An expert says cannabis use may affect the effectiveness of many common, including over-the-counter drugs and those used to treat cancer.
According to UPI, Dr. Philip Lazarus, a pharmaceutical sciences professor at Washington State University, his team has shown in lab study that marijuana can either boost or reduce the efficiency of medications in a person’s system.
When combined with marijuana, common drugs such as Tylenol, Motrin – or other ibuprofens – or blood thinners may be too powerful, causing damage to the user.
On the other side, when a commonly used breast cancer drug interacts with cannabis, it can become ineffective.
The findings are concerning because many people use marijuana to unwind or even alleviate discomfort. The drug’s use has been more prevalent in recent years, and research suggests that it may be harming certain people who need these prescriptions on a daily basis.
“We saw some significant inhibitions,” said Lazarus.
“The concentrations we see in the lab are probably an indicator there is at least some inhibition of these enzymes in real-time.”
They studied how CBD and THC, two compounds contained in marijuana, interact with enzymes and other biological systems that help the body break down the substances.
Warfarin, for example, is a blood thinner that is commonly prescribed to persons who have blood clots.
If the medicine interacts with CBD, it becomes so powerful that it poses a risk.
“That one, you don’t mess with. The effects of having too high a level even transiently for a few days can be lethal,” professor Ed Bednarczyk from the University at Buffalo added.
“That’s the king of the hill for risk, because it’s all over the map in terms of patient-to-patient variability.”
Ibuprofen’s effects can be amplified by marijuana. While the over-the-counter medicine is generally safe in normal doses, it might cause kidney damage if used excessively.
When ibuprofen or other pain relievers like Tylenol mix with cannabis, they become incredibly powerful – almost too effective – and can induce liver damage.
“[Ibuprofen] is toxic to your liver and your kidney anyway, but you start taking marijuana on top of that, then you’re going to see some significant effects,” Lazarus added.
“It would probably cause toxicity because you’re slowing down its metabolism, so that means you’re not excreting the stuff and you have more of it sitting in your body.”
Tamoxifen, a medication used to treat cancer, interacts with marijuana in the opposite way.
Scientists said that marijuana could negatively influence the enzymes that the body utilizes to break down the drug.
The entire benefit of a drug will not be received if it is not broken down sufficiently in a person’s body, resulting in a person not receiving the full amount of treatment they need.
This is especially concerning because many cancer patients use marijuana for pain relief and stress relief while undergoing treatment for their disease.
These findings are alarming for patients who use these medicines and cannabis on a regular basis, and Lazarus wants to learn more about how marijuana interacts with prescription and over-the-counter medications.
“We have to do some clinical studies to show in people that if you’re taking a specific drug and then you also smoke a marijuana cigarette that morning, you see higher or lower levels of that drug in your body,” he added.
Marijuana use in the United States has risen dramatically in recent years as the drug progressively obtains legalization and decriminalization across the country.
According to research published earlier this year that looked at data from 2017, over 15% of Americans had used marijuana in the previous year, and the number of those who used the substance on a daily basis had doubled from 2006 to 2016.
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