C&P#176: MS & autism & health-related quality of life
the EU sets the safe food level of CBD incredibly low
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 🌟
Meta-analysis of cannabis for health-related quality of life
Cannabinoids for MS symptoms & autism
PEA for neuropathic back pain
CBG Week
(5x) drugs that work via the ECS
Psychedelics: the original Good Friday Experiment sermon!
(this week’s numbers: ~6k words, ~16 minutes reading time, 115 papers)
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 176th 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 📌:
Happy to share an interview of me by my old buddy Dr. Anna Schwabe on her new podcast MyFloraFriday. Listen & subscribe for more great episodes from her:
🤝 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:
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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:
Canna-Edu Vids for CV Sciences:
(on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd)
Cannabis & Cancer Recovery (a moving case report)
My 📚 Vids:
(@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & Instagram)
Russell Hoban! (lovely books for kids)
And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: the “Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica”
🧰 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, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose
💖 Ways to support this work 💖
Venmo: @Lex-Pelger
PayPal: donate here
📣 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 receiving medical cannabis, a meta-analysis of 64 studies found improved health-related quality of life, but many did not provide their definition of it
Health-related quality of life in patients receiving medicinal cannabis: systematic review and meta-analysis of primary research findings 2015–2025
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11136-026-04170-7
In the Danish Medicinal Cannabis Pilot Program, interviews on their benefits for medical cannabis found that “two thirds of all patients reported a moderate to large effect”
Patients’ experiences with the use of medicinal cannabis: an international overview and findings from the Danish Medicinal Cannabis Pilot Program
https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/en/publications/patients-experiences-with-the-use-of-medicinal-cannabis-an-intern/
In people with multiple sclerosis & treatment-resistant spasticity, nabiximols (pharmaceutical 1:1 THC:CBD spray) improved stiffness, spasms & pain
Nabiximols cannabinoid spray in treatment-resistant spasticity patients with multiple sclerosis and other aetiologies: the West of Scotland experience
https://acnr.co.uk/articles/nabiximols-cannabinoid-spray-in-treatment-resistant-spasticity-patients-with-multiple-sclerosis-and-other-aetiologies-the-west-of-scotland-experience/
In children with pediatric epilepsy, CBD caused the majority to have a 50+% reduction in seizure frequency
Adjunctive cannabidiol in intractable pediatric epilepsy: A retrospective study on tolerability, efficacy, and safety across genetic and nongenetic etiologies
https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2026/01300/adjunctive_cannabidiol_in_intractable_pediatric.70.aspx
For cannabis & autism, a meta-analysis of 8 studies found significant improvements in social responsiveness, adaptive behavior, hyperactivity & anxiety
Therapeutic Potential and Safety Profile of Cannabinoids in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=303224
For neuropathic back pain, a clinical trial of a new delivery system for PEA improved pain, functional disability, sleep & quality of life
Phospholipid-Based Delivery System Optimizes the Solubility and Systemic Exposure of Palmitoylethanolamide and Supports Clinical Benefits in Chronic Neuropathic Low Back Pain
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/2/380
For the human metabolism of morphine & citalopram (Celexa) (2 of the most commonly prescribed medications metabolized by the liver enzyme groups cytochrome P450s & UDP-glucuronosyltransferases), CBD caused little interaction with morphine but increased levels of exposure to citalopram
Clinical Study to Evaluate Drug Interactions of Cannabidiol with Citalopram and Morphine in Healthy Adults
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/cpt.70219
In children born to mothers with a diagnosis of cannabis use disorder, they had no significant increased chance for developing retinopathy of prematurity (an eye disease of premature babies)
The Relationship between Maternal Cannabis Use Diagnosis and the Development of Retinopathy of Prematurity
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41638301/
