C&P#132: ICBC Sponsorship! + expanding War on Drugs coverage + CBD for alcohol use disorder
new DEA head + Marc Fogel is home
This week…
CBD for alcohol use disorder
For the neuroinflammation of strokes, cannabinoids
Selonabant: a drug to stop the experience when you get way too high
For cannabis laws & opioid use, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad
A systematic review of psychosis after cannabis withdrawal
In fear, cannabis vapor has complex gendered effects
CBD for the bacteria of vaginosis
The ECS & nitric oxide: the only two retrograde neurotransmitters
Phrases I wish I didn’t know: self-enucleation
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 132nd edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, canna-news, War on Drugs coverage, psychedelic updates & ~2.8 jokes per newsletter. Upgrade to a paid subscription here to support my work sharing canna-science. As always, ask me anything.
Editor’s notes: new sponsor + more War on Drugs/harm reduction coverage
Glad to announce our new partnership with the International Cannabis Business Conference. They’ve got gatherings coming up in Barcelona in March, Berlin in April & Slovenia later this year. I’ve very much enjoyed these conferences & found them to be a great place for networking. I’ll be at this year’s Berlin conference.
Use this link or code for 25% off your ICBC tickets: Lex25
I hate the War on Drugs. I’ve hated it ever since I started studying it as a young journalist. Birthed in racism & paternalistic puritanism but now metastasized into this poisonous monster of public health destroying lives around the world, I want it to end. And I believe in harm reduction & the dignity of people who use drugs. So I’m going to be expanding my coverage of updates about the War of Drugs, harm reduction & safe use facilities.
As I find more time as the kids grow, I could see starting a podcast/YouTube channel about these topics, but for now, this is what I can do. If you have any favorite journalists or organizations to recommend for me to follow, please let me know. And I’d appreciate any leads to stories that I miss.
Shoutout to Sean Hocking of CannabisLawReport, InSight Crime, TalkingDrugs, the Drug Policy Alliance & the International Drug Policy Consortium for their focus on the War on Drugs & to all the harm reduction orgs out there doing the Good Work.
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. Join now to share your experience & contribute valuable data that could revolutionize healthcare for many patients nationwide. To learn more & sign up, visit:
https://www.cannabisandhealth.org/national-cannabis-study/
Or follow along on Instagram to keep on learning:
https://www.instagram.com/cannabisandhealthresearch/
Free resources
CVResearch.info: the extensive cannabinoid science archive I maintain for CV Sciences & our new canna-edu video series on YouTube @CVScienceInc & on TikTok @pluscbd
Read my free How-To Guides or watch my 3-Minute Cannabinoid Science videos on YouTube or read my canna-science journalism here
As always, here’s the Glossary of Cannabinoid Terms & at the bottom is the album of the week
For more from Lex… (my Linktree)
Work with my company White Whale Creations to produce content for cannabis & psychedelic companies: writing, science archives, social media content, newsletters & podcasts: my portfolio
My canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick: On Amazon, check out ‘SUNset’, my Queer cannabis history graphic novel or ‘The CROWN’, the story of the hunt for the structure of CBN. To see more about this continuing series, see lexpelger.com
Listen to the first 2 seasons of my podcast ‘The Lex Files’ on cannabinoids, psychedelics & spirituality
A request to spread the word
This newsletter only spreads by word of mouth,
so please forward to colleagues & tell your friends & relatives.
My work this week:
Canna-Edu Vids for CV Sciences:
(on YT @CVSciencesInc & TT @pluscbd)
CBD & a full meal (two tricks for increasing your bioavailability)
My Vids:
(on TT @lexpelgerandhisbooks or on YouTube)
I’m backing up the earliest videos from my first days on TikTok to my YouTube account (mostly because these are records for my kids in case I’m gone & I trust YT to stick around more than TT). Here’s some of them getting the most views:
Revel in your Anti-Library! (a vid close to my heart)
Ways to support this work:
A paid subscription on Substack
Buy Me a Coffee
Venmo: @Lex-Pelger
PayPal: donate here
Best Of Cannabinoid Science...
For people experiencing menopause, here’s a 12-week cannabis study that will pay you to participate (US only I believe)
https://www.naturalmenopauseresearch.org/
Clinical
In people with alcohol use disorder, CBD reduced alcohol craving, lowered self-reported anxiety during alcohol cue exposure & increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (your relaxation system)
Cannabidiol alters psychophysiological, craving and anxiety responses in an alcohol cue reactivity task: A cross‐over randomized controlled trial
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acer.15514
In healthy humans, a high-fat meal significantly increased the bioavailability of CBD
A high-fat meal significantly impacts the bioavailability and biphasic absorption of cannabidiol (CBD) from a CBD-rich extract in men and women
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-87621-4
For Parkinson's disease, a case series of using cannabinoids for the non-motor symptoms like cognitive impairment, insomnia & daytime sleepiness
Low Doses of Cannabis Extract Ameliorate Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Case Series
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1466438/abstract
In the UK Cannabis Clinic for Psychosis, attendees had reduced cannabis use disorder scores & significant improvements to all clinical & functional outcomes
A proof-of-concept analysis of data from the first NHS clinic for young adults with comorbid cannabis use and psychotic disorders
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39663754/
For blocking acute cannabinoid intoxication in emergency departments, the CB1 receptor antagonist selonabant (ANEB-001) blocked THC-induced effects in healthy adults
CB1 Receptor Antagonist Selonabant (ANEB‐001) Blocks Acute THC Effects in Healthy Volunteers: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cpt.3581
This could be a quite helpful tool for those who get way too high, especially in the elderly. It makes one wish we had something similar for psychedelics. That magic ripcord…
Medical cannabis laws reduced the direct payments from opioid manufacturers to pain physicians
Using Penalized Synthetic Controls on Truncated Data: A Case Study on Effect of Marijuana Legalization on Direct Payments to Physicians by Opioid Manufacturers
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01621459.2024.2406583
And in US adults with insurance, adult use cannabis laws are associated with a decrease in opioid prescriptions
Recreational Cannabis Laws and Fills of Pain Prescriptions in the Privately Insured
https://publications.sciences.ucf.edu/cannabis/index.php/Cannabis/article/view/268
But for opioid death rates & cannabis dispensaries, this analysis found no significant relationship
Recreational marijuana legalization's impact and opioid death rates: A synthetic control approach
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350625000113
And in public health data, dispensaries were linked to a decrease in drinking & cigarette smoking
The effects of recreational cannabis laws on alcohol and tobacco use among US adults, 2012 to 2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379725000388
In newborns with a positive THC test, they were not likely to experience later maltreatment & “the evidence strongly supports a policy to end routine CPS investigations for cannabis exposure and eliminate racially biased drug testing practices”
Prenatal cannabis exposure and the risk of subsequent maltreatment
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39667085/
Case Reports (the good & bads)
For sports medicine, the challenges of cannabis intoxication (the case reports in here as so mild that they’re more sweet than anything: “The athlete proceeded to cry on the physician’s shoulder for several minutes until he fell asleep for the remainder of the 70-min flight.”)
