Feature Channels: Marijuana

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Teens and young adults who use cannabis in the US are considerably more likely to drink alcohol compared to their peers who don’t use cannabis, a study has found.

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Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies (SPS) is launching a new Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutic Management certificate program in January 2022.

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Using cannabis alongside other drugs may come with a significant risk of harmful drug-drug interactions, new research by scientists at Washington State University suggests.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the impact of lockdowns and restrictions on designer drug use in 10 different countries over the 2020/21 New Year period, according to a new study led by the University of South Australia.

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An intense but short-term exposure to cannabis vapor lowered sperm counts and slowed sperm movement, or motility, not only in the directly exposed male mice but also in their sons.

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A new study finds that exposure to cannabis vapor may decrease sperm count and/or motility in male mice across generations.

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The December 2021 issue of Toxicological Sciences is now available and contains leading articles in the areas of developmental and reproductive toxicology, environmental toxicology, and more.

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In the absence of consistent counseling from healthcare providers, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are getting information on using cannabis from the retail marijuana workers known as budtenders, according to a study led by Celestina Barbosa-Leiker, vice-chancellor for research at Washington State University Health Sciences.

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Women who use cannabis during pregnancy, potentially to relieve stress and anxiety, may inadvertently predispose their children to stress susceptibility and anxiety, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the City University of New York published Monday, November 15, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).

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A study has revealed college students’ reasons for abstaining from alcohol or cannabis, including on days when they had initially planned to use one or both substances. The analysis, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, extends research into the so-called “intention-behavior gap” by being the first study to examine reasons for non-use following an intention to drink or to use cannabis. The findings could inform strategies for alcohol and substance use prevention and intervention on college campuses.

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The study used information from Statistics Canada to compare 16 months of alcohol and cannabis sales before and after the pandemic began (November 2018 to February 2020 compared to March 2020 to June 2021). During the pandemic period, Canadians bought 1.86 billion dollars more alcohol than was predicted based on the pre-pandemic trend. Increases in cannabis sales were $811 million higher, nearly a billion dollars above the predicted amount.

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An analysis of electronic health records of nearly 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States found that while the risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection among those with substance-use disorders was low overall, it was higher for people who misuse substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and opioids.

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Research from pharmacologists at the University of Sydney provides new insights into how cannabis extracts may work to treat epilepsy.

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Cedars-Sinai is joining a nationwide study to investigate how children's development is impacted by biological and environmental exposures, especially to opioids, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco, before and shortly after birth. The goal is to develop insights that can inform public policy to improve the health of children across the nation.

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College students who misuse stimulant drugs or nootropics like Adderall or Ritalin are also likely to drink heavily and use other drugs, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

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New report published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence demonstrates how phone sensor data, such as GPS, can be used to detect cannabis intoxication in young adults.

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Data from 32 randomized controlled trials showed that use of non-inhaled medical cannabis versus placebo resulted in small to very small improvements in pain relief, physical functioning, and sleep quality. There was no difference in emotional, social or role functioning.

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Adults younger than 45 years who reported recently using cannabis were 2 times more likely to have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), and this link was stronger in frequent users, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

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According to three studies presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), using cannabis before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) can lead to increased complications, longer hospital stays, higher rates of adverse events, increased readmissions, and higher costs.

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The pandemic has produced a surge in emergency room visits at Children's Hospital Los Angeles due to the accidental consumption of toxic substances. Our injury prevention expert tells parents what safeguards to put in place.

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Expert Q&A: Do breakthrough cases mean we will soon need COVID boosters? The extremely contagious Delta variant continues to spread, prompting mask mandates, proof of vaccination, and other measures. Media invited to ask the experts about these and related topics.

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Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, published in Scientific Reports, repeatedly assessed 665 participants in a general population cohort on their tobacco and cannabis use between ages 14 to 29 years, before pregnancy.

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Findings from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine suggest cannabis use disorder should be added to the list of COVID-19 risk factors.

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How did Australia's first COVID lockdown in 2020 affect drug use? Methamphetamine use dropped, cannabis use spiked, and several states cut back on their drinking, according to wastewater monitoring covering approximately half the population.

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NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE: - COVID-19 NEWS: Johns Hopkins Medicine Study Shows Vaccine Likely Protects People with HIV - Johns Hopkins Medicine Documents Stroke Risk in Cardiac Assist Device - CBD Products May Help People with Epilepsy Better Tolerate Anti-Seizure Medications

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Epileptic seizures trigger the rapid synthesis and release of a substance mimicked by marijuana’s most psychoactive component, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have learned.

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A new Cornell University study debunks misinformation on websites and in news articles that claim that environmental or biological stresses – such as flooding or disease – cause an increase in THC production in hemp plants.

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Pharmacologists at the University of Sydney have found tantalising clues as to why low-dose CBD products containing a full-spectrum of cannabinoids seem to have therapeutic impacts at relatively low doses.

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Young adults’ use of cannabis and alcohol tends to rise and fall together, rather than one substance substituting for the other, according to a new study. Understanding the relationship between cannabis use and alcohol use is critical for informing policy and public health strategies. Legalizing recreational cannabis use has raised the possibility that cannabis may substitute for risky drinking or other substance use, potentially with less severe public health consequences.

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Scientists at Indiana University have found that significant amounts of the two main components of cannabis, THC and CBD, enter the embryonic brain of mice in utero and impair the mice's ability as adults to respond to fluoxetine, a drug commonly known by the brand name Prozac.

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Researchers expose live lobsters to vaporized cannabis and confirm the crustaceans absorb THC. Whether the psychoactive compound affects behavior remains open question.

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“Cannabis” is a high-value cash crop with immense benefits in medicine, health, nutrition, and beauty. As soon as the Thai government had given the green light, Chulalongkorn was ready to join hands with the private sector and concerning government agencies to accelerate the research and development of a vast assortment of cannabis products.

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Not only is cannabis the most commonly used illicit – in a number of states – drug among people who drink alcohol, cannabis is also by far the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S. overall. New research findings tease out the nuanced relationship between alcohol and cannabis through a survey of regular cannabis users who also report drinking alcohol, as well as heavy drinkers in treatment who also use cannabis. These findings will be shared at the 44th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), which due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be held virtually this year from the 19th - 23rd of June 2021.

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At least so far, the currently limited research base does not establish that cannabis has additional adverse effects on brain development or functioning in adolescents or young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), concludes a review in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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The SAFE Banking Act was a big step toward removing barriers for cannabis businesses. But Maryland Smith accounting expert and CPA Samuel Handwerger says other obstacles loom. Among them, the tax code.

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Science Snapshots from Berkeley Lab on forest soils, vaping cannabis risks, reusable PPE, hydrogen fuel generation

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Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that functional impairments among adults aged 50 and older are associated with a higher risk of medical cannabis use; and prescription opioid and tranquilizer/sedative use and misuse.

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UC San Diego Health is conducting the first known randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial looking at cannabis as a potentially effective treatment for acute migraines.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.

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The latest news and discoveries from the field of psychological science will be featured at the 2021 Virtual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), held May 26-27.