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what a medical cure for being ‘too high’ might look like

acute cannabinoid overdose is rarely linked to fatality, but it can still be an altogether terrible and even terrifying experience

maybe a person ate too many pot brownies, or perhaps thought he or she could smoke the whole blunt. regardless of how it happened, at one time or another, many cannabis users have found themselves way too high for their own good.
while a cannabis “overdose,” medically called acute cannabinoid overdose (aco), is rarely linked to fatality, it can still be an altogether terrible and even terrifying experience. sometimes the negative side effects of aco are so bad that people end up in the emergency room.
while medical professionals can monitor these patients and try to treat specific symptoms, there is no cure-all for being too high. at least there wasn’t, until, maybe, now.

a drug is in the works from the pharmaceutical company anebulo that aims to treat cannabinoid intoxication, and do so quickly.

“aneb-001 is being developed with the intent to quickly and effectively reverse the negative effects of cannabinoid intoxication within one hour of administration,” claims information on the company website . this drug aims to target the human cb1 receptors, thus blocking thc’s ability to have its intense and negative effects on those who have over-consumed.

the drug is still in the testing phase, but the company reports it is showing promise, as it has now entered phase 2 clinical trials.
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if the drug is successful and works as quickly as the company touts, it may greatly assist emergency medical personnel when dealing with patients who have gotten too high.
the timing for this drug may also be very fortunate, what with cannabis, after all, being more prevalent than ever before in mainstream u.s. society.
it is, however, important to note that just because marijuana is becoming legal in more u.s. states, it does not necessarily mean more people are experiencing aco as a result of this legalization.

according to a 2021 study that tracked hospitalizations within u.s. states that recently legalized cannabis, “legalization was not associated with a change in the rate of cannabis-related ed (emergency department) visits in our study. more research is needed regarding changing methods of cannabis ingestion and trends among specific age groups.”

there is one trend, interestingly, that has healthcare professionals and others nervous about cannabis toxicity, and it isn’t legalization.

a recent study on cannabinoid toxicity published by statpearls notes that “despite the wider availability of cannabis, most significant cannabinoid toxicity is likely due to the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids, which are known to have more adverse effects.”

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it is synthetic marijuana, and to a lesser extent, the wide availability of strong thc edibles (getting into the wrong or unaware mouths) that has the potential to really spike cannabis-related trips to the emergency room.
the planned drug said to treat cannabinoid overdose could come in very handy to emergency medical workers faced with these new more potent methods of consuming marijuana.
after all, while aco is not likely to cause death, it can require significant and immediate medical attention. and even with this medical attention, the current remedies are limited.

opiant pharmaceuticals points out there are no medicines approved by the u.s. food and drug administration to treat aco. “current treatment is largely supportive and symptom-driven, requiring emergency medical attention and, in some instances, hospitalization,” the company reports.

this is certainly not an ideal scenario for either patients or doctors. a solid treatment, perhaps even a cure, for the symptoms of a cannabis overdose would be a blessing, saving emergency medical professionals a lot of time and energy.

the freshtoast.com , a u.s. lifestyle site that contributes lifestyle content and, with their partnership with 600,000 physicians via skipta, medical marijuana information to the growthop.

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