Current Sports Medicine Reports
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/fulltext/2025/02000/cannabis_intoxication__a_new_and_evolving_concern.5.aspx
A bizarre case report of self-enucleation (removal of one’s own eyeball) in a person with schizophrenia allegedly aided by cannabis (combined with a bunch of Freudian analysis by the researchers)
A bizarre case of self-enucleation in a schizophrenic cannabis abuser
https://journals.lww.com/ijog/fulltext/2025/01000/a_bizarre_case_of_self_enucleation_in_a.95.aspx
A case report of uvular swelling in a cannabis user
Case Report: Uvular Edema in a Marijuana Smoker - Page 2 of 2 - ACEP Now
https://www.acepnow.com/article/case-report-uvular-edema-in-a-marijuana-smoker/2/
A case report of someone with Lemierre's syndrome (an infection of the jugular) that might be from their dabs
651: NOT LEMIERRE: MARIJUANA AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF FUSOBACTERIUM SEPTIC EMBOLI WITHOUT THROMBOSIS
https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/citation/2025/01001/651__not_lemierre__marijuana_as_a_possible_source.604.aspx
A case report of tianeptine (a typical tricyclic antidepressant with opioid activity used for depression & IBS outside the US), a case report of it causing synthetic cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
1432: NEPTUNE’S FIX: TIANEPTINE CANNABINOID HYPEREMESIS SYNDROME RESULTING IN SEVERE METABOLIC ALKALOSIS
https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/citation/2025/01001/1432__neptune_s_fix__tianeptine_cannabinoid.1385.aspx
Harms
For asthma, a systematic review & meta-analysis of eight studies found an association between cannabis consumption & an increased risk of asthma diagnosis
Cannabis consumption and risk of asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-025-03516-0
For the association of cannabis (or tobacco) use on anxiety, mood & psychotic disorder, this meta-analysis of 75 studies found cannabis use associated with psychotic disorders but not mood or anxiety disorders
Associations of cannabis use, tobacco use, and incident anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39620474/
For psychosis after cannabis withdrawal, a case series of 69 reports & a systematic review
CANNABIS WITHDRAWAL PSYCHOSIS: A CASE SERIES AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/jnnp/96/Suppl_1/A27.2.full.pdf
In data from an ICU, cannabis use may be associated with ischemic stroke but not spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage
717: THE ASSOCIATION OF MARIJUANA USE WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE AND SPONTANEOUS INTRACEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE
https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/citation/2025/01001/717__the_association_of_marijuana_use_with.670.aspx
In youth, daily cannabis use associated with chronic inflammation
Cannabis use in youth is associated with chronic inflammation
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39648682/
After surgery for a broken tibia, the cannabis users had higher rates of complications & deep infections
Marijuana Use and Complication Risk Following Tibia Shaft Fracture Fixation
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39651897/
After the legalizing of adult-use cannabis, a summary of negative public health findings
The adverse public health effects of non-medical cannabis legalisation in Canada and the USA
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00299-8/fulltext
In Sertoli cells (testicular “nurse” cells), CBD inhibited cell proliferation via disruption of DNA replication, cell cycle, DNA repair & ultimately cellular senescence
Comparing the cannabidiol-induced transcriptomic profiles in human and mouse Sertoli cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300483X25000241
Reviews
For the neuroinflammation after stroke, a review on how cannabinoids reduced neuroinflammation, cell death & neurological deficits
The Effects of Cannabinoids on Ischemic Stroke-Associated Neuroinflammation: A Systematic Review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11481-025-10171-z
For the antimicrobial properties of the cannabinoids, a review of developments over the last five years
Antimicrobial Potential of Cannabinoids: A Scoping Review of the Past 5 Years
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/2/325
For hormones, a review of the effects of the cannabinoids (a lot of charts)
Relationship of the Endocannabinoid System with Hormonal Functions
https://www.kspublisher.com/media/articles/MERJMS_46_245-260.pdf
In the cognitive impairments from sleep loss, a review of the ability of the terpene beta-caryophyllene to reduce the associated inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal death & reduced neuroplasticity
Exploring β-caryophyllene: a non-psychotropic cannabinoid's potential in mitigating cognitive impairment induced by sleep deprivation
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39653971/
In the hippocampus, a review on impulsivity & the CB1 receptors
The Hippocampus and Impulsivity: Linking in Cannabinoid Receptor 1
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387810327_The_Hippocampus_and_Impulsivity_Linking_in_Cannabinoid_Receptor_1
For the CB1 receptor, a review of its regulatory role related to mental disorders
CB1 receptor signaling: Linking neuroplasticity, neuronal types, and mental health outcomes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197018625000117
A review of how endocannabinoids interact with nitric oxide (the only other neurotransmitter that is a retrograde transmitter, as in, they go back against the typical flow of information in neural signaling, usually telling the upstream neurons to calm down)
Endocannabinoid and nitric oxide interactions in the brain
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452225000909
If I could turn this into a musical, I would. This vital negative feedback loop of the brain is so fascinating – and the only two things that do it are some gas found in the air & these fatty acid lipids.
Preclinical
(basically, the phytocannabinoid research goes here & the ECS research goes below)
In a mouse model of alcohol use disorder, CBD reduced alcohol intake
Cannabidiol dose-dependently reduces alcohol intake in mice via a non-5-HT1A receptor mechanism: Exploration of other potential receptor targets
https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/33568
In a rat model of fear, cannabis vapor had complex gendered dynamics on fear memory but of interest to PTSD, “acute cannabis exposure prior to fear learning appears to result in destabilization of the fear memory long term”
Acute and chronic cannabis vapor exposure produces immediate and delayed impacts on phases of fear learning in a sex specific manner
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-025-06748-4
“Acute cannabis exposure prior to conditioning had no immediate effects on fear acquisition, but impaired fear recall in females 24 h later and prevented spontaneous recovery of conditioned fear following a two-week retrieval test in both male and female rats. Acute cannabis exposure prior to extinction training impaired extinction in females while enhancing extinction acquisition in males. Finally, chronic THC exposure prior to fear conditioning initially potentiated fear responses, predominately in females, but produced no differences in spontaneous recovery in a two-week retrieval test.”
