Marijuana and Lung Diseases
Marijuana and Lung Diseases
A detailed discussion of nonpulmonary adverse effects as well as medicinal use of marijuana is beyond the scope of our review. However, we will briefly touch on some of them as they are all germane to the issue of marijuana use. Marijuana and other cannabinoids (including synthetic cannabinoids) are modestly effective in symptom palliation in cancer patients. One of the earliest recognized indications for cannabinoids was chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The available literature suggests that it is also effective in alleviating pain related to cancer, especially neuropathic pain. Marijuana stimulates appetite in patients with AIDS-related wasting, but has minimal effect in cancer patients with anorexia. Interestingly, in experimental tissue culture studies, cannabinoids have been found to have antitumorogenic activities in numerous studies. Despite these preclinical data for cannabinoid-mediated antitumor activity dating back as far as 30 years, we found only one small clinical (a pilot phase I trial) study published in the English literature. The primary endpoint of this study was to assess safety of intracranial THC administration in nine refractory glioblastoma patients. Cannabinoid delivery appeared to be well tolerated, but all nine patients died (as expected from underlying glioblastoma) and the median survival was 24 weeks from the beginning of cannabinoid administration.
On our literature review, there is no evidence that recreational cannabis use improves general health. The main acute adverse effects in marijuana users include tachycardia, anxiety, and panic, especially in occasional or naive users. Marijuana can be considered to be addictive, and is especially so when individuals start using it in their teens. Marijuana smoking can lead to impairment of cognition, coordination, and judgment and can result in automobile accidents. A systematic review of high-quality studies by Asbridge et al. concluded that acute cannabis consumption nearly doubles the risk of a collision resulting in serious injury or death. Data suggesting long-term harmful effects of cannabis on neuropsychological function are emerging. A recently published Dunedin study in which individuals were followed from birth to age 38 years concluded that persistent cannabis use is associated with neuropsychological decline broadly across several domains of functioning.
Medicinal use and Nonpulmonary Adverse Effects of Marijuana
A detailed discussion of nonpulmonary adverse effects as well as medicinal use of marijuana is beyond the scope of our review. However, we will briefly touch on some of them as they are all germane to the issue of marijuana use. Marijuana and other cannabinoids (including synthetic cannabinoids) are modestly effective in symptom palliation in cancer patients. One of the earliest recognized indications for cannabinoids was chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The available literature suggests that it is also effective in alleviating pain related to cancer, especially neuropathic pain. Marijuana stimulates appetite in patients with AIDS-related wasting, but has minimal effect in cancer patients with anorexia. Interestingly, in experimental tissue culture studies, cannabinoids have been found to have antitumorogenic activities in numerous studies. Despite these preclinical data for cannabinoid-mediated antitumor activity dating back as far as 30 years, we found only one small clinical (a pilot phase I trial) study published in the English literature. The primary endpoint of this study was to assess safety of intracranial THC administration in nine refractory glioblastoma patients. Cannabinoid delivery appeared to be well tolerated, but all nine patients died (as expected from underlying glioblastoma) and the median survival was 24 weeks from the beginning of cannabinoid administration.
On our literature review, there is no evidence that recreational cannabis use improves general health. The main acute adverse effects in marijuana users include tachycardia, anxiety, and panic, especially in occasional or naive users. Marijuana can be considered to be addictive, and is especially so when individuals start using it in their teens. Marijuana smoking can lead to impairment of cognition, coordination, and judgment and can result in automobile accidents. A systematic review of high-quality studies by Asbridge et al. concluded that acute cannabis consumption nearly doubles the risk of a collision resulting in serious injury or death. Data suggesting long-term harmful effects of cannabis on neuropsychological function are emerging. A recently published Dunedin study in which individuals were followed from birth to age 38 years concluded that persistent cannabis use is associated with neuropsychological decline broadly across several domains of functioning.
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