Healthcare
Got Neuropathy, Try a Cannabis Inhaler For the Best Pain Relief Says New Israeli Study
The best relief for neuropathy patients was aerosolized cannabis says new medical study?
Israeli Study Finds That Aerosolized Cannabis Is Beneficial For Neuropathy Patients
Neuropathy, also known as nerve damage, can occur from several conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and HIV. It refers to a group of conditions all associated with damaged peripheral nerves and the corresponding symptoms of this issue.
The symptoms of neuropathy can vary depending on its cause, though they generally include a permanent or temporary numbness, high sensitivity to touch, prickling or tingling sensations, paralysis, muscle weakness, impairment to sexual function, and many others. Neuropathy may be treatable depending on how severe it is, though treatments are focused on helping nerves regenerate or recover. Depending on the case, neuropathy may be reversible but other times it isn’t, and it can be notoriously difficult and painful to treat. Patients are often left struggling with chronic pain and uncomfortable tingling.
However, finding effective treatment is critical because this condition robs people of living a normal life.
How Cannabis Can Help
There is increasing evidence that cannabis in various forms can be successful in greatly reducing the symptoms of neuropathy. The latest study has been conducted by Israeli researchers in Haifa, who sought out to assess how aerosolized cannabis delivered through a novel selective dose inhaler worked among patients with chronic pain and neuropathy. The patients took an average of 1.5 mg delta 9 THC for several months.
The researchers found that this treatment was beneficial in reducing pain while also improving quality of life. “Medical cannabis treatment with the Syqe Inhaler demonstrated overall long-term pain reductions, quality of life improvements, and opioid-sparing effects in a cohort of patients with chronic pain, using just a fraction of the amount of MC [medical cannabis] compared with other modes of delivery by inhalation. These outcomes were accompanied by a lower rate of AEs [adverse events] and almost no AE reports during a long-term steady-state follow-up. Additional follow-ups in a larger population is warranted to corroborate our findings,” the authors concluded.
Syqe Medical is an Israeli medical company that is responsible for developing the first selective-dose pharmaceutical-grade inhaler for plant medicine in the world.
Another recent study which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal investigated the efficacy of cannabis-related products for chronic pain. Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University used FDA-approved synthetic cannabis products containing 100% THC: dronabinol and nabilone. They also tested a product called nabiximols, which is a sublingual spray containing equal ratios of THC and CBD, which has had some success in treating neuropathic pain, though it isn’t available in the United States yet.
In another study from 2018, published in the American Journal of Neurology, researchers focused on radicular pain, a form of nerve pain that affects the spine and the legs. They also analyzed the impact of THC on radicular pain on a cohort of 15 men suffering from chronic radicular nerve pain. Women were not included in the study since pain sensitivity in females fluctuates around the time of their menstruation. All men reported medium to high pain levels for more than 6 months.
They were first given 15mg of THC oil on the first visit, which was taken sublingually while 6 were administered with placebo oil. After a week, they returned for a second visit then those who were given placebo were then given THC, and vice versa. The researchers found that THC was effective in reducing pain when compared with the placebo. Pain levels were rated at 53 on average before taking THC which was reduced to an average of 35 after THC, while those in the placebo rated it at 43.
“Pain is a complex experience that involves both the senses and emotions,” explains study’s author Haggai Sharon, MD, of the Tel Aviv Medical Center’s Sagol Brain Institute. “Our study results link pain relief from THC with a reduction in the connections between areas of the brain otherwise heavily connected, suggesting that THC may alleviate pain by disrupting signals between these pain processing pathways.”
“Interestingly, our results also show that the more connected the areas of the brain that process emotion and sensory prior to treatment, the greater the pain relief experienced when taking THC,” Sharon explains. “Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.”
Cannabidiol (CBD) may also be beneficial for neuropathy. A 2021 study conducted by Pure Green Pharmaceuticals Inc. analyzed the effect of water-soluble CBD sublingual tablets among diabetic patients who had moderate to severe neuropathic pain. These 54 patients suffered from painful peripheral neuropathy on their feet, and they were randomly given either the Pure Green tablets with 20mg of CBD, or a placebo, which they were to take daily for 28 days.