In 2 dogs with lymphoma, cannabis oil helped with the side effects of chemotherapy
Use of medicinal cannabis in dogs with multicentric lymphoma: a report of two cases
https://www.scielo.br/j/abmvz/a/kRS6WrjZ68kNWmBrR7vTqSQ/
CBG Week
For CBG & CBGA, a review of their therapeutic potential & bioavailability
CANNABIGEROL AND CANNABIGEROLIC ACID: BIOSYNTHESIS, PHARMACOLOGY, AND TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVES.? A CRITICAL REVIEW
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667031326000114
In a mouse model of colitis, both nano CBD & CBG reduced damage & inflammatory alterations but their synergistic effects were stronger than either compound alone
Nanoencapsulated Cannabidiol–Cannabigerol Using Eudragit L100: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence in Murine Colitis Model
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2998/5/1/10
In cancer cells, low doses of CBD & CBG reduced proliferation via the regulation of autophagy (cellular recycling)
Cannabidiol and Cannabigerol Cooperatively Regulation Autophagy affect Caco-2 Cell Viability
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2026/02/04/2026.01.31.703014.full.pdf
On creating fluorinated CBD & CBG
Design, synthesis, and biological profiling of fluorinated cannabidiol and cannabigerol derivatives as promising therapeutic agents
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00403-1
📑 Reviews 📑
In age-related pain, a review of cannabis & the entourage effect
Therapeutic use of cannabinoids in age-related pain: Current evidence and clinical perspectives
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661826000459
For the blood-brain barrier & neurodegeneration, a review on the effects of the cannabinoids & the alterations the endocannabinoid system (with great charts!)
Cannabinoids, the Blood–Brain Barrier, and Neurodegeneration: Mechanisms, Dysregulation, and Therapeutic Perspectives
https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/2/225
For strokes, a review on CBD supporting the glial cells (the support cells that make up more than half the brain volume)
Beyond neurons: Impact of cannabidiol on glial cells in ischemic stroke
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41622458/
For the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), a review of their crosstalk with the CB2 receptor for neuroinflammation & repair
Cannabinoid type 2 receptor crosstalk and microglial plasticity—shaping the balance between neuroinflammation and repair
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10787-026-02120-w
For the organ toxicity of chemotherapy, a review of the potential of cannabinoids
Therapeutic Potential and Pharmacological Mechanisms of Cannabinoids in Alleviating Chemotherapy-Induced Organ Toxicity and Adverse Effects
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299926001287
In skin cancer, a review on the benefits of the cannabinoids (with great charts!)
Cannabinoids and skin cancer: Mechanistic insights, therapeutic potential, and translational perspectives
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014480026000067
For cocaine use disorder, a review on CBD as a helpful tool but current evidence not supporting it as a standalone treatment
Cannabidiol as a treatment for cocaine use disorder: a scoping review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00210-026-05037-x
And in a mouse model of cocaine use disorder, CBD had complex, dose-dependent effects on cocaine consumption patterns with sex-specific effects
Sex and dose-dependent effects of cannabidiol on cocaine consumption in mice
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-03880-3
For multiple sclerosis, a summary of an Italian neurologist meeting on targeting the endocannabinoid system for reducing spasticity & other symptoms
Enhancing the Endocannabinoid System to treat residual disease in Relapse-Free Multiple Sclerosis
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1747131/abstract
For insomnia, a review of the mechanisms used by CBD, polyunsaturated fatty acids from hemp seed oil & lignans from black sesame oil
Mechanistic Pathways Linking Cannabidiol, Hemp Seed Oil and Black Sesame Oil in Hyperarousal Insomnia: A Narrative Review
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/a03ecac02dd6da917fe47344b3005f6c/download_pub
In the olfactory system, a review of the endocannabinoid system (with charts)
Multiple Roles of Cannabinoids in the Olfactory System
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/16/2/190
⚠️ Harms ⚠️
