Feature Channels: Marijuana

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Simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana (SAM) is common among young people, and is sometimes a deliberate choice to enhance the effects of intoxication. However, compared with alcohol use alone, SAM has been linked to a greater risk of interpersonal problems, physical and mental health issues, and road accidents. Despite this, there has been little research at the occasion level – for example, it is not known if individuals who engage in SAM drink more (or less) alcohol on the occasions when they also use marijuana, and experience more (or fewer) alcohol-related consequences, than on alcohol-only days. Researchers in Seattle and Minneapolis have conducted a new study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, to evaluate these aspects, by conducting multiple daily assessments of alcohol and SAM use among the same individuals over time. The study took place in and around Seattle in Washington state, where non-medical marijuana use is legal for those over

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As the hemp industry grows, producers face the risk of cultivating a crop that can become unusable – and illegal – if it develops too much of the psychoactive chemical THC. Cornell University researchers have determined that a hemp plant’s propensity to ‘go hot’ – become too high in THC – is determined by genetics, not as a stress response to growing conditions, contrary to popular belief.

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Published in Psychological Medicine, the research used fMRI scans to examine the brain activity of 13 people with a diagnosis of psychosis under the influence of a single dose of CBD or placebo and 16 controls whilst they were undertaking a memory task.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced the launch of two new monthly podcasts for physician anesthesiologists, the anesthesia care team, residents, medical students and anesthesiology community.

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Medicinal cannabis might not ease sleep problems in people with chronic pain over the long term, because frequent users might build up tolerance to its sleep-inducing effects, suggests preliminary research published online in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.

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A new study estimates that more than 2 million Americans with heart disease have used marijuana, but the cardiovascular effects of the drug are not fully understood.

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University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified how THC from marijuana accelerates cancer growth in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancer.

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A molecule produced by the brain that activates the same receptors as marijuana is protective against stress by reducing anxiety-causing connections between two brain regions, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers report.

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With the recent legalization of cannabis edibles in Canada, physicians and the public must be aware of the novel risks of cannabis edibles

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Jan Halámek is proving that our own perspiration not only gives away how drunk we are – but if we are high, too.

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A study published today online in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found marijuana use in electronic cigarettes has been increasing among U.S. middle and high school students from 2017 to 2018.

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Residents of states where cannabis has been legalized are more likely to believe it has beneficial effects - including health benefits in treatment of pain and anxiety or depression, reports a survey study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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Daily marijuana use during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of low birth weight, low resistance to infection, decreased oxygen levels and other negative fetal health outcomes, according to a new study from a team of UNLV Medicine doctors.

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The association between marijuana use and the risk of developing different kinds of cancer remained largely unclear in this analysis of 25 studies. The available studies were limited by small numbers of participants with high levels of marijuana use, poor quantification of marijuana use, and the presence of other factors such as cigarette smoking, which could influence results. Long-term studies are needed to improve understanding of marijuana’s association with the risk of developing cancer.

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Northern Michigan University students enrolled in the nation's first medicinal plant chemistry program have access to cutting-edge instrumentation used in and beyond the cannabis industry through NMU's partnership with Shimadzu. Representatives of both entities recently dedicated a new lab on campus.

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A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found there were more than 67,300 calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers regarding exposures to natural psychoactive substances. The study looked at calls from January 2000 through December 2017, which totaled an average of 3,743 exposures each year, or approximately 10 calls every day.

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The research team looked at all research on the effects of cannabis use on illicit opioid use during methadone maintenance therapy, which is a common treatment for opioid use disorder, and found six studies involving more than 3,600 participants.

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In States Where Recreational Marijuana is Legal, Adults Use More Frequently and Teens Report Increased Problematic Use

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Cannabis may be helping Canadians cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.

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A new study published in Scientific Reports, a Nature Research journal, shows how a one-time exposure during early pregnancy to cannabinoids (CBs) – both synthetic and natural – can cause growth issues in a developing embryo. This is the first research to show such a connection in mammals.

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In a study of six adults, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report evidence that a single vaping episode of cannabis that is similar in chemical composition to that found in legal hemp products could possibly result in positive results on urine drug screening tests commonly used by many employers and criminal justice or school systems.

