Cannabinoid Modulation of Food-Cocaine Choice in Male Rhesus Monkeys

Co-exposure of cocaine and cannabinoids and its association with select biological, behavioural and health outcomes: A systematic scoping review of multi-disciplinary studies

Cocaine use entails severe health- and social-related harms globally. Treatment options for cocaine dependence are highly limited. Benefits of cannabinoids for addiction have been documented, making it opportune to examine existing data on the possible outcomes associated with cannabinoids and cocaine co-use. We conducted a systematic scoping review following the PRISMA guidelines of peer-reviewed, English-language studies published from 2000 to 2021 in four databases (Medline, Web-of-Science, CINAHL Plus, and PsycInfo), assessing the co-exposure of cannabis/cannabinoids with cocaine on behavioural, biological or health outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative, as well as humans and pre-clinical animals' studies (n=46) were included. Pre-clinical studies (n=19) showed mostly protective effects of cannabidiol (CBD) administration on animal models of addiction (e.g., cocaine-craving, -relapse, and -withdrawal) and cocaine-toxicity. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) had more inconsistent results, with both protective and counter-protective effects. Human studies (n=27) were more heterogeneous and assessed natural ongoing cannabis and cocaine use or dependence. Quantitative-based studies showed mostly enhanced harms in several outcomes (e.g., cocaine use, mental health); two available clinical trials found no effect upon CBD administration on cocaine-related treatment outcomes. Qualitative data-based studies reported cannabis use as a substitute for or to alleviate harms of crack-cocaine use. While pre-clinical studies suggest a potential of cannabinoids, especially CBD, to treat cocaine addiction, the few trials conducted in humans found no benefits. Cannabis co-use by cocaine users commonly presents a risk factor, entailing enhanced harms for users. More rigorous, controlled trials are still necessary to investigate cannabinoids' potential considering pre-clinical findings and reported benefits from specific drug users.

Effects of illicit drugs on structural and functional impairment of testis, endocrinal disorders, and molecular alterations of the semen

Illicit drug use is growing among young people, which is one of the major problems in today's society that can be associated with many medical issues, including infertility. Amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, and marijuana are the most common and the most used illicit drugs worldwide. The purpose of this review was to collect as much literature as possible about the impact of illicit drugs on male fertility and summarize their valuable data. Original studies and reviews were collected by searching the keywords "illicit drugs (all kinds of that) and male infertility". The obtained information was also categorized based on the content of the "Infertility in the Male" book. Almost all studies suggested that taking all kinds of illicit drugs with the effects on different parts of the male reproductive system can result in subfertility or complete infertility in the consumers. Although the data in this field are not decisive and there are some confounding factors in human studies, it can be inferred that the use of any illicit drug with an effect on male sexual health reduces fertility potency. Therefore, it is recommended that couples, who are planning to conceive, avoid taking any illicit drugs before and during treatment.