Oral Cannabis Impaired Memory and Damaged Brain Structures in Rats ↗
Rat study showing 7 days of oral cannabis impaired spatial memory, increased anxiety-like behavior, and caused visible neuronal damage in the cortex and hippocampus.
Research library — page 29
Browse more cannabis research, findings, methods, and limitations.
Haloperidol Successfully Treated a Severe Case of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome ↗
Case report of haloperidol successfully treating cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome when standard treatments failed, highlighting a potential new option for this increasingly recognized condition.
Scientists Designed a New Drug That Blocks CB1 Receptors Without Entering the Brain to Treat Liver Fibrosis ↗
Medicinal chemistry study creating novel brain-excluded compounds that block CB1 receptors and inhibit iNOS, showing antifibrotic effects in animal models of liver disease.
What We Know About the Behavioral Effects and Risks of Synthetic Cannabinoids ("Spice") ↗
Review consolidating behavioral research on synthetic cannabinoids, finding evidence for abuse potential, tolerance, dependence, and toxicity that often exceeds THC, with significant knowledge gaps remaining.
Cannabis Use Among Older Americans: Public Health Concern or Useful Alternative? ↗
Essay examining rising cannabis use among Americans 65+, arguing cannabis may be a viable alternative to opioids for pain but calling for more research on this understudied population.
Could Cannabis Be a Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases? ↗
Review finding cannabis compounds modulate immune function by reducing inflammation, with early clinical evidence for MS, IBD, and fibromyalgia and preclinical promise for rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.
ADHD and Cannabis Have Separate Effects on Brain Connectivity in Young Adults ↗
Brain imaging study of 75 young adults finding that childhood ADHD and current cannabis use affect separate brain networks, with no evidence that cannabis worsens ADHD-related connectivity changes.
Does Cannabis Improve Athletic or Exercise Performance? The Evidence Says No ↗
Systematic review of 15 studies finding THC does not improve aerobic performance or strength, inhibits exercise-induced asthma, and triggered angina at lower workloads in all cardiac-vulnerable subjects.
Who Gets Medical Cannabis in Switzerland? A Look at 1,193 Approved Patients ↗
Analysis of 1,193 Swiss patients approved for medical cannabis showing 52% growth in one year, with chronic pain and spasticity as primary conditions and 91% paying out of pocket.
Cannabis for Pain and Headaches: What Physicians Need to Know ↗
Physician-focused primer reviewing cannabis compounds for pain and headaches, covering FDA-approved synthetic cannabinoids, phytocannabinoids, and the emerging role of terpenes and flavonoids.
Cannabis Use Disorder Was Linked to Suicide Attempts in Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans ↗
Study of 3,233 veterans finding cannabis use disorder independently associated with 2.3 times higher odds of suicide attempts, even after controlling for PTSD, depression, and other substance use.
A Drug That Boosts Anandamide and Blocks TRPV1 Showed Antidepressant Effects in Rats ↗
Rat study showing a dual FAAH inhibitor/TRPV1 blocker produced antidepressant effects at a specific dose by enhancing anandamide signaling through CB1 receptors while blocking the opposing TRPV1 pathway.
Heavy Cannabis Use Did Not Shrink the Hippocampus in Young Adults Over 3 Years ↗
Longitudinal study following 20 heavy cannabis users and 23 controls for 39 months, finding no hippocampal volume differences or divergent growth trajectories, regardless of dose or age of onset.
Cannabis Users Seem More Creative, But It's Actually Their Personality ↗
Study of 721 people finding sober cannabis users appeared more creative, but this was entirely explained by their higher levels of openness to experience rather than any effect of cannabis.
Testing Newborn Meconium Reveals Cannabis Exposure That Mothers Don't Report ↗
Study of 645 meconium samples finding good agreement between maternal self-reports and objective testing for tobacco but poor agreement for cannabis and alcohol, suggesting underreporting of prenatal exposure.
Medical Cannabis Patients Use More Cannabis But Fewer Prescription Drugs Than Recreational Users ↗
Study of 366 young adults finding medical cannabis patients used more frequently and spent more than recreational users, but also vaped more and showed trends toward less prescription drug misuse.
How Common Is Cannabis Use Among Primary Care Patients in a Legal State? ↗
Screening of 22,095 primary care patients in Washington State finding 15.3% past-year cannabis use and 3.1% daily use, with rates reaching 36% among young adults and 32% among young men with depression.