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A new study by the University of Washington’s Social Development Research Group shows how a parent’s use of marijuana, past or present, can influence their child's substance use and well-being.

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About 41.1 million children in the United States trick-or-treat on Halloween night. Bruce Ruck, managing director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Department of Emergency Medicine, offers advice to avoid the risks of poisoning and allergic reactions.

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Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use and potential abuse, suggests a systematic review of published studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2019 annual meeting.

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While most women of childbearing age understand drinking alcohol while pregnant is harmful, they may be less skeptical about the safety of cannabidiol (CBD), even though there is no evidence to support that belief, suggests a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2019 annual meeting.

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As Congress looks at legislative proposals relating to federal marijuana policy, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) cautions legislators to avoid piecemeal solutions and to carefully consider the impact of any federal marijuana legislation on workplace safety.

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A University of Maryland School of Medicine study using a preclinical animal model suggests that prenatal exposure to THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, makes the brain’s dopamine neurons (an integral component of the reward system) hyperactive and increases sensitivity to the behavioral effects of THC during pre-adolescence.

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The Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at University of California San Diego School of Medicine announces $3 million in research grants to explore new applications of cannabis for a number of novel medical applications.

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A team of researchers at the University of Georgia will study how legalized medical cannabis affects people living with chronic pain.

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Bisexual women had higher rates of past-year and daily marijuana use compared to heterosexual women, according to a study just published at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

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Millennials lead the escalating interest in marijuana and cannabinoid compounds for managing pain – with older generations not far behind – and yet most are unaware of potential risks. Three-quarters (75%) of Americans who expressed interest in using marijuana or cannabinoids to address pain are under the impression they are safer or have fewer side effects than opioids or other medications, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

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In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, several other states have joined them, and cannabis-infused edibles, including gummy bears

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Using the largest database of real-time recordings of the effects of common and commercially available cannabis products in the United States (U.S.)

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Cannabidiol (CBD) oils and products have become increasingly popular with consumers as ways to find relief from aches and pains, anxiety, sleep disturbances and other chronic issues. But are these products safe, and are they helpful?

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A researcher from the University of Houston has found that adults who take prescription opioids for severe pain are more likely to have increased anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues if they also use marijuana.

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A new Economic Inquiry study finds that marijuana access leads to reductions in opioid-related deaths.

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Medical marijuana is legal in Michigan and glaucoma patients are substituting traditional treatment methods for a marijuana cigarette. But does it hurt more than it helps? A University of Michigan expert weighs in.

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Sorry, marijuana moms and dads: Using pot may not make you a more relaxed parent, at least when it comes to how you discipline your children. A study of California parents found that current marijuana users administered more discipline techniques of all kinds to their children on average.

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The males of one species of butterfly are more attracted to females that are active, not necessarily what they look like, according to a recent research conducted at Augustana University.The paper, “Behaviour before beauty: Signal weighting during mate selection in the butterfly Papilio polytes,” found that males of the species noticed the activity levels of potential female mates, not their markings.

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A first-of-its kind online course series aims to educate clinicians, dispensary workers and patients about the latest research on the risks and benefits of medicinal marijuana use.

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Babies born after being exposed to both opioids and benzodiazepines before birth are more likely to have severe drug withdrawal, requiring medications like morphine for treatment, compared to infants exposed to opioids alone, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in Hospital Pediatrics.

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Alcohol and cannabis are commonly used together, and their co-use has public health implications. A preliminary study looked at the effects of two cannabinoids – delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD) – on drinking and craving. The study found that higher levels of THC are associated with greater co-use of alcohol, whereas CBD-based products may be associated with lower levels of alcohol co-use. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.

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There is a lack of agreement about the relationship between marijuana and alcohol use. Does marijuana use increase or decrease alcohol consumption? Research based on interviews with users of both marijuana and alcohol reveals that recreational users tend to drink more alcohol, and medicinal users drink less alcohol, on marijuana-use days. These results and others will be shared at the 42nd annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in Minneapolis June 22-26.

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In this issue, find new public health research on marijuana use in high school students, nutrition labeling and a barbershop HIV intervention

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