http://www.kcrg.com/templates/2015_Sub_Video_Share?contentObj=483278551
Medical cannabis as an alternative wasn’t included in this report but has been included in others. Opiates are much more dangerous than cannabis, and CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain are a major cause of migraines. Endocannabinoid science matters.
From KCRG’s article, “Feeling the pain of the opiate crackdown:”
“In fact, to reduce addiction risk, that same year the Iowa Board of Medicine encouraged physicians to follow federal guidelines for prescribing opioids to those with chronic pain. In promotional material, officials printed the words “IN GENERAL, DO NOT PRESCRIBE OPIOIDS AS THE FIRST-LINE TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC PAIN.”
“I think the Board of Medicine, they’re trying to make sure that safe practices are in place in the state,” said Dr. Dustin Arnold, the chief medical officer with UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Dr. Arnold said St. Luke’s started its crackdown around 2015. It created a multipoint plan for addressing opioids; no more than seven-day prescriptions, education for medical staff, checking a database to identify potential drug-seeking behavior and prioritizing alternative methods like physical therapy and anesthetics to treat and eliminate pain without the need for the pills.
“It keeps you up at night thinking about this,” said Dr. Arnold.”
READ: Feeling the pain of the opiate crackdown — full article
Here’s a study from a quick Google search on cannabis as an alternative to treating and preventing brain inflammation:
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Table 1
CB2 receptor and microglial function (in vitro data)
| Reference | Insult/challenge | Ligand(s) | Receptor mediation | Effects of cannabinoid agonists | Signalling pathways involved | Cell type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle et al. (2002) | Thioglycolate LPS IFN-γ |
None | CB2 mediated | ↑ CB2 expression with cell activation | Not studied | Murine and rat peritoneal macrophages Murine RAW264.7 Murine P388D1 Rat microglia |
| Walter et al. (2003) | ATP | AEA 2-AG PEA SR141716A SR144528 Cannabinol Cannabidiol O-1918 |
CB2 mediated abn-CBD mediated |
↑ Cell migration | ERK1/2 | BV-2 Mouse microglia |
| Klegeris et al. (2003) | LPS+IFN-γ | JWH-015 SR141716A SR144528 |
CB2 mediated | ↓ IL-1β ↓ TNF-α |
Not studied | THP-1 Human microglia |
| Franklin and Stella (2003) | None | ACPA Cannabinol Cannabidiol O-1918 SR141716A SR144528 |
CB2 mediated abn-CBD mediated |
↑ Cell migration | Gi/Go | BV-2 |
| Carrier et al. (2004) | M-CSF | 2-AG AEA JWH133 SR144528 |
CB2 mediated | ↑ Proliferation | ERK1 | RTMGL1 |
| Ramírez et al. (2005) | Aβ25-35 and Aβ1-40 |
HU-210 WIN55212-2 JWH-133 |
CB1 mediated CB2 mediated |
↓ Morphological changes ↓ MTT ↓ TNF-α ↑ Neuronal survival |
Not studied | Mouse microglia |
| Ortega-Gutierrez et al. (2005a) | LPS | UCM707 OMDM1 AEA Methanandamide SR141716A SR144528 |
CB1 mediated CB2 mediated |
↓ NO ↓ iNOS ↓ Cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) |
Not studied | Mouse microglia |
| Ehrhart et al. (2005) | Aβ1-42 | JWH-015 | CB2 mediated | ↓ IFN-γ-mediated CD40 expression ↓ TNF-α ↓ NO ↑ Phagocytosis |
JAK/STATI | Mouse microglia |
| Maresz et al. (2005) | GM-CSF IFN-γ LPS |
None | Not studied | ↑ CB2 | Not studied | Mouse microglia |
| Eljaschewitsch et al. (2006) | NMDA OGD |
AEA WIN55212-2 AM251 AM630 |
CB1 mediated CB2 mediated |
↑ MKP-1 ↓ NO ↓ iNOS |
ERK-1/2 | Rat microglia BV-2 OHSCs |
| Mukhopadhyay et al. (2006) | LPS | None | Not studied | ↑ CB2 | NF-κB PKA PKC |
RAW264.7 |
| Kreutz et al. (2007) | NMDA | THC AEA 2-AG AM630 |
CB2 mediated (THC, 2-AG) Non-CB2 mediated (AEA) |
↓ Number of microglial cells ↓ Number of degenerating neurons (2-AG) |
Not studied | OHSCs
|
While admittedly not enough data on human endocannabinoid systems have been done in the States, animal models seem adaptable to human endocannabinoid systems and should be considered by advocates seeking alternatives to opiates.
Table 2
CB2 receptors and microglial function (in vivo data)
| Reference | Insult/disease model | Ligand(s) | Receptor mediation | Molecular effects of cannabinoid agonists | Symptomatic effects of cannabinoid agonists | Animal species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arevalo-Martin et al. (2003) | Theiler’s virus | WIN55212-2 ACEA JWH-015 |
CB1 mediated CB2 mediated |
↓ Microglial activation ↓ MHC-II expression ↓ CD4+ infiltration |
Motor recovery Remyelination |
Mouse |
| Zhang et al. (2003) | Chronic constriction injury Freund’s complete adjuvant injection Spinal nerve ligation |
None | ↑ CB2 mRNA | Not studied | Not studied | Rat |
| Maresz et al. (2005) | Experimental autoimmune enchepalomyelitis | None | Not studied | ↑ CB2 | Not studied | Mouse |
| Beltramo et al. (2006) | Spinal cord ligation | AM1241 L768242 SR144528 |
CB2 mediated | ↑ CB2 | ↓ Hyperalgesia | Mouse |
| Mukhopadhyay et al. (2006) | LPS | None | Not studied | ↑ CB2 | Not studied | Rat |
| Ashton et al. (2007) | Middle cerebral artery occlusion Hypoxia–ischemia |
None | Not studied | ↑ CB2
|
Not studi
|
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