Author Interviews, Cannabis, Hepatitis - Liver Disease / 06.03.2026
Hebrew University Study Finds MASLD, a Common Chronic Liver Disorder, May Benefit from Cannabis Derivatives
Editor’ note: Cannabis and THCA/HEMP CBD products should have an active ingredient list on the container and have a Certificate of Analysis (COA). Discuss your use of THC, Cannabis or CBD products with your health care provider. Dosing of Cannabis products is variable, especially since they are not FDA regulated. Cannabis/CBD may interfere with other medications and should not be used in individuals with certain health conditions, including liver issues. CBD skin care products can be absorbed through the skin and have similar effects. Do not use Cannabis products including edibles, drinks and CBD if you are pregnant, nursing or may become pregnant. Do not use cannabis products if driving or operating difficult or dangerous machinery. Children should not be exposed to cannabis or CBD products.
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Joseph (Yossi) Tam, DMD, PhDSchool of Pharmacy, Institute for Drug Research
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Jerusalem, Israel
With colleagues Dr. Liad Hinden, the PhD student Radka Kočvarová, and the Tam’s team at the
School of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you describe the condition of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)? What causes it? Whom does it affect?
Response: MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the most common chronic liver disorder worldwide. It develops when fat accumulates excessively in liver cells, commonly in people with obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Over time, this condition can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, or cirrhosis. Despite its growing prevalence, effective pharmacological therapies remain limited, leaving a substantial unmet clinical need.
Prof. Joseph (Yossi) Tam, DMD, PhDSchool of Pharmacy, Institute for Drug Research
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Jerusalem, Israel
With colleagues Dr. Liad Hinden, the PhD student Radka Kočvarová, and the Tam’s team at the
School of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you describe the condition of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)? What causes it? Whom does it affect?
Response: MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the most common chronic liver disorder worldwide. It develops when fat accumulates excessively in liver cells, commonly in people with obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Over time, this condition can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, or cirrhosis. Despite its growing prevalence, effective pharmacological therapies remain limited, leaving a substantial unmet clinical need.
Dr. Lazarus[/caption]
Philip Lazarus, PhD
Boeing Distinguished Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Professor, Dept of Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Washington State University
Spokane, WA 99210
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Smoking and tobacco use remains a major health issue. Smokers use cigarette over the course of the day because the levels of nicotine, the addictive agent in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco, dimmish with time in the bloodstream due to the breakdown of nicotine by enzymes in the body. By inhibiting the breakdown of nicotine in smokers, one would expect that the levels of nicotine would remain higher after smoking a single cigarette, and that these individuals may not require lighting up another cigarette so quickly, reducing the number of cigarettes smoked over the course of a day. This could have a profound effect on reducing the overall harm incurred from smoking or from using other forms of tobacco.
In a single previous study, smokers who used a CBD inhaler exhibited a 40% reduction in cigarette use. In addition, while cannabis users are often smokers, previous studies have indicated that they smoke less cigarettes than non-cannabis-using cigarette smokers. In previous studies published in 2021, we found that major cannabinoids present in cannabis like THC and CBD inhibit major metabolizing enzymes in our body, including several that are important in drug metabolism. We hypothesized that CBD and its major active metabolite, 7-hydroxy (OH)-CBD, may also be inhibiting one or more of the enzymes important in the metabolism (or breakdown) of nicotine.
Dr. Rothbard[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jonathan Rothbard, MA, PhD
Steinman Lab Stanford Medicine
Co-founder 