C&P#159: Help for lower back pain & Tourette syndrome, harm for schizophrenia & the heart
Bavaria’s only club ist kaputt + Trump declares war on the cartels
🌟 This week 🌟
Cannabis for chronic lower back pain, Tourette syndrome & adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
THC worsens schizophrenia, but CBD may help
(5x) Heart harms
How microgravity alters your ECS
Please welcome cannabizetol (CBGD) to the cannabinoid family!
Preclinical: CBD to lessen the opioid-induced respiratory depression while also synergizing with naloxone + for heroin, reduced seeking behavior
Leaves & Stems Week!
China’s synthetic cannabinoid ban & the inevitable cat & mouse game
WHO: cocoa leaf not bad, prohibition bad (and why Bush I was a POS)
#WarOnDrugs: Trump declares formal armed conflicts against cartels, amidst pushback
#HarmReduction: In Michigan public health data, investing in harm reduction caused significant impacts on overdose deaths & hospitalizations
For your laying hens, hemp seeds; for your goats, hemp leaves; for you, hemp flower
(this week’s numbers: ~7,700 words, ~21 minutes reading time, 158 papers)
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 159th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news & coverage of psychedelics, the War on Drugs & harm reduction. Support this work sharing canna-science with a paid subscription here. As always, ask me anything.
#FreePalestine
📌 Editor’s notes:
Many thanks to the new Founding Member supporters of this newsletter:
- Dr. Mike Barnes of the UK Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society
- Jamie Pearson of the New Holland Group
And if anyone else would like to support this work with a one-time or ongoing donation, it would be much appreciated.
Announcing the Cannabis Future 2025 conference in Poland:
The cannabis industry in Poland is growing rapidly & the conference Cannabis Future 2025 is a response to this trend. The conference, organized by Dorota Gudaniec, known as the “mother of medical cannabis in Poland”, will take place on October 13 in Wrocław. The event will focus on current legal regulations & key challenges facing the cannabis sector.
🤝 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 each month.
🧰 Free resources 🧰
CVResearch.info: the extensive cannabinoid science archive I maintain for CV Sciences
Canna-edu videos: on YouTube @CVScienceInc & on TikTok @pluscbd (backup account @cannabinoidsandthepeople)
My Free How-To Guides on cannabinoids for different conditions. #AMAMy glossary of cannabinoid terms (& my Neural Ocean metaphor)
And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: the Dean of Jazz Pianists, James Price Johnson
💖 Ways to support this work 💖
A paid subscription on Substack
Buy Me a Coffee
Venmo: @Lex-Pelger
PayPal: donate here
🐋 For more from Lex… 🐋 | my Linktree |
‘Anandamide; or, the Cannabinoid’: my cannabis graphic novel series (based on Moby Dick):
- ‘SUNset’: Queer canna-history from the AIDS crisis
- ‘The CROWN’: the hunt for the chemical structure of CBN, the first fully-solved cannabinoid, as explained through elephantsFirst 2 seasons of my podcast ‘The Lex Files’ on cannabinoids, psychedelics & spirituality
Work with my company White Whale Creations to produce cannabis content: writing, science archives, social media, newsletters & podcasts: my portfolio
📣 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 & on TT @pluscbd)
CBD for Obesity & Metabolic Health (such a lovely chart)
My 📚 Vids:
(@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram)
Pindar’s Odes (and how I finish archiving my knowledge from a book)
🍃 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 chronic lower back pain, this 10-year study found “long-term cannabis therapy significantly reduced pain, disability, and opioid dependence… with sustained quality-of-life gains”
Long-Term Cannabis Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: A 10-Year Prospective Study
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/27683222251383500
In adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a survey found that they use cannabis to manage sleeplessness & pain but reported adverse effects such as withdrawal, memory impairment & increased appetite
Patterns of Cannabis Use in Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-025-01546-7
On humans reaching for objects, this double-blind study found that THC lowered reaching speed & accuracy, while CBD slowed movements but made them more accurate
Acute cannabis intoxication negatively impacts human reaching: A double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study on Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol
https://www.scapps.org/jems/index.php/1/en/article/view/3890
Leave it to the Canadians to research something so practical.
For epilepsy, a survey of the availability & affordability of cannabinoid treatment worldwide by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Plant-Based Therapy Task Force
Availability and affordability of cannabinoids for epilepsy treatment across different geographic settings—A survey from the ILAE Plant‐Based Therapy Task Force
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/epi.18622
For autism, this longitudinal study found neither maternal nor paternal cannabis use during pregnancy was associated with autism symptoms in the offspring, although preconception use was associated with autism symptoms across childhood
The association of preconception and prenatal cannabis and tobacco exposure with autism symptoms in offspring: A population-based longitudinal study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0892036225001382
In two children with Tourette’s syndrome, cannabinoid-based medicines “resulted in continued benefit with significant improvement of tics and psychiatric comorbidities”
Long-Term Use of Cannabis-Based Medicines in Two Children with Tourette Syndrome: A Case Report
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1647969/abstract
In two people with anxiety, the efficacy of CBD to lower anxiety levels was linked to an increased level of anandamide, suggesting it as an anxiety biomarker
Endocannabinoid signaling as a potential biomarker in anxiety spectrum disorders a case series
https://archivesbiologicalpsychiatry.org/endocannabinoid-signaling-as-a-potential-biomarker-in-anxiety-spectrum-disorders-a-case-series/
In two adolescent cases of first-break psychosis associated with mycoplasma (a rare bacterial infection), their cannabis use was mistakenly first thought to be the cause
First-Break Psychosis and Mycoplasma-Associated Encephalitis: A Case Series Highlighting the Role of Cannabis Use, Immune-Based Interventions, and Antipsychotic Treatment
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773021225000495
In the Canadian Arctic, an ethnographic analysis of cannabis use found support for men experiencing stress
“I’d Say, ‘Smoke a Little Weed, You’ll Feel Better:’ Ethnographic Observations of Cannabis Use in the Canadian Arctic
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560325001483
I think I could say the same here in suburban France.
