Browse more cannabis research, findings, methods, and limitations.
Synthetic cannabinoid users showed significantly worse executive function, memory, and mental health compared to both recreational cannabis users and non-users across two countries.
First RCT of cannabinoids (Sativex) for ADHD found trends toward improvement in hyperactivity and impulsivity in 30 adults, but results did not reach significance after multiple testing correction.
Trauma patients testing positive for substances including cannabis had 3.2 times the odds of having multiple previous traumas, suggesting substance use is a marker for recurring injury.
Nearly half of 2,774 cannabis users reported substituting cannabis for prescription drugs — opioids, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants most commonly replaced. Medical users were 5x more likely to substitute.
Comprehensive review finding a disconnect between cannabis's "soft drug" reputation and growing evidence of cognitive impairment, psychosis risk, and gateway effects, particularly in youth.
School connectedness and adult support reduced marijuana and other substance use among LGB youth in California, even after accounting for school victimization.
80% of Hispanic apartment residents reported secondhand smoke infiltration, with 28% unaware that marijuana smoke is also harmful and 85% supporting building-wide smoking bans.
Both CB1 blockade and CB2 activation independently reduced cocaine reward and motor stimulation in rats, revealing complementary cannabinoid-based strategies for addressing cocaine addiction.
Ultra-potent DAGL inhibitors that block endocannabinoid production reduced feeding in fasting mice, but off-target effects of the chemical scaffold complicate interpretation.
Denver researchers developed a 95.7% accurate surveillance system for tracking marijuana-related ER visits in near-real time using 6 keywords and 5 diagnosis codes.
All 13 ER patients with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome experienced symptom relief after topical capsaicin cream, even after other treatments failed.
Two widely used "selective CB2 agonists" were found to also block CB1 receptors, potentially invalidating conclusions from studies that assumed receptor selectivity.
Temporarily blocking CB2 cannabinoid receptors during vaccination boosted antibody responses in both young and aged mice, revealing the endocannabinoid system as a natural vaccine response suppressor.
Young men with heart attacks who tested positive for cannabis had more severe presentations and worse coronary findings than drug-free patients, despite fewer traditional risk factors.
Turkish versions of the CUPIT and CPQ cannabis screening tools showed good reliability and validity for both cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid use disorder patients.
First large Italian study of medical cannabis for chronic pain found 76% of 614 patients continued treatment, with no severe side effects reported.
Among 10 medicinal plants reviewed for MS, cannabis had the strongest clinical evidence, with demonstrated efficacy for spasticity, fatigue, urinary symptoms, and tremor.
A natural brain peptide that modulates CB1 cannabinoid receptors reduced food intake in rats but did not produce weight loss, possibly due to compensatory reduction in energy expenditure.
Computational drug design identified stemphol as a potential CB1 receptor ligand for treating cannabis withdrawal, though no experimental validation has been performed.
Review placing marijuana cardiac risk in context: scattered reports of sudden death exist, but the incidence is rare compared to cocaine and amphetamines.
Review revealing novel interplay between toll-like receptor immune signaling and the cannabinoid system in MS, potentially explaining how Sativex reduces inflammation and symptoms.
Federal Practitioner review highlighting that cannabis legalization, increased use, and rising THC potency make cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome increasingly important to diagnose.
Review finding growing evidence that prenatal marijuana exposure is associated with lower birth weight, preterm birth, and impaired neurodevelopment, with THC also found in breast milk.
CB1 blockade in the stomach triggered release of the satiety hormone nesfatin-1 through the mTOR pathway, revealing a peripheral mechanism for cannabinoid-regulated appetite.
Review arguing that cannabis harms mood, cognition, psychiatric health, and driving, and that public perception of low risk is unsupported by the scientific evidence.
Study of 804 neonates found no strong evidence that maternal cannabis use during pregnancy alters DRD4 dopamine receptor gene methylation in infants.
Conservative treatment improved critical leg ischemia in 23 patients with arteritis (8 cannabis-associated), but only 13% achieved smoking cessation.
Australian survey found 95% of clinicians asked pregnant women about cigarettes but only 58% about cannabis and 13% about e-cigarettes, revealing gaps in prenatal exposure screening.
Review showing the endocannabinoid system is a promising therapeutic target for IBD, IBS, and digestive motility disorders, though clinical efficacy needs further confirmation.
First reported cases of capsaicin cream successfully treating cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in two adolescents after standard anti-nausea treatments failed.
Canadian Paediatric Society review documenting that adolescent cannabis use causes brain changes and is associated with dependence, mental illness, cognitive decline, and academic underperformance.
Quantitative pharmacological analysis confirmed that five synthetic cannabinoids produce their core effects through CB1 receptors, just like THC, rather than through non-CB1 targets.
In 140 first-episode psychosis patients, cigarette smoking was independently linked to worse cognition and functioning after adjusting for cannabis use, with 53% of patients smoking.
Medical marijuana patients showed improved executive function and more normal brain activation patterns after 3 months, along with decreased opioid and benzodiazepine use.
Cannabis use among Americans over 50 surged between 2006-2013, with a 250% increase among those 65+, while most older users perceived little to no risk.
Narrative review finding substantial evidence linking cannabis to psychosis and other drug use, mixed evidence for depression and anxiety, with adolescent onset carrying the greatest psychiatric risk.
Expert review finding that cannabinoids may help IBD symptoms like pain and diarrhea, but clinical evidence remains insufficient for evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Dispensary study of 217 patients finding younger medical cannabis users consume more and show more problematic use than older users, with early initiation as a key risk factor.
Umbrella review of 11 systematic reviews finding limited evidence for THC/CBD spray in neuropathic pain and inadequate evidence for cannabinoids in cancer pain, rheumatic pain, or anorexia.
Mouse study showing that boosting anandamide (via FAAH inhibition) reduced panic-like flight responses while boosting 2-AG (via MAGL inhibition) increased them, revealing distinct roles for the two endocannabinoids.
First systematic comparison showing marijuana smoke caused earlier and more severe lung damage than tobacco in mice over 4 months, with effects independent of CB1 cannabinoid receptors.
Animal study revealing sex-specific endocannabinoid system responses to alcohol withdrawal, with males showing anxiety and neurochemical disruption while females were protected by ovarian hormones.
Review finding that the endocannabinoid system helps fight infections, but cannabis use generally increases infection susceptibility by suppressing immune responses.
Narrative review identifying chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and MS spasticity as the three conditions with strongest evidence for medical cannabis, while highlighting the gap between patient expectations and science.
20-year cohort study of 1,229 people identifying distinct risk profiles for persistent (6.7%), limited (13.3%), and delayed (3.7%) problematic cannabis use, with anxiety predicting persistence and childhood trauma predicting late onset.
Large RCT across 32 Australian schools finding that a three-year resilience-building intervention produced no significant reductions in marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, or other substance use among 2,105 students.
Pediatric gastroenterologists from Colorado review the challenges of caring for children with IBD as cannabis acceptance grows, highlighting biological plausibility but insufficient evidence and developmental concerns.
Brain slice study showing JWH-018 was 47 times more potent than THC at disrupting hippocampal synaptic transmission, with all synthetic cannabinoids tested impairing memory-related brain plasticity.
Systematic review of 15 studies finding secondhand marijuana smoke causes detectable cannabinoid metabolites, psychoactive effects, and eye irritation, with THC content and ventilation as key factors.
Study of 302 adults finding that reducing cannabis use over 12 weeks improved anxiety, depression, and sleep quality but not overall quality of life, with effects independent of other substance use changes.