C&P#174: endometriosis, migraines, bone cancer pain, surgical outcomes & oral hygiene
Brazil goes more medical!
Cannabinoids & The People,
or; Drugs & Drug Wars
(buy my canna-graphic novels based on ‘Moby Dick, or; The Whale’ & proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients)
🌟 This week 🌟
CBD for endometriosis & chronic pelvic pain
Cannabis for migraines + CBD for bones
Strong case report of cannabis for bone cancer
Surgical Outcomes Week! + Oral Hygiene Week! (I know, I know, it sometimes gets so exciting around here that you’re fit to burst)
(2x) negatives of prenatal cannabis exposure
Death from 4F-MDMB-BICA
Preclinical: PEA for postoperative cognitive dysfunction + CBD for the inflammation of obesity
Psychedelics for OCD, depression, cancer-related anxiety & bipolar disorder
War on Drugs: family of boats strike victims sue Trump administration
(this week’s numbers: ~5k words, ~14 minutes reading time, 117 papers)
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 174th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news as well as coverage of other psychoactives, the War on Drugs & harm reduction. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.
For producing cannabinoid content, work with my company White Whale Creations: writing, science archives, social media, newsletters & podcasts (especially podcasts).
As always, ask me anything!
📌 Editor’s note 📌:
Congrats to the winners of ICBC 2026 ticket contest: Hirsch Jain & Ruth Shamai.
🤝 Sponsor 🤝: The Cannabis & Health Research Initiative
Want to help expand the knowledge of medical cannabis use in the real world & get paid 100 bucks to do so?
Johns Hopkins University, with support from Realm of Caring, is spearheading the groundbreaking National Cannabis Study to evaluate the benefits, risks & overall outcomes of using cannabis for conditions like pain, insomnia, anxiety & more. If you are an adult in the U.S. considering starting cannabis for health reasons, this is your chance to help shape the future of cannabis research — and get compensated for your time ($100!). Join now to share your experience & contribute valuable data that could revolutionize healthcare for many patients nationwide. To learn more & sign up, visit:
https://ncs.cannabisandhealth.org/
Follow along on Instagram to keep on learning or sign up for the monthly CHRI email (curated by me) to get just the best of clinical research & new reviews twice a month.
🎥 Lex’s new work 🎤
@CannabinoidsAndThe People vids sponsored by CHRI & the National Cannabis Study:
Choosing Strains of Cannabis (the nose knows)
Canna-Edu Vids for CV Sciences:
(on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd)
CBD & the Heart& (and how it works)
My 📚 Vids:
(@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram)
Russian Fairy Tales! (books & illustrators)
And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: a deep-dive on the jazz radical Ornette Coleman
🧰 Free resources 🧰
CVResearch.info: the cannabinoid science archive I maintain for CV Sciences
My glossary of cannabinoid terms (& containing the legend for my Neural Ocean metaphor with endocannabinoid whales)
Roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Policy, Decoded, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose
📣 A request to spread the word 📣
This newsletter only spreads by word of mouth, so please forward to friends & colleagues.
🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃
(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)
⚕️ Clinical ⚕️
In people with pelvic pain & endometriosis related symptoms, a cohort study found that cannabis or CBD decreased overall pelvic pain scores, lowered levels of worst pain scores & improved quality of life scores
Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and endometriosis related symptoms in Aotearoa New Zealand: an observational cohort study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12906-025-05189-y
In people with migraines, CBD-rich full-spectrum oil improved migraine-related disability, headache impact, quality of life, quality of sleep & subjective well-being
Improved Migraine Disability, Sleep Quality, and Well-Being in Individuals with Chronic Migraine Self-Administering Artisanal or Industrial Full-Spectrum Cannabidiol-Rich Oils: An Observational Cohort Study
https://www.sciltp.com/journals/cna/articles/2512002633
And for migraines, a review of their overlapping pathways with the endocannabinoid system (nice charts!)
