🌟 #ThisWeek 🌟

(#hashtags for jumping to articles by searching for them with your browser)

• Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain & chronic pain

• Vape Week! (hint: increase your THC vape potency by adding CBD)

• Hormone levels altered by cannabinoids (#hormones)

• Reproductive harms: prenatal cannabis use linked to birth defects, preterm delivery, NICU admission & decreased fertility

• Less metabolic diseases in cannabis users (#metabolism)

• Preclinical: CBD for menopausal hot flashes + CBD & THC for traumatic brain injuries

• War on Drugs: more (abhorrent) boat strikes + analysis of Mexico’s ‘kingpin’ strategy

• Psychedelics: Shipibo ayahuasca retreats linked to long-term benefits

[numbers for C&P#186: ~7k words, ~18 minutes reading time, 154 papers]

📌 Editor’s notes 📌:
Female Health:
On LinkedIn, I started a group called ‘Canna-Female Health Club’. I’m going to post everything related to female health or gendered responses to cannabinoids there. Plus, for the strong human studies, I’ll post them publicly on LinkedIn, with everyone tagged, for greater visibility. If anyone wants to join the LinkedIn group chat, just send me a DM on my LinkedIn.

Greetings!
Hello to all the new subscribers. The Substack app appears to be featuring me somewhere, because the flood continues. As always, if anyone needs the data on cannabinoids for any medical conditions, shoot me a message & I’ll send my archives on any of these topics.

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 186^th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news + the War on Drugs, harm reduction & other psychoactives. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.

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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

For fibromyalgia, a meta-analysis of 12 clinical studies found cannabinoids reduced pain intensity & were linked to significant improvements in sleep quality, anxiety, depression & quality of life
Analgesic Effect of Cannabinoids for Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42013320/

In people with chronic pain, medical cannabis caused a 65% reduction in the use of opioids with an increase in physical functioning scores
Medical Cannabis as an Opiate Alternative: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/432327/20260417-149789-1jln6n.pdf

In 2 people with chronic neuropathic pain, case studies of 1:1 THC:CBD reducing pain intensity, lowering painkilling medications & improving multiple areas of health-related quality of life, especially social functioning & perceived health
Integrating Oral THC:CBD Into Chronic Neuropathic Pain Management in Primary Care: A Two-Patient Observational Case Series
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

In children with rare epilepsy disorders, CBD improved seizures (sometimes greatly) as well as sleep, behavior & attention
Real-world effectiveness of highly purified cannabidiol in epilepsy associated with 15q11.2-q13.1 duplication and deletion syndromes: A multicenter study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41992447/
And in children with developmental & epileptic encephalopathies (severe, early-onset brain disorders), CBD isolate reduced seizures & was well-tolerated
Real-world effectiveness and tolerability of highly purified cannabidiol in patients with monogenic developmental and epileptic encephalopathies with highly active epilepsy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525505026001575

In the hormones of people given high levels of CBD (1500 mg/day for 3.5 days), cortisol & corticosterone levels increased consistently, the precursor steroid 21-OH-progesterone decreased & testosterone levels rose in male subjects (#hormones)
Steroid Hormone Changes After Short-term High-Dose Exposure to Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects: An Exploratory Study
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000552140/4530347/000552140.pdf
And in the steroids of young men, cannabis users had higher levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone & androstenedione, suggesting direct effects on the testes or disruption of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis
Cannabis consumption is associated with altered steroid metabolism in young men
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01469-x

In midlife women with menopause, a survey found that cannabis use was higher in those with mood swings, irritability, anxiety & depression, but also higher odds of cannabis use disorder
Menopause Symptoms and Cannabis Use in a Nationally Representative Sample of Midlife Women
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/greenjournal/abstract/10.1097/aog.0000000000006268.23~menopause-symptoms-and-cannabis-use-in-a-nationally

For metabolic diseases, cannabis use was associated with modestly lower risks of metabolic diseases, hypertension, type 2 diabetes & obesity, especially among people with a lower body-mass index (#metabolism)
Association between Cannabis use and risk of Metabolic disease in UK Biobank
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939475326002243

For US trends of parental cannabis use & cannabis use disorder, 8% of parents living with children use cannabis on most days & 6% met the criteria for cannabis use disorder
Trends in Daily Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among Parents in the U.S., 2012-2024
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr1151930

Vapes

In a Canadian survey of cannabis vaping, use increased since 2020, especially among youth
Exploring Age and Sex Differences in the Use of Cannabis Vaping Products: Results From the Canadian Cannabis Survey 2020–2023
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/dar.70155

When vaping THC, adding CBD increased the THC blood levels
Plasma cannabinoid pharmacokinetics following the inhalation of vaporised cannabis with and without cannabidiol
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626001419

In lung cells, cannabis vapor activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptors & altered transcriptional responses related to cancer signaling
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor orchestrates transcriptomic, non-coding and splicing programs that drive human lung epithelial responses to vaporized cannabis in vitro
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-026-04362-7

In young adults, on the effects of their exposures to vaping ads & warnings
Perceptions of Cannabis Vaping Advertising Messages and Warnings Among US Young Adults
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342261429618

📑 Reviews 📑

On CBD, 2 experts on both its potential as a therapeutic agent & its limits, risks & misapplications
Cannabidiol at the crossroads: panacea, placebo, or problem?
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-026-02415-0

On the emotional brain, a new book about the cannabinoids’ effects on emotion, memory & motivation
Cannabinoid Modulation of Emotion, Memory, and Motivation
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4939-2294-9

For the benefits of cannabis on sleep, this review of 20 studies found that it was more effective in people with anxiety or depression
Joint Relations Among Cannabis, Sleep, and Affective Symptomatology: A Scoping Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-026-00735-1

For aging, a review on the importance of dosing THC & CBD
Navigating Dose-Effect Complexities and Challenges in Cannabinoid Therapy for Aging-Related Neurobiological Changes
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1794928/abstract

In neurology, a review on the use of CBD
Cannabidiol in Neurology: Current Insights and Translational Perspectives
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41754870/

For central nervous system disorders, a review of cannabinoids with a focus on redox tone, glial state programs, circuit stability & autophagy (cellular recycling) or unfolded protein response signaling
Phytocannabinoids in Central Nervous System Disorders and Frameworks for Cellular Stress Adaptation: A Comprehensive Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44424-026-00052-4

On Alzheimer’s disease (sometimes referred to as type-3 diabetes), a review on the paradox of how the CB1 receptor is essential for normal energy homeostasis but can become a pathological driver & conditions of chronic metabolic access
The Neuro-Metabolic Epidemic and the CB1R Paradox
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471489226000275

On oleoylethanolamide (the endocannabinoid of satiation) for alcohol use disorder, a review of its mechanisms of action
Molecular targets of oleoylethanolamide in the pathogenesis of alcohol use disorder: Mechanisms of central and peripheral action
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0741832926001916

For endometriosis, a review of the preclinical evidence found cannabinoids reduced pain via lowering the release of inflammatory mediators, inhibiting signals of the nociceptors (pain receptors), modulation of neuroinflammation & on the lesions themselves, anti-proliferation & apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Insights Into the Role of Cannabinoids in the Management of Endometriosis-Associated Pain
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/greenjournal/abstract/10.1097/aog.0000000000006265.28~insights-into-the-role-of-cannabinoids-in-the-management-of

For wound healing, a review of hydrogels loaded with CBD
Cannabidiol-Loaded Smart Hydrogels for Advanced Wound Healing: Drug Delivery Innovations and Therapeutic Perspectives
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42003194/

In mesenchymal stem cells (multipotent adult stem cells), a review on the benefits of cannabinoids for priming (activating) & differentiation (transformation to a specific cell type)
Phytocannabinoid-induced priming and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells: Therapeutic potential
https://www.wjgnet.com/1948-0210/full/v18/i4/116829.htm

For schizophrenia, a review of targeting the CB1 receptor
Envisioning Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Biased Signaling as a Therapeutic Target for Schizophrenia
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.20250886

For cannabinoids & pain, a review of their effects on the sodium channels
Electrophysiological modulation of pain-related sodium channels by cannabinoids: a systematic review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00436-6

For the gut-liver axis, a review of the potential benefits of CBD
Cannabidiol as a Modulator of the Gut-Liver Axis: Clinical and Pharmacological Insights into Hepatic and Metabolic Disorder Therapies
https://europepmc.org/article/med/41935387

In cancer & diabetes, a review on the effects of terpenoids
Exploring Terpenoids as Dual-Action Agents in Diabetes and Cancer: A Review of Their Anti-Hyperglycemic, Anti-Glycolytic Actions, and Combination Therapy Potential
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41988874/

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

For atrial septal birth defects, public health data showed higher rates in states with legal cannabis
Space-Time Analysis of Burgeoning US Atrial Septal Defect Rates Driven by Cannabis
https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/16/2/68
This is another piece in a birth defects series by Reece & Hulse & here, they suggest “data show that cannabis, including cannabis legalization, is driving the US ASD [atrial septal defect] epidemic”

For pediatric exposure to THC & hemp-derived cannabinoid, the National Poison Data System reported that hemp-derived cannabinoids had a greater association with respiratory depression, low blood pressure & critical care admission
Pediatric Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid and Δ9-THC Exposures: A National Poison Data Study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347626001411

In people who used cannabis during pregnancy, they had higher rates of preterm delivery, NICU admission & low birth weight
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Effect on Maternal and Fetal Health Outcomes: A Retrospective Chart Review
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/greenjournal/abstract/10.1097/aog.0000000000006268.08~cannabis-use-during-pregnancy-and-effect-on-maternal-and
And in female rats, cannabis prolonged their dioestrous phase (longest phase of cycle where the uterus prepares for a potential pregnancy) & significantly reduced implantation sites, especially with alcohol extracts
Impact of Cannabis sativa on Reproductive Cycling and Fertility Success in Female Albino Rats: A Functional Study
https://hal.science/hal-05596062/

In people with first-episode psychosis, practitioners reported that cannabis users had higher positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech & disorganized behavior)
The Impact of Co-occurring Cannabis Use Disorder on Treatment Outcomes in First-Episode Psychosis: A Mixed- Methods Survey of Mental Health Practitioners
https://metroworks.metrostate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040&context=student-scholarship

In people with cannabis use disorder, they had higher odds of suicidal ideation
Cannabis Use Disorder and Suicidal Ideation in the United States: Persistent Risk and Stable Trends, 2014–2023
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00481

In a young person using CBD for neuropathic pain, a case report of escalating use (400 mg/day) associated with severe mania (irritability, reduced need for sleep, pressured speech, grandiose ideas, heightened activity & aggression)
Mania in a patient using cannabidiol for neuropathic pain
https://journals.lww.com/inpj/fulltext/9900/mania_in_a_patient_using_cannabidiol_for.156.aspx

A case report of a young man with bladder incontinence that resolved after abstinence from his heavy cannabis use
Reversible detrusor acontractility associated with heavy cannabis use: A case report
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214442026001142

For the adolescent use of cannabis, a review found that memory-related impairments were the most consistent findings & that neurocognitive differences detected more in adolescent samples than in young adult samples, with differences between studies in the Americas & Europe
Neuropsychological Effects of Cannabis Use by Continent and Age: A Systematic Review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1728743/abstract

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In chickens exposed to avian infectious bronchitis virus (a coronavirus), CBD suppressed viral replication & markedly alleviated clinical symptoms
Inhibitory effect of cannabidiol on infectious bronchitis virus in chickens in vitro and in vivo
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00203-026-04886-7

In a rat model of menopause, CBD completely prevented hot flashes but did not alter uterine atrophy
Cannabidiol Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Thermoregulatory Dysfunction in Rats: A Preclinical Study on Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2998/5/2/26

In a rat model of traumatic brain injury, an analysis found both CBD & THC were required for restored learning & memory as well as neuroprotection, with the superior dose ratio being CBD:THC at 300:1 to 10:1
The cannabidiol (CBD): Tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) concentration ratio is critical for neuroprotection and recovery following traumatic brain injury
https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/272536/1-s2.0-S0014488626X20039/1-s2.0-S0014488626001196/main.pdf

In a rat model of traumatic brain injury, after one hit, the males had significantly more changes in their endocannabinoid precursors eicosapentaenoic acid & docosapentaenoic acid than females, but females had greater changes after an additional head injury on the following day, suggesting that these endolipids are protective
Sex differences in plasma levels of endocannabinoids and related lipids before and after single and repeated mTBI: an exploratory examination for acute endolipid plasma biomarkers
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2026.1707732/abstract

In a mouse model of diabetes, hemp seed hull–derived cannabisins A, B & F suppressed sugar spikes after eating
Early-stage antidiabetic potential of hemp seed hull-derived Cannabisins A, B, and F: Integrated computational and experimental evidence for intestinal α-glucosidase inhibition and incretin modulation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S075333222600435X

In bacteria resistant to treatment, the combination of silver, CBC & CBG caused antibacterial activity & lowered the formation of biofilms (slimy aggregations that resist treatment)
Broad-spectrum bactericidal synergy of silver-cannabichromene-cannabigerol triple combinations against healthcare-associated pathogens
https://watermark02.silverchair.com/lxag092.pdf

For the forever chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its bone loss effects were linked to reduced levels of the CB1 & CB2 receptor
PFOA effects on osteoblast differentiation: Involvement of oxidative stress and endocannabinoid receptors
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648026000596

On the prenylated flavonoids of cannabis & their anti-inflammatory effects
Prenylated apigenin derivatives from Cannabis sativa L.: isolation, biosynthesis, and anti-inflammatory properties
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00438-4

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

For the effects of rarely used drugs on predicting arrest, PCP was strongly associated with violent offending but mixed findings for the psychedelics
Substance use predictors of arrest and self-reported criminal behavior in the United States: The role of psychedelics and rarely used drugs
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02698811261436577

Lex’s roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

The new US National Drug Control Strategy report contains concerns about increased youth cannabis use amidst commercialization & link to psychosis & CUD
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/white-house-raises-alarm-about-high-potency-marijuana-and-its-marketing-in-new-national-drug-strategy/
Relatedly, here’s the winners of the ‘Youth THC Prevention Video PSA Contest’
https://www.justthinktwice.gov/media/check-out-winners-youth-thc-prevention-video-psa-contest

The DEA defines HHC as Schedule I
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dea-clarifies-that-the-synthetic-cannabis-compound-hhc-is-federally-banned-and-doesnt-count-as-legal-hemp/

🌐 International Updates 🌐

An analysis of Europe’s medical cannabis laws & their ambiguities
Prescribed Ambiguity: Medical Cannabis in Europe
https://narkotikapolitisktcenter.se/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NPC_rapport_mc_ny-1.pdf

In Mauritius, a technical committee formed to examine the various options related to cannabis, ranging from decriminalization to regulated legalization
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/breakthrough-in-mauritius-as-govt-looks-at-legalization-options-and-calls-for-public-input

A loving history of cannabis in Madagascar
https://stephaniewriter.substack.com/p/the-early-history-of-cannabis-in

A despairing history of the Canadian cannabis industry
https://wtfcanada.substack.com/p/the-canadian-cannabis-industry-is

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

In an analysis of mental health & labor markets, adult-use cannabis laws were linked to young adults reporting more poor mental health days, less exercise & more long-term unemployment while adults over 50 report less joint pain, more exercise & more income gains
Asymmetric Effects of Recreational Marijuana Laws on Mental Health and Labor Markets
https://jonathan-norris.github.io/files/rml_paper_draft.pdf

On Nabis, a California success story in the business of cannabis fulfillment
https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/nabis-california-cannabis-distributor-22192035.php

In US public health data, medical cannabis laws were associated with a 2% greater rate of cannabis use & a small increased rate of cannabis use disorder (0.3%) & driving under the influence of cannabis (0.4%)
Medical Cannabis Legalization and its Association with Cannabis use, Cannabis use Disorder, and Intoxicated Driving: Findings from the National Survey on Drug use and Health, 2016-2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10597-026-01626-5

As states legalize, on how consumers transition between illicit & legal cannabis
How Consumers Transition Between Illicit and Legal Cannabis Markets in Early Legalization Periods? Evidence from a National Panel with a Recent Policy Shock
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9381647/v1_covered_40c96d7d-ad38-48cb-8a8d-f6c3160de9bf.pdf

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

On May 4, another US strike in the Caribbean on a suspected drug vessel killed 2 people
https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-kills-2-suspected-drug-traffickers-boat-strike
And another one in the eastern Pacific killed 3 people
https://www.foxnews.com/world/three-suspected-narco-terrorists-killed-us-military-strike-drug-trafficking-vessel-eastern-pacific
And on how Trump’s boat strikes aren’t actually stopping the flow of drugs & the human rights horror show of murdering low-level laborers in the drug trade
https://theintercept.com/2026/05/04/trump-boat-strikes-fentanyl-cocaine-drug-supply/
““These are extrajudicial executions, or even just murders — something similar to a cop shooting a fleeing suspect in the back when there is no self-defense justification,” said Adam Isacson, the director for defense oversight at Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights group. He called the growing death toll “a gross human rights violation.””

And here’s a timeline & map of the strikes by Insight Crime
https://insightcrime.org/news/timeline-us-strikes-against-alleged-drug-boats/

The Secretary of State announced visa bans on 75 family members & associates tied to the Sinaloa cartel
https://www.aol.com/narco-terrorist-family-members-targeted-174726376.html

On the global failures of drug prohibition, a new book with human rights-centered alternatives
Criminal Drug Policy: From Prohibition to Regulation
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-14702-8

In Mexico, on a history of how the “kingpin strategy has created leadership vacuums, generating the atomization of Mexico’s criminal landscape and more than 100 horizontally integrated networks that operate in nearly every corner of the country”
https://insightcrime.org/news/is-mexico-running-out-of-kingpins/

On the US War on Drugs, an Algerian study concluded that enforcement produced only short-term reductions in drug use, while prevention, treatment & harm reduction measures were more cost-effective
An Anatomy of a Successful Strategy for Objective Fulfillment: The Case of the U.S. War on Drugs
https://asjp.cerist.dz/en/article/290564

For Vietnam & China, an analysis of their cross-border drug trafficking
Cross-border drug trafficking between Vietnam and China: asymmetries, opportunities, and regulatory responses
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43545-026-01445-1

‘Just How Many Kilos of Contraband Cannabis can a [Toyota] Quantum Carry?’
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/just-how-many-kilos-of-contraband-cannabis-can-a-quantum-carry
Apparently, an impressive 1,025 kg.

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

In Vancouver, the mayor is pushing an “urgent” motion to block an overdose prevention site
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/05/05/vancouver-proposed-overdose-prevention-site-mayor-motion/

In Winnipeg, a moving account of the drug overdose crisis & the importance of harm reduction
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/05/07/the-thousand-yard-stares-of-winnipegs-drug-crisis

Harm Reduction Research

In Indigenous communities, a review of their harm reduction approaches
Harm reduction approaches within Indigenous communities across Turtle Island: A scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-026-01434-w

For syringe services programs, on how legal restrictions like local authorization & a “one for one” exchange model impair public health
Syringe Services Program Legal Restrictions Are Counter to Public Health and the Experience of People Who Use Drugs
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/43E3C1F44176A5F302F5029C77AAE9EA/S1073110526102332a.pdf/syringe_services_program_legal_restrictions_are_counter_to_public_health_and_the_experience_of_people_who_use_drugs.pdf

For syringe service programs in the US, a map found limited availability, especially for walking & in rural areas
A geospatial analysis of access to syringe services programs in the United States, 2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626001493

In providing medication for opioid use disorder in jails, on the barriers & facilitators to implementation
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Jail Settings: Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/26320770261441800

Lessons on installing naloxone vending machines in rural communities
Distributing intranasal naloxone in rural communities: Implementation of a novel approach
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26320770261434033

For harm reduction vending machines, an analysis of social media discussions on them
Harm reduction vending machines in the digital sphere: Social media discourse, misinformation, and health promotion implications
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10550887.2026.2658657

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

Gabon declared iboga & ibogaine to be part of the country’s national strategic heritage & created a sovereign fund to developing it
https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-finances/0505-55250-gabon-creates-sovereign-fund-to-control-and-develop-iboga-industry

On the birth of psychedelic harm reduction & the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/david-e-smith-on-the-haight-free

Psychedelics & MDMA

For Shipibo-led ayahuasca retreats at the Temple of the Way of Light in the Peruvian Amazon, follow-up studies found quality of life improvements across all measured domains, primarily in spiritual well-being, mental health & personal growth
Symmetrical Global Mental Health (Sym-GMH): Ayahuasca and shipibo traditional medicine for lasting changes in personality and quality of life
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484826000111

For Oregon’s psilocybin services, an analysis of licensing, manufacturing rules, labeling guidelines & pricing information
Oregon’s Psilocybin Services: A Summary and Public Health Commentary
https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1377&context=hbr

On psilocybin for depression, a meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials found no statistically significant overall antidepressant effect
The efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder: a meta-analytic review of clinical outcomes
https://www.mental-wellness-journal.net/mw/article/view/40

In older adults, a review on psilocybin for mental health & neurodegenerative disorders
Psilocybin in Older Adults: Therapeutic Opportunities in Inflammation-Driven Disorders of Aging—From Depression to Neurodegeneration
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/4eacc0678ac8fe46d3aeecb9393ece49/download_pub

On psychedelics for autism, a review of the studies
Psychedelics and Autism Therapy: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions
https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/48/4/417

For female rats in estrus, psilocybin increased anxiety-like behavior in any stage of their cycle, but for those in estrus, both psilocybin & norbaeocystin (a psilocybin analog aka 4-phosphoryloxytryptamine (4-PO-T)) lessened their startle response to a stimulus more quickly, suggesting norbaeocystin for reducing symptoms of hyperarousal
Role of estrus in the acute anxiogenic effects of psilocybin and the related tryptamine, norbaeocystin
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/4/

Ketamine

For youth using ketamine, interviews on the life transitions & accessibility that shape their use
Understanding ketamine use in Blackpool: A qualitative study of life transitions and social contexts
https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/PHIJ/article/view/3561

In people with bipolar disorder, intravenous ketamine produced significant & sustained antidepressant effects
Faster and greater antidepressant response to intravenous ketamine in bipolar compared with unipolar treatment-resistant depression: Diagnostic and sex-related findings from a naturalistic study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178126002453

In children with psychiatric conditions, a review on the use of ketamine
Use of Ketamine and Esketamine in the Pediatric Population: Current Evidence and Clinical Applications
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.focus.20250040

When using ketamine for mood & anxiety disorders, a review of the potential liver toxicity
Evaluating the potential risk of ketamine-induced hepatotoxicity in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders: A systematic review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834326000769

For obsessive-compulsive disorder, a review of 21 studies on ketamine & esketamine
Ketamine and Esketamine in Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: A Scoping Review of Clinical and Mechanistic Evidence
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/19/4/628

In people with treatment-resistant depression, a review of ketamine
Ketamine or Esketamine in Special Populations of Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression
https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc13064306

For ketamine versus electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression, a review on time to relapse found ECT potentially causing longer remission
Comparison of average time-to-relapse following ECT versus ketamine – A systematic review
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02698811261430502

Kratom

In people with opioid use disorder & kratom use, their rates of serious mental illness more than doubled over a three-year period
Co-occurring substance use disorders and the compounding effect of kratom on serious mental illness, US, 2021–2023
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00952990.2026.2646242

For people who use drugs in Malaysia, on how they view kratom as a harm reduction tool
The perceive utility of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) as a harm reduction agent among people who use drugs (PWUDs) in Malaysia
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14659891.2026.2658809

In states that had bans on kratom, they had slower increases to their kratom reports to poison centers
Association between state-level kratom regulations and poison center-reported severe medical outcomes and healthcare use: A United States national analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42015466/

For analyzing the interstate commerce of kratom brands, these researchers called 600+ stores
Kratom Brands in Vape Shops Across the US
https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1350&context=hbr

On the molecular & epigenetic effects of kratom, a review of 20 studies
Decoding kratom: molecular mechanisms and epigenetic factors in use and dependence
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04022-5_reference.pdf

Cathinones

A fatal case report of metaphedrone (3-MMC)
Toxicological and forensic aspects of a fatal 3-methylmethcathinone intoxication: A case report
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X26000831

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

🌱 Growing 🌱

For hemp under drought conditions, on optimizing fertilization for yield
Optimizing hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) physiology and cannabidiol content through integrated chemical and bio-nitrogen fertilization under drought
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03650340.2026.2657117

For micropropagation, development of a novel medium for improved explant performance
Biotecnologie e Genomica Funzionale per il Miglioramento Genetico di Cannabis sativa L.: dai Sistemi In vitro alla Mutagenesi per la Validazione Funzionale dei Geni
https://tesidottorato.depositolegale.it/handle/20.500.14242/364448

In cannabis infected with hop latent viroid, it was more susceptible to infection by Fusarium & powdery mildew
Hop latent viroid-infected cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) plants show enhanced susceptibility to Fusarium root and stem rot and powdery mildew infection
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07060661.2026.2649769

On the effects of cannabis extracts on parasitic nematodes & cannabinoid & terpene profiles
Cannabis flower crude extracts as belowground infochemicals shaping the chemotactic responses of parasitic nematodes
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-49877-2_reference.pdf

For 2 drug-type cannabis chemotypes, a transcriptional analysis
Transcriptome assemblies for two drug‐type cannabis chemotypes by long‐read RNA sequencing
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tpg2.70240

For synthesis of THCV, a computational mapping of the involved metabolic networks
THCV Biosynthesis Pathway Identification: Computational Validation of Novel Candidate Genes
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403809172_THCV_Biosynthesis_Pathway_Identification_Computational_Validation_of_Novel_Candidate_Genes

For the flowering of cannabis, a thesis project genetically analyzing the traits in different environments
Genetic analysis of Cannabis flowering traits in differential environments
https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/86bd6a18-b25f-492f-a31d-1d6c618676b1/content

In hemp’s BES1 transcription factor family, a genetic analysis of its regulation of the alkali stress response
Genome-wide identification and functional dissection of the BES1 family reveals key regulators of alkali stress response in hemp
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1819515/full

Upon infection by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, on the genetic & cellular response of cannabis
Dual RNA sequencing reveals the transcriptomic and cellular response of Cannabis sativa to infection by the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-47998-2_reference.pdf

For the fungal pathogen Golovinomyces ambrosiae, a genetic analysis
Hybrid genome assembly of the cannabis powdery mildew agent Golovinomyces ambrosiae uncovers important resources for deciphering virulence factors
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9162455/v1

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

For measuring cannabinoid levels, on the challenges of cannabis-based products
Analytical challenges in cannabinoid quantification of cannabis based products
https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145539

On quantifying THC & CBD using dielectric barrier discharge ionization
Direct Chromatography-Free Quantification of THC and CBD in Cannabis by CID and EI-Like Fragmentation Enabled by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization
https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15002048/v1

In face cream, on quantifying CBC levels with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet detection
Quantification of Cannabichromene In Hemp-Infused Face Cream Using Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography With Ultraviolet Detection
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393985640_Quantification_of_Cannabichromene_In_Hemp-Infused_Face_Cream_Using_Ultrahigh-Performance_Liquid_Chromatography_With_Ultraviolet_Detection

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

In online sentiment about cannabis-infused foods in the Netherlands, text mining found predominantly positive sentiment, but concerns on dosage, first-time experiences & panic responses
Going to space with transformers: a RoBERTa- and BERTopic-powered exploration of sentiment and themes in cannabis-infused food and beverage discourse in the Netherlands
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10548408.2026.2639330

On improving prebiotic functionality with a conjugate of hemp protein & chito-oligosaccharides
Hemp protein functional properties, amino acid profile, and growth promotion of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum via ultrasound-induced Maillard reaction with Chito-oligosaccharides
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814626014573

For ruminant feed, hemp hulls caused cannabinoids to be detected in animal by-products, suggesting the need for a withdrawal feeding period
Evaluation of hemp hulls and screenings as alternative feed ingredients for ruminants
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjas-2025-0117

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

On burning sewage sludge with oak bark & hemp hurd for enhanced biochar properties
Co-pyrolysis of municipal sewage sludge with oak bark and hemp hurd to tailor biochar stability, carbon sequestration and heavy metal immobilization
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X2600190X

On the potential of using hemp degumming waste liquid as a source of carbon for bacterial cellulose fermentation
From Hemp Degumming Waste Liquid to a Functional Carbon Source: Bacterial Cellulose Composites with Sustained Release
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00222348.2026.2656191

For a protein emulsion gel, on combining resveratrol with soybean protein isolate & hemp protein isolate
Structural properties, rheological characteristics, and drug delivery efficiency of resveratrol-loaded soybean protein isolate and hemp protein isolate emulsion gels: Synergistic effects of carboxymethyl cellulose incorporation and ultrasound treatment
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590157526003986

For storing pork, on a hemp seed protein-based film
Hemp Seed Protein-Based Emulsion Films Containing Propolis Flavonoids: Enhanced Physicochemical Properties and Preservation of Chilled Pork
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/4/489

For biodegradable packaging film, on combining polyvinyl alcohol with microcrystalline cellulose from hemp waste
Hydrophobic Polyvinyl Alcohol and Microcrystalline Cellulose From Hemp Waste Composite Films by Using Alkyl Ketene Dimer Wax for Packaging Applications
https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pen.70535

On creating microfibrillated cellulose from hemp hurds for packaging materials
Carboxymethyl and dialdehyde microfibrillated cellulose from hemp hurds: Role of fibrillation energy in chemical reactivity and functional properties
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352940726001526

In foams, testing their stability with hemp proteins & hemp protein-pectin complexes
Correlating surface rheology with bulk rheology in foams stabilized by hemp proteins and hemp protein-pectin complexes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021979726007411

For the deformation of a hemp biopolymer, on creating a micromechanical model for testing
A Compact Micromechanical Model for the Elastic-Viscoplastic Deformability of PLA-Hemp Biocomposites
https://www.scientific.net/SSP.390.197.pdf

For analyzing the water absorption properties of building materials, a test for concrete & hemp concrete
Development of an inverse method for identifying the hygric properties of hysteretic building materials: Application on cellular concrete and hemp-concrete
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710226009228

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

For CBD, an Iranian review of its targets & therapeutic effects
Cannabidiol: Pharmaceutical formulations and biomedical applications
https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_27439_10f104cb197570bd7b4127799188c374.pdf

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

For cannabis use among BIPOC women during COVID, they had lower rates of using cannabis to manage chronic health conditions
Cannabis Use and Mental Health Coping Behavior among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the COVID-19 Cannabis Health Study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-026-02937-9
And on the Queer use of cannabis during COVID
Exploring How Cannabis Use Featured in the Mental Health Experiences and Daily Lives of Queer, Non-Binary, and Trans Youth in the Early Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study in Canada
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00918369.2026.2654058

For people detecting cannabis intoxication, they found it much more difficult than detecting alcohol intoxication
What Cues Do Laypeople Use to Detect Alcohol and Cannabis Intoxication?
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13096672/

On cannabis consumption & the fading affect bias (the faster fading of unpleasant than pleasant affect)
Marijuana Consumption and Reactivity Are Positively Associated with the Fading Affect Bias for Marijuana Events in Person and Online
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403996843_Marijuana_Consumption_and_Reactivity_Are_Positively_Associated_with_the_Fading_Affect_Bias_for_Marijuana_Events_in_Person_and_Online

For tobacco & cannabis use, on the interactions of smoking versus vaping each substance
A cross-sectional analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to determine if tobacco and cannabis methods of administration are likely to be consistent across products
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12931-026-03638-x

During storage of plasma samples in gel separation tubes, on how the cannabinoids get absorbed by the tubes
Adsorption of Tetrahydrocannabinol, Metabolites, and Related Compounds During Storage of Plasma Samples in Gel Separation Tubes
https://www.ovid.com/journals/joat/abstract/10.1093/jat/bkag001~adsorption-of-tetrahydrocannabinol-metabolites-and-related
“Over a three-month period, concentrations in PSTs [plasma separation tubes] decreased for THC by 83% and 81%, THC-OH by 66% and 63%, CBD by 69% and 62%, and CBN by 75% and 70% in LP [low concentration] and HP [high concentration] samples, respectively.”

