Cannabis & Humans Part 2

Bo and I have a fairly comprehensive conversation about the genetics of cannabis, as well as what it is that makes it a psychoactive plant and a short history of its prohibition.  We then discuss how it affects the human brain, and therefore its effects - as well as some of its long-term health effects.  We close with a chat about its potential therapeutic effects, and where we go from here with regards to cannabis research. 

Literature referenced:

1. Volkow ND, Swanson JM, Evins AE, DeLisi LE, Meier MH, Gonzalez R, Bloomfield MA, Curran HV, Baler R. Effects of Cannabis Use on Human Behavior, Including Cognition, Motivation, and Psychosis: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Mar;73(3):292-7. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.3278. Review. PubMed PMID: 26842658.
2. Solowij N, Lorenzetti V, Yücel M. Effects of Cannabis Use on Human Behavior: A Call for Standardization of Cannabis Use Metrics. JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Sep 1;73(9):995-6. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.1329. PubMed PMID: 27463333.
3. Martinasek MP, McGrogan JB, Maysonet A. A Systematic Review of the Respiratory Effects of Inhalational Marijuana. Respir Care. 2016 Nov;61(11):1543-1551. Review. PubMed PMID: 27507173
4. Prashad S, Filbey FM. Cognitive motor deficits in cannabis users. Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2017 Feb;13:1-7. PubMed PMID: 27482533; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4966282.
5. Zurier RB, Burstein SH. Cannabinoids, inflammation, and fibrosis. FASEB J. 2016 Nov;30(11):3682-3689. Review. PubMed PMID: 27435265.
6. Swortwood MJ, Newmeyer MN, Andersson M, Abulseoud OA, Scheidweiler KB, Huestis MA. Cannabinoid disposition in oral fluid after controlled smoked, vaporized, and oral cannabis administration. Drug Test Anal. 2016 Sep 19. doi: 10.1002/dta.2092. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27647820.
7. Bassir Nia A, Medrano B, Perkel C, Galynker I, Hurd YL. Psychiatric comorbidity associated with synthetic cannabinoid use compared to cannabis. J Psychopharmacol. 2016 Dec;30(12):1321-1330. PubMed PMID: 27462088.
8. Hodgson K, Almasy L, Knowles EE, Kent JW Jr, Curran JE, Dyer TD, Göring HH, Olvera RL, Woolsey MD, Duggirala R, Fox PT, Blangero J, Glahn DC. The genetic basis of the comorbidity between cannabis use and major depression. Addiction. 2017 Jan;112(1):113-123. doi: 10.1111/add.13558. PubMed PMID: 27517884; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5148647.
9. González-Pinto A, González-Ortega I, Alberich S, Ruiz de Azúa S, Bernardo M, Bioque M, Cabrera B, Corripio I, Arango C, Lobo A, Sánchez-Torres AM, Cuesta MJ; PEPs Group.. Opposite Cannabis-Cognition Associations in Psychotic Patients Depending on Family History. PLoS One. 2016 Aug 11;11(8):e0160949. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160949. PubMed PMID: 27513670; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4981356.
10. Dovey TM, Boyland EJ, Trayner P, Miller J, Rarmoul-Bouhadjar A, Cole J, Halford JC. Alterations in taste perception due to recreational drug use are due to smoking a substance rather than ingesting it. Appetite. 2016 Dec 1;107:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.016. PubMed PMID: 27426619.
11. Bloomfield MA, Ashok AH, Volkow ND, Howes OD. The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system.Nature. 2016 Nov 17;539(7629):369-377. doi: 10.1038/nature20153. Review. PubMed PMID: 27853201; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5123717.
12. Nesvåg R, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Gillespie NA, Knudsen GP, Bramness JG, Kendler KS, Ystrom E. Genetic and Environmental Contributions to the Association Between Cannabis Use and Psychotic-Like Experiences in Young Adult Twins. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Jul 18. pii: sbw101. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27431873
13. Ammerman S, Tau G. Weeding Out the Truth: Adolescents and Cannabis. J Addict Med. 2016 Mar-Apr;10(2):75-82. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000199. Review. PubMed PMID: 26985645.
14. Aizpurua-Olaizola O, Soydaner U, Öztürk E, Schibano D, Simsir Y, Navarro P, Etxebarria N, Usobiaga A. Evolution of the Cannabinoid and Terpene Content during the Growth of Cannabis sativa Plants from Different Chemotypes. J Nat Prod. 2016 Feb 26;79(2):324-31. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00949. PubMed PMID: 26836472.
15. Walitt B, Klose P, Fitzcharles MA, Phillips T, Häuser W. Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Jul 18;7:CD011694. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011694.pub2. Review. PubMed PMID: 27428009.
16. Cressey D. The cannabis experiment. Nature. 2015 Aug 20;524(7565):280-3. Erratum in: Nature. 2015 Sep 3;525(7567):17. PubMed PMID: 26295084.