Research Reports

Faith as Social Control and Psychosocial Resource: Substance Use Prevention

Anthropological and sociological inquiry into religion has long asked whether faith functions as a mechanism of social control capable of shaping deviant behaviour, including substance use and crime. Contemporary public health and criminological evidence, synthesised across meta-analytic, ethnographic, and theoretical literatures, now converges on an answer: religious and spiritual participation exerts a measurable, largely protective

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Epigenetic Consequences of Cannabison Neuroplasticity

Executive SummaryÄ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, induces persistent epigenetic modifications — DNA methylation changes, histone post-translational modifications, and altered non-coding RNA expression — that disrupt mesolimbic reward circuitry, impair neuroplasticity, and elevate risks of addiction, cognitive decline, and psychosis. Cannabidiol (CBD), while pharmacologically distinct and non-intoxicating, offers only limited mitigation of these

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Moral Injury, Permissive Drug Policy, and the Misuse of Harm Reduction: A Synoptic Review of the Impact

AbstractMoral injury is typically defined as the psychological, social, and spiritual harm that follows perceived violations of deeply held moral beliefs or obligations. In the arena of substance use, the concept has begun to appear not only as an outcome of trauma-related coping, but also as a direct feature of substance use disorder itself, especially

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When Politics Overrides Science – The Dangerous Rush to Psychedelic Medicine

A Dalgarno Research Report (DRR): An investigative analysis of political lobbying, anecdotal evidence, compromised research, and the lessons Australia failed to learn — and is now teaching the world The Pattern Nobody Wants to Name There is a template for how societies rush dangerous or under-evidenced drugs into mainstream medicine. It begins with a genuine,

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Cannabis Messes with Your ‘Genes’ in Ways You Don’t Realise: Abstinence is Best Policy Practice (DRR)

Excerpt: Marijuana’s primary psychoactive compound, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), drives persistent epigenetic changes that undermine neuroplasticity and reward system integrity, with cannabidiol (CBD) offering limited mitigation upon repeated exposure. These modifications, observed across preclinical and human studies, heighten risks for addiction, cognitive impairment, and intergenerational effects, particularly in vulnerable populations like adolescents. View PDF

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Abstinence From Psychoactive Substance Use as Foundational Best Practice for Neurodevelopment and Brain Health From the Abstract:

Abstinence From Psychoactive Substance Use as Foundational Best Practice for Neurodevelopment and Brain Health From the Abstract: This paper argues that abstinence from nonmedical psychoactive substance use should be conceptualized not merely as harm avoidance but as a positive enabling condition for neurodevelopment and neurorehabilitation. Abstinence removes maladaptive plasticity pressures, facilitates recovery of brain structure

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Cannabis and the Gateway Drug Theory: Correlation or Causation – Where does the Evidence Point?(DRR) – October 2021

“Drug use, be it licit or illicit, and the developing brain is always a complex issue, with absolutely no doubt that any amount of drug use detrimentally impacts the developing brain, even if ever so minutely.”… Read more in the full Document (Also see Is marijuana a gateway drug? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 

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Peeling Back the Label – Alcohol Advertising & Young People 2020 update

“Alcohol marketing is a global phenomenon in which companies spend considerable sums to establish and embed their brands in the lives and lifestyles of populations. Global spending on alcohol advertising of six of the largest alcohol producers, mostly concentrated in Europe and the United States, totalled more than US$2 billion in 2006.1″… Read more in

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