Overlapping pathways of migraine and the endocannabinoid system: Potential therapeutic targets
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747926000036
In someone with Ewing Sarcoma (a bone cancer), after high doses of opioids could not manage the pain, just a month of medical cannabis resulted in opioid discontinuation as well as reduced systemic inflammation & the complete closure of the chronic draining fistula (a hole from the anal tract)
Ewing sarcoma-related pain: potential role of medical cannabis monotherapy in symptom management – a case report
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00388-x
For insomnia, the Thai herbal remedy Suk-Sai-Yat combined with cannabis worked as well as lorazepam, but with better quality of life improvements
Integrative therapies for chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial of a traditional Thai Herbal Remedy and Cannabis sativa oil
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590142726000017
In veterans with sleep issues, 2 weeks of CBG did not improve sleep, but was well-tolerated
Effect of Cannabigerol on Sleep and Quality of Life in Veterans: A Decentralized, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/9/1/1/4478981/000549902.pdf
In veterans using medical cannabis, a survey found they viewed cannabis as an important tool to cope with symptoms
In Their Own Words: A Qualitative Exploration of Veterans’ Perspectives and Experiences of Medical Cannabis Use
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-025-10160-1
For cannabis & suicidality, a longitudinal sibling study in an at-risk population found cannabis use not associated with suicidality
Associations between cannabis use frequency and suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A clinical longitudinal sibling study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853225000380
Surgical Outcomes
In people who had heart surgery, those were cannabis use disorder had lower mortality
Nationwide outcomes of cardiac surgery in patients with cannabis use disorder
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13019-025-03755-6
In people who had spinal fusion surgery, a meta-analysis of 7 studies found cannabis use associated with increased opioid usage, readmission & reoperation
Impact of Preoperative Cannabis use on Clinical Outcomes of Spinal Fusion - Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/abstract/9900/impact_of_preoperative_cannabis_use_on_clinical.1261.aspx
In people with broken arm surgery, cannabis use was associated with higher rates of implant-related infection, reoperation, readmission, depression & anxiety
Cannabis and nicotine use are independently associated with adverse surgical, medical, and psychosocial outcomes following upper extremity fracture fixation
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13018-025-06635-w
For people with agitation in a trauma intensive care unit, dronabinol (pharmaceutical THC) did not alter their treatment outcomes or use of opioid painkillers & other drugs
Dronabinol for agitation in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit: A retrospective pilot study
https://www.qscience.com/content/journals/10.5339/jemtac.2026.5
Oral Hygiene!
For human & canine dental plaque, full-spectrum cannabis extracts had more antimicrobial effects than CBD isolate
The Antimicrobial Activity of Plant-Derived Cannabinoid Suspensions from Cannabis sativa L. Against the Mixed Oral Microflora of Humans and Canine
https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/bitstream/handle/11336/279535/CONICET_Digital_Nro.07c7298a-896c-4623-ae0f-e4eec7333a5b_B.pdf
In the mouth bacteria that cause cavities, THC inhibited growth & viability while decreasing the formation of biofilm (slimy aggregrations that resist treatment)
In Vitro Antimicrobial Effect of Tetrahydrocannabinol on Streptococcus mutans and Its Anticariogenic Potential
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653925086678
In mouth bacteria, on the antibiotic effects of CBD, CBN & THC
Antibacterial Effect of Cannabinoids on Bacteria Associated with Persistent Endodontic Infections
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/24/11936
📑 Reviews 📑
For CBD & bone health, a review of 24 studies suggested a bone-protective role (with nice charts!)
Effects of Cannabidiol on Bone Health: A Comprehensive Scoping Review
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/1/208
For cancer pain, a review of 20 articles on the use of cannabis
Medical marijuana for management of cancer pain: a narrative review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41560504/
For adults with neuropathic pain, a negative review of 6 studies on the effects of cannabinoids
Cannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012182.pub3/abstract
For chronic pain, a review of 20 studies found inconclusive evidence on the effectiveness of cannabinoids
Medical cannabis for chronic pain : a systematic review of effectiveness
https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142060
On the metabolic aspects of the endocannabinoid system, a review of incorporating nutrition
Toward a Nutritionally Complete Model of the Endocannabinoid System
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/477712aed3ce58a3d0f15a4c66703268/download_pub
⚠️ Harms ⚠️
For cannabis use disorder, neuropsychological tests found a distinct cognitive signature of a selective deficit in complex working memory capacity
Dissociating the cognitive underpinnings of recreational cannabis use from addiction risk
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399881632_Dissociating_the_cognitive_underpinnings_of_recreational_cannabis_use_from_addiction_risk
For adolescents using cannabis, public health data suggested that 10% developed cannabis use disorder
The perils of marijuana use in adolescents
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10550887.2025.2589700
For prenatal cannabis exposure, public health data found higher levels of psychopathology, worse cognitive performance & alterations to the functional network connectivity
Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Shaping Altered Brain Connectivity: Neural Correlates of Cognitive and Mental Health Variability in Offspring
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8545326/v1
In children with prenatal cannabis exposure, public health data found an association with worse behavioral scores
