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Moore A, Straube S, Fisher E, Eccleston C. Cannabidiol (CBD) Products for Pain: Ineffective, Expensive, and With Potential Harms. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:833-842. [PMID: 37863344 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) attracts considerable attention for promoting good health and treating various conditions, predominantly pain, often in breach of advertising rules. Examination of available CBD products in North America and Europe demonstrates that CBD content can vary from none to much more than advertised and that potentially harmful other chemicals are often included. Serious harm is associated with chemicals found in CBD products and reported in children, adults, and the elderly. A 2021 International Association for the Study of Pain task force examined the evidence for cannabinoids and pain but found no trials of CBD. Sixteen CBD randomized trials using pharmaceutical-supplied CBD or making preparations from such a source and with pain as an outcome have been published subsequently. The trials were conducted in 12 different pain states, using 3 oral, topical, and buccal/sublingual administration, with CBD doses between 6 and 1,600 mg, and durations of treatment between a single dose and 12 weeks. Fifteen of the 16 showed no benefit of CBD over placebo. Small clinical trials using verified CBD suggest the drug to be largely benign; while large-scale evidence of safety is lacking, there is growing evidence linking CBD to increased rates of serious adverse events and hepatotoxicity. In January 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a new regulatory pathway for CBD was needed. Consumers and health care providers should rely on evidence-based sources of information on CBD, not just advertisements. Current evidence is that CBD for pain is expensive, ineffective, and possibly harmful. PERSPECTIVE: There is no good reason for thinking that CBD relieves pain, but there are good reasons for doubting the contents of CBD products in terms of CBD content and purity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sebastian Straube
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Emma Fisher
- Centre for Pain Research, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, UK
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Carnide N, Landsman V, Lee H, Frone MR, Furlan AD, Smith PM. Workplace and non-workplace cannabis use and the risk of workplace injury: Findings from a longitudinal study of Canadian workers. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2023; 114:947-955. [PMID: 37523062 PMCID: PMC10661545 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-023-00795-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Findings of previous studies examining the relationship between cannabis use and workplace injury have been conflicting, likely due to methodological shortcomings, including cross-sectional designs and exposure measures that lack consideration for timing of use. The objective was to estimate the association between workplace cannabis use (before and/or at work) and non-workplace use and the risk of workplace injury. METHODS Canadian workers participating in a yearly longitudinal study (from 2018 to 2020) with at least two adjacent years of survey data comprised the analytic sample (n = 2745). The exposure was past-year workplace cannabis use (no past-year use, non-workplace use, workplace use). The outcome was past-year workplace injury (yes/no). Absolute risks and relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated between workplace and non-workplace cannabis use at one time point and workplace injury at the following time point. Models were adjusted for personal and work variables and were also stratified by whether respondents' jobs were safety-sensitive. RESULTS Compared to no past-year cannabis use, there was no difference in workplace injury risk for non-workplace cannabis use (RR 1.09, 95%CI 0.83-1.44). However, workplace use was associated with an almost two-fold increased risk of experiencing a workplace injury (RR 1.97, 95%CI 1.32-2.93). Findings were similar for workers in safety-sensitive and non-safety-sensitive work. CONCLUSION It is important to distinguish between non-workplace and workplace use when considering workplace safety impacts of cannabis use. Findings have implications for workplace cannabis use policies and substantiate the need for worker education on the risks of workplace cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Carnide
- Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Victoria Landsman
- Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hyunmi Lee
- Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael R Frone
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Andrea D Furlan
- Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter M Smith
- Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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McCartney D, Suraev A, McGregor IS. The "Next Day" Effects of Cannabis Use: A Systematic Review. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023; 8:92-114. [PMID: 36475998 PMCID: PMC9940812 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main intoxicating component of cannabis, can cause cognitive and psychomotor impairment. Whether this impairment is still present many hours or even days after THC use requires clarification. Possible "next day" effects are of major significance in safety-sensitive workplaces. We therefore conducted a systematic review of studies investigating the "next day" effects of THC. Methods: Studies that measured performance on safety-sensitive tasks (e.g., driving, flying) and/or neuropsychological tests >8 h after THC (or cannabis) use using interventional designs were identified by searching two online databases from inception until March 28, 2022. Risk of bias (RoB) was evaluated using the relevant Cochrane tools. Results were described in terms of whether THC had a significant effect on performance relative to the primary comparator (i.e., placebo or baseline, as appropriate). Results: Twenty studies (n=458) involving 345 performance tests were reviewed. Most studies administered a single dose of THC (median [interquartile range]: 16 [11-26] mg) and assessed performance between >12 and 24 h post-treatment. N=209/345 tests conducted across 16 published studies showed no "next day" effects of THC. Nine of these 16 studies used randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled designs. Half (N=8) had "some" RoB, and half (N=8) had a "high" RoB. Notably, N=88 of these 209 tests failed to demonstrate "acute" (i.e., <8 h post-treatment) THC-induced impairment. N=12/345 tests conducted across five published studies indicated negative (i.e., impairing) "next day" effects of THC. None of these five studies used randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled designs and all were published >18 years ago (four, >30 years ago). Three had "some" RoB, and two had a "high" RoB. A further N=121/345 tests indicated "unclear" "next day" effects of THC with insufficient information provided to assess outcomes. The remaining N=3/345 tests indicated positive (i.e., enhancing) "next day" effects of THC. Conclusions: Some lower quality studies have reported "next day" effects of THC on cognitive function and safety-sensitive tasks. However, most studies, including some of higher quality, have found no such effect. Overall, it appears that there is limited scientific evidence to support the assertion that cannabis use impairs "next day" performance. Further studies involving improved methodologies are required to better address this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle McCartney
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Address correspondence to: Danielle McCartney, PhD, Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia,
| | - Anastasia Suraev
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Iain S. McGregor
- Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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MacCallum CA, Lo LA, Pistawka CA, Christiansen A, Boivin M, Snider-Adler M. A Clinical Framework for Assessing Cannabis-Related Impairment Risk. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:883517. [PMID: 35832600 PMCID: PMC9272752 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.883517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinicians play an important role in promoting safe and responsible medical cannabis use. One essential component to safe use is considering a patient's risk of neurocognitive impairment. However, there remains a lack of practical guidance on how clinicians can evaluate this risk for medical cannabis patients. Here, a practical framework is presented for clinicians to assess and stratify cannabis-associated impairment risk. The proposed framework is intended to practically guide healthcare providers in gaining a more comprehensive review of a patient's impairment-related factors. This framework can be used to assess impairment risk for patients currently using or considering medical cannabis and is recommended for all patients who perform safety-sensitive duties. Healthcare providers (HCP) managing patient's medical cannabis or those conducting assessments to determine risk of impairment for safety-sensitive workplaces can utilize this framework to stratify patients' risk of impairment. Such assessments can inform patient-specific needs for support, education, and guidance, to ensure cannabis is used safely and responsibly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A MacCallum
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lindsay A Lo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carly A Pistawka
- Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - April Christiansen
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Melissa Snider-Adler
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Queen's University School of Medicine, Kingston, ON, Canada
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