Rural Teens Face Unique Cannabis Risks as Legalization Expands ↗
Review highlights overlooked cannabis risks for rural adolescents, including limited treatment access, unique demographics, and the shadow of the rural opioid crisis.
Research library — page 73
Browse more cannabis research, findings, methods, and limitations.
What Cannabis Use Means to People: An Occupational Science Perspective ↗
Scoping review finds cannabis use serves as meaningful occupation — supporting routines, identity, belonging — suggesting treatment should acknowledge what cannabis provides.
Marijuana May Improve Memory Problems Caused by Dopamine Loss in Rats ↗
Chronic marijuana improved memory deficits and altered dopamine/cannabinoid receptor expression in a rat Parkinson disease model.
Medical Cannabis Patients in Pennsylvania: Products Used and Medications Taken Together ↗
Pennsylvania medical cannabis patients used an average of 3.4 cannabis products alongside 3.7 other medications, with antidepressants and analgesics most common.
THC Exposure Changes How Rats Pursue Rewards, With Age-Dependent Effects ↗
Repeated THC exposure in rats caused lasting, age-dependent changes in motivation and reward learning, with adult exposure showing stronger motivational enhancement.
What Happened After Canada Legalized Cannabis: A Five-Year Systematic Review ↗
Five-year systematic review of Canadian legalization: arrests down 75%, youth use stable, adult ER visits up 22%, pediatric edible hospitalizations up 7.5-fold. Neither catastrophe nor utopia.
Self-Harm During Psychosis: A Case of Undiagnosed Schizoaffective Disorder Linked to Cannabis Use ↗
Case report of a 39-year-old with undiagnosed schizoaffective disorder and heavy cannabis use who self-eviscerated during psychosis, requiring emergency surgery.
Children Accidentally Eating Marijuana Edibles: A Growing Emergency Room Problem ↗
An estimated 1,245 children visited U.S. ERs in 2019-2020 after accidentally eating marijuana edibles, with most requiring hospital admission.
Cannabis-Related ER Visits Among Older Adults in California Increased 1,804% From 2005 to 2019 ↗
Cannabis-related ER visits among California adults 65+ surged 1,804% from 2005-2019, with older Black adults and those with more comorbidities most affected.
A New Drug That Blocks Cannabis Effects Shows Promise for Treating Cannabis Use Disorder ↗
First-in-class CB1 signaling-specific inhibitor AEF0117 reduced cannabis positive effects by 38% and self-administration in early clinical trials for cannabis use disorder.
Cannabis-Based Medicine Failed to Relieve Neuropathic Pain and Spasticity in MS and Spinal Cord Injury ↗
Rigorous Danish trial of 134 MS/SCI patients found no benefit of THC, CBD, or their combination over placebo for neuropathic pain or spasticity.
CBD and THC-Like Drugs Target Different Calcium Channels for Pain Relief ↗
CBD relieves pain by directly blocking Cav3.2 calcium channels (independent of CB1), while THC-like drugs work through CB1 on different calcium channels.
Synthetic Cannabinoid Derivatives Block T-Type Calcium Channels But Show Mixed Seizure Results ↗
MEPIRAPIM-derived compounds selectively blocked T-type calcium channels and reduced some seizure types but unexpectedly worsened absence epilepsy in rats.
Young Adults See Cannabis as More Harmful for Teens Than for Adults Their Own Age ↗
Canadian young adults perceive cannabis as more harmful for 14-year-olds than for adults, with minimal perceived difference between use at 21 vs. 28 years old.
Can Cannabis Users Tell When They're Too High to Drive? Mostly Yes, Actually ↗
Cannabis users accurately predicted their driving impairment after THC inhalation — self-rated confidence correlated with actual simulator performance and THC dose.
Microglial CB1 Receptors Drive Social Memory Deficits from Adolescent THC Exposure ↗
Mouse study identifies microglial CB1 receptors as the mechanism by which adolescent THC causes social memory deficits, worsened by psychiatric risk gene 16p11.2 duplication.
