Cannabis News and Research

Latest Cannabis News and Research

Children and adolescents growing up in extreme societal conditions more likely to resort to violence

Children and adolescents who grow up with one or more of these environmental risk factors are likely to resort to violence, aggression and crime as adults, irrespective of an underlying mental illness.

24 May 2018

Early-onset cannabis use linked to further drug abuse problems

What a difference a year or two can make: If you started smoking marijuana at the start of your teens, your risk of having a drug abuse problem by age 28 is 68 per cent, but if you started smoking between 15 and 17 your risk drops to 44 per cent, according to a new study by Université de Montréal researchers.

21 May 2018

FutureNeuro and GreenLight Medicines team up to develop cannabis-based treatments for epilepsies

A new partnership between FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological diseases based at RCSI and GreenLight Medicines, an indigenous Irish biopharmaceutical company has been formed to develop new cannabis-based treatments for drug-resistant epilepsies, and in particular, childhood epilepsies.

17 May 2018

Experts discuss how medicinal cannabis can impact opioid crisis

A multidisciplinary panel of experts discussed how medicinal cannabis can impact the opioid crisis, though clinical research to quantify this is difficult given strict federal laws

9 May 2018

Study to examine whether cannabidiol provides therapeutic benefit to children with autism

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are preparing a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary investigation to determine if and how cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, provides therapeutic benefit to children with severe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.

27 Apr 2018

New app could improve safety of cannabis use

Although cannabis, also known as marijuana, has been shown to impair memory, reaction time and attention, it is difficult to assess this impairment in a natural setting. Researchers have developed a prototype app called 'Am I Stoned' that could help cannabis users understand how the drug is affecting them through a series of phone-based tasks.

25 Apr 2018

MGH researchers identify risk factors for drug overdose in youth with substance use disorders

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has identified factors that may increase the risk of drug overdose in adolescents and young adults. In their report published online in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the researchers describe finding that more than a quarter of those seeking treatment at Addiction Recovery Management Service, an MGH-based outpatient substance-use-disorder treatment program for youth ages 14 to 26, had a history of at least one overdose.

24 Apr 2018

Studies show hemp's potential for treating ovarian cancer

Results from some of the first studies to examine hemp's ability to fight cancer show that it might one day be useful as plant-based treatment for ovarian cancer. Hemp is part of the same cannabis family as marijuana but doesn't have any psychoactive properties or cause addiction.

24 Apr 2018

Prenatal marijuana use linked to increased chance of low birth weights

With marijuana use during pregnancy on the rise, a new study led by the Colorado School of Public Health shows that prenatal cannabis use was associated with a 50 percent increased likelihood of low birth weight, setting the stage for serious future health problems including infection and time spent in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

23 Apr 2018

Study provides guidance on using cannabis for treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression

In a first-of-a-kind study, Washington State University scientists examined how peoples' self-reported levels of stress, anxiety and depression were affected by smoking different strains and quantities of cannabis at home.

20 Apr 2018

FDA approves marijuana based medication for epilepsy treatment

An advisory panel from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended the approval of a novel epilepsy drug that is made up of ingredients from marijuana. The agency normally follows the recommendations of the advisory panels regarding approvals and rejections of applications of new drugs. The recommendation statement came yesterday (19th April 2018).

19 Apr 2018

Health Canada grants cannabis cultivation license to High Park Farms

High Park Farms, an affiliate of High Park Company ("High Park"), announced today that it has received a federal license from Health Canada to cultivate cannabis under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR).

19 Apr 2018

Frequent cannabis use by young people linked to small reductions in cognitive function

Frequent cannabis use by adolescents and young adults was associated with small reductions in cognitive function that appeared to diminish with abstinence over time.

18 Apr 2018

People who use medical marijuana have higher rates of prescription drug use, study finds

Can medical marijuana help to fight the opioid epidemic? Many believe that it can. But a new study finds that people who use medical marijuana actually have higher rates of medical and non-medical prescription drug use--including pain relievers.

18 Apr 2018

AASM position statement: Medical cannabis not be used for treatment of sleep apnea

Medical cannabis and synthetic marijuana extracts should not be used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

16 Apr 2018

Cannabis use linked to increased initiation of cigarette smoking among non-smokers

While cigarette smoking has long been on the decline, marijuana use is on the rise and, disproportionately, marijuana users also smoke cigarettes. A new study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the City University of New York reports that cannabis use was associated with an increased initiation of cigarette smoking among non-cigarette smokers.

27 Mar 2018

Non-psychoactive cannabis ingredient could reduce risk of relapse among recovering addicts

A preclinical study in rats has shown that there might be value in using a non-psychoactive and non-addictive ingredient of the Cannabis sativa plant to reduce the risk of relapse among recovering drug and alcohol addicts.

23 Mar 2018

Pittcon 2018 ends in Orlando with $23 million economic impact

Pittcon 2018, the 69th Conference and Exposition for Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, ended on March 1, in Orlando, Florida with an economic impact to the city estimated at $23 million. This global event brought together approximately 11,415 conferees and exhibitor personnel (official numbers to be released at the end of March).

From Pittcon 23 Mar 2018

Are there risks from secondhand marijuana smoke? Early science says yes.

The inspiration arrived in a haze at a Paul McCartney concert a few years ago in San Francisco. “People in front of me started lighting up and then other people started lighting up,” said Matthew Springer, a biologist and professor in the division of cardiology at the University of California-San Francisco. “And for a few naive split seconds I was thinking to myself, ‘Hey, they can’t smoke in AT&T Park! I’m sure that’s not allowed.’ And then I realized that it was all marijuana.”

21 Mar 2018

Special issue aims to bring medical cannabis into mainstream medicine

Medicinal cannabis is safe and effective in pain relief, and researchers are calling for the treatment to be properly established in our modern medical arsenal.

15 Mar 2018