For hair analysis of cannabinoid metabolites, on the effects of different washing protocols
Influence of Different Washing Hair Procedures in the Quantitative Determination of THC and THCCOOH
https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/dta.70073
And for hair analysis of the cannabinoid metabolite THC-COOH, on the challenges of interpretation
Challenges in the Interpretation of Isolated THC‐COOH Detection in Hair: Forensic and Clinical Implications
https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dta.70072

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

For California adolescent cannabis use, it increased following legalization & decreased following COVID
Adolescent Cannabis Use After Cannabis Legalization and the COVID-19 Pandemic
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41996112/

For social media influencers’ effects on youth cigar & cannabis use, cigar marketing was associated with increased cannabis use
The role of social media influencer promotion in initiation and use of cigar, little cigar, cigarillo, and cannabis products among US youth and young adults: Using exogenous marketing exposure measures
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953626003928

In Lebanon youth, on the factors associated with their opposition or support for cannabis legalization
Factors associated with youth opposition or support for cannabis legalization in Lebanon
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00426-8

In young adults co-using alcohol & cannabis, their expectancies of stimulant effects or relaxing effects were moderately associated with their subjective responses
Real-time discrepancies between simultaneous alcohol and cannabis expectancies and subjective responses
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001444

For adolescents co-using nicotine & cannabis, a survey on their range of co-use behaviors
Patterns in methods, timing, and sequence of nicotine and cannabis co-use among adolescents
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626001432

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In epilepsy, an industry review on the interactions of cannabinoids & terpenes
Modulating Neural Excitability in Epilepsy: A Systems-Level Perspective on Cannabinoid–Terpene Signaling
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/6334546e8973ab11bc56b239f999c429/download_pub

For a mouse model of the behavior of dopamine-based active avoidance, retrograde release of the endocannabinoid 2-AG from the ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons worked via the CB1 receptors
Midbrain endocannabinoids actuate dopamine-based action selection
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(26)00376-1

For anxiety drugs, on how a receptor for GABA (the brain’s most common inhibitory neurotransmitter) is modulated by the endocannabinoid 2-AG
Direct Modulation of Human GABA-A α1β2γ2 Receptors by the Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol: Implications for Cannabinoid-Related Ligands and Limitations for Anxiolytic Drug Development
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1813618/abstract

In brain slices of the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain), cannabinoids did not cause strong changes to sharp wave-ripples (network events essential for information processing)
Robust Intrinsic Dorsoventral Organization of Hippocampal Sharp Wave–Ripples Persists During Cannabinoid Modulation
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/8d6c19382cdb9f13d7a91915090e200d/download_pub

In rat brain tissue, blocking the CB1 receptor disrupted key epigenetic regulatory mechanisms
Therapeutically relevant rimonabant exposure drives epigenetic remodeling in neuronal cells and rat brain tissue
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-026-04369-0

In the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), the endocannabinoid transporter ABHD12 acts as an opposing enzyme to DAGLβ (which synthesizes the endocannabinoid 2-AG) to modulate microglial immune function
Stimulus-Driven Remodeling of Microglial Endocannabinoid Metabolism Illuminates ABHD12 Function in Immunity
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acschemneuro.5c00985

In a rat model of Parkinson’s disease, on determining brain levels of anandamide & 2-AG via solid-phase microextraction
In Vivo Negligible Depletion SPME for the Determination of Free and Total Concentrations of Anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in the Brain of a Parkinson’s Disease Rat Model
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c07902

For brain delivery, on optimizing CBD lipid nanocapsules
Improved drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier through post-insertion functionalization of lipid nanocapsules with cannabidiol using click chemistry
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927776526003243

For neuroprotection against stroke, nanoparticles with CBD, apigenin & polysaccharides
Multifunctional Cannabidiol-Loaded Nanoparticles Based on Herbal-Derived Bioactive Materials Provide Enhanced Neuroprotection against Ischemic Stroke
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6c00054

For Dravet syndrome, nanostructured lipid carriers with CBD & stiripentol (an antiseizure medication)
Lipid Nanoparticles with Stiripentol and Cannabidiol Oil: From Rational Optimization to Preclinical Characterization
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/4/503

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

For emotional disorders, cannabis use was associated with an increased risk that was stronger in females
Positive emotional dysregulation as a mediator between cannabis use and emotional disorder risk: Sex-specific pathways
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178126002416

For reducing the use of cannabis and/or tobacco, a review of 32 studies on interventions found the best evidence for motivational interventions
Health education interventions to reduce cannabis and tobacco smoking-related harms among people who use cannabis: a systematic review
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/health-education-interventions-to-reduce-cannabis-and-tobacco-smo/

On the challenges of recruiting people with heavy cannabis use into online interventions
Lessons learned: challenges in recruiting and engaging people with heavy cannabis use for online interventions in Canada
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00425-9

In an adult test of memories of stress, THC did not dampen most of the subjective or physiological responses to images eliciting stressful memories
Acute and delayed effects of THC on memories of stress in healthy adults
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07064-1

In people at high risk for psychosis, the co-use of cannabis & tobacco was associated with lower neurocognitive performance
Cannabis and Tobacco Co-Use is Associated with Impaired Neurocognitive Performance in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902226001199

🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠

On the antibiotic effects of a structural polymer loaded with phytocannabinoids & hemp fiber
Chemical characterization and in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of phytocannabinoid-loaded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reinforced with natural fibers
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352492826005945

🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬

In women who had their first baby, cannabis exposure 2-7 years after pregnancy was not associated with hypertension
Cannabis Exposure After Pregnancy and Development of Hypertension in the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study
https://journals.lww.com/ogopen/fulltext/2026/04000/cannabis_exposure_after_pregnancy_and_development.13.aspx

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

After a spinal surgery, those with cannabis use disorder had higher rates of mental health service engagement but lower rates of opioid use, with no differences at the 1 or 2-year follow-up
Impact of cannabis use disorder on risk of surgical complications following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-026-09949-3

In people using cannabis for chronic pain, interviews using a biopsychosocial model
The greater the pleiotropic effects, the greater the benefits - cannabis as a “biopsychosocial” drug: a mixed-methods study on chronic non-cancer pain
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00440-w

In people with pain, abstinence from cannabis was not related to their acute pain perception, though females showed overall higher levels of anandamide, PEA & oleoylethanolamide (the endocannabinoid of satiation)
Cannabis use patterns and perception of acute pain during brief abstinence: sex-dependent associations with circulating cannabinoid levels
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07063-2

For pain management, a review article of targeting the endocannabinoid transporter FABP5
Evaluating FABP5 as a Therapeutic Target for Pain Management
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ejp.70267

In a rat model of neuropathic pain, this thesis project found that environmental enrichment raised endocannabinoid levels for pain control
Investigation of the effects of environmental enrichment in a rat model of neuropathic pain and related comorbidities: role of the endocannabinoid system
https://researchrepository.universityofgalway.ie/entities/publication/107faaa0-f88f-4971-b089-0ed2aa67697c

On synapses with nociceptors (pain-detecting receptors), this thesis project found anandamide depressed synapses with nociceptors but potentiated synapses that detected pressure
Role of Concentration in Opposing Effects of Anandamide on Nociceptive Synapses versus Non-Nociceptive Synapses
https://www.eneuro.org/content/eneuro/early/2026/04/20/ENEURO.0480-25.2026.full.pdf

For osteoarthritis, screening new drugs for activating the CB2 receptor
Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Agonists as Drug Candidates for Osteoarthritis Therapy
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/drug-discovery/articles/10.3389/fddsv.2026.1809420/abstract

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

In dogs, CBD caused a downregulation of apolipoproteins (APOA4, APOC3, APOC1 & APOH) & upregulation of hemoglobin subunits (HBA and HBB), while high doses upregulated proteins involved in vascular integrity & tissue scaffolding (e.g., TGFB1, PDGFRB & VWF)
Formulation-Specific Dose-Response in the Serum Proteome of Healthy Dogs Following Cannabidiol Administration
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1803263/abstract

💨 The Lungs 💨

In a mouse model of airway hyperresponsiveness & allergic asthma, activating the CB2 receptor suppressed airway hyperresponsiveness & inflammation via the CB2 & TRPV1 receptors
Targeting Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors to Attenuate Airway Inflammation and Hyperresponsiveness in Allergic Asthma: Does the TRPV1 Receptor Play a Role?
https://europepmc.org/article/med/41968554

For asthma & lung diseases, on optimizing CBD microparticles
Sodium Stearate-Assisted Optimization of a Cannabidiol Dry Powder Inhaler for Enhanced Dissolution and Aerosol Performance
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/4/512

💧 The Genitourinary System 💧

In people with a kidney injury, drainage led to increased levels of anandamide, N-palmitoylethanolamine & N-oleoylethanolamine
Endocannabinoid responses to relief of obstruction in acute injured kidney: a prospective observational study
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17562872261442624

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

In breast cancer cells, CBD decreased colony formation, inhibited cell invasion & induced apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
The Effect of Cannabidiol on Cancer-Pathway Genes in Doxorubicin-Sensitive and Resistant Breast Cancer Cells
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/19/4/615

In lung cancer cells, inhibiting the FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide) boosted the drug cisplatin’s anti-tumor efficacy
FAAH initiates a positive feedback loop to promote lung adenocarcinoma progression through inhibition of ferroptosis
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41418-026-01742-5

In lung cancer cells, on creating nanoemulsions of CBD & THC for better bioavailability
Chemosensitizing CBD/THC nanoemulsions: Functional drug-delivery carriers for synergy, dose reduction, and apoptosis in lung cancer cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1773224726003667

💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊

On macrophages (white blood cells), the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB 4en-PINACA stimulated the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines
Immunomodulatory Activities of Synthetic Cannabinoid MDMB 4en-PINACA on the Inflammatory Activity of Mammalian Macrophages
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1934578X261445167

In liver cells, a thesis project on the metabolism of THC analogues
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabutol (Δ9-THCB), Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabihexol (Δ9-THCH), and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (Δ9-THCP): the Impact of Varying Alkyl Chain Length on Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) Analog Metabolism
https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/frsc_projects/132/

In flatworms, on using AI to profile the effects of synthetic cannabinoids
Artificial intelligence assisted behavioral profiling of synthetic cannabinoids in planarians
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11419-026-00769-0

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

For activating the CB2 receptor, on finding 8 new drug families
Library docking for Cannabinoid-2 Receptor ligands
https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc13015411

On using AI to find new cannabinoid drugs
Leveraging machine learning for selective cannabinoid ligand discovery: methods, challenges, and opportunities
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17460441.2026.2661209

An analysis of the FAAH enzyme & its speed of breaking down anandamide
Enzyme Kinetics of FAAH
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3070&context=research_symp

On the activity of the FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide), CBC & CBG limited its activity via allosteric modulation
Analysis of the Effects of Phytocannabinoids Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabidiol (CBD), and Cannabigerol (CBG) on the Enzyme FAAH
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3075&context=research_symp

On using tocopherols to modulate the FAAH enzyme allosterically (binding not to the main binding site, but to a side binding site that changes how other molecules bind to the main binding site)
Allosteric Modulation of FAAH by Tocopherols
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3064&context=research_symp

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For today’s jazz organ, “Brother” Jack McDuff’s ‘The Prestige Years’. Born in Illinois, McDuff began teaching himself the organ & the piano in the mid-‘50s. He came to the attention of the iconic Prestige Records & cut his first album for them in 1960. He soon formed his own band & things really took off when he hired the young but now famous guitarist George Benson, giving him his first big break. With his Hammond B-3 organ, McDuff was known for “rock-solid basslines and blues-drenched solos… balanced by clever, almost pianistic melodies”. He recorded 20+ albums with Prestige, including his biggest hit “Rock Candy” & then continued recording with Atlantic, Cadet & Blue Note across the ’60s & ’70s. As public interest in jazz waned, McDuff explored fusion & electronic keyboards. Even as his health faltered in the ‘90s, he never stopped exploring new styles & he still released 8 albums for Concord Jazz Records. In 2001, Brother Jack went to the great Sit-In in the Sky.

This newsletter is the backbone of my work & I hope it brings you a measure of value. If so, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription & support my sharing all of the new cannabinoid science each week.

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🌟 #ThisWeek 🌟

(#hashtags for jumping to articles by searching for them with your browser)

• CBD for inflammatory bowel disease

• Adolescent cannabis use & negative neural effects (& my 24’ video on it)

• Breakout sections: migraines, prenatal cannabinoid exposure, horse doping & treatments that use the ECS

• CHS from delta-8 THC

• What happens when you ask your AI about using cannabis or cancer? (#AIcancer)

• Preclinical: CBDA for MS, CBD for cystitis, PEA for Alzheimer’s & CBD for lowering HIV & COVID transmission

• Share your cannabis arrest story with the Marijuana Policy Project (#EndProhibition)

• War on Drugs: reports from Miami in the 80s, Mexico in the 60s & Nepal in the 70s + Buddhists monks smuggling 200+ pounds

• Harm Reduction: US health agency will no longer pay for fentanyl test strips

(Numbers for C&P#185: ~8k words, ~21 minutes reading time, 135 papers)

📌 Editor’s notes 📌:

• Ticket contest for Cannabis Europa 2026! Sign up for one (or all) of the social media channel of Cannabis Europa, let me know & I’ll enter you into a raffle for a free ticket to their conference on May 26^th & 27^th in London. You can follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X or YouTube.

• It was another great year at ICBC in Berlin. You can watch their aftermovie here.

• For aging with cannabis & CBD, I’m very pleased to share that Dr. Peter Grinspoon’s new book comes out this week: ‘Aging Well with Cannabis: Feel Better, Sleep Better, and Live Better with Marijuana and CBD’. He is an excellent educator on the cannabinoids & I believe using them for aging is one of the most important uses. But it can be tricky & complex so his clear explanations will be helpful to anyone who wants to help themselves or their aging relatives by using cannabis or CBD. To get a feel for his excellent vibe, listen to our interview on the Lex Files.

• This Beltane season, I realized that I felt like the character of Jacob in the Bible who had to work 14 years to earn his 2 wives. I spent the last 7 years making this newsletter into a respected contribution to the cannabis community. So now I wish to spend the next 7 years making my cannabis graphic novels based on Moby Dick into a respected piece of artistic science writing. And in celebration of getting my next two chapters published, I put up a link to a free PDF of Chapters 1 & 2, including my Extracts section with dozens of quotes from history & world literature.

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 185^th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as the War on Drugs, harm reduction & other psychoactives. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.

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If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
For producing cannabinoid content, work with my company White Whale Creations: writing, science archives, social media, newsletters & podcasts.
As always, ask me anything!

🤝 Sponsor 🤝: Cannabis Europa

Cannabis Europa will be the first major international gathering since US rescheduling aligned federal policy more closely with Europe’s medical frameworks, marking the start of a true transatlantic cannabis market. What sets this year apart is the level of leadership in the room. This is where senior executives, investors and policymakers come together to move beyond theory and define strategy. As the US and Europe begin to converge, Cannabis Europa provides a focused environment for those leading the industry to shape how capital, regulation and clinical standards evolve across both markets.

Contest & discount code:
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🎥 Lex’s new work 🎤

@CannabinoidsAndThePeople on YouTube, TikTok & LinkedIn
Canna-edu videos sponsored the National Cannabis Study (join & get paid $100 to talk about your use of our favorite plant)

• Cannabis & Adolescent Brain Development (a 24’ on why I will encourage my kids to wait until they’re older)

• Cannabis Use Disorder & Brain Recovery

• Early Human Use of Cannabis: China Edition!

• Poetic Cannabis Defense in Kenya

Canna-science Videos for CV Sciences on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd
For 30% off their CBD, THC & PEA products, at pluscbdoil.com use the coupon code ‘LEX’

• Migraines & Cannabinoids

• Cannabis for Cancer Pain & Symptoms

• Cannabinoids for Autism

• Cannabis for Dizziness

• CBD for Kidney Failure

• Topical CBD for Arthritis

@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram:

• Pythagoras & Memory

• Silent Films for Kids!

And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: Pete Fountain, King of the Clarinet

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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

For inflammatory bowel disease, a survey found that the predominant use of CBD was for anxiety, insomnia & pain
Cannabidiol Use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Insights From a Gastroenterology Outpatient Population
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jgh3.70402

On CBD for psychotic disorders, this meta-analysis of 8 trials found that an average daily dose of 800 mg per day caused no statistically significant improvement to psychosis symptoms
Cannabidiol for psychotic disorders: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02698811261430501

For sleep & nicotine/cannabis co-use, a review of 6 studies found that half reported poor sleep & half reported no effect
Nicotine and Cannabis Co-Use and Sleep-Related Outcomes in Adults: a Narrative Review and Implications
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-026-00738-y

When the major AI chatbots were asked about cannabis for cancer, while they made some misleading or inaccurate statements, they overall had high accuracy & comprehensiveness scores, with ChatGPT doing the best (#AIcancer)
Chatbot Responses to Frequently Asked Questions about Cannabis and Its Use for Cancer Symptoms
https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(26)00151-X/abstract

Migraines

For migraines, this data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry found that the initiation of cannabis-based medicine led to improvements over the next 2 years
UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A Clinical Outcomes Analysis for Migraine
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/brb3.71323

For drug-resistant migraines, a case report of a 1:1 THC:CBD oil reducing headache days by half, lowering pain intensity, improving sleep quality & enhancing quality of life
Use of Therapeutic Cannabis Oil for Drug-Resistant Migraine: A Case Report
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/27683192261437643

For menstrual migraines, a combination of PEA & phycocyanin (a pigment-protein complex from bacteria) reduced migraine severity, duration, painkiller usage & the associated symptoms including nausea, vomiting & photophobia
Effectiveness of an Oral Supplementation of Phycocyanin and Palmitoylethanolamide for a Short-Term Prophylaxis of Menstrual Migraine: A Retrospective Observational Study
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/4/865

In a mouse model of post-traumatic headache, the brain upregulated genes for enzymes that degrade the endocannabinoids
Distribution and subacute modulation of endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes in the trigeminal complex and midbrain in a pre-clinical model of post-traumatic headache
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s10194-026-02356-5

Prenatal Cannabinoid Exposure

In children exposed to prenatal cannabis and/or tobacco, this cohort study found that they had no significant impairments to cognitive or language development
The association between prenatal exposure to cannabis with and without tobacco and early cognitive and language development in a sample of polysubstance-exposed children
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378226000745

For low levels of prenatal exposure, there was little evidence for later effects on cognition as adolescents
Associations of Low‐Level Prenatal Alcohol and Cannabis Exposure With Adolescent Cognitive Trajectories
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acer.70297

In pregnant mice, cannabis smoke reduced fetal weight, increased placental weight & altered placental morphology
Marijuana smoking during pregnancy alters placenta morphology in BALB/c mice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014340042600113X

Horse Doping

In sports horses, on how CBD & its metabolites moved through their systems
Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol and its Metabolites for the Definition of Ineffective Plasma and Urinary Concentrations in Biological Liquids of Sport Horses
https://www.ijvets.com/pdf-files/25-334.pdf

For the doping of horses, a review on detecting the synthetic cannabinoids & an analysis of their effects
Analytical Challenges and Emerging Detection Strategies of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Horse Doping Control
https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bmc.70432

📑 Reviews 📑

On cannabinoids for dermatology, this review covered the evidence for many diseases & the barriers to clinical use (great charts!)
Cannabinoids for Dermatological Applications: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Evidence, and Emerging Nanotechnology-Enabled Delivery Strategies
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/4/469

For wound healing & bone regeneration, a review of the mechanisms used by CBD (nice charts)
Pharmacological Insights into Cannabidiol for Wound Healing and Bone Regeneration
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.5c13259

In young people with autism, a rather negative review of 12 studies found the most improvement from a whole-plant 20:1 CBD:THC formula
Cannabinoid-based interventions for behavioral outcomes in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of safety and effectiveness
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278584626000941

For motor control disorders, a review on the location of cannabinoid receptors in key motor pathways & the growing importance of the CB1 & CB2 receptors (nice charts)
Cannabinoids in Motor Control: From Receptor Distribution to Motor Disorders
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/4/844

For the muscle-relaxing effects of cannabinoids, this review examined the potential benefits for inflammation, pain & arthritis
Cannabis sativa Linn.: A Medicinal Plant with Promising Muscle Relaxant-related Constituents
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/22313354261436144

For diabetic heart disease, a review on the benefits of CBD for inflammation, oxidative stress & scarring, but the limited clinical evidence
Cannabidiol and diabetic heart disease: Mechanistic evidence and translational challenges
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226003872

For epilepsy, MS & depression, a review on the benefits of CBD
Emerging Cannabidiol Research in Neurological Disorders: Insights into Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and Depression
https://terra-docs.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/IJHSR/Articles/volume8-issue3/IJHSR_2026_83_15.pdf

For neuropathic pain, this review found cannabinoids not superior to placebo & with only modest painkilling benefits as well as sleep quality & opioid sparing [Portuguese]
USO DE CANABINÓIDES SINTÉTICOS E FITOCANABINÓIDES NO TRATAMENTO DA DOR NEUROPÁTICA: UMA REVISÃO BASEADA EM ENSAIOS CLÍNICOS RANDOMIZADOS
https://periodicorease.pro.br/rease/article/view/25140
Yes, but few people are suggesting to use cannabinoids as your only treatment for something as severe & complex as neuropathic pain. They are a helpful adjunct to other treatments that somewhat help with pain & are well known to benefit other symptoms around the pain as well.

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

For adolescent cannabis use, a review of 36 studies on the effects of brain development found “as well as mixed cognitive findings reduced prefrontal cortical and hippocampal/amygdala volumes, accelerated cortical thinning in longitudinal studies, and impaired white matter connectivity correlating with initiation age” (here’s my deep-dive 24’ video on this review)
How adolescent cannabis use reshapes the developing brain — a systematic review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1822300/full
“Long-term associations included educational difficulties, mental health problems, and functional impairment, though causal relationships remained unclear.”

In a New York City hospital after cannabis legalization, children had increased exposure to cannabis & cannabis edibles, though most cases were mild & were discharged
Changes in Cannabis-Related Pediatric Emergency Visits following Recreational Marijuana Legalization in a New York City Hospital: A Retrospective Study
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400633245_Changes_in_Cannabis-Related_Pediatric_Emergency_Visits_following_Recreational_Marijuana_Legalization_in_a_New_York_City_Hospital_A_Retrospective_Study

For first-episode psychosis, Swedish public health data found that those with cannabis use disorder or cannabis-induced psychosis were less likely to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia in the first 2 years but more likely to have a greater burden of inpatient treatment as well as elevated risks of hospitalization for psychosis & death
Comparative Clinical Trajectories Across Cannabis-Related and Nonsubstance-Related Psychoses
https://europepmc.org/article/med/41952346

In cannabis-induced psychosis, a review of 33 studies on the distinct clinical features found the strongest predictor of poor outcomes to be continued cannabis use
Multi-dimensional recovery trajectories in cannabis-induced psychosis: A systematic review examining symptomatic, functional, cognitive, and subjective outcomes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876201826001486

For major depressive disorder, data from the UK Biobank found cannabis use associated with a 27% increase in the odds of depression
Association between cannabis use and major depressive disorder: a population-based cross-sectional study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00396-x

For delta-8 THC causing cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a case report of someone who stopped smoking cannabis 5 months ago because of a CHS diagnosis but whose daily use of delta-8 THC continued her symptoms
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome from delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol after discontinuing regular cannabis use
https://pulmonarychronicles.com/index.php/SWJM/article/view/1623

In the eyes of cannabis users, a Sudanese survey found an increased risk of visual disturbances
Self-reported Visual Function After Non-medical Cannabis Use: A Cross-sectional Survey
https://kneopen.com/sjms/article/view/19228/33434/

For the post-mortem analysis of synthetic cannabinoids, 3 fatal case reports on ADB-BUTINACA & its toxicological significance score
Synthetic Cannabinoids in Human Post-Mortem Samples – ADB-BUTINACA and Metabolites in Three Fatalities
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2026.1826767/abstract

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, CBDA improved neurological scores & increase the levels of TNFα (important for immunomodulation)
Anti-Neuroinflammatory Cannabinoid Acids as a New Therapeutic Approach for Multiple Sclerosis
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/7/1227

In a mouse model of cystitis in the lower urinary tract, CBD promoted the restoration of damaged structures, improved the integrity of the blood-urine barrier & reduced inflammation
CBD Promotes Structural and Functional Epithelial Restoration and Alleviates Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Interstitial Cystitis
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/4/458

In mice taking THC, CBD modulated the changes to motor activity & hypothermia with gendered effects
Cannabidiol dose modulates behavioral response to acute and repeated administration of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol by strain and sex
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41959067/

In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, an infusion of PEA restored motivation-driven behavior via upregulated levels of BDNF (a key brain growth factor) & the regulator of genetic transcription PPAR-α
Sustained Palmitoylethanolamide Infusion Restores Incentive Motivation and Synaptic Plasticity in the Tg2576 Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/8/669

In mucosal cells exposed to HIV, CBD inhibited infection
Cannabidiol prevents mucosal HIV-1 transmission by targeting Langerhans cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and T-cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1933021926000309

For blocking the virus that causes COVID, a computer analysis found that CBD & CBN had the most favorable binding
Molecular Dynamics and Solvated Interaction Energy Prioritize Cannabidiol and Cannabinol as Variant-Spanning SARS-CoV-2 RBD–ACE2 Interface Blockers
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/8/1253

Treatments using the ECS / Cannabinoid synergy

Some nice additions to our list of drugs that cause their help via the endocannabinoid system or synergize with the cannabinoids…

In a rat & tissue model of strokes, the ability of propofol to cause neuroprotection & increase antioxidant levels was via the CB1 receptor & the release of the endocannabinoids anandamide & 2-AG
Propofol Attenuates Brain Ischemic Injury Through the Cannabinoid Type 1 (CB1) Receptor
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/477243/20260408-52515-vpl68y.pdf

In a mouse model of the brain disorder spinocerebellar ataxia, long-term treatment with an NMDA receptor blocker appears to work partially via the endocannabinoids acting retrogradely (against the usual flow of brain signaling) to lower the release of glutamate (the brain’s most common excitatory neurotransmitter)
Long term administration of selective NMDA GluN2B receptor blocker Ro25-6981 attenuates neurodegeneration in mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-026-03120-z_reference.pdf

In a mouse model of arthritis, the combination of CBD & methotrexate had synergistic effects for lowering joint swelling, inflammation & bone erosion as well as lessening methotrexate’s testicular toxicity & sperm failure
Cannabidiol synergizes with methotrexate to attenuate rheumatoid arthritis via STAT3/NF-κB signalling-mediated M1 macrophage polarization
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1567576926004728

In a rat model of a high-fat diet, the usual cognitive impairment & memory problems were attenuated by the addition of CBD via downregulation of GFAP/ACHE pathway
Neurological effects of cannabidiol in olanzapine/high-fat diet co-treated adult male Wistar rats
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13813455.2026.2657420

For cardamomin (a chalcone found in ginger & other plants), a computer & mouse analysis found that it bound to both the CB1 & CB2 receptors to cause painkilling effects
Receptor-Selective Modulation of Cannabinoid Signaling by Cardamonin: Integrating Molecular Dynamics, Free Energy Calculations, and Behavioral Validation
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.5c10026

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

For uterine disorders, this thesis project examined the interplay of the endocannabinoids & sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P, an important lipid signaling system)
Role of Sphingosine 1-phosphate Signalling and Endocannabinoids System in Uterine Disorders: Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Uterine fibroids
https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1463532/1/Tesi-%20Maryam%20Raeispour.pdf

For cis versions of THC (an opposite molecular “handedness” to the much more common trans versions), an analysis found that its low levels in the cannabis plant do not appear to be chemically derived from other cannabinoids, though the CBCA synthase enzyme might be involved
Targeted phytocannabinomics provides new insights into the biosynthetic origin of cis-Δ⁹-THCA in Cannabis sativa L.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0731708526001780

Lex’s roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

The US Department of Justice moved state-legal medical cannabis & FDA-approved cannabis products to Schedule III, which is mostly a win on taxes for the big multi-state medical operators, a requirement (?) for DEA registration for all medical operators, an opening for the possible import & export of medical cannabis, increased researcher access to a wider array of cannabis products & eased FDA processes for pharmaceutical companies looking for cannabis product approval
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-places-fda-approved-marijuana-products-and-products-containing-marijuana
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-marijuana-rescheduling-will-end-discrimination-in-housing-healthcare-and-employment-for-medical-cannabis-patients-op-ed/
https://cannabismusings.substack.com/p/cannabis-musings-april-23-2026
https://harris-sliwoski.com/cannalawblog/the-u-s-opens-its-medical-marijuana-market-to-global-trade-for-now-adult-use-rescheduling-on-deck/
To be clear, this means no changes for state-legal adult use companies & no effects on synthetic THC (still Schedule 1) & hemp/hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids (still regulated under the Farm Bill).
President Trump said of the order, “A lot of people are suffering from big problems, which this [medical cannabis] seems to be the best answer.” Relatedly, Newsweek had an article entitled, ‘Is Donald Trump the Drug President?’ And an old rule of thumb in journalism is that if a headline ends in a question mark, the answer to that question is no.

The IRS declared that cannabis industry workers will not be eligible under the new “No Tax on Tips” law until cannabis is federally legalized
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-budtenders-could-qualify-for-no-tax-on-tips-irs-says-but-only-after-federal-legalization/

A US airman overturned his cannabis conviction by arguing that his 4 failed drug tests were from federally legal hemp
https://cannabislaw.report/usa-military-court-overturns-conviction-in-hemp-related-drug-case/

In Oregon, hospice & other health facilities will now allow medical cannabis use
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/oregon-governor-signs-bill-to-allow-medical-marijuana-use-in-hospices-and-other-health-facilities/

In Virginia, medical use now allowed in hospitals & the parental rights of cannabis users now protected
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-governor-signs-bills-to-protect-marijuana-users-parental-rights-and-allow-medical-use-in-hospitals/

In Maryland, veterinarians who recommend medical cannabis to animals will have legal protections from the state regulatory board
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/maryland-governor-signs-bills-to-protect-veterinarians-who-recommend-medical-marijuana-for-animals/
And off-duty firefighters & rescue workers now allowed to use medical cannabis
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/maryland-governor-signs-bill-to-let-firefighters-and-rescue-workers-use-medical-marijuana-off-duty-without-being-punished-for-it/

🌐 International Updates 🌐

In Ireland, a review of their medical cannabis program was launched after it was revealed that less than 100 patients have been approved in the 5 years since launch
https://cannabislaw.report/five-years-74-patients-ireland-moves-forward-with-review-of-its-failing-medical-cannabis-programme/

In France, the food authorities relaunched their war on CBD products
https://www.newsweed.fr/dgal-relance-guerre-produits-cbd/

In the UK, an undercover BBC report found mini-marts selling cocaine, cannabis & prescription drugs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l429w2pko

In Botswana, a hemp pilot project launched
https://cannabislaw.report/article-botswana-advances-hemp-industry-with-pilot-projects-ramps-up-investor-support/

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

One of our favorite cannabis news platforms, Cultivated Media, was debanked by those spineless weasels at Chase
https://cannabislaw.report/chase-debanks-cultivated-media-unsurprisingly-offers-no-explanation/
They did the same thing to me last year after they realized that I was making cannabis education videos on TikTok.

J.P Morgan forbid the custody of US cannabis stocks
https://toddharrison.substack.com/p/count-de-monet

In Canada, MasterCard just doubled their cost for cannabis businesses because of ‘high-risk’ & the retail cannabis Council of Ontario is organizing a boycott
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/retail-cannabis-council-of-ontario_mastercard-doubles-fees-for-cannabis-retailers-activity-7448088707255042048-Sg9Z/

The estate of Bob Marley sued Tilray for using an empty corporate entity to avoid paying royalties & cheating them out of $11.3 M
https://www.blackenterprise.com/bob-marley-estate-sues-tilray-brand-cannabis-company-for-11-3m/

In Minnesota, Target got hemp THC drinks licenses for all of its 72 stores
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/target-expands-involvement-in-hemp-thc-drinks-market-with-72-new-licenses-in-minnesota/

For the effects of US cannabis taxation, a review of 5 studies found quite mixed results, though policymakers saw taxes as an effective public health tool while cannabis users said it was an important factor in their purchase decisions
Limited Evidence on Cannabis Taxation Effects in the United States: A Rapid Review of Use, Purchasing, and Risk Perceptions
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00400

In Australia, an analysis of their cannabis policies since 1967
The evolution of Australian cannabis policies, 1967 to 2024
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70414

For sustainable development, a South African review of 180 studies on the potential of cannabis
A Comprehensive Review on the Production, Cultural, and Medicinal Applications of Cannabis Plant for Sustainable Economic Development
https://journals.nasspublishing.com/index.php/rwae/article/view/2570

In 3 states with different cannabis laws, an analysis of CBD sales at retail locations found a host of prohibited claims
Health claims about cannabidiol (CBD) at the point-of-sale in three U.S. states with disparate cannabis policies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335526001002

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

On cannabis arrests in the US, the numbers are down, but there were still 200k arrests in 2025 according to a new report by the Marijuana Policy Project
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-marijuana-report-shows-arrests-are-plummeting-as-legalization-spreads-but-criminalized-states-still-send-thousands-to-jail-each-year/
And if you’ve been arrested for cannabis, share your story with the Marijuana Policy Project for possible inclusion in the report about the ongoing harms of Prohibition (#EndProhibition)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-activist-group-asks-people-to-share-their-arrest-stories-to-show-the-true-impact-of-criminalization/

In the eastern Pacific, another lethal US strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel killed 2
https://www.aol.com/news/us-military-kills-two-suspected-035740207.html

To the UN, a report on using narco-terrorism to justify abuse by the International Drug Policy Consortium & supporting organizations
https://idpc.net/publications/2026/3/when-narcoterrorism-justifies-abuse-civil-society-submission-to-the-un-high-commissioner-for

In Mexico, a governor & other senior officials of Sinaloa charged by US prosecutors for conspiring with the Sinaloa cartel
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mexican-governor-officials-charged-conspiring-sinaloa-cartel-smuggle-d-rcna342783
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/02/world/americas/mexico-governor-corruption-ruben-rocha.html
And an investigation into the death of 2 CIA officials in a car crash returning from an operation to destroy illegal drug labs in Chihuahua, apparently without the knowledge of Mexican senior federal officials
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2491we011o
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86expy881qo

On Miami in the 80s, on the drug trafficking & the militarization of the War on Drugs
Paradise Lost? Miami and Militarization in the War on Drugs
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/740074

In the southern Mexican state of Guerrero during the ‘60s & ‘70s, on the rural guerrilla movements & rise in illicit drug cultivation leading to a more militarized policing of rural Mexican drugs
From Bandit Hunting to a War Against “Social Poisoners”: Counterinsurgency as Drug War and Drug War as Counterinsurgency in 1960s–1970s Southern Mexico
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/739586

In the Maoist conflict of Western Nepal, a thesis project on the role of the 1976 prohibition of cannabis cultivation
PROHIBITION ON MARIJUANA CULTIVATION AND ITS ROLE IN SPARKING THE MAOIST CONFLICT IN WESTERN NEPAL: A SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY
https://elibrary.tucl.edu.np/JQ99OgQIizUxyjI9nB0on9OyLkqsGIf4/api/core/bitstreams/02352e48-2543-463a-9ced-37c9ef55e44a/content

For Nixon’s short-lived Narcotics Traffickers Tax Program (NTP), an analysis of its experiment to punish drug kingpins, similar to the Prohibition-era tactics used against Al Capone such as income tax & financial kingpin laws
“This Is Al Capone Revisited with a Vengeance”: The Internal Revenue Service’s Narcotics Traffickers Tax Program
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/739731

In Colombia’s illicit crop substitution program, a thesis project on the partial success
The Distance to Legality: The Success and Failure of Illicit Crop Substitution in Post-Accord Colombia. Regional Economics
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6538260

In Singapore, a man executed for importing 1 kg of cannabis
https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/singapore-executes-man-for-cannabis-importation-amid-rising-drug-related-executions
And in China, a Frenchman executed for a 2010 at drug trafficking charge
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-execute-frenchman-drug-trafficking-6037466
And in Iraq, 5 drug traffickers sentenced to death
https://shafaq.com/en/Security/Baghdad-court-mandates-death-for-five-drug-traffickers
And in Kuwait, death sentences for 3 Iranians upheld for smuggling 120 kg of hashish & 10k pills
https://cannabislaw.report/kuwait-appeal-court-upholds-death-sentences-for-three-iranians-in-hashish-smuggling-case/
And in Malaysia, an Indonesian grandmother freed from death row after 15 years for drug trafficking
https://www.the-independent.com/asia/southeast-asia/indonesia-malaysia-grandmother-drug-taficking-b2951799.html
And in Nigeria, a man gets 7 years for selling cannabis to the terrorist group Boko Haram
https://cannabislaw.report/nigeria-man-jailed-seven-years-for-selling-indian-hemp-cigarette-to-boko-haram-terrorists/

In Brazil, 48 tons of cannabis seized in record busted by a drug dog named Hulk
https://cannabislaw.report/brazil-police-dog-named-hulk-sniffs-out-48-tons-of-cannabis-in-record-bust/

In Uzbekistan, 191 kg of hashish seized at Afghani border
https://cannabislaw.report/uzbekistan-seizes-191-kg-of-hashish-in-smuggling-attempt-from-afghanistan/

In San Francisco’s East Bay, 24 detained & 20k cannabis plants seized from an illegal operation
https://cannabislaw.report/20000-marijuana-plants-seized-24-detained-in-raids-of-illegal-east-bay-cannabis-operations/

In the UK, 3 Albanians arrested at an industrial grow with 889 cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/man-grinning-from-ear-to-ear-with-huge-weed-stash-hes-just-harvested-busted-by-manchester-police/

The US Coast Guard seized 3.8k pounds of cocaine in international waters of the eastern Pacific
https://www.aol.com/news/u-coast-guard-seizes-over-095243758.html

In New Jersey, a man with illegal cannabis vending machines was making $20k per day
https://cannabislaw.report/new-jersey-illegal-cannabis-vending-machines-earned-20k-per-day-for-nj-man-prosecutor-says/

In Sri Lanka, 22 Buddhist monks arrested with 242 pounds of cannabis
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/monks-arrested-sri-lanka-airport-record-drug-bust-kush/

In Italy, two members of the Hare Krishna movement were acquitted on charges of cannabis cultivation & possession because of their defense of religious use linked to the worship of the Hindu god Shiva
https://cannabislaw.report/italy-bologna-court-of-appeal-acquits-two-of-the-hare-krishna-movement-who-had-been-convicted-in-the-first-instance-in-january-2023-on-charges-of-cultivation-and-possession-of-cannab/

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said they will no longer pay for fentanyl or other drug testing strips
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/health/trump-fentanyl-test-strips.html
https://filtermag.org/samhsa-funding-fentanyl-test-strips-overdose-hotlines/
Let me be clear that I find this move abhorrent.