Cannabis Legalization Linked to Greater Increase in Cannabis Use Disorder Among Veterans With Chronic Pain ↗
Cannabis legalization drove greater CUD increases among VA patients with chronic pain than without, especially among those aged 65-75.
Cannabis Concentrate Use Is More Common in States With Legal Cannabis ↗
Survey of 4,328 cannabis users finds concentrate use 47% more likely in recreational law states and 29% more likely in medical-only states.
Cannabis Laws Linked to Greater CUD Increases Among Veterans With Chronic Pain: A Lancet Study ↗
Lancet study of millions of VA patients finds cannabis legalization drives greater CUD increases in chronic pain patients, especially older adults.
Cannabis Legalization Modestly Contributed to Rising Cannabis Use Disorder in VA Patients ↗
Cannabis legalization modestly but significantly contributed to rising CUD among VA patients, with the strongest effect on adults aged 65-75.
Cochrane Review: Cannabis-Based Medicines Are Ineffective for Cancer Pain ↗
Cochrane review of 14 studies finds moderate-certainty evidence that cannabis-based medicines are ineffective for opioid-refractory cancer pain.
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy: What the Research Shows ↗
Review links prenatal cannabis use to preterm birth, NICU admission, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age infants.
Stopping THC Partially Reverses Its Harmful Effects on Male Fertility in Monkeys ↗
Rhesus macaque study shows chronic THC caused 59% testicular shrinkage, hormone disruption, and 23,558 sperm DNA changes, with only partial recovery after cessation.
CBD Derivative Shows Antidepressant Effects in Female Rats Through CB2 Receptors ↗
CBDA-ME showed antidepressant effects in female rats through CB2 receptors, requiring higher doses than males and involving BDNF and endocannabinoid pathways.
Can the Hemp Industry Police Itself? A Reddit Analysis of Self-Regulation Debates ↗
Reddit analysis reveals the hemp industry wants self-regulation but lacks agreement on standards, leaving consumers experimenting with untested products.
Could CBD Help Patients After Brain Aneurysm Rupture? A Review of Potential Mechanisms ↗
Review proposes that CBD anti-inflammatory, vascular, and neuroprotective effects could theoretically benefit subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, pending research.
Arkansans Became Less Supportive of Pharmacist Involvement in Medical Cannabis After It Became Available ↗
After MC became available in Arkansas, residents wanted less regulation and were less supportive of pharmacist involvement in cannabis safety.
Cannabis Improved Quality of Life in Women With Treatment-Resistant Fibromyalgia ↗
Prospective study of 30 women with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia found significant quality of life improvements after 30 days of cannabis treatment.
Targeting the Endocannabinoid System for Psychiatric Treatment: A Promising New Approach ↗
Review identifies endocannabinoid metabolism inhibitors and receptor modulators as promising candidates for treating substance use, trauma, and autism disorders.
Synthetic Cannabinoids Are Also MAO-A Inhibitors, Explaining Some Dangerous Side Effects ↗
Synthetic cannabinoids are MAO-A-specific inhibitors, explaining severe cardiovascular side effects inconsistent with cannabinoid receptor activation.
Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Effects on Brain and Cognition May Grow Stronger Over Time in Children ↗
ABCD Study data shows prenatal cannabis exposure effects on brain volume and visual processing may grow stronger as children develop from ages 9 to 13.
Cannabis Use Disorder Is More Strongly Linked to Schizophrenia in Young Males ↗
Danish study of 6.9 million people finds 15% of male schizophrenia cases attributable to cannabis use disorder, with young males at highest risk.
Even Low-Level Marijuana Use Disrupts Adolescent Brain Development, Especially in Schizophrenia-Risk Families ↗
Even nonheavy marijuana use disrupted adolescent cognitive development in 5 of 8 domains, with amplified effects in youth with family history of schizophrenia.
