Digital Commons Network^™

Epicutaneous Sensitization To The Phytocannabinoid Β-Caryophyllene Induces Pruritic Inflammation, Saadet Inan, Sara J Ward, Citlalli T Baltazar, Gabrielle A. Peruggia, Elham Javed, Ajay P. Nayak

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

In recent years, there has been increased accessibility to cannabis for recreational and medicinal use. Incidentally, there has been an increase in reports describing allergic reactions to cannabis including exacerbation of underlying asthma. Recently, multiple protein allergens were discovered in cannabis, yet these fail to explain allergic sensitization in many patients, particularly urticaria and angioedema. Cannabis has a rich chemical profile including cannabinoids and terpenes that possess immunomodulatory potential. We examined whether major cannabinoids of cannabis such as cannabidiol (CBD) and the bicyclic sesquiterpene beta-caryophyllene (β-CP) act as contact sensitizers. The repeated topical application of mice skin with β-CP at …

Proteomics-Based Approach For Detailing The Allergenic Profile Of Cannabis Chemotypes, Cali Loblundo, Jenna Severa, Gabrielle A Peruggia, Kristina Reid Black, Suman Chandra, Hemant Lata, Mahmoud Elsohly, Martin D Chapman, Deepak A. Deshpande, Ajay P. Nayak

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

Allergic sensitization to cannabis is an emerging public health concern and is difficult to clinically establish owing to lack of standardized diagnostic approaches. Attempts to develop diagnostic tools were largely hampered by the Schedule I restrictions on cannabis, which limited accessibility for research. Recently, however, hemp was removed from the classified list, and increased accessibility to hemp allows for the evaluation of its practical clinical value for allergy diagnosis. We hypothesized that the proteomic profile is preserved across different cannabis chemotypes and that hemp would be an ideal source of plant material for clinical testing. Using a proteomics-based approach, we …

Evaluation Of Field Sobriety Tests For Identifying Drivers Under The Influence Of Cannabis: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Thomas D Marcotte, Anya Umlauf, David J Grelotti, Emily G Sones, Kyle F Mastropietro, Raymond T Suhandynata, Marilyn A. Huestis, Igor Grant, Robert L Fitzgerald

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: With increasing medicinal and recreational cannabis legalization, there is a public health need for effective and unbiased evaluations for determining whether a driver is impaired due to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure. Field sobriety tests (FSTs) are a key component of the gold standard law enforcement officer-based evaluations, yet controlled studies are inconclusive regarding their efficacy in detecting whether a person is under the influence of THC.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the classification accuracy of FSTs with respect to cannabis exposure and driving impairment (as determined via a driving simulation).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel randomized clinical trial was …

To Hemp In A Handbasket: The Meaning Of “Controlled Substance” Under The Career Offender Enhancement, Jacob Friedman

Georgia Criminal Law Review

Sentencing enhancements can drastically impact prison sentences for people convicted of federal crimes. The career offender enhancement is particularly harmful to a federal criminal defendant because it automatically raises their minimum offense level and criminal history score under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which, although no longer mandatory, are almost always followed by judges in determining actual prison sentences. Since 2016, the career offender enhancement has been applied to almost 8,000 criminal defendants who, at the time of their convictions, had accrued a total of two or more predicate felony convictions, for either a drug offense or a crime of violence …

Legalize For Legal Highs: How Georgia Can Address Racial Disparities In The Criminal Legal System By Legalizing Recreational Cannabis, Nneka Ewulonu

Georgia Criminal Law Review

Cannabis prohibition is a policy failure that nevertheless continues to impact more than half of Americans, including Georgians. Remaining true to its roots in racism and xenophobia, cannabis criminalization has disparate impacts, with Black Americans being more likely to be arrested or incarcerated for a cannabis related offense. Furthermore, cannabis criminalization results in tens of millions of missed tax dollars for the state. This article argues for a clear policy solution; it is time for Georgia to legalize cannabis. As demonstrated by the 21 states that have legalized recreational cannabis as of Fall 2022, legalizing recreational cannabis creates both economic …

A Statewide Study Of Disparities In Local Policies And Tobacco, Vape, And Cannabis Retail Environments, Georgiana Bostean, William R. Ponicki, Alisa A. Padon, William J. Mccarthy, Jennifer B. Unger