In Ontario, funding pulled for the last provincially supported supervised consumption site
https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/ontario-pulls-funding-for-last-provincially-supported-supervised-consumption-site-12127180

In Minneapolis, the City Council legalized drug paraphernalia
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-city-council-drug-paraphernalia-barnette-evictions-pause/601792078

Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health launched harm reduction vending machines
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/open-spaces/2026-03-20/eastern-shoshone-tribal-health-launches-harm-reduction-vending-machines

Harm Reduction Research

For treating opioid use disorder (OUD), this first national-scale multi-healthcare organization analysis found that buprenorphine, methadone & psychotherapy were all associated with improved OUD remission, with the strongest positive effects from the combination of buprenorphine & psychotherapy, while prescriptions for a benzodiazepine had a negative association
Real-world effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment and psychotherapy for opioid use disorder: a national multi–health care organization analysis
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1741907/full

For youth with opioid use disorder, an editorial calling for expanded access to take-home naloxone
A call to action: expanding take-home naloxone availability for paediatric patients
https://academic.oup.com/pch/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/pch/pxag011/8626267

For a mobile health unit providing medications for opioid use disorder, interviews on the benefits of reduced barriers as well as the challenges
A lifeline on wheels: perspectives of stakeholders on the implementation and impact of a mobile medications for opioid use disorder unit
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-026-00664-4

For overdose hotlines & apps, a survey on the barriers to use among people who use substances
Investigating the barriers to uptake and utilization of overdose response hotlines and apps: A study based on data from a national survey
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20552076261440969

For substance use disorders, a review of 15 trials found that family engagement in substance use treatment was associated with favorable outcomes
Efficacy of Family-based Interventions in Addressing Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review on Randomized Controlled Trials
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02537176261435440

For people using crack-cocaine, a review of 24 studies on the most helpful harm reduction interventions
Harm reduction progams and interventions for equity -deserving populations who use crack -cocaine. A scoping review
https://karger.com/ear/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000551848/4526194/000551848.pdf

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

Trump signed an executive order to accelerate the legal access to psychedelics & provided a large funding boost for ibogaine
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trump-signs-order-to-accelerate-legal-access-to-psychedelics-for-patients-with-mental-health-conditions/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/24/trump-psychedelic-medication-order
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/sounds-great-want-fda-approval-lets
With pushback by friend of the newsletter Dimitri Mugianis
https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/20/trump-executive-order-psychedelics-republicans-veterans-ibogaine/
Apparently this executive order came about only because Trump was trying to placate Joe Rogan because of the his opposition to the war in Iran. So Trump threw him a bone with this executive order that doesn’t actually do much to speed up psychedelic access. Besides the promised $50M for ibogaine research, not much else will change much because of this executive order.

The Inter-Tribal Council (ITC) of the Five Civilized Tribes passed a resolution supporting ibogaine for addiction & trauma
https://www.chickasaw.net/News/Press-Releases/Release/Inter-Tribal-Council-passes-a-resolution-in-suppor-55805.aspx

In France, they became the first country to approve ketamine for severe suicidal ideation
https://ansm.sante.fr/actualites/decision-du-09-03-2026-etablissant-un-cpc-des-medicaments-ketamine-panpharma-10-mg-ml-solution-injectable-i-v-i-m-ketamine-renaudin-10-mg-ml-solution-injectable

‘How the grandson of Kazakhstan’s dictator became a psychedelic guru’: Nurali of Spark of Light
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/how-the-grandson-of-kazakhstans-dictator

For psychosis & ashwagandha, a case report of an ashwagandha supplement causing visual hallucinations
Recurrent psychotic episodes in a patient taking Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): A case report on ashwagandha-induced hallucination
https://jcimcr.org/pdfs/JCIMCR-v7-3967.pdf

Psychedelics & MDMA

For extended difficulties after a psychedelic experience, a global survey on the symptoms & demographics
Extended difficulties after psychedelic experiences: Prevalence and associations in a global, multilingual sample
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9304959/v1/01c4a0d1-df5e-4ca3-af46-11b264ee47c5.pdf

On DMT for substance misuse, a meta-analysis found that it combined well with psychotherapy for reducing drug use
Efficacy of N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) psychedelic therapy for substance misuse: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/02698811261430518

For death anxiety in terminal patients, a review of the efficacy of psilocybin
Efficacy of psilocybin on death anxiety in terminal patients: a narrative review
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09699260.2026.2657096

For ADHD, a review on the use of psychedelics
The Use of Psychedelics in the Treatment of Adult ADHD: A Systematic and Mechanistic Review
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/8/3453

In people using MDMA, a review of the subjective & neurocognitive effects
Subjective and neurocognitive profiling of clinical doses of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in healthy volunteers: implications for therapeutic use
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-026-03602-7

For ibogaine, a review of its safety profile
Ibogaine Side Effects: Comprehensive Clinical Safety Profile
https://react19.org/images/pdfs/10ibogainesideeffects.pdf

Ketamine

In people with PTSD, a review of ketamine found that a single infusion reduced symptoms within 24 hours but that immediate post-trauma administration may worsen dissociative symptoms & acute stress responses
The impact of ketamine on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in trauma-exposed populations: a narrative review
https://www.jtraumainj.org/journal/view.php?number=1403

Kratom

For kratom, a review of its folk medicine history, potential clinical uses & toxicology
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.): ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, therapeutic potential, and regulatory perspectives
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667031326000321

For reports of kratom to the US poison centers, there was a significant increase over the last 10 years with ~1300 cases of life-threatening symptoms & 219 deaths (though only 40 of those involved kratom alone)
Kratom exposure cases reported to United States Poison Centers: 2016–July 2025
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675726001701

For kratom changing skin color (hyperpigmentation), two case reports of brown-gray patches
Kratom‐Induced Hyperpigmentation: An Emerging Clinicopathologic Pattern
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cup.70087

In a rat model of neuropathic pain, paracetamol synergized with kratom leaf extract to reduce pain & inflammation
Synergistic Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) Leaf Extract as an Adjuvant to Paracetamol in a Rat Neuropathic Pain Model
https://scholar.unair.ac.id/en/publications/synergistic-analgesic-anti-inflammatory-effects-of-kratom-mit/

Cathinones

For the novel synthetic cathinone 2-methylmethcathinone (2-MMC), case reports from the French Alps on toxicology & 5 deaths
Emergence of 2-MMC in the French Alps: description of 13 clinical and forensic toxicology cases
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-026-03791-4

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

According to the USDA, American farmers grew $739M of hemp last year
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/american-farmers-grew-739-million-worth-of-legal-hemp-last-year-new-usda-report-shows/

🌱 Growing 🌱

For hemp seed germination, moderate levels of plasma priming enhanced germination & physiological responses
Plasma-based treatments regulate seed germination in Cannabis sativa via oxidative status modulation and transcriptional changes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0981942826002548

For light, on the effects of far-red timing on morphology & flower induction
Optimizing Light Spectra for Cannabis: Effects of End-of-Day and Continuous Far-Red on Plant Morphology and Flower Induction
https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/12/4/456

On fertilizing with a combination of NPK & the long-chain alcohol triacontanol (TRIA), on the mixed effect on yield & terpene levels
Altered NPK Fertigation With Triacontanol Supplementation Indicates Promising Improvements to Cannabis Flower Yield and Volatile Composition
https://rsnz.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/nzc2.70167

For hemp grown in Russia, the influence of seeding rate on cannabinoid levels
The influence of seeding rate on the accumulation of cannabinoids in hemp in the southern forest-steppe of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia
https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2026/21/e3sconf_aees2026_01013.pdf

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

For cannabis edibles, “fast-acting edibles” (using microencapsulation) hit their maximum blood levels an average of 30 minutes earlier than standard edibles
Pharmacokinetic Differences Between Fast-Acting, Standard, and Placebo Cannabis Edibles
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261441366

For cannabis seed oil produced in Morocco, an environmental life cycle assessment of sustainability on industrial versus artisanal production
Life Cycle Management of Moroccan Cannabis Seed Oil: A Global Approach Integrating ISO Standards for Sustainable Production
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/6/2/22

For detecting contaminants in cannabis products, a review of the analytical methods & the regulatory oversight
Cannabis Products and Contaminant Detection: Critical Review of Regulatory Oversight and Analytical Methodologies
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261439008

In cannabis oils, on different techniques for benchtop & portable cannabinoid quantification
Quantification of cannabinoids in medicinal Cannabis oils using bench-top mid-infrared (MIR), near-infrared (NIR), and portable NIR spectroscopy with chemometric analysis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1386142526004634

In commercial oils, the development of a portable photometer for quantifying CBD levels
On-site colorimetric quantification of cannabidiol in commercial oils using a portable photometer
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468170926000214

For cannabinoid stability, AI analysis on the effects of water
Deep eutectic solvents incorporating cannabinoids: The influence of water on stability
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016773222600334X

For nanoliposomes with hemp protein, an analysis of what improves their stability & bioavailability
Impact of sterol stabilizers (cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, gamma-oryzanol) on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of hempseed protein hydrolysate-loaded nanoliposomes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502226003215

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

In Pacific white shrimp (often farmed for food), CBD promoted growth, enriched muscle fatty acids & beneficially restructured the intestinal microbiome
Moderate Dietary Cannabidiol Enhances Growth, Restructures Gut Microbiota, and Bolsters Environmental Stress Resilience in Litopenaeus vannamei
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/15/4/475

For cannabis seeds, an analysis of their nutritional profile
Assessment of nutritional and functional profile of whole, hulled and germinated hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1825902/full

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

For 3D printing, adding hemp straw improved deformation capacity
A comparative life cycle assessment of hemp straw polylactide (PLA) and pure PLA parts printed using fused filament fabrication
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772801326000138

For molded fiber packaging, an analysis of the best combination of hemp hurds, starch & cellulose nanofibrils
Upcycling of industrial hemp byproducts into a sustainable molded fiber packaging system
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813026018854

For curved pipe, a performance analysis of a hemp-glass/epoxy hybrid
Performance of Hybrid Hemp-Glass/Epoxy Curved Pipe Under Bending
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781779644084-30/performance-hybrid-hemp-glass-epoxy-curved-pipe-bending-asad-khalid-shazleen-sabat-asad

Or creating a fabric resistant to fire, water & bacteria, on combining hemp cellulose with chitosan & silicone polyurethane
Phytic acid-chitosan/silicone polyurethane composite coating: A versatile strategy for flame-retardant, water-repellent, and antibacterial hemp cellulose fabrics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813026019483

For stabilizing clay, the addition of hemp fiber & eggshell powder improved the soil strength, ductility & durability
Sustainable stabilization of kaolin clay by waste eggshell powder & hemp fibre: Mechanical & microstructural study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123026014581

For concrete reinforced with hemp & perlite, an analysis found improved acoustic performance but decreased compressive strength
Experimental Study on Sound Absorption and Insulation Characteristics of Hemp-Perlite Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
https://journals.rcsi.science/2542-0526/article/view/408120

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

Among US adults using medical or recreational cannabis, public health data on the demographics & mental health
Characterization of medical and recreational cannabis use among U.S. adults: Results from a nationally representative sample
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178126002179

In sexual minority men, marijuana use was associated with higher levels of intimate partner violence
The Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence, Anxiety, and Marijuana Use Among Sexual Minority Men
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/08862605261436926

For the Cannabis Health Literacy Questionnaire, an analysis of the demographics of Canadians who answered
The Cannabis Health Literacy Questionnaire – Assessing Reliability and Known-Groups Validity in a Canadian Adult Sample
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00472379261439959

For analyzing cannabinoid metabolites in urine, on optimizing a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method
Optimisation and validation of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for cannabis and its metabolites in urine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570023226001406

For detecting THC metabolites in hair, on the forensic challenges
Challenges in the Interpretation of Isolated THC-COOH Detection in Hair: Forensic and Clinical Implications
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41978365/

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

For adolescents using cannabis, on the different effects depending on their motives
Motives matter: predictive value of cannabis use motives in adolescents with dual disorders – A longitudinal study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460326001152

For predictors of cannabis use in youth, this cohort study found an association with impulsivity & parental monitoring as well as cannabis use disorder associated with earlier initiation
Time-Varying Environmental and Polygenic Predictors of Substance Use Initiation in Youth: A Survival and Causal Modeling Study in the ABCD Cohort
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.07368

In youth using cannabis, protective behavioral strategies increased with the frequency they were seen in peers
Perceived Descriptive Norms Are Associated With Cannabis Protective Behavioral Strategy Use Directly and Indirectly Through Efficacy in Young Adults: Replication and Extension of Alcohol Findings
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00361

In college students, cannabis use frequency was not correlated with their GPA
Cannabis Use and Academic Performance in College Students: Examining the Relationship Between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Grade Point Average
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-1851/5/2/11

In youth with depression & cannabis use disorder, Medicaid data found them to be more likely to have other substance use disorders, to have histories of self-harm & to be less likely to receive psychotherapy
Clinical Complexity of Youths With Major Depression and Cannabis Use Disorder: Evidence From a National Medicaid Cohort
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ps.20250654

For youth & hemp-derived cannabinoids, a survey in Lexington, Kentucky on their ingestion methods & motivations
Hemp-derived cannabinoid use among young adults in Lexington, Kentucky in 2024
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9108504/v1/3ee05c86-9155-42d7-8e75-2849be4cdb2c.pdf

In adolescents with chronic pain, they were more likely to use both alcohol & cannabis
Psychological, behavioral, cognitive and social factors associated with single vs dual alcohol and cannabis use in adolescents with chronic pain
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326001140

In adolescents with cannabis use disorder, public health data analyzed their reasons for treatment delays
Admission Delays in Receiving Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder among US Adolescents
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379726001042

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In someone with epilepsy, CBD significantly improved their EEG readings
Improvements in EEG tracing following initiation of cannabidiol: a case report
https://scholarlyexchange.childrensmercy.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

In an adult with a rare treatment-resistant epilepsy & a learning disability, on adding CBD isolate to their treatment
Adjunctive Cannabidiol for Pharmaco-Resistant Lennox–Gastaut Syndrome in an Adult with Learning Disability
https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/4800589

In a mouse model of anxiety, THC increased anxiety levels at high doses via the release of endocannabinoids from the dorsomedial striatum, activating CB1 receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex (emotional & cognitive processing)
CB1 receptor signaling at the cingulate-striatal circuit is anxiogenic
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-71574-x_reference.pdf

In microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), cannabis essential oils reduced activation & inflammation
Hemp Waste to Health: Investigating the Anti-inflammatory Potential of Cannabis sativa L. Essential Oils on a Human Microglial Cell Model
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12649-026-03606-y

In a rat model of genetic absence epilepsy, inhibiting the FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide) caused a robust & sustained reduction in absence seizures via increased levels of anandamide in the thalamocortical network
Circuit-Selective FAAH Inhibition Suppresses Experimental Absence Seizures
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41969140/

For the production of myelin (the protective sheaths of neurons that degrade in multiple sclerosis), the CB1 receptors are “prominent modulators” of the initial steps of the early cellular differentiation & were also essential for the final stages of maturation during myelin regeneration
Cannabinoid CB1 receptors drive oligodendrocyte maturation during myelin regeneration
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12964-026-02852-w

In a tissue model of brain glucose metabolism, activation of the GPR55 receptors (which may one day be known as CB3) in the astrocytes (the brain’s most common support cell) by the endocannabinoids PEA or LPI stimulated glucose uptake & metabolism
Astrocytic GPR55 receptors promote glycolysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00407-x

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

In Black Queer people, anxiety or depression increased their likelihood of co-using alcohol & cannabis
Daily anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with greater same-day cannabis-alcohol co-use than single-substance use among Black sexual and gender minority people
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926001258

For autism, a proposal of increasing cognitive flexibility with cannabinoid-terpene interactions
Supporting Cognitive Flexibility in Autism: Mechanistic Insights into Cannabinoid–Terpene Interactions
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/1d033cc0fd35e201b76aa64d249e85b1/download_pub

For autism & cannabis use disorder, this hypothesis using California public health data suggested that legalization increased the rates of autism
Hypothesis: Emerging Evidence Might Suggest That Increases in Cannabis Use Disorder Following Legalization of Recreational Cannabis Significantly Contribute to SocioeconomicDependent Increases in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/84a2f67481f90b9a64cefd28e458470f/download_pub

For people identified as having cannabis use disorder according to the new DSM-5, public health data on their characteristics
Identification of cannabis use disorder using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM‐5) versus DSM‐5‐proxy measures: Differences by socio‐demographic characteristics
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70411

For cannabis use disorder, validation of a Spanish language checklist for diagnosis
Psychometric valida1on of Cannabis Withdrawal Checklist in a Spanish sample with cannabis use disorder
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1744004/abstract

For someone with cannabis use problems, a case study of using ecological momentary assessment as an add-on to motivational interviewing
Personalized Ecological Momentary Assessment and Networks to Improve Client-Practitioner Communication in Motivational Interviewing for Cannabis Use Problems: A Case Study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10608-026-10733-2

🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠

In a mouse model of graft-versus-host disease, deletion of their CB2 receptors protected against neuronal loss & inflammation but not the acute behavioral dysregulation
Role of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 in Acute Behavioral Responses to Graft Versus Host Disease in Male Mice
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261442840

🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬

For harm reduction counseling around perinatal cannabis use, on creating an initial list of core components
Identifying an initial set of core components for perinatal cannabis use harm reduction counseling: An application of the Consensus on Relevant Elements (CORE) process
https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/advances-in-drug-and-alcohol-research/articles/10.3389/adar.2026.15935/full

For detecting cannabinoids in meconium (a baby’s first poop), on the detection level of various metabolites
Δ8‐tetrahydrocannabinol, Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol, and cannabidiol carboxylic acid metabolites in authentic meconium samples
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1556-4029.70335

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

At a US rheumatology clinic, cannabis use was associated with longer flares of rheumatoid arthritis, but not increased flare frequency
Pilot Cross-Sectional Study Assessing the Correlation between Marijuana Use and Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Exacerbations
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/smajournalonline/abstract/10.14423/smj.0000000000001956~pilot-cross-sectional-study-assessing-the-correlation
This small study of only 85 people is not very convincing. If you guess, as is often the case, that people with the more intense form of a disease are more likely to turn to cannabis, then of course the people with rheumatoid arthritis using cannabis are the ones with the most intense flares.

In trauma patients, those who were using cannabinoids & cocaine had no significant hospitalization differences from those who were using only cannabinoids
Combined Impact of Cannabinoids and Cocaine on Outcomes of Trauma Patients
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666262026000240

In a mouse model of neuropathy from chemotherapy, this in-depth thesis project found significant reductions from the inhibition of the FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide) & the blocking of the TRPV1 channel as well as their combination
Investigation of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy-related behaviour in male and female rats: a role for the endocannabinoid system
https://researchrepository.universityofgalway.ie/entities/publication/6f0cecb8-f5f0-4c08-8cfa-dcae084bd225

In a mouse model of muscle wasting due to immobilization, blocking the CB1 receptor with Rimonabant lessened the muscle mass loss, but surprisingly, Rimonabant amplified the decrease in muscle protein synthesis more in younger mice than in older mice
Rimonabant treatment partly attenuates skeletal muscle loss following immobilization in young and in old, sarcopenic male mice
https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/ec9809motoM9d

🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️

For CBD massage creams, an industry-sponsored study found that their own product had the best organoleptic (sensory) properties
Perceptual qualities of Physiorelax® CBD cream compared to three other topical cannabidiol creams for musculoskeletal health care: an organoleptic approach by an expert panel: Application properties of Physiorelax® CBD compared to other CBD-containing creams
https://scientificeditorial.com/index.php/JAC/article/view/Perceptual-qualities-of-Physiorelax-CBD-cream

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

For CBD & leukemia, network analysis found 88 overlapping targets “with enrichment in the neuroactive ligand-receptor pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and membrane function pathways”
Integrative lipidomics and network pharmacology reveal the mechanisms of cannabidiol in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia
https://journal.stemfellowship.org/doi/pdf/10.17975/sfj-2026-007

In colorectal cancer cells, CBN & THCA caused anticancer effects
Cannabinoids Characterization and the Anti-cancer Activity of Cannabis sativa Stem Extracts against Colorectal Cancer Cell
https://lafiascijournals.org.ng/index.php/ljsir/article/view/808

For gliomas (the most aggressive brain cancer), a dissertation on CBD’s antitumor effects
CBD as therapeutic agent for malignant glioma
https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/36698/1/Richter_Sven.pdf

For reversing T cell exhaustion in tumors, blocking the CB1 receptor reduced markers of exhaustion
Targeting CB1 and TRPM8 receptors to counteract CD8+ T cell exhaustion
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-46794-2_reference.pdf

In lung cancer, a review on the antitumor mechanisms used by the cannabinoids
Cannabinoid-Driven Rewiring of GPCR and Ion Channel Signaling in Lung Cancer
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/4/856

In oral cancer cells, a review on the ability of CBD to exert antitumor effects via the modulation of the secretion of extracellular vesicles
Inhibition of extracellular vesicle secretion by cannabidiol: A promising approach for oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006295226002819

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

On the design of new drugs to activate the CB1 receptor with reduced side effects
Rational design of Gi-biased CB1 agonist with reduced side effects
https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(26)00287-4

For inhibiting the FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide), on searching for chimeras to break it down
Rational design, molecular characterization and dissociation mechanisms of PROTACs targeting hFAAH
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/cp/d5cp04715c/unauth

When using microalgae to produce cannabinoids, the enzymes for synthesis can be inserted but something keeps them from actually producing cannabinoids
Functional Expression of the Aromatic Prenyltransferase NphB in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Highlights Challenges in Cannabinoid Biocatalysis
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/16/4/346

On the electronic properties of CBD, THC & CBN, using density functional theory to analyze their reactivity potentials & quantum parameters
Investigation of quantum chemical parameters of hemp (Cannabis sativa) components (CBD, CBN, THC) using density functional theory (DFT)
https://pdf.journalagent.com/pajes/pdfs/PAJES-85833-RESEARCH_ARTICLE-KARTALOGLU.pdf

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For this week’s King of the Clarinet, the 1959 album ‘Pete Fountain’s New Orleans’. Born in the Bayou St. John neighborhood of New Orleans, Pete Fountain’s family came to the city in the French migrations of the 1800s. With weak lungs as a child & frequently sick, a local doctor advised his father to have the youngster take up some instrument that required blowing. With the choice of anything at the local music store, Pete chose a clarinet. It took him a while until he had the lung strength to make any sound, but eventually he improved the health of his lungs by playing along with records of Benny Goodman & by his teen years, he was regularly playing on Bourbon Street. He shared that “when I was a high school senior, my history teacher asked me why I didn’t study more... I answered that I was too busy playing clarinet every night, and when I told him I was making scale — about $125 a week — he said that was more than he made and I should play full time. I guess I was a professional from that point on.”
Fountain played widely in New Orleans across the 1950s but his big break was going to Los Angeles for a string of appearances on the Lawrence Welk show from 1957 to 1959, though he eventually left because “champagne and bourbon don’t mix.” He was then hired by Decca where he went on to produce 42 albums. Fountain returned to New Orleans & founded a freelance marching unit known as the Half-Fast Walking Club (though the original name was The Half-Assed Walking Club, which parade organizers didn’t love). In the 60s & 70s, he owned his own club in the French Quarter where a string of stars would appear like Frank Sinatra, Carol Lawrence & Robert Goulet, Robert Mitchum & Brenda Lee. The club remained open until 2003 & Pete Fountain continued playing until soon before his death 10 years ago from heart problems.

This newsletter is the backbone of my work & I hope it brings you a measure of value. If so, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription & support my sharing all of the new cannabinoid science each week.

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[this newsletter will be on vacation the next 2 weeks due to the ICBC conference & travel back to PA with the kids for the wedding of my 80+ year old uncle (#younglove)]

🌟 #ThisWeek 🌟

(#hashtags for jumping to articles by searching for them with your browser)

• For PMS pain, vaginal CBDA suppositories

• #CancerWeek: cannabis for cancer pain, nausea & sex + results from the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research Conference

• Medical cannabis from workers’ comp: Colorado says thumbs up!

• On allergies, 2 strange case reports (#allergies)

• For your rescued horse with open wounds, topical & oral THC & CBD

• #CHS: 2 case reports of severe problems from the hot water bathing

• Preclinical: CBG for arthritis & depression + CBD & BDNF for Alzheimer’s + THC & CBD for Parkinson’s

• THC & CBD discovered on an exoplanet!!! (this year’s best #AprilFools)

• Taoism & drugs special interest unlocked! (#taoism)

• Products: 2 on hemp in body armor (#bullets)

(Numbers for C&P#184: ~6.8k words, ~17 minutes reading time, 127 papers)

📌 Editor’s notes 📌:
Thanks to everyone who filled out the survey from last week. As you can see above, I decided to create a hashtag system to help you quickly find the articles referenced at the top. Let me know if it’s too confusing or hard to read (#WorkInProgress). I’m also going to experiment more with breaking out more sections in the ‘best of cannabinoid science’ when a week happens to get several papers on one topic, like this week with cancer & prenatal cannabis use.

Also, hello to all the new subscribers! I don’t know what happened or where online I got referenced, but there is a flood of new people this week. So besides welcome, I just wanted to reiterate to everyone that my science archives are open to anyone. If there is a specific organ system or disease where you want the data on cannabinoids for sharing to loved ones or healthcare practitioners, I have it all organized in docs. Just reach out & I’ll send it over.

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 184^th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as the War on Drugs, harm reduction & other psychoactives. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.

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If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
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• CBD for Exercise-Induced Muscle Injury

• Cannabinoids & Parkinson’s Disease

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@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram:

• ‘The Busy Man’s Prayer’ from Buber’s ‘Tales of the Hasidim’

• ‘White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa’ by Susan Williams

And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: Jamaican vocal heroes, The Maytals

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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

The only #AprilFools joke you need: An exoplanet detected with THC & CBD in the atmosphere
First Detection of Exoplanetary Cannabinoids: Evidence for THC and CBD in the Atmosphere of K2-18b
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.29700
And oh man, did they put in their work. 15 pages of 420 jokes & Cosmic Humor.
Plus, check out the author list…

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

In humans with premenstrual pain & in a rat model, a vaginal suppository of both CBD & CBDA relaxed contractions & lowered pain, with CBDA being more potent
CBDA and CBD Diminish Spontaneous Contractions of the Myometrium in vitro and Significantly Ameliorate Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea
https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/23/Supplement_3/qdag063.150/8614438

In people with osteoarthritis of the thumb, topical CBD caused greater functional gains than a topical NSAID (diclofenac)
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Topical Cannabidiol to Topical Diclofenac for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Thumb
https://www.ors.org/wp-content/uploads/AM26/571.pdf

For Colorado’s medical cannabis reimbursement in workers’ compensation, participants reported meaningful reductions in pain & improvements in function, quality of life & psychosocial stability as well as a modest reduction in opioid use
Medical Cannabis Reimbursement in Workers’ Compensation: Insights from a Program Evaluation in Colorado
https://journals.lww.com/joem/abstract/9900/medical_cannabis_reimbursement_in_workers_.1107.aspx

In active female CBD users, a survey found lower resting energy expenditure, shorter sleep duration & lower quality of life measurements
Health Characteristics of Recreationally Active Female Cannabidiol Users: A Real-World Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1823307/abstract

For a rescued horse with an open wound & chronic pain, a case report on the combination of oral & topical THC-rich & CBD-rich full-spectrum oils found sustained improvements in appetite, body condition, pain & mobility as well as marked wound improvement
Case Report: Oral and Topical Chronic Administration of THC-Rich and CBD-Rich Cannabis Oil as Palliative Care in a Rescued Horse with Open Wound, Sarcoid and Chronic Pain
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1794084/abstract

#CancerWeek

(The interesting human studies are here. The animal & tissue studies are in the ‘Cancer & Chemotherapy’ section at the bottom. And you can search “aacrjournals.org” to see all the results from the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research conference)

For cancer pain & symptoms, the UK Medical Cannabis Registry found cannabis-based medicinal products improved all health outcomes measured
Cannabis-based medicinal products for cancer pain: a two-year prospective analysis from the UK medical cannabis registry
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09699260.2026.2650901

For people using cannabis during cancer treatment, a survey found the majority reported cannabis helping with pain, appetite loss, insomnia, irritability, anxiety & nausea, with 20% saying it revived their interest in sexual activities
Cannabis use during cancer treatment: Patterns and perceptions of cannabis use among cancer survivors at a Wisconsin cancer center
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/1242/776834

In cancer survivors, a meta-analysis of 27 studies found 15% to have used cannabis in the last month, though they had lower odds of use than people who never had cancer
Cannabis use among cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13690-026-01911-5

In people with a brain tumor, 600 mg of CBD isolate per day for 3 weeks did not reduce anxiety or depression symptoms
Cannabidiol for anxiety and depressive symptoms in primary brain tumors: results from an early-terminated placebo-controlled crossover randomized clinical trial
https://watermark02.silverchair.com/npag025.pdf

For cancer, a review on the interactions among cannabinoids & flavonoids
Cannabis sativa Phytochemicals in Cancer Therapy: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1768210/abstract

Prenatal cannabis use

For cannabis use during pregnancy, a survey found the most common reason was for insomnia
Sleep Motives and Expectancies for Cannabis Use in Pregnancy
https://publications.sciences.ucf.edu/cannabis/index.php/Cannabis/article/view/372

For prenatal cannabis use, public health data found that it was not associated with increased risk of offspring anxiety or depression
Prenatal Cannabis Use and Child Diagnoses of Depressive and Anxiety Disorders
https://publications.sciences.ucf.edu/cannabis/index.php/Cannabis/article/view/362

For prenatal cannabinoid exposure, a review of the effects on the offspring’s heart & lungs
Cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy: Cardiorespiratory effects and offspring outcomes
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1113/JP289280

📑 Reviews 📑

For autism, a review of 13 studies suggested “that cannabis, especially cannabidiol, may result in improvements in ASD symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, stereotypic behaviors, social interaction, and emotional regulation”
Efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis use in autism spectrum disorder: an integrative review
https://residenciapediatrica.com.br/Content/pdf/en_v16n1e1427.pdf

For the effects of CBD & hemp oil on drug test results, a review of 12 studies found that positive test results might occur & that there’s a potential for CBD to convert to THC during manufacturing or in the human body (that last part is hotly debated)
Impact of CBD and hemp oil use on drug test results: a systematic review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-026-03790-5

In neurodegenerative diseases, a review of the various drugs that target the endocannabinoid system
The role of cannabinoid ligands in neurodegenerative diseases: Emerging anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation and disease-modifying perspectives
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661826001003

For neurodegenerative diseases, a review on the benefits of CBD
Cannabidiol from Cannabis sativa: A Potential Therapeutic Agent for Neurodegenerative Diseases
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sreenivasulu-Sura/publication/403422001_Tropical_Journal_of_Natural_Product_Research_Cannabidiol_from_Cannabis_sativa_A_Potential_Therapeutic_Agent_for_Neurodegenerative_Diseases/links/69cdbff7ac381228756598ef/Tropical-Journal-of-Natural-Product-Research-Cannabidiol-from-Cannabis-sativa-A-Potential-Therapeutic-Agent-for-Neurodegenerative-Diseases.pdf