📑 Reviews 📑
In adult mental health patients, a review of cannabinoids found suggested improvements in attention, cognitive inhibition, multitasking & normalization of brain activity during verbal memory tasks
The Effects of Medicinal Cannabis on Neurocognitive Functions of Adult Patients in Mental Health Care: A Systematic Review
https://academic.oup.com/acn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/arclin/acaf084.260/8266398
For treatment-resistant epilepsy, this review recommended CBD for young people & adults
Cannabidiol: a new effective means for the treatment of patients with refractory epilepsy
https://ideas.repec.org/a/dbk/procee/v3y2025ip1056294piii2025552id1056294piii2025552.html
And an analysis of its efficacy
Analysis of the efficacy and safety of cannabidiol in refractory epilepsy: A systematic review
https://ideas.repec.org/a/dbk/procee/v3y2025ip1056294piii2025559id1056294piii2025559.html
For obesity, metabolic syndrome & binge eating, a review of the potential of CBD (with an intense chart)
Is there a role for cannabidiol in obesity, metabolic syndrome and binge eating?
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/bph.70196
For gut health & dietary hemp seeds, this review found beneficial effects on intestinal barrier function, reduced inflammation & a healthy gut microbiome
Elucidating the Potential of Dietary Hemp Seed on Gut Health: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives
https://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/fci2.70011
For substance use disorders, a review of the links between the CB1 receptor & impulsivity
The CB1 Receptor: Linking Impulsivity and Substance Use Disorder
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1621242/abstract
For neurocardiology (how the brain affects the heart), a review of the impact of the endocannabinoid system
ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM AND NEUROCARDIOLOGY: IMPACTS ON AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
https://interferencejournal.emnuvens.com.br/revista/article/view/288
For intestinal fibrosis (scarring), a review of targeting the endocannabinoid system
The Endocannabinoid System as a Therapeutic Target in Intestinal Fibrosis
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1669951/abstract
For a review of the effects of microgravity & spaceflight, they found that space increases endocannabinoid blood levels & altered cannabinoid receptor levels
Spaceflight exposome/microgravity effects on the psychoimmunoneuroendocrine system
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-025-00487-8
⚠️ Harms ⚠️
For the mortality risk from cannabis use, this meta-analysis found cannabis use associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in the general population, but larger sample sizes were associated with smaller effect sizes
Relative Risk of All‐Cause Mortality Associated With Cannabis Use: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Cohort Studies
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hsr2.71212
For sleep, a review of 18 studies found that cannabis has a detrimental effect on sleep quality
Sleep quality of adult recreational cannabis users: a systematic literature review
https://www.scielo.br/j/trends/a/bxdYnwQ7RLRB4MsdkHP9xCt/?format=html&lang=en
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists issued guidance against cannabis use during pregnancy because of “adverse outcomes such as spontaneous preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental delay”
ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 10: Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Lactation
https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/fulltext/2025/10000/acog_clinical_consensus_no__10__cannabis_use.23.aspx
In people with non-fatal suicidal behaviors using cannabis & opioids, in males there was an additive effect between concurrent cannabis & opioid use on suicidality, while in females it was smaller than an additive effect, suggesting a protective effect
Gender Differences in Non-Fatal Suicidal Behaviors Linked to Concurrent Use of Cannabis and Opioids
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395625005692
For cannabis & schizophrenia, a review of eight studies found “strong evidence that the risk of developing schizophrenia was significantly higher with the use of high-THC-content cannabis” & to exacerbate positive & negative symptoms as well as cognition, but with evidence for the antipsychotic & neuroprotective properties of CBD
The Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Schizophrenia As a Risk Factor or For Its Therapeutic Potential: A Systematic Review of Evidence
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/review_article/pdf/382078/20250920-327170-edxbwb.pdf
In young people with lung cancer, they had a high prevalence of smoking tobacco & cannabis, “including a higher incidence of emphysema & aggressive tumor types”
The impact of dual cannabis and tobacco smoking in young patients with lung cancer: results from the prospective “Environment and Lung Cancer” study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012369225053784
In acute cannabinoid toxicity at the Alexandria Poison Center, this Egyptian study found intoxication in children to result in moderately altered levels of consciousness, while synthetic cannabinoid toxicity in adults led to agitation, arrhythmia & hypertension as well as death in two cases
AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN ACUTE CANNABINOID TOXICITY: A STUDY OF CASES MANAGED AT THE ALEXANDRIA POISON CENTER
https://ejfsat.journals.ekb.eg/article_454998_4abef57167391bb19295f1299b3f88af.pdf
For vaping THC & the hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids, a review of their toxicology
Health Effects of Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10-Tethydrocannabinol and New Unregulated THC Vaping Products
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/c6a7049ff0afc41607fece77f97a15fd/download_pub
In Canadian surveillance of cannabis addiction, this commentary focused on three regulatory gaps: the limitation in surveillance tools, the conflation of medicinal & recreational cannabis in public discourse & the governance inconsistencies for medical cannabis
The unseen addiction: improving surveillance and monitoring of cannabis use
https://journals.lww.com/cja/citation/2025/09000/the_unseen_addiction__improving_surveillance_and.3.aspx
For people with heart failure, this retrospective study found significantly higher levels of cannabis use
Prevalence and Incidence of Heart Failure among Cannabis Users: A Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.pakheartjournal.com/index.php/pk/article/view/2970
For heart health, a meta-analysis of six studies found cannabis users had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular events than non-users
CANNABIS USE AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS AMONG CANNABIS USERS AND NON-USERS
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667725002752
For heart health, a large retrospective cohort study found male users at a higher risk of heart attacks & major cardiovascular events while females had a greater risk of strokes
SEX-BASED DIFFERENCES IN CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES AMONG CANNABINOID USERS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY USING TRINETX
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667725003010
For heart health, a retrospective analysis found cannabis users to have higher levels of diastolic dysfunction (impaired relaxation & filling of the heart’s ventricles)
