Science Category
Uptick in prevalence of simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use in the U.S. after states legalize recreational cannabis use
Simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use, defined as using both substances at the same time so their effects overlap, increased in adults from 2008 to 2019,…
Pregnant women's cannabis usage in legalized U.S. states raises calls for screening
Pregnant women living in U.S. states where cannabis is legal must be screened for the drug, for the health of both mother and baby, claim…
Legalization of recreational cannabis linked with increased alcohol drinking, study finds
States that legalized recreational cannabis saw a slight population-level uptick in alcohol consumption that was largely driven by young adults and men, according to new…
Cannabis not made safer by increasing its CBD content, study finds
New research has found no evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) reduces the negative effects of cannabis.
Could greater prescription of medical cannabis be a solution to the opioid crisis?
In new study, opioid use seen to reduce or stop altogether, following prescription of medical cannabis.
Driving high? Chemists make strides toward a marijuana breath analyzer
Chemists have developed a fuel cell sensor that they hope to develop into a handheld analyzer to detect THC on a person’s breath. When THC…
Cannabis legalization boosts use by double digits
A new first-of-its-kind study of twins finds that residents of states where recreational marijuana is legal use it 24% more frequently than those in states…
People who use therapeutic cannabis are more likely to use nicotine, too
People who use therapeutic cannabis are more likely to also use nicotine products than the general population, according to a new study.
Researchers ID the high-efficiency hacks cannabis cells use to make cannabinoids
Plant biologists have defined the high-efficiency ‘hacks’ that cannabis cells use to make cannabinoids (THC/CBD). Although many biotechnology companies are currently trying to engineer THC/CBD…
High-strength cannabis linked to addiction and mental health problems
Largest ever study into the health effects of different types of cannabis highlights concerns about stronger forms of the drug.
Marijuana use is much more common in US states that have legalized recreational cannabis use
A new study found that rates of cannabis use and daily cannabis use have increased across the U.S., and current cannabis use and daily use…
Adolescents more vulnerable to cannabis addiction but not other mental health risks, study finds
Adolescents are over three times more vulnerable to developing a cannabis addiction than adults, but may not be at increased risk of other mental health…
Emergency care and hospitalizations higher among cannabis users, study finds
A new study found visits to the emergency department and hospitalizations are 22 per cent higher among individuals who use cannabis compared with those who…
Cannabis products demonstrate short-term reduction in chronic pain, little else, review finds
Evidence behind the effectiveness of cannabis-related products to treat chronic pain is surprisingly thin, according to a new systematic evidence review. Voters in a number…
Major uptick reported in cannabis vaping for all adolescents
Cannabis vaping is increasing as the most popular method of cannabis delivery among all adolescents in the U.S., as is the frequency of cannabis vaping,…
Four-year college students drink more, use marijuana less than community college peers, study finds
Students at four-year colleges and universities drink nearly twice as much alcohol as their peers in two-year colleges, according to a survey of college students…
Fruit snack or edible? Study finds some cannabis products look like popular snacks
Some cannabis edibles look remarkably like popular snack foods and may be easily confused for them, finds a new study.
Babies exposed to cannabis in the womb may be at risk for obesity, high blood sugar
Cannabis use among pregnant women is on the rise and may be associated with negative health outcomes in children, according to a new study.
Marijuana for medical use may result in rapid onset of cannabis use disorder
A new study shows that using cannabis products to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing…
Brain stimulation shows promise as treatment for cannabis use disorder in people with schizophrenia
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was associated with a reduction in self-reported cannabis use by up to 60 per cent among people with schizophrenia who…
How does cannabis use affect brain health? Caution advised, more research needed, experts say
Although recreational and medicinal marijuana (cannabis) is increasingly available across the U.S., public and professional awareness that cannabis use may adversely affect brain health is…
Cannabis poisoning in young children increased nine times after legalization
Ontario saw nine times more emergency department visits per month for cannabis poisonings in young children under the age of 10 after Canada legalized recreational…
Brain-based method to determine impairment from cannabis intoxication
A new study shows that imaging of brain activity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy might offer a more accurate and reliable way to distinguish impairment from…
Marijuana users’ risk of deadly complication doubles after rare type of bleeding stroke
Among adults with a certain type of bleeding stroke, those who used marijuana within the last 3-30 days were more than twice as likely to…
Cannabis use could cause harmful drug interactions
Using cannabis alongside other drugs may come with a significant risk of harmful drug-drug interactions, new research suggests. The researchers looked at cannabinoids–a group of…
Why cannabis smells skunky
As cannabis is legalized in more areas, it has become increasingly popular as a medicinal and recreational drug. This plant produces a pungent, skunk-like odor…
Breast milk of marijuana users does not hurt short-term health of early premature infants, long-term effects still unknown
Researchers compared early preterm infants who were fed breast milk from THC-positive mothers to those who were fed either formula or breast milk from THC-negative…
‘The mother of all cannabinoids’: Anti-seizure compounds discovered in cannabis
Scientists have found that three rare cannabinoids reduce seizures in mice. They using the information to develop a better cannabis-based treatment for Dravet syndrome, an…
Passage of recreational cannabis laws leads to some rise in use but not for all demographics
The U.S. is seeing an increased use of cannabis resulting from its legalization for recreational purposes. The findings showed that passage of the laws led…
Smartphone sensor data has potential to detect cannabis intoxication
A smartphone sensor, much like what is used in GPS systems, might be a way to determine whether or not someone is intoxicated after consuming…
Teens who use cannabis frequently more likely to have premature baby
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…
Cancer patients use less marijuana than general public, study finds
A new study shows that between 2013 and 2018, as many U.S. states were legalizing recreational marijuana, cancer patients continued to abstain in large numbers.
Study shows strong association between perceived risk, availability and past-year cannabis use
Combined perceptions of the risk and availability of cannabis influence the risk of cannabis use more than perceived risk and perceived availability alone, according to…
Novel study of high-potency cannabis shows some memory effects
Researchers observed participants over Zoom as they used high-potency cannabis they purchased themselves from dispensaries in Washington state, where recreational cannabis is legal. After administering…
People with fibromyalgia are substituting CBD for opioids to manage pain
As the ravages of the opioid epidemic lead many to avoid these powerful painkillers, a significant number of people with fibromyalgia are finding an effective…
Adolescent marijuana, alcohol use held steady during COVID-19 pandemic
Adolescent marijuana use and binge drinking did not significantly change during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite record decreases in the substances’ perceived availability, according to a…
Early exposure to cannabis compounds reduces later neural activity in zebrafish
Zebrafish exposed to the leading cannabinoids found in cannabis in the earliest stages of development suffer a significant drop in neural activity later in life,…
Peptide could allow medical marijuana to relieve pain without side effects
Many people live with chronic pain, and in some cases, cannabis can provide relief. But the drug also can significantly impact memory and other cognitive…
Genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may increase risk of psychosis from cannabis use
New research shows that while cannabis users had higher rates of psychotic experiences than non-users across the board, the difference was especially pronounced among those…
Early cannabis use linked to heart disease
Smoking cannabis when you’re young may increase your risk of developing heart disease later, according to a recent study.