For muscle preservation in people with muscular dystrophy, this review found limited clinical data but promising potential on the combination of exercise & CBD
Muscular Dystrophy Muscle Preservation: A Comparative Systematic Review of Exercise and Cannabidiol (CBD) Interventions
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andre-Aabedi-2/publication/403332713_Muscular_Dystrophy_Muscle_Preservation_A_Comparative_Systematic_Review_of_Exercise_and_Cannabidiol_CBD_Interventions/links/69cbfccb3c61894306728a73/Muscular-Dystrophy-Muscle-Preservation-A-Comparative-Systematic-Review-of-Exercise-and-Cannabidiol-CBD-Interventions.pdf

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

In people with ADHD, both cannabis use disorder & alcohol use disorder were associated with reduced odds of a clinical response to pharmacological treatment
Factors Associated with Reduced Clinical Response in Adult ADHD: The Role of Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/7/2688

For peanut allergies, a case report of a 2-year-old whose peanut, mugwort & cannabis allergies might have been sensitized via passive cannabis smoke exposure (#allergies)
The Evolving Contribution of Cannabis Exposure to Peanut Allergy Development: A Case Report
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/case_report/pdf/461403/20260331-138308-7f5oxg.pdf

For tomato allergies, a case report where cannabis might have been a primary sensitizer for a strong tomato allergy reaction
Dual Anaphylaxis Triggered by Cannabis and Tomato: A Case Report
https://megajournalsofcasereports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/MJCR-93-2419.pdf

For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a case report of a prolonged hot bath leading to hypothermia & cardiac arrest (#CHS)
The Near‐Fatal Bath: A Case Report With Literature Review of Diagnosis and Management of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
https://www.proquest.com/openview/9f566a4afe68959c8307be5d977fc108/1

For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a case report of someone found unresponsive in the shower with scalding burns
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis, Burn Injury and Nutritional Support: A Case Report and Clinical Implications
https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/article/47/Supplement_1/S249/8607480

In people with cyclical vomiting syndrome, public health data showed cannabis use associated with increased healthcare utilization & poorer outcomes
Cannabis Use Is Associated With Increased Healthcare Utilization and Poorer Outcomes in Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome—A Propensity Matched Analysis of 34,988 Individuals
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nmo.70263

In US adults using synthetic cannabinoids, public health data on their demographics
Disparities in Synthetic Cannabis Use Among U.S. Adults, 2022–2024
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-1851/5/2/9

For kush (synthetic cannabinoid) poisonings in Sierra Leone, on the clinical presentations, including 9 deaths
Clinical presentation and risk factors for severe outcomes in suspected kush poisoning, Sierra Leone, June–November 2025
https://afenet-journal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Article-33-Vol9.pdf

In people exposed to the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-CHMINACA, a case series of their clinical presentations, with the most common symptoms being panic attacks, tachycardia, agitation, vomiting & seizures
Acute toxicity of ADB‐CHMINACA ‐ a case series of patients with pronounced central nervous symptoms including the posterior reversible encephalopathic syndrome
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bcp.70538

For detecting synthetic cannabinoids in dead bodies, on the demographics & limits of testing
Detection of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Postmortem Samples: A Retrospective Toxicological Audit at Hyderabad, Pakistan
https://journal.hbs.edu.pk/volume5_issue2/volume_5_issue_2_complete.pdf

In people at the emergency department, public health data found that those with cannabis use disorder had higher rates of mortality within 3 years, but no significant differences in strokes
Cardiovascular Risks Associated With Cannabis Use Among ED Patients
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/459347/20260403-239653-47bfyc.pdf

For cannabis use disorder, a review on the difficulty of studying prevalence & the limited evidence for treatment benefits
Cannabis Use Disorder in the Era of Legalization: Implications for Addiction Treatment Systems
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/SAR.S581271
And for defining cannabis use disorder, a review of 56 studies on the large variability in definitions
Defining Cannabis Use Disorder in Administrative Health Data: A Systematic Review of Case Definitions and Validation Approaches
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/25785125261437621

In a small study, cannabis smokers had a more proinflammatory & immunosuppressive state than non-smokers
Cannabis smoking increases systemic inflammation and reduces immunity
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/2844/780413

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In mice taking CBD, the females had significantly higher exposure while males had a longer time of clearance
Sex differences in the disposition of cannabidiol and its metabolites in mice
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00427-7

In a mouse & tissue model of rheumatoid arthritis, CBG lowered the release of proinflammatory cytokines & improved arthritis scores
Cannabigerol (CBG) Modulates Neutrophil Activity and Ameliorates Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/19/4/560

In a mouse model of depression & cognitive dysfunction, CBG showed the most benefit compared to CBD & CBDV
Therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids in depression and cognitive dysfunction: Evidence from preclinical models
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226003318

In a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, THC & CBD reduced anxiety, improved cognition, increased brain serotonin levels & reduced neuronal damage
Effects of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol on Behavioral and Neurochemical Alterations in Experimental Parkinson’s Disease
https://hal.science/hal-05580337/

In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, CBD lowered inflammation & reactivity of the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain) but did not improve the impaired behaviors
The effects of chronic cannabidiol administration on brain pathology and behavioral deficits found in the tau P301s-line PS19 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13872877261421654

In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, a combination of CBD & the brain growth factor BDNF (a key brain growth factor) reduced levels of the amyloid plaques, decreased proinflammatory cytokines, lowered activation of the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), promoted neurogenesis (birth of new brain cells) in the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain) & eventually improved cognitive function
Cannabidiol and pBDNF Cotreatment Attenuates Pathological Symptoms and Improves Cognition in 3 month-Old 5XFAD Mice
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acschemneuro.5c01009

In human microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), CBD inhibited inflammatory signaling
Cannabidiol Inhibits Interferon-γ-induced Inflammatory Signaling in C20 Human Microglia
https://openresearch.okstate.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d52159b0-b0e3-4a65-991d-4d9e8ce6682c/content

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

On drug use in Daoist practice, a review of the history (#taoism)
Psychoactive Substances in Daoist Practice: A Cultural and Historical Perspective
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/17/4/438
Two of my special interests aligned! As people who watch my book videos know, I inherited a large library from Uncle Buck (my friend’s dad who became an adopted grandparent to our oldest child, along with his wife Aunty J). Uncle Buck’s library included Daoist classics beyond the ones I already knew like the Tao Te Ching & the first Chinese alchemical text, The Seal of the Unity of the Three. These included the lovely 15^th century teaching novel ‘7 Taoist Masters’ as well as the other 2 works of the Daoist trinity of sacred texts, the Lieh-tzu & the Chuang Tzu (here’s an excerpt on death & misery). This led me to works like the encyclopedic Huainanzi (which I’m still working through with its lessons on the dangers of anticipation & how to be a hero to the world) as well as the 18^th century thinker Liu Yiming.
So with Daoism becoming more & more important to me over these last years, it was a joy to listen to this paper about the history of psychoactives in Daoist practice as I weeded my garden. This author talks about the history of Daoist psychoactive use, the careful guardrails about how they were used & how everything was in service of ethics & cultivation practices. Now I am searching for this elusive author so I can send her a gushing letter of appreciation.
And of interest to all you canna-seekers out there, here’s the most famous Daoist passage on cannabis from the ‘Tujing Yanyi Bencao [Illustrated Classic with Expanded Meaning Materia Medica]’: “Excessive consumption causes visions of ghosts and manic running. Prolonged ingestion leads to communion with divine spirits and bodily lightness.”

In the Adzagbe youth language along the Ghana/Togo border, here’s a study of their idioms including some about our favorite plant
Identity through idioms in Adzagbe, a Ghana-Togo border youth language
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14725843.2026.2650402
Special thanks to Dr. Cosmas Rai Amenorvi for sharing the PDF & letting me quote from his work:
“me aka = burn charcoal (smoke cigarret or marijuana)
tɔ dzo gbe = set bush on fire (smoke marijuana)
da zo ɖe zo dzi = put fire on fire (smoke marijuana)
zã dɔwɔnu = use tool (smoke marijuana)”
Personally, from now on, I am now only going to call it “putting fire on fire”.

For the plant Cannabaceae family (which includes cannabis & hops), a spirited defense on the other 11 genre & 100+ species in the family
A pharmacological roadmap for the Cannabaceae family: Prioritizing the therapeutic potential of neglected genera beyond Cannabis and Humulus
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367326X26001486

In sharks of the Bahamas, they were found to have cocaine, caffeine, acetaminophen & the NSAID diclofenac
Drugs in paradise: caffeine, cocaine, and painkillers detected in sharks from The Bahamas
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749126001880

Lex’s roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

Despite Trump’s executive order to reschedule cannabis, the DEA says they have no current plans for moving forward
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-rescheduling-appeal-process-remains-pending-despite-trumps-executive-order-dea-says-in-new-filing/

With Trump’s focus on immigration, the Department of Justice has stopped investigating a huge number of cases, including a 45% increase of drug case declinations (formal stopping of an investigation)
https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-doj-immigration-bondi-declinations-criminal-investigations

According to declassified FBI memos, agents are allowed to invest & work in hemp companies but not THC-rich cannabis companies
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fbi-says-agents-can-invest-and-work-in-hemp-companies-but-not-marijuana-industry-newly-declassified-memo-shows/

In Ohio prisons, on the deaths & overdoses from smoking paper (usually synthetic cannabinoids) & how hard it is to stop it
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/29/ohio-prisons-drugs-k2-overdose-deaths-prison-conditions

On a person with a two-year psychospiritual crisis triggered by AI & cannabis (“1/2 an ounce of cannabis vape-juice a day, or 500mg THC”)
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/wrestling-with-the-angel-of-ai

History Corner: 1868: the first king of rolling papers, Saul David Modiano, opened his first shop in Trieste
https://hightimes.com/culture/saul-david-modiano-rolling-papers/

🌐 International Updates 🌐

In Thailand, as they backed away from adult-use cannabis sales, the public health minister said they plan to convert the ~11k licensed cannabis shops into regulated medical clinics
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/tech/2026/04/01/thailand-to-shift-cannabis-shops-into-medical-clinics/
And an excellent insider's look on the rise & fall of legal cannabis in Thailand by Kitty Chopak
https://parabolacenter.substack.com/p/for-one-week-it-was-basil-an-interview

In Nepal, a province & a region are moving towards legalizing cannabis cultivation
https://english.nepalnews.com/s/business/two-subnational-governments-in-nepal-on-the-path-to-legalizing-cannabis-cultivation/

On the Ukrainian front line, drug use rampant among Russian soldiers
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/12/drug-use-on-ukraines-front-lines-rampant-among-russian-troops

In Japan, a record number of cannabis cases last year with ~6,800 people arrested
https://cannabislaw.report/japan-times-japan-sees-record-cannabis-related-police-investigations-in-2025-6832-individuals-in-cannabis-related-cases/

In a Luxembourg hemp vending machine, buds found containing synthetic cannabinoids
https://cannabislaw.report/media-report-synthetic-cannabinoid-found-in-cannabis-buds-sold-legally-in-luxembourg/
Though even the legal buds are a farce. They contain cannabis with THC acid. And all you need to do with that is heat it with a lighter or put it in the oven for 10 minutes & that THC acid converts to good old regular delta-9 THC.

In South Africa, a thesis project on the hemp value chain
Assessing the Challenges and Opportunities in the South African Industrial Hemp Value Chain
https://scholar.sun.ac.za/server/api/core/bitstreams/fdf84022-03d4-4ace-adc4-0e1b201606b1/content

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

In the EU, an EFSA panel refused to rule on the safety of the CO2 extract of hemp made by Charlotte’s Web
Safety of carbon dioxide extract from Cannabis sativa L. as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10004

On a hemp & cannabis education initiative developed with the Illinois Hemp Coalition
OPUS Open Portal to University Scholarship - Research Days: Relational Teaching in the Age of AI : Promoting Hemp and Cannabis Literacy Through an Interdisciplinary Community Partnership Model
https://opus.govst.edu/research_day/2026/fri/21/

In young adults, on the effects of cannabis edible advertising & warnings
Effects of cannabis edible advertising messages and warnings on product perceptions among US young adults
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001341

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

On the impacts of the US strikes against Caribbean narcotrafficking boats, an excellent analysis by Insight on how the cartels shifted their lanes of transportation
https://insightcrime.org/investigations/did-us-military-strikes-impact-caribbean-drug-trafficking/

In Ecuador, troops on anti-narcotic campaigns were joined by American commandos
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-commandos-ecuador-joint-mission-alleged-narco-terrorists/

An InSight report on how Mexico’s fentanyl markets are being shaped by organized crime
https://insightcrime.org/investigations/how-organized-crime-shapes-mexicos-fentanyl-markets/

On Mexico’s Forever War on Drugs by a Mexican professor
https://www.theideasletter.org/essay/mexicos-forever-war-on-drugs/

In Morocco, on the “Narco-Architect” (aka “Tunnel Boss”) who designs the complex tunnels for smuggling hashish into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta
https://cannabislaw.report/article-the-narco-architect-who-designed-tunnels-to-bring-hashish-from-morocco-into-spain/

In Colombia & Mexico, on punitive drug control leading to a new criminal oligarchy
Criminal governance and oligarchic rule in Colombia and Mexico: the role of punitive drug-control
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01436597.2026.2641780

In Brazil, on the colonial history of cannabis control
Colonial Legacies of Drug Policing in Brazil: The Cannabis Case in Historical Perspective
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/739588

In Sri Lanka, dozens of child drug couriers were arrested
https://www.sundaytimes.lk/260322/news/dozens-of-child-drug-couriers-arrested-raise-red-flags-635082.html

In a Vietnamese drug trafficking ring, 4 received death penalty sentences
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/crime/4-get-death-penalty-in-ho-chi-minh-city-s-drug-trafficking-ring-5049883.html

In South Africa, 4 police officers arrested for trying to sell cannabis they had seized
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/four-mpumalanga-cops-nailed-for-trying-to-hijack-cannabis-seizure

On the racism of cannabis prohibition, a dissertation on the history & the need for remedies of the injustices
Cannabis Prohibition: Race, Equality, and the Case for Reform An Analysis of Democratic Equality Theory and the Disproportionate Impact of Cannabis Law & Policy on Black and Minority Ethnic Groups
https://bermudajournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BJAR_V1_No1_Publish-Ryan-Robinson-Final_1.pdf

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

In San Francisco, a rather negative take on their history of harm reduction trials & approval of their recent tightening of policy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/06/opinion/san-francisco-drugs-decriminalization-fentanyl.html

Harm Reduction Research

For treating opioid use disorder, interviews on the best strategies
Strategies to Support Care Transitions for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder: Pathways and Partnerships for Success
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/21501319251387820
“Experts ranked specialized addiction treatment programs, primary care clinics affiliated with hospitals, and harm reduction services as the top priorities for partnerships. Suggested strategies to support transitions clustered into 5 categories: (1) structured care transition programs within hospitals; (2) programs to address social and material needs; (3) data and reporting – internally and externally; (4) low-barrier policies shared among partners; and (5) creating community networks.”

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

On the decrease of cocaine consumption in the US
https://san.com/cc/why-america-is-falling-out-of-love-with-cocaine/

A takedown of Michael Pollan as a plagiarist & fake guru by writer Erica Rex, who claimed he ripped off her psychedelic story
https://erica-rex.medium.com/my-original-published-work-was-plagiarized-by-a-famous-white-male-writer-now-he-owns-the-topic-19d0e9f5391e

For kava, reports to the US National Poison Data System on liver injuries have been increasing & as has co-use with kratom
Increase in Poison Center Reports Linked to Kratom-Containing Kava Products — National Poison Data System, United States, 2000–2025
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7512a1.htm

Psychedelics & MDMA

In a survey of people after distressing psychedelic experiences, one-third met the criteria for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms following psychedelic use: a naturalistic survey study
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/06C8542F2AD3B1FE07714AED587DE372/S0033291726103754a.pdf/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-symptoms-following-psychedelic-use-a-naturalistic-survey-study.pdf

For people coming to the emergency department after psychedelic use, a chart review of their clinical characteristics
Clinical Characteristics of Emergency Visits Related to Recreational Psychedelic Use
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10597-026-01620-x
“Common psychiatric symptoms included agitation (25.9%) and anxiety (24.6%). Common nonpsychiatric symptoms included nausea/vomiting (9.5%) and diaphoresis (5.2%). 11.2% of cases required psychiatric hospitalization. Factors associated with psychiatric hospitalization included concurrent cannabis use…, history of bipolar disorder…, and history of a primary psychotic disorder.”

For a mega analysis of psychedelics on brain circuits, a combination of 11 datasets across 5 drugs from 5 countries
An international mega-analysis of psychedelic drug effects on brain circuit function
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04287-9

On psilocybin for depression, a meta-analysis of 15 trials
A living systematic review, meta-analysis and open-data resource of randomized controlled trials of psilocybin treatment for symptoms of depression
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-026-00630-8

For music in psychedelic therapy, a review of the literature & practical considerations
Holding Space Between Notes: Music, Silence, and Cultural Attunement in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484826000081

For borderline personality disorder, review on the potential of psychedelics
Psychedelics as a potential treatment for borderline personality disorder: A narrative review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178126002131

For substance use disorders, a framework on using psychedelics, herbs & behavioral interventions
Stronger Together: Psychedelic, Herbal, and Behavioral Interventions as a Combined Framework for Addiction Recovery
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Halma/publication/403514285_Stronger_Together_Psychedelic_Herbal_and_Behavioral_Interventions_as_a_Combined_Framework_for_Addiction_Recovery/links/69d1be12e8c973662964c61b/Stronger-Together-Psychedelic-Herbal-and-Behavioral-Interventions-as-a-Combined-Framework-for-Addiction-Recovery.pdf

For substance use disorders, a review on the use of ibogaine
The Efficacy and Safety of Ibogaine Treatment for Substance Use Disorders - A Narrative Review
https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/69942

On psychedelics for comorbid depression & chronic pain, a review of the mechanisms of action
Psychedelic Therapies for Comorbid Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Pain: A Review of Putative Mechanisms of Action
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/prp2.70238

On synthesizing the top 5 natural psychedelics in a tobacco plant
Complete biosynthesis of psychedelic tryptamines from three kingdoms in plants
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.aeb3034

Ketamine

For chronic pain, a review of 5 studies found ketamine caused significant short-term pain relief, especially for neuropathic conditions
Subanesthetic Ketamine for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review of Evidence from Randomized Trials over the Past Two Decades
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-1851/5/2/10

For adolescent suicidal ideation, a single dose of IV ketamine did not alter their suicidal ideation
Single dose IV ketamine for adolescent suicidal ideation in the emergency department: a pilot randomized trial
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-026-08042-9

Kratom

On using kratom for pain, a review of the limited clinical data
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) for pain management: a systematic review of preclinical evidence and limited clinical data
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667031326000291

Cathinones

In Ethiopia, on the regulation of khat
The regulation and control of khat use and access in Ethiopia
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/03B2B88B283D73BA64EFAB8C0CEAA59B/S2054425126101897a.pdf/the-regulation-and-control-of-khat-use-and-access-in-ethiopia-policy-brief.pdf

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

A great history of hemp processing in Italy with a special focus on thermal hot springs for accelerating the hemp retting process
An Unusual Use of Thermal-Mineral Water in the Euganean Area for Hemp Processing during the Time of the Serenissima
https://www.engramma.it/eOS/index.php?id_articolo=6173

🌱 Growing 🌱

For light spectra, on the ranges that most strongly enhanced photosynthetic activity & cannabinoid yield
Interval-Based LED Lighting Enhances Phytochemical Production in Cannabis under Greenhouse Conditions
https://www.ijagbio.com/pdf-files/25-776.pdf

In field-grown hemp, on the effects of density on biomass & yield
Effect of plant population on crop growth, floral biomass, and cannabinoid yield in field‐grown hemp
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/agg2.70348

For hemp seeds, treatment with Trichoderma fungi promoted growth
Seed Treatment with Selected Trichoderma Isolates Enhances Plantlet Growth and Proline Accumulation in Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7140/6/2/17

On enhancing hemp fiber & cannabinoid content via helpful root fungi
Enhancement of fiber content and cannabinoids of hemp using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic fungi
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-46869-0_reference.pdf

For efficient sex identification of cannabis, on using a high-resolution melting assay
Multiplex high resolution melting using MADC2 and SCAR markers for sex identification of Cannabis sativa L. cultivation
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-46461-6_reference.pdf

For cannabis cultivars & metabolite correlations, on the related shifts in terpene profiles caused by domestication
Domestication-Driven Metabolite Correlations in Cannabis sativa: A Chemometric Data Fusion Approach
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266703132600028X

For trichome differentiation & cannabinoid synthesis, a genetic analysis of their regulatory mechanisms
A Novel CsYABBY3‐CsAS1 Feedback Loop Coordinates Trichome Differentiation and Cannabinoid Biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa L.
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/advs.75055

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

On creating profiles of cannabis chemovars that incorporate the minor cannabinoids
Hierarchical Chemotaxonomic Differentiation in Cannabis Chemovars Using Quantitative HPLC Cannabinoid Profiling and Multivariate Chemometrics
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/15/7/1077

For analyzing low-THC cannabis products, on the most helpful analytical techniques
An Integrated Analytical Approach for the Evaluation of Low-THC Cannabis sativa Products
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/14/7/1172

On increasing CBD bioavailability with nano lipid formulations
Solid Pro-Nano Lipid Oral Formulations for Cannabidiol (CBD)
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/4/436

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

In wheat-chia bread, adding hemp flour significantly increased protein, dietary fiber & polyunsaturated fatty acid content
Enrichment of Wheat–Chia Bread with Hemp, and Buckwheat Flours and Cistus incanus L. Infusion: Impact on Chemical Composition, Polyphenols, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, and Consumer Acceptance
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/7/1198

In probiotic goat milk yogurt, adding hemp seed protein concentrate increased the viability of the bacteria during storage & gut transit
Probiotic goat milk yogurt with plant-based prebiotics: Probiotic survival during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal transit
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030226003152

For films for covering blackberries, on creating one with CBG to reduce mold growth, water loss & color degradation
Development and Characterization of Active Pectin–Curdlan Biopolymer Films with Cannabigerol (CBG) Oil as Innovative Materials with Plant Metabolism–Stimulating Properties and Potential to Extend the Postharvest Shelf Life of Blackberries (Black Satin) Fruits
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/7/890

On green extraction methods of hemp seed protein
Green transformation of hemp seed protein: structural modification and functional enhancement with hydrogen-rich water
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014181302601723X

In laying hens, dietary hemp seeds decreased intramuscular fat & improved fatty acid composition
Effects of dietary hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) on breast and thigh meat quality attributes, fatty acid profiles, and health lipid indices in laying hens
https://www.vetmedmosul.com/article_190486_2f6e1ef9edd353605cea3b32f7b73a63.pdf

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

For stopping bullets, on the best mix of Kevlar, hemp & carbon nanotubes (#bullets)
Response surface modelling of tensile and impact characteristics of Kevlar/Hemp/CNT reinforced polymer matrix composites
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40712-026-00435-8

For stopping bullets, on adding a flax/hemp composite to a metal mesh
Ballistic and drop-weight impact response of SS304 metal mesh embedded woven flax/hemp fiber hybrid composites
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-44055-w

For saliva detection of the immune tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), on creating an immunosensor with gold nanoparticles, polyvinyl alcohol & hemp-derived nanocellulose
Non-invasive detection of salivary TNF-α enabled by hemp-derived nanocellulose nanocomposite electrochemical immunosensor for point-of-care diagnostics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1567539426000824

For hemp textile coatings, on nanotreatment to improve flame resistance, UV protection, antibacterial activity & water resistance
Synergistic strategy of Nano-ZnO/DOPO/fluorinated silicone in waterborne polyurethane coating for multifunctional finishing of hemp fabric
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300944026002213

On creating fire-resistant panels with hemp insulation
ESTABLISHING PATTERNS IN THE FORMATION OF A FIRE-RESISTANT SIP PANEL WITH HEMP INSULATION
https://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/bitstream/123456789/28056/1/Tsapko.pdf

For pellets, on 3D printing composites of hemp, polyethylene glycol & polylactic acid
Rheological, Mechanical, and Life Cycle Assessment of 3D‐Printed PLA/Hemp/PEG Biocomposites
https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pen.70490

For concrete reinforcement, on 3D printing a hemp-polylactic acid composite
Performance Evaluation of Novel 3D Printed Hemp-PLA Composites for Sustainable Concrete Reinforcement
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352710226008235

For bio-concrete, on combining gypsum & hemp shives
Thermal Recycling of Gypsum–Hemp Bio-Concrete: Experimental Evaluation of Dehydration Conditions and Properties Evolution
https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/11/4/71

For hemp-lime composites, on optimizing the addition of hemp fibers
Impact of Hemp Fiber Content and Length on the Hygrothermal, Mechanical, and CO2 Emission Performance of Hemp-Lime Composites
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710226008776

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

A book chapter on the history of cannabinoids in medicine
Phytocannabinoids: Chemistry and Medicine
https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-642-36202-6_147-1

An Indian review on cannabis therapy & regulation
Medical Marijuana: A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Use, Legal Bindings and Regulatory Perspectives
https://ijprt.org/index.php/pub/article/view/1680

For the endocannabinoid system, a review of targeting it for a range of disorders
Assessment on Coordinated Roles of Endocannabinoid System to Combat against Multidimensional Disorders in Human Body
https://hal.science/hal-05580325/

A Moroccan review on the history of cannabis & its modern industrial uses
The Multiple Uses of the Cannabis Plant and its Historical and Modern Development: An Analysis of Challenges and Opportunities
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Iliass-Bouhlal/publication/403525250_The_multiple_uses_of_the_cannabis_plant_and_its_historical_and_modern_development_An_Analysis_of_Challenges_and_Opportunities/links/69d2deb43c6189430673f3da/The-multiple-uses-of-the-cannabis-plant-and-its-historical-and-modern-development-An-Analysis-of-Challenges-and-Opportunities.pdf

(I have a soft spot for crackpots with an axe to grind) A hypothesis on the fungus Candida co-evolving with humans to enable language via the oscillation of salt levels in African lakes
The Saline Oscillation Hypothesis: Endocannabinoid-Mediated Fungal Hominid Coevolution in the East African Rift Valley
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jim-Craddock/publication/403422153_The_Saline_Oscillation_Hypothesis_Endocannabinoid-Mediated_Fungal-_Hominid_Coevolution_in_the_East_African_Rift_Valley/links/69cdb6ede8c97366296350cb/The-Saline-Oscillation-Hypothesis-Endocannabinoid-Mediated-Fungal-Hominid-Coevolution-in-the-East-African-Rift-Valley.pdf
I don’t think the author is subscribed to this newsletter, which is good because I don’t want to hear more about this, but I am glad to know that this theory exists.

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

For drug harms in Canada, a panel of experts rated the worst to be alcohol, followed by tobacco, opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine & cannabis at the bottom
Drug harms in Canada: A multi-criteria decision analysis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811251409147#table1-02698811251409147

For medical cannabis products with higher THC concentrations, this review found mixed outcomes & adverse events including psychiatric, nervous & gastrointestinal effects
Higher THC Concentration Medicinal Cannabis Products Efficacy and Safety Considerations: A Rapid Review
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/dar.70145

In Canadians engaging in higher risk cannabis behaviors, they tended to be younger, male, more poor & less educated
Higher risk cannabis use indicators among people living in Canada: a cross-sectional study examining the association with socio-demographic and socio-economic factors
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13011-026-00722-9

For healthcare providers treating Parkinson’s disease in France, a survey found they were more accepting of using CBD then cannabis
Healthcare providers’ acceptability of cannabis and cannabidiol to manage Parkinson’s disease in France
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X26000111

In Polish family physicians, a survey found only limited willingness to prescribe medical cannabis
Readiness to Use Medicinal Marijuana in the Practices of Polish Family Physicians
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/7/2670

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

For early cannabis use & the risk of opioid use disorder, public health data found that cannabis use prior to the age of 15 was robustly associated with later opioid use disorder
Early onset of cannabis use and risk for opioid use disorder across two decades in the United States
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460326001139

In Black & Latino youth, on the factors associated with later alcohol & cannabis use
Latent classes of substance use precursors predict positive alcohol and cannabis expectancies one year later in Black and Latino early adolescents in the ABCD study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460326001127

For cannabis use by college students, a review of 44 studies on outcomes
Systematic Review of College Students’ Perceptions of Cannabis: Trends, Risks, and University Implications
https://gexinonline.com/uploads/articles/article-jcssr-115.pdf

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In a female adolescent rat model of neuropathic pain, a sciatic nerve injury caused an increased preference for both CBD & oxycodone, with each causing different changes in the cerebellum
Place preference in a female adolescent rat model of neuropathic pain: The effects of cannabidiol and oxycodone on cerebellum cell density
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07056-1

Someone got very excited about their new system for brain network analysis & cannabis use (#JargonWarning)
Large-scale nonlinear Granger causality enables robust cannabis-use classification through evidence-guided brain-network analysis
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13929/139290L/Largescale-nonlinear-Granger-causality-enables-robust-cannabisuse-classification-through-evidenceguided/10.1117/12.3086330.short
Large-scale Granger causality analysis of cannabis-related network changes in the resting state with informed priors
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13929/139290N/Largescale-Granger-causality-analysis-of-cannabisrelated-network-changes-in-the/10.1117/12.3086350.short
Large-scale extended Granger causality with knowledge-informed feature selection for cannabis-use classification
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13929/139291V/Largescale-extended-Granger-causality-with-knowledgeinformed-feature-selection-for-cannabisuse/10.1117/12.3084099.short
Knowledge-driven large-scale augmented Granger causality for classifying cannabis dependence
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13929/139290M/Knowledgedriven-largescale-augmented-Granger-causality-for-classifying-cannabis-dependence/10.1117/12.3086329.short

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

In people smoking very low-nicotine content cigarettes, this did not alter their frequency of alcohol or cannabis use
The impact of very low nicotine cigarettes on cannabis and alcohol use during a 12-week clinical trial
https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntag070/8586492

In a mouse model of one-shot learning (forming a memory after a single brief event), the endocannabinoids mediated this learning in the striatum (decision making & reward)
Striatal endocannabinoids drive one-shot learning
https://hal.science/hal-05574724v1/file/Piette-et-al-Nature-Neurosci-revised2-17032026.pdf

In a rat model of anxiety & depression, there were gendered differences in the effects of the CB2 drug HU-910 & the endocannabinoid-like lipid Oleoyl Serine (OS)
Differential Effects of Oleoyl Serine and HU-910 on Anxiety-like and Depression-like Behaviors in Male and Female WKY Rats
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/7/3177

🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠

In hemp hurds, an analysis of the lignins & their antimicrobial effects
Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Lignin-Derived Compounds in Ground Hurd Tissue of Cannabis sativa L. (Hemp) Cultivars
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1934578X261436515

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

After knee surgery, 5 mg per day of dronabinol (pharmaceutical THC) did not alter opioid use, self-reported pain levels, sleep or nausea
A Synthetic Form of Cannabinoid Does Not Decrease Opioid Use After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective, Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0883540326001944

In people who had surgery for spinal deformities, the cannabis users had no differences in complication rates
Impact of Preoperative Marijuana Use on Functional Recovery and Complications After Spinopelvic Fusion in Adult Spinal Deformity
https://journals.lww.com/neurosurgpraconline/fulltext/2026/06000/impact_of_preoperative_marijuana_use_on_functional.8.aspx

In a rat model of osteoarthritis, the combination of PEA & cucumber extract worked synergistically to improve pain thresholds & limb function
Synergistic modulation of nociceptive and inflammatory pain by palmitoylethanolamide and Cucumis sativus extract in a monosodium-iodoacetate induced osteoarthritic rat model
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10787-026-02197-3

For inflammation, on aryl-cyclohexanone as a potential activator of the CB2 receptor
Aryl-Cyclohexanone as a Potential CB2 Agonist: In Vitro and In Silico Evidence in Inflammatory Modulation
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08923973.2026.2655385

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

For reflux disease (acid into the throat), a combination of PEA, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, Barbary fig, olives, bananas & ginger caused “notable reductions in regurgitation and heartburn”
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of a Nutraceutical Containing Sodium Alginate, Sodium Bicarbonate, PEa, a Blend of Opuntia Ficus Indica, and Olea Europaea, Musa Paradisiaca, and Ginger in Patients with NERD
https://www.jnutraceutical.com/articles/evaluation-of-the-efficacy-and-safety-of-a-nutraceutical-containing-sodium-alginate-sodium-bicarbonate-pea-a-blend-of-i-opuntia-ficus-indica-i-and-i-olea-europaea-i-i-musa-paradisiaca-i-and-ginger-in-patients-with-nerd.pdf

In a mouse model of obesity, CB1 does not seem to be the primary driver of obesity associated with a deficit of the autophagy receptor P62 (cellular recycling)
Exploring cannabinoid receptor CB1 autophagy and the obesity phenotype of p62-deficient mice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580826001317

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

In Queer people with cancer, they had higher levels of cannabis, tobacco & alcohol use
Tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol use among LGBTQ+ patients with cancer: Real-world analysis at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/7852/778119

In a mouse model of breast cancer, a THC-rich cannabis extract accelerated growth
MRI-Based Radiomics Reveals Cannabinoid-Associated Tumor Phenotypes in a Murine Breast Cancer Model
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/7/1154

In a mouse model of liver cancer, CBD inhibited tumor growth & maintained body weight
Enhanced antitumor efficacy and safety of cannabidiol-loaded O-carboxymethyl chitosan nanomicelles in hepatocellular carcinoma
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9212714/v1

In prostate cancer cells, a hemp extract caused anticancer effects
Dose-dependent anti-proliferative activity of a bioactive hemp-derived extract REPYR-SC1 against prostate cancer
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/3655/779656

In prostate cancer cells, the antitumor effects of activating CB2 were potentiated by vitamin D
Vitamin D (calcitriol) potentiates CB2-mediated anti-tumor responses in prostate cancer cell lines: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/3522/781001

In lung cancer cells, CBD enhanced the efficacy of the treatment drug etoposide
Cannabidiol enhances etoposide efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer by engaging a p53-mTOR-TFEB lysosomal death program
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/4474/777680

In melanoma cells, CBG regulated inflammation & oxidative stress but did not explicitly promote apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Metabolic responses of three distinct melanoma cell lines to UVA radiation and cannabigerol
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584926002893

In a mouse model of prostate cancer, activating both the CB2 & CXCR4 receptors lowered cancer growth & metastasis
Combined treatment with agonists for CXCR4 and CB2 receptors reduces prostate cancer growth and metastasis
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/2230/777600

In mice & tissue models of colon cancer, the terpene beta-caryophyllene reduced tumor size & induced apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
β-Caryophyllene induces apoptosis and inhibits angiogenesisin colon cancer models
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/7_Supplement/7084/782075

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For the pioneering vocals of Jamaica, the 1970 album ‘Monkey Man’ by the Maytals. Made up of frontman Frederick “Toots” Hibbert along with Henry “Raleigh” Gordon & Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias, the 3 young vocalists recorded their first song “Hallelujah” in 1962 & in those heady early days of ska, it was a sensation. Within a few years, they recorded a string of classic hits, many being religious songs that appealed to the deeply religious people of the island (I especially like ‘Study War (No More)’). But their first producer started screwing them over, secretly licensing their hits to another label under pseudonyms & giving almost no money to the performers. They left & started recording with some of the best producers on the island as well as a backing group for Desmond Dekker (who was covered previously in C&P#136). By 1966, they recorded a flood of hits & won the island’s first Festival Song Competition with “Bam Bam”. But then Toots got caught with cannabis & received an 18-month jail term. His partners wouldn’t record without him & went on hiatus. Their first song upon his release was the triumphant “54-46 Was My Number”, based on his actual prison number. Then in their 1968 single ‘Do The Reggay’, they coined the term “reggae” & are now listed there in the Oxford English Dictionary. They added instrumentalists to the group & renamed themselves Toots & the Maytals, with the ‘Monkey Man’ album above becoming their first international hit record. With fiery live shows, they spent the ‘70s creating classic albums, touring with the likes of the Who, Jackson Browne, the Eagles & Linda Ronstadt, building up a listener base around the world, especially in the UK. The original group released their last album in 1981, though Toots did later relaunch the Maytals with new members. The group still holds the current Jamaican record for #1 hits: 31.