CURRENT CANNABIS USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED INDEXES OF DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION IN ADULTS: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667725002508
A case report of a cannabis-induced cardiac arrest in a young adult
Cannabis-Induced Cardiac Arrest in a Young Adult: A Case Report
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40975879/
In a driving simulator, edible cannabis use caused people to drive slower & to have more lane departures
Edible cannabis use on simulated driving performance
https://apha.confex.com/apha/2025/meetingapi.cgi/Paper/567968?filename=2025_Abstract567968.html&template=Word
And for driving under the influence of cannabis, a theoretical essay on how we might define impairment
Toward developing conceptual and operational definitions for research on driving under the influence of cannabis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2772912525001721
🐁 Preclinical 🐁
In a mouse model of opioids suppressing breathing, CBD was as effective as naloxone at preventing opioid-induced respiratory depression from fentanyl, with a synergy from combining them
Proof of Concept for High-Dose Cannabidiol Pretreatment to Antagonize Opioid Induced Persistent Apnea in Mice
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1654787/abstract
In a rat model of heroin use disorder, CBD reduced cue-induced heroin-seeking behavior via changes to the nucleus accumbens (a reward center & regulator of feeding, stress & motivation)
Cannabidiol attenuates heroin seeking in male rats associated with normalization of discrete neurobiological signatures within the nucleus accumbens with subregional specificity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322325014623
In rats with a fatty liver from a high-fat diet, a combination of exercise & CBD helped to regulate their lipid profiles & indicators of immune regulation & oxidative stress
The Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Cannabidiol Extract on SOCS3 Expression and SOD Activity in Rats with High-Fat Diet-Induced Fatty Liver
https://jme.guilan.ac.ir/article_9057_en.html
In an aged rat model of obesity, CBD reduced the inflammatory effects of obesity, their anxiety-like behaviors & their neuroinflammation in the prefrontal cortex
Cannabidiol attenuates diet-induced metabolic endotoxemia, neuroinflammation, and anxiety-like behaviors in male aged rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159125003630
In a mouse model of obesity, the terpene beta-caryophyllene modulated key receptors of appetite regulation & insulin sensitivity (including FFAR3, LEPR, & GHSR) & its actions on the CB2 receptor suggested additional benefits for energy balance & appetite reduction
Effect of β-Caryophyllene on PPAR-γ NF-κB and CNR2: Implications for Gut–Brain Axis Communication in a Murine Model of Diet-Induced Obesity
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/10/638
In a mouse model of neuropathic pain, CBD reduced the pain at least partially via the opioid receptors
Cannabidiol engages the peripheral endogenous opioid system to produce analgesia in neuropathic mice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394025002824
In a mouse model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly known as fatty liver disease), a nano-oleoylethanolamide (the endocannabinoid of satiation) reached the liver & “demonstrated remarkable efficacy in suppressing the rapid progression of MASH symptoms”
Enzyme-responsive oleoylethanolamide-releasing nanomedicine for sustained liver delivery and therapeutic improvement in early-stage metabolic dysfunction-accosicated steatohepatitis (MASH)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168365925008685
I’m putting this here at the top because I’m a little bit obsessed with this endocannabinoid (see my explainer video here). In our Neural Ocean metaphor, oleoylethanolamide is a pygmy sperm whale.
🍂 Leaves & Stems 🍂
In rats consuming hemp leaf oil, this first-ever safety study found no changes from acute or sub-chronic administration
Acute and Subchronic Exposure to Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Leaf Oil: Impacts on Vital Organs in Sprague-Dawley Rats
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/10/1437
For cannabis leaves, a molecular analysis across different cultivars
A molecular analysis in leaves of in vitro-cultivated commercial and non-commercial Cannabis sativa genotypes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669025014670
For cannabis stems, a metabolic analysis of the anti-inflammatory properties of their extracts
From waste to value: evaluation of chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of Cannabis sativa stem extracts
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367326X25005209
🆕 Novel Studies 🆕
(my grab bag section for stuff I haven’t quite seen before)
First isolation of cannabizetol (CBGD) & its subsequent synthesis & analysis of its “remarkable antioxidant & skin anti-inflammatory activity”
Cannabizetol, a Novel Cannabinoid: Chemical Synthesis, Anti-inflammatory Activity and Extraction from Cannabis sativa L
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5c00826
In the 4 years since China’s ban on synthetic cannabinoid drugs, on the cat & mouse game of introducing new drug scaffolds & modifying conventional core structures to circumvent the ban & create precursors that let users & intermediate suppliers easily generate the banned drugs themselves by DIY synthesis
Outsmarting generic legislation: 4 years into the cat-and-mouse game of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist market since the Chinese ban in 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-025-04191-0
On social media posts about edible cannabis, an analysis of the cultural & emotional significance as well as its creative & aesthetic value
Deconstructing edible cannabis in social media: Self-expression creativity and culinary capital
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07409710.2025.2564489
On altering cannabis to produce cannabinoids that are glycosylated (adding a sugar group, which increases water solubility)
Glycosylated cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa and enzyme design to modulate their synthesis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40991441/
📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles 📰
Trump posted an AI slop video on CBD & markets jumped 20%
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115283887618990920
In Oklahoma, physicians now required to take cannabis education classes before recommending medical cannabis
https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/additional-education-courses-required-for-dispensing-medical-marijuana-licenses/article_2ab0becf-3c0a-4539-9db2-f17fc8b2f792.html
For cannabis record clearance, a case study of California
The Promise and Pitfalls of Cannabis Record Clearance: A Case Study
https://kb.osu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/93b2068c-c9c2-4429-b107-c58dea1d9abd/content
At outlaw cannabis grows on federal land in California, an analysis of the organic contaminants
Identifying organic contaminants at trespass cannabis grows on federal land in California USA
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725022168
April 20, 1997: the SF weed party that brought 4/20 to worldwide prominence
https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/original-420-cannabis-party-was-in-san-francisco-20277215.php
🌐 International Updates 🌐
The EU is launching Cannapol, a cannabis toolkit to help national policymakers in creating adult-use legislation.
