is the space for you. Make informed decisions based on science, and not quackery!

handsA recent article from PracticeUpdate examines the effects of a high cannabidiol (CBD) and low Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) formulation on patients with Parkinson’s disease through a randomised trial. The study aimed to assess whether this specific CBD/THC formulation could improve motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients compared to a placebo.

Motor Symptoms Analysis: According to the findings, the results indicated that the motor symptoms, as measured by the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), reduced by 4.57 points in the CBD/THC group, while the placebo group experienced a reduction of 2.77 points. Despite these numbers, the study concluded that these reductions were not statistically significant enough to demonstrate a clear benefit from the CBD/THC treatment.

Impact on Cognitive Function and Sleep: Moreover, the study reported that cognitive function and sleep appeared to worsen in the CBD/THC group. It doesn’t help. It actually worsens cognitive function in patients with PD. This was an important finding as it contradicted the hypothesis that CBD might have neuroprotective effects. Additionally, the CBD/THC group reported more adverse events compared to the placebo group. The reported adverse events raise concerns about the safety profile of this formulation for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The plasma levels of CBD and THC in the patients were also measured during the study. In the CBD/THC group, the CBD plasma level was found to be 54.0 ng/mL, while the THC level was significantly lower at 1.06 ng/mL. These levels highlight the intended high CBD to low THC ratio of the formulation used in the trial.

Summary of Findings: In summary, the study reveals that short-term therapy with a high CBD/low THC formulation does not significantly improve motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients. It doesn’t help. It actually worsens cognitive function and sleep, highlighting the need for further research into the efficacy and safety of cannabinoids in treating Parkinson’s disease.

Source: PracticeUpdate

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