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🌟 This week 🌟

• CBD for exercise-induced muscle injury

• Cannabis helping with dizziness

• Topical CBD gel for genetic neurodevelopmental disorder

• Cannabis intoxication not helpful for identifying someone in a police lineup

• Cardiotoxicity: see the ‘Heart’ section for reports from this year’s American College of Cardiology conference (alert: lousy puns ahead)

• Preclinical: prenatal CBD exposure linked to more hyperactivity as adolescents

• Evidence of cannabis use in China 4500 years ago

• Psychedelics: intranasal 5-MeO-DMT for depression + mescaline for mental health

• Winner for the best mobile harm reduction program name: Spike on a Bike

(this week’s numbers: ~6.8k words, ~18 minutes reading time, 122 papers)

📌 Editor’s notes 📌:
It’s the 4^th anniversary of ‘Cannabinoids & the People’ on Substack. Now, the traditional gift for the 4^th anniversary is fruit & flowers, but the modern gift is electrical appliances. So what I want more than anything in the world is an electric vegetable slicer.
In celebration, I did a re-formatting of this newsletter to make it more accessible for you & after a meeting with the social media maven Rachel Colic (highly recommended), I’m going to focus more this year on building up my YouTube channel with longer, horizontal videos filmed against the backdrop of my office. The deeper dives suit my style & I’m looking forward to experimenting more on covering topics close to my heart, such as this one on making all drugs illegal.

Survey:
(you can just reply to this email if you’re reading from Substack, or DM me on LinkedIn. And partial answers are more helpful than no answers. I’m just trying to make this newsletter as useful as possible)
For my questions, the main one is: What’s helpful about this newsletter to you & how do you use it?
- Does anything bug you about it? Especially user interface. I’m trying to make it as easy to quickly parse as I possibly can, while still being my completionist self.
- Are there any areas of coverage related to these that you’d like to hear more on?
- Would hashtags help in the “This Week” section at the top so you can quickly find the article referenced below?

Thanks.
I appreciate all of you following along with this unwieldy whale of a newsletter. I feel lucky that I get to put it together, set it adrift each week & let it land where it might. Around 2,000 of you open it each week & at least run your eye down it. There might even be some obsessive soul out there who goes through each issue cover to cover. And I wanted to say to all of you, thanks for reading it & making it worth it.

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 183^rd edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as the War on Drugs, harm reduction & other psychoactives. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.

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If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
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🎥 Lex’s new work 🎤

@CannabinoidsAndThePeople on YouTube, TikTok & LinkedIn
Canna-edu videos sponsored the National Cannabis Study (join & get paid $100 to talk about your use of our favorite plant)

• All drugs illegal? On the deep racism of the US War on Drugs (my audio could be better, but this one is close to my heart)

• That notorious review on cannabis & mental health (hattip to Dr. Uwe Blesching of CannaKeys)

• Cannabis turning on you

Canna-science Videos for CV Sciences on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd
For 30% off their CBD, THC & PEA products, at pluscbdoil.com use the coupon code ‘LEX’

• CBD for Cats & Dogs, according to Portuguese Vets!

• Cannabis for Stroke Recovery

• Cannabis & Canine Osteoarthritis

@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram:

• ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ trilogy

• AI & Kids & Good Taste

And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: a life of Delta blues

💖 Ways to support this work 💖

- A paid subscription on Substack

- Buy Me a Coffee

- Venmo: @Lex-Pelger

- PayPal: donate here

🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

In people with exercise-induced muscle injury, CBD caused less peak pain at rest & with movement as well as less strength impairment & physical disability
Efficacy and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) on reducing pain and functional impairment associated with exercise-induced muscle injury: a randomized placebo-controlled feasibility trial
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00431-x
But for muscle recovery after damage from exercise, a CBD topical did not accelerate recovery or lower soreness
Topical application of cannabidiol for muscle recovery after exercise-induced muscle damage: a randomized, double-blinded pilot study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00420-0

In people with kidney failure, interviews on the improvements from CBD
WCN26-3667 PATIENT EXPERIENCES WITH CANNABIDIOL FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN KIDNEY FAILURE: QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS FROM THE SEISMIC-CBD TRIAL
https://www.kireports.org/article/S2468-0249(26)00342-6/pdf
And on the pharmacokinetics of CBD moving through their system
WCN26-5407 PHARMACOKINETICS OF CANNABIDIOL IN PEOPLE WITH KIDNEY FAILURE: FINDINGS FROM THE SEISMIC-CBD TRIAL
https://www.kireports.org/article/S2468-0249(26)00352-9/fulltext

In people experiencing dizziness, a survey found the majority willing to consider cannabis & 20% reported cannabis to cause a moderate to large subjective relief
A Cross-Sectional Survey of Cannabis Use and Utility Among Patients Experiencing Dizziness
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/16/4/360

In children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (a genetic disease of developmental delays & a range of potential effects), a topical CBD gel caused improvements on all measures, including disease severity, anxiety, behavior & caregiver reported effects
Phase 2, open-label INSPIRE trial to assess the tolerability and effectiveness of transdermal cannabidiol gel in children and adolescents with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (ZYN2-CL-031)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11689-026-09687-z

In people with chronic neuropathic pain, capsules of 1:1 THC:CBD caused substantial pain reductions & improved health-related quality of life in physical & social functioning, energy/fatigue & emotional well-being
Analgesic and Quality of Life Effects of 1:1 Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Cannabidiol Oral Formulation on Chronic Neuropathic Pain Subjects During a Four-Week Observation Period: Pilot Study
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01097-1/abstract

In people with anorexia nervosa, CBD was well tolerated & caused small increases in body mass index
Cannabidiol in Anorexia Nervosa: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Pilot Study to Test Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Symptom Change
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41906184/

In a case report of someone with geographic tongue (inflammatory patches of missing papillae on the tongue), full-spectrum CBD oil caused significant improvements to oral pain
Full Spectrum Cannabidiol Oil as a Symptomatic Management Strategy in Geographic Tongue: Case Report with Literature Review
https://www.bjcasereports.com.br.editorapcaa.com.br/index.php/bjcr/article/view/bjcr179

When giving CBD to fed or fasting dogs, an analysis of their fecal excretions found better bioavailability when fed
Comparative plasma exposure and fecal excretion of oral cannabidiol in fasted and fed dogs: pilot study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11259-026-11170-y

📑 Reviews 📑

On CBD for developmental epilepsy, a review of the mechanisms (with nice charts)
Cannabidiol in Developmental Epilepsy: Organoid-Guided Precision Medicine Across Critical Neurodevelopmental Windows
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2899

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

For neurocognitive recovery after cannabis use disorder, a review of 26 studies found cognitive improvements within the first week of cessation & CB1 receptor normalization within a month
Cannabis cessation and neurocognitive recovery: Patterns, predictors, and clinical implications-a systematic review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41872072/

In people with cannabis-induced first episode psychosis, hopelessness & depression independently predicted psychotic severity
The role of hopelessness and depression in cannabis-induced first-episode psychosis: a 24-month prospective study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326001097

In people with cannabis use disorder, case reports where stellate ganglion blocks (anesthetic injection into nerves of the neck) caused reduced withdrawal symptoms
Stellate Ganglion Block for the Management of Cannabis Use Disorder: A Case Series
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/case_report/pdf/473445/20260326-306793-2mehor.pdf

In an adolescent rat model of vaped THC exposure, early abstinence impaired their memory performance but this was rescued by citicoline (a brain chemical & dietary supplement)
Prior cannabis vapor exposure impairs pattern separation in rodents of multiple ages but is rescued by citicoline administration
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306452226002101

In a rat model of prenatal CBD exposure, the litter size was reduced & as adolescents, they were more hyperactive & in females, more risk-taking
Prenatal cannabidiol exposure alters physical and behavioral development in rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0892036226000164

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, both CBD & THC individually & in combination caused antidepressant-like effects & significantly elevated brain dopamine levels
Antidepressant-like Effects of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol in a Reserpine-induced Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease
https://hal.science/hal-05570890/

In a mouse model of acute lung injury, CBD reduced inflammation & suppressed the immune system response of neutrophils & macrophages
Cannabidiol hinders lipopolysaccharide-induced neutrophils migration to the lungs through suppressing nuclear factor kappa-B signal and expression of interleukin-1 beta in macrophages
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711326003570

In a rat model of inflammation, CBD-rich cannabis extracts not only failed to inhibit the inflammatory response but may have even exacerbated it
Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cannabis sativa Extracts via Possible Modulation of mRNA Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines and Cannabinoid Receptors
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/7/1106

In a rat model of orofacial neuropathic pain, CBD, CBG & full-spectrum extract all worked in females, but males responded only to the CBG & full-spectrum extract
Cannabinoid Modulation and Sex Differences in Orofacial Neuropathic Pain
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01339-2/abstract

In a rat model of neuropathic pain & a tolerance to opioids, CBD reduced their mechanical hypersensitivity & partially counteracted the metabolic dysregulation
Cannabidiol (CBD) modulates the serotonin–kynurenine metabolic balance in the brain of morphine-tolerant neuropathic rats
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43440-026-00850-w

In mice taking oxycodone, CBD inhibited the breakdown of oxycodone, increased exposure by 3X & extended painkiller efficacy, possibly mediated by the liver enzymes CYP2D6 & CYP3A4
Behavioural, pharmacokinetic, and genetic evidence of a cannabidiol-oxycodone drug-drug interaction in mice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226003100

In a rat model of phantom limb pain, given prophylactically, either THC or CBD+ beta caryophyllene reduced onset & severity, while with delayed treatment, the most effective were CBD+THC+ beta caryophyllene or CBD+ beta caryophyllene, working via GABA (the brain’s most common inhibitory neurotransmitter) in the spinal cord
Targeting Phantom Limb Pain with Cannabinoids in a Rat Model
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000551763/4522754/000551763.pdf

In a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (blood flowing back into the brain after a block), the terpene beta caryophyllene caused neuroprotection
High-Throughput RNA Sequencing Identifies Hub Genes and Anti-inflammatory Effects of β-Caryophyllene in Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion via p38MAPK/NF-κB Modulation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923026001437

In a fruit fly model of ALS, on the benefits from both a mixture of flavonoids + terpenes as well as Cannaflavin A
Transcriptomic Effects of Cannabis-Derived Therapies in a Drosophila model of ALS
https://storage.prod.researchhub.com/uploads/papers/users/79414/f704d059-6796-43a1-af55-c5bf3e0bea06/Drosophila%20Manuscript%20-%20Canurta%2012-03-2026.pdf

In a rat model of exercise helping depression, running improved the levels of CB1 receptors in an area of the prefrontal cortex, which was associated with improved behavior
Medial prefrontal cortical CB1Rs and astrocytes are involved in depression and the antidepressant effects of running exercise in male rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016503272600546X

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

In northern China, the first identification of cannabis phytoliths (plant fossils) from 4500 years ago with evidence that the plant was well integrated into local agricultural economy
Integrating cannabis into the prehistoric crop assemblage: Phytolith evidence from Shandong, Northern China (4500-3400 BP)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305440326000750

For eyewitness testimony watching a mock crime, cannabis users did not differ for memory performance, but intoxication caused inflated confidence when making errors in identifying someone in a lineup
Cannabis intoxication does not impair eyewitness recall with the Sketch Cognitive Interview but increases confidence in lineup errors
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-45069-0_reference.pdf

In the US since 2010, adolescents referred to cannabis treatment programs by the criminal legal system decreased substantially
Decreasing criminal legal system referrals to cannabis treatment in the US: Adolescent trends by race and ethnicity between 2010-2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379726000942

[AI policy analysis] For states with automatic cannabis record expungement, this raised average monthly Black earnings by 6.8% & White earnings by 3.9%
The Expungement Dividend: Automatic Marijuana Record Clearing and Black Labor Market Outcomes
https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0714/v1/paper.pdf
I’ve never seen this before, but apparently this paper from the Autonomous Policy Evaluation Project is part of their effort to create automated policy evaluations. I don’t know if you can trust it, but I’m glad to know it exists.

Lex’s roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced their plan to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible patients
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/dr-oz-announces-launch-of-program-covering-hemp-thc-and-cbd-products-through-medicare/
And the head of the FDA quickly said they won’t enforce the CBD laws against this program (because it clearly contravenes them)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-fda-enforcement-memo-clears-way-for-hemp-cbd-product-coverage-under-new-medicare-plan/
And a lawsuit by anti-cannabis demonstrators to immediately block this Medicaid plan was denied, but hearings are scheduled for 4/20
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/judge-rejects-anti-marijuana-groups-motion-to-block-cbd-and-thc-medicare-coverage-plan-setting-hearing-for-4-20/

In Colorado, healthcare facilities can now let terminally ill patients use medical cannabis, though the governor criticized the bill for allowing organizations to opt out
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorado-governor-signs-bill-to-allow-medical-marijuana-use-in-hospitals-but-criticizes-amendment-letting-facilities-opt-out/

A profile of Mark Pedersen, a man who was persecuted for treating chronically sick children with medical cannabis
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a70626609/mark-pedersen-jack-splitt-death-trial-cannabis-herculaneum-missouri/

🌐 International Updates 🌐

In Costa Rica, the first transfer of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to the EU
https://cannabislaw.report/costa-rica-grower-ships-1st-export-of-gacp-certified-medical-cannabis-to-the-eu/

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

In the Zürich adult-use cannabis sales trial, variations in sales conditions had only a small impact on purchase behavior
Variations in Regulated Cannabis Sales Conditions and Their Effect on Purchase Behaviour: Findings from an Observational Study
https://karger.com/ear/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000551031/4523383/000551031.pdf

For youth exposed to cannabis advertising, on the features most associated with fun, health or danger
How Do Cannabis Ads Influence Youth Perceptions of Cannabis?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2645776

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

For designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, a review of the military implications
Military Implications of Designating Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists: A Systematic Literature Review
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403021200_Military_Implications_of_Designating_Drug_Cartels_as_Foreign_Terrorist_Organizations_and_Specially_Designated_Global_Terrorists_A_Systematic_Literature_Review

In Bolivia, on the innovative policies for the defense of the coca leaf & the rights of cocoa growers
Social Control of Coca Production: Lessons from the Tropic of Cochabamba, Bolivia
https://jied.lse.ac.uk/articles/10.31389/jied.292
And for Peru’s largest coca eradication campaign, it reduced schooling among children by ~1.5 years
Coca is gone: Evaluating the unintended consequences of crop eradication on educational outcomes in a former cocaine enclave in the Upper Peruvian Amazon
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926001052

In the Mexican War on Drugs, a thesis project focusing on the mothers of the disappeared trying to reclaim the bodies of their children
Entanglements Of Sovereignties: Searching Mothers, Criminal Organizations And The State Apparatus Amid The Mexican War On Drugs
https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/bc72cbce-3589-4404-8ecc-21ab47d6ea9e/content

In the trials of drug couriers, how gendered narratives shape the outcomes
FROM VICTIM TO VILLAIN: HOW GENDERED NARRATIVES SHAPE DRUG COURIER TRIALS
https://digitalcommons.tourolaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi
“This is not just a movie plot, although it is exactly what happens in Maria Full of Grace, the 2004 film that brought global attention to the role of female drug mules. It is also real life for countless women across Latin America and beyond. Women who are in vulnerable situations: poor, young, isolated, are often targeted by traffickers who know how to exploit desperation. … But once these women are caught, their stories often vanish. In the courtroom, they are no longer seen as desperate or coerced. Instead, they are framed as either careless or cunning, naïve victims who should’ve known better or cold operators who knew exactly what they were doing.”

On the creative smuggling tactics to get drugs across the US border
https://san.com/cc/hidden-in-toys-food-and-freight-cartels-adapt-to-get-drugs-across-the-us-border/

In Uzbekistan, potatoes used to smuggle 72 kg of hashish
https://cannabislaw.report/mash-it-up-uzbekistan-foils-hashish-smuggling-hidden-in-potato-truck/

In Kenya, a poetic court case where a man defending his cannabis cultivation said that he did it because they are beautiful
https://cannabislaw.report/kenyan-court-cannabis-vs-roses/
“When asked by the Magistrate, why he didn’t grow roses instead, Kiprotich replied: ‘I stay away from roses because they attract women. I am not ready for the drama and complications that come with women right now. I prefer solace and the scent of my cannabis. They don’t ask me for anything, they just give me peace of mind’.”

For drug use & its criminalization, a perspective based on Kant
Kantian Perspectives on Drug Use and Drug Criminalization
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0731129X.2026.2644079

🚗 Driving 🚗

For driving under the influence of cannabis, police data from Pennsylvania found legalization in a neighboring state increased a county’s rate of crashes involving a cannabis-positive driver
The effects of recreational marijuana legalization on driving under the influence of marijuana in a neighboring state: A cross-border quasi-experiment
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437526000472

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

For the involuntary treatment of substance use disorders, the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine made a statement against it, though they do say “there is a lack of high-quality evidence to either support or refute this approach to care”
Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine Position Statement on Involuntary Treatment
https://journals.lww.com/cja/fulltext/2026/03000/canadian_society_of_addiction_medicine_position.3.aspx

In Missouri, on the dangers of prisons for people with substance use disorders because of receiving punishment instead of treatment
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/03/05/st-louis-missouri-prison-opioid-addiction-lawsuit

Harm Reduction Research

For the parental use of psychoactives, a special issue on a harm reduction approach
Reimagining Support for Parenting in the Context of Parent Psychoactive Substance Use: A Harm Reduction Approach
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15295192.2025.2605463

On a mobile Welsh harm reduction known as Spike on a Bike
Spike on a bike: mobile harm reduction in action
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-025-01394-7

For veterans, on the efficacy of harm reduction supply vending machines
Meeting Veterans Where They Are: Harm Reduction Supply Distribution via Vending Machines
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342261426185

For the drug decriminalization in British Columbia, interviews & data found limited help for unhoused or structurally vulnerable individuals
Public drug use, policing, and the limits of decriminalization in British Columbia: A mixed methods study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926001027
And that the barriers to health & harm reduction services persisted
Access to health and harm reduction services during drug decriminalization in British Columbia, Canada: a mixed-method study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-26978-1
And an AI analysis found widespread public confusion
Detecting Misconception Surges in Opioid Policy: A Zero-Shot LLM Analysis of British Columbia’s Decriminalization Pilot
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8897658/v1_covered_1137d5a4-47be-4ada-bbf7-0e21a0952b2b.pdf

For sexual minority people attempting to access addiction treatment services, a review of 62 studies on their barriers
Barriers and facilitators to accessing addiction treatment services for sexual minority(LGBQ+) people: systematic review
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/AF67B6EFE324EE587A8830F87B90355E/S0007125026105893a.pdf/barriers-and-facilitators-to-accessing-addiction-treatment-services-for-sexual-minority-lgbq-people-systematic-review.pdf

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

An experiment of scientists using LSD to solve their most difficult problems, with a focus on Merlin Sheldrake of ‘Entangled Life’ fame

David Luke

Ecodelia and the lost art of lichenthropy

Read more

3 months ago · 19 likes · 10 comments · David Luke

A personal story of using ibogaine to treat trauma at the Ambio clinic in Mexico
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/magazine/ibogaine-psychedelic-treatment-trauma-mental-health.html

For finding new drug names, on the use of a language model combing the Internet
What’s new on the market? Combining internet traces and pretrained language models to recognize emerging drug names
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073826001453

Psychedelics & MDMA

In people with depression, intranasal 5-MeO-DMT caused rapid & sustained reductions
Intranasal 5-MeO-DMT Concomitant with SSRI for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Proof-of-Concept Trial
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40263-025-01250-z

For people on Reddit using psychedelics for mental health, a survey of their themes
“I can objectively view my trauma without feeling like I’m there”: Reddit discussions on self-reported use of psychedelics to address co-occurring substance use and mental health needs
https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00487/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00487.xml
“Thematic analysis revealed positive experiences with psychedelics, including symptom relief for anxiety, depression, and PTSD, along with enhanced mood, inner peace, emotional healing, and shifts in perspective. These experiences were linked to reprocessing trauma and disrupting negative thought cycles. Users highlighted the potential for psychedelics to support long-term recovery from opioid use by fostering emotional resilience and clarity.”

For psilocybin, a case report of someone with cardiac arrest after eating a psilocybin-chocolate bar
26-CCC-15854-ACC TALK ABOUT A BAD TRIP!: PSILOCYBIN USE WITH PRE-EXISTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, A CASE REPORT
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3249

For an IV of DMT, on the pharmacokinetics
Dose-dependent pharmacokinetics and acute effects of intravenous bolus N,Ndimethyltryptamine: double-blind, randomized versus open-label dose-escalation administration study in healthy participants
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-03987-7_reference.pdf

For mescaline & psychiatric disorders, a review of 10 studies found help for “depression scales, well-being, nicotine dependence, alcohol use, and obsessions”
The Ethnopharmacological Use of Mescaline for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/7/3081

In people with depression, a review of 13 trials found mystical-type experiences linked to improvements in anxiety and/or depression outcomes
A scoping review of mystical-type experiences and mood symptom outcomes in psychedelic therapy clinical trials: comparing life-threatening disease and depressive populations
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20451253261433836

For cancer pain, a review of using psychedelics
Psychedelics; an untapped therapeutic niche: a narrative review in the future of cancer pain management
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590098626000102

For co-occurring PTSD & a substance use disorder, a review on the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and Substance Use Disorders: A Scoping Review of Feasibility and Future Directions
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S295048482600007X

For adolescents with treatment-resistant mental health diseases, a commentary on the potential of psychedelic medicine
Classic psychedelic medicines for adolescent refractory mental health disease
https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00452/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00452.xml

For derivatives of LSD, computer modeling of their potential toxicity
The toxicity of psychedelic LSD derivatives: 1-acetyl-LSD (ALD-52), 1-propionyl-LSD (1P-LSD), 1-butyryl-LSD (1B-LSD), 1-valeryl-LSD (1V-LSD) and 1-cyclopropylmethanoyl-LSD (1cP-LSD)—prediction of toxicological parameters relevant to clinical and forensic toxicology using multi-in silico approach
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-025-04255-1

Ketamine

For the self-described therapeutic use of ketamine, an analysis of Reddit posts
Ketamine Use in Self-Described Therapeutic Contexts: A Thematic Analysis of Reddit Posts
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/4/480

For people with opioid use disorder, a combination of ketamine & Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) lowered cravings & opioid use
Ketamine-assisted Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement for opioid use disorder: a randomized controlled trial
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-026-00625-5

For pain, on combining yoga & ketamine
Integrating Yoga Therapy and Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Management
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01111-3/abstract

Kratom

For kratom, public health data on the increases in reports to the US National Poison Data System over the last 10 years
Increases in Kratom-Related Reports to Poison Centers — National Poison Data System, United States, 2015–2025
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a1.htm

A case report of kratom-induced liver injury
Kratom Consumption Associated With HerbInduced Liver Injury and a Pharmacokinetic Interaction: A Case Report
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/case_report/pdf/478215/20260328-330966-25ul23.pdf

A case report as kratom as a trigger for arrhythmia problems
26-CCC-10170-ACC KRATOM AS A POTENTIAL TRIGGER FOR BRUGADA TYPE 1 ECG PATTERN AND ARRHYTHMIC SYNCOPE
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3178
And another
26-CCC-8308-ACC KRATOM: A DEADLY OUTCOME
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3158
And a case of heart failure
26-CCC-15323-ACC KRATOM-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY: A RARE CAUSE OF REVERSIBLE HEART FAILURE
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3755

In withdrawal from kratom, a case report of cardiovascular toxicity
26-CCC-15620-ACC BEYOND NATURAL: TAKOTSUBO CARDIOMYOPATHY FROM KRATOM WITHDRAWAL
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3763

Cathinones

In France, cathinone use on the rise among people attending harm reduction facilities
The rising wave of cathinone use in people attending harm reduction facilities: a French repeated cross-sectional study (2019–2023)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-026-00655-5

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

🌱 Growing 🌱

On the effects of different light spectra on cannabis yield, mineral content & pigment levels
Effects of Green Light Deprivation and Red-to-Blue Ratio on Growth, Mineral Content, and Pigments in Salvia officinalis L. and Cannabis sativa L.
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/15/7/1004

In different hemp germplasms, on evaluating their resistance to downy mildew (caused by Pseudoperonospora cannabina)
Evaluation of downy mildew resistance in the USDA Hemp Germplasm Repository using high-throughput and traditional phenotyping methods
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-09-25-1916-RE

For cannabis flower development, an analysis of the transcribed genes
Transcriptomic insights into unisexual flower development in Cannabis sativa: conserved MADS-box networks and divergent developmental programs
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12870-026-08639-y

For the terpene synthesis enzymes of cannabis, a genetic & functional analysis
Expansion and functional diversification of terpene synthases shape volatile terpenoid landscape in Cannabis sativa
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211383526001942

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

For the thermal breakdown of CBD & THC, computer modeling of their breakdown products with a focus on risk
Computational Modeling of Cannabidiol and Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol Derivatives from the Thermal Degradation of Cannabis sativa
https://www.acapublishing.com/dosyalar/baski/BEN_2025_1062.pdf

For CBD isolate formulated as an encapsulated powder emulsion, it caused significantly increased bioavailability compared to the Epidyolex oil
Comparative Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Cannabidiol in a Powder Formulation, CBtru®, vs an Oil-Based Formulation, Epidyolex®, Under Fasted and Fed Conditions in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Open-Label Cross-Over Phase I Study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40263-026-01280-1

Evaluation of polymeric micelles with full-spectrum hydrophobic cannabis compounds
Physicochemical characterization of Pluronic® polymeric micelles for the aqueous compatibilization of full-spectrum hydrophobic compounds from Cannabis sativa
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167732226002862

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

On using hempseed protein as a meat substitute
Hemp seed protein: a promising meat protein substitute with high nutritional value, high safety, and high meat like aroma characteristics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814626011787

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

On creating noise barriers from recycled plastic, rubber granules & hemp shive panels
Development of Noise Barrier Made from Recycled Plastic and Rubber Granule Hemp Shive Panels
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/16/7/1294

For food packaging, on creating nanocomposites films with hemp nanocellulose & zinc oxide nanoparticles
Synergistic reinforcement of alginate films with hemp nanocellulose and ZnO nanoparticles for enhanced mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial performance
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813026016272

For food packaging, on creating films using hemp essential oils for antioxidant & antimicrobial effects
Hemp Essential Oils as Novel Antioxidant and Bacteriostatic Agents in PLA-Based Packaging
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/7/824

On converting hemp pomace (a byproduct of hemp oil production) into high-value products such as protein-enriched feed & industrial relevant enzymes
Valorization of Hemp Oil Pomace by Thermomyces lanuginosus for the production of value-added products
https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/935920
Conversion of Hemp Seed Oil Pomace into Value-Added Products
https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/935933

On creating curved beams with hemp fiber-reinforced laminated composites
Free Vibration of Hemp Fiber‐Reinforced Laminated Composite Curved Beams Using Generalized Differential Quadrature Method
https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pc.71022

On creating fire-resistant panels with hemp insulation
eNUCPUIR: Establishing patterns in the formation of a fire-resistant sip panel with hemp insulation
https://repositsc.nuczu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/28040

On adding hemp to biodegradable plastic composites via micro injection moulding
Optimizing Synergistic Reinforcement in PLA Composites: An Analysis on Hybrid Hemp-Sisal Fiber Loading Using Micro Injection Moulding (MIM)
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2631-8695/ae5922/meta

In mortar, hemp shives raised porosity & lowered strength but improved insulation
Comparative assessment of hemp shiv and basalt fibre reinforcements in lime-based mortars for sustainable building and heritage-compatible applications
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061826010494

For hemp fiber, on the best solvents for good wet spinning
Preparation and structure–property regulation of seed-type hemp-based regenerated cellulose filaments in a LiCl/DMAc solvent system
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669026005480

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

For undergraduate organic chemistry students, on a teaching lab experiment on converting CBD to CBN using a one-pot reaction
From CBD to CBN: A Small-Scale, Project-Like Undergraduate Organic Lab Experiment Integrating Chemical Synthesis, TLC Co-spotting, Dry Column Vacuum Chromatography, and Antibacterial Testing
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01541

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

In older adults using medical cannabis, in interviews they described frequent use, self-experimentation because of a lack of guidance, replacing other medications with it & few had any concerns about cannabis use disorder, although one-third screened positive for it
Behaviors Related to Medical Cannabis Use in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02791072.2026.2644852

For US people using cannabis, a survey found one-third used medically, one-third recreationally & one-third for recreational & medical reasons
Reasons for Using Cannabis Among Adults in the United States: Associations with Demographics, Health Behaviors, Chronic Conditions, and Legal Status
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/23/4/421

For people who used cannabis from adolescence through adulthood, on the related factors
An Ecological View of Adolescent Factors That Influence Cannabis Use from Adolescence to Midlife
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/29973368.2026.2644241

For the pediatric prescribing of CBD in the United States, a health record analysis
Prevalence of pediatric cannabidiol prescribing in the United States
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12519-026-01028-3

In older people with a disability, public health data found higher odds of nicotine-cannabis co-use
Poly-Substance Use of Nicotine, Alcohol, and Cannabis Among Adults Aged 50 and Older with Disability: Analysis of 2020–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data Across 33 U.S. States
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2647128

In Ugandan medical students, cannabis use was common
Cannabis Use Among Ugandan Medical Students: Prevalence, Predictors, and Coping Strategies in a Cross‐Sectional Study
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/brb3.71325

In monkeys, on the pharmacokinetics of oral THC
Pharmacokinetics of oral Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration in vervet monkeys
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00422-y

For screening saliva for THC, on a smartphone-based detection system
An immobilization-free aptamer-based liquid sensing display for the label-free detection of illicit Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914026003966

In blood & dried blood spots, a comparative stability analysis of synthetic cannabinoids
Comparative Stability Assessment of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Dry Blood Spots and Blood using UHPLC-MS/MS: Implications for Forensic Applications
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15376516.2026.2652433

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

For US adolescents who used cannabis, those who reported it being recommended by a healthcare professional had more frequent use & were more likely to meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder
Medically Recommended Cannabis Use for US Adolescents
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074937972600098X

For adolescents, medical & adult-use legalization was associated with positive cannabis attitudes
Cannabis legalization and early adolescent expectancies: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626001195

In young adults from Washington State, they tended to use cannabis & alcohol heavily on the same days, but heavy use of cannabis (daily or near daily) was associated with less drinking
Nonmonotonic associations between cannabis use frequency and alcohol use in a statewide sample of young adults from Washington State
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379726000966

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

For cannabinoid extraction & neurodegenerative protein spectroscopy, on a new unified laboratory system
An Integrated Multi-Variable Analytical Framework for Coupled Cannabinoid Extraction and Neurodegenerative Protein Spectroscopy in a Unified Laboratory System
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joshua-Animasaun-2/publication/403245893_An_Integrated_Multi-Variable_Analytical_Framework_for_Coupled_Cannabinoid_Extraction_and_Neurodegenerative_Protein_Spectroscopy_in_a_Unified_Laboratory_System/links/69c81e3e3c6189430670cce7/An-Integrated-Multi-Variable-Analytical-Framework-for-Coupled-Cannabinoid-Extraction-and-Neurodegenerative-Protein-Spectroscopy-in-a-Unified-Laboratory-System.pdf

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

In adults using medical cannabis, the factors associated with possible cannabis use disorder were younger age, prolonged daily use, a preference for inhalation methods & recreational motives for cannabis use
Factors Associated with Possible Cannabis Use Disorder among Adults Using Medical Cannabis in Florida: A Cross-sectional Study
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000550537/4522900/000550537.pdf

In Australian adults admitted to an acute psychiatric unit, the main reason for a medical cannabis prescription was anxiety, though the majority were admitted for psychosis
Medicinal Cannabis Prescription Before an Inpatient Psychiatric Admission: A Retrospective Observational Audit
https://journals.lww.com/practicalpsychiatry/abstract/2026/03000/medicinal_cannabis_prescription_before_an.2.aspx

In a mouse model of opioid use disorder, those without a CB1 receptor had an enhanced rewarding effect from morphine but no stress-induced reinstatement
Involvement of the cannabinoid system in stress-induced reinstatement to opioid use: a study in CB1 knockout mice of both sexes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299926002839

🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬

In a mouse model of embryonic aluminum exposure impairing male offspring development & fertility, one of the pathways triggered is overactivation of the CB1 receptor
A novel adverse outcome pathway in aluminum-induced male infertility: Oxidative stress-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and endocannabinoid system activation delineated by network toxicology and metabolomics
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651326003891

🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠

In people with HIV, cannabis users had lower levels of the inflammatory C-reactive protein
Associations Between Cannabis Use and Inflammatory Biomarkers Among People with HIV
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/25785125261437619

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

In older adults with chronic pain, those who intended to start using medical cannabis reported higher pain severity, pain interference & lower sleep quality
Factors Associated with Intention to Initiate Medical Cannabis Among Older Adults with Chronic Pain in a Prospective Cohort
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01196-4/abstract

In people with sickle-cell disease, cannabis users had higher odds of experiencing moderate to severe pain
Associations Between History of Cannabis Use, Pain, and Acute Care Outcomes
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01356-2/abstract

In people with a chronic post-surgical pain (which affects 20 to 40% of surgical patients), those who were using cannabis scored higher for perceived distress, but no other differences in psychological measures
Exploring the Influence of Cannabis Use in Patients with Chronic Post-Surgical Pain
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01394-X/abstract

In people with chronic pain, their insomnia status was not associated with their cannabis use or cannabis use disorder risk
Insomnia in Chronic Pain and Its Relation to Cannabis Use Patterns and Cannabis Use Disorder Risk
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01373-2/abstract

In a mouse model of skeletal muscle regeneration, a lack of CB2 receptors caused more inflammation & impaired muscle repair
Cannabinoid type 2 receptor regulates skeletal muscle regeneration by NLRP3-GSDMD mediated macrophage pyroptosis after injury
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-026-03077-z_reference.pdf

In a mouse model of opioids causing a hypersensitivity to pain, a drug that acted as a positive allosteric modulator of the CB1 receptor (making other drugs bind their more strongly) lowered their hypersensitivity, while chronic blocking of the MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) did the same via the CB2 receptor
Endocannabinoid Approaches to Reducing Opioid-Induced Allodynia
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)00969-1/abstract

In a female rat model of medication overuse headache, inhibition of ABHD6 (an endocannabinoid transporter) lessened pain, probably not via the CB1 receptor
Endocannabinoid Signaling in Medication Overuse Headache
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01343-4/abstract

❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️

All the data from the site “jacc.org” is from this year’s American College of Cardiology conference (there’s more in the kratom & psychedelic sections above). I certainly do not mind their focus on the negative heart effects of cannabis, but I do resent their poster titles with lousy stoner puns.