They found that the patients who were given the CBD tablets reported significant reductions in pain levels, compared to the pain group. Additionally, those given CBD also reported improvements in quality of life as well as reductions in anxiety and improvements in sleep quality.
“Achieving clinical and statistical pain relief for these patients in just a few weeks is very gratifying and frankly unexpected. Interestingly, the results of this placebo-controlled trial mirrored those of Pure Green Pharmaceuticals’ open-label pDPN trial where both studies revealed a significant drop in pain scores by approximately 50 percent. Patient safety always comes first and was our primary marker. There were no adverse events in either clinical trial to patients on treatment medication,” explained Dr. Debra Kimless, Pure Green’s Chief Medical Officer and a Board-Certified anesthesiologist.
“A collaborative drug development meeting with the FDA set us on this path and we look forward to returning to FDA and share this data. FDA is keen to relieve patients suffering in this very large patient population, especially since COVID-19 appears to have increased the number of diabetic patients,” added Stephen Goldner, Pure Green Pharmaceuticals CEO, and an FDA expert.
Conclusion
With these promising results, patients with neuropathy are encouraged to speak to their doctors on the possibility of adding cannabis products to their treatment plans.
Education News
AIIMS Gorakhpur Reservation Controversy: FIR Alleges Fake OBC Certificate Used Despite ₹80 Lakh Income
A major controversy has emerged at AIIMS Gorakhpur after allegations surfaced that reservation benefits were misused to secure a postgraduate medical seat. A criminal case has been registered against former AIIMS Gorakhpur Executive Director Dr. G.K. Pal and his son, Dr. Oro Prakash Pal, over the alleged use of a forged Other Backward Class (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer certificate for admission to an MD course.
The case has triggered widespread debate within medical and administrative circles, raising serious questions about transparency and oversight in admissions to premier medical institutions.
FIR Filed on Court’s Direction
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the AIIMS police station following directions from Chief Judicial Magistrate Tvishi Srivastava. According to the complaint, the alleged offence took place on August 30, 2024, when forged documents were purportedly used to obtain an MD seat under the OBC reservation quota.
Sources indicate that the matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the Union Ministry of Health, prompting internal reviews and administrative action.
Alleged Income Far Above Eligibility Threshold
Central to the allegations is the claim that Dr. G.K. Pal and his wife Parvati Pal have a combined annual income exceeding ₹80 lakh. Under existing reservation rules, families with such income levels are not eligible for OBC Non-Creamy Layer benefits.
Following the emergence of the controversy, Dr. Pal was first removed from his position at AIIMS Gorakhpur and later relieved of responsibilities at AIIMS Patna. He is currently posted at JIPMER Puducherry. With the registration of the FIR, officials suggest that further legal and departmental action may follow, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Complaint Highlights Systemic Concerns
The complaint was filed by Ashutosh Kumar Mishra, a resident of Divyanagar in the Cantonment area. He alleged that the events related to the case occurred between January and September 2024. The complainant argued that misuse of reservation provisions by individuals in senior positions undermines the integrity of public institutions and erodes trust in the medical education system.
The case has reignited concerns over whether verification mechanisms for reservation certificates are robust enough, particularly in high-stakes admissions.
Impact on Medical Community
The allegations have sent shockwaves through the medical fraternity. Experts believe that if the claims are substantiated, the case could prompt a broader review of admission procedures and lead to stricter scrutiny of category certificates across institutions like AIIMS.
Authorities have stated that all relevant documents will be carefully examined before taking further steps. The outcome of the investigation is expected to have far-reaching implications for accountability and compliance in medical admissions.
Questions Await Answers
As the probe continues, several key issues remain unresolved: whether reservation norms were deliberately violated, how verification processes failed, and whether similar cases may surface in the future. For now, the focus remains on the investigation and its potential consequences.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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