We determined the effects of transdermal cannabidiol (tCBD) against the expression of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) as a model of cocaine-seeking and relapse. Male Wistar rats were trained to distinguish two distinct environmental contexts:...

Marijuana is most commonly used during adolescence. Epidemiological studies have reported that adolescent marijuana exposure increases the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia/depression) at adulthood. Our group has previous...

Longitudinal studies of children whose mothers smoked marijuana during their pregnancy suggest a relationship between prenatal exposure to marijuana and deficits in various components of executive function. We have developed a mouse model to examine the effects of in utero exposure to Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on executive function processes. In the series of experiments reported here, we trained mice on a facilitation task in which one stimulus (the facilitator) provides information about the relationship between another stimulus (the target) and food. In Experiment 1, we found no difference in the rate of acquisition of the facilitation task in mice exposed in utero to vehicle, 5 mg/kg THC, or 10 mg/kg THC. In Experiment 2, we found no differential effect of an acute dose of 1 mg/kg THC on performance on the facilitation trials in mice exposed in utero to vehicle, 5 mg/kg THC, or 10 mg/kg THC. However, the challenge dose did increase responding in the intervals between trials (ITIs) compared to a ve...

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition affecting 1% of all Americans. Approximately 30% of epileptic patients are refractory to conventional antiepileptic drug treatments. For these patients, the development of new antiepileptic compounds as primary or adjunct therapies is of great importance. Previous data suggests that cannabinoid and cannabimimetic compounds may be of therapeutic utility in the treatment of epilepsy. In the brain, cannabinoids are thought to work primarily via the CB1 receptor. Activation of cannabinoid receptors has a modulatory effect on many ion channels that influence neuronal action potential spike frequency. In vitro data from our lab and others support the hypothesis that activation of CB1 receptors serves to decrease neuronal excitability. However, there is no evidence that CB1 receptors play a role in the anticonvulsant properties of Δ 9-THC in vivo. Using the Maximal Electroshock Model (MES) of seizure in male CF-1 mice with hind limb tonic extension as the test endpoint,...

There has been an increase in popularity for Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive component of Marijuana. Research assessing CBD’s use as a therapeutic (e.g., anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, etc.) in both human and animal model...

Nicotine and cannabis are two of the most commonly consumed drugs among pregnant women, often consumed via e-cigarettes. An estimated 5-14% of women report using e-cigarettes during their pregnancy, partly due to the assumption that e-cigarettes are saf...

Cannabidiol (CBD), the major non-addictive and non-toxic component of cannabis sativa, may have potential for relapse prevention in addiction. Our previous findings demonstrated that a transdermal cannabidiol preparation (tCBD) attenuated both cue- and ...

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) affects around 60% of diabetic patients and its most common subtype is the distal symmetrical polyneuropathy. Due to its multifactorial pathogenesis, the pharmacological treatment of DN pain (DNP) includes drugs from different c...

Long-term marijuana (MJ) use has been associated with differences in brain structure and function (see review by Filbey et al. 2014). Currently, less is known about how MJ use modifies an individual’s large-scale functional brain network organization. W...

CB1 receptors are not found on dopaminergic cell bodies or terminals. However, administration of CB1 agonists has been shown to increase dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of chronic exposur...