The relationship between cannabis (marijuana) use and psychosis has been a topic of considerable scientific interest and public health concern. With changing legal statuses and societal attitudes towards cannabis use in many countries, understanding this relationship is more critical than ever. Highlights: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses show a consistent association between cannabis use and increased …
Gabapentin, sold under the brand name “Neurontin,” is a drug that was first approved by the United States FDA in 1993 as an adjunct treatment for partial seizures in adults. Thereafter, gabapentin’s indication as a treatment for partial seizures would be extended in 2000 to pediatrics, and subsequently, it would receive FDA approval for the …
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from the roasting of coffee beans, which technically, are seeds of berries produced by the Coffea plant. Specifically, when Coffea plant berries ripen, they are picked, processed, dried, roasted, ground, brewed with boiling water, and served as the beverage we’ve come to know as coffee. Although the Coffea plant …
Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug originally synthesized in the early 1960s by chemists employed under the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. At the time, the chemists intended to develop a peripherally-active adrenergic nasal decongestant to be administered in the form of nose drops. In the process, the chemists sought to modify amidines to fit the chemical …
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree from the coffee family (Rubiaceae) native to Indonesia, Papa New Guinea, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. The kratom tree produces leaves containing psychoactive compounds, and when ingested, these compounds are capable of eliciting opioidergic and/or stimulatory effects. Although it is estimated that kratom leaves contain …
Gabapentin is rumored to have been synthesized by chemists in the 1970s in attempt to develop an antispasmodic agent. After its synthesis, rights to gabapentin were acquired by Parke-Davis (a subsidiary of Pfizer) whereafter it underwent clinical trials that evaluated its safety and anticonvulsant efficacy in the treatment of seizures. Clinical trial data indicated that …
Lamotrigine is a synthetic phenyltriazine chemical with anticonvulsant and analgesic properties initially sold by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Lamictal. It was first approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of partial seizures in adults, and was subsequently approved in 1998 for the management of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome – a severe form of epilepsy …