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Acute exposure to cannabis comes with neurocognitive impairment, leading to increased risk of human error and injury. Evidence however indicates that such acute effects are less prominent in chronic users, suggesting cannabis tolerance.
Importance
Cannabis withdrawal syndrome (CWS)—a diagnostic indicator of cannabis use disorder—commonly occurs on cessation of heavy and prolonged cannabis use. To date, the prevalence of CWS syndrome has not been well described, nor have the factors potentially associated with CWS.
Previous studies have reported conflicting results in terms of acute effects of cannabis in man. Independently of other factors, such discrepancy may be attributable to the different cannabis use history of study volunteers. It is thought that regular cannabis users may develop tolerance to the effects of acute cannabis administration.
Background and purpose: Cannabidiol (CBD) represents a promising therapeutic tool for treating cannabis use disorder (CUD). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CBD on the behavioural and gene expression alterations induced by spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal.
The vast majority of states have enacted full or partial medical marijuana (MMJ) programs, causing the number of patients seeking certification for MMJ use to increase dramatically in recent years. Despite increased use of MMJ across the nation, no studies thus far have examined the specific impact of MMJ on cognitive function and related brain activation.
The cannabis withdrawal syndrome (CWS) is a criterion of cannabis use disorders (CUDs) (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition) and cannabis dependence (International Classification of Diseases [ICD]-10). Several lines of evidence from animal and human studies indicate that cessation from long-term and regular cannabis use precipitates a specific withdrawal syndrome with mainly mood and behavioral symptoms of light to moderate intensity, which can usually be treated in an outpatient setting.
Background
The widespread use of cannabis, the increasing legalization of “medical” cannabis, the increasing potency of cannabis and the growing recreational use of synthetic cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) full agonists underscores the importance of elucidating the effects of cannabinoids on the CB1R system.
Over 300,000 individuals enter treatment for cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in the U.S. annually. Cannabis withdrawal is associated with poor CUD treatment outcomes, but no prior studies have examined sex differences in withdrawal among treatment-seeking cannabis users.
Chronic cannabis (marijuana, hashish) smoking can result in dependence. Rodent studies show reversible downregulation of brain cannabinoid CB1 (cannabinoid receptor type 1) receptors after chronic exposure to cannabis. However, whether downregulation occurs in humans who chronically smoke cannabis is unknown.
Conclusions and implications: The results suggest that CBD alleviates spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal and normalizes associated gene expression changes. Future studies are needed to determine the relevance of CBD as a potential therapeutic tool for treating CUD.