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The current study: (1) assesses sociodemographic disparities in local policies related to tobacco and cannabis retail, and (2) examines the cross-sectional association between policy strength and retailer densities of tobacco, e-cigarette (vape), and cannabis retailers within California cities and county unincorporated areas (N = 539). We combined (a) American Community Survey data (2019 5-year estimates), (b) 2018 tobacco, vape, and cannabis retailer locations from a commercial data provider, (c) 2017 tobacco and vape retail environment policy data from American Lung Association, and (d) 2018 cannabis policy data from California Cannabis Local Laws Database. Conditional autoregressive models examined policy strength associations …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Healthcare Professionals Who Are Experts In Cannabinoid Therapy And The Endocannabinoid System (Ecs), Courtney Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis is a prevalent alternative treatment for many symptoms and conditions given its medicinal qualities and few side effects. As legalization for both medical and recreational purposes continue to develop quickly across the United States of America, there is serious discrepancy between legalization and clinical research. Clinical data is difficult since the U.S. federal government still classifies cannabis as a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I drug with no clearly established medical value. This lag in evidence-base data has affected cannabinoid therapy and endocannabinoid system education (ECS) for healthcare professionals. There are gaps in medical school and continuing medical education …

Association Between Non-Medical Cannabis Legalization And Emergency Department Visits For Cannabis-Induced Psychosis, D.T. Myran, M. Pugliese, R.L. Roberts, M. Solmi, C.M. Perlman, J. Fiedorowiczj, P. Tanuseputro, Kelly Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

A major public health concern of cannabis legalization is that it may result in an increase in psychotic disorders. We examined changes in emergency department (ED) visits for cannabis-induced psychosis following the legalization and subsequent commercialization (removal of restrictions on retail stores and product types) of non-medical cannabis in Ontario, Canada (population of 14.3 million). We used health administrative data containing the cause of all ED visits to examine changes over three periods; 1) pre-legalization (January 2014–September 2018); 2) legalization with restrictions (October 2018 – February 2020); and 3) commercialization (March 2020 – September 2021). We considered subgroups stratified by …

A Review Of Social Media Platform Policies That Address Cannabis Promotion, Marketing And Sales, Carla J Berg, Cassidy R Loparco, Yuxian Cui, Alexandria Pannell, Grace Kong, Lynniah Griffith, Katelyn F Romm, Y Tony Yang, Yan Wang, Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cannabis marketing exposure via social media may impact use in youth and young adults. Most states with recreational cannabis lack policies regarding social media-based marketing. Thus, we examined such policies among prominent platforms, particularly those popular among youth and young adults.

METHODS: In September-October 2022, 3 research team members extracted policies applying to the general community, advertising, and any specific content regarding drug-related content for 11 social media sites: Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, Tumblr, Twitch, Twitter, and YouTube. Using inductive thematic analysis, they then dual-coded restrictions on cannabis-related content (e.g., paid advertising, unpaid promotion, sales). Descriptive …

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study To Examine Covariates And Effects Of Concurrent And Simultaneous Use Of Electronic Cigarettes And Marijuana Among College Students, Anne Buu, James J Yang, Tzung-Shiang Ou, Joon Kyung Nam, Ganghui Suh, Hsien-Chang Lin

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of concurrent and simultaneous use of e-cigarette and marijuana among college students is high. Yet, the literature was mainly based on cross-sectional surveys with emphasis on the smoking route. This is the first ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study that examined the vaping route of nicotine-marijuana co-use and the associated short-term psychological effects.

METHODS: This study recruited 686 college student e-cigarette users to participate in an on-line survey and 7-day EMA. Frequent marijuana users (247) - using marijuana weekly or daily - were compared with infrequent/non-users (439) on academic performance, e-cigarette use patterns, and dependence and respiratory symptoms. …

Sociodemographically Stratified Exploration Of Pancreatic Cancer Incidence In Younger Us Patients: Implication Of Cannabis Exposure As A Risk Factor, Albert S. Reece, Gary K. Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction. The aetiology for the recent increase in pancreatic cancer incidence (PCI) in the US is unknown. This paper provides an epidemiological investigation of the exponential increase in PCI in young people aged 15–34 years, particularly amongst females, with a focus on the exponential rise amongst African American females, and its relationship to substance use. Methods. National pancreatic cancer data from recent reports. Tobacco, alcohol and daily cannabis use data taken from the annual nationally representative National Survey of Drug Use and Health, response rate = 74%. Results. Amongst the 15–34-year-aged cohort, PCI was found to be significantly more common …

Driving Under The Influence Of Cannabis: Impact Of Combining Toxicology Testing With Field Sobriety Tests, Robert L. Fitzgerald, Anya Umlauf, Jacqueline A. Hubbard, Melissa A. Hoffman, Philip M. Sobolesky, Shannon E. Ellis, David J. Grelotti, Raymond T. Suhandynata, Marilyn A. Huestis, Igor Grant, Thomas D. Marcotte

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is increasingly used both medically and recreationally. With widespread use, there is growing concern about how to identify cannabis-impaired drivers.