In rats, PEA decreased brain activity & endocannabinoid levels in the prefrontal cortex, sensorimotor cortices, basal ganglia & thalamus but increased their functional connectivity
Palmitoylethanolamide causes dose-dependent changes in brain function and the lipidome
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39664446/
“While levels of PEA in the CNS were significantly higher after 30 mg/kg treatment, levels of the endocannabinoid, Anandamide, and at least 20 additional endolipids, were significantly lower across the CNS. Of the 78 endolipids that were detected in all CNS regions evaluated, 51 of them were modulated in at least one of the regions. Taken together, the functional connectivity and lipidomics changes provide evidence that PEA treatment drives substantial changes in CNS activity.”
In rat retinas experiencing excitotoxicity (damage from too much electrical activity), topical nano-CBD reduced tissue shrinkage as well as inflammatory & oxidative stress biomarkers
Retinal pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of cannabidiol in an in vivo model of retinal excitotoxicity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299925000767
In brain cells, CBD increased tau protein degradation (related to Alzheimer's disease) via increased autophagy (cellular recycling)
Cannabidiol-Induced Autophagy Ameliorates Tau Protein Clearance
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12640-025-00729-3
In skin cells, long-term exposure of CBD enhanced their growth & caused antioxidant, anti-aging & wound healing activities as well as enhanced collagen production
Discovering the Potential of Cannabidiol for Cosmeceutical Development at the Cellular Level
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/202
In Gardnerella vaginalis (a vaginal bacteria whose imbalance can cause vaginosis), CBD reduced metabolism, lowered survivability & eliminated biofilms via antioxidant activity
Cannabidiol (CBD) Acts as an Antioxidant on Gardnerella vaginalis, Resulting in Reduced Metabolic Activity, Loss of Survivability, and Elimination of Biofilms
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/2/136
Novel Studies
(my new grab bag section for stuff I haven’t quite seen before)
For atopic dermatitis (red itchy skin), the Korean skin treatment chijagamchosi-tang extract performed better than PEA & seemed to use the endocannabinoid system for its restoration of structural damage of the skin lipid barrier
Anti-inflammatory Effect of Chijagamchosi-tang Extract through Endocannabinoid system Control in Atopic Dermatitis
https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO202403543202527.pdf
One more for our list of traditional treatments that worked their magic via the ECS...
With the traditional Thai herbal formula Suksaiyad (which contains cannabis), one dose decreased platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers
The Effect of the Thai Herbal Suksaiyad Formula on Platelet Aggregation in Healthy Volunteers: A Quasi-experimental, Single-dose Study
https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sirirajmedj/article/view/271976
On how delta-8 THC is depicted on YouTube
Portrayal of Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on YouTube
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2025.2454651
Sometimes I wish that my job was watching stoners on YouTube, but then the feeling passes.
On using wearable sensors to detect cannabis use
CUDLE: Learning Under Label Scarcity to Detect Cannabis Use in Uncontrolled Environments using Wearables
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10857973
In cannabis, 4 new spiro-indans (non-cannabinoid phenols consisting of a benzene ring fused to a cyclopentyl group that’s connected to a cyclohexane in a spiro arrangement (cyclic systems joined by a single shared atom))
Phytochemical investigation of Cannabis sativa: isolation and structure determination of spiro-indans
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022286025003412
In our Neural Ocean metaphor, this is a series of elephants who are conjoined twins.
the Headlines & Fav Articles
*** Sponsored by International Cannabis Business Conference ***
Use this link or this code for 25% off your ICBC tickets: Lex25
The new head White House Office of Management & Budget Russell Vought called cannabis a gateway drug & has pushed to reverse state legalization laws
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trumps-white-house-budget-director-says-marijuana-is-a-gateway-drug-and-pushed-to-roll-back-state-legalization
Serial pricks Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) & Pete Ricketts (R-NE) filed a bill to block cannabis businesses from taking federal tax deductions even if cannabis is legalized
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-gop-bill-would-block-marijuana-industry-tax-deductions-even-after-federal-rescheduling/
And Ricketts met with RFK to urge him to prevent the expansion of cannabis
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/gop-senator-pushes-rfk-jr-on-preventing-the-expansion-of-marijuana-as-trumps-health-secretary
Connecticut cannabis officials pull out of the cannabis rescheduling hearings after DEA ‘behind-the-scenes shenanigans’ caused them to lose faith in the process
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/connecticut-state-official-withdraws-from-dea-marijuana-rescheduling-hearings-amid-behind-the-scenes-shenanigans
A federal appeals court ruled that the Constitution doesn’t support broadly taking guns away from all cannabis users & that decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-appeals-court-says-constitution-doesnt-support-taking-guns-away-from-all-marijuana-users-categorically
In 4 states, governors propose cannabis tax increases
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-governors-in-multiple-states-propose-significant-marijuana-tax-increases/
This plant is already taxed to death – but everyone wants to bleed the cash cow into anemia.
Marc Fogel, the infamous medical cannabis prisoner of Russia, has returned home after 3 years in jail
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trump-administration-secures-release-of-american-medical-marijuana-patient-who-was-serving-14-year-sentence-in-russia
In NYC, on the Rastafarians who want to see more freedom to use cannabis in their religious ceremonies
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/nyregion/rastafarians-cannabis-nyc.html
“Ms. Murray Powell said policymakers should change regulations to allow houses of worship to cultivate cannabis for their members and for sale to licensed dispensaries, she said. A similar provision already exists for Christian bookstores that sell communion kits with sacramental wine, she noted. The change would also require making an exception to the current law’s requirement that retailers and consumption venues be at least 200 feet from a house of worship, she said. Much of the weed currently sold in New York’s dispensaries is unsuitable for Rastafarians because it is crossbred, seedless and contains additives like chemical fertilizers, she explained. Cannabis can be consecrated only if it is organic, she said. “As religious practitioners, we’re forced to be illicit because they have not made an accommodation for Rastafari and for the fact that we need to own the entire chain of custody” from seed to sale to ensure the cannabis is sufficiently pure, she said.”
