Browsing Ailment Research

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannabis have been linked with one another for quite some time. In fact, it was added as a qualifying condition in both Michigan and Nevada earlier this year. That being said, a team of researchers at the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center published clinical trial data ahead of print in the journal Clinical Drug Investigation that sheds further light on this relationship. Their results suggest that the oral administraion …

What Is Cerebral Palsy (CP)? Cerebral palsy (CP) is an incurable disorder of brain development, generally manifesting by the age of 3. It leads to various signs and symptoms, including difficulties in controlling movement (i.e. dysfunction in coordination, precision, and posture, spasticity/”stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes”, changes in muscle tone or reflexes, weakness, shaking/tremor). Patients with cerebral palsy may experience pain (often as a result of stiff muscles), incontinence, sleep disturbance, …

What Is Epilepsy? Seizures vs. Epilepsy The medical definition of a seizure is a clinical expression of abnormal, excessive, synchronous discharge of neurons residing primarily in the brain’s cerebral cortex. Alternatively, the term epilepsy encompasses a broad range clinical syndromes characterized by repeated seizures over time unprovoked by an acute systemic or neurological insult. “It’s the last thing you worry about before you go to bed; and the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning.” – Heather Jackson These definition’s however fail to capture the feelings of helplessness felt by parents, family members, …

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder experienced by children, and approximately 20% of patients (around 93,200 children in the US, and around 153,000 children in Europe) are unable to control their seizures with commonly used medications. Due to the growing evidence that some cannabinoids found in cannabis may help to reduce neuron hyperexcitability, certain strains are being used to help treat epilepsy. This is particularly true of cannabis strains with a high concentration of cannabidiol (CBD). In turn, pharmaceutical companies have been working on ways repeat …

What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)? Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition in which areas of your gastrointestinal (GI) system become chronically inflamed. Ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), collagenous colitis, and lymphocytic colitis are types of IBD, with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease being “classic” forms. Ulcerative colitis comes on slowly and results from inflammation of the inner lining of the colon and rectum. Crohn’s disease results from inflammation of various areas of the GI tract and leads to intense pain and diarrhea, which may subsequently …

What Is Chronic Pain? Pain is a complex phenomenon made up of physical, mental and social components. At a basic level, the ability to perceive pain has helped people survive throughout the ages. Without feeling the uncomfortable sensation when you touch a stove, which causes you to remove your hand, the heat from the stove would end up causing far more damage to the cells in your hand, than it did before you felt the pain. In essence, pain is the body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. However, it is when pain fails to subside, despite removing …

What Is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune, inflammatory condition which is caused by an attack from the body’s immune system on the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve cells in the central nervous system (CNS). The myelin sheath provides insulation to these cells to allow for fast conduction of signals throughout the body; destruction slows the speed of signals from the CNS to the body’s peripheral nervous system (PNS). This condition can also lead to destruction of the nerves themselves, which is irreversible. Due to the fact that the CNS is the …

The relationship between cannabis and anxiety is an interesting one. Large concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is often tied to bouts of paranoia and anxiety, however it is well-documented that cannabidiol (CBD) found in cannabis can counteract this effect. With that said, a group of Brazilian researchers published an article in the 2011 Journal of Psychopharmacology that further investigates the relationship between cannabidiol (CBD) and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Their results suggest that CBD could offer a way …

There is a great deal of evidence suggesting that cannabis is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. It shows particular promise in the case of Alzheimer’s disease, and Clint Werner covers the topic in detail in his book Marijuana Gateway to Health. With that said, a group of Australian researchers, led by Dr. Tim Karl, published a study in this month’s edition of Psychopharmacology that offers further insight. It suggests …

For years the faulty argument has been made that cannabis causes and/or increases the likelihood of schizophrenia. Of course, much of this position has already been debunked in one way or another. A study published in 2004 determined that cannabis can help counter psychosis; another study published last year found that cannabidiol (CBD) can help improve cognitive function in schizophrenic individuals. Accordingly, a number …