In people in the UK going to the hospital after exposure to the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA, the most common clinical features were reduced level of consciousness, agitation, seizures, hypertension, increased blood lactate levels & increased creatine kinase activity as well as 4 deaths
Clinical features and sociodemographic characteristics associated with analytically confirmed exposure to MDMB-4en-PINACA
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15563650.2025.2608229
For cannabinoids & drug-drug interactions, a review of the risks
Cannabinoids and drug–drug pharmacokinetic interactions: Deciphering the risks
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bcp.70430
For acute pediatric cannabis toxicity, a review of effects & treatment
Acute Pediatric Cannabis Toxicity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468202026000045
On managing cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
Managing Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196064425015033
In new babies with gastroschisis (intestines extending outside the body through a hole near the bellybutton), prenatal cannabis exposure may be a risk factor
Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Complex Gastroschisis: Cannabis Exposure and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections May Be Modifiable Targets
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022346826000837
For prenatal tobacco & cannabis co-exposure, they were linked to later externalizing problems at early school age
Developmental Cascades From Prenatal Tobacco, Tobacco-cannabis Co-exposure to Early school-age externalizing Problems
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-025-01407-w
In sexual minority men, cannabis use was linked to greater odds of body image behaviors including fasting, vomiting, laxative use, diet pill use, muscle-building supplement use & anabolic steroid use
Marijuana use and its association with unhealthy weight control and muscle-enhancing behaviors among sexual minority men in the United States: a cross-sectional analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00398-9
🐁 Preclinical 🐁
In a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease, CBD significantly enhanced cognitive function & reduced pathological changes, with protective effects comparable to the drug donepezil
Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol in Alleviating Cognitive Decline and Hippocampal Damage in a Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
https://mjs.um.edu.my/index.php/MJS/article/view/60671
In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, a thesis project on the alterations to the endocannabinoid system
Exploring the molecular link between Alzheimer’s disease and the endocannabinoid system
https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/tesis?codigo=397445
In pigs, feeding them PEA or oleoylethanolamide (the endocannabinoid of satiation) increased the surface area of their intestines & improved nutrient digestibility
Oleoylethanolamide regulates intestinal stem cell activity and villus size via PPARα signaling pathway
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/imo2.70078
In a rat model of hepatic encephalopathy (brain dysfunction due to the liver not filtering toxins), the terpene beta-caryophyllene restored liver function, reduced oxidative stress, lowered neuroinflammation & lessened apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide) via the brain-liver axis
Beta-caryophyllene restores liver–brain axis integrity in thioacetamide-induced hepatic encephalopathy: Behavioral and molecular insights
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161813X26000215
In a zebrafish embryo model of osteoporosis due to the toxin Bisphenol A, the CB2 receptor is necessary for it to cause the bone defects
The cannabinoid receptor 2 is an in vivo receptor of bisphenol A during bone formation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389426002955
Drugs That Work Via the ECS
For the drug Metamizol (dipyrone) (used for postoperative pain), this review found it works via both the cannabinoid & opioid receptors
Cannabinoid Effects of Metamizol/Dipyrone: A Possible Second Life in Pediatric Anesthesia for a Vintage Drug
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alessandro-Vittori-3/publication/400452540_Cannabinoid_Effects_of_MetamizolDipyrone_A_Possible_Second_Life_in_Pediatric_Anesthesia_for_a_Vintage_Drug/links/69844648ca66ef6ab99079e4/Cannabinoid-Effects-of-Metamizol-Dipyrone-A-Possible-Second-Life-in-Pediatric-Anesthesia-for-a-Vintage-Drug.pdf
In a model of alcohol-induced cognitive & social dysfunction, the ability of urolithin A to cause neuroprotection was mediated by anandamide from the gut microbiome via the CB1 & D2 dopamine receptors