Child Behavioral Scores Correlate With Prenatal Tobacco and Marijuana Exposure, Sociodemographic Variables and Interactions of Default Mode and Dorsal Attention Networks
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41540751/
In cannabis-induced psychosis, on optimizing antipsychotic dosing to prevent relapse
Optimizing antipsychotic dosing for relapse prevention in cannabis-induced psychosis: A nationwide cohort study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178126000272
For the synthetic cannabinoid 4F-MDMB-BICA, a fatal case report & review of toxicity
4F-MDMB-BICA toxicity: a fatal case and literature review of synthetic cannabinoid fatalities
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12024-025-01167-5
In Moroccan cannabis users, they had adverse effects on visual functions
Effects of Cannabis on Multiple Visual Parameters and Self-Perceived Eyesight: A Cross-Sectional Study in Cannabis Users in Morocco
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-1851/5/1/3
In people with cannabis or synthetic cannabinoid use disorder, they had shortened leukocyte telomere length (a biomarker of oxidative stress in these immune cells)
Exploring the Role of Leukocyte Telomere Length and Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) MNS16A Variant in Cannabis or Synthetic Cannabinoid Use Disorder
https://www.cpn.or.kr/journal/view.html?uid=1887&vmd=Full&
In a female rat model of hormonal toxicity from cannabinoids, melatonin lessened the decreased levels of the hormones GnRH, FSH, LH, E, progesterone & prolactin
Melatonin mitigates hormonal toxicity in cannabis-treated female Wistar rats: involvement of cannabinoid receptor
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-025-00375-8
🐁 Preclinical 🐁
In a mouse model of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, PEA improved short & long term memory, lowered inflammation, preserved neuronal survival, upregulated synaptic plasticity & lowered activation of the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain)
Palmitoylethanolamide ameliorates postoperative cognitive dysfunction via microglial PPARα-mediated anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective mechanisms
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014488626000270
In a rat model of obesity-induced inflammation, CBD reduced inflammation & the deposition of lipids
Cannabidiol mitigates high-fat-diet-induced early-stage inflammation in two adipose tissue fat depots of Wistar rats
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-36666-0_reference.pdf
In a neural tissue model of loss of blood flow, CBD reduced oxidative stress, protected against lipid breakdown & lowered ferroptosis (a newly discovered type of cell death mediated by iron)
Ferroptosis under fire: cannabidiol mitigates iron-dependent injury in differentiated human neuroblastoma cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711326001078
In white blood cells, THC caused antioxidant effects
Differential Regulatory Effects of Cannabinoids and Vitamin E Analogs on Cellular Lipid Homeostasis and Inflammation in Human Macrophages
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/15/1/119
For broad-spectrum antibiotics, on creating CBG derivatives that target the membrane
Development of Membrane-Targeting Cannabigerol Derivatives as Potent Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Agents
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2147/DDDT.S558606
🆕 Novel Studies 🆕
(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)
For LLMs & CBD education, a comparison of the models for advising older adults on how to use it
Evidence-Informed Guidance on Cannabidiol Use in Older Adults: Development and Evaluation of Retrieval-Augmented Large Language Models
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399899056_Evidence-Informed_Guidance_on_Cannabidiol_Use_in_Older_Adults_Development_and_Evaluation_of_Retrieval-Augmented_Large_Language_Models
For drugs to inhibit the enzyme FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide), a review of patents over the last 5 years
Novel fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors: a patent review from 2015 to 2025
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13543776.2026.2619515
📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles 📰
Ha! US Customs & Border Protection included cannabis seizures on its list of “Drug Interdictions That Save Lives”
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/16/usbp-records-zero-releases-eighth-consecutive-month
More on Metrc being terrible
https://cannabislaw.report/its-been-a-nightmare-new-yorks-metrc-rollout-sparks-lawsuit-as-cannabis-operators-warn-of-supply-chain-chaos/
A takedown of the Last Prisoner Project as a performative, top-heavy organization
https://cannabislaw.report/last-prisoner-project-slashes-payments-to-inmates-their-families-ask-why-and-you-disappear-from-lpp-website/
In US dating, only 25% of people consider cannabis use to be a red flag
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-use-isnt-a-red-flag-in-the-dating-scene-three-in-four-americans-say-in-new-survey/
History Corner: ‘Medical Marijuana at 50’ begins a year-long series to mark the 50th anniversary of the movement by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall
History Corner: in prehistoric China, on the use of hemp in funeral vessels
The traditions of inverting objects, painting vermilion, and destroying vessels: Beliefs about life and death in prehistoric funerary vessels in China
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125011301
🌐 International Updates 🌐
In Brazil, the national health agency expanded the use of cannabis-based therapies such as allowing for oral, sublingual & topical products, the sale of CBD through compounding pharmacies & allowing for the use of THC by people with severe, debilitating illnesses (instead of the previous restriction of only terminal or palliative cases)
https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2026/01/national-health-surveillance-agency-expands-use-of-medical-cannabis-and-is-expected-to-approve-cultivation-in-brazil.shtml
In Panama, the first medical pharmacy opened
https://cannabislaw.report/panama-the-ministry-of-health-grants-7-licenses-the-first-medicinal-cannabis-pharmacy-opens
