Cannabis Conundrum

by National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre In the first Australian study of its kind, 559 cannabis-related deaths identified between 2000 and 2018 have been examined by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney. The leading cause of death was accidental injury (30 percent), followed by suicide (25 percent), and polysubstance toxicity

Abstract  Cannabis is the third most used psychoactive substance worldwide. The legal status of cannabis is changing in many Western countries, while we have very limited knowledge of the public health impact of cannabis-related harms. There is a need for a summary of the evidence of harms and risks attributed to cannabis use, in order

New research identifies the possible frequency and severity of a broad range of adverse reactions to cannabis use. A study featuring in the Journal of Cannabis Research identifies the possible frequency and severity of a range of acute adverse reactions to cannabis use. The researchers also investigate factors that might make a person more susceptible to these

JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(4):e202370. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2370 Findings  In this meta-analysis of observational studies including 23 518 participants, the prevalence of cannabis withdrawal syndrome was found to be 47%. Factors that were associated with higher cannabis withdrawal syndrome were clinical settings (particularly inpatient and outpatient vs population settings), concurrent tobacco or other substance use, and daily cannabis use. Meaning  Cannabis withdrawal

A recent study in which rats could self-administer cannabis vapor may provide a useful research model for humans. The study’s most significant finding was that the ingestion of cannabis resulted in drug-seeking behavior not unlike that common in human users of cannabis. Another significant observation describes some familiar behavior the rats exhibited after receiving the

Female eggs exposed to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, have an impaired ability to produce viable embryos, and are significantly less likely to result in a viable pregnancy, according to an animal study accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting… The eggs’ developmental rates and gene expression were measured. The researchers

The Lancet Psychiatry: Single dose of psychoactive component in cannabis could induce psychotic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in healthy people THE LANCET In addition, the review found no consistent evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) moderates the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC – the psychoactive component of cannabis) in healthy volunteers Single dose of THC, roughly equivalent to

North America’s biggest companies have seen their market values lose billions, prompting comparisons to dotcom bust 18th March 2020  Cannabis may be legal in Vancouver but visitors looking to score are likely to run into a seemingly counterintuitive suggestion: try the black market. Recreational marijuana was legalised across Canada in October 2018. And yet on Reddit, the specialist