Cannabis use is associated with low plasma endocannabinoid Anandamide in individuals with psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use suppresses the endocannabinoid system in healthy individuals. However, the association between cannabis use with the endocannabinoid system is understudied in individuals with psychosis despite the high rate of cannabis use in these individuals. METHODS: We enrolled 83 individuals who were admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit with psychotic presentations, and measured their plasma levels of main endocannabinoids, Anandamide (AEA) and 2-Acylglycerol (2-AG), and endocannabinoid related compounds, Palmitoylethanolamine, and N-oleoylethanolamine. Cannabis use was assessed with urine toxicology and frequency of cannabis use was assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms. RESULTS: Overall, we had 38 individuals in cannabis positive group (CN+) and 45 individuals in cannabis negative group (CN-). Compared to CN-, CN+ group had lower plasma levels of AEA, which remained significant after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and use of other drugs. CONCLUSION: Cannabis use is associated with low plasma AEA levels in individuals with psychosis, which is in the same line with reported suppressive effects of cannabis on the endocannabinoid system in healthy individuals. Further studies are needed to investigate the clinical significance of this finding.

Increased Attendance During Rapid Implementation of Telehealth for Substance Use Disorders During COVID-19 at the Largest Public Hospital System in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine differences between; telehealth and in-person visits during COVID-19 and in a pre-COVID-19 reference period; COVID-19 televisit completion for patients with varying engagement in treatment during the reference period. METHODS: Electronic medical record data were collected and analyzed with chi-squared or t-tests to compare patient demographics. Generalized estimating equations for estimating the odds of outcomes were used, controlling for demographics. RESULTS: Patients were 3.34 and 1.74 times more likely to complete a telehealth visit (n = 11,839) compared with an in-person visit during (n = 7,917) and prior (n = 15,497) to COVID-19. For patients on buprenorphine, patients with no prior in-person visits during the pre-televisit period were 2.26 more likely to complete televisits compared with patients with two or more prior in-person visits. For all patients, those with two or more prior in-person visits in the reference period were 1.27 times more likely to complete a televisit compared with a patient with no in-person visits during the pre-televisit period. There was no significant difference when comparing with patients who had only one prior in-person visit to those patients with no prior visits. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) telehealth appointments were associated with higher odds of visit completion compared with in-person visits during and prior to COVID-19. Patients receiving buprenorphine, without prior in person visits, were more likely to attend if they did not have in-person visits prior to COVID-19. Regulators should consider permanently adopting telehealth flexibilities for SUD treatment once the federal emergency status has ended.

Cannabinoid use in psychotic patients impacts inflammatory levels and their association with psychosis severity.

Inflammatory abnormalities are well-documented in individuals with chronic psychotic disorders. Particular attention has focused on interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its correlation with psychotic symptom severity. Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of psychosis and also has immunomodulating properties. It has been hypothesized that inflammatory disturbances are a common underlying pathology between cannabis use and psychosis. We measured inflammatory markers in individuals admitted to a psychiatric unit with acute psychosis who had toxicology positive for natural and/or synthetic cannabinoids (n = 59) compared to patients with negative cannabinoid toxicology (n = 60). Psychosis severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). While PANSS scores were similar between groups, cannabinoid-positive participants were more likely to receive pro re nata (PRN or as-needed) medications for agitation in the psychiatric emergency room, particularly synthetic cannabinoid-positive participants. In unadjusted models, cannabinoid-positive participants had lower interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels (p = 0.046), but this finding was not significant after adjusting for covariates and multiple comparisons. Among cannabinoid-positive participants, IL-6 levels negatively correlated with PANSS total score (p = 0.040), as well as positive (p = 0.035) and negative (p = 0.024) subscales. Results suggest inflammatory alterations among psychotic individuals with comorbid cannabinoid use.