Gut Microbiota-Derived Anandamide Mediates the Therapeutic Effects of Urolithin A on Alcohol-Induced Cognitive and Social Dysfunction via CB1R-DRD2-RAP1 Signaling Axis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41632030/
The HIV protease inhibitor drug amprenavir found to activate the CB2 receptor
Drug Repurposing: Conversion of the Peripherally Restricted HIV Protease Inhibitor Amprenavir to Potent, Selective, and CNS-Penetrant Agonists for the Cannabinoid Receptor 2
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02796
The potent anti-gonorrhea drug ibipinabant found to bind strongly to the CB1 receptor
Identification of the cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist, ibipinabant, as a potent inhibitor of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/aac.01231-25
On a new synthetic route for the drug Zevaquenabant (S-MRI-1867), which blocks the CB1 receptor & inhibits the enzyme inducible nitric oxide synthase (related to cellular signaling & the immune system)
A Novel Approach for the Synthesis of Peripherally Acting Dual Target Inhibitor of Cannabinoid-1 (CB1 Receptor) and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) (S-MRI-1867/Zevaquenabant)
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/3/515
🆕 Novel Studies 🆕
(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)
For PTSD, on developing an intranasal formulation of ketamine & THC
A Stabilized Intranasal Formulation of RKetamine and Delta-9- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Fear-Extinction Deficits
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/04bfecc051cd5d51b8a204cbdc398bd8/download_pub
I would normally make a joke here about how do I find my way into the safety testing of this product, but I’ll be honest instead. For me long ago, after just a year or two of moderately heavy use, I started to feel it in my kidneys & now I can no longer use any amount of ketamine because of immediate pain in my genitourinary system. As much promise as ketamine shows in some mental health domains, the long-term risks to the body are real.
A thesis project on putting the cannabinoid biosynthesis pathway into tobacco
Introduction of the cannabinoid metabolic pathway into Nicotiana tabacum via combinatorial transformation
https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/entities/publication/db2aac9d-1516-45f1-9e8c-5fb151b43c49
📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles 📰
The New York Times thinks the US has a cannabis problem & endorse Mark Kleiman’s “grudging toleration” approach that uses taxes & potency limits to lower use
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/opinion/regulate-legalized-marijuana.html
And they linked to their frustrating recent review of the evidence that found that medical cannabis does not have many benefits
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/health/medical-cannabis-benefits.html
In their first quote, “The evidence does not support the use of cannabis or cannabinoids at this point for most of the indications that folks are using it for”. To which I will reply, it’s often not be in well-examined for those indications – and more importantly, who are you to deny what patients say is true for them. As any long-term reader of this newsletter will note, there is an astonishing array of rare conditions where some small observational studies or surveys of patients where they report that cannabis is a helpful tool.
In Virginia, a ~29% surge in cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome visits to the emergency departments over the last five years
https://www.wavy.com/news/health/virginia-sees-29-rise-in-er-visits-for-cannabis-related-issues/
In South Carolina, a terrible story about a mom arrested, strip-searched & locked in jail for the night because of a positive THC test due to legal CBD gummies
https://mailchi.mp/themarshallproject/a-mom-arrested-for-legal-cbd
In the Epstein files, a cannabis bust in 2005 led to some of the information
https://talkingjointsmemo.com/marijuana-and-the-epstein-files/
In New Mexico, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Border Patrol’s seizure of state-legal products
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-judge-dismisses-marijuana-businesses-lawsuit-challenging-cbp-seizures-of-state-legal-products/
In Ohio, the Attorney General sued 9 multistate cannabis operators for price-fixing
https://mjbizdaily.com/news/ohio-attorney-general-sues-marijuana-msos-alleging-price-fixing-cannabis-cartels/614354/
In Minnesota, the first ever city-owned cannabis dispensary in the US