In UK medical cannabis users, only 10% obtain their cannabis from a legal medical prescription
Medical cannabis in the UK: prescriptions, sources, products, and high-risk use
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.26344380v1.full.pdf
In Indonesia, a media analysis of the coverage of drug offenders
Justice or Stigma? Profiling Drug Offenders in Indonesia’s Legal, Celebrity, and Student Spheres
https://journal.unnes.ac.id/journals/ulj/article/view/18903/7523
🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓
For 2 Trinidadian men killed in a boat strike by the US military, their families are suing the Trump administration
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/families-of-trinidadian-men-killed-in-illegal-boat-strike-sue-trump-administration
In Iraq, 8 people sentenced to death for 600k+ pills
https://cannabislaw.report/iraq-court-sentences-eight-to-death-in-iraq-over-600k-drug-pills/
An EU-wide operation to stop a network estimated to have imported enough precursors to produce 300 tons of synthetic drugs
https://cannabislaw.report/24-industrial-scale-labs-dismantled-in-the-largest-ever-operation-against-synthetic-drugs/
‘How a Wanted [Taiwanese] Meth Kingpin Posed as a Tycoon in Georgia’
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/the-phantom-investor-how-a-wanted-meth-kingpin-posed-as-a-tycoon-in-georgia
On the history of drug criminalization in Britain since 1800, a thesis project on the influence of wider criminal law on drug laws
Drugs and criminalisation in Britain, c.1815–c.2000
https://theses.gla.ac.uk/85690/2/2026BurgessPhD.pdf
In California,$1.2B of cannabis seized since 2022 by the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/01/27/california-tops-1-2-billion-in-illegal-cannabis-seizures-up-18x-since-2022/
In Philadelphia, customs seized $2.4M of cannabis destined for the UK
https://cannabislaw.report/philadelphia-cbp-officers-bag-2-4-million-weed-shipment-destined-to-the-uk/
In Lagos, 10 sacks of cannabis seized
https://cannabislaw.report/truckload-of-cannabis-intercepted-in-lagos-police/
In Singapore, 4 kg of cannabis & $400k seized
https://cannabislaw.report/more-than-4kg-of-cannabis-and-400000-seized-two-singaporeans-arrested/
In the UK, a woman arrested for 140 cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/uk-woman-arrested-after-cannabis-factory-found/
⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️
For cannabis taxes in the US, a standardization of rates across 12 adult-use states found a ~13% tax rate, with ~$32 per ounce of flower, ~$180 per ounce of vape & ~$0.024 per mg of THC in an edible
Standardizing Recreational Cannabis Excise Tax Rates in the United States: New Retail Price-Based Measurements by Product Category
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/23/1/114
In cannabis retail, budtender turnover is 55%
https://mjbizdaily.com/news/the-major-problem-hindering-cannabis-retail-budtender-turnover/614207/
In the German Swabian Alb, an analysis of the industrial hemp value web
Agricultural System Resilience of Industrial Hemp: An Exploratory Value Web Analysis in the Swabian Alb
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/gcbb.70100
In Canadians with mental health problems, legalization caused few changes in their levels of cannabis use
The prevalence of cannabis use pre-versus post-cannabis legalization in Canada by mental health status: findings from national repeat cross-sectional surveys
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X26000025
In South African youth using cannabis, the 2018 decriminalization ruling did not cause an immediate increase in treatment demand for cannabis -related problems, but the increases began in 2021
From courtroom to clinic: How legal rulings shape cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in South Africa
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926000034
In Virginia, legalizing cannabis was associated with an increase in tobacco smoking
Changes in Cigarette Smoking Prevalence After Passing a Recreational Cannabis Legalization Law Without Retail Sales: Evidence from Virginia, USA
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773065426000088
In college students, less restrictive state cannabis laws were linked to higher levels of cannabis use
State cannabis and alcohol policy environments: Associations with college students’ use of cannabis, alcohol and both substances
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379726000176
🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️
In Australia, a report found that expanding harm reduction & safe injection sites would save lives & money
https://region.com.au/safe-injecting-sites-expanded-harm-reduction-measures-would-save-lives-report/937599/
In Toronto, the final shelter-based drug consumption site was closed by provincial law
https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/health/provincial-law-forces-closure-torontos-final-shelter-based-drug-consumption-sites-11804058
‘Discontinued Canadian Safe Supply Program Was Working, Study Shows’
https://filtermag.org/canada-safe-supply-study/
‘The Lessons of My Near-Death Experience With Medetomidine’ (a sedative in the drug supply): on the importance of flexibility in harm reduction & methadone therapy as well as rapid public health responses to changes in the drug supply
https://filtermag.org/medetomidine-emergency-lessons/
Harm Reduction Research
In Eastern Europe & Central Asia, a stirring call for a decolonial, community-driven harm reduction response to drug use
Decolonizing addiction treatment in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Confronting Russian narcology and Western retreat
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095539592600006X
In opioid users, on their barriers for naloxone use
Perspectives of opioid users on overdose recognition, naloxone administration, and attitudes
https://journals.lww.com/inpj/fulltext/2026/01000/perspectives_of_opioid_users_on_overdose.16.aspx
🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄
Mary Prankster Ken Babbs interviewed by DoubleBlind
https://cannabislaw.report/doubleblind-interview-ken-babbs/
The Psychoactive Research
An editorial on psychedelics for addiction & other mental illnesses by head of NIDA (and granddaughter of Trotsky) Dr. Nora Volkow
Could psychedelics harness neuroplasticity to treat addiction and other mental illness?