On the future of clean cannabis: a podcast interview with Joe Edward (hattip to Hirsch Jain of Ananda Strategy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmkHxHHdNNw
History Corner: On Steve Loup, the first AIDS patient to get medical cannabis from the US federal government (from canna-hero Alice O'Leary Randall)
https://aliceolearyrandall.substack.com/p/medical-cannabis-and-aids-the-first
Music Corner: As I was preparing this week’s newsletter, one of my favorite all-time cannabis songs came on by one of my all-time favorite musicians: Cab Calloway’s ‘The Reefer Man’
full song here
to see the man himself singing it in the 1933 film ‘International House’
and for the Betty Boop animation (& his hypnotic dancing!) that got me into Cab: ‘Minnie the Moocher’ (in archaic drug terminology, ‘kicking the gong around’ means smoking opium)
International
The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament is considering a challenge to Italy's crackdown on hemp products
https://www.eunews.it/en/2025/02/07/low-thc-cannabis-italian-supply-chains-petition-to-eu-parliament-accepted-brussels-to-launch-a-preliminary-investigation/
In St Vincent & the Grenadines, after the amnesty for traditional cannabis growers 5 years ago, now they are consulting with the Rastafarian community
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/05/the-rastafarians-opening-up-caribbean-cannabis-farms-to-build-a-flourishing-medical-industry
In Brazil, a 12-year cannabis research plan launched
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/brazil-agriculture-agency-plans-long-term-research-into-cannabis-cultivation-2025-02-12
In Malta, a cannabis research agreement with the University of Malta
https://timesofmalta.com/article/cannabis-authority-university-sign-research-agreement.1104819
And cannabis associations will be permitted to sell concentrates later this year
https://internationalcbc.com/malta-cannabis-associations-permitted-to-sell-concentrates-later-this-year/
In Armenia, an ethnobotanical investigation of ancient & contemporary cannabis customs
Bridging past and present: exploring Cannabis traditions in Armenia through ethnobotanical interviews and bibliographic prospecting
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-025-00259-x
In South Africa on the legal & historical trajectory that led to their recent legalization one century after their first nationwide ban
A Constitutional Right to Cannabis? Grassroots Litigation and Dagga Policy Reform in South Africa
https://d197for5662m48.cloudfront.net/documents/publicationstatus/243752/preprint_pdf/f0d96d31734e94e3759aa65a361d4c18.pdf
In Spain, a thesis project analyzing their unique approach to cannabis regulation
CANNABIS LAW, REGULATIONS, AND CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS IN SPAIN
https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/675658
In Japan, on the challenges of regulating synthetic cannabinoids like HHCH
Challenges in Regulating Synthetic New Psychoactive Substances: Lessons from Japan’s Generic Scheduling against Hexahydrocannabihexol
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11799709/
The War on Drugs
Trump’s pick to lead the DEA, Terrance Cole, has said “everybody knows my stance on marijuana after 30 plus years in law enforcement, so don’t even ask!” (but it’s increased suicide, schizophrenia & the stunting of brain growth)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/trumps-new-dea-leader-has-a-just-say-no-stance-on-marijuana-linking-cannabis-use-to-suicide-risk-and-schizophrenia
State Department to create a list of cartels to be designated as terrorist groups
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/us/politics/state-dept-terrorist-designation.html
“The executive order referred in general to cartels in Mexico. It also specifically named Tren de Aragua, a group with roots in Venezuela, and Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a gang founded by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States that plays a lesser role in the transnational drug trade. Besides those two groups, the State Department plans to designate the Clan del Golfo, based in Colombia, and five others based in Mexico. The Mexican organizations that will be designated are the Sinaloa cartel, Jalisco New Generation cartel, the Northeast cartel, the Michoacán family and the United cartels, according to U.S. officials.”
For more on the history here, see Anabel Hernández’s ‘Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords And Their Godfathers’ or Benjamin Smith’s ‘The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade’. Remember, that just like the Mafia arose out of the gusher of money created by the Prohibition of alcohol, the cartels arose from the gusher of money created by the Prohibition of all psychoactives, including cannabis. One of the best ways to destroy them is to take away their profits. #legalizedrugs
Elizabeth Warren to Elon Musk: cutting DEA cannabis enforcement would save hundreds of millions of dollars
https://www.greenmarketreport.com/warren-to-musk-cutting-dea-cannabis-enforcement-could-save-hundreds-of-millions/
In Colombia, the president said cocaine is ‘not worse than whiskey’ & should be ‘sold like wine’
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/cocaine-is-not-worse-than-whiskey-and-should-be-sold-like-wine-to-eradicate-drug-cartels-colombias-president-says
This is quite true. And famously, a large 1995 study from the World Health Organization agreed, saying that cocaine caused roughly the same amount of harm as alcohol and with similar usage patterns. The vast majority use booze & coke on the weekend & don’t have problems. “Occasional cocaine use does not typically lead to severe or even minor physical or social problems … a minority of people … use casually for a short or long period, and suffer little or no negative consequences.” But some heavy users suffer harm. Bush I detested this report & threatened to cut all US funding to the WHO if they released the report. This worked & they squashed it. But someone leaked it & it’s been an illuminating object lesson in Drug War history ever since.
https://www.brucekalexander.com/articles-speeches/cocaine/181-who-cocaine-study
https://wikileaks.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization_global_Cocaine_Project_Study_suppressed_by_the_United_States_for_13_years%2C_1995
Also, Colombia considering a ban on memorabilia of the drug lord (& CIA asset) Pablo Escobar
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cednp178dwdo
As pointed out by Hernández in ‘Narcoland’, the CIA protected Escobar from the DEA until they had no more use for him. And as Escobar’s son says in ‘Pablo Escobar: My Father’, my "father worked for the CIA selling cocaine to finance the fight against Communism in Central America.”
In Mexico, an analysis of how fentanyl producers are adapting to a changing market (fantastic piece of reporting)
https://insightcrime.org/investigations/fentanyl-producers-mexico-adapting-challenging-market/
Also in Mexico, the cartels are picking the candidates & murdering the rivals
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/11/mexico-election-candidates-killed-violence/
And they recently exchanged fire with US Border Patrol agents
https://www.newsweek.com/us-border-patrol-agents-exchange-gunfire-mexico-drug-cartel-reports-2021738
In Honduras, on the influence of narco-cash on the presidential elections
https://insightcrime.org/news/narco-money-influence-2025-election-honduras/
On the Walter White of Brazil & the region’s methamphetamine production
https://insightcrime.org/news/how-walter-white-took-meth-production-to-sao-paulo/
In Syria, the new regime plans to crackdown on the captagon industry (an amphetamine sometimes known as the poor man’s cocaine), though the drug is the country’s most valuable export
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2dxnn1406do
https://www.talkingdrugs.org/after-assad-what-next-for-syria-captagon/
It seems that the trade involved members of Assad’s inner circle & its use spread across the Middle East.