https://businessofcannabis.com/european-union-to-establish-adult-use-cannabis-pathways-for-member-states/
In Germany, Frankfurt has been prohibited from beginning their pilot project of adult-use cannabis sales
https://www.hessenschau.de/gesellschaft/frankfurts-cannabis-plaene-vorerst-geplatzt--behoerde-lehnt-antrag-ab-v2,frankfurt-cannabis-100.html
And in the conservative German region of Bavaria, their only cannabis club halted operations after losing a court case
https://cannabislaw.report/bavarias-only-cannabis-club-halts-operations/
And in young Germans, public health data found partial legalization led to no change in use by adolescents, but increased among young adults
Cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Germany: Study results and prevention measures offered by the Federal Institute of Public Health
https://edoc.rki.de/bitstream/handle/176904/12987/JHealthMonit_2025_03_Cannabis_use.pdf
In Uruguay, CBD was added to the national therapeutic formulary
https://sechat.com.br/en/noticia/uruguay-includes-cbd-in-healthcare-system
In South Africa, the Agricultural Research Council prepares to build a cannabis research facility
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/science/2025-09-22-can-you-grow-contaminant-free-cannabis-research-lab-seek-partner/
⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️
The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America added their first THC-infused drinks company
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/major-alcohol-industry-trade-association-welcomes-its-first-thc-cannabis-beverage-member/
In Massachusetts public schools, decriminalization of cannabis was linked to an increased rate of cannabis-related school discipline incidents but these decreased during the medical & recreational policy periods
Associations Between Evolving Cannabis Policies and Cannabis-Related School Discipline Among Secondary School Students in Massachusetts 2005-2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379725005975
In Canada following legalization, an assessment of the knowledge of the health effects of cannabis only increased modestly according to the International Cannabis Policy Study
Knowledge about the health effects of cannabis before and after ‘recreational’ cannabis legalization in Canada: Findings from the International Cannabis Policy Study, 2018 – 2024
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7602619/v1
For cannabis intellectual property issues, a book review of ‘Intellectual Property and Cannabis’
Intellectual Property and Cannabis Natalie Corthesy et al eds Cheltenham UK
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-legal-information/article/intellectual-property-and-cannabis-natalie-corthesy-et-al-eds-cheltenham-uk-northampton-ma-edward-elgar-2025-392-pp-isbn-9781035329380-us21500/830D250EBFDBDB591883CFA66636FFF6
For hemp-derived delta-8 THC products, an analysis of the marketing strategies of online shops
An Assessment of Marketing Strategies Used by Online Shops Selling Hemp-Derived Delta-8 Products
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2025.2559282
🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓
According to the WHO, coca leaf is not harmful, but prohibition is
https://filtermag.org/who-review-coca-prohibition/
Of course, one should never forget how repetitive this is. Famously in 1995, the World Health Organization was about to release a report on cocaine that said it was basically similar to alcohol. Most people used it on the weekends & experienced no long-term problems. But Bush I was so incensed by this that he threatened to cut all WHO funding unless they buried the report. They caved, but somebody leaked it:
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
Trump declared the US to be engaged in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/us/politics/trump-drug-cartels-war.html
And for the US strikes in the Caribbean, despite allegations of fentanyl smuggling as a justification, the drug smuggling in that region is not fentanyl but cocaine & cannabis
https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/archive/2025/09/fentanyl-trump-venezuela-caribbean-boats/684373/
And Bloomberg came out against Trump’s use of the military in the War on Drugs
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-09-26/us-military-shouldn-t-be-leading-drug-war-against-cartels
And Time said, “Trump’s War on ‘Narcoterrorists’ Is Doomed to Fail”
https://time.com/7319697/trump-venezuela-narcoterrorism-drug-cartels/
In the US, 1M pounds of cocaine seized this year by the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force – South (JIATF-S)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/drug-task-force-seizes-record-000230427.html
Of convicted drug traffickers in the US, 80% are U.S. citizens
https://cannabislaw.report/an-inconvenient-truth-us-citizens-were-80-percent-of-all-convicted-drug-traffickers-in-2024/
In Algeria, a former diplomat alleges massive drug trafficking by the head of the army
https://cannabislaw.report/a-former-algerian-diplomat-has-made-explosive-statements-about-his-countrys-military-leadership-accusing-army-chief-said-chengriha-of-running-a-massive-drug-trafficking/
On the rise of cheap fentanyl & the effects on drug markets & trafficking
Possible effects of cheap fentanyl on drug markets, use and harm: a theoretical analysis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17440572.2025.2561658
Analyzing regional dark net drug markets
Digital drug trading ecologies in context: Technological, geographic, and linguistic variation across darknet platforms
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40946389/
Analyzing why militarism became the prevailing paradigm in narcotics governance & the implications for human rights
The global war on drugs: militarism and its human rights consequences
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/08969205251364102
“The framework comprises four interconnected mechanisms—dehumanization, moralistic justifications, intensified state coercion, and a culture of impunity—that uphold and legitimize militarized drug policies. Dehumanization portrays populations as expendable threats, while moralistic narratives depict repression as necessary for maintaining public order and security. These processes enable intensified state coercion, evident in militarized policing, mass incarceration, and extrajudicial violence, while a culture of impunity protects perpetrators from accountability, consequently perpetuating cycles of state violence.”
Analyzing illicit drug crop economies through the lens of agriculture & food sovereignty
Illicit drug crop economies and food sovereignty
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03066150.2025.2551718
🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️
According to Michigan health authorities, investing in harm reduction caused significant impacts on overdose deaths, hospitalizations & hepatitis C infection levels
https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2025/09/25/harm-reduction
The Measurable Impacts of Investing in Harm Reduction - 2017-2024
https://www.michigan.gov/opioids/-/media/Project/Websites/opioids/documents/Measurable-Impacts-of-Harm-Reduction.pdf
In Boston, the city council shows support for safe injection sites
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/09/25/boston-city-council-shows-support-for-safe-injection-sites/
Harm Reduction Research
In the media, a review of the stigmatizing language used around substance use disorders
Use of stigmatizing language related to substance use disorders in media: A systematic review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40935738/
For supervised consumption sites, a review of population-level overdose mortality found no significant associations
Supervised consumption sites and population-level overdose mortality: a systematic review of recent evidence, 2016-2024
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40960731/
In rural & suburban primary care settings, those who provide buprenorphine were open to expanding their harm reduction services
Buprenorphine provider preferences to expanding harm reduction services in rural and suburban primary care settings: a short report
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40933807/
For festival-based harm reduction, an ethnographic study found that its efficacy is reduced by heavy policing & confiscation at the gate