METHODS: A placebo-controlled randomized double-blinded protocol was conducted to study the effects of cannabis on driving performance. One hundred ninety-one participants were randomized to smoke ad libitum a cannabis cigarette containing placebo or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (5.9% or 13.4%). Blood, oral fluid (OF), and breath samples were collected along with longitudinal driving performance on a simulator (standard deviation of lateral position [SDLP] and car following [coherence]) over a 5-hour period. Law enforcement officers performed field sobriety tests (FSTs) to …

Medical Marijuana In Mississippi: A Journalistic View Of Physician Opinions And Patient Education, Michael Pitts

Honors Theses

Medical Marijuana in Mississippi: A Journalistic View of Physician Opinions and Patient Education is an in-depth investigative journalism project examining aspects of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program. Specific areas of interest were Mississippi physician opinions on the use medical marijuana and their views on the application of the state’s program as well as an examination into how patients are receiving education on medical marijuana. This project involved interviews of healthcare providers, dispensary staff, and patients, in addition to background research that was used to formulate interview questions, determine areas of interest and add necessary context. This project occurred during the …

The Effect Of Cannabinoids And Terpenes On The Activation Of Hmc3 Microglial Cells, Mohamed Marzouk

Honors Theses

Life expectancies of people living with HIV have significantly lengthened due to the availability of antiretroviral therapies. Despite their ability to increase survival, these treatments do not “cure” HIV, nor do the stop the onset of neurological symptoms associated with infection, termed neuroHIV. NeuroHIV describes a myriad of neurological impairments including mood disorders (depression and anxiety), cognitive impairment, neuropathic pain, and motor disinhibition that reduce quality of life for people living with HIV. Mechanistically, the neurological impairments may involve actions of neurotoxic proteins directly produced by the virus. One of these proteins that has been well-characterized is the HIV trans …

Medical Cannabis In Mississippi: Practitioner Education And Continuing Research, Andrea Cleveland

Honors Theses

Use of medical cannabis in Mississippi was legalized in February 2022 following many years of cannabis research at the University of Mississippi. Issues immediately became apparent, beginning with the lack of education about medical cannabis among providers. A 2017 study showed that the majority of physicians are not exposed to information about medical cannabis despite its legalization in 37 states. Another issue with Mississippi’s medical cannabis program is the cost of the product itself. The most effective way to decrease spending on medication is for patients to have access to medication that is guaranteed to work. Further research on cannabis …

Midweed: A Comparison Between Marijuana Laws, Regulations, And Social Attitudes In Cannabis-Legal Vs. Cannabis-Illegal Midwest States, Abagail Lim

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Professional Projects

This professional project is a series of three journalistic articles. Each article focuses on laws, regulations and social attitudes surrounding marijuana in the United States. These topics are explored primarily through the lenses of two Midwest states (Illinois & Nebraska), which have highly contrasting laws and regulations regarding marijuana. The state of Illinois legalized medical marijuana in January 2014 and recreational marijuana in January 2020, while in Nebraska, both medical and recreational use still remains illegal, though possession of up to one ounce has been decriminalized.

The purpose of choosing these two states is to show how stark a contrast …

Associations Between Cannabis Use, Polygenic Liability For Schizophrenia, And Cannabis-Related Experiences In A Sample Of Cannabis Users, Emma C Johnson, Sarah M C Colbert, Paul W Jeffries, Rebecca Tillman, Nicole R Karcher, Elliot C Nelson, Arpana Agrawal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: Risk for cannabis use and schizophrenia is influenced in part by genetic factors, and there is evidence that genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). Few studies to date have examined whether genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with cannabis-related PLEs.