THC Content Changes How Well CBD Helps Songbirds Recover Vocal Abilities After Brain Injury ↗
Songbird study shows THC content critically modulates CBD efficacy for vocal recovery, with different effects on phonology versus syntax neural circuits.
Substance Use Among German University Students: Smoking, Drinking, and Marijuana Are Interconnected ↗
Study of 3,991 German university students finds smoking, risky drinking, and marijuana use are strongly interconnected, suggesting integrated prevention approaches.
Two Blood Samples Cannot Reliably Estimate Earlier THC Levels in Impaired Drivers ↗
Study of 548 impaired driving cases shows two consecutive blood samples cannot reliably estimate THC levels at the time of driving due to analytical error.
Cannabis, Synthetic Cannabinoids, and CBD All Linked to Mental Health Problems in UK Teens ↗
First population study finds synthetic cannabinoids and CBD, not just cannabis, are associated with depression, anxiety, and hallucinations in UK teens aged 13-14.
High-Dose CBD Maintains Anandamide Levels That Otherwise Drop During Cannabis Cessation ↗
In a clinical trial, 800 mg/day CBD prevented the anandamide decrease seen during cannabis cessation, but this change was not linked to clinical outcomes.
Cannabis Users Lost Just as Much Weight After Bariatric Surgery as Non-Users ↗
Cannabis users who had bariatric surgery lost equivalent weight to non-users at all time points through 2 years — the 'munchies' didn't undermine surgical outcomes.
An Ethical Framework for Primary Care Doctors Addressing Cannabis-Impaired Driving ↗
Ethical framework for primary care: inform patients about cannabis driving risks, provide harm reduction, report when necessary, and maintain the therapeutic relationship.
Marijuana Edible Poisonings Among Youth Had the Fastest-Rising Poison Center Call Rate Over 20 Years ↗
Among 338,727 youth substance abuse cases (2000-2020), marijuana had the fastest-rising call rate, with edible products showing the most dramatic increase.
Peer Acceptability of Cannabis-Impaired Driving Strongly Predicts the Behavior in Young Adults ↗
Peer acceptability of cannabis-impaired driving predicted 8x higher odds of the behavior in Washington young adults, stronger than alcohol-impaired driving norms.
How Cannabis Affects the Developing Brain: An Overview for Young People ↗
Educational overview explains how cannabis affects brain development during pregnancy and adolescence, with prevention guidance for young people.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Successfully Treated With Dronabinol: A Paradoxical Approach ↗
Case report: dronabinol (synthetic THC) resolved cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in a 21-year-old after haloperidol failed, demonstrating a paradoxical treatment approach.
Cannabinoids for Neuromuscular Disorders: A Review of Current Evidence ↗
Review of cannabinoids for neuromuscular disorders finds strongest evidence from MS pain/spasticity studies, with emerging evidence for other NMDs.
CBD Protects Brain Cells from Inflammation by Boosting Their Energy Metabolism ↗
CBD protected astrocytes from inflammatory damage by boosting energy metabolism and reducing inflammatory cytokines, with CB1 receptors mediating the anti-inflammatory response.
CBD Prevented Osteoporosis and Enhanced Bone Cell Growth in Lab and Animal Studies ↗
CBD prevented osteoporosis in two mouse models and increased bone cell growth and osteogenic gene expression in human stem cells.
Cannabis Use After First Psychosis Is Linked to Worse Negative Symptoms Over 10 Years ↗
Ten-year study shows cannabis use after first psychosis selectively worsens diminished expression symptoms but not apathy.
Cannabis Use Nearly Doubles Risk of Progressing From First Psychosis to Schizophrenia ↗
Spanish hospital study of 341 first-episode psychosis patients finds cannabis use nearly doubles the risk of converting to schizophrenia within 5 years.
Prenatal Marijuana Exposure Did Not Affect Neurodevelopmental Test Scores at Age 10 ↗
Well-controlled Australian cohort study found no association between prenatal marijuana exposure and neuropsychological deficits at age 10 or autistic traits at 19-20.