For people who had heart attacks, public health data showed that the ones with THC in their system were younger & had lower in-hospital mortality, shorter hospital stays & less need for advanced support
26-CVT-15549-ACC TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL EXPOSURE AND IN-HOSPITAL OUTCOMES IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: A NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE ANALYSIS
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3127

In 3 young chronic cannabis using males with no other cardiovascular risk factors, case reports on their acute coronary syndromes
26-CCC-8309-ACC BETWEEN JOINTS AND HEARTBREAKS: FROM PUFF TO PAIN, EXPLORING MARIJUANA’S IMPACT IN ACUTE CORONARY EVENTS
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3336

For a blocked heart, a case report of someone with a significant cannabis history
Suspected Cannabis-Induced Acute Coronary Syndrome and Advanced Heart block
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/23247096261435473

A case report of a chronic cannabis user with prolonged sinus arrest (failure of a heart beat signal)
26-CCC-16622-ACC THE JOINT THAT STOPPED THE BEAT: SINUS ARREST IN A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC MARIJUANA USE
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3266

For vaping cannabinoids, a case report of a rare heart inflammation
26-CCC-11946-ACC FULMINANT EOSINOPHILIC PERIMYOCARDITIS PRESENTING WITH SEVERE, NON-OBSTRUCTIVE HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY AND CONCOMITANT CARDIAC TAMPONADE LEADING TO MIXED SHOCK AFTER VAPING CANNABINOIDS
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3621

For a young female, a case report of synthetic cannabinoids & a cardiac arrest
26-CCC-18139-ACC ARRHYTHMOGENIC POTENTIAL OF SYNTHETIC CANNABIS: EVIDENCE OF QTC PROLONGATION
https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.3280

In a mouse model of sickle-cell disease, inhibition of the MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) reduced mechanical pain sensitivity & restored motor function
Evaluation of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition as a Novel Analgesic Strategy in a Humanized Mouse Model of Sickle Cell Disease
https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(25)01017-X/abstract

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

In a mouse model of ulcerative colitis, rectal administration of a combination of CBD & the fatty acid sodium propionate increased colon length, reduced disease scores, lowered body weight loss & lessened damage
A novel enema formulation containing cannabidiol and sodium propionate for ulcerative colitis: preclinical assessment in a murine model
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00400-4

💨 The Lungs 💨

After legalization of cannabis in Massachusetts, there was an increase in young people with pneumomediastinum (air in the space between the lungs)
Trends in Pediatric Pneumomediastinum Following Cannabis Legalization in Massachusetts
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022480426001216

In older mice with lung scarring, activating their CB2 receptor did something behind a paywall…
Therapeutic Potential of CB2 Agonist Osteogenic Growth Peptide in Lung Fibrosis in Aged Mice
https://academic.oup.com/ajrcmb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajrcmb/aanag052/8541984

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

In tumors of the central nervous system, CBD reduced cell viability & migration
Acute Anti-Proliferative and Anti-Migratory Effects of Cannabidiol on C6 Rat Glioma, SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma, and HT22 Mouse Hippocampal Neuronal Cell Cultures
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2026.1727831/abstract

For anticancer effects, on the creation of a CBD-loaded starch microsphere
Preparation, in vitro digestive release behavior, and anticancer activity of cannabidiol-loaded porous starch microspheres
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772566926001138

For CBD conjugates as antitumor agents, on improving their solubility & antitumor activity
Solubility-Improved and Antitumor Activity of (-)-Cannabidiol Conjugates
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9148396/v1/3ee6052c-1a05-4f96-bff1-d145a17d1e5b.pdf

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

For the effects of CBD on membranes, on a proposed phase field model
Cannabidiol (CBD) Induces Lipid Microdomain Disruption or Budding in Ternary Mixtures
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c06965

For analyzing the CB1 receptor, on advances in chemical probes
Unlocking the Multifaceted Role of CB1R in the Endocannabinoid System with Labeled Chemical Probes
https://www.chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/2026_165

For the minor cannabinoid cannabidiphorol (CBDP) at the CB1 receptor, on how it causes negative allosteric modulations at 2 distinct sites
Cannabidiphorol (CBDP) acts as a negative allosteric modulator at two distinct sites of cannabinoid receptor 1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-026-01990-z

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For this week’s Delta blues, ‘Parchman Farm’, a collection of recordings from the late ‘30s by Bukka White. Born in Mississippi in ~1906, Bukka learned fiddle tunes from his father but once he started playing the guitar, his grandmother didn’t like hearing “that Devil music” in the house (though the music must have been in the blood, because his cousin was BB King). In 1930, a talent scout for Victor recorded 14 of White’s songs but only released 4 of them. With the Great Depression setting in, he didn’t get another chance to record until Big Bill Broonzy invited him to come to Chicago & record for Lester Melrose. But White was in legal trouble for shooting someone in the thigh (he claimed it was self-defense after his friend was ambushed along the highway). He jumped bail & headed to Chicago where he managed to record 2 side before being caught & returned to Mississippi for a 3-year sentence at Parchman Farm.
While he was inside, his song ‘Shake ‘Em Down’ became a hit. Plus, he recorded two songs for the Lomaxes, the famed folklorists who were touring prisons & recording for the Library of Congress. When White got out, he recorded 12 songs for Melrose & these were considered the pinnacle of his recording career, many going on to become classics of the Delta blues. But then, with World War 2 beginning, he started working in a factory & disappeared from public view.
In 1962, when Bob Dylan covered ‘Fixin’ to Die Blues’ on his debut album, blues enthusiasts tracked Bukka White down & he quickly recorded 3 albums of material. Despite being an aging patriarch of the Delta blues, he was a stylish dresser in excellent health who well-enjoyed the folk festival & coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s, where he shared his stories as well as his songs. He stayed on the circuit until his death of cancer at the age of ~71.

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🌟 This week 🌟

• CBD for seizures

• On physical performance in cannabis users

• Stigma still prevalent against medical cannabis users

• Metacognition effects in cannabis users

• For first episode psychosis, synthetic cannabinoid use particularly bad

• 10% of US workers using cannabis at work or right before it

• War on Drugs: in prisons, on the rise of synthetic drugs sprayed onto paper & an outbreak of overdoses

(this week’s numbers: ~6.3k words, ~16 minutes reading time, 98 papers)

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 182^nd edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as coverage of other psychoactives, the War on Drugs & harm reduction. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee. If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

In children with drug-resistant epilepsies, CBD caused clinically relevant seizure reduction & improved quality of life, especially sleep quality
4CPS-011 Paediatric drug-resistant epilepsies: efficacy, tolerability, and safety of add-on cannabidiol
https://ejhp.bmj.com/content/33/Suppl_1/A55.2
And for treatment-resistant epilepsy, the responders to CBD treatment had increased network integration & network segregation
Global brain network dynamics predict therapeutic responsiveness to cannabidiol treatment for refractory epilepsy
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/132139886/fcaa140-libre.pdf
I’m not strong on brain network dynamics so that last one confused me. But apparently, you can do brain scans to predict how likely CBD is to help someone’s seizures.

For physical performance in adults consuming cannabis, they had higher blood pressure & heart rate as well as impaired balance & endurance
Physical Performance Impairment with Cannabis Consumption in Adults Over 12 Hours
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00472379261433203

For the link between cannabis consumption & problematic Internet use, a survey found both positive & negative effects
Cannabis consumption and problematic internet use: analysis of a free-text response collected through a self-reported online questionnaire
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-026-04419-3
“Many reported benefits, such as relaxation, positive emotions, improved mental skills, and pain relief, while others experienced negative impacts, such as increased anxiety, procrastination, social isolation, and impaired cognitive functions. Additionally, these behaviors affected aspects of their daily lives, including finances, sleep, eating habits, and relationships.”

For the effects of psychoactives on metacognition, a meta-analysis found that “cannabinoids generally impaired metacognitive accuracy and calibration”
Experimental and observational evidence on substance use and metacognition among adults: a systematic review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326000808

In frequent cannabis users, they had no cognitive impairments when tested 12 hours after their last ingestion, though the high-THC potency users had poorer verbal memory & processing speed
Cognitive performance and subjective effects the morning after last use of smoked cannabis by adults who use cannabis frequently: An observational study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724626000259

For brain volume, a meta-analysis found cannabis users to have smaller amygdala (an emotional processing center)
Associations of cannabis use, tobacco use and co-use with brain volume: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70361

In people with heart failure, public health data found no difference in mortality between cannabis users & non-users
Association of Cannabis use and Survival in patients with heart failure: A claims-based cohort study of commercially insured adults
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666602226000546

In people with schizophrenia, feeding them arachidonic acid (the building block of the endocannabinoid anandamide, which they tend to be deficient in) improved cognitive performance & helped the balance of lipids (fatty acids) in the mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell)
Restoring mitochondrial lipid homeostasis with arachidonic acid supplementation to alleviate cognitive impairment in schizophrenia patients
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123226002687

For CBD use by small animal veterinarians, a survey found a high frequency of use in dogs & cats, with the most common reason being for cancer, chronic pain, behavioral changes, stress & anti-inflammation
Assessment of Cannabidiol Supplements Use in Small Animals Practice in Portugal
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jpn.70059
“Additionally, in an open‐answer question, some respondents referred to the use of CBDS for other purposes, namely: cognitive dysfunction, appetite stimulant, feline gingivostomatitis, geriatric animals, senility and wound healing. The most frequent adverse effects were hypersialia/sialorrhea (28%; 44/158) and apathy (25%; 39/158)”.

📑 Reviews 📑

On CBD & the mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell), a lovely review on the effects in different diseases (with a set of charts that will make your heart sing)
The Therapeutic Crossroad Between Mitochondria and Cannabidiol: A Mini-Review
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/15/6/510

In Parkinson’s disease, a review of the cannabinoids from preclinical & clinical data (with a nice chart)
Cannabinoids and cognition in Parkinson’s disease: Insights from animal models and emerging clinical evidence
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452226001971

For osteoarthritis, this review of 19 studies found the strongest data for CBD
The role of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in managing osteoarthritis symptoms: a scoping review of current evidence and future directions
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10067-026-08038-6

In obsessive-compulsive disorder, a review of 13 studies on the involvement of the endocannabinoid system
The Endocannabinoid System in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Scoping Review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763426001120
“Overall, preclinical findings consistently demonstrated that enhancing ECS activity attenuates compulsive and habitual behaviours, whereas inhibiting ECS activity exacerbates these behaviours. The study that utilized both animal and human samples reported reduced expression of genes encoding ECS enzymes and receptors in OCD.”

For aging, a review on the interplay between the endocannabinoid system & reactive nitrogen species (key cellular signal pathway)
Radical Revelations: The Interplay of Nitrosative Stress, the Endocannabinoid System, and Treatment of Age-Related Disorders
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2813

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

In people with first episode psychosis, the users of synthetic cannabinoids had higher positive psychotic symptoms, aberrant salience (attributing significance to neutral stimuli) & difficulty feeling emotions compared to natural cannabis users & non-users, while dissociative symptoms were more prominent in any users of cannabinoids & with the synthetic cannabinoid users showing minimal improvement over time
Alexithymia and psychopathological dimensions in First-Episode Psychosis: Comparative patterns in natural cannabis versus synthetic cannabinoid users
https://realmofcaring.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Alexithymia-and-psychopathological-dimensions-in-First-Episode-Psychosis-Comparative-patterns-in-natural-cannabis-versus-synthetic-cannabinoid-users.pdf

For people with cannabis use disorder, a review of the very limited studies of treatment drugs found the only short-term benefits found to be from varenicline
Pharmacological Smoking Cessation Interventions in People with Cannabis, Opioid, or Stimulant Use Disorders: A Systematic Review
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-9141564/v1

In people who had a total abdominal hysterectomy, those with cannabis use disorder (who also tended to be from more marginalized groups & more frequently insured by Medicaid) had longer hospitalization & higher total charges
Comprehensive analysis of cannabis use and dependence in the setting of total abdominal hysterectomy
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9058918/v1/a43c0e74-7df5-4606-a5d8-6ff4f4f4fb9c.pdf

In people who had breast surgery, a review of 10 studies found cannabis use associated with increased risk of complications, especially bruising, wound healing & infection risk
Cannabis use and outcomes in breast surgery
https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2026/03000/cannabis_use_and_outcomes_in_breast_surgery.54.aspx

In human blood platelets (involved in clotting & important for transfusions in bleeding disorders), cannabis extracts caused impaired platelet aggregation (clotting)
Pilot study on cannabis-induced alterations in platelet function: implications for transfusion medicine
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09537104.2026.2644368

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In rats given either THC or CBD, they had significant reductions in their levels of BDNF (a key brain growth factor)
Patterns of BDNF Dysregulation Following Cannabinoid Supplementation in Male Wistar Rats
https://hal.science/hal-05555266/

In a mouse model of an increased risk for schizophrenia, CBD did not alter their responses to cocaine but did reduce cocaine reward in the healthy animals
Cannabidiol (CBD) does not reduce cocaine reward or self-administration in a mouse model of schizophrenia genetic susceptibility
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584626000722

In a mouse model of navigation & memory, deleting CB1 receptors from the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain) caused emotional changes as well as deficits in memory & synaptic plasticity in both sexes, while in males only, deleting the CB1 receptors on all neurons caused deficits in spatial navigation
Neuroglial CB1 receptors modulate hippocampal processes in a sex-dependent manner
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13293-026-00886-w

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

For medical advice from budtenders, a survey found “budtender guidance significantly diverged from clinician consensus”
Dispensary Budtender Guidance Versus Clinician Consensus: A Comparative Study of Medical Cannabis Advice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149291826000470
“Clinicians recommended MC for chronic pain, advised against use during pregnancy, and recommended cautious low–Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol regimens for posttraumatic stress disorder. In contrast, many budtenders suggested higher Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol dosages or endorsed MC use in pregnancy.” For budtenders, higher cannabis knowledge & less illicit market experience predicted closer alignment with clinician guidance.

An intriguing example of “old-fashioned” electron microscopy helping to resolve a conundrum about the location of CB1 receptors during the current craze for immunofluorescent methods
Accomplishments of “Old-Fashioned” Electron Microscopy in the Period of Dominance of Immunofluorescent Methods
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2803#:~:text=2.-,Interpretation%20of%20Anti,-%2DCannabinoid%20Type%201

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

Oddly, for the new CBD program by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the total container THC limit will be set to 3 mg (~7x higher than the 0.4 mg of THC per container limit set last year in Trump’s spending bill)
https://cannabiswire.com/newsletters/scoop-medicare-cbd-pilot-will-allow-some-thc-in-products/
And reportedly, up to $500 of hemp-derived products will be covered each year
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-detail-plan-to-cover-up-to-500-in-hemp-cbd-and-thc-products-for-medicare-patients-under-program-launching-next-week/

The Department of Homeland Security created a list of the “worst of the worst” of deported immigrants & for 77 of them, their only crime was cannabis possession
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trump-admins-worst-of-the-worst-deportation-list-includes-nearly-100-immigrants-accused-of-marijuana-possession-alone/

I don’t know if the Army is being cheeky, but starting on 4/20, recruits will no longer need a waiver if they have only one conviction for cannabis or drug paraphernalia possession
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-army-rule-allows-recruits-with-a-marijuana-conviction-to-enlist-without-needing-a-waiver-starting-on-4-20/

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America is urging Congress to stop their scheduled ban of hemp THC beverages & regulate them instead
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/alcohol-industry-group-launches-push-to-regulate-hemp-thc-drinks-instead-of-banning-them/

For discrimination in organ transplants against medical cannabis patients, Americans for Safe Access published a new report: “Stigma with a Body Count”
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/report_organ_transplant_discrimination#gsc.tab=0
Relatedly, for stigma against medical cannabis users, a review of 45 studies found little change over time, across jurisdictions & between regulatory regimes
The persistence of stigma and other challenges experienced by medical cannabis users: A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000551584/4519200/000551584.pdf

For your international cannabis events, the 10-year-old son of cannabis businessmen Arnaud Dumas de Rauly coded a project to sort all of the world cannabis events by type, region & date
https://cannabislaw.report/ten-year-old-codes-fantastic-new-site-detailing-cannabis-conferences-around-the-world/
This is a very cool project to see from this young man. I hope to someday submit the ‘People of the Cannabinoids’ conference to it.

The WNBA reportedly going to end cannabis testing for players
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/wnba-offers-to-end-marijuana-testing-for-womens-basketball-players-as-part-of-reported-deal-with-union/

On Epstein, an informant apparently told the DEA that he was also running a club drug trafficking network
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-03-06/epstein-investigated-in-dea-probe-for-ketamine-money-laundering

In Wisconsin, the governor signed a bill allowing police to administer roadside saliva drug tests, despite the fact that there is no clear link between saliva THC levels & impairment & that levels vary wildly in different people
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2026/03/19/evers-signs-roadside-drug-test-law-amid-rising-impaired-crashes/

In South Carolina, the DEA is being sued for the unlawful seizure of millions of dollars of inventory from hemp shops
https://cannabislaw.report/news-report-south-carolina-similar-to-hitting-an-ant-with-a-sledgehammer-says-lawyer-low-country-law-firm-sues-dea-over-hemp-shop-raids/

On Project MKULTRA (the CIA mind control drug experiments), an interview with the author of a new book with a focus on interviews of the victims
https://themicrodose.substack.com/p/project-mind-control-5-questions

I’m a bit in love with this former UK member of Parliament. After being caught with a nice mix of drugs (uppers, GBL, weed), he testified in court that he got involved in the chemsex scene as research on the first-hand use of drugs & their harms & now he believes that all drugs should be legal
https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/heat/uk/news/former-surrey-mp-fined-for-possession-of-chemsex-drugs

🌐 International Updates 🌐

Ha. At the UN drug meeting, delegates walked through cannabis smoke by the entrance & the European Times used a ridiculous AI-generated image to illustrate the story
https://cannabislaw.report/media-report-12-march-cannabis-smoke-at-un-drugs-summit-sparks-outrage-in-vienna/

In Japan, CBN will be banned starting June 1, except for limited medical purposes
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03/19/japan/society/cbn-ban/

In Germany, new numbers show it to now be the largest medical cannabis market it outside of North America, but the flood of products has driven down the prices & increased the competition
https://businessofcannabis.com/is-the-german-cannabis-boom-slowing-down-or-simply-normalising/
And relatedly, the German police union does not want cannabis legalization reversed
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-police-union-warns-against-reversal-of-cannabis-legalization/
Their position is more nuanced. The current model of partial legalization relies on a network of cannabis cultivation associations & home grows to supply all of the country’s cannabis needs, but clearly, that will not be sufficient to supply everyone & therefore, the current structure favors illicit trafficking. The police are in favor of a state-controlled market with certified outlets & regulated logistics.

Relatedly, a spokesperson of a German hemp association was fined for giving away 117 cannabis cuttings, with the court deeming them not to be propagation material but full cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-court-ruling-in-halle-higher-fine-in-trial-over-cannabis-cuttings-german-hemp-association-had-intended-to-distribute-free-of-charge-as-part-of-campaign/
And the owner of a cannabis accessory shop got a 6-month suspended prison sentence for offering cuttings of cannabis plants for sale
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-court-ruling-in-bavaria-suspended-prison-sentence-for-grow-shop-owner-over-sale-of-cuttings-in-coconut-peat-mixture/

In Germany 6 months after legalization, a small survey found no increased cannabis consumption
Change and Antecedents of Cannabis Consumption After the Legalization of Recreational Cannabis in Germany
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00472379261430434

In South Africa, a parliamentary committee is preparing a cannabis omnibus bill for the middle of mid-2027
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/parliament-and-cannabis-back-to-the-drawing-board-but-this-time-theres-clarity-collaboration-and-commitment

In Uruguay, a survey found cannabis clubs (vs home grows or pharmacies) to be the most common legal source of cannabis but were associated with higher use & increase risk of cannabis use disorder, while those who relied on illicit sources reported greater psychological stress & the use of high-potency cannabis
Patterns of Cannabis Use and Socio-Cognitive Factors of People who Use Cannabis across Cannabis Sources in Uruguay
https://www.scilit.com/publications/522ff28d1eba64fafe93b5158aba96b6

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

For cannabis use & intoxication at work, a survey found that 10% of workers reported using cannabis at work or less than 2 hours before work & of those, 40% reported feeling high at work “often” or “every time”, with the cannabis users having a higher chance of a work-related injury
Self-Reported Cannabis Use and Intoxication at Work: Prevalence Across Industries and Occupations and Association With Workplace Injuries in the United States (US)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41840876/
“The prevalence of workplace consumption was greatest among those working in the “Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting” (24.9%), “Construction” (14.4%), and “Accommodation and food services” (12.6%) industries.”

For cannabis policy, on the potential regulatory models & how the right one may not exist yet
The right schedule for marijuana (among other drugs) does not yet exist
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.aec5633

For residential property values in Oklahoma (the state with more medical cannabis dispensaries than any other), “one broad finding is that residents prefer not to live in immediate proximity to a dispensary but prefer access to dispensaries moderately distanced from their home”
Exploring the quantitative impact of medical marijuana dispensaries on residential sale prices in Oklahoma
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00181-026-02894-6

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

In prisons, a chilling investigation into the rise of paper laced with synthetic drugs & the large number of overdoses
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/21/world/deadly-drugs-paper.html
“In the summer of 2024, Mr. Wilks’s team found a single sheet with 10 different concoctions sprayed onto it — a mix of opioids, depressants, cannabinoids and stimulants all jumbled together on the same page, like a Rosetta Stone of synthetic drugs.”

The DEA placed the benzodiazepine bromazolam into Schedule I
https://filtermag.org/dea-temporary-scheduling-bromazolam/

Before Duterte’s Drug War in the Philippines, 2 of his predecessors ran anti-drug campaigns & foreshadowed his horrors to come
Antecedents to Rodrigo Duterte’s Drug War: The Anti-Drug Campaigns of Joseph Estrada (2000) and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2003)
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/seas/advpub/0/advpub_26007/_pdf

On drug transit states, on how drug corridors erode sovereignty by criminal infiltration, but also strengthen state centrality by securitization
Drug Routes as Strategic Corridors: The Geopolitics of Transit States
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/402325335_Drug_Routes_as_Strategic_Corridors_The_Geopolitics_of_Transit_States

In Honduras, an analysis of narcotrafficking & the effects on the licit & illicit economies
Narcotrafficking Across a Nation: The Juxtaposition of NGOs Work and Illicit Activities Embedding into the Licit Economy in Rural Honduras
https://jied.lse.ac.uk/articles/10.31389/jied.301

On the cocaine pipeline from Latin America to Europe
https://insightcrime.org/news/italian-broker-evolution-global-drug-trade/

In Nigeria, on their War on Drugs & their low conversion rate of arrests into convictions
Beyond Arrests and Seizures: Sustaining Nigeria’s War Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking Through Legislative Action
https://ir.nilds.gov.ng/handle/123456789/3471

For adult-use cannabis supply & distribution channels, interviews of French consumers, dealers & police found trust to be a crucial element
Means of Recreational Cannabis Supply and Distribution Channels: Perceptions of Consumers, Consumers/Sellers, and Law Enforcement—A Grounded Theory Approach
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2644545

In the Canary Islands, a high-speed chase led to a man arrested with 230 kg of hashish
https://cannabislaw.report/tenerife-driver-crashes-into-police-car-before-being-caught-with-230kg-of-hashish/

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

In Canada, Alberta to close two supervised consumption sites
https://drugdatadecoded.ca/breaking-alberta-government-to-announce-calgary-and-lethbridge-supervised-consumption-site-closures/

Harm Reduction Research

For Canadian supervised consumption sites, a survey of people who use drugs & healthcare providers found that overall, they thought positively of client access & safety but had mixed attitudes towards community benefits & healthcare resource utilization
Perceived impacts of Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) on key service aspects and settings: Reports from Canadian National Questionnaire on Overdose Monitoring (CNQOM)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095539592600068X

In Canadian First Nations peoples, the initiation of safer opioid supply programs increased 5x between 2019 & 2023
Safer opioid supply initiation among First Nations Peoples in Ontario, Canada, 2019 to 2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926000952

In US harm reduction, a state-level analysis found that the factors most influencing adoption of harm reduction strategies were “decreases in conservative citizen ideology, increases in the severity of the overdose crisis, and increases in states’ economic resources”
Laboratories of Harm Reduction and Treatment: Determinants of States’ Policy Adoptions to Address the Opioid Epidemic
https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/doi/10.1215/03616878-12513804/408536/Laboratories-of-Harm-Reduction-and-Treatment

On harm reduction vending machines, a statement from the Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction supported their broader use
In Support of Harm Reduction Supply Distribution Via Vending Machines: Position Statement of AMERSA, Inc.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342261421746

For overdose response hotlines & apps, a commentary on the limited data so far & the priorities for moving forward
Policy recommendations for overdose response hotlines and applications as a harm reduction tool: A commentary
https://link.springer.com/article/10.17269/s41997-026-01180-3

In Viennese people using a drug checking service, a survey found that they said it promoted safer use behavior as well as risk awareness & management
Perceived harm reduction impact of a drug checking service in Vienna: A qualitative study among current and prospective service users
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926000897

In New York City people who use methamphetamine, an analysis of a health department harm reduction program
The reach, effectiveness, implementation, and maintenance of a New York City harm reduction program enrolling priority populations who use meth, 2017–2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001158

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

For the Santo Daime church in Brazil, more allegations of sexual abuse against top leadership
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/more-allegations-of-abuse-in-santo

For a US lawsuit against an ayahuasca church, a federal judge said the federal government must cover their legal fees of over $2M
https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/2455950

A new book on the legendary con of Carlos Castaneda: ‘American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda’ (hattip to Alexander Zaitchik)
https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-trickster/

For cacao, a history of Indigenous use & the potential for interpersonal effects
Potential Interpersonal Applications of Cacao: A Review and Call for Further Research
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/402964077_Potential_Interpersonal_Applications_of_Cacao_A_Review_and_Call_for_Further_Research

Psychedelics & MDMA

For psychedelics versus antidepressants for depression, a meta-analysis found no significant difference
Psychedelic Therapy vs Antidepressants for the Treatment of Depression Under Equal Unblinding Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2846479

When using psilocybin to treat depression, therapeutic alliance was only weakly correlated with clinical benefit
The role of therapeutic alliance in psilocybin treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A post hoc path analysis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032726005136

For the effects of psilocybin on brain functional connectivity, a review of 20 fMRI studies
Psilocybin effects on brain functional connectivity: a systematic review of fMRI studies
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44192-026-00384-w

Ketamine

In people given IV ketamine, the levels of glutamate (the brain’s most common excitatory neurotransmitter) in their nucleus accumbens (a reward center & regulator of feeding, stress & motivation) were associated with anxious ego dissolution & reductions in vigilance
Ketamine-induced changes in accumbal glutamate and their association with altered states of consciousness
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923026001280

In monkeys, on the brain wave effects of ketamine & links to antidepressant activity
Comparative EEG analysis of the effects of ketamine enantiomers and metabolites in rhesus macaques
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/jn.00203.2025

In a mouse model of depression, the antidepressant effects of ketamine were prolonged by blocking the kappa-opioid receptor
Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonism Prolongs the Antidepressant Effects of Ketamine in Adult Mice with Depression-like Behavior Induced by Adolescent Chronic Unpredictable Stress
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2815

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

🌱 Growing 🌱

For scalable cannabis micropropagation, development of a protocol & workflow
Toward scalable micropropagation of Cannabis sativa (chemotype III): Protocol optimization and preliminary evaluation of cannabinoid stability
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669026004279

For hemp cultivars grown in Missouri, on their variability in yield & lifecycle
Performance of industrial hemp cultivars across U.S. Midwestern environments: evidence from multi-location trials in Missouri
https://www.proquest.com/openview/721779c0cd2a7d91f056bda810dc6a68/1

In a water irrigation study in the Mediterranean, on the best strategies for watering hemp
Integrating Hydraulic Properties into Irrigation Management of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L., ‘Felina 32’) Under Mediterranean Conditions
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/16/6/649

For infection by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, an analysis of effects across different cannabis genotypes
Evidence for a wide host range of Fusarium oxysporum isolates originating from Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis) plants and responses of cannabis genotypes to pathogen infection
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07060661.2026.2632742

For fungus & pests on cannabis plants, on the efficacy of a fennel oil nanoemulsion & yeast lysate as well as increased cannabinoid levels from microbial inoculants
Natural elicitors and beneficial microbes as sustainable tools for disease management and phytocannabinoid enhancement in Cannabis sativa
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092666902600453X

For the root bacteria of hemp, how it is shaped by cultivar type & spider mite levels
Cultivar Identity and Spider Mite Herbivory Shape Rhizosphere Bacteria in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/16/6/651

For hemp grain, on using near-infrared spectroscopy to predict protein levels for help in breeding
Near infrared spectroscopy predicts crude protein concentration in hemp grain
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/agg2.70328

For trichome biology, a genetic analysis of cannabis, tomatoes & hops (the only other plant in the family Cannabaceae)
Insights into glandular trichome biology from analysis of organ-specific gene expression programmes in cannabis, hop and tomato
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12999219/

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

On distinguishing THC-rich cannabis from CBD-rich hemp, on using a dimer (joined unit) of CBDH+ & CBD to distinguish them via a direct analysis in real time–high-resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) method
Investigating the Protonated Cannabinoid Dimer Detected in the Forensic Analysis of Cannabis by DART-MS: A Combined Mass Spectrometry and Computational Study
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jasms.5c00433

For quantifying cannabinoid levels, on a HPLC-DAD method
HPLC-DAD METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION FOR THE QUANTIFICATION OF CBD, CBDA, Δ9-THC AND Δ9-THCA IN CANNABIS-BASED PRODUCTS
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073826001179

In oils, on identifying THC analogs using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) & liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry (LC-PDA-MS)
Identification of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Analogs, Including Methyl Ether Derivatives of THC and Hexahydrocannabiphorol, THC Methyl Carbonate and Its Synthetic by-Product, in Commercially Available Oil Products
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41850764/

For the forensic analysis of drugs, a novel chemometric protocol integrating near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy developed by the Catalan police
A Novel Chemometric Local Approach for Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Cocaine, MDMA, and THC-Related Products: Method Application within the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan Regional Police)
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c07967

For CBD stability & solubility, a comparison of MCT oil versus a powder-based hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) encapsulation
Matrix-dependent degradation kinetics and impurity fingerprinting of cannabidiol (CBD) in polymeric and lipid preservation systems
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708526001329

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

For hemp seeds, a review of their nutritional benefits
Hemp Seeds: Exploring Their Potential in Promoting Human Health
https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A14%3A38397054/detailv2

For hemp seeds, on the effect of their density on their yield of oil & protein
Physical and Chemical Properties of Density-Graded Industrial Hemp Seeds, Extracted Oil, and Protein in Defatted Meal
https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aocs.70079

For hemp seed hull powder, an analysis of its components & positive gut health effects from eating it
Hemp seed hull powder: A sustainable source of bioavailable micronutrients and phytochemicals with inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212429226004633

In laying hens, feeding them hemp flower extract did not adversely affect production performance or egg quality & modestly enhanced albumen & yolk proportions
Effects of Hemp Inflorescences Ethanol Extraction Byproduct on Production Performance, Egg Characteristics, Economic Return and Fecal Nitrogen in Laying Hens
https://www.ijvets.com/pdf-files/25-327.pdf

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

For hemp grown on heavy metal-contaminated soil, the flowers grew the usual amounts of CBD & THC & exhibited the lowest accumulation of heavy metals
Hemp flowers cultivated on a soil contaminated with cadmium, lead and zinc exhibit valorization potential
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15226514.2026.2643786

For cannabis that removed heavy metal from the soil, on the potential of transforming it into usable biochar
Cannabis sativa L. Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Soil Contamination, Followed by Biomass Valorization
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/6/2926

For making biodiesel from hemp oil, a review of the extraction & process optimization
Biodiesel Production From Industrial Hemp Oil: Advances in Extraction, Transesterification, and Process Optimization
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12155-026-10989-2

For pulping hemp into paper, a comparison of the soda & nitrate-alkaline methods
Comparative Evaluation of Soda and Nitrate-Alkaline Pulping of Hemp, Flax, and Sisal Post-harvest Biomass
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41860439/

For packaging made from hemp, on the effects of stalk maturity on composition & performance
Optimization of industrial hemp production: Influence of stalk maturity on composition, structure, and processing for sustainable packaging
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669026004486

For concrete cylinders for construction, on the effects of adding a hemp fiber-reinforced polymer with halloysite nanotube (HNT)
Sustainable Approach for the Confinement of Concrete Cylinders Using Fiber-Reinforced Polymers With Bio-Based Hemp and Halloysite Nano Tubes
https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pc.71028

For hemp-based composites for building, on the effects of different binding materials
Mechanical, Thermal and Fire Behaviour of Hemp-Based Composites with Different Binders for Sustainable Building Applications
https://commons.yildiz.edu.tr/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

In Australia, the cannabis users mostly reported dual-use of medical & recreational use, with the most common reasons for medical use to be anxiety, pain, PTSD & depression
Self-reported reasons for medical and nonmedical cannabis use in Australia: A cross-sectional analysis of the International Cannabis Policy Study 2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001055

In Canadian data, the THC mental health warning label on products was remembered by its intended audience, but did not change their behavior
Chasing the High: Cannabis Mental Health Warning Label Recall is Associated with Greater, Not Lesser, High-Risk Use in a National Canadian Sample
https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/znrhe_v1
“Daily users who recalled the THC mental health warning reported greater harm and higher-risk use patterns than those who did not.”