STUDY DESIGN: We tested whether measures of cannabis involvement and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia were associated with self-reported cannabis-related experiences in a sample ascertained for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). We analyzed 4832 subjects (3128 of European ancestry and 1704 of African …

Cannabis Consumption On A College Campus: Mental And Behavioral Health, Joseph Benjamin Gareis

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: Societal views and many state and federal laws regarding cannabis are evolving. Cannabis use is increasing, with the highest prevalence among young adults ages 18-25. Both the 2021 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and the 2022 National College Health Assessment survey found that ~35% of young adults used cannabis within the last year. Methods: Students, faculty, and staff at a small, private university in Indiana were surveyed regarding cannabis use and mental/behavioral health. Participants were recruited via university list serves and social media. The anonymous confidential survey was administered electronically via Qualtrics between December 9, 2022 …

Education For Oncology Providers On The Benefits, Uses, And Local Resources Of Medical Marijuana, Jessica Landrum, Brianna Linsley

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Medical marijuana is used to reduce symptoms of medical conditions including cancer. Medical marijuana can increase quality of life among patients with cancer by treating symptoms such as pain, nausea, and vomiting. For providers to care for this population, they must understand the implications for treatment, pharmacological properties, and legal issues related to medical marijuana use.

Nurse practitioners at a cancer clinic in rural Illinois were unable to prescribe medical marijuana because they did not have the necessary knowledge about medical marijuana. The nurse practitioners at the clinic were requesting a “toolbox” containing medical marijuana resources such as uses for …

Better Budtender Training, Vincent Mcdonald Castillo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

A survey conducted by the cannabis education program in the Monterey County Health Department (MCHD) concluded that around 57% of users in the county do not feel educated enough in the subject to form their own educated opinions about cannabis use (Cannabis Education Survey 2022). The MCHD decided to address this concern by collaborating with local dispensaries to provide an educational course in video form for budtenders. This video provides factual information on consumption methods, how differently they may affect people and the recommended time to wait before operating a vehicle. Following this education, consumers of cannabis will have reliable …

A Cross Sectional Comparison Of The Mental Health, Sleep, And Anaerobic Power Of Cannabis Users, Cannabidiol Users, And Non Users, Taylor Tamanaha

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences among groups of individuals who regularly use cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), or who are non-users with respect to mental health, sleep, and anaerobic power measures. A total of 24 participants (21 males and 3 females) were recruited and placed into groups based on their regular cannabis/CBD or non-cannabis/CBD use. The cannabis user group was using cannabis at least three times per week for the past 8 weeks (CA; n=8), the CBD user group was using CBD at least three times per week for the past 8 weeks (CB; n=8), …

The History And Trajectory Of Major Vice Regulations In Massachusetts, Jonathan D. Zlotnik, David K. Muradian

School of Professional Studies

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Childhood Trauma, Hippocampal Mediation And Cannabis Use In A Large Dataset Of Psychosis And Non-Psychosis Individuals, Elisabetta C. Del Re, Walid Yassin, Victor Zeng, Sarah Keedy, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Elena Ivleva, Scott Hill, Nicole Rychagov, Jennifer E. Mcdowell, Jeffrey R. Bishop

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

Cannabis use (CA) and childhood trauma (CT) independently increase the risk of earlier psychosis onset; but their interaction in relation to psychosis risk and association with endocannabinoid-receptor rich brain regions, i.e. the hippocampus (HP), remains unclear. The objective was to determine whether lower age of psychosis onset (AgePsyOnset) is associated with CA and CT through mediation by the HP volumes, and genetic risk, as measured by schizophrenia polygene scores (SZ-PGRS).

Methods

Cross-sectional, case-control, multicenter sample from 5 metropolitan US regions. Participants (n = 1185) included 397 controls not affected by psychosis (HC); 209 participants with bipolar disorder type-1; …

Effects Of Cannabichromene On Pain And Neuroinflammation In Hiv-1 Tat Transgenic Mice, Sydney Wheeler

Honors Theses

HIV-1 TransActivator of Transcription (Tat) is a vital regulatory protein involved in HIV replication and implicated in development of HIV-associated pain and neurocognitive deficits. Tat is thought to contribute to these pathologies through proinflammatory pathways. Developing mechanisms to curb Tat-mediated inflammation is a key step in improving the quality of life of those living with HIV. Both recreational and medicinal cannabis use is prevalent among many people living with HIV; given this prevalence and the perceived anti-inflammatory benefits of cannabis use, it is important to investigate how chemical constituents of cannabis may impact HIV. In the present study, the effects …

Association Between Arkansas Cannabis Program Implentation And Drug Overdoses, Alex Hooper