In Albania, criminal groups recruiting women into cannabis greenhouses
https://cannabislaw.report/albania-media-article-from-poverty-to-crime-criminal-groups-recruited-hundreds-of-women-into-cannabis-greenhouses/
In Wisconsin, Black people 5x more likely to be arrested for cannabis despite comparable usage rates to other demographics
https://www.aclu-wi.org/en/publications/state-cannabis-wisconsin
In Florida, 2,600 drug convictions to be vacated because of an illegal Florida police drug sting
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/10/florida-crack-cocaine-convictions-vacated
What a lede. “Between 1988 and 1990, the Broward county sheriff’s office (BSO) in Florida manufactured and sold crack cocaine as part of a controversial sting operation to arrest people for purchasing the illegal drug.”
In Colorado, DEA Operation Return to Sender arrested almost 100 drug traffickers
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/west/denver-dea-tda-gang-operation/
In Liberia, a report on the youth gangs & their interactions with drugs
https://enact-africa.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1737711192308-research-paper-49.pdf
“Notably the emergence of kush [a synthetic cannabinoid often mixed with other psychoactives], the drug of choice since 2016, along with cannabis, cocaine and heroin, has further sparked a public health crisis. Addiction rates among Liberia’s youthful population have soared, irrespective of background. The former director-general of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, Abraham Kromah, estimates that over a million people – mostly youth – are involved in substance abuse in Liberia.”
#CANNABIS
In Spain, the president of a cannabis social club arrested on drug trafficking charges
https://cannabislaw.report/spain-costa-del-sol-cannabis-smokers-association-shut-down-the-president-of-the-club-in-fuengirola-has-been-arrested-on-suspicion-of-drug-trafficking-offences/
In Canada, a $47M money laundering scheme from illegal cannabis sales
https://cannabislaw.report/244927-2/
In Pakistan, 1.8 tons of hash seized by the Coast Guard
https://cannabislaw.report/pakistan-coast-guards-seize-1-8-tonnes-of-hashish/
In India’s Andhra Pradesh, 35,000 kg of cannabis destroyed
https://cannabislaw.report/india-police-destroying-35000-kg-of-ganja-worth-over-rs-17-crore-in-anakapalle-andhra-pradesh-dgp/
In California, over 30,00 lbs of illicit cannabis seized in an East Oakland operation
https://cannabislaw.report/california-seizes-23-million-in-illegal-cannabis-in-east-oakland-operation/
In Nigeria, 2,000 kg of skunk intercepted
https://cannabislaw.report/nigeria-ndlea-intercepts-2000kg-skunk-from-ghana-at-lagos-beach/
In the UK, a young man jailed for smuggling 45 kg of cannabis
https://cannabislaw.report/uk-herbert-jailed-for-massive-cannabis-smuggling-operation/
In Manila, 44 kilos of cannabis seized
https://cannabislaw.report/44-kilos-of-weed-seized-in-manila/
In the Maldives, 12 kg of hashish oil seized
https://cannabislaw.report/maldives-four-arrested-for-attempting-to-smuggle-in-mvr-21-million-worth-hashish-oil/
In the UK, a grow of 330 plants seized during raid
https://cannabislaw.report/uk-large-cannabis-grow-found-by-police-during-raid/
In New Zealand, a man arrested for growing 12 cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/nz-man-arrested-after-police-find-illegal-cannabis-operation-in-roxburgh-otago/
Harm Reduction
Trump’s USAID crackdown harms people who use drugs across the world
https://tanag.substack.com/p/people-who-use-drugs-among-victims
One of my key beliefs is that people who use drugs are human beings deserving of dignity & respect. If you don’t agree with that thesis, GTFO.
In Berkshire County, MA, the 100th naloxone box installed
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/naloxone-narcan-box-opioids/article_b6a7db3e-e96b-11ef-b1d7-071f9b5356dd.html
And in New York state, another harm reduction vending machine opens to reduce overdose deaths
https://putnamcountyny.gov/county-executive-articles/item/putnam-county-reveals-new-harm-reduction-vending-machine
And in Mobile, AL, a 5th naloxone kiosk added
https://mynbc15.com/news/local/mobile-co-health-dept-adds-fifth-kiosk-containing-naloxone-kits-condoms-in-citronelle
And in Dearborn, MI, naloxone distribution boxes installed
https://www.pressandguide.com/2025/02/07/access-establishes-narcan-distribution-boxes-in-dearborn/
2024: In Slovenia, first drug consumption room opened
https://dpnsee.org/2024/11/13/slovenia-opens-first-drug-consumption-room/
2024: In Providence, Rhode Island, the state’s first approved safe injection site
https://apnews.com/article/safe-injection-site-opioids-rhode-island-06f7483df7c12199c29587d2a86ffcd1
2024: In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a drug use resource hub opens
https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-overdose-awareness-opens-drug-use-resource-hub-safe-recovery-site-in-north-minneapolis/600356054
2024: In Burlington, Vermont, first overdose prevention center hopes to open in 2025
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2024-06-18/burlington-mayor-vermonts-first-overdose-prevention-center-within-year
Business, Economics & Education
The marketing techniques of 4 major cannabis companies
Cannabis Marketing Strategies in the United States: A Descriptive Analysis of Four Prominent Companies
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342251313860
In data from ~4,000 cannabis dispensaries, their determinants of cannabis price (THC level, item weight, taxes)
Multilevel determinants of cannabis prices in legal markets: Evidence from products sold in nearly 4000 cannabis dispensaries in the United States
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395925000210
Psychedelics, Plant Medicines & Other Psychoactives
The Psychoactive Research
In healthy adults, feelings of social closeness were increased by MDMA, amphetamine & alcohol
MDMA as well as amphetamine and alcohol increase feelings of social closeness in healthy adults
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-82632-z
Sometimes you just want to tell the researchers, ‘go to a party man…’
In people with severe illnesses using psychedelic-assisted therapy, a systematic review of the impact on their spirituality & mystical experiences
Exploring the role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in enhancing spirituality and mystical experiences in patients with life-threatening illnesses: A systematic review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002239992400432X
A worldwide survey on the preferences & environmental concerns of natural versus synthetic psychedelics
Preferences, Perceptions, and Environmental Considerations of Natural and Synthetic Psychedelic Substances: Findings from the Global Psychedelic Survey
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2024.2446445
In the Netherlands with ketamine, on the rising cases of acute intoxication
Rising incidence of recreational ketamine use: Clinical cases and management in emergency settings
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750025000587
Double-edged sword of our generation. Very intriguing for depression, excellent for dancing & sex. And quite rightly nicknamed psychedelic heroin.