https://nida.nih.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2026/01/could-psychedelics-harness-neuroplasticity-to-treat-addiction-and-other-mental-illness
In South Africa, on the use of “highblood” (blood sharing among youth injecting methamphetamine)
Crystal Meth, “High Blood,” and Spiritual Manifestations Among Injection Drug-Using Youths in Mufakose, Harare
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01459740.2026.2619421
Psychedelics & MDMA
In the evolution of psilocybin, a test in fruit fly larvae found that psilocybin mushroom extract reduced their survival, rates of pupation & locomotion
Wherefore the magic? The evolutionary role of psilocybin in nature
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.17.694186v1.abstract
For psilocybin & obsessive-compulsive disorder, a single dose produce rapid, clinically meaningful & sustained reductions in OCD symptoms
Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant OCD: A Randomized Controlled Trial
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399815456_Psilocybin_for_Treatment-Resistant_OCD_A_Randomized_Controlled_Trial
For depression & psilocybin, a meta-analysis found an “an outstanding capacity to reduce the symptoms of anxiety/MDD [major depressive disorder] and mood disorders”
Breaking the chains of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin therapy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032725023249
In people with treatment-resistant depression, psilocybin caused a significant & clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms
Real-World Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: a Retrospective Observational Study
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8079137/v1
For people with cancer, a psilocybin retreat cause reductions in anxiety & depression
Group Retreat Psilocybin Therapy for People with Metastatic Cancer with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: Safety and Efficacy Outcomes of a Phase 1/2 Study
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/28314425251413856
In people with bipolar disorder using psilocybin, an analysis of Reddit posts on their reasons for use
Insights into psilocybin use among people with bipolar disorder: A thematic analysis of Reddit posts
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032726000716
On ibogaine & heart complications, a review of the rare yet clinically significant cardiotoxic risk
Rare but relevant: Ibogaine and cardiovascular complications-prolonged QT interval and ventricular arrhythmias
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41560340/
In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s, psilocybin did not affect the alpha-beta plaques but improved brain function via reduced neuroinflammation, preservation of synapses & enhanced neurogenesis in the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain)
Psilocybin Maintains Better Brain Function in an Alzheimer’s Disease Model with Reduced Neuroinflammation and Improved Hippocampal Neurogenesis
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz70859_100589
On psilocybin’s biosynthesis pathway
Dissimilar Reactions and Enzymes for Psilocybin Biosynthesis in Inocybe and Psilocybe Mushrooms
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202512017
Ketamine
In the UK, the first clinic launched focused on ketamine & the attendant bladder problems
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70x75krdlro
Kratom
In Thai users of kratom, they had no clinically significant differences in liver or blood measurements
Hematological and clinical-chemistry parameters of kratom users: a comparative study of users and non-users in Southern Thailand
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35524-3_reference.pdf
🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃
🌱 Growing & Extracting 🌱
In Portuguese hemp, on the effects of sowing dates & climatic conditions
Phenological Development and Growth Responses of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) to Sowing Dates and Climatic Conditions in Elvas, Portugal
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/16/2/271
In the dry sandy soils of Brandenburg, Germany, a lower hemp planting density helped growth in the water-scarce & nutrient-deficient environment
Assessing the Possibility to Cultivate Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in Sandy Agricultural Soils of Brandenburg under Water Scarcity and Nutrient Deficiency
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41742-025-01038-5
For improved cannabis production, a thesis project on the most effective horticultural strategies
Horticultural Strategies to Improve Yield and Efficiency for Controlled-Environment Cannabis Production
https://open.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5181&context=all_dissertations
A thesis on creating a cannabis tetraploid (4 copies of the genome, a common agronomic technique not yet often applied to cannabis because of the history of prohibition)
Development of Polyploid Industrial Hemp for the Improvement of High-Cannabinoid Crops
https://carleton.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/e6b00151-2c30-4ddb-a964-b00bc4a46907/content
For the beet curly top virus that infects hemp, a survey of its locations, genetic analysis, effects on production & its potential for seed transmission
Beet Curly Top Virus Genetic Diversity, Impact on Cannabinoids, Potential Seed Transmission, and Vector Biology in Hemp
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PHYTO-09-25-0297-R
In 3 hemp cultivars, an analysis in the variation in their CBDA & CBD content