https://cannabislaw.report/anoka-opens-minnesotas-first-city-owned-cannabis-dispensary-testing-a-new-model-of-public-ownership/
In California, on the (bureaucratic) difficulties of cleaning up the many illegal cannabis farms poisoning the national forests
https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2026/02/marijuana-cannabis-california-public-land/
In baseball, Javier Báez suspended from the World Baseball Classic due to a positive cannabis test
https://eu.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2026/02/05/javier-baez-suspended-2026-world-baseball-classic-marijuana/88536705007/
Book News: a new whodunnit true-crime book on the 2019 murder of cannabis operator Tushar Altre in Santa Cruz
https://cannabislaw.report/book-review-san-francisco-chronicle-a-killing-in-cannabis-tells-the-story-of-a-santa-cruz-murder-that-exposed-californiasweed-boom/
🌐 International Updates 🌐
In the EU, the European Food Safety Authority said its provisional daily safe level of CBD at 0.0275 mg per kg (~2 mg/day for a 70 kg adult)
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/provisional-safe-level-cannabidiol-novel-food
In Germany, courts prohibited the advertising of medical cannabis on delivery platforms
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-court-prohibits-advertising-of-medical-cannabis-via-delivery-platforms/
In South Africa, R11 million (~$688k) of funding missing after being allocated to a cannabis association
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/mystery-of-the-missing-mpondoland-millions-r11-m-of-funding-wasnt-ring-fenced
And last year, R20 million missing that was to fund training local farmers to grow cannabis
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/post/da-accuses-gauteng-govt-of-blowing-r20-million-on-west-rand-cannabis-project-that-has-nothing-to-show-for-it
In Paraguay, new regulations restrict medical cannabis to authorized pharmacies & dispensaries
https://cannabislaw.report/paraguay-new-regulations-establish-that-medical-cannabis-products-may-only-be-sold-in-duly-authorized-pharmacies-and-dispensaries-excluding-any-other-form-of-marketing/
In a survey of Malaysian adults on medical cannabis, 88+% supported it
Understanding the acceptance of medical marijuana among Malaysian adults: a cross-sectional online survey
https://www.proquest.com/openview/aed4ae939820b0a6befa0c8b1d49b98f/1
🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓
In the 38th US strike against suspected drug cartel boats, the US military blew up a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing 2 & leaving a survivor
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/us/politics/us-boat-strike-pacific-ocean.html
In the EU, a sharp increase in black market cannabis shipments from North America, with 10 tons seized at the Cologne airport in 2025 (mainly in containers from Canada)
https://cannabislaw.report/eu-customs-records-sharp-increase-in-black-market-shipments-from-north-america/
In Mexico, on Sheinbaum being unable to truly confront the cartels like Trump wants because so much of her party & the state apparatus is embedded with them
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/opinion/mexico-sheinbaum-trump-cartels.html
On accountability in the drug trafficking crimes of political elites
From ‘talismanic label’ to accountability: tracing the public–private divide in political elites’ drug trafficking crimes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756061626000042
In the UK, on how the reframing of the fight against modern slavery with a “shift from ‘enemies to slaves’ has reinforced state racism, deepened social inequalities, and provided a precedent for prosecuting drug dealers under modern slavery legislation”
Drugs, Race, and the Politics of Modern Slavery Law: When Enemies Become Victims
https://academic.oup.com/book/61837?login=false
In Singapore, a Malaysian man was executed for trafficking just ~50g of heroin
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/02/12/singapore-executes-malaysian-r-lingkesvaran
In Oklahoma, a $1.5B black-market cannabis ring dismantled
https://cannabislaw.report/1-5b-black-market-marijuana-ring-dismantled-in-oklahoma-led-operation/
In North Macedonia, 27 tons of cannabis seized
https://cannabislaw.report/north-macedonia-27-tons-of-marijuana-seized-a-case-connected-to-serbia/
In Laos, authorities intensified their crackdown on illegal opium poppy cultivation
https://laotiantimes.com/2026/02/10/authorities-intensify-crackdown-on-illegal-opium-poppy-cultivation-in-northern-laos/
In Brazilian cannabis, on using microsatellite markers & machine learning for forensic origin prediction