For social determinants of health, frequent stress was associated with higher use of cannabis, alcohol & tobacco, while a recent medical check was associated lower odds of using those substances
Examining the relationship between social determinants of health with daily tobacco use, binge-drinking, and daily cannabis use
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0343677

In healthcare students at a Colombian university, attitudes towards medical cannabis were predominantly favorable & supportive of legalization, but most had low self-perceived knowledge & lacked awareness of legal regulations
Knowledge and attitudes toward medical cannabis among medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy students at a Colombian university: a cross-sectional study with multivariate analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00423-x

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

For emotional regulation in young people, a review of 4 studies found cannabis use associated with greater emotional regulation difficulties
Emotion Regulation and Cannabis Use in Young People: A systematic Review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/adolescent-medicine/articles/10.3389/fradm.2026.1766637/abstract

In college students, the heavier cannabis users were less likely to share their (hypothetical) cannabis than lighter users
Increasing cannabis use is associated with increased social discount rates and decreased self-reported social use in college students
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-46524-001

In adolescents with affective instability (intense & fluctuating emotions), they had a higher risk of developing psychosis, with cannabis mediating this risk
Affective Instability and Regular Cannabis Use During Adolescence and Subsequent Risk for Psychosis in Early Adulthood: A Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/402693926_Affective_Instability_and_Regular_Cannabis_Use_During_Adolescence_and_Subsequent_Risk_for_Psychosis_in_Early_Adulthood_A_Longitudinal_Birth_Cohort_Study

In an adolescent rat model of cannabinoid exposure, females had an earlier development of inhibitory interneurons in their prefrontal cortex than males, but in males, this persisted into adulthood, with adults having less disinhibition in their prefrontal cortex
Adolescent cannabinoid exposure delays development of prefrontal cortex perineuronal nets and inhibitory interneurons
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306452226002204
In the highest areas of your brain, one of the most important functions is inhibiting (calming) neural signaling. Too much signaling can lead to things like schizophrenia. In these adolescent mice, exposure to strong cannabinoids led to later problems in the proper inhibition of brain signals in their prefrontal cortex. And as you often see, the males had greater problems from adolescent cannabinoid exposure.

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In a mouse model of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (a severe neurodevelopmental disorder), enhancing their levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG by inhibition of the MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) reduced some behaviors, modestly improved memory & activated neuroprotective pathways, but did not produce broad behavioral recovery
Endocannabinoid Enhancement via MAGL Inhibition in CDKL5 Deficiency: Selective Cellular Benefits and Domain-Specific Functional Effects in Adult Cdkl5 KO Mice
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2773

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

In people with anxiety, their negative affect decreased when using cannabis & this was moderated by vigorous physical activity
Physical Activity Level Moderates Cannabis-Associated Reductions in Negative Affect in Anxious Individuals
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014929182600041X

In people co-using tobacco & cannabis, sequential co-use was associated with greater consumption of both substances
Examining in the moment patterns of tobacco and cannabis co-use prior to a tobacco quit attempt
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326000882

In this case report of someone with alcohol & cannabis use disorder, relationally organized motivation (in this case, taking care of his widowed mother) caused a reduction in drinking & cannabis use
Relationally anchored motivation in alcohol and cannabis use disorder: a clinical case analysis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2026.2647912

In a mouse model of addiction, a synthetic cannabinoid caused increased levels in the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain) of tryptophan, kynurenine & kynurenic acid (which downregulated levels of the CB1 receptor)
The role of the kynurenine pathway in conditioned place aversion induced by synthetic cannabinoid CP-55940
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12993-026-00327-z

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

For PEA in skeletal muscle repair from downhill running, this thesis project found that PEA was associated with an early reduction in muscle pain perception, but not muscle function
A Translational Investigation into Palmitoylethanolamide in Skeletal Muscle Repair
https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28221/

For hemp flower & leaf extracts, an analysis of their antioxidant activities
Antioxidant Capacity of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Leaves and Inflorescences
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/16/6/2957

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

In metabolic measurements of healthy adults, activating the cannabinoid receptors did not alter insulin secretion but did modulate insulin sensitivity as well as the levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide
Acute metabolic effects of cannabinoid receptor modulators during sequential hyperglycemic, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps in healthy individuals
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/ajpendo.00391.2025

🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️

In a skin tissue model of UV radiation exposure, CBG protected from oxidative changes & lipid breakdown
Cannabigerol Reduces Lipid Peroxidation Influencing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Signaling Pathways in Melanocytes Exposed to UVA Radiation
https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/31/3/10.31083/FBL47793

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

For CBD against metastasis (the spreading of tumor cells), this review covered the signaling pathways
Cannabidiol (CBD) as an Anti-Metastatic Agent: Evidence-Based Summary of CBD Effects on Metastatic Steps
https://accesson.kr/skmj/assets/pdf/58279/journal-13-1-45.pdf

In triple-negative breast cancer cells, CBC had the greatest anticancer effects & synergized with the terpene beta-caryophyllene
Synergistic Anticancer Activity of Cannabinoids and Terpenes Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Resistance
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2730

In pancreatic cancer cells, CBG caused apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide) & ferroptosis (a newly discovered type of cell death mediated by iron) via stress to the endoplasmic reticulum (protein processing center)
Cannabigerol Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis and Ferroptosis via the IRE1α-XBP1 Axis in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089158492600242X

In glioblastoma cells (the most aggressive brain cancer), activating the CB1 receptor induced pathways of ferroptosis (a newly discovered type of cell death mediated by iron) via increased oxidative stress
The iron fist of nature: Cannabinoid derivatives alter iron homeostasis and activate ferroptotic pathways in glioblastoma cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022356526005185

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

For the minor cannabinoid cannabioxepane, on a novel synthesis method
Improved Total Synthesis of Cannabioxepane, a Minor Phytocannabinoid from Cannabis sativa L
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.orglett.6c00468

On developing a CB2 receptor toggle switch based on the synthetic cannabinoid HU-308
Single-position ligand modifications tune CB2R activity by targeting the toggle switch
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2026/sc/d6sc00062b

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For this week’s pioneer of blues guitar, Memphis Minnie & her 1929 album ‘Queen Of The Blues’. Born in Mississippi (probably - though she claimed New Orleans), Lizzie Douglas was the oldest of 13 children. At 8 years old, she received her first guitar as a Christmas present & by the age of 11, she was playing that & the banjo at parties. At the age of 13, she ran away from home to live on Beale Street, playing on street corners & returning to her family’s farm whenever she ran out of money. In 1916, the Ringling Brothers Circus picked her up & she toured with them for 4 years. When she returned to Beale Street, she found a thriving blue scene where she made her living by playing guitar & doing sex work. In 1929, she was performing with her 2^nd husband Kansas Joe McCoy when a talent scout from Columbia found them playing for quarters on a street corner & took them to New York City to record, where they were given the names Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie. Her first hit was the song “Bumble Bee”. She recorded with Kansas Joe for the next few years until their divorce in 1935.
As she struck out on her own, she combined that Mississippi Delta mixture of dance rhythms, melodic phrasing & storytelling, helping to shape the style of blues. On stage, she was assertive & confident, establishing herself as a role model for the generations of bad ass female blues artists to come (according to the blues musician Johnny Shines, “Any men fool with her she’d go for them right away. She didn’t take no foolishness off them. Guitar, pocket knife, pistol, anything she get her hand on she’d use it”). And she was well respected by her male peers. In a cutting contest (music battle) with Big Bill Broozny, he remembered her beating him with her songs & winning the prize of a bottle of whiskey & a bottle of gin, later saying she could “pick a guitar and sing as good as any man I’ve ever heard”. By 1941, she had started playing electric guitar & was recording for blues labels around Chicago. She recorded over 200 songs through the early 1950s before musical taste began to change & her health began to decline. When Social Security couldn’t cover her bills, people sent in donations. When she passed away in 1973 at the age of 76, Bonnie Raitt paid for her headstone, the inscription reading, “The hundreds of sides Minnie recorded are the perfect material to teach us about the blues. For the blues are at once general, and particular, speaking for millions, but in a highly singular, individual voice. Listening to Minnie’s songs, we hear her fantasies, her dreams, her desires, but we will hear them as if they were our own”.

This newsletter is the backbone of my work & I hope it brings you a measure of value. If so, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription & support my sharing all of the new cannabinoid science each week.

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🌟 This week 🌟

• Cannabis for people with prostate cancer

• CBD isolate increased food intake

• For canine osteoarthritis, full-spectrum extracts

• Cannabis for female orgasmic disorder

• Smoking of cannabis exacerbated asthma

• Preclinical: cannabis for MS + CBD for TBIs, facial pain & diabetic eyes + cannabis roots for gastric ulcers from drinking

• Psychedelics: the magic mushroom of Africa discovered + On the ancestralization of 5-MeO-DMT + IV DMT for depression + psilocybin for OCD

• On comparing mystical states between MDMA, psilocybin & cannabis, it’s “mindset over molecule”

(this week’s numbers: ~7.5k words, ~19 minutes reading time, 174 papers)

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 181^st edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as coverage of other psychoactives, the War on Drugs & harm reduction. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.

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If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
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As always, ask me anything!

📌 Editor’s note 📌:
Whenever people ask me about cannabis & cancer, I point to Justin Kander who has been gathering the evidence for a long time. And now he has made an educational video sharing the science. Plus, you can also get his free book on the subject at FreeCannabisCancerBook.com (now in it’s 8^th edition!).

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And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: the father of the jazz guitar

🧰 Free resources 🧰

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Roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

In Canadians receiving medical cannabis, 3 months of use were linked to improvements in pain, anxiety, depression & quality of life
Canadian real-world evidence: observational 24-week outcomes for health care practitioner authorized cannabis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/24740527.2025.2593253

2025: For insomnia, the UK Medical Cannabis Registry found the initiation of cannabis to be associated with improvements to subjective sleep quality, anxiety levels & quality of life
UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for insomnia
https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000390

In people with prostate cancer, cannabinoid therapy was associated with improved pain control & some indicators of tumor response
Quantitative analysis of Cannabinoid Therapy in Prostate Cancer: Integrating Biomarkers, Imaging and Patient Outcomes
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000550792/4517761/000550792.pdf

In the energy intake of healthy adults, ~300 mg of CBD increased the amount of food eaten, decreased ghrelin & caused no changes to other glucose or lipid levels
A single dose of cannabidiol increases ad libitum energy intake in healthy adults but does not affect postprandial glucose or lipid metabolism
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666326000930

For cannabis use in cancer care, a thesis projects survey found the most common perceived benefits to be for pain, stress/anxiety, sleep, appetite & nausea/vomiting
Understanding Cannabis Use in Cancer Care: Patient Perceptions, Patterns of Use, and Provider Communication Among Patients and Survivors at Roswell Park
https://www.proquest.com/openview/d8c57d9402e3ba8ef121401771893c40/1

In someone with tremors & pain after a stroke, this case report found cannabis oil reduced pain, lessened tremors, enhanced motor function & improved quality of life
Sustained Reduction of Dystonic Tremor and Pain after Cannabis Oil Administration and Physiotherapy in Thalamic Ischemia: A One-Year Case Report
https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/152910

For bipolar disorder, this genome-wide association study found links to pathways related to retrograde endocannabinoid signaling (where endocannabinoids in the brain go backwards & tell the upstream neuron to calm its firing)
Retrograde Endocannabinoid Signaling Shows Robust Enrichment in Bipolar Disorder: Insights from Standardized Pathway Analyses
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8937137/v1/c8ca8803-7eb3-44a4-98c2-6d8e34ad16ce.pdf

For canine osteoarthritis, an extract of THC, CBD, CBDA, & THCA showed reductions in scores with no adverse effects
Randomized and Blind Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Full-Spectrum Oral Cannabis sativa Oil Extract, Standardized Based on CBD-A, CBD and THC-A, THC in Canines with Chronic Osteoarthritis
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/6/900

📑 Reviews 📑

For cannabis & mental health, this widely covered review found little evidence of cannabis helping for anything
Cannabis and Mental Health: A Review
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2846007

For mental health & substance use disorders, this review found “some evidence that cannabinoids can reduce symptoms of cannabis use disorder, insomnia, tic or Tourette’s syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder”
The efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(26)00015-5/fulltext

For cannabis use & affective symptoms (emotions), this review found cannabis use did not alleviate affective symptoms but that cannabis abstinence did
Investigating the Relationship Between Cannabis Abstinence and Affective Symptoms: A Systematic Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-026-00713-7

For fibromyalgia, a review of 4 papers on cannabis
Evaluation of the use of different forms of medical cannabis in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a systematic review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050708126000169

For female orgasmic disorder, a review of the potential of cannabis
Cannabis and the Future of Treating Female Orgasmic Disorder/Difficulty
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-026-00417-z

In epilepsy, this review found that CBD improved seizure control
Cannabidiol in Epilepsy: Restoring Locomotion and Seizure Control
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41833036/

In sepsis (a severe overreaction of the immune system), a review on the therapeutic potential of the cannabinoids
CANNABINOIDS IN CLINICAL SEPSIS: A SCOPING REVIEW
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1413867026003843

For the gut-brain axis & the central nervous system, a review of the effects of CBD & probiotics
Synergistic Neuroimmune Modulation by Cannabidiol and Probiotics for Therapeutic Advancement in CNS Disorders: A Systematic Review
https://www.benthamdirect.com/content/journals/cnsnddt/10.2174/0118715273411035251111055748

In oral medicine, a review on the potential of cannabis
Cannabis in oral medicine: what should we know? A narrative review
https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/biblio-1651035

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

For asthma & inhaling cannabis, public health data found a significant rate of asthma exacerbation
Association of Inhaling Marijuana with Asthma Attacks: An Analysis of Nationally Representative Survey Data
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012369226003247

In memory tests of cannabis users, males were more impacted for impaired visuospatial working memory
Same Dose, Different Impact: Acute Cannabis Intoxication Impairs Visuospatial Working Memory in Both Sexes, With Disproportionate Male Vulnerability
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1785335/abstract

In a Canadian mental health survey, cannabis was associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression & suicidality
Changes in Cross-Sectional Associations Between Cannabis Use and Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidality in a Nationally Representative Sample of Canadians From 2012 to 2022: Évolution des relations transversales entre la consommation de cannabis et la dépression, l’anxiété et les idées suicidaires au sein d’un échantillon représentatif de Canadiens à l’échelle nationale, de 2012 à 2022
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07067437261420701
As always, the question was if cannabis was causative or if they were treating their symptoms with it. I suspect that it’s the former for some people & the latter for others.

For adults trying to stop using cannabis, a survey found that “practice for change” & “changes in social environment” were associated with sustained cessation
Exploring Recreational Cannabis Use Cessation Intentions among Adults in the United States Using the Multi-Theory Model of Health Behavior Change
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342261417057

For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a paper framing it as an endocrine-metabolic disorder
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome as an Endocrine–Metabolic Disorder
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr1141701

A case report of an eye hemorrhage 2 hours after cannabis consumption
Premacular Subhyaloid Hemorrhage in a Young Adult After Cannabis Consumption: A Case Report
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/case_report/pdf/471715/20260316-50419-lyce7k.pdf

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In mice taking THC, the addition of CBD altered the changes to locomotion & body temperature, with gendered differences
Cannabidiol dose modulates behavioral response to acute and repeated administration of Δ9- Tetrahydrocannabinol by strain and sex
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/03/09/2026.03.05.709920.full.pdf

In a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, a cannabis extract reduced hypersensitivity, promoted motor function recovery & caused antidepressant & anxiety-reducing effects via the CB2 receptor
A sesquiterpene-rich essential oil from Cannabis sativa L. attenuates symptoms and neuroinflammation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model through a CB2-mediated signalling
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944711326003041

In a rat model of severe traumatic brain injury, CBD caused neuroprotective & anti-inflammatory effects
Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol in rats submitted to severe traumatic brain injury
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402600215X

In a mouse model of orofacial inflammatory pain, local injection of CBD reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers & neural pain transmission as well as helping anxiety levels, depression symptoms & cognitive performance
Effects and mechanisms of cannabidiol in attenuating orofacial inflammatory pain and ameliorating pain-related affective deficits
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923026000997

In the eyes of a mouse model of diabetes, CBD protected the retinas & reduced weight gain
Electroretinographical analysis of the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) in eyes of Zucker diabetic fatty rats
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00421-z

In a mouse model of ketamine causing hyperlocomotion, brain injection of CBD blocked the effects via glycine receptors in the ventral tegmental area (a center of dopamine signaling for reward & motivation)
Cannabidiol Mitigates Ketamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion via Allosteric Potentiation of Ventral Tegmental GlyRα1 Signaling
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322326011078

In a mouse model of gastric ulcers from alcohol, cannabis root extracts reduced gastric injury
Cannabis sativa L. roots extract modulates gastrointestinal motility and ameliorates ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in animal models
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1743428/full

In preclinical models of inflammatory bowel disease, this meta-analysis of 27 studies found cannabinoid significantly reduced disease activity
Efficacy of Exogenous Cannabinoids in Pre-Clinical Models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261428842

In a mouse model of diabetes, the lignanamides Cannabisin A & B extracted from hemp seed hulls improved fasting glucose & metabolic signaling
Cannabisin A and B from hemp seed hulls improve glucose homeostasis by re-engaging insulin, leptin, and AMPK pathways via selective PTP1B inhibition
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711326002904

In a tissue model of the blood-brain barrier, CBN partial reversed barrier dysfunction, CBD caused an anti-inflammatory signal & CBG was pro-inflammatory at higher concentrations
Minor cannabinoids have pleiotropic effects on human brain microvascular endothelial activation and barrier function
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8982679/v1/5a7ce8fb-07be-4ea0-9018-64e5f7d7802a.pdf

In a tissue model of Barth Syndrome (an X-linked condition of an enlarged heart, weak muscles, recurrent infections & a short stature), CBD restored their growth levels & biomarkers of heart health
Effects of Cannabidiol on TAFAZZIN-Deficient B-Lymphoblastoid Cells
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41823370/

In a tissue study of the major foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, CBD suppressed virulence mechanisms & protected from infection
Efficacy of Cannabidiol in Reducing Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2682

For antibiotic activity against Gram-positive bacteria, on the effects of CBG & CBGA derivatives
Structure–Activity Relationships of Cannabigerol and Cannabigerolic Acid Derivatives as Antibacterial Agents against Gram-Positive Bacteria
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.6c00126

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

In cannabis research, on using AI to analyze the scientific trends
Harnessing machine learning and multivariate analysis to explore global trends in Cannabis sativa research
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42238-026-00397-w_reference.pdf

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles

On US CBD products, the FDA submitted a report on their proposed enforcement policy (though the text is still private)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-submits-new-cannabis-products-enforcement-policy-for-white-house-review/

On the history of prison music & redemption songs, the Marshall Project is starting a new newsletter focused on the stories of musicians
https://mailchi.mp/themarshallproject/redemption-songs-the-music-of-mass-incarceration-4783480

🌐 International Updates 🌐

In South Africa, a judge declared all cannabis clubs illegal
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/cannabis-act-controversy-justice-official-says-no-to-private-clubs-ahead-of-reviewing-public-submissions

In the Netherlands, a court forced a credit card processor to continue processing payments from cannabis coffee shops
https://cannabislaw.report/nl-times-dutch-court-stops-payment-service-from-blocking-coffeeshop-card-transactions/

In Portugal, a soccer club fined for the strong smell of cannabis coming from their stands
https://cannabislaw.report/no-longer-war-on-the-terraces-but-weed-on-the-terraces-vinicius-jr-owned-portuguese-1st-division-team-alverca-fined-for-the-strong-smell-of-cannabis-in-stands-during-match/

In a Swiss study on the recreational cannabis access via pharmacies program, problematic cannabis use predicted higher levels of depression & anxiety, but no associations to psychosis symptoms
Bidirectional association of psychopathology and cannabis use: Results from the Swiss study on recreational cannabis access via pharmacies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032726004556
And they had no changes in biomarkers for neuroaxonal damage & astroglial injury (respectively, neurofilament light chain (NfL) & glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP))
NfL and GFAP quantification and associations with mental health in recreational cannabis users-Results from the Swiss study on recreational cannabis access via pharmacies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41826780/

In Germany, a small survey found no increased cannabis consumption after legalization
Code for: Change and antecedents of cannabis consumption after the legalization of recreational cannabis in Germany
https://www.psycharchives.org/en/item/83621542-76f4-41b1-a627-3a7b3ab10b7f

In Australia over the last 20 years, public health data found the levels of cannabis use & cannabis use disorder to have been stable
Prevalence, Associations and Comorbidity of Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorders in the Australian National Mental Health Surveys From 2007 to 2020–22
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12968346/

In Djibouti’s cannabis industry, a review of women’s participation
A Systematic Review of Gender Dynamics in the Emerging Legal Cannabis Industry of Djibouti, 2000–2003: Leadership, Equity and the African Context
https://parj.africa/ajws_womenlead/article/view/a-systematic-review-of-gender-dynamics-in-the-emerging-legal

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

For cannabis taxes, they drive increased educational spending per pupil
High Hopes, Fungible Dollars: Does Earmarked Marijuana Tax Revenue Actually Increase Education Spending?
https://ape.socialcatalystlab.org/papers/apep_0633/v1/paper.pdf

In Northern California, interviews on the potential of cannabis agritourism
Cannabis Agritourism and Local Pathways Toward Sustainable Development Goals in Northern California
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/sd.70907

In Facebook cannabis advertising, food cues were associated with increased shares & comments
Foodie Traps within Facebook Cannabis Promotional Posts: Deploying Multimodal Deep Learning AIs to Monitor Audience Engagement
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001092

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

In US cannabis seizures, adult-use cannabis laws were associated with a significant decrease in cannabis seizures
Cannabis legalization and law enforcement drug seizures: a state-level analysis of cannabis policy effects on cannabis seizures in the United States, 2010–2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395926000691

In Uruguay, people living in neighborhoods with drug trafficking organizations were less likely to register for legal cannabis access
Why Remain Illegal? The Deterrent Effect of DTO Control on Legal Cannabis Market Access
https://www.bcu.gub.uy/Estadisticas-e-Indicadores/estudios/Documents/fynn_et-al.pdf

In Nepal, a history of drugs & their drug laws
Drugs in Nepal: History, Law, and the Case for a Balanced Policy
https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/VOH/article/view/87276

On the scholarship of Peter Reuter for reshaping drug policy analysis
On Reuter’s contribution to the drug policy debate
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17440572.2026.2642310

On autonomous submarines for drug smuggling
https://cannabislaw.report/autonomous-narco-submarines-the-new-technological-frontier-of-organized-crime/

In the UK, a gang dressed up as police to raid rival cannabis farms
https://cannabislaw.report/uk-drugs-gang-dressed-as-coppers-to-raid-cannabis-farms/

In Libya, 3 men were sentenced to life imprisonment & 2 men to 10-year terms for cannabis cultivation
https://cannabislaw.report/libya-five-people-sentenced-to-life-and-10-years-in-prison-for-cannabis-cultivation/

In Sydney, a man charged after a bust with ~1k plants (said to be valued at $3M, making each plant worth $300k(?!))
https://cannabislaw.report/australia-nsw-strike-force-grassy-man-charged-after-more-than-3m-worth-of-cannabis-seized/

In South Australia, a middle-aged woman busted for growing 3 cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/burra-south-australia-major-crime-scene-55-year-old-woman-busted-for-growing-3-cannabis-plants/
And then another woman busted with 4 plants
https://cannabislaw.report/south-australian-police-at-it-again-last-week-it-was-an-arrest-of-someone-with-3-plants-this-week-a-64-year-old-woman-with-4-plants/

🚗 Driving 🚗

In simulated driving performance of regular cannabis smokers, on the effects of potency on various driving measures
Potency-related effects of smoked cannabis on simulated driving performance: a randomized, controlled crossover trial
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-43045-2_reference.pdf
“Mean speed did not differ across conditions. Maximum speed increased under medium and high potencies versus placebo. SDLP [standard deviation of lateral position] was higher across all Δ9-THC potencies. Both SDLP and RT [reaction time] positively correlated with blood Δ9-THC concentrations.” (p values removed)

In young adult drivers, a survey found the majority reported using cannabis while driving, one-third reported driving after cannabis & alcohol use, often with passengers present
Retrospective Event-Level Patterns of Cannabis-Impaired Driving
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00378

For predicting alcohol & cannabis impaired driving in young adults, AI found the top predictive factors for cannabis-impaired driving to be “cannabis use frequency, cannabis-related memory problems, simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use frequency, increased cannabis tolerance, and age of cannabis initiation”
Using machine learning to identify unique predictors of alcohol and cannabis impaired driving
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12981337/

In injured drivers, on the gendered differences between their alcohol & cannabis use
Sex differences in cannabis- and alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions in three U.S. states with legalized cannabis: A multicenter observational study
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15389588.2026.2623006

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

In Ontario, outcry over 7 supervised drug consumption sites being forced to close after the provincial government cut their funding
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-ending-supervised-drug-consumption-funding-9.7130534
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/03/13/ford-government-to-end-consumption-site-funding-two-toronto-sites/

For drugs in overdose deaths, the CDC just released its first report in 10 years on the drugs most frequently involved
https://filtermag.org/cdc-specific-drug-overdose-death-data/

Harm Reduction Research

On public health vending machines, an analysis of their efficacy in the US
Extending harm reduction through public health vending machines: Insights from implementation efforts in the United States
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949875926000640

On overdose prevention centers, a media analysis found the majority to be favorable or neutral
News Media Coverage of Overdose Prevention Centers: A Content Analysis
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8991788/v1/a7783630-4142-4cfe-a926-db029df12a2d.pdf
“The most frequently cited benefits of OPCs were linkage to wraparound services (94.1%); rapid overdose response (90.8%); and exchange of safer use supplies (82.4%). The top cited negative consequences included stigmatizing arguments counter to evidence such as enabling drug use (51.3%), increased crime (24.4%), and public drug use (22.7%).”

In Australia, the majority supported needle exchange programs, take-home naloxone, drug checking services & a health response to drugs, but not the legalization of anything
Attitudes to Drug Policy in Australia, 2001–2022/23: What Does This Mean for Drug Policy Reform in Australia?
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12989179/

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

In Africa, the closest relative of the magic mushroom discovered: Psilocybe ochraceocentrata
Discovery of the closest free-living relative of the domesticated ‘magic mushroom’ Psilocybe cubensis in Africa
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2066/20252270/480730/Discovery-of-the-closest-free-living-relative-of

For 5-MeO-DMT, on its ancestralization (reframing as an ancient practice when really it was not) & its integration into the modern shaman scene
Fabricated ancestrality: The Sonoran Desert toad, psychedelic globalization, and the ecological politics of 5-MeO-DMT
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484826000056

For ibogaine, a review of its history from a plant of the Congo to a pharmaceutical product
The long roots of ibogaine: A journey from plant to pharmaceutical
https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00491/article-10.1556-2054.2026.00491.xml

In West Africa, a report on their synthetic drug markets
Mapping synthetic drug markets in West Africa
https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Lucia-Bird-et-al-Mapping-synthetic-drug-markets-in-West-Africa-GI-TOC-March-2026.pdf

For novel psychoactive substances around the world, this meta-analysis of 190 studies found the most frequent to be synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones & PCP-type substances
Prevalence of Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Use Across Different Geographical Regions of the World: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-026-00728-0

Psychedelics & MDMA

In a comparison of mystical experiences between psilocybin MDMA & cannabis, the findings found a “mindset over molecule pattern” where the setting mattered more than the substance
Mindset over molecule: comparing self-transcendent and mystical experiences across recreational psilocybin, MDMA, and cannabis use
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-025-03921-4

For depression, intravenous DMT caused a significant reduction in scores that persisted for up to 3 months
A short-acting psychedelic intervention for major depressive disorder: a phase IIa randomized placebo-controlled trial
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04154-z

In people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, psilocybin sessions reduced scores
A randomized clinical trial of repeated doses of psilocybin for the treatment of obsessive–compulsive disorder
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02698811261424214

In Oregon’s psilocybin program, sessions were associated with improvements in depression, anxiety & well-being
Psilocybin services and mental health outcomes within Oregon’s state-regulated model
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.18.26346580v1

In people trying to stop smoking tobacco, a combination of psilocybin & cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) worked better than a nicotine patch with CBT
Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41805956/

In people naïve to 5-MeO-DMT, an intranasal formulation caused peak experiences around 15 minutes & a return to baseline by 60 minutes
Mapping the phenomenology of intranasal 5-MeO-DMT in psychedelic-naïve healthy adults
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22620-z

For death anxiety, this meta-analysis of psychedelics found a moderate-to-large reduction
Confronting mortality: A meta-analysis and systematic review of psychedelic experiences and death anxiety
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/02698811261424199

For transgender & gender-expansive psychedelic users, interviews on their healing of racism and/or trans phobia
Transgender and gender-expansive psychedelic users’ concerns about colonization, racism, and medicalization in western psychedelic science
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484826000044

On Australian public drug alerts, on finding the threshold for MDMA levels (they settled on ≥ 150 mg)
Exploring the Utility and Appropriateness of Dose Thresholds for Issuing of Public Drug Alerts on High-Dose MDMA: A Qualitative Study
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12968355/

For postpartum depression, a review of the potential of psychedelic therapy
Psychedelic therapy and postpartum depression: priorities and prospects
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20451253251408280

For schizophrenia, a review of the early evidence for psychedelics
Psychedelics for treatment of negative symptoms and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A narrative review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0920996426000800

For depression, a review on combining exercise & psychedelics
The combination of exercise and psychedelics for the treatment of major depressive disorder
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41793582/

On ethical care in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Psychedelics, Harm Reduction, and Ethical Care
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42843-025-00144-4

For psychedelic clinical trials in adolescents, a review of a potential framework
Toward a framework for psychedelic clinical trials in adolescents
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41808125/

In a mouse model of fatty liver, psilocybin microdosing reduced lipid accumulation & scarring
Exploring the hepatoprotective potential of psilocybin microdosing in steatohepatitis: In vitro and in vivo studies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1590865826001209

In rats taking 5-MeO-DMT, brain scans found gendered differences in the changes in brain connectivity
Beyond the toad’s kiss: Mapping acute 5-MeO-DMT effects on brain connectivity across sex and dose using awake rat neuroimaging
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390826000596

Ketamine

On rumination, a brain scan study of how ketamine reduced rumination & altered dynamic brain states
Ketamine’s Impact on Rumination-Related Brain Dynamics: Insights From a Randomized Controlled fMRI Trial
https://sciety.org/articles/activity/10.31234/osf.io/q9utr_v1

In people taking ketamine for pain, they also had improvements to their substance misuse as well as their mood
Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Provides Added Benefits for Substance Misuse Therapy
https://sciencevolks.com/medical-research/pdf/SVOA-MR-04-006.pdf

For treatment-resistant depression, a case series on the efficacy of ketamine
A case series of inpatient ketamine infusion for treatment-resistant depression in Taiwan
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773021226000040

In people with cognitive deficits, preclinical evidence found help from ketamine but the only clinical study found cognitive worsening
Ketamine as a Potential Cognitive Enhancer in Neurological Disorders: Evidence from Preclinical and Clinical Studies
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1786249/abstract

In depression, a neuroimaging review of ketamine’s effect on reward processing
Effect of Ketamine on Reward Processing in Depressive Disorders: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41804256/

Kratom

For kratom withdrawal, a review of case studies
Clinical presentation and treatment in kratom withdrawal: a narrative review of case studies
https://apcz.umk.pl/JEHS/article/view/69728

In the New England states, a case series of kratom-related deaths
A Retrospective Case Series of Kratom-Related Deaths Reported by Medical Examiners in Select New England States
https://knowledgeconnection.mainehealth.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1253&context=jmmc

For death in Florida from mitragynine (an active ingredient in kratom), an analysis of demographics & associated drugs
Case Control study of mitragynine deaths in Florida
https://academic.oup.com/jat/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jat/bkag017/8524763

Cathinones

For synthetic cathinones, a case series of their involvement in forensic investigations
Case Series Involving the Synthetic Cathinones alpha-PHP, alpha-PiHP, MDPHP, and MDPiHP in Forensic Investigations
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379073826001040

Kava

On kava, a monograph released by the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia Publishes Kava Monograph and Therapeutic Compendium
https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A10%3A5763898/detailv2

For cancer & kava, a review of the protective effects
The protective effects of Kava (Piper Methysticum) constituents in cancers: A systematic review
https://rest.mars-prod.its.unimelb.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/c46e94aa-c16a-5031-b046-71fe0ee5e6f0/content

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

For cultivar registration & breeder protection, a proposed framework by friend of the newsletter Dr. Anna Schwabe
A proposed framework for genetic verification and cultivar protection in cannabis
https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/abstract/S0168-9525(26)00035-1

🌱 Growing 🌱

For sustainable hemp production, a review of key principles & technologies
Protected Cultivation of Medicinal Hemp: A Climate-Resilient Strategy for Sustainable Production
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/51/1/13

For sanitizing medical cannabis flowers, a review comparing the methods
Sanitation of medical cannabis flowers (Cannabis sativa L., flos): comparing current technologies and non-thermal plasma novelties from safety and quality perspectives
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00417-9

In Kentucky hemp & fusarium head blight exposure, on the effects of cover crops
Cover Crop Impacts Fusarium Head Blight Incidence and Mycotoxin Contamination of Cannabis sativa
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-02-26-0295-RE

For hemp fiber production, on the effects of nitrogen rates for growth & biomass
Growth and biomass response of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivars to nitrogen rates for fiber production
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/csc2.70258

In the US central Plains states, on the effects of fertilization on yield
Nutrient uptake and partitioning of industrial hemp in the central Plains
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/agj2.70300

In the US central Great Plains states, on the water use of hemp
Water use and productivity of industrial hemp in the US central Great Plains
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/agj2.70331

For fiber hemp of the US Southeast, on how plant population & harvest timing influenced bast yields
Fiber Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Production in the Southeast: Discovering How Plant Population and Harvest Timing Influence Bast Yields
https://www.proquest.com/openview/cff608a153dbba5b972f014408d38821/1

In Moroccan cannabis, on the effects of fertilization, temperature, photoperiod & salt stress
Influence of extrinsic factors and salt stress on the in vitro germination and development of Moroccan Cannabis sativa L. varieties as potential medicinal plants
https://horizonepublishing.com/index.php/PST/article/view/11067

In Moroccan cannabis, an analysis of its components, antioxidant activity & antimicrobial activities across different tissue types
Total polyphenol contents, total flavonoid contents, LC–MS analysis, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of Moroccan Cannabis sativa L. (Beldia): A comparative study of resin, leaf, and seed extracts and chemometric approach
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11694-025-03970-8

On analyzing the constituents of Yemeni cannabis
Phytoconstituents determination of cannabis sativa plant extracts
https://www.openabstract.org/abstract/1685/phytoconstituents-determination-of-cannabis-sativa-plant-extracts

For Nigerian cannabis, on creating a chemical profile using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis
ATR-FTIR and GC–MS chemical profiling of Cannabis sativa L. cultivated in Ondo state, Nigeria
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026265X26008994

For hemp stress resistance, a genetic analysis of the Betv gene family
Identification and Expression Analysis of the Betv1 Gene Family in Industrial Hemp
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12042-026-09464-1

For counting & analyzing hemp seeds, on comparing hand counting versus automated methods
Hemp seed counting and morphometric analysis method comparison
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/ppj2.70069
“When accessions were grouped by origin, East Asian accessions were found to have the largest seed size, and US feral accessions had the smallest seed size.”