CBD Acts on Two Newly Discovered Brain Receptors Linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's ↗
First study identifying GPR3 and GPR6 as novel molecular targets for CBD, with potential implications for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease treatment through mechanisms distinct from classical cannabinoid receptors.
Blocking CB1 Receptors Reversed Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain Without Reducing Drug Efficacy ↗
Rat study showing CB1 receptor antagonists reversed olanzapine-induced weight gain, metabolic disruption, and liver changes without reducing the antipsychotic's behavioral effectiveness.
How Synthetic Cannabinoids Differ From Natural Cannabis: Stronger Effects, Greater Risks ↗
Review explaining that synthetic cannabinoids are full agonists with higher binding affinity than THC (a partial agonist), producing more intense effects and more severe neurological and cardiovascular complications.
The Most Common Blood Protein May Control How Cannabinoid Drugs Work in Your Body ↗
Computational study showing human serum albumin binds multiple cannabinoid drugs with strong affinity, suggesting this abundant blood protein is a key factor in cannabinoid pharmacokinetics and dosing.
Two Peptides From the Endocannabinoid System Had Opposite Effects on Anxiety and Depression in Rats ↗
Rat study showing two hemoglobin-derived peptides had opposite effects on the endocannabinoid system: hemopressin caused anxiety and depression-like behavior while RVD-hemopressin produced anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects.
What Happens to Adolescent Brains Exposed to Cannabis? A Comprehensive Review ↗
Comprehensive review finding strong evidence from human and animal studies that adolescent cannabis exposure causes lasting deficits in cognition, emotion, and psychosis risk that do not occur with adult-onset exposure.
The Brain's Cannabis System Changes Differently During Morphine Addiction Versus Relapse ↗
Mouse study showing the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus undergoes opposite changes during morphine reward (increased endocannabinoid breakdown) versus relapse (increased CB1 receptor expression).
Escalating Teen Cannabis Use Was Linked to Altered Brain Reward Circuits and Worse Outcomes at 22 ↗
Longitudinal study of 158 young men finding escalating adolescent cannabis use disrupted reward-prefrontal brain connectivity, predicting more depression, anhedonia, and lower education at age 22.
Cannabis for Brain Tumor Patients: Symptom Relief and Possible Anti-Tumor Effects ↗
Review showing cannabinoids provide established palliative benefits for brain tumor patients (pain, nausea, anxiety) and demonstrated 50-95% tumor regression in animal glioma studies, with synergistic effects in combination therapies.
How the Brain's Endocannabinoid System Controls Anxiety: A Comprehensive Guide ↗
Comprehensive review of how endocannabinoids modulate anxiety through multiple brain regions, receptors, and mechanisms, explaining why cannabis can both reduce and increase anxiety depending on context.
Do Interactive School Drug Prevention Programs Actually Reduce Teen Cannabis Use? ↗
Meta-analysis of 23 independent samples finding interactive school-based prevention programs produced a small but significant reduction in middle school cannabis use (d=-0.07), with teacher-delivered programs being most effective.
How Cannabinoid Signaling Works Throughout the Body: An Overview ↗
Overview of the endocannabinoid system's roles across physiological processes including emerging cardioprotective potential, noting that psychoactive side effects and incomplete mechanistic understanding limit therapeutic development.
63% of Medical Cannabis Patients Said They Used It as a Substitute for Prescription Drugs ↗
Survey of 271 Canadian medical cannabis patients finding 63% used cannabis as a substitute for prescriptions (30% opioids, 16% benzodiazepines), with 42% also buying from illegal sources.
Where Cannabinoid Medicine Stands After Five Years of THC/CBD Spray Use ↗
Expert review confirming THC/CBD spray efficacy for MS spasticity after five years of clinical use and cataloging expanding research into cannabinoids for pain, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and epilepsy.
Brain Mapping Shows How THC Activates Specific Neural Systems in Awake Rats ↗
First fMRI study of THC effects in awake rats showing low-dose THC produced distinct activation patterns in cannabinoid-rich regions, pain circuits, and hippocampal networks.
Marijuana Users Had Lower Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels in a National Study ↗
NHANES study of 5,280 adults finding recent marijuana use independently associated with lower TSH levels but not thyroid dysfunction or autoimmunity, suggesting a subtle modulatory effect.