Reluctant risk-takers: how law enforcement practices at festivals can obstruct safer drug use
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925003093
For homeless service providers, on how to adapt resources for people using drugs & alcohol
Constant crisis management: service provider perspectives on adapting homeless resources for people who use drugs and alcohol
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40945108/
For harm reduction vending machines, an optimization of better designs
Reducing Substance Use-Related Harms: A Simulation-Optimization Framework for the Design and Evaluation of Harm Reduction Vending Machines
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40990576/
On the opioid crisis in Canada, a book on the framing by media, politicians & the general public
Framing the Opioid Crisis in Canada: Divergent Issues in Public Debates
https://www.emerald.com/books/monograph/17790/Framing-the-Opioid-Crisis-in-CanadaDivergent?redirectedFrom=PDF#page=74
For drug decriminalization in Baltimore, interviews with leaders of Black civil society on their recommendations
Exploring Black civil society perspectives of drug decriminalization reforms in the Baltimore context: a participatory action qualitative study
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09581596.2025.2532628
For a campus-based drug checking service, interviews on lessons about implementation
An implementation science study of a campus-based drug checking service at a Canadian university
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40966221/
🍄 Psychedelics, Plant Medicines & Other Psychoactives 🍄
The Psychoactive Research
For MDMA use, a European longitudinal nightlife study found the classic Monday blues (“a significant drop in mental well-being in the three days following ecstasy/MDMA use”)
Three-day blues after ecstasy/MDMA use: Evidence from a longitudinal and daily analysis in the European nightlife scene
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40992011/
On indigenous erasure in the psychedelic renaissance
Science’s “Savage Slot”: the appropriation and erasure of Indigenous science in the psychedelic renaissance
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484825000037
For treating with psychedelics, on a framework of competencies for clinicians
Key competencies for psychedelic treatment in real-world mental health care settings
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40972068/
🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃
🌱 Growing & Extracting 🌱
For cannabis micropropagation, on the importance of monitoring both genetic & epigenetic stability for long-term cultivation
Micropropagation of Cannabis sativa: Genetic and epigenetic stability assessment over multiple generations
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7558326/v1
For LED interlighting, an analysis of its cost-effectiveness for increased yield & chemical uniformity
LED interlighting: a cost-effective strategy to increase yield and chemical uniformity of Cannabis sativa at commercial scale
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423825004546
For LED lighting, on how cannabis leaf parameters correlated with flower yield & cannabinoid accumulation
The correlation of leaf parameters with flower yield and cannabinoid accumulation in medical cannabis under different LED light spectra
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092666902501516X
For water shortage & salt stress, on the responses of hemp
Morphological and physiological response of hemp to different levels of water availability and salinity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669025015043
For the variation of cannabis agronomic traits, an analysis of the genetic & environmental contributions
Genetic and environmental contributions to agronomic trait variation in Cannabis sativa
https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/csc2.70168
For anthocyanin (which gives cannabis its purple color), this thesis project investigated its genetics & accumulation
A Study in Purple: An Investigation into the Genetics of Anthocyanin Accumulation in Cannabis sativa
https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/95920/CP%20MS%20Thesis%20Final.pdf
For differentiating low & high-THC cannabis, on near-infrared spectroscopy
Analysis of cannabis plant materials by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis for differentiating low-THC and high-THC cannabis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468170925000608
For extracting hemp oil, a review on seed pretreatment, oil properties & a comparison of extraction techniques
Industrial Hemp Oil Extraction Techniques Optimization Kinetics Thermodynamics and Sustainability
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15422119.2025.2545897
On green MCT-oil extraction to enrich cannabinoid levels & boost antioxidant potential
Green solvent-based extraction of Cannabis sativa L. by-products: enhancing antioxidant potential and cannabinoid enrichment using MCT oil
https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-025-00309-4
For CBGA extraction, on comparing the methods of subcritical water extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction & ethanol extraction
CBGA-rich Cannabis sativa subcritical water vs supercritical CO2 and organic solvent extraction: Cannabinoids, volatiles and antioxidant activity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669025014967
For ultrasound-assisted hemp extraction, on the optimization, kinetics & thermodynamics
Optimization Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phytochemicals from Hemp
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.5c06069
In the feral hemp of Illinois, a thesis project analyzing their population dynamics
Population Dynamics of Feral Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Across Illinois
https://www.proquest.com/openview/53de55f4790683ffa68f7a6219b07ff3/1
On profiling the resin from 5 Moroccan hemp cultivars
A comparative phytocannabinoid profiling of resin from five hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivars from central-northern Morocco
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772753X25001844
Characterizing 16 varieties of hemp
Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Sixteen Grain and Dual-Type Industrial Hemp 1 Varieties (Cannabis sativa L.) for Agronomic and Yield Component Traits
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1632346/abstract
⚙️ Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️
In hemp seeds, oil & tea, on analyzing cannabinoid levels using an LC-MS/MS
Determination of Cannabinoids in Hemp Seeds, Oil, and Tea Samples Using LC-MS/MS
https://sciforum.net/paper/view/23759
For cannabis analysis, on optimizing sample preparation to reduce the usage of chloroform
Optimizing Cannabis Sample Preparation to Reduce Chloroform Usage: A Comparison of I-Optimal, D-Optimal, and A-Optimal Designs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40974570/
For analyzing terpene levels, a thesis project on using gas chromatography-flame ionization & GC-MS
Quantification of Terpenes in Various Commercial Cannabis Products by Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detection and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=forensic_science_projects
For detecting PEA in wastewater, on creating an ultra-sensitive fluorescent nano sensor
Eco-consistent fluorescent nano sensor: Ultrasensitive determination of palmitoylethanolamide in pharmaceuticals and industrial wastewater
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026265X2502853X
🍞 Food, Nutrition & Hemp Seeds 🍞
For laying hens, hemp seeds improved the nutritional quality of the eggs
Evaluation of hemp seeds (Cannabis sativa L.) and flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum L.) as feed ingredients in laying hen diets: Effects on the performance, egg quality, and n-3 fatty acid composition of egg yolks
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/animal-science/articles/10.3389/fanim.2025.1685765/abstract
In goats eating hemp leaves, they showed signs of improved intestinal health with no negative effects on performance
Evaluating the benefits of hemp leaves in goat diets: nutrient digestibility, growth performance and histomorphology
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11250-025-04630-1
🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️
For hemp stalks after oil processing, on their potential as a renewable feedstock for liquid fuel production
Hydrothermal Upgrading of Industrial Hemp Waste: Effect of Cultivars and Fibre Sheath Presence on Bio-Oil Yield
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/15/10/917
For hemp seed oil in wood product protection, an analysis of its efficacy against water intrusion, fungal decay & termite feeding
Determining the toxic threshold and other use characteristics for industrial hemp seed oil used for wood product protection
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/6613/
For sustainable 3D printing, a PLA composite reinforced with hemp fiber
Development of Hemp Fiber Reinforced PLA Composites for Sustainable 3D Printing Mechanical and Microstructural Properties
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15440478.2025.2558214
For hemp yarn, on infusing them with spidroin silk protein (mimicking spider silk) for improved mechanical properties
A Novel Manufacturing Approach to Infuse Recombinant Spidroin Silk Protein into Hemp Yarns for Biocomposite Applications
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15440478.2025.2562472
On producing hemp yarn in vortex spinning by blending with cotton
Underexploited hemp fiber as a blend constituent with cotton in producing vortex yarns: Toward a sustainable and cleaner future
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772912525001721
In textile-reinforced mortar, on the durability of hemp yarns
Investigation of the durability of hemp yarns used in textile reinforced mortar (TRM)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352710225024155
For rebar in concrete, on a hemp fiber-reinforced polymer as a sustainable alternative
Advancing Sustainable Structural Solutions Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polymer HFRP Reinforcement Bars for Concrete Applications through Material Selection Simulation and Pathways for Future Development
https://commons.yildiz.edu.tr/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=jscmt
For lime hemp interior insulation, an analysis of rainwater absorption & infiltration
Experimental investigation of rainwater absorption and infiltration in different types of masonry with lime hemp interior insulation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950061825038553
For hempcrete, an analysis found stable moisture buffering & smooth gradient transition compared to date palm concrete or clay brick
HYGROTHERMAL BEHAVIOR AT THE JUNCTION OF CEMENT MORTAR AND BIOBASED MATERIALS Finite Element Study of Hempcrete, Date Palm Concrete, and Clay Brick
https://doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0354-9836/2025/0354-98362504239B.pdf
For the thermal retrofitting of buildings, on hempcrete as a low-carbon solution
Hempcrete as low carbon solution for thermal retrofitting of buildings
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1140&context=c3_2025
To improve concrete strength & fire resistance, on using hemp fibers from waste stalks
Upcycled Medical Hemp Fibers for Enhancing Tensile Strength and Fire Resistance of High-Strength Concrete
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1141&context=c3_2025
For building materials, creating a composite from hemp particles & grape seeds
Development of composites-based grape seeds and hemp particles for building field
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395714265_Development_of_composites-based_grape_seeds_and_hemp_particles_for_building_field
For construction, a thesis project on combining hemp hurds with calcined clay
Development of Calcined-Clay and Hemp Hurd Composites for Construction
https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ce_etds/359/
On creating hemp fiber-reinforced composites for improved mechanical, thermal & environmental performance
Development and Evaluation of Nano‐SiC, EPDM Reinforced Toughened Hemp Fiber/Polypropylene Composites With Improved Mechanical, Thermal and Environmental Properties
https://4spepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pc.70201
🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿
🏥 Public Health, Legalization Effects & Bioassays 🏥
For healthcare trainees, surveys on how to develop & evaluate cannabis education, resulting in the virtual training “It’s Legal, Now What? Cannabis Epidemiology, Treatment, and Safety Recommendations”
“It’s legal, now what?” development, implementation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary cannabis education for healthcare trainees
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-025-00321-8
For an Australian trial of cannabis for endometriosis pain, on the factors that led to a failure to recruit & retain participants
Challenges in conducting a feasibility randomized controlled trial of medicinal cannabis for endometriosis pain in Australia
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174438812500088X
In care partners of older adults, a survey on why they used cannabis
Taking Care of Themselves: Cannabis Use Among Informal Care Partners of Older Adults
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/25785125251380073
In US young & middle adults, an analysis of their medical cannabis use was consistent across ages
Medical Cannabis Use Across Ages 19-65: U.S. Young and Middle Adults, 2018-2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379725004854
For the dangers of high-concentration cannabis, on designing a public education campaign
Developing & Evaluating Public Education Campaigns on High-Concentration Cannabis
https://apha.confex.com/apha/2025/meetingapi.cgi/Paper/576453?filename=2025_Abstract576453.html&template=Word
🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒
In Moroccan adolescents with cannabis use disorder, they had significant impairments in cognition & sleep
Effects of Cannabis Dependence on Sleep Quality and Cognitive Function: A Comparative Study in Moroccan Adolescent Addicts and Non-Addicts
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227625004661
In Canadian university students, a survey of their hazardous cannabis use
Hazardous Cannabis Use Among University Students: Understanding Differences in Modes, Patterns, and Motivations Related to Use
https://journals.lww.com/cja/fulltext/2025/09000/hazardous_cannabis_use_among_university_students_.4.aspx
In young adults with first-episode psychosis, on the importance of peer relationships in their cannabis use
“One thing we all know we can connect on”: A qualitative study of cannabis use and the social dynamics of young adults with first episode psychosis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17522439.2025.2560848
For US adolescents, an increase in cannabis prices was associated with a lower likelihood of current cannabis use
Estimating Price Elasticity of Cannabis Use Among U.S. Adolescents: Evidence From States With Recreational Cannabis Commercialization
https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(25)00403-3/pdf
In Swedish adolescents, those with parents in a lower socio-economic status had less use of cannabis within the last year
Socioeconomic status and adolescent cannabis use: a Swedish cohort study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-025-00334-3
For young adults using alcohol & cannabis, their coping motives reflected “deficits in adaptive emotion regulation strategies rather than a broad tendency towards negative affectivity”
Coping motives for alcohol and cannabis use better reflect negative emotionality than emotion regulation deficits in young adults
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00126
🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠
In a mouse model of epilepsy, on the efficacy of CBD enantiomers (mirror image molecules) derived from the terpene carvone that work via receptors for GABA (the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter)
Carvone derived cannabidiol enantiomers as novel anticonvulsants
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-025-02220-1
For neuroprotection, on developing purines that target the CB2 receptor & butyrylcholinesterase (an enzyme for drug & toxin metabolism)
Development of 2,6,9-Trisubstituted Purines as Neuroprotective Agents Targeting Butyrylcholinesterase and Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0223523425009821
💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭
In Black & African American individuals, discrimination was correlated with their PTSD symptoms & blood levels of anandamide
Endocannabinoids Mediate Racial/Ethnic Discrimination Prediction of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Moderated by Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Black and African American Individuals
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451902225002940
For major depressive disorder, an analysis of the biomarkers linked to the endocannabinoid system
Identification and experimental validation of biomarkers associated with the endocannabinoid system in major depressive disorder
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41065-025-00558-6
In fear conditioning (a model for the memory processes of PTSD), the saliva levels of endocannabinoids & cortisol were both associated with the return of fear
Fear extinction using a conditioned stimulus that was temporally proximal to the unconditioned stimulus reduces physiological and subjective return of fear
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796725001500
For ADHD, a genetic analysis of the associated variants of the DAGL enzyme (which produces 2-AG)
An Analysis of DAGLA Variants Associated with ADHD
https://ouscholars.oakwood.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&context=student-posters
For cannabis vs. methamphetamine-related mental disorders, a Japanese comparative study found the cannabis group to be younger, to have fewer drug-related criminal offenses & less comorbid psychiatric disorders
Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Cannabis-Related Mental Disorders and an Examination of Factors Influencing Their Access to Medical and Nonmedical Resources: Comparison of Methamphetamine-Related Mental Disorders
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40974268/
In females who smoke cigarettes, their cigarette cravings increased the day after cannabis use, but not in males
Increased cigarette craving following prior-day cannabis use among females who smoke combustible cigarettes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871625003503
In people who smoke cigarettes & vape cannabis, seeing vaping devices increased their desire to smoke or vape
Reactivity to electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) cues in adults who smoke cigarettes and vape cannabis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460325002631
In West Africa, a review on the rising challenge of cannabis use disorder
Cannabis use disorders - new challenges for health systems in West Africa: a narrative review
https://shs.cairn.info/revue-journal-de-gestion-et-de-la-sante-2025-1-page-23?lang=en
For PTSD, a review of the cannabinoids by the United Arab Emirates
Clinical Efficacy of Cannabinoids in PTSD Management: A Systematic Review Overcoming Limitations of Prior Evidence
https://nchr.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/clinical-efficacy-of-cannabinoids-in-ptsd-management-a-systematic
In male adolescent rats, inhibiting their MAGL enzyme (which breaks down 2-AG) increased adult levels of interactive play as well as cocaine seeking, while inhibiting their FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide) increased adult levels of social choice
Differential Effects of Adolescent Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition on Adolescent and Adult Behaviors in Male Rats
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7512305/v1
In a mouse model of alcohol use disorder, deleting the CB1 receptors from their sensory neurons eliminated the inhibitory effect of the peripheral CB1R antagonist JD5037 as did the deletion of ghrelin (the stomach-derived “hunger hormone”)
CB1 receptors on a subset of vagal afferent neurons modulate voluntary ethanol intake in mice
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03266-9
🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬
For prenatal cannabis screening & counseling, an analysis of state legalization on the differences in clinical practice
Prenatal Cannabis Screening and Counseling Practices by State Recreational Legalization Status: A Multi-State Examination of PRAMS Data (2017–2020)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277272462500068X
In pregnancy with nausea, this retrospective cohort study found cannabinoid use associated with greater acute care utilization without a reduction in the duration of nausea symptoms or anti-emetic prescriptions
A pilot study into associations between cannabis use during pregnancy and severity and duration of nausea/vomiting, and antiemetic prescriptions
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14659891.2025.2539859
In early pregnancy, cannabis use was associated with a greater likelihood of being in a violent or unsafe living condition
Associations Between Violence and Unsafe Living Situations With Cannabis Use During Early Pregnancy
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29767342251371802
In pregnancy, a survey of cannabis use patterns, motivations & reasons for abstinence
Cannabis Use Patterns, Motivations, and Reasons for Abstinence in Pregnancy
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1613324/abstract
In pregnancy, a survey of the estimated prevalence of the use of cannabinoids, tobacco, vaping & nicotine replacement therapy
Tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery system, nicotine replacement therapy, and cannabinoid use during pregnancy: A descriptive cross-sectional survey
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0332961
For pregnant or postpartum women using cannabinoids, interviews about their potential participation in long-term cohort studies
Willingness of pregnant and postpartum women who use marijuana and/or cannabidiol to participate with their offspring in long-term cohort studies: an exploratory study
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1641467/abstract
In a rat model of prenatal THC exposure, dietary omega-3 fatty acids lessened the neurodevelopmental deficits & emotional disturbances
Perinatal omega-3 sex-selectively mitigates neuropsychiatric impacts of prenatal THC in the cortico-striatal-hippocampal circuit
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03113-x
In rats with prenatal cannabis exposure, a thesis project on the developmental consequences across their lifespan
DEVELOPMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF GESTATIONAL CANNABIS EXPOSURE IN RAT ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
https://harvest.usask.ca/items/00665132-565c-4572-9839-52d185c4dcf1
In prenatal mice, downregulating the CB1 receptors of their prefrontal cortex enriched pathways associated with neurodegenerative disorders & synaptic function as well as long-lasting behavioral alterations of their social interactions & motor behavior via the pyramidal neurons
Prenatal downregulation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the mouse prefrontal cortex disrupts cortical lamination and induces a transcriptional signature associated with social interaction deficits
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2025/09/15/JNEUROSCI.0120-25.2025.abstract
🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴
In people who had spinal fusion surgery, the cannabis users had significantly higher preoperative use of opioids & duloxetine (an SNRI antidepressant)
Patterns of Outpatient Multimodal Analgesic Use Among Postoperative Marijuana Users Undergoing ACDF and Lumbar Fusion
https://journals.lww.com/jspinaldisorders/abstract/9900/patterns_of_outpatient_multimodal_analgesic_use.590.aspx
In dogs who had surgery for a ligament rupture, a 20:1 CBD:THC extract was well tolerated but had no significant effects on pain or inflammation levels
Efficacy of a 20:1 CBD:THC Cannabis Herbal Extract for Pain and Inflammation in Dogs Following Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy
https://harvest.usask.ca/items/79dd2081-849b-4b4c-b5ad-7175a4386d06
For opioid use in chronic pain, medical cannabis does… something behind a paywall
1165 The Impact of Medicinal Cannabis on Opioid Use in Chronic Pain
https://www.japha.org/article/S1544-3191(25)00323-1/abstract
In mice engineered to have no CB1 or mu-opioid receptors, this analysis did not find evidence of a direct interaction between the receptors but instead an enhanced painkilling effect that may result from their activation in distinct neuronal populations or circuits
