With over two million legally recommended cannabis patients in the US, and millions more in the wings, and with older people the fastest rising covered group (NOT “young, single, healthy looking males, as opponents often claim, to suggest medicinal cannabis is not a real medical movement), the question of how cannabinoids interact with other prescribed and over-the-counter drugs is growing in importance, even granted cannabis’ now famously recognized lack of toxicity.
Happily, in many cases the combination can either a) increase efficacy and/or b) decrease the need for a pharmaceutical which has greater side effects or more abuse potential than cannabis, e.g., dependency-inducing opioids with their other associated serious side effects.
However, there are cases where a prescription drug may raise at caution flags or at least “consider this” questions, and in many cases, the best ways to use them together are still being worked out, as the relationships can be very complicated.
This article includes a much more detailed PDF which you can download from the article.
The highlights of the article are as follows:
-THC and CBD interact with many common pharmaceuticals. Cannabinoids can inhibit or potentiate the effects of various drugs.
-More than half of all pharmaceuticals – including THC and CBD – are metabolized by a family of enzymes called cytochrome P450. The article explores why this is a key fact, and how medical researchers are using it as a proxy for predicting scores of interactions they haven’t had the time to study in depth.
-Interactions between cannabinoids and other drugs can be used to mitigate side effects while synergistically improving a patient’s quality of life.
-Cannabinoid-opioid interactions show great therapeutic potential. THC significantly enhances the painkilling effects of opiates, while CBD is most promising for reducing withdrawal and dependence.
Somewhat technical, but highly recommended for active patients, prospective practitioners and students.
TRUCE: The More You Know….
#MMJ #Research #DrugInteractions #UTpol #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – Cannabinoid-Pharmaceutical Interactions: What You Need to Know | Project CBD