Identification of biogeographically informative microssatelite markers for Brazilian Cannabis sativa samples: a machine learning approach for forensic origin prediction
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-025-03716-7
WoD History
In Bolivia’s coca wars, on a history of US-backed eradication campaigns to the growing support for coca unions
Sovereignty vs. Prohibition in Bolivia’s Coca Wars
https://online.ucpress.edu/currenthistory/article-abstract/125/868/50/217076/Sovereignty-vs-Prohibition-in-Bolivia-s-Coca-Wars
In Turkey during the wars, on their opposition to international drug conventions
The Issue of Drugs, the Industrial Situation, and Psychiatric Debates in Interwar Turkey
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/9DCAFAF3E5B3615BBBB43802026DF35E/S0165115326100515a.pdf/issue_of_drugs_the_industrial_situation_and_psychiatric_debates_in_interwar_turkey.pdf
In Switzerland, on the 300+ year history of illegal opiate trade
The Retail Side of Industrialisation: Legal Opiate Trade in Switzerland, c. 1700–1960
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/retail-side-of-industrialisation-legal-opiate-trade-in-switzerland-c-17001960/E70F2CE603B710D0C460F465A6809DE4
🚗 Driving 🚗
For cannabis-impaired driving, a review found that THC acutely impaired driving without significant residual deficits, that alcohol synergistically increased THC impairment & that CBD did not impair driving performance
Recent Advances in the Science of Cannabis-Impaired Driving
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40429-025-00712-0
For driving under the influence of cannabis or psychedelics, a review of the data on cognition, psychomotor effects & driving performance
Effects of Cannabis and Psychedelic Use on Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Driving Performance: A Review of Recent Literature
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468202026000057
In people with past-year suicidal ideation, they were more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol and/or cannabis
Suicidal Ideation and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Marijuana Among U.S. Adults: Findings from the 2021–2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037687162600058X
🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️
RFK’s Health & Human Services unveils the STREETS program that will ramp up coerced drug treatment
https://filtermag.org/hhs-streets-initiative-treatment-prevention-day/
On what Canada can learn from Portugal’s model of harm reduction
https://www.canadianaffairs.news/2026/02/08/what-canada-can-learn-from-portugals-harm-reduction-model/
In Phoenix, a ban on harm reduction services such as needle exchanges or free medical care in city parks to soon take effect
https://www.calonews.com/arizona/healthcare-professionals-leaders-sound-alarm-as-phoenix-ban-on-life-saving-care-in-city-parks/article_83359f97-8636-4168-8cd2-bd3a11fa19cc.html
On fentanyl in San Francisco, an evenhanded take on the harm reduction response of the city & the pushback
https://sfstandard.com/2026/02/05/san-francisco-fentanyl-decade/
In NYC, on the OnPoint overdose prevention center & whether Mamdani will expand the model to other parts of the city
https://gothamist.com/news/an-nyc-nonprofit-is-heading-off-fatal-overdoses-will-mamdani-allow-the-model-to-expand
A new film on the sober homes industry & the abuse of insurance & corruption to keep people in the system
https://filtermag.org/shuffle-sober-homes-industry/
Harm Reduction Research
For people in a safer opioid supply program, interviews on why they preferred it to opioid agonist therapy
“With this you’re not chained down to something”: contrasting experiences of opioid agonist treatment and safer supply program participation among people receiving prescribed safer supply
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-026-01409-x
For political support of harm reduction, on the 4 distinct types of profiles
Public Support for Harm Reduction Strategies to Address the Opioid Pandemic in the United States: A Latent Class Analysis
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2620618
🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄
For you nostalgic stoners, here’s the sermon from the original Good Friday Experiment to play at your next psilocybin trip
Delivered by Dr. Howard Thurman, Wikipedia says, “The reverend is a historic figure in his own right. He was the first black man to become the Dean of Chapel at a predominantly white university; he conversed personally with Gandhi, who encouraged his Civil Rights efforts; and he mentored Martin Luther King, Jr., who was deeply influenced by his book Jesus and the Disinherited.”