For psilocybin as an antidepressant, a narrative review of the clinical & preclinical evidence
Clinical and preclinical evidence of psilocybin as antidepressant. A narrative review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027858462500003X
The Plant & the History
Growing & Processing
The effects of different drying & curing practices on hemp yield & microbial levels
Postharvest Drying and Curing Affect Cannabinoid Contents and Microbial Levels in Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/3/414
In Nebraska, the challenges for first year hemp farmers
Challenges from the field: experiences of first-year hemp farmers in Nebraska
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/B202EC213D98E84645B4B2FAADCB9CDA/S1742170524000334a.pdf/challenges-from-the-field-experiences-of-first-year-hemp-farmers-in-nebraska.pdf
A book chapter on the micropropagation of cannabis
Advances in Micropropagation of Cannabis sativa L. | 4 | A Multipurpos
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/b23374-4/advances-micropropagation-cannabis-sativa-hemant-lata-suman-chandra-ikhlas-khan-mahmoud-elsohly
On a method for creating double haploid cannabis plants (a plant with both copies of its chromosomes being identical)
In vitro Anther culture and Production of Haploids in Cannabis sativa
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388642950_In_vitro_Anther_culture_and_Production_of_Haploids_in_Cannabis_sativa
In Morocco, the optimal temperatures for germinating 5 different hemp cultivars
Effect of temperature on seed germination of five hemp ('Cannabis sativa l.') cultivars from Rif mountains (Northern Morocco) | Plant Omics
https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.T2025013000014290067508072
The properties of cannabis flowers grown in northern Alabama
Physiochemical properties of hemp extract (Cannabis sativa L) inflorescences grown in Northern Alabama
https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1750-3841.17642
Formulating & Analyzing
A thesis project on the various techniques to improve CBD solubility & oral bioavailability
Formulation Development of Cannabidiol Using Various Technologies as an Approach to Enhance Its Solubility and Oral Bioavailability
https://www.proquest.com/openview/02c3e07545fb6eb1caf7245b336f19a9/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Food & Nutrition
An Australian analysis of the potential of hemp-grazed livestock
Opening the gates to hemp-grazed livestock in Australia Phase 2
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/opening-the-gates-to-hemp-grazed-livestock-in-australia-phase-2
Steps in the evaluation of industrial hemp biomass as a feed for livestock
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/steps-in-the-evaluation-of-industrial-hemp-biomass-as-a-feed-for-
In sheep, CBD appeared safe for consumption & was usually undetectable in their fat within a month
Effects of an oral dose of CBD on feed intake, health parameters and excretion in sheep.
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/effects-of-an-oral-dose-of-cbd-on-feed-intake-health-parameters-a
Industrial Uses & Fiber
Self-healing cement mortar enhanced with hemp fiber
Macro and microstructure evaluation of self-healing cement mortar enhanced with microbe-immobilized hemp fiber
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352012425001158
For insulating panels made from hemp shiv, their durability, recyclability & life cycle
Durability, recyclability and life cycle of green insulating panels hemp shiv based
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710225001263
A review on cannabis as a source of nanofibers, nanoparticles & nanoemulsions
Industrial applications of Cannabis sativa (L.): Exploring its biological and nanotechnological potential
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669025001128
A thesis on creating activated carbon from hemp biowaste for better supercapacitor performance
Sustainable Activated Carbon from Hemp Biowaste: Dual Heteroatom Doping for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance
https://ethesisarchive.library.tu.ac.th/thesis/2024/TU_2024_6509040017_19847_29575.pdf
CANNABINOID SCIENCE
I think this guy talks annoyingly about insights from psychoactives as “stoned pseudo-profundity”, but as a completionist, I’m obliged to include it
Stoned-Pseudo-Profundity-as-the-Path-to-Truth-An-Inquiry-into-the-Role-of-Altered-States-in-Deep-Thinking.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Douglas-Youvan/publication/388528338_Stoned_Pseudo-Profundity_as_the_Path_to_Truth_An_Inquiry_into_the_Role_of_Altered_States_in_Deep_Thinking/links/679c1e4252b58d39f25f0085/Stoned-Pseudo-Profundity-as-the-Path-to-Truth-An-Inquiry-into-the-Role-of-Altered-States-in-Deep-Thinking.pdf
Remember that according to Needham, the first Taoist monastery was founded by 3 people after they shared a cannabis-induced dream.
And I’d say that led us to somewhere profound…
Public Health + Driving
In a survey on the reliability of adults to assess their current & lifetime cannabis use, they had a good test-retest score & excellent internal reliability
National cross-sectional survey of US adults to assess the reliability of current and lifetime cannabis smoking
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39645265/
I mean, if the answer is ‘almost every night since I was 17’, it’s pretty easy to stay consistent.
Speaking of…
In US parents, their use of cannabis has tripled since 2013
Trends in Daily Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among Parents in the U.S., 2012-2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388528342_Trends_in_Daily_Cannabis_Use_and_Cannabis_Use_Disorder_Among_Parents_in_the_US_2012-2023
“Today, 1 in 13 parents uses cannabis on the majority of days, compared to 1 in 39 parents in 2012. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest a lower-bound estimate of 5.7 million U.S. children now live with a parent who uses cannabis on the majority of days.”
In public health data, adverse childhood experiences were associated with increased cannabis use as an adult but that disability & poor health fully account for this effect
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Cannabis Use Among US Adults: Do Poor Health and Disability Influence Types of Cannabis Use?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2024.2445846
In sexual minority women & gender-diverse people, unplanned cannabis use was associated with more consequences than unplanned alcohol use
Planned versus unplanned alcohol and cannabis use: Motivational and contextual correlates among sexual minority women and gender diverse individuals
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acer.70000
In dental students, a survey found they viewed cannabis as helpful for pain & wanted it to be available as an FDA-approved prescription
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dental and Dental Hygiene Faculty and Students Toward Medical Marijuana: A Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/imr.2024.0024
In Irish neurologists, a survey found that the majority were aware of the current systems for accessing medical cannabis but that they desired more education
Neurologists’ perspectives of cannabis-based medicines: results from an all-Ireland survey
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11845-025-03880-0
In an Australian survey of cannabis & driving, the majority waited 7+ hours following cannabis use to drive while 21% waited less than three hours
Driving behaviours of ACT cannabis users following the decriminalisation of cannabis cultivation and possession
https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/2785220/Uni-of-Sydney-Driving-behaviours-of-ACT-cannabis-users-access.pdf
“These individuals [who waited less than three hours] had the highest THC intakes of the sample. Further analyses revealed that the likelihood of an individual driving within 1-hour increased as their concern about roadside drug testing and the effects of non-medicinal cannabis on driving decreased, their cannabis use frequency increased, and the amount of cannabis and THC they consumed increased.”
