Medicinal cannabis papers
The 2021 scholarly article published in the esteemed journal Systematic Reviews provides a thorough and comprehensive exploration of the vast array of existing systematic reviews concerning the potential benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis for a variety of health conditions. This rigorous examination scrutinizes the quality and reporting of these reviews, meticulously pinpointing the gaps and potential constraints in the evidence base, and highlighting areas where further investigation may be required. The authors of the paper meticulously analyzed a plethora of systematic reviews linked to medical cannabis and observed strong, substantiated evidence supporting its efficacy in the management and alleviation of chronic pain, in mitigating the side effects of chemotherapy including nausea and vomiting, and in managing spasticity related to multiple sclerosis. However, the exploration does not stop at these well-documented benefits. The researchers also found preliminary or suggestive evidence hinting at the potential benefits of medical cannabis for a range of other health conditions, such as epilepsy, insomnia, and anxiety. They argue that these promising findings necessitate further research to not only validate these tentative claims but also evaluate medical cannabis’s long-term safety and effectiveness, especially in the context of chronic use. In terms of side effects, the authors underscored that the most frequently reported side effects of medical cannabis are generally mild and temporary in nature, with symptoms including dry mouth, dizziness, and mild drowsiness. Nevertheless, they caution that the potential long-term safety of medical cannabis, particularly for individuals with specific health issues like cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders, warrants further meticulous investigation and should be a focus of future research. The paper serves as an indispensable overview of the current evidence base concerning the potential benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis, making it an invaluable resource for patients considering cannabis as a treatment option, clinicians prescribing it as part of a treatment plan, and policymakers deciding on its legal and medical use. The scholarly discourse on cannabis is vast and multifaceted, a fact evidenced by an expansive array of articles on cannabis published in various journals from Oxford University Press. These articles cover a broad range of topics, from the economics of legalization to the impact on sleep patterns, the implications for public health, and the neurobiology of cannabis dependence. Written by leading experts in their respective fields, these articles provide a balanced, informative perspective on the most recent and cutting-edge cannabis research. In addition to academic journals, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), an organization advocating for the legalization of marijuana, maintains a website compiling and linking to over 36,000 peer-reviewed cannabis and cannabinoid papers. This invaluable resource, searchable by topic, condition, or keyword, is an essential tool for patients, clinicians, and researchers seeking the latest developments in medical cannabis research. Other credible research sources include government websites such as the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the UK Home Office, university research hubs dedicated to cannabis research like the University of Ottawa’s “Cannabis Research at Ottawa,” and various academic journals such as the Journal of Cannabis Research, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, and Frontiers in Pharmacology (Cannabinoids section). Each of these platforms presents researchers, medical professionals, and interested parties with access to a wealth of information about the potential uses and impacts of medical cannabis.
Benefits and harms of medical cannabis: a scoping review of systematic reviews: This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the existing systematic reviews on the benefits and harms of medical cannabis for various conditions. It also evaluates the quality and reporting of the reviews, and identifies the gaps and limitations in the evidence base1.
Cannabis Research from Oxford Journals: This is a collection of notable articles on cannabis from different journals published by Oxford University Press. The articles cover a wide range of topics, such as economics, sleep, public health, and the brain2.
Recent Medical Marijuana Research: This is a website maintained by NORML, an organization that advocates for the legalization of marijuana. It provides a summary and a link to over 36,000 peer-reviewed papers on cannabis and its cannabinoids, according to a keyword search on PubMed Central3.
Learn more:
1. systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com
2. systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com
5. norml.org
6. norml.org
7. gov.uk