The Relevance of Sex in the Association of Synthetic Cannabinoid Use With Psychosis and Agitation in an Inpatient Population.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence suggests that women are more sensitive to the effects of cannabinoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of sex in the association of synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use with psychosis and agitation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients admitted to a psychiatric unit (2014-2016) to extract information on demographic factors, use of substances, clinical symptoms, and pharmacologic treatments. Study groups were defined as SC users (anyone who reported use of SCs over the past 3 months), cannabis users (positive toxicology screen for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]), and controls (those who denied use of SCs over the past 3 months and had negative toxicology for THC). RESULTS: Digital charts of 983 patients were reviewed. A total of 162 subjects reported use of SCs over the past 3 months (76% male), and 292 subjects had positive toxicology screen for THC (67% male). A total of 38.9% of SC users (n = 63) had positive urine toxicology screen for THC. SC users had higher risks of psychotic presentations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.390; 95% CI, 1.390-8.267) and agitation (AOR = 4.643; 95% CI, 1.974-10.918) compared to the controls. While women had lower rates of psychosis than men in the cannabis and control groups, the rates were markedly potentiated with SC use to high levels (79%) approximately equal to that seen in men (80%). There was also a significant interaction between SC use and sex for agitation (AOR = 0.308; 95% CI, 0.117-0.808). Female SC users were significantly more agitated than male SC users (73.7% vs 47.6%, respectively, P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: SC users are more likely than nonusers to be psychotic or agitated in an inpatient setting. The potentiated rates of psychosis and agitation with SC use in women suggest that they may have a greater sensitivity to these synthetic compounds.​.

Comparison of abuse, suspected suicidal intent, and fatalities related to the 7-day buprenorphine transdermal patch versus other opioid analgesics in the National Poison Data System.

OBJECTIVE: Prescription opioid related abuse, suicide and death are significant public health problems. This study compares rates of poison center calls categorized as intentional abuse, suspected suicidal intent or fatality for the 7-day buprenorphine transdermal system/patch (BTDS) with other extended-release and long-acting (ER/LA) opioids indicated for chronic pain. METHODS: Retrospective 24-month cohort study using National Poison Data System data from July 2012 through June 2014. BTDS was introduced in the United States in January 2011. Numbers and rates of calls of intentional abuse, suspected suicidal intent and fatalities were evaluated for BTDS, ER morphine, ER oxycodone, fentanyl patch, ER oxymorphone and methadone tablets/capsules, using prescription adjustment to account for community availability. Rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Absolute numbers and prescription-adjusted rates of intentional abuse and suspected suicidal intent with BTDS were significantly lower (p < .0001) than for all other ER/LA opioid analgesics examined. No fatalities associated with BTDS exposure were reported. CONCLUSION: This post-marketing evaluation of BTDS indicates infrequent poison center calls for intentional abuse and suspected suicidal intent events, suggesting lower rates of these risks with BTDS compared to other ER/LA opioids.

Psychiatric comorbidity associated with synthetic cannabinoid use compared to cannabis.

BACKGROUND: Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) use has had a dramatic increase in recent years, but data regarding their adverse effects on mental health is limited. In this study, we compared clinical presentations of SC users with cannabis users in a psychiatric inpatient setting. METHODS: Digital charts of all patients who were admitted to a dual diagnosis psychiatric unit in one year were reviewed. Patients who had any current substance use disorder were categorized in four groups: (1) SC use and cannabis use (SC+MJ+), (2) SC use without cannabis use (SC+MJ-), (3) cannabis use without SC use (SC-MJ+), and (4) No SC or cannabis use (SC-MJ-). RESULTS: A total of 594 charts were included. SC+MJ- patients had significantly more psychotic symptoms (OR: 4.44, 95% CI: 1.98-9.94), followed by SC+MJ+ (OR: 3.61, 95% CI: 1.87-6.97) and SC-MJ+ (OR: 1.87, 95%CI: 1.33-2.64) patients. The SC+MJ- group also had more agitation and aggression was most prominent in SC+MJ+ subjects. Multivariate analyses showed that the psychiatric associations of SC and cannabis use remained significant even after controlling for potential confounds such as other substance use. CONCLUSIONS: The prominent psychiatric features of SC users as compared to cannabis users in an inpatient setting are psychotic presentations and agitation, which have important treatment implications.

Medical management of opioid dependence in South Africa.

Medical practitioners in South Africa are increasingly confronted with requests to treat patients with opioid use disorders. Many do not possess the required knowledge and skills to deal with these patients effectively. This overview of the medical treatment of opioid dependence was compiled by an elected working group of doctors working in the field of substance dependence. Recommendations are based on current best practice derived from scientific evidence and consensus of the working group, but should never replace individual clinical judgement.