On NFL players using psilocybin mushrooms to heal brain injuries
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/us/psilocybin-mushrooms-nfl-head-injuries.html
On reducing the harms of ketamine via harm reduction & not reclassification by Dr. David Nutt et al.
Ketamine: reclassification alone will not reduce harms
https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s222
The Psychoactive Research
Psychedelics & MDMA
In psychedelic science, on how to better include Indigenous knowledge systems
Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Psychedelic Science: Towards Ethical and Reciprocal Collaboration
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/02698811251387104
Haha. On encountering entities while on psychedelics, here is a paper bending over backwards about brain modalities when really, you could just acknowledge that the entities exist
Supernatural Agent Experiences on Psychedelics: A Predictive Account
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/400169414_Supernatural_Agent_Experiences_on_Psychedelics_A_Predictive_Account
At a Brazilian ayahuasca center, on the benefits for first-time ayahuasca users
Psychedelics and Well-Being: An Experiment in Brazil
https://economics.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/07/Psychedelics_RCT.pdf
A case report of catatonia in an adolescent induced by LSD
LSD-Induced Catatonia In An Adolescent
https://www.psychiatrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LSD-induced-catatonia-adolescent-25cr04054.pdf
For the use of psychedelics in couples psychotherapy & sex therapy, a review of 9 articles
(PNM-42) Use of psychedelic drugs as an adjunct in couples psychotherapy and sex therapy
https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/23/Supplement_1/qdag002.118/8454699
For ibogaine, a review of its cardiac safety & therapeutic potential
Ibogaine: Therapeutic Potential, Cardiac Safety, and Translational Perspectives in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders—A Scoping Review
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/3/545
In India, on its unique legal status for psilocybin mushroom research
India’s Unique Legal Framework for Psilocybin Mushroom Research: An Unprecedented Opportunity in Psychiatric Therapeutics
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02537176261416347
Ketamine
In people using ketamine, they had greater psychological distress (especially anxiety), more working memory impairments, altered signaling of glutamate (the brain’s most common excitatory neurotransmitter) & reduced volume of the hippocampus (a memory center of the brain)
Hippocampal subfield differences in people with and without recreational ketamine use: Insights from multi‐modal neuroimaging
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70331
In people with severe depressive episodes & suicidal ideation, ketamine caused a faster reduction in suicidal ideation than electroconvulsive therapy
A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of Ketamine vs. Electroconvulsive Therapy in Severe Depression with Suicidal Ideation
https://karger.com/nps/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000550863/4503667/000550863.pdf
For Canadian veterans, on the efficacy of a program combining sublingual ketamine with an intensive outpatient treatment
A retrospective report of a ketamine-augmented, transdiagnostic psychiatric outpatient psychotherapy program
https://utppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3138/jmvfh-2025-0009
On ketamine in psychotherapy, a review of the history & efficacy
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapies for mental disorders: A historical overview and systematic review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735826000152
For treatment-resistant depression, a review of ketamine
Effectiveness of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for treatment-resistant depression: a systematic review
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07003-0
On ketamine for chronic pain, a review to inform dosing
Oral Ketamine for Chronic Pain: Towards an Evidence-Based Optimal Dosing Regimen
https://www.dovepress.com/oral-ketamine-for-chronic-pain-towards-an-evidence-based-dosing-regime-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR
🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃
A book chapter on hemp as an environmentally friendly crop
Hemp as An Environmentally Friendly Crop
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781032720142-4/hemp-environmentally-friendly-crop-tsaliki-kalivas-ganopoulos
In Australia, an analysis of a social license framework on the potential of industrial hemp for decarbonization
Social License for Net Zero Industries in Carbon-Heavy Regions: Industrial Hemp in Lithgow
https://researchers.westernsydney.edu.au/en/publications/social-license-for-net-zero-industries-in-carbon-heavy-regions-in/
🌱 Growing 🌱
For cannabis propagation, on analyzing the cuttings for predicting optimization of reproduction