In young adults, a digital intervention did not alter their driving after cannabis use
Are Changes in Negative Cannabis Expectancies, Peer Approval, and Perceptions of Dangerousness of Driving After Cannabis Use Associated with Changes in Instances of Driving After Cannabis Use Following a Mobile-Phone Based Intervention?
https://publications.sciences.ucf.edu/cannabis/index.php/Cannabis/article/view/287
Adolescents & Young Adults
For the motives and consequences of adolescent cannabis use, a systematic review of the literature analyzed 13 papers
Adolescent cannabis use - motives, frequency and consequences: a systematic literature review
https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/adolescent-cannabis-use-motives-frequency-and-consequences-a-syst
“Motives to use cannabis could be linked to the Incentive Motivation Model of alcohol use and its four dimensions of enhancement, coping, social and conformity. Both positive and negative reinforcement motives based on internal cues were associated with increased frequency of use. Only negative reinforcement motives were associated with negative consequences.”
In adolescents in a legal cannabis state, the influence of peer effects
Multilevel associations of peer cognitive factors and adolescent cannabis use in a legal recreational cannabis region
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39628492/
In public health data, familial incarceration was associated with the children's earlier initiation of alcohol & cannabis use
Family incarceration and adolescent nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis use: A coarsened exact matching approach
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460325000255
In adolescents, an earlier puberty onset & higher impulsivity lowered the protective effect of family income against tobacco & cannabis use
Puberty Onset and Positive Urgency Explain Diminished Returns of Family Income on Tobacco and Marijuana Use
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39886641/
In adolescents, the identification of a problem cannabis risk network was linked to increased cannabis addiction severity & poorer treatment outcomes
Identification and external validation of a problem cannabis risk network
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322325000654
In epidemiological data from Colombian adolescents, the greater use of cannabis was linked to more aggressive behaviors & victimization
Evaluating the relationship between marijuana use, aggressive behaviors, and victimization: an epidemiological study in colombian adolescents
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijamh-2024-0167/html
In Black students attending a historically Black college & university, this thesis project looked at whether cannabis consumption predicted alcohol consumption
Marijuana Usage as a Predictor of Alcohol Consumption in Black Students Attending an HBCU
https://www.proquest.com/openview/de25ab2ab770e7f30a4d80c13524810a/1
The Brain & Neurological Disorders
In a mouse model of cognitive decline, a nano CBD & pomegranate oil formulation performed better on tests of memory, learning & spatial recognition
A Self-Emulsifying Nanococktail of Pomegranate and Cannabidiol Reduces Cognitive Decline in Mice
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/NDS.S484222
In a rat model of genetic absence epilepsy, on the interactions between the orexin & endocannabinoid systems
Orexinergic and cannabinoid CB1 receptors interaction on genetic absence epilepsy in WAG/Rij rats: Orexinergic & cannabinoidergic receptor interaction in absence epilepsy
https://or.niscpr.res.in/index.php/IJEB/article/view/9155
Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder
In heavy alcohol drinkers, co-use with cannabis was associated with lower resting state functional connectivity (which is linked to substance use disorders) but there was not a significant difference between those who used alcohol alone & those who used it with cannabis
Effects of alcohol and cannabis co-use on salience network resting state functional connectivity in individuals who drink alcohol heavily
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871625000304
In psychiatric patients, those with cannabinoids in their urine had particularly high levels of neutrophils (a white blood cell linked to inflammation)
Differences in total and differential white blood cell counts and in inflammatory parameters between psychiatric inpatients with and without recent consumption of cannabinoids, opioids, or cocaine: A retrospective single-center study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39634076/
In people with early psychosis, they had an association between FAAH activity & recent life events
Impact of Stress on the Endocannabinoid System: A [11C]-CURB Positron Emission Tomography Study in Early Psychosis: Les effets du stress sur le système endocannabinoïde : étude par tomographie par émission de positons avec l'indicateur radioactif [11C-CURB] dans la psychose précoce
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39632555/
For the two-hit model of schizophrenia with maternal immune system activation & later adolescent cannabis use, a review of the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in synaptic plasticity & neuroinflammation
Maternal Immune Activation and the Endocannabinoid System: Focus on Two-Hit Models of Schizophrenia
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39617194/
Pain, Musculoskeletal & Surgeries
In a study of people admitted following trauma, treatment with dronabinol (synthetic THC) did not have a decreased use of opioid painkillers & had a significantly longer length of stay
1715: IMPACT OF ADJUNCTIVE DRONABINOL TO MULTIMODAL PAIN REGIMENS FOLLOWING
https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/citation/2025/01001/1715__impact_of_adjunctive_dronabinol_to.1668.aspx
In people with agitation in the ICU, those given dronabinol (synthetic THC) caused no significant alterations to other medicines given
1712: DRONABINOL FOR AGITATION IN THE TRAUMA ICU: A PILOT STUDY
https://journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/citation/2025/01001/1712__dronabinol_for_agitation_in_the_trauma_icu_.1665.aspx
In a mouse model of postsurgical pain, inhibition of the MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) reduced mechanical allodynia (pain from innocuous stimuli like light touch) without the development of tolerance via the COX enzymes & the ECS
Combined Endocannabinoid and Cyclooxygenase Inhibition Additively Attenuates Post-Surgical Pain
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/can.2024.0088
Guts, Metabolism & Oral Health
In a model of diabetic peripheral neuropathy with Schwann cells (which add the myelin sheath to neurons outside the brain), their maladaptive ketogenesis is mediated by the CB1 receptors
Maladaptive Peripheral Ketogenesis in Schwann Cells Mediated by CB1R Contributes to Diabetic Neuropathy
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39887953/
In a rat model of binge eating & obesity, the endocannabinoid system altered in different regions of the brain
Binge Eating and Obesity Differentially Alter the Mesolimbic Endocannabinoid System in Rats
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/3/1240
In a pancreatic & intestinal cell model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, a new drug to activate the GPR119 receptor (which may one day be known as CB4) enhanced insulin effects, increased GLP-1 secretion & reduced glycemic excursions
Pharmacological Profile of NCP-322, a Novel G Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 Agonist, as an Orally Active Therapeutic Agent for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/48/1/48_b24-00737/_pdf
Immune System & Microbial
The antioxidant & antibacterial activities of northern Alabama hemp cultivars
In vitro characterization the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of hemp (Cannabis sativa spp.) varieties cultivated in Northern Alabama
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-025-00258-y
Reproduction & Hormones
In postpartum mothers, a survey of their attitudes & experiences with cannabis use
Knowledge and Attitudes About Perinatal Marijuana Use Among US Postpartum Mothers: A Better Outcomes Through Research for Newborns Network Study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39626844/
In a rat model of prenatal cannabinoid exposure, the gendered differences in their offspring’s susceptibility to psychosis seemed to be mediated by the HPA axis & dopamine system
Sex-specific maladaptive responses to acute stress upon in utero THC exposure are mediated by dopamine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39622370/
The Liver
In a mouse model of fatty liver from metabolic dysfunction, hemp seeds processed with far infrared had improved antioxidant capabilities & reduced inflammatory protein expression
Improvement Effects of Far Infrared-Processed Hemp Seed on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis Induced by a Choline-Deficient Diet
https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO202403557601158.pdf
The Skin
What a lousy letter: From the ‘Dr Dermatoethicist’ series, they recommend not assisting a patient with cannabis access even though they said it helped their hidradenitis suppurativa (a painful skin condition of abscesses & scarring)
Navigating the ethical and legal complexities of medical marijuana use in dermatology
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39637986/
In general, doctors are such cowards.
In vitiligo (patchy skin color loss), the activity of MGL (which breaks down 2-AG) was one of the biomarkers
Identifying potential biomarkers and molecular mechanisms related to arachidonic acid metabolism in vitiligo
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-biosciences/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1536477/abstract
Cancer & Chemotherapy
In people with cancer, community engagement studios (which involve community experts with chronic health conditions) reported that state legalization made it easier to access cannabis but the costs & distance to dispensaries hindered the ability to obtain it
Ask the Experts: Community Engagement Studios to Inform Research on Cannabis Use in Cancer Symptom Management
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/912BE563CDD10EC8686C5BF7141A78D5/S205986612500010Xa.pdf/ask-the-experts-community-engagement-studios-to-inform-research-on-cannabis-use-in-cancer-symptom-management.pdf
In glioblastoma cells (the most aggressive brain cancer), the phytocannabinoids & endocannabinoids reduced growth
Phyto- and Endo-Cannabinoids in Glioblastoma: Preliminary Antitumoral Evidence
https://pubblicazioni.unicam.it/handle/11581/488943
A green microwave extraction of cannabis for anticancer effects
A Green Microwave-Assisted Extraction of C. sativa L. Extract and its Cytotoxic Activity Against Cancer Cells
https://www.turkjps.org/pdf/68f48462-babf-415b-b878-1e392d1c83af/articles/tjps.galenos.2025.33490/8-TJPS-33490-Epub.pdf
On creating nano CBD with polybutylene succinate for anticancer effects
Preparation and characterization of PBS (Polybutylene Succinate) nanoparticles containing cannabidiol (CBD) for anticancer application
https://docta.ucm.es/rest/api/core/bitstreams/d419d502-c45d-46ea-a9f7-c652ff25723d/content
Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids
On seized prison papers, the detection of the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-MDMB-PINACA
Screening and Quantification of the Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist 5F-MDMB-PINACA from Seized Prison Paper Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Approaches
https://researchprofiles.herts.ac.uk/en/publications/screening-and-quantification-of-the-synthetic-cannabinoid-recepto
The pharmacological profile of the novel synthetic cannabinoids MDMB-INACA, ADB-INACA & ADB-HINACA
Identification and pharmacological properties of 2-(1H-indazole-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (MDMB-INACA), N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (ADB-INACA), and N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-hexyl-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (ADB-HINACA)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39616837/
On detecting synthetic cannabinoids using nanofibers & electrochemical immuno-sensing
MXene-poly(propylene carbonate) nanofiber network-based modification of SPE interfaces for electrochemical immuno-sensing of synthetic cannabinoid
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914025001730
Biochemical Discoveries & Tools
Using the bacteria E. coli to produce the cannabinoid precursor olivetolic acid
Efficient Escherichia coli Platform for Cannabinoid Precursor Olivetolic Acid Biosynthesis from Inexpensive Inputs
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c11867
On the thermal stability of CBC
Cannabichromene (CBC) Shows Matrix-Dependent Thermal Configurational Stability
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39648459/
On analyzing cannabinoids & cholesterol in biological materials with an HPLC
Quantification of cannabinoids and cholesterol in biological materials of different origins via reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157525001309
A thesis project using computer modeling to create anti-inflammatory drugs targeting COX-2 & CB2 receptors
IN SILICO STUDIES OF CANNABINOIDS TARGETING COX-2 AND CB2 RECEPTORS FOR ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG DESIGN
https://ethesisarchive.library.tu.ac.th/thesis/2024/TU_2024_6309040050_18924_29577.pdf
Thanks.
- lex
PS: For today’s haunting guitar from a haunted musician, ‘Over Fields And Mountains’ by Branko Mataja. Born in Yugoslavia in the 1920s, he assembled his first guitar under his parent’s kitchen table while the country was being torn apart by war. During the Axis occupation when he was a teenager, the Germans caught him on the street without identification papers & shipped him off to a labor camp. He’d never see his family again.
Once Americans liberated the camp, during a year in an English relocation camp, he built the classical guitar that he’d use for the rest of his life. He began playing in small clubs & eventually settled with his family in Los Angeles. He opened his own guitar shop & created custom guitars for stars like Johnny Cash & Geddy Lee of Rush. It’s in this shop that he probably recorded his first album ‘Traditional And Folk Songs Of Yugoslavia’. This & ‘Traditional Folk Songs of Serbia’ were the only albums he ever recorded. He never found fame in his life & when deteriorating health in the ‘90s forced him to stop playing, he died soon after of a heart attack.
In 2005, the musician David Jerković found Mataja’s album in a Hollywood used record store. With the eventual blessing of the late musician’s son, the albums were remastered & a new album of Mataja's other songs were collected into ‘Over Fields And Mountains’.
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The 2.8 reminds me of Sasha's wondering about the Shulgin scale and the question :"well, what is a +2.6 or a +1.2?"- great work! 😸