For cannabis seed detection & classification, on using AI
AI-Powered Cannabis Seed Detection and Classification: A Machine Learning Approach for Precision Agriculture
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8566248/v1

For classifying cannabis seeds, on using AI
A Comparison of Convolutional Neural Networks using Transfer Learning for Cannabis Seed Classification
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-4179/short3.pdf

⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️

For commercial CBD oils, a secret buyer survey found over- & under-labeling
Not what it seems: analytical validation and label accuracy of commercial CBD oils using HPTLC
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00419-7

On differentiating cannabinoid isomers using copper salts & electrospray ionization with a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method
Differentiation of cannabinoid isomers via Cu-mediated molecular ion formation and electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41796083/

On creating CBD-microspheres for chronic pain
Development of Cannabidiol-Loaded PLGA Microspheres for Long-Acting Injectable Delivery: Evaluation of Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) as an Alternative to Poly(ethylene glycol)
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/3/336

On nasal delivery of CBD, on the pharmacokinetics of starch-based CBD-loaded nanoparticles in rats
Pharmacokinetic Modeling of the “Nose-to-Brain” Pathway as Demonstrated by Intranasal Administration of Cannabidiol-Loaded Nanoparticles
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/19/3/456

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

In soybean protein-based meat analogues, on improved their sensory characteristics with pea & hemp seed protein hydrolysates
Incorporation of pea and hemp seed protein hydrolysates into soybean protein-based meat analogues for enhanced bioactive and instrumental sensory attributes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833526000869

For producing albumin & globulin from hemp protein isolate, comparing ultrafiltration-diafiltration & isoelectric precipitation
Comparison of ultrafiltration-diafiltration and isoelectric precipitation for producing albumin and globulin fractions from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996926006277

In broiler chickens, cannabis seeds improve their lipid metabolism & the fatty acid profile of the meat with no adverse effects on growth
Dietary Inclusion of Cannabis sativa Seeds at Graded Levels Modulates Growth Performance, Blood Biochemistry, and Breast Muscle Fatty Acid Composition in Broilers
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjas-2025-0111

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

For phytoremediation, a review of hemp removing heavy metals & forever chemicals
Current Knowledge on Phytoremediation Potential of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for PFAS and Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/rem.70059

For archival storage, paper made from hemp, flax & straw fibers “exhibited sufficient stability and structural integrity”
ASSESSMENT OF RAW PAPERS FROM NON-WOOD FIBRES FOR STORAGE AND PACKAGING OF ARCHIVAL MATERIALS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OBJECTS THROUGH A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DIAGNOSTIC METHODOLOGY
https://www.cellulosechemtechnol.ro/firstonline.php

On creating biochar from industrial hemp for protecting antibiotics from degradation
Preparation of industrial hemp stalk charcoal material supported tetranitro cobalt phthalocyanine and iodine-doped bismuth oxide catalyst: enhanced visible-light response and efficient antibiotics degradation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1387700326003655

In hemp pomace (aka hemp cake, a byproduct of oil extraction from seeds), a characterization of the biopolymers & lipids
NMR characterisation of biopolymers and lipids from hemp pomace treated with Thermomyces lanuginosus
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-41682-1

For 3D-printing biocomposites, hemp retained structural integrity better than flax
Printability versus Durability in 3D-printed biocomposites: unraveling the distinct roles of flax and hemp fibers in PLA-based filaments
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785426006113

On creating a polymer composite reinforcer glass & hemp fibers
Dynamic mechanical and thermogravimetric analysis of glass/hemp reinforced hybrid polymer composites modified with Graphene and MXene fillers
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40712-026-00429-6_reference.pdf

On creating pressure-sensitive hemp fabric coated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes
MWCNT-coated hemp fabric as a wide-range flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor for human motion monitoring and gesture recognition
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10853-026-12354-2

For hemp fabrics, on the effect of adding a waterborne polyurethane
Synthesis of multifunctional surface-treatment coatings for hemp fabric: Incorporating flame retardancy, hydrophobicity, antibacterial activity, UV resistance, and enhanced mechanical strength
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092777572600823X

On creating hemp fibers doped with boron for flame & water resistance
Development of Sustainable Biocomposite Materials Using Boron-Doped Hemp Fabrics
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12649-026-03547-6

For wear-resistant fibers, on reinforcing hemp & bamboo fibers with micro-crystalline cellulose
Optimizing abrasive wear in sustainable MCC reinforced hemp bamboo epoxy composites for tribological applications
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-43505-9_reference.pdf

For insulation, an evaluation of composite materials made from hemp, flax & miscanthus shives
Unlocking the potential of bio-Based composites: durability and sustainability of hemp, flax, and miscanthus with low-carbon binders
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259012302601128X

On improving lime-hemp composites with biopolymers to decrease water absorption
The combined effect of gum arabic and casein on selected parameters of lime-metakaolin paste and hemp concrete for use as wall material
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352710226006455

In Perlite concrete, on incorporating hemp shives & recycled plastic waste
Hemp shives vs. plastic waste vs. polypropylene fibers in perlite concrete: An experimental comparative study of mechanical performance
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095006182600824X

For construction, on creating raw earth/hemp composites with low hemp shiv content
Impact of hemp shiv contents on hygrothermal and compressive properties of raw earth-based sustainable building materials
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41779-026-01367-4

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

On hemp extracellular vesicles, a review of their therapeutic potential
Hemp-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Novel Frontier in Nanomedicine and Therapeutics
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40259-026-00766-0

On the therapeutic use of cannabis a review of the components, the evidence & the gaps
Insights Into Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Chemical Properties, Legal Perspectives, and Therapeutic Applications
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cbdv.202503030

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

For pesticides in cannabis, a commentary on how regulations are based on detection & not human health
Pesticides in Cannabis: The Need for Evidence to Inform Policy and Protect Patients
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149291826000378

On novel cannabis ingestion methods, a review of the rise of high-potency concentrates, new inhalation techniques & delta-8 THC
Emergence of New Variants of Cannabis Use: A Systematic Review
https://www.gpub.org/article-details.php

In Massachusetts, on their trends of cannabis use from the Cannabis Control Commission
Cannabis Use Trends in Massachusetts: Findings from the International Cannabis Policy Study, 2019–2023
https://masscannabiscontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Cannabis-Use-Trends-in-Massachusetts-Findings-from-the-International-Cannabis-Policy-Study-2019-2023.pdf

In US public health data, there is a small increase in the tri-use of cannabis, alcohol & tobacco
Trends and Correlates of Past-Month Cannabis, Alcohol, and Tobacco Tri-Use and Intensive Tri-Use: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2016–2023
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2632185

In cannabis urine screens at the University of Colorado health system, the positivity rate has plateaued since 2015
Trends in cannabis urine drug screen testing in Colorado’s largest health system: a retrospective cohort study
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42238-026-00418-8_reference.pdf

In a northern Israel hospital, attitudes towards cannabis differed significantly by religious affiliation
Cannabis, Religion, and Trust in the Medical Profession: A Cross-Religious Study of Patients’ Attitudes Toward Medical and Recreational Use in Northern Israel
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41833069/
“Christian participants reported the most favorable views toward both medical and recreational cannabis, followed by Jewish respondents, while Muslim and Druze participants expressed more conservative attitudes. Contrary to prior literature, higher trust in the medical profession was associated with more negative cannabis attitudes overall.”

In US cannabis consumers, a survey found that their state’s legal status did not alter their harm or benefit rating
Cannabis use within the United States: Prevalence of cannabis use by state legal status and perceptions of benefit and harm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724626000247

For people in supportive housing, the heavy co-users of tobacco & cannabis had less favorable attitudes towards tobacco-free policies & cannabis-free policies
Attitudes toward tobacco-free and cannabis-free policies among residents in permanent supportive housing who use tobacco, cannabis, and other substances
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853226000222

For extracting cannabis use data from electronic health records, on using a large language model
Extracting patient reported cannabis use and reasons for use from electronic health records: a benchmarking study of large language models
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.06.26347824v1.full.pdf

For nursing students, a review of their knowledge & attitudes towards cannabis
Nursing Students’ Attitudes and Knowledge of Medical and Recreational Cannabis Use: An Integrative Review
https://journals.lww.com/jan/abstract/9900/nursing_students__attitudes_and_knowledge_of.5.aspx

For cannabinoid urine testing, on using magnetic nanoparticles
Magnetic nanoparticles anchored with zeolites: An alternative material for dispersive magnetic solid-phase extraction for cannabinoids from urine samples
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570023226001182

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

In adolescents, public health data found legalization was not associated with a significant change in cannabis use disorder rates
Nonmedical cannabis legalization and adolescent inpatient cannabis use disorder, 2008–2020: A quasi-experimental analysis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395926000745

In college students, more restrictive state cannabis policies were linked to lower odds of cannabis use while more restrictive alcohol policies were linked to higher cannabis use
Associations Between State Cannabis and Alcohol Policy Restrictiveness and College Students’ Cannabis Use, Binge Drinking and Co-Use
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10826084.2026.2641696

In college students, frequent cannabis use was associated with depressive symptoms
Relations between depression and cannabis use among college students in evolving state cannabis policy environments
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871626001080

In young adults, bipolar disorder risk was associated with cannabis interference in daily life, but not frequency of use or difficulty stopping cannabis
The highs and lows: Cannabis use and positive valence bipolar mood and emotion processes in emerging adults
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016503272600491X

In young Canadian cannabis consumers, there were few gendered differences in the prevalence of cannabis use outcomes, but boys had more negative life experiences & the girls had poorer mental health
Gender Differences in Correlates of Cannabis Consumers Among Youth: Results From the 2023 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X25008110

In young adult females who regularly use cannabis, recent cannabis consequences were associated with a decreased likelihood of subsequent use, except among heavy users
Cannabis Use Problems Moderate Daily Associations between Cannabis Consequences and Subsequent Use
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00441

In adolescents of the Pacific Northwest, a survey found that greater exposure to cannabis retail outlets may increase cannabis-related risks & use
A Decade After Legalization: Cannabis Risk Factors Associated with Community Retail Cannabis Exposure among Adolescents in the Pacific Northwest
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379726000759

In UK schools, an analysis of confiscated vapes found synthetic cannabinoids to be dominant
Illicit substances in school-confiscated vapes: Lessons from a laboratory-driven public health pilot
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535226000492

For teen cannabis & alcohol use, those with parental disapproval that was neutral or conflicting were more likely to report past-year use
Association Between Perceived Parent Attitudes and Teen Cannabis and Alcohol Use
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X26000339

On creating a scale for college students on cannabis & compensatory eating behaviors
Development and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Modified College Eating and Cannabis Behaviors Scale (CECBS)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-026-01646-y

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In a mouse model of stroke, the neuroprotection caused by activating CB1 receptors was dependent upon their presence in the neurons producing glutamate (the brain’s most common excitatory neurotransmitter)
Glutamatergic cannabinoid receptor 1 confers neuroprotection against ischemic stroke by suppressing excitotoxicity and anoxic depolarization
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390826000997

In a roundworm model of Alzheimer’s disease, CBD encapsulated within a zirconium-based metal-organic framework delayed the onset of amyloid-induced paralysis & demonstrated superior neuroprotective potency compared to free CBD
Oral Administration of Cannabidiol via Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks: In Vivo Neuroprotective Effects in a C. elegans Alzheimer’s Model
https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15000800/v1

For a CBD lipid nanocarrier, a thesis project on targeting the central nervous system
Active targeting to the central nervous system through the covalent functionalization with cannabidiol of lipid nanocarriers obtained by low-energy methods
https://docta.ucm.es/entities/publication/a5ffb83c-7fb4-4d6b-9221-d401328339cb

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

For cannabis & sleep, a diary & sleep lab study found that cannabis expectancies were associated with overestimated total sleep time & time to sleep
Cannabis Expectancies for Sleep Modulate Discrepancies Between Subjective and Objective Sleep Outcomes: A Pilot Study
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.2026.2644855

In a stress test of cannabis users, larger skin conductance & heart rate reactivity predicted greater reduction in motivation to change cannabis use
Elevated Stress Reactivity: A Barrier to Cannabis Use Change Behavior
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2640449

In French heavy cannabis users, on the effects of parental separation/divorce & anxiety
Onset of anxiety and mood disorders in French heavy cannabis users: The impact of parental separation/divorce
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013700626000266

For people trying to quit tobacco, cannabis-co-use had a negative impact on abstinence
Determining the impact of cannabis use on tobacco cessation: Results from a prospective non-randomized tobacco treatment trial
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70382

For the link between cannabis use & schizophrenia, a review on the utility of preclinical animal models
Which Came First? Utility of Preclinical Models in Cracking the Chicken-or-Egg Relationship between Cannabis Use and Schizophrenia
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-026-00714-6

On creating a mouse model of cannabis use disorder using the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212–2
A Male Mouse Model of WIN 55,212–2 Self-Administration to Study Cannabinoid Addiction
https://bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?id=5652&type=0

In stressed mice with overexpression of the CB1 receptor in the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain), they had less weight gain & symptoms of stress
Selective overexpression of hippocampal CB1R alleviates chronic stress-induced neurogenesis impairment and behavior disorder in rats
https://www.sciopen.com/local/article_pdf/10.16016/j.2097-0927.202511032.pdf

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴

In brain scans of people with chronic pain, cannabis use was associated with changes to functional connectivity
The Role of Pain Frequency in the Divergent Associations Between Cannabis Use and Default Mode Network Connectivity
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/medrxiv/early/2026/03/11/2026.03.10.26348038.full.pdf

In people who had wrist surgery, the cannabis users required less opioid painkillers to manage post-operative pain
Opioid Usage in the PACU Following Operative Distal Radius Fracture Repairs in Marijuana Users
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41811263/

In people who had nerve transfer surgery, the cannabis users had no significant differences
Impact of Marijuana Usage on Nerve Transfer Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/neurosurgery/abstract/10.1227/neu.0000000000003964_523~523impact-of-marijuana-usage-on-nerve-transfer-outcomes-a

In trauma patients, a meta-analysis of 30 studies found heterogeneity on their prevalence of cannabis use
Prevalence of cannabis use among trauma patients presenting to the emergency department: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15389588.2026.2623013

In a rat model of frostbite-induced chronic pain, activating both the CB1 & CB2 receptor reduced pain via neuroimmune, intracellular homeostasis & oxidative stress pathways
Peripheral cannabinoid receptor activation attenuates frostbite-induced chronic pain via modulation of TRP channels, neuroinflammation, and autophagy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584926001565

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

In a mouse model of GI motility (movement of food), those without CB1 receptors lost significantly more body weight during antibiotic treatment & had faster gut transit but slower colonic motility
Role of CB1 receptors in the gastrointestinal tract after microbiota depletion and natural recolonization
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8854797/v1_covered_d35fbf69-6b2a-4717-b81a-a5095c6b9c37.pdf

💧 The Genitourinary System 💧

In a female mouse model of spinal cord injury with the secondary complication of lower urinary tract dysfunction, a CBD-derived molecule reduced bladder weight, improved urodynamics, suppressed spinal cord neuroinflammation & promoted re-establishment of bladder-related neural pathways
A novel cannabidiol-derived small molecule ameliorates lower urinary tract dysfunction in mice with spinal cord injury via suppressing neuroinflammation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0024320526001219

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (the most common genetic cause of renal failure), the kidney tissue had higher transcription levels of the CB1 receptor & significant reductions in the levels of endocannabinoids & key endocannabinoid-metabolizing enzymes
Progressive endocannabinoid system dysregulation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s10020-026-01457-w

🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️

For wound healing, on creating a hydrogel dressing with CBD & mupirocin (an antibacterial ointment)
pH-Responsive and Self-Adaptive Hydrogel Dressing Based on a TA/PVA Network Co-Loaded with Cannabidiol and Mupirocin for Synergistic Infected Wound Healing
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711326002795

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

In glioblastomas (the most aggressive brain cancer), CBD preconditioning moved the tumor microenvironment towards an anti-tumor state, improved disease control & potentially lowered relapse risk
Cannabidiol as a Prophylactic Agent Against Glioblastoma Growth: A Preclinical Investigation
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/2/757

In a computer analysis of breast cancer, CBD had strong binding affinities to CDK6, BCL2, MMP2 & VEGFR2
Potential of Using Cannabidiol as a Therapeutic Molecule Against Various Cell Signaling Molecules Involved in Breast Cancer Complications: A Bioinformatics Approach
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41830580/

In cancer cells, inhibitors of the MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) caused anti-proliferative activity via glucose
Development of Glycoconjugated MAGL Inhibitors with Glucose-Dependent Antiproliferative Activity
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/6/2666

In cancer studies, on the importance of serum concentrations for modulating the cytotoxic potency of cannabinoids
Cytotoxicity Potency of Cannabinoids Is by Serum Supplementation: Implications for In Vitro Cancer Studies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41810908/

💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊

For the synthetic cannabinoid FUB-144, an analysis of metabolites produced by the liver
In vitro and in vivo metabolism of the synthetic cannabinoid FUB-144: comprehensive phase I and II profiling using UHPLC–HRMS
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-026-04321-2

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

For drugs to activate the CB1 receptor, on creating an AI to help with synthesis
Explainable machine learning to identify cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037907382600109X

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For this week’s early jazz guitar maestro, the album ‘Presenting Eddie Lang’. Born in Philadelphia, Lang grew up playing the violin & banjo before finally settling on the guitar when he joined the Mound City Blue Blowers. With them in 1924, he recorded one of the first guitar solos of all time on ‘Deep 2nd Street Blues’. Previously, the guitar was not a prominent instrument in jazz bands or dance orchestras, but with his ability to play sophisticated chords as an accompaniment or lovely single-note solos, Lang drew more prestige to the instrument. With his skills much admired, he played with many of the greats of the 1920s, including Bix Beiderbecke, most notably on their song ‘Singin The Blues’ which the Library of Congress placed in the National Recording Registry. He became friends with Bing Crosby during the filming of the movie ‘King of Jazz’, where you can see Lang playing with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. As Crosby ventured into radio, he insisted on Lang playing accompaniment & sharing his microphone. Eddie Lang’s career was looking bright when he entered the hospital to finally get his tonsils removed after years of problems, but he never woke up from the surgery. He was only 30 years old & jazz lost a shining star that day.
PPS: A rare content warning, but if you’re listening to this at work, beware when anything comes on by Bessie Smith. She didn’t even try to disguise what it was that she was talking about.

This newsletter is the backbone of my work & I hope it brings you a measure of value. If so, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription & support my sharing all of the new cannabinoid science each week.

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🌟 This week 🌟

• For menstrual pain, CBD suppositories!

• Chronic pain: cannabinoids lowering opioid usage + full-spectrum extracts more effective that THC isolate in older adults

• In anxious people, CBD helps their sleep

• Aerobic exercise = more anandamide = more positive effects

• In adults with cannabis use disorder: better mental health than people with other substance use disorders. In young people: worse mental health than other SUDs

• Cannabis liberalization laws decrease property & violent crime

• Again, driving safety in regular cannabis users not associated with their blood or saliva levels of cannabinoids

• ‘2026 State of the Cannabis Industry Report’: not great

• In Congo foragers, the cannabis users had less parasitic worms

• Psychedelics: psilocybin for OCD + US mushroom churches

• Harm reduction: in Stockholm, 10 years of harm reduction reduced mortality

• One Tommy Boy reference

(this week’s numbers: ~6k words, ~16 minutes reading time, 121 papers)

Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 180^th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as coverage of other psychoactives, the War on Drugs & harm reduction. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee. If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.
For producing cannabinoid content, work with my company White Whale Creations: writing, science archives, social media, newsletters & podcasts (especially podcasts).
As always, ask me anything!

📌 Editor’s note 📌:
- Thanks to Eagle-Eye Dr. Janice Makela for pointing out that last week’s meta-analysis of cannabis for orofacial pain was faked. It’s a growing problem that I see talked about constantly in my weekly reading of Nature: papers mills, fake scientists, guest-editor hijacking, hijacked journals, journal snatchers & the sleuths to root them out (if you want the PDFs of any of these articles, let me know). It gives me a constant feeling of unease because with reviewing an average of 150 papers a week, I don’t have time to double-check all of them. There’s a few authors that I’m watching who feel like they must be paying to produce a stream of low-quality hemp studies or preclinical cancer research or such, but there’s not much I can do about it. And even if a paper is obviously written by AI, that could be someone doing this because English isn’t their first language. Nature talks about the potential of AI tools to help combat the rising flood of faked research, but they do so in the dispirited way of someone who knows that there seems to be little chance of holding back the deluge.
- A new study is recruiting participants who have experienced emergent phenomena like altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences, psychedelic states & spontaneous awakenings.

🤝 Sponsor 🤝: The Cannabis & Health Research Initiative

Want to help expand the knowledge of medical cannabis use in the real world & get paid 100 bucks to do so?

Johns Hopkins University, with support from Realm of Caring, is spearheading the groundbreaking National Cannabis Study to evaluate the benefits, risks & overall outcomes of using cannabis for conditions like pain, insomnia, anxiety & more. If you are an adult in the U.S. considering starting cannabis for health reasons, this is your chance to help shape the future of cannabis research — and get compensated for your time ($100!). Join now to share your experience & contribute valuable data that could revolutionize healthcare for many patients nationwide. To learn more & sign up, visit:
https://ncs.cannabisandhealth.org/

Follow along on Instagram to keep on learning or sign up for the monthly CHRI email (curated by me) to get just the best of clinical research & new reviews twice a month.

🎥 Lex’s new work 🎤

@CannabinoidsAndThe People vids sponsored by CHRI & the National Cannabis Study:

(On YouTube & TikTok)

• This Week in Cannabis! (Justice Kagan & ayahuasca?!)

Canna-Edu Vids for CV Sciences:

(on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd)

• Cannabis & Cancer Care

• Cannabis for Lower Back Pain

• Oleoylethanolamide for the Inflammation of Obesity

📚 My Book Vids 📚

(@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram)
Nothing this week. Was too sick. Watch the back catalog.

And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: a cappella jubilee gospel!

🧰 Free resources 🧰

• CVResearch.info: the cannabinoid science archive I maintain for CV Sciences

• My canna-science journalism

• My glossary of cannabinoid terms (& containing the legend for my Neural Ocean metaphor with endocannabinoid whales)

Roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose

💖 Ways to support this work 💖

• A paid subscription on Substack

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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

On cannabis & the vagus nerve in the new ‘Ask A Neuroscientist’ column in Fat Nugs Magazine
https://www.fatnugsmag.com/ask-a-neuroscientist-cannabis-as-vagus-nerve-medicine/
You connect with the author RN Collins on LinkedIn.

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

For menstrual pain, whole plant CBD suppositories with the terpenes beta-caryophyllene & humulene reduced symptoms, pain & painkiller usage with significant improvements in cramps, focus, mood, headaches & nausea (hats off to Megan Mbengue & the whole team behind this work!)
Whole Plant CBD Suppositories for Dysmenorrhea: A Real-World Outcomes Report
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Megan-Mbengue/publication/401555816_Whole_Plant_Cannabidiol_Suppositories_for_Dysmenorrhea_A_Real-World_Outcomes_Report/links/69a8a01abff9750ad9c7e1ce/Whole-Plant-Cannabidiol-Suppositories-for-Dysmenorrhea-A-Real-World-Outcomes-Report.pdf

In older people with chronic pain, a comparison of CBD-rich full-spectrum extracts versus dronabinol (pharmaceutical THC isolate) found that while both caused symptom relief, there were greater improvements & less adverse effects from the full-spectrum extracts
CARE – A Retrospective, Dual-Cohort, 24-Week Real-World Study from the German Pain eRegistry on the Effectiveness and Safety of CBDDominant Oral Cannabis Extracts versus THC/ Dronabinol in Older Patients with Chronic Pain
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/JPR.S551457

On substituting cannabis for opioids in chronic pain, the majority of participants decreased their opioid intake by more than half, with additional improvements to sleep quality & physical function
Assessing the efficacy of medical Cannabis as a substitution therapy for opioids in chronic pain management: A comprehensive investigation
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0045-1815357

In people with anxiety & sleep-related problems, a month of CBD caused majority to have a decrease in anxiety symptoms & two-thirds saw an improvement in their sleep quality
Cannabidiol effects on Anxiety and Insomnia
https://pharmakeftiki.hsmc.gr/pj/article/view/293

In people with HIV, the cannabis users had less global neurocognitive deficits & a more anti-inflammatory immunometabolic-phenotype, including less pro-inflammatory cytokines, more anti-inflammatory upregulation, more mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell) & more BDNF (a key brain growth factor)
Cannabis Use by People with HIV is Associated with an Anti-Inflammatory Immunometabolic Phenotype in Monocyte-Derived Macrophages
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/03/06/2026.03.04.709579.full.pdf

For people doing aerobic exercise (but not yoga), they had higher blood levels of anandamide, with increases correlated to changes in positive effects
Contributions of yoga and aerobic exercise to acute changes in state affect, circulating BDNF and eCB concentrations, and memory
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453026000776

In people with early schizophrenia, they had higher levels of anandamide, 2-AG & oleoylethanolamide (the endocannabinoid of satiation), with anandamide levels inversely correlated to symptoms
Endocannabinoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in early schizophrenia: Changes under antipsychotics and association with the response to treatment
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0952327826000128

📑 Reviews 📑

For pain, a review of cannabis & the endocannabinoid control of pain (good charts)
Beyond the high: Therapeutic insights into Cannabis sativa and endocannabinoid control of pain
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950199726001023

On CBD for anxiety & depression, a review of 8 studies found strong positive effects for anxiety but insufficient data on depression
Effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Adults: A Literature Review
https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/137/1/105

For CBD & athletic performance, a review of 23 studies found that it wasn’t an ergogenic aid (enhancing of performance)
Cannabidiol is Not an Ergogenic Aid: A Systematic Review of Human Performance Studies
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Whitley-Stone-2/publication/401622864_Cannabidiol_is_Not_an_Ergogenic_Aid_A_Systematic_Review_of_Human_Performance_Studies/links/69aae26f1a0d8b29ca7132dc/Cannabidiol-is-Not-an-Ergogenic-Aid-A-Systematic-Review-of-Human-Performance-Studies.pdf

For electroacupuncture, on how the endocannabinoids mediated the help for pain & itching
[Progress on the mechanism of endocannabinoids involved in electroacupuncture for analgesia and itch relief]
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41777131/

In veterinary medicine, on the potential uses of CBD
Cannabidiol in veterinary medicine: Therapeutic potential and quality assurance challenges in therapeutic trend products
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0045-1815107

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

For atrial septal defects (a baby with a hole in its heart), public health data found cannabis legalization linked to higher levels of this birth defect
Impact of Cannabis and Cannabis Legalization on US Atrial Septal Defect Rates
https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/16/2/43

For adults with cannabis use disorder versus other substance use disorders, they had a lower risk for schizophrenia, depression & psychotic disorders, but in pediatric patients, they had a higher risk of schizophrenia, depression & anxiety disorders
Association of Cannabis Use Disorder Versus Other Substance Use Disorders With Psychiatric Conditions: A Propensity-Matched Retrospective Cohort Analysis
https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.20250336

In people with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a survey on their usage & symptom onset
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: A Survey-Based Approach to Understanding Symptoms and Cannabis Use Patterns
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261421434
“Most respondents reported smoking cannabis flower or using vape cartridges, although the use of edibles and concentrates were also described. The overwhelming majority of respondents (96.5%) used cannabis products at least daily, with approximately half (45%) using them six or more times per day around the time they developed CHS symptoms. Most of the respondents (61.9%) sourced cannabis from licensed dispensaries. The duration of cannabis use prior to symptom onset varied widely among participants, with nearly two-thirds (65.4%) reportedly used for more than 3 years before symptom development. During the prodromal (early) phase, symptoms clustered in the morning (63.1%) and the predominant complaints were nausea and stomach pain. Women reported more frequent and prolonged symptoms than men.”

In adults who accidentally ingested cannabis, a review of 84 adult cases found that most involved baked goods or candy
Unintentional ingestion of psychoactive cannabis products among adults: a scoping review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934326001440
“Common presenting symptoms included dizziness, dry mouth/mucous membranes, confusion, vision changes, paresthesia, nausea/vomiting, speech difficulties, anxiety, and somnolence. Hypertension, memory impairment, lethargy, incoordination, and tachycardia were frequent. Stroke was often the leading differential, with food poisoning commonly suspected. Most patients recovered within 24 hours, though some reported lingering subjective symptoms (e.g., fatigue, anxiety).”

At a cannabis manufacturer, an analysis of their reported adverse events
Adverse Events Associated with Medical Cannabis Reported within a Centralized Call Center
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1792520/abstract

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

In a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly fatty liver disease), CBD or CBG improved glycemic control, reduced liver fats & normalized blood lipid levels
Cannabidiol and cannabigerol ameliorate steatotic liver disease via phosphocreatine buffering and lysosomal restoration
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/bph.70387

In a mouse model of a broken bone, CBC reduced pain but impaired bone healing
Cannabichromene attenuates fracture pain but impairs bone repair in a murine tibial fracture model
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328226000761

In a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the terpene beta-caryophyllene reduced liver injury markers, oxidative stress, inflammation & scarring via the CB2 receptor
β-caryophyllene mitigates oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis by activating cannabinoid-2 receptors in murine model of high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0045-1815186

For hemp root extracts, on a comparison of extraction techniques & analysis of their “superior wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects”
Comparative phytochemical characterization and bioactivity evaluation of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) root extracts using green extraction technologies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026265X26007538
There is a very, very long human history of using cannabis roots for medical purposes.

For the infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, full-spectrum extracts had a higher antiviral effect than isolated cannabinoids, with the most effective being delta-8 THCA
Investigation of natural products from medicinal cannabis as SARS-CoV-2 infectivity inhibitors
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0045-1815406

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)

2015: In the Aka foragers of Congo, cannabis users had less infection & reinfection by helminthiasis (parasitic worms)
High prevalence of cannabis use among Aka foragers of the Congo Basin and its possible relationship to helminthiasis
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.22740
I found this paper because the lead author, Dr. Casey Roulette, published the new paper below about female drug users around the world. There is little known about cannabis use among forager & hunting communities so this was quite intriguing to see.

For brain scans of THC impairment, applying machine learning to resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) scans significantly outperformed field sobriety tests
Classification of resting-state THC impairment using fNIRS and machine learning
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/PC13867/PC138670D/Classification-of-resting-state-THC-impairment-using-fNIRS-and-machine/10.1117/12.3083453.short
And for identifying THC impairment during alcohol consumption, machine learning models could detect it from fNIRS scans
Toward objective detection of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Impairment during ethanol consumption
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/PC13870/PC138700B/Toward-objective-detection-of-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-Impairment-during-ethanol/10.1117/12.3085056.short

On creating a bone graft derived from cannabis leaf trichomes
A Multifunctional Conductive Physiomimetic Scaffold: Synergy of rGO Coating and Cannabis-derived Nanotopography for Infection-Resistant Bone Repair
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2026.1766388/abstract