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Overdose rates have been on the rise in the United States. In 2018 Arkansas launched its medical cannabis program. The effects of cannabis are still not widely known due to limited research and legislation. Utilizing state issued reports, we examined if a state medical cannabis program had any impact on overdose rates between 2018 and 2020. Data was examined from the Arkansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and the Arkansas Medical Marijuana program to determine if a pattern could be recognized on the impact of state medical cannabis programs. Data was examined at a county level to determine if any change …

A Scoping Review Of Risk And Protective Factors For Negative Cannabis Use Consequences, Timothy J. Grigsby, Andrea Lopez, Larisa Albers, Christopher J. Rogers, Myriam Forster

Social & Behavioral Health Faculty Publications

Objective:

Numerous reviews have examined risk and protective factors for alcohol-related negative consequences, but no equivalent review of risk and protective factors exists for cannabis-related negative consequences (CRNCs)-a gap filled by the present study. This scoping review examined survey-based research of risk and protective factors for CRNCs such as neglecting responsibilities, blacking out, or needing more cannabis.

Methods:

Three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar) were searched for peer-reviewed manuscripts published between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2021. A qualitative synthesis was performed using the matrix method and the results were organized using the socioecological model as a framework. …

Adolescent Use And Co-Use Of Tobacco And Cannabis In California: The Roles Of Local Policy And Density Of Tobacco, Vape, And Cannabis Retailers Around Schools, Georgiana Bostean, Anton M. Palma, Alison A. Padon, Erik Linstead, Joni Ricks-Oddie, Jason A. Douglas, Jennifer B. Unger

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Adolescent tobacco use (particularly vaping) and co-use of cannabis and tobacco have increased, leading some jurisdictions to implement policies intended to reduce youth access to these products; however, their impacts remain unclear. We examine associations between local policy, density of tobacco, vape, and cannabis retailers around schools, and adolescent use and co-use of tobacco/vape and cannabis.

We combined 2018 statewide California (US) data on: (a) jurisdiction-level policies related to tobacco and cannabis retail environments, (b) jurisdiction-level sociodemographic composition, (c) retailer locations (tobacco, vape, and cannabis shops), and (d) survey data on 534,176 middle and high school students (California Healthy Kids …

Cannabis Use Across The Menstrual Cycle: The Impact Of Negative Affect And Coping Motives, Paige Morris

LSU Master's Theses

Women appear to use more cannabis during the premenstrual and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle, presumably because women use cannabis to manage increases in negative affect associated with these phases. Yet little work has tested this hypothesis or examined individual difference variables associated with greater coping-motivated cannabis use. The current study tested whether state negative affect interacts with coping motives to predict greater cannabis use during the premenstrual and/or menstrual phases and whether trait anxiety or difficulties with emotion regulation moderate these relations. Female undergraduate students with regular monthly menstrual cycles and who were not using hormonal contraceptives ( …

A Narrative Review Of The Lesser Known Medications For Treatment Of Restless Legs Syndrome And Pathogenetic Implications For Their Use, Paul Gerardo Yeh, Karen Spruyt, Lourdes M. Delrosso, Arthur S. Walters

Physician Assistant Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: There are several well-known treatments for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), including dopamine agonists (pramipexole, ropinirole, rotigotine), anticonvulsants (gabapentin and its analogs, pregabalin), oral or intravenous iron, opioids and benzodiazepines. However, in clinical practice, treatment is sometimes limited due to incomplete response or side effects and it is necessary to be aware of other treatment options for RLS, which is the purpose of this review.

Methods: We performed a narrative review detailing all of the lesser known pharmacological treatment literature on RLS. The review purposefully excludes well-established, well-known treatments for RLS which are widely accepted as treatments for …

Congenital Gastrointestinal Anomalies In Europe 2010–2019: A Geo-Spatiotemporal And Causal Inferential Study Of Epidemiological Patterns In Relationship To Cannabis- And Substance Exposure, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Congenital anomalies (CA’s) of most of the gastrointestinal tract have been linked causally with prenatal or community cannabis exposure. Therefore, we studied this relationship in Europe. Methods: CA data were from Eurocat. Drug-use data were sourced from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income data were taken from the World Bank. Results: When countries with increasing rates of daily cannabis use were compared with those which were not, the overall rate of gastrointestinal CA’s (GCA’s) was higher in the former group (p = 0.0032). The five anomalies which were related to the metrics of cannabis exposure …