Browse more cannabis research, findings, methods, and limitations.
Twelve-month study of 751 chronic pain patients found sustained improvements in pain, quality of life, and opioid dose reduction with medical cannabis.
Mouse study found CBD produced antidepressant effects by normalizing stress-induced DNA methylation changes in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
Mouse study found CBD reversed ARDS symptoms and increased apelin expression in lungs and blood, revealing a new CBD mechanism for respiratory inflammation.
Postmortem study found CB1 receptors 20% elevated in prefrontal cortex of people with major depression, with unchanged CB2 and increased mTOR activity.
Study of 8,323 cannabis diversion participants found African Americans and Latinos had significantly lower program completion rates, with males overrepresented at 80%.
First clinically-focused systematic review found CBD tentatively supported for social anxiety and adjunctive schizophrenia, with high-THC showing no depression benefit.
Survey of 4,088 adults found 27.4% had recent marijuana secondhand smoke exposure in public, while 81% opposed public marijuana smoking and 52.4% perceived it as harmful.
PNAS study found adolescent cannabinoid exposure reprogrammed the rat brain response to cocaine at epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels, specifically during adolescence.
Controlled study found oral cannabis at 25-50 mg THC markedly impaired cognition in infrequent users, with effects delayed 30-60 min and peaking at 1.5-3 hours.
Study of 71 schizophrenia patients found lifetime cannabis users had greater deficits in emotional expression, anticipatory pleasure, and social functioning.
Review of recent trials found CBD reduces positive psychotic symptoms but not negative symptoms, with inconsistent cognitive effects and generally good tolerability.
Study of 852 adolescents found childhood cigarette/alcohol use and family factors in fifth grade predicted cannabis use patterns through age 19.
THC altered DNA methylation at 7 neurodevelopmental genes in rat sperm, overlapping with nicotine effects and enriched for autism candidate genes.
Cannabis use linked to widespread methylation changes in autism gene DLGAP2 in human sperm, with similar changes found in rat offspring brains after paternal THC exposure.
In a rat schizophrenia model, only the lowest THC dose (0.1 mg/kg) reversed social withdrawal, while higher doses worsened symptoms in healthy rats.
Study of 592 high-risk drug users found 75.7% substituted drugs, with 33.5% of cannabis users switching to synthetic cannabinoids and 35.9% of heroin users to street methadone.
Among 342 drug treatment patients, cannabis use was the strongest predictor of synthetic cannabinoid use (AOR 9.86), while gabapentinoids predicted prescription opioid use (AOR 14.33).
Chart review found only 25.74% of cannabis-coded ED visits were actually attributable to cannabis use, suggesting administrative data grossly overestimates cannabis-related ER burden.
JAMA study found states listing OUD as a cannabis qualifying condition had 39% more dispensaries claiming cannabis treats OUD, potentially diverting patients from proven medications.
Case report of lithium toxicity developing weeks after adding CBD, revealing a previously unknown drug interaction in a patient who subsequently became seizure-free on CBD alone.
Mouse study found CBD-rich extract dramatically increased a "probiotic" gut bacterium while simultaneously triggering intestinal inflammation and reducing gut integrity markers.
Review proposes CB1 receptor antagonists as a cannabis overdose antidote, similar to naloxone for opioids, noting most overdose symptoms are CB1-mediated.
Paternal THC exposure in rats caused dose-dependent, lifelong cholinergic brain deficits in offspring from adolescence through middle age.
Study of 2,545 cannabis users found impulsivity and coping motives predicted heaviest use (daily, 4+ times), with 36% of users in the highest frequency group.
Molecular Psychiatry study found ADHD genetically causes 8-fold increased cannabis use risk (OR 7.9), with 29% genetic overlap and 4 new shared loci identified.
IMAGEN study found right amygdala hyper-reactivity at age 14 predicted cannabis use at 19 in a dose-response pattern, with cannabis exposure altering normal amygdala development.
Controlled study of cannabis brownies found blood THC peaked at 1.5-2 hours, women had higher concentrations, and oral fluid testing reflected oral deposition, not blood levels.
Systematic review of 26 studies found insufficient evidence for cannabinoids as routine sleep treatments but promising leads for sleep apnea, insomnia, and PTSD nightmares.
Cannabis use elevated the anti-inflammatory marker sgp130 in 401 schizophrenia patients but not 242 bipolar patients, suggesting diagnosis-specific immune modulation.
Survey of 451 healthcare professionals found over 80% support medical cannabis but 40-50% lack knowledge of cannabinoid pharmacology and clinical applications.
Case of severe treatment-resistant OCD markedly improving with medicinal cannabis, adding to 3 total case reports supporting a cannabinoid hypothesis of OCD.
Analysis of 615 cannabinoid poisonings found synthetic cannabinoids caused more cardiovascular/GI symptoms than cannabis, while medical cannabis cases were milder.
Survey of 525 chronic pain patients found 40% completely stopped opioids after starting medical cannabis, with 87% reporting improved quality of life.
Postmortem brain study found CB1 receptor expression is highest fetally, drops after birth, is decreased in schizophrenia, and follows a COMT-genotype-dependent trajectory.
A CB2 receptor agonist increased epithelial cell growth and reduced inflammatory markers in colon tissue from IBD patients, suggesting cannabinoid receptors could help promote gut healing.
A randomized trial found that abruptly stopping 1,500 mg/day CBD after four weeks produced virtually no withdrawal symptoms in healthy volunteers.
A South African study found 55.6% of patients with psychotic disorders had co-occurring substance use disorders, with cannabis use disorder being the most common at 34.3%.
Novel allosteric CB1 receptor ligands reduced corneal pain and inflammation in mice, especially when combined with low-dose THC, suggesting a new approach for eye pain treatment.
Mice with chemotherapy-induced nerve pain had depleted endocannabinoid levels in their paw tissue. Restoring 2-AG locally reversed pain sensitivity through both CB1 and CB2 receptors.
An open-label study of 38 children with treatment-resistant epilepsy found no cognitive decline after one year of add-on CBD treatment, with some trends toward improvement.
Among 601 adult smokers in San Francisco primary care clinics, over half also used cannabis, e-cigarettes, or both, but cessation counseling rarely addressed poly-use.
Heavy cannabis use was linked to lower BDNF levels in first-episode psychosis patients who had never taken antipsychotics, but not in healthy volunteers, suggesting vulnerability-specific effects.
A secondary analysis of 302 adults in a cannabis cessation trial found that depression predicted less abstinence (especially in women) and that depressive symptoms preceded increased cannabis use, not the other way around.
AB-FUBINACA produced classic cannabinoid effects that cleared rapidly from the brain but still induced physical dependence after just 5 days of twice-daily dosing in mice.
A survey of 9,024 US teens found marijuana advertising was linked to use, but perceived ease of access and age were much stronger predictors and amplified the advertising effect.
Implantable polymer microdepots provided sustained release of full-spectrum cannabis extract for 14+ days in mice, reducing seizure incidence by 40% and improving survival by 50% compared to a single injection.
Cannabis use and subclinical psychosis traits showed consistent positive correlations in the general population, with one significant genetic link: social anhedonia was inversely correlated with cannabis use frequency.
Among 140 CVS patients, 41% used cannabis with most reporting symptom relief. Only 1 of 57 cannabis users met formal criteria for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
Terpineol reduced depressive-like behavior in an inflammatory mouse model, with effects mediated through CB1, CB2 cannabinoid receptors and D2 dopamine receptors.
A CB1 agonist reduced anxiety but not conditioned fear in rats modeling PTSD, suggesting endocannabinoid drugs may help with PTSD-related anxiety without erasing fear memories.