In a double-blind randomized controlled, acute cannabidiol administration reduced alcohol craving and cue-induced nucleus accumbens activation in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Published in the peer reviewed journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have unveiled compelling evidence supporting cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study, known as the ICONIC trial, evaluated the effects of a single 800 mg dose of CBD compared to a placebo in 28 individuals diagnosed with AUD.

The randomized, double-blind trial examined outcomes including alcohol craving, cue-induced brain activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and stress-induced alcohol cue responses. Findings revealed that participants who received CBD experienced significantly reduced bilateral NAc activation and reported lower alcohol craving during both stress-related and fMRI cue-reactivity tasks.
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Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) encapsulated in alginate microcapsules shows extended antioxidant activity and reduced cytotoxicity, according to a newly published study.

An image from the study.

The study, titled Alginate-based microencapsulation as a strategy to improve the therapeutic potential of cannabidiolic acid, explores an innovative method for enhancing the bioavailability and effectiveness of CBDA, a compound found in marijuana. The research, published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics and epublished by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, also highlights CBDA’s potential as a natural therapeutic compound.

Lebanese cannabis oil extract (COE) has been found to provide significant protection against kidney fibrosis caused by folic acid (FA) in an animal model, according to a new study published in PLoS One.

Cannabis oil.

Researchers at Lebanese American University conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments to assess COE’s potential therapeutic effects on renal fibrosis, a hallmark of chronic kidney disease for which no reversal treatments currently exist.

The study used a rat model where a single dose of 250 mg/kg of folic acid induced kidney fibrosis. Rats were subsequently treated with varying doses of COE (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg). Clinical parameters such as serum creatinine, urea, and electrolytes were measured, along with kidney and heart pathology assessments. Additional in vitro tests on cultured rat podocytes evaluated cell viability, migration, and protein phosphorylation levels related to cell signaling pathways.
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Researchers from London Metropolitan University, Regent’s University London, and Imperial College London found that cannabis suppositories and online mindful compassion interventions significantly improved sexual function and reduced pain for women recovering from gynaecological cancer.

The study, published in the journal Medicina, highlights the profound effect such treatments have on female sexuality and the limited research addressing these issues. The trial involved 83 women, aged 18 to 50+, who were at least six months post-treatment. Participants were divided into four groups: cannabis-only (CO), mindful-compassion (MC), a combination of the two (COCM), and a care-as-usual control group (CAU).

Findings revealed significant improvements in sexual function, including arousal, lubrication, and orgasms, in both the MC and COCM groups. Notably, sexual pain decreased in the COCM and CO groups. Participant feedback suggested cannabis facilitated mindful compassion’s effects, enhancing well-being, sexual self-efficacy, and quality of life.
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