VARIATION IN CBDA AND CBD CONTENT IN SOME INDUSTRIAL HEMP GENOTYPES
https://agronomyjournal.usamv.ro/pdf/2025/issue_2/Art34.pdf
In a proof-of-concept experiment of testing for non-protein amino acids, an analysis of the ones found in cannabis leaf tissue
AminoacidDB: a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based toolkit for the untargeted analysis of non-protein amino acids
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2026/an/d5an01248a
Four full genome assemblies of cannabis cultivars
LoFi drafts to map to: 4 haplotype-resolved Cannabis genomes enable characterization of large structural variants
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.19.700373v1.full.pdf
For cannabis seed germination, a genome study of the changes in MYB transcription factors
Genome-Wide Identification, Phylogenetic Analysis and Salt-Responsive Expression Profiling of the MYB Transcription Factor Family in Cannabis sativa L. During Seed Germination
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/2/1087
On creating a cannabinoid extraction device
A STEM-Based Methodology for Designing and Validating a Cannabinoid Extraction Device: Integrating Drying Kinetics and Quality Function Deployment
https://www.mdpi.com/2624-7402/8/1/39
⚙️ Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️
On terpenolol, a CBD derivative that dissolves in water
Terpenolol: A Novel Hydrophilic CBD‑Derived Compound for Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Cosmeceutical, and Functional Food Applications
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/5425ed31760ee3e05ee078c69f6b5735/download_pub
On creating a double emulsion gel for delivering encapsulated CBD & probiotics to the human gut
Advances in Functional Foods: Using Double Emulsion Gels to Deliver CBD and Probiotics and to Modulate Human Gut Microbial Communities
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/3/367
For oral inflammation, on creating a CBD hydrogel with nanospheres
Cannabidiol-Loaded Mucoadhesive PLGA Nanosphere-Chitosan Hydrogel Patch for Oral Therapeutic Applications
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/2/1127
On separating cannabinoids using centrifugal partition chromatography
Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium of the System: Water + Ethanol + Heptane + Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jced.5c00697
On analyzing CBD oil with a HiSorb extraction method & thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC–MS)
HiSorb-TD-GC–MS analysis of commercial CBD oils
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-025-06304-1
On characterizing cannabis with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Characterization of Cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L. using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
https://www.ojs.prjn.org/index.php/prjn/article/view/138
For cannabinoid analysis in tinctures, a thesis project on identifying 23 of them with an UHPLC-DAD method
Quantification of Twenty-Three Neutral Cannabinoids in Δ9-THC Analogs-Infused Tinctures by UHPLC-DAD With ESI/TOFMS Confirmation of Analyte Identity
https://www.proquest.com/openview/ef8f48b0d45c79f86cfb8e228c8a23a5/1
When synthesizing CBD from the terpene limonene, on analyzing the difficulty using density functional theory
Synthesis of a Cannabidiol Precursor: Experimental Challenges and DFT Insights into β-Elimination Barriers
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.5c08636
🍞 Food & Nutrition & Hemp Seeds 🍞
For cannabinoids in food, a book chapter on the science & legality
Cannabinoids in Food Science: Chemistry, Applications, and Innovations
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-11546-1
For hemp microgreens, on the best substrate & watering conditions
PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY OF HEMP MICROGREENS UNDER SUBSTRATE AND WATERING CONDITIONS
https://agronomyjournal.usamv.ro/pdf/2025/issue_2/Art125.pdf
For cultured meat, on adding hemp, shrimp & blue crab
Valorization of Hemp, Shrimp and Blue Crab Co-Products as Novel Culture Media Ingredients to Improve Protein Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Cultured Meat in Cell-Based Food Applications
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/15/2/352
🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️
For a formaldehyde-free adhesive, on the use of liquefied oak & hemp
INFLUENCE OF BIOMASS TO GLYCEROL RATIO ON THE LIQUEFACTION OF OAK (QUERCUS ROBUR) AND HEMP (CANNABIS SATIVA) FOR USE IN FORMALDEHYDE-FREE ADHESIVES
https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/920064
On creating antibacterial hemp fibers with tannic acid & copper ions
Eco-sustainable functionalization of hemp fibers through a sequential process employing tannic acid and copper ions for elevated antibacterial efficacy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669025021235
In the composites reinforced with hemp fiber, a book chapter on their mechanical properties
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF HEMP FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES
https://artikelakademi.com/media/books/a71057ab6e76441781370a6f22859c90.pdf
On producing fiber from hemp hurds
Sustainable and alternative fiber production from industrial hemp hurds: bench and pilot scale assessment
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10570-026-06940-5
On measuring hemp fiber composition with infrared spectroscopy
Chemical composition of hemp determined by IR spectroscopy
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399828108_Chemical_composition_of_hemp_determined_by_IR_spectroscopy
🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿
🏥 Public Health, Legalization Effects & Bioassays 🏥
For the metabolism of CBD, the liver enzymes CYP2C19 & CYP2C9 caused limited effects
Assessing the influence of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 genotypes on the metabolism of CBD-cannabis after controlled single and repetitive consumption
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-025-03708-7
🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒
In young adult females, using cannabis to cope with negative affect was associated with relief & this relief predicted a higher likelihood of using cannabis when those undesired states were experienced again
Negative reinforcement of cannabis use: Subjective relief from negative affect following cannabis use and effects on subsequent patterns of use
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-15554-001
In US & Argentinian students, on their behavioral strategies for harm reduction around cannabis use
Identifying themes of protective behavioral strategies for marijuana use with structural topic modeling
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-15531-001
In undergraduates with anxiety sensitivity, they had a higher risk of coping-oriented cannabis use
Anxiety Sensitivity and Coping-Oriented Cannabis Use: The Moderating Role of Positive Cannabis Expectancies
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2616327
🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠
For Alzheimer’s disease & metabolic disorders, an editorial on cannabis, CBD & GLP-1s
Cannabis and Cannabidiol, GLP-1 Receptors, and Autophagy: The Burgeoning Link Between Cognitive Neurodegeneration With Alzheimer’s Disease and Metabolic Disorders
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41568023/
For neurological disorders, a Pakistani review of cannabinoids & a call for legalization
Medically Approved Cannabinoids of Medicinal Cannabis for Neurological disorders and its legalization in Pakistan
https://www.ojs.prjn.org/index.php/prjn/article/view/140
In a rat model of heroin use disorder, they had less CB1 receptors across a number of brain regions & blocking the CB1 receptor in certain brain regions reduced the signs of addiction
Heroin-induced neuroadaptations of CB1 receptors and their involvement in conditioned place preference
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07005-y
💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭
For people with take-home methadone for opioid use disorder, the majority of THC users remain eligible for the length of the study
Clinical outcomes from a mid-western opioid treatment program during covid-19 emergency regulations: a brief report on the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use on take home methadone access
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-026-01399-w
In US public health data, elevated psychological distress & social isolation predicted medical cannabis usage
Psychological Distress Mediates the Relationship between Perceived Social Isolation and Medical vs. Recreational Marijuana Use Among Adults in the United States
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/e7122ab8a344ee5e86f63f32758214fc/download_pub
In Canadian veterans who use cannabis, they had higher levels of nicotine, chronic pain, mental disorders & suicide ideation
Cannabis use among Canadian veterans: associations with the use of other substances, chronic pain conditions, mental disorders, suicide behaviours, and help-seeking
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-025-00377-6
For treating adolescents with Tourette syndrome, an editorial on the need for caution by someone who has published 2 feasibility studies
Investigating medical cannabis for adolescents with Tourette syndrome: tread carefully
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41556111/
In a mouse model of depression, the combination of capsaicin with a drug that activates the CB1 receptor had synergistic antidepressant effects
Combined administration of intracerebroventricular CB1 agonist ACEA and systemic TRPV1 agonist capsaicin induces synergistic antidepressant-like effects in rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166432826000264
🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬
In zebrafish larva, analogs of cinnamic acid derivatives from cannabis roots increased locomotor activity
Zebrafish larval behaviour study of cinnamic acid derivatives isolated from cannabis sativa roots and their synthetic analogs
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14786419.2026.2613343
🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠
In people with HIV, the cannabis users tend to use more of other drugs & identified their motivation as medical/emotional, recreational, or mixed
Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use motivations and past year polysubstance use among people living with HIV in Florida
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540121.2026.2614344
🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal & Surgeries 🦴
For the painkilling effects, THC directly targeted the voltage-gated sodium channels NaV1.7 & NaV1.8
The psychoactive cannabinoid THC inhibits peripheral nociceptors by targeting NaV1.7 and NaV1.8 nociceptive sodium channels
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-026-02355-9
In a mouse model of neuropathic pain, this thesis project found that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway recruited opioids & endocannabinoids to lower pain levels
TNFR2 Signaling in Hippocampal CA3 Pyramidal Neurons Recruits the Opioid and Endocannabinoid to Resolve Chronic Neuropathic Pain
https://www.proquest.com/openview/18207875d07912ea6cf70bd902584e0b/1
❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️
In a tissue model of atherosclerosis (hardened arteries), inhibiting the CB1 receptor with isoflavone monophosphates reversed flow dysfunction
Targeting mechanosensitive cannabinoid receptor 1 with isoflavone prodrugs attenuates atherosclerotic endothelial dysfunction
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12929-026-01214-5
🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️
In leukemia cells, CBD activated microRNA related to tumor suppression & apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Cannabidiol modulates exosomal miRNA networks to enhance Imatinib mesylate response in chronic myelogenous leukemia
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2699940426000020
In renal cancer cells, CBD decreased viability & proliferation
Anticancer Potential of Cannabidiol in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Serum Modulation and Preliminary Mechanistic Insights
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/2/792
In prostate cancer cells, CBD caused antitumor effects & altered the levels of various receptors
Exploring cannabidiol’s anticancer effect and uptake in prostate cancer: bridging in vitro and ex vivo models
https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/86/2_Supplement/B044/771626
In horse skin cancer cells, CBD reduces cell viability & increased apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Cannabidiol-induced cellular and matrix-associated responses in primary equine sarcoid cells
https://academic.oup.com/jvim/article/40/1/aalaf015/8429746
In colorectal cancer & leukemia cells, hempseed protein hydrolysate caused antiproliferative & antioxidant effects
Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Hemp Seed Proteins (Cannabis sativa L.), Protein Hydrolysate, and Its Fractions in Caco-2 and THP-1 Cells
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/23/11741
💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊
In neural cells, the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-FUBINACA promoted the accumulation of mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell), but chronic use caused fragmentation of the mitochondrial network
The Synthetic Cannabinoid ADB-FUBINACA Disrupts Mitochondrial Morphology and Dynamics during Neuronal Differentiation of NG108-15 Cells
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41566088/
🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬
On using roundworms to study cannabinoid & opioid signaling
Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to explore the genetic underpinnings of human pain-related processes: cannabinoid and opioid neuropharmacology as an example
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjpp-2025-0303
For imaging the endocannabinoid 2-AG, on creating a fluorescent probe
Covalent fluorescent probes for 2‐arachidonoylglycerol metabolic pathways
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/bph.70315
Thanks.
- lex
PS: For this week’s honky-tonk, ‘The Complete Columbia Recording Sessions’ of Lefty Frizzell. One of the most influential country musical stylists of all time, Frizzell was the first artist ever to have 4 songs at the same time on the top 10 Country Music Billboard charts. The son of an oilman in Texas, Lefty grew up influenced by the yodeling of Jimmy Rodgers (who we covered previously) & spent his teen years developing his own style by playing nightclubs, radio programs & talent shows across the south. By 1950, he had a regular gig at the Texas Ace of Clubs which led to a contract with Columbia. His very first single, ‘If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time)’ was a smash hit that reached number one on the charts. The B-side of the record was an anguished song he wrote to his wife from prison, where he was serving a sentence for statutory rape after hooking up with an underage fan when he was 19. With his success, joined the Grand Old Opry & formed a band called the Western Cherokees with whom he recorded a number of hits. But it wasn’t long until he fired the band & his manager, quit the Opry & started burning through almost all of his large earnings. He began to feel burned out by the mid-50s & disgruntled with Columbia for not releasing his best material. He kept touring, producing one last number one song in 1960. But his problems with alcohol increased, his sales declined & his voice deteriorated from the drinking & chronic high blood pressure. At the age 1975, at the age of 47, Lefty Frizzell died of a massive stroke. After his death, he became known as a huge influence on the next generation of country singers in the mid-80s & it’s said that his voice can be heard in every hard country singer that followed.
This newsletter is the backbone of my work & I hope it brings you a measure of value. If so, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription & support my sharing All of the new cannabinoid science each week.
Ooo, this one is packed. Appreciate how you balance the “best of” clinical signals with the surgical outcomes + harms section. Looking forward to next week’s roundup.
Incredible breadth of research covered here. The oral hygiene findings caught my attention- THC's antimicrobial effects on biofilm formation seem like they could have practical aplications beyond just cavities. I've noticed in my own practice how often patients mention improvd gum health but we've lacked the mechanistic data to support it. Excited to see more targeted studies in this area.