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Published: 20 December 2022

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How ‘cool’ is vaping the ‘harmless’ weed? Hmmmm?

Vaping can transform the Cannabinoid known as CBD – a typically non-intoxicating substance into THC – the psychotropic compound in cannabis that gets you ‘high’. If that’s not enough to warrant a significant level of precaution, vaping cannabis can lead to creating a respiratory poisoning gas called  Ketene, which can fill your lungs with fluid and kill you.
The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of temperature on the composition of pyrolysis products of CBD. The experiments were performed in the typical operating temperature range of e-cigarettes (250–400 °C) and at 500 °C under both inert and oxidative conditions, and the pyrolysis products were identified and quantified by GC–MS. Depending on the temperature and atmosphere, 25–52% of CBD was transformed into other chemical substances: Ä9-THC, Ä8-THC, cannabinol and cannabichromene were the predominant pyrolysates in both conditions, all formed by cyclization reaction. THC was the main pyrolysis product at all temperatures under both oxidative and inert conditions. Our results point out that CBD in e-cigarettes can be considered as a precursor of THC, thus it bears all the dangers related to this psychoactive compound. Our findings are fundamental contributions to the safety profile of CBD-based e-cigarettes. (Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-88389-z )

Vaping Cannabinoid Acetates Leads to Ketene Formation Ä8-THC acetate is a relatively new psychoactive cannabis product that is available online and in vape shops across the US since it is currently unregulated. Because it contains a similar substructure to vitamin E acetate, which has been shown to form the poison gas ketene during vaping, we investigated potential ketene formation from Ä8-THC acetate, as well as other cannabinoids acetates, CBN acetate and CBD acetate, under vaping conditions. Ketene was consistently observed in vaped condensates from all three acetates as well as from a commercial delta-8 THC acetate product purchased online.   (Source: Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland  https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00170 )

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Published: 19 December 2022

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Trends in intentional abuse and misuse ingestions in school-aged children and adolescents reported to US poison centers from 2000-2020
Between 2000 and 2020, there were 338,727 cases regarding intentional misuse and abuse exposures for children ages 6 through 18 years old. Overall, misuse/abuse ingestions fluctuated over time, with a peak in 2011. The majority of intentional misuse/abuse ingestions occurred in males (58.3%), and more than 80% of all reported exposure cases occurred in youth aged 13 to 18. 32.6% of ingestions resulted in worse than minor clinical outcomes. Older age groups had a greater number of severe medical outcomes compared to younger age groups. Major or life-threatening exposures (including those resulting in death) were more common in males. Overall, deaths were rare (n = 450), 0.1%). Male sex, older age, abuse ingestions, exposure site of a public area or other residence, and multiple ingested substances were other factors associated with increased mortality. Marijuana exposure rates had the highest average monthly increase overall, with the most dramatic rise occurring from 2017 to 2020. Edible marijuana preparations accounted for the highest increase in call rates compared with all other forms of marijuana.
(Drug use normalisation messaging – not least the permission model of ‘legalization’ – is poisoning a generation of children, and this is ‘progress’? D.I.)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15563650.2022.2120818

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Published: 14 December 2022

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High-strength cannabis linked to addiction and mental health problems
“76% increase in people entering treatment for cannabis addiction in the past decade.”
“…the safest level of use for cannabis is of course ‘no use’..”  Kat Petrilli, Doctor of Philosophy, Bath University

Largest ever study into the health effects of different types of cannabis highlights concerns about stronger forms of the drug.

• Press release - Last updated on Tuesday 26 July 2022

The new systematic review from Kat Petrilli and Tom Freeman (Psychology) is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

As the strength or potency of cannabis products has increased internationally over the years, so have rates of people being treated for cannabis addiction, say the authors of a new study.
Researchers from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath (UK) systematically analysed the relationship between the types of cannabis people use and their addiction and mental health problems. Their work draws on 20 studies involving almost 120,000 people.

After alcohol and nicotine, cannabis is the most widely used drug globally. Latest estimates from the UK suggest that over the last year around one in five 16-24 year olds had used cannabis.

Cannabis potency refers to the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis - the key psychoactive drug it contains. Recent studies from the same team at Bath have found that the concentration of THC in cannabis has increased significantly over time meaning that cannabis used today is typically much stronger than previously.

The new study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, suggests that people who use high potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction than those using low potency products. It also suggests that people using high potency cannabis are more likely to experience a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.

These findings may help to explain why more people have received treatment for cannabis problems over recent years. Data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction show a 76% increase in people entering treatment for cannabis addiction in the past decade.

Lead author, Kat Petrilli from the University of Bath’s Department of Psychology explained: “Our systematic review found that people who use higher potency cannabis could be at increased risks of addiction as well as psychosis when compared to people who use cannabis products with lower potencies.

“These results are important in the context of harm reduction which aims to minimise the negative consequences associated with drug use. While the safest level of use for cannabis is of course ‘no use’, it is important to acknowledge that a significant number of people across the world use cannabis regularly and to ensure they can make informed decisions that could reduce any possible harms associated with it.”

The full paper 'Association of cannabis potency with mental ill health and addiction: a systematic review’ is available via https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(22)00161-4/fulltext.

(Source: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/high-strength-cannabis-linked-to-addiction-and-mental-health-problems/ )

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Published: 06 December 2022

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Timmen L. Cermak MD December 2, 2022
KEY POINTS

• Motivation is a subjective experience and therefore extremely difficult to measure objectively.
• Motivational syndrome has long been seen as a sign of cannabis addiction, but has only recently been measured.
• Liking and wanting are two different forces. Drug use changes the brain in ways that stimulate wanting the drug.

Until recently, I ignored the idea of a cannabis-induced amotivational syndrome. Of course, I was familiar with the stereotypical view of potheads couch-locked into immobility, but this could have a variety of causes other than amotivational syndrome. Besides, I could not imagine how motivation could be measured objectively.
Then Meghan Martz[1], at the University of Michigan, published research that changed my mind. Martz used a delayed monetary reward protocol, which means people were given a simple computer task that promised cash rewards at the end of the test—a low monetary reward for poor performance and a higher reward for better performance. While watching the computer screen and pressing a button whenever a stimulus appeared, and before any money was received, Martz used functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) to measure activity in a small part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, the reward center. She tested individuals three times, at ages 20, 22, and 24. She also recorded their report of marijuana use at each age.
Her data showed that, while everyone at age 20 had the same level of reward center activation in anticipation of the cash reward, those who most increased their cannabis use over the next four years showed progressively less activation at ages 22 and 24. Cannabis users no longer viewed cash with as much anticipation of the reward. Martz concluded that the effects of long-term cannabis use results in a general blunting of reward response. While it could be argued cannabis produces enlightenment and freedom from materialistic desires, a deeper look at nucleus accumbens functioning points in other directions.

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For Metz Research