- Details
- Hits: 1318
Researchers from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath (UK) have systematically analyzed the relationship between the types of cannabis people use and their addiction and mental health problems. Their work draws on 20 studies involving almost 120,000 people.
After alcohol and nicotine, cannabis is the most widely used drug globally. The latest estimates from the UK suggest that over the last year, around one in five individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 had used cannabis.
The new study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, suggests that people who use high-potency cannabis are more likely to experience addiction than those using low-potency products. It also suggests that people using high-potency cannabis are more likely to experience a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.
These findings may help to explain why more people have received treatment for cannabis problems over recent years. Data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction show a 76% increase in people entering treatment for cannabis addiction in the past decade.
Lead author Kat Petrilli, from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology, explained, "Our systematic review found that people who use higher-potency cannabis could be at increased risk of addiction as well as psychosis when compared to people who use cannabis products with lower potencies.
"These results are important in the context of harm reduction, which aims to minimize the negative consequences associated with drug use. While the safest level of use for cannabis is of course 'no use,' it is important to acknowledge that a significant number of people across the world use cannabis regularly, and to ensure they can make informed decisions that could reduce any possible harms associated with it."
Further Reading
- All Young Cannabis Users Face Psychosis Risk.
- Mulling up Cannabis and psychosis – Lancet Warning on Cannabis and Psychosis
- C.I.P #CannabisInducedPsychosis - Prominent, Growing & Devastating
- State Empowered Cannabis Induced Psychosis – What Legalizing Weed Does to Public Mental Health
- Cannabis & Psychosis - Irrefutable
- Cannabis and Psychosis Through the Lens of DSM-5
- Details
- Hits: 1250
By Damian McNamara, MA July 25, 2022
Cannabidiol (CBD) products made from hemp have gotten more popular in recent years. But how much can you trust what the label says, compared to what really is in CBD patches, creams, and lotions?
A team of investigators decided to find out. They bought 105 hemp-derived CBD topicals – products designed to be applied to the skin – from physical stores and online sites.
Of the 89 labels that list the amount of CBD, for example, 24% matched what was inside; 58% of the products had more CBD; and the remaining 18% contained less.
Also, more than a third – 35% – of the topicals tested contained delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), including some that claimed to be THC-free.
THC is the compound in marijuana associated with "getting high." But hemp products are allowed to contain 0.3% or less THC, and all the products in this study met the regulation.
People should "be wary of cannabinoid products available in retail stores. The products may not contain the amounts of CBD or THC that are advertised," says lead study author Tory R. Spindle, PhD.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open on July 20.
Can Be Deceiving
CBD topicals are over-the-counter (OTC) products, so the FDA does not regulate them the same way as prescription medications. But at the same time, the agency does not allow OTC products to make claims about health benefits.
"The health claims made on the products, which are often very pricey, may not be supported by clinical research," says Spindle, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Cannabis Science Laboratory in Baltimore.
He and colleagues found 28% of the 105 products made a therapeutic claim, mostly about helping ease pain and inflammation. And 14% claimed to help improve skin quality or appearance.
"This study really highlights that current regulatory oversight of cannabinoid products is not sufficient," says Spindle, who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
More hemp-derived CBD products are showing up on store shelves and online because of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act. This act, more commonly known as the Farm Bill, removed hemp and hemp products from the U.S. controlled substances list…
For JAMA Research Cannabinoid Content and Label Accuracy of Hemp-Derived Topical Products Available Online and at National Retail Stores JAMA Network Open
- Details
- Hits: 1093
Genetic impact of cannabis on in utero life and subsequent generational harms. Of major concern is the rising Community Cannabis Exposure (CCE) impacting exponential cannabinoid genotoxic dose-response relationships. CCE should be carefully restricted to protect the food chain, the genome, and the epigenome of coming generations
- Details
- Hits: 1229
“Our research demonstrates that cannabis use in the general population is associated with heightened risk of clinically serious negative outcomes, specifically, needing to present to the ED [emergency department] or be admitted to hospital,”
- Cannabis users were 22 percent more likely than those who don’t use to land in the emergency room or become hospitalized for any reason, suggesting use of the drug may be associated with negative health outcomes.
- Bodily injury was the top reason for emergency department visits and hospitalizations among marijuana users, while respiratory issues came in second.
- While recreational marijuana is still illegal in the U.S. under federal law, at least 19 states have passed legislation to allow sales of the drug.
- Details
- Hits: 1396
With the effect of cannabis on some of the parameters being studied for the first time in this study, the researchers discovered that cannabis had a detrimental effect on all of the visual parameters they assessed.
Another study that investigated the effects of smoking cannabis on vision and driving performance also found that the visual effects of cannabis could impact driving performance, jeopardizing driving safety. Overall, it appears that information and awareness initiatives are critical for reducing the prevalence of cannabis-impaired driving.
Source: It's official. Smoking cannabis substantially alters the way you see (interestingengineering.com)
- Delta 8 THC Causing Cancer – Epidemiology of Δ8THC-Related Carcinogenesis in USA
- Is Cannabis the New Thalidomide? Cannabis use and Limb Reduction now clinically associated
- Is Cannabis Legalization Increasing Birth Defects and Cancers?
- Association of Comorbid Behavioral and Medical Conditions With Cannabis Use Disorder in Pregnancy