Heavy Cannabis Users Who Develop Schizophrenia Show Better Cognitive Function Than Non-Users ↗
Study of 61 schizophrenia patients finding those with heavy pre-psychosis cannabis use had fewer neurological signs and better cognitive function, suggesting cannabis-associated psychosis may be a distinct disease subtype.
Functional Selectivity: How Different Cannabinoid Drugs Can Activate Different Pathways Through the Same Receptor ↗
Review explaining how different cannabinoid drugs activate different signaling pathways through the same receptor (functional selectivity), offering a path to safer cannabinoid medicines with fewer side effects.
Evidence That Cannabis Damages the Brain, Especially White Matter ↗
Critical review plus fatal case report finding strong evidence that chronic cannabis use damages brain white matter and impairs cognition, with few objective data supporting cannabis over conventional therapies for neurological conditions.
Cannabis Use and a BDNF Gene Variant Both Predicted Earlier Onset of First Psychosis ↗
Study of 260 first-episode psychosis patients finding early cannabis use and BDNF met-allele independently predicted younger psychosis onset, with early cannabis use more common in males.
Cannabis Use Did Not Affect Immune Cell Counts in HIV-Hepatitis C Co-Infected Patients ↗
Longitudinal study of 955 HIV-HCV co-infected patients finding no effect of cannabis use on CD4 T-cell counts or percentages, providing reassurance for immunocompromised patients.
More Teens Entered Marijuana Treatment Over 18 Years, But Their Drug Problems Got Less Severe ↗
Analysis of 12 million treatment records finding increasing youth marijuana admissions from 1995-2012 alongside dramatically decreasing drug severity, suggesting lower referral thresholds rather than worsening problems.
Hispanic Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions Are Rising, Especially Among Girls ↗
Analysis of national data finding rising Hispanic youth marijuana treatment admissions from 1995-2012, with female admissions growing faster than male, linked more to school/community referrals than severe drug problems.
Why Some People May Be Vulnerable to Suicidal Effects of CB1 Blockers ↗
Rat study showing CB1 inverse agonists produce impulsivity only when serotonin is disrupted, explaining why rimonabant caused suicidal behavior in a vulnerable subpopulation and suggesting neutral antagonists are safer.
Meta-Analysis: Cannabinoids Provide Small Pain Relief for Chronic Neuropathic Pain ↗
Meta-analysis of 11 RCTs finding selective cannabinoids provide a small but significant reduction in neuropathic pain (-0.65 on 0-10 scale), with improvements in sleep and quality of life.
How Cannabis and Alcohol Affect the Developing Adolescent Brain ↗
Review of neuroimaging evidence showing cannabis and alcohol alter adolescent brain development, with most cognitive effects resolving after abstinence but attentional deficits persisting.
Scientists Created a Tool to Measure What People Expect When They Quit Cannabis ↗
Validation of a new 46-item questionnaire identifying six categories of cannabis cessation expectations, providing clinicians a tool to understand barriers to quitting.
College Has Become a Bigger Risk Factor for Starting Marijuana Since 2013 ↗
Monitoring the Future data showing college became a dramatically stronger risk factor for marijuana initiation after 2013, with 51% increased risk by 2015 compared to 17-22% historically.
CBD Reduced Brain Damage and Promoted Recovery After Stroke in Mice ↗
Mouse study showing CBD prevented cognitive and emotional deficits after brain ischemia by reducing inflammation, preventing neuron death, increasing BDNF, and stimulating new brain cell growth.
Could the Endocannabinoid System Influence Your Dreams? ↗
Review proposing that the endocannabinoid system influences dream activity, supported by its known roles in consciousness, emotion, and sleep, and by preliminary evidence of cannabinoid-related nightmare reduction in PTSD.
A Compound That Boosts Anandamide and Blocks TRPV1 Promoted Sleep in Rats ↗
Rat study showing AA-5-HT (dual FAAH/TRPV1 blocker) promoted sleep during active periods, restored sleep after deprivation, and blocked the wake-promoting effects of CBD and modafinil.
Low-Dose CBD Did Not Help Active Crohn's Disease in This Small Trial ↗
Small RCT of 20 Crohn's patients finding CBD 10 mg twice daily was safe but no more effective than placebo, possibly due to insufficient dosing.
The Anti-Inflammatory Power in Cannabis Comes From THCA, Not CBD, for Colon Disease ↗
Study identifying THCA (not CBD) as the primary anti-inflammatory compound in cannabis for colon cells, working through GPR55 receptors, with effects confirmed in IBD patient tissue.