A sleepy cannabis constituent: cannabinol and its active metabolite influence sleep architecture in rats.

Medicinal cannabis is being used worldwide and there is increasing use of novel cannabis products in the community. Cannabis contains the major cannabinoids, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), but also an array of minor cannabinoids that have undergone much less pharmacological characterization. Cannabinol (CBN) is a minor cannabinoid used in the community in "isolate' products and is claimed to have pro-sleep effects comparable to conventional sleep medications.

Protocol for Cancloz: multicentre randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group adaptive trial of cannabidiol for clozapine-resistant schizophrenia.

Background: Although clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), only 40% of people with TRS respond, and there is limited evidence for augmentation agents. Cannabidiol (CBD) reduces positive symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia, but no trials have specifically examined its efficacy in those with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia.

Aims: To examine the clinical efficacy of CBD augmentation in people with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia.

The neurobehavioural effects of cannabidiol in alcohol use disorder: Study protocol for a double-blind, randomised, cross over, placebo-controlled trial.

Current treatments for alcohol use disorders (AUD) have limited efficacy. Recently, Cannabidiol (CBD) has been examined in a multitude of clinical settings. Preclinical and clinical results suggest that CBD might be particularly well suited for the treatment of AUD and may reduce alcohol cue and stress-induced craving and alcohol seeking.

Medical cannabis use in Australia seven years after legalisation: findings from the online Cannabis as Medicine Survey 2022-2023 (CAMS-22).

Background: Cannabis was legalised for medical purposes in 2016. Uptake was initially slow, but since 2019 there has been a large increase in the number of Australians who have been prescribed cannabis for medical reasons. Yet a significant number of consumers continue to treat their medical conditions via illicitly-sourced cannabis.

An open-label feasibility trial of transdermal cannabidiol for hand osteoarthritis.

Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is an irreversible degenerative condition causing chronic pain and impaired functionality. Existing treatment options are often inadequate. Cannabidiol (CBD) has demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models of arthritis.

The Effect of Cannabidiol on Subjective Responses to Endurance Exercise: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Background: Exercise is known to improve health. However, it can be unpleasant, often inducing negative feelings, or 'affect'. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating constituent of the cannabis plant, has been reported to enhance the subjective experience of exercise; specifically, in trained individuals performing fixed-intensity endurance activity.

Structure-Activity Relationships, Deuteration, and Fluorination of Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists Related to AKB48, 5F-AKB-48, and AFUBIATA.

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a growing class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) commonly derived from an -alkylated indole, indazole, or 7-azaindole scaffold. Diversification of this core (at the 3-position) with amide-linked pendant amino acid groups and modular -alkylation (of the indole/indazole/7-azaindole core) ensures that novel SCRAs continue to enter the illicit drug market rapidly. In response to the large number of SCRAs that have been detected, pharmacological evaluation of this NPS class has become increasingly common.

Evaluating possible 'next day' impairment in insomnia patients administered an oral medicinal cannabis product by night: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Cannabis and its major constituents, Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are being widely used to treat sleep disturbances. However, THC can cause acute cognitive and psychomotor impairment and there are concerns that driving and workplace safety might be compromised the day after evening use. Here, we examined possible 'next day' impairment following evening administration of a typical medicinal cannabis oil in adults with insomnia disorder, compared to matched placebo.

Effects of cannabidiol on psychosocial stress, situational anxiety and nausea in a virtual reality environment: a protocol for a single-centre randomised clinical trial.

Introduction: The non-intoxicating plant-derived cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), has demonstrated therapeutic potential in a number of clinical conditions. Most successful clinical trials have used relatively high (≥300 mg) oral doses of CBD. Relatively few studies have investigated the efficacy of lower (<300 mg) oral doses, typical of those available in over-the-counter CBD products.

A phase II randomised controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin in anorexia nervosa.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder (ED) with high mortality rates and limited response to existing treatments, prompting the need to identify effective agents and adjuncts. There is evidence for an emerging role for the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) in the pathophysiology of AN, with studies showing a perturbed oxytocinergic system in patients with AN. Preliminary evidence has demonstrated that intranasal OT (IN-OT) can produce anxiolytic effects in AN, as well as reducing concern about eating, and dysfunctional attentional biases related to the disorder.

Detection of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid using two point-of-collection testing devices following oral administration of a THC and cannabidiol containing oil.

Point-of-collection testing (POCT) devices are widely used in roadside and workplace drug testing to identify recent cannabis use by measuring the presence of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid (OF). However, the performance of POCT devices with oral medicinal cannabis products remains poorly described. In a randomised, double-blinded, crossover trial, adults with insomnia disorder (n = 20) received a single (2 mL) oral dose of oil containing 10 mg THC + 200 mg cannabidiol, or placebo, prior to sleep.

Differences in prescribed medicinal cannabis use by cannabinoid product composition: Findings from the cannabis as medicine survey 2020 (CAMS-20) Australia-wide study.

Introduction: Prescribed medicinal cannabis (MC) is an increasingly common prescription in Australia for treating pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Prescribed MC products generally contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD) in a variety of dose levels and forms. It is unclear whether THC and CBD products are used by patients with different characteristics and for different conditions.

Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol in Tourette Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome is characterized by chronic motor and vocal tics. There is preliminary evidence of benefit from cannabis products containing Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and that coadministration of cannabidiol (CBD) improves the side-effect profile and safety. METHODS: In this double-blind, crossover trial, participants with severe Tourette syndrome were randomly assigned to a 6-week treatment period with escalating doses of an oral oil containing 5 mg/ml of THC and 5 mg/ml of CBD, followed by a 6-week course of placebo, or vice versa, separated by a 4-week washout period.

The effect of contact/collision sport participation without concussion on neurometabolites: A systematic review and meta-analysis of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies.

The aim of this study was to systematically review prior research investigating the effects of contact/collision sport participation on neurometabolite levels in the absence of concussion. Four online databases were searched to identify studies that measured neurometabolite levels in contact/collision sport athletes (without concussion) using proton ( H) or phosphorus ( P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). All study designs were acceptable for inclusion.

Driving-related behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions among Australian medical cannabis users: results from the CAMS 20 survey.

Road safety is an important concern amidst expanding worldwide access to legal cannabis. The present study reports on the driving-related subsection of the Cannabis as Medicine Survey 2020 (CAMS-20) which surveyed driving-related behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions among Australian medical cannabis (MC) users. Of the 1063 respondents who reported driving a motor vehicle in the past 12 months, 28% (297/1063) reported driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC).

Cannabinol (CBN; 30 and 300 mg) effects on sleep and next-day function in insomnia disorder ('CUPID' study): protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, three-arm, proof-of-concept trial.

Objective: Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep disorder, with few effective pharmacotherapies. Anecdotal reports and recent preclinical research suggest that cannabinol (CBN), a constituent of derived from delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, could be an effective treatment. Despite this, the isolated effects of CBN on sleep have yet to be systematically studied in humans.

Pharmacotherapy, alternative and adjunctive therapies for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review.

Background: The current review broadly summarises the evidence base for pharmacotherapies and adjunctive and alternative therapies in the treatment of eating disorders and disordered eating.

Methods: This paper forms part of a Rapid Review series examining the evidence base in the field of eating disorders. This was conducted to inform the Australian National Eating Disorder Research and Translation Strategy 2021-2030.

Medicinal cannabis for psychiatry-related conditions: an overview of current Australian prescribing.

Evidence is accumulating that components of the plant may have therapeutic potential in treating psychiatric disorders. Medicinal cannabis (MC) products are legally available for prescription in Australia, primarily through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Special Access Scheme B (SAS-B). Here we investigated recent prescribing practices for psychiatric indications under SAS-B by Australian doctors.

Medical Cannabis Use Patterns for Sleep Disorders in Australia: Results of the Cross-Sectional CAMS-20 Survey.

Introduction: Sleep disorders are the third most common indication for the prescription of medical cannabis products in Australia, after pain and anxiety. While the use of cannabis for medical purposes is growing in Australia, underlying consumer behaviours and patterns of use, particularly around sleep disorders, are poorly understood.

Methods: We conducted a subanalysis of the cross-sectional "Cannabis as Medicine Survey" 2020-2021 (CAMS-20) (N = 1600), to explore the characteristics of a sample of Australians who were using prescribed and/or illicit medical cannabis to treat a self-reported sleep disorder.

MEPIRAPIM-derived synthetic cannabinoids inhibit T-type calcium channels with divergent effects on seizures in rodent models of epilepsy.

T-type Ca channels (Ca3) represent emerging therapeutic targets for a range of neurological disorders, including epilepsy and pain. To aid the development and optimisation of new therapeutics, there is a need to identify novel chemical entities which act at these ion channels. A number of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) have been found to exhibit activity at T-type channels, suggesting that cannabinoids may provide convenient chemical scaffolds on which to design novel Ca3 inhibitors.

Beyond CBD: Inhibitory effects of lesser studied phytocannabinoids on human voltage-gated sodium channels.

Cannabis contains cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, but also many other phytocannabinoids that have therapeutic potential in the treatment of epilepsy. Indeed, the phytocannabinoids cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA) and cannabichromene (CBC) have recently been shown to have anti-convulsant effects in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome (DS), an intractable form of epilepsy. Recent studies demonstrate that CBD inhibits voltage-gated sodium channel function, however, whether these other anti-convulsant phytocannabinoids affect these classic epilepsy drug-targets is unknown.

Off-target pharmacological profiling of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists including AMB-FUBINACA, CUMYL-PINACA, PB-22, and XLR-11.

Introduction: Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a diverse class of new psychoactive substances that have been associated with multiple instances and types of toxicity. Some SCRAs appear to carry a greater toxicological burden than others, or compared to the prototypical cannabis-derived agonist Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC), despite a common primary mechanism of action cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors. "Off-target" (i.

Cannabidiol Reduced the Severity of Gastrointestinal Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal in Male and Female Mice.

Opioid withdrawal is a powerful driver of drug-seeking behavior as relief from this aversive state through drug-taking is a strong negative reinforcer. There are currently limited treatment options available for opioid withdrawal and cannabidiol (CBD) has been identified as a potential novel therapeutic. This study explored the efficacy and dose dependency of CBD for reducing the severity of naloxone-precipitated and spontaneous oxycodone withdrawal (PW and SW, respectively) in male and female mice.

Knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian General Practitioners towards medicinal cannabis: a 2021-2022 survey.

Background: Medicinal cannabis (MC) products have been available on prescription in Australia for around six years. General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of MC prescribing and recent years have seen substantial increases in prescription numbers. This study examined the current knowledge, experiences, and attitudes of Australian GPs around MC.