Cannabinoid CB1 receptor and mu-opioid receptor interaction: new insights from conditional knockout mice
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-025-02245-6
In a rat model of migraines, inhibiting the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) positively modulated the endocannabinoid system & caused pain relief through descending pain modulation of the periaqueductal gray (a brain control center for modulating pain & defensive & aversive behaviors)
Brain Hsp90 Inhibition Mitigates Facial Allodynia in a Rat Model of CSD Headache and Upregulates Endocannabinoid Signaling in the PAG
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/10/1430
❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️
In mice, the effects on the neural, cardio & mitochondrial (powerhouse of the cell) systems caused by the activation of the CB1 receptor seemed to be at least partially mediated by the kinin B1 receptor (which mediates chronic pain & inflammation)
Kinin B1 receptor mediates acute cardiovascular and neural responses following cannabinoid receptor 1 activation in conscious male mice
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.14814/phy2.70579
🍽️ The Guts, Metabolism & the Microbiome 🍽️
In a mouse model of cannabinoid-induced hyperphagia (excessive eating), this thesis project found that this response required the orexin receptor
Neural and Behavioral Mechanisms Underlying Cannabinoid-Induced Hyperphagia
https://www.proquest.com/openview/9f51f6b38080e3a10a7b7b2b7d2abf84/1
In a male rat model of eating the adolescent Western diet, this thesis project found it did not alter the ability of cannabinoids to cause an impulsive response to sucrose, such as has been demonstrated in females, but activating the CB1 receptor was linked to a stronger response to food
Effect of an Adolescent Western Diet on the Brain, Cannabinoid Sensitivity, and Impulsive Eating Behavior
https://www.proquest.com/openview/16012ec6c5bcfecb9822e694b5d0555a/1
🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️
In people with cancer taking opioids, those who were younger & with higher neuropathic pain scores were more likely to be using cannabis
Predictors of Cannabis Use in Ambulatory Patients with Cancer Undergoing Opioid Therapy
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395889778_Predictors_of_Cannabis_Use_in_Ambulatory_Patients_with_Cancer_Undergoing_Opioid_Therapy_Authors
In people with head & neck cancer receiving radiation therapy, cannabis use was not associated with any benefits to weight loss or pain management, but was associated with higher doses of narcotics as well as predicting worse survival & metastasis
Combustible Cannabis Use and Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Treated with Radiation Therapy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360301625029888
In leukemia cells, CBD increased oxidative stress & apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Bioinformatics differential expression analysis of the effect of cannabidiol in chronic myeloid leukaemia cell line
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Donchev-Petar/publication/395691222_Bioinformatics_differential_expression_analysis_of_the_effect_of_cannabidiol_in_chronic_myeloid_leukaemia_cell_line/links/68d4cdc2dcd0a92165f19363/Bioinformatics-differential-expression-analysis-of-the-effect-of-cannabidiol-in-chronic-myeloid-leukaemia-cell-line.pdf
For glioblastomas (the most aggressive brain cancer), the combination of CBD, celecoxib (an NSAID) & 2,5-dimethylcelecoxib (a synthetic cousin of celecoxib) increased oxidative stress, diminished migratory potential & increased machinery related to autophagy (cellular recycling) & apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Synergistic combination of cannabidiol and celecoxib or 2,5-dimethylcelecoxib exerts oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity and mitigates glioblastoma invasiveness
https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/acta-biochimica-polonica/articles/10.3389/abp.2025.15062/full
And in a murine model of glioblastomas, inhaled CBD limited tumor growth
Cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits glioblastoma progression through regulation of tumor microenvironment in a murine model
https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Cannabidiol-_CBD_-inhibits-glioblastoma-progression-through-regulation-of-tumor-microenvironment-in-a-murine-model.pdf
For cancer, CBD micro-particles inhibited growth
Optimization of pH-responsive cannabidiol-loaded polyhydroxybutyrate/cellulose acetate phthalate microparticles using response surface methodology for anticancer properties
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813025083151
In canine breast cancer cells, nano-CBD caused anti-tumor effects
Formulation and Functional Characterization of a Cannabidiol-Loaded Nanoemulsion in Canine Mammary Carcinoma Cells
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/8/970
💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊
In people taking a synthetic cannabinoid of the JWH class, their memory impairments were lessened by cytoflavin & choline alfoscerate
Adenosinic and Cholinergic Stimulation Decreased Memory Complications after Synthetic Cannabinoid Exposure
https://papers.4science.ge/index.php/ispcait/article/view/308
In mouse livers, the synthetic cannabinoid ADB BUTINACA altered metabolic pathways linked to inflammation & liver toxicity
Metabolomic profiling reveals ADB-BUTINACA-induced long-term hepatotoxicity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009279725003849
For THC-JD (a semi-synthetic cannabinoid found in only trace amounts in hemp), it was not found in the 5 vape samples analyzed
Analysis of Novel Cannabis Products Labeled as Containing THC-JD
https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/68806a4623be8e43d6875409
For detecting synthetic cannabinoids in wastewater, on using magnetic carbon nanotubes with a UPLC-MS/MS
Preparation of two functionalized magnetic carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes for the extraction of eleven synthetic cannabinoids in wastewater followed by UPLC-MS/MS
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026265X25028243
In e-liquids, on an assay for the rapid identification of synthetic cannabinoids
Fast and reliable in vitro activity-based detection of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in e-liquids
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-025-04193-y
🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬
On using machine learning to find a pepcan (endogenous peptides, which are short chains of amino acids) that activates the CB1 receptor
Multimodal profiling of Pepcan-CB1 receptor structure-activity relationships integrating molecular dynamics simulations biological profiling and the deep learning model MuMoPepcan
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045206825009071
Thanks.
- lex
PS: From the early hero of the stride piano & a pioneer of evolving ragtime into jazz, this week’s album is ‘Presenting James Price Johnson’. Born in New Jersey, Johnson playing piano in the New York City clubs by 1913. By the ‘20s, he was playing rent parties in Harlem with his student Fats Waller as well as composing for Broadway, including the mega-hit “The Charleston”, the unofficial anthem of the Jazz Age. His recordings of his music on the new technology of piano rolls now stand as some of the first jazz piano solos ever to be recorded. His compositions were so technically challenging that they would later serve as test pieces in solo competitions. But Johnson wasn’t only the most sophisticated pianist of the 1920s, he was also an expert at accompanying blues singers & starred on several memorable recordings with the greats Bessie Smith & Ethel Waters. He even wrote longer pieces, such as symphonies and a blues opera, though sad to say, much of this music has been lost over the years. In 1951, a major stroke ended his playing career & when he passed a few years later, he was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth, Queens (just a few minutes walk from my last house in NYC). Known as the Dean of Jazz Pianists, James Price Johnson is now thought of as both the last major pianist of classic ragtime music as well as the first major jazz pianist.
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