CBN: The New Up-And-Coming Cannabinoid

When the average person thinks of medical cannabis they think of the two main cannabinoids: THC and CBD. While these are the most researched and understood, there are actually more than 80 different cannabinoids in the cannabis flower and we’re just starting to understand some of their benefits.

Recently, researchers have started turning their attention to another cannabinoid: CBN

Although research on CBN is still in its infancy, preliminary studies suggest that it may be helpful as a pain reliever, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, appetite stimulant, cancer fighter, and is being regarded as “the most sedative of all cannabinoids.”

Full article available here.

Why women with breast cancer are turning to cannabis (it's not nausea).

Using cannabinoids to ease the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is considered one of the medical applications most strongly supported by the research. But cancer encompasses an entire range of diseases, with treatments – and side-effects - that vary as well.

In the first ever study conducted to evaluate the underlying reasons women with breast cancer use cannabis, the results revealed that pain was the number one reason, followed by anxiety, insomnia, nausea and anorexia.

With more than half the women diagnosed with breast cancer being over the age of 50, treatment can exacerbate pre-existing medical conditions associated with older age (ie. arthritis, neuropathy). With many patients suffering an average of 3 symptoms, cannabis can help reduce polypharmacy as it is a multimodal medication and can manage many of these symptoms simultaneously.

Read the full article here.

Cannabis versus Cancer: Scientific American

Scientific American reports: "Countless scientific studies have shown that medical cannabis offers palliative care benefits, including appetite stimulation, pain relief and more. But early research indicates that cannabinoids can do so much more. Data is showing that medical marijuana has antitumor effects and may one day be used as a cancer treatment, not just as a drug to ease symptoms of the disease." Full article. 

Research: Anticancer effects of phytocannabinoids used with chemotherapy in leukaemia cells, International Journal of Oncology (May 27, 2017)

Early research is providing cancer patients with new hope.

From Abstract: "Phytocannabinoids possess anticancer activity when used alone, and a number have also been shown to combine favourably with each other in vitro in leukaemia cells to generate improved activity. We have investigated the effect of pairing cannabinoids and assessed their anticancer activity in cell line models. Those most effective were then used with the common anti-leukaemia drugs cytarabine and vincristine, and the effects of this combination therapy on cell death studied in vitro. Results show a number of cannabinoids could be paired together to generate an effect superior to that achieved if the components were used individually." Full study here.

Medical cannabis safer for elderly with chronic pain than opioids: European Pharmaceutical Review

Medical cannabis therapy can significantly reduce chronic pain in patients age 65 and older without adverse effects, according to researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Cannabis Clinical Research Institute at Soroka University Medical Center.

The new study found that cannabis therapy is safe and efficacious for elderly patients who are seeking to address cancer symptoms, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other medical issues.

“While older patients represent a large and growing population of medical cannabis users, few studies have addressed how it affects this particular group, which also suffers from dementia, frequent falls, mobility problems, and hearing and visual impairments,” says Victor Novack, a Professor of Medicinein the BGU Faculty of Health Sciences (FOHS), and head of the Soroka Cannabis Clinical Research Institute. 

“After monitoring patients 65 and older for six months, we found medical cannabis treatment significantly relieves pain and improves quality of life for seniors with minimal side effects reported.” Read full article here and review research here.

Research: Cannabinoids used in sequence with chemotherapy are a more effective treatment for cancer, International Journal of Oncology (May 2017)

• A 2017 study on cells from researchers at St. George’s University in London and published in the International Journal of Oncology suggests that using cannabinoids alongside chemotherapy may be a more effective treatment for killing cancer cells than using chemotherapy alone. Furthermore, this research suggests that using cannabinoids alongside chemotherapy could achieve the same anticancer effect with a lower dose of chemotherapy. Summary here.