Analysis of Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) Cuttings: Morphological and Colorimetric Traits as Predictors for Optimization of Vegetative Reproduction
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/15/3/440
In hemp, an analysis of the diversity of root system architecture & root-shoot biomass allocation
Diversity of root system architecture and root-shoot biomass allocation in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0339929
To inhibit the toxicity of the heavy metal cadmium on hemp growth, zinc oxide nanoparticles enhanced performance & biomass
Multi-omics technologies reveal the Cd toxicity alleviating effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles on Cannabis sativa L. by improving plant growth and antioxidant activity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669026001664
In Washington State, the first report of 2 pathogens transmitted by the beet leaf hopper
First report of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ and Spiroplasma citri in Cannabis sativa in Washington State, USA
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS-08-25-1736-PDN
For the progression of alternaria leaf spot disease in the north Baltic region, on the influence of sowing density & fertilization
How do the nitrogen level and form and crop density influence the progression of alternaria leaf spot disease on hemp crop in Northern Baltic region?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23311932.2026.2620864
In Missouri, on the environmental influences affecting hemp performance
Performance of Industrial Hemp Cultivars Across Southern-Midwestern U.S. Environments: Evidence from Multi-Location Trials in Missouri
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/agronomy/articles/10.3389/fagro.2026.1745927/abstract
For the ability of ethylene to reverse the floral sex of cannabis, a transcriptional analysis of the genes involved
Sex‐specific ethylene responses drive floral sexual plasticity in Cannabis sativa
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/tpj.70721
On the infrared spectra of 5 cannabis leaves from Paraguayan hemp varieties
Dataset of Infrared Absorption Responses of leaves from five Cannabis sativa L. varieties treated with a Trichoderma spp.-based biomass suspension.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340926000910
⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️
On extracting essential oils by hydrodistillation & then turning the spent biomass into pulp fibers via the soda pulping process
Hydrodistillation-Based Essential Oil Extraction and Soda Pulping of Spent Hemp Biomass for Sustainable Fiber Production
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/31/3/500
On optimizing the measurement of CBD & THC by HPLC
Optimization of the quantification of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol methodology by High Performance Liquid Chromatography
https://scielo.iics.una.py/pdf/rdgic/v15n2/2709-0817-rdgic-15-02-51.pdf
🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️
For the recycling of cannabis byproducts & residues, a review of 262 studies on applications
Industrial Cannabis, Cannabic Residue or Industrial Cannabis Waste? Perspectives on the Utilization, Reutilization, and Recycling of Cannabis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/25785125261421439
For the burning of cannabis waste, on the best reaction parameters for turning it into fertilizer & useful nutrients
Hydrothermal deconstruction of medicinal Cannabis sativa waste
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098-026-03422-x
For supercapacitors & batteries, on using hemp-derived carbon materials
Hemp-Derived Carbon Materials for High-Performance Supercapacitors and Batteries -Composites Research
https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO202503032423850.page
For a major Moroccan pest of stored grains, cannabis seed extract showed significant insecticidal activity
In silico and in vitro study of insecticidal effect of oil extracted from hemp seeds against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)
https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/11950
On mushrooms grown on hemp as an alternative to polystyrene foam
Mycelium-Based Composites Using Minimally Processed Industrial Hemp Biomass: Impact of Species and Feedstock Ratio on Mechanical Performance Compared to Polystyrene Packaging
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/3/400
On creating a plastic from hemp stalks via microbial fermentation
Investigation of Alternatives Against Washing Pretreated Hemp Solids to Produce Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Via Cupriavidus Necator
https://elibrary.asabe.org/abstract.asp
For hemp biocomposites, an analysis of its mechanical properties
Valorization of Waste Hemp Hurd as Reinforcement in Extruded Thermoset Composites
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8797/8/1/18
For the additive manufacturing technique known as fused deposition modeling, on the mechanical properties when reinