The top cannabis research studies of 2021

With the spread of cannabis legalization, so has the need for further research on this highly regulated plant. Government funding and private investment are increasing, and global research is providing insights into the fundamental properties of cannabis and its medicinal potential, helping to break popular beliefs about its harm.

Here are five of the top cannabis research articles from 2021.

CBD can reduce aggression in shelter dogs

Soon after people began to appreciate the therapeutic effects of CBD, many wondered: will it work on our pets too?

There have been anecdotal reports from owners of epileptic or anxious dogs, or those suffering from chronic pain, of the benefits their dogs have experienced from CBD. There is less empirical evidence of the therapeutic benefits of CBD in dogs than in humans, but the number of studies on the benefits of CBD in veterinary medicine is vast.

In a recent study by Italian scientists, shelter dogs were given CBD oil for 45 days and measured for aggressive behavior towards their human handlers. All dogs in the CBD treatment group tolerated CBD well and showed no side effects.

Dogs treated with CBD showed a reduction in the number of aggressive behaviors, and the benefits were most pronounced after 45 days of exposure. Stress-related behavior was not influenced by CBD in this particular study.

While the strength of these conclusions is limited by the study’s small sample size – only 12 dogs per group – and poorly balanced group assignment, it does indicate a potential new therapeutic use of CBD for our beloved pets. It can be imagined that many hard working shelter workers, veterinarians, and volunteers have come to appreciate these benefits of CBD.

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CBD has pain relieving effects by acting directly in the brain

Most non-opioid pain relievers work by reducing inflammation. Inflammation activates a set of sensory cells that send signals to the brain and activate a network of brain regions that work together to promote the sensation of pain.

Pain is generally reduced by blocking inflammation at the source of the injury, but it can also be relieved by disrupting the brain’s pain-processing network. An ideal pain treatment would dampen inflammation and disrupt pain processing in the brain without causing an opioid-like addiction, but blocking pain processing in the brain has proven challenging or deleterious.

The pain relieving effects of CBD have long been attributed to its anti-inflammatory effects. However, Iranian neuroscientists recently discovered that CBD also relieves pain by acting in a small region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in processing and responding to pain.

The group injected CBD directly into the nucleus accumbens of rats, limiting its effects on the brain, and measured their sensitivity to pain by a pain-inducing procedure. Rats treated with CBD showed decreased sensitivity to pain, although the inflammation at the injury site was not blocked.

Their results are powerful because they show that CBD can relieve pain by acting directly in the brain, rather than just reducing inflammation at the injury site. This study highlights the need for further investigation into the effectiveness of CBD in treating chronic pain conditions where pain is no longer due to inflammation but rather to dysfunctional nerve signaling or brain processing.

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The case for the neuroprotective effects of cannabis is reinforced

By knowing the events through which an injury or illness causes brain damage, therapies can be developed to limit damage.

Recently, Brazilian scientists tested the protective effects of CBD against stroke in rats. CBD, given 30 minutes before a stroke, and then for several hours afterwards, protected against brain cell loss, structural damage and the resulting memory impairment.

While the protective benefits of CBD have yet to be systematically tested in human clinical trials, these exciting results underscore the potential benefits CBD can have for high-risk patients, such as those at risk of stroke or heart attack.

In a separate study, Spanish scientists examined the protective and fortifying effects of THC in demyelinating diseases. Myelin is an insulating substance that promotes faster electrical signals in our cells. The destruction of myelin, as seen in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, slows the speed of communication in the nervous system and causes a variety of impairments. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective strategies for regaining myelin once it is destroyed.

Excitingly, this study showed that THC promoted remyelination by stimulating the activity of cells called oligodendrocytes, which are responsible for myelination of nerve cells, and improved behavioral function in a mouse model with demyelinated injury.

While a few more steps are needed before these results can affect clinical practice, THC’s ability to promote remyelination provides exciting mechanistic support to previous reports of patients with demyelinating disease who have benefited from cannabis.

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Studies in twins examine the causal effects of cannabis use in adolescents

There are numerous popular but unfounded beliefs about the negative effects of cannabis use. These claims often come from studies comparing cannabis users with non-users, but the studies do not provide a causal link between cannabis and allegedly negative outcomes.

Some myths say that cannabis use in adolescents can lead to psychosis or an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Others say cannabis is lazy and leads to poor physical health.

Instead, it is possible that these results are attributed to genetic or familial influences, which can lead to people who are already at risk for psychosis or who do less exercise also use cannabis.

For a better insight, scientists can examine twins while controlling genetic and familial factors, since twins often have similar DNA and are exposed to the same home environment.

Two recent twin studies could nullify some of those widespread negative beliefs. One study looked at the effects of cannabis use in adolescents later in life as adults, specifically whether or not psychosis emerged as an adult. The connection between cannabis and psychosis disappeared when comparing cannabis-using and non-using twins.

This speaks against a causal relationship between cannabis use in adolescents and the development of psychosis. Instead, it suggests that genetic or familial factors affect the brain in ways that increase the risk of developing psychosis while encouraging behavioral patterns that lead to higher cannabis use in adolescents.

A second twin study with a similar approach could not find a causal relationship between weekly cannabis use and physical activity or physical health characteristics. Instead, the researchers concluded that lower levels of physical activity, heart rate, and exercise can be better explained by genetic factors and familial behavior than cannabis use in adolescents.

Hopefully these studies will force us to rethink therapeutic interventions to target the correct causes.

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The origin of the Skunk smell of cannabis is revealed

The distinctive smell of cannabis comes from terpenes, and it is the combination of terpenes that gives each strain a unique odor.

The origin of the plant’s familiar, skunky smell that is common to most fresh flowers was unknown until a team of scientists at California-based terpene company Abstrax Tech identified its origin.

The culprit, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, was identified using a number of advanced chemical isolation and identification methods and confirmed through a controlled growth experiment. The concentrations of this compound increase significantly during the end of the flowering phase and peak during curing.

However, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-thiol does not last long – its content drops significantly after just 10 days of storage. This high volatility explains why the skunky odor is strongest when smoking fresh cannabis and why it has so far alluded to evidence in terpene isolation experiments.

Given its structural similarity to compounds found in garlic, there are ways to further explore its health benefits alongside other prominent terpenes such as caryophyllene.

Josh Kaplan

Josh Kaplan, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at Western Washington University. He is a passionate science writer, educator and runs a laboratory that researches the developmental and therapeutic effects of cannabis.

See article by Josh Kaplan

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