Cardiac Transplantation and the Use of Cannabis

Abstract

Cardiac transplantation requires the careful allocation of a limited number of precious organs. Therefore, it is critical to select candidates that will receive the greatest anticipated medical benefit but will also serve as the best stewards of the organ. Individual transplant teams have established prerequisites pertaining to recreational drug, tobacco, alcohol, and controlled substance use in potential organ recipients and post-transplantation. Legalization of cannabis and implementation of its prescription-based use for the management of patients with chronic conditions have been increasing over the past years. Center requirements regarding abstinence from recreational and medical cannabis use vary due to rapidly changing state regulations, as well as the lack of clinical safety data in this population. This is evident by the results of the multicenter survey presented in this paper. Developing uniform guidelines around cannabis use will be imperative not only for providers but also for patients.

Cannabis sativa Cannabinoids as Functional Ingredients in Snack Foods—Historical and Developmental Aspects

“…In the United States of America (USA) [ 9 , 10 , 11 ] and Canada [ 12 ], THC levels of up to 0.3% are acceptable while the allowable limit is up to 1% in Switzerland [ 13 ]. Cannabis sativa plants containing more than the specified THC limit (high THC or marijuana) are considered as schedule 1 drugs [ 14 , 15 ]. Therefore, high-THC cannabis is categorized with substances that are defined as having the “highest potential for abuse”, “no currently accepted medical use”, and as not having “accepted safety for use under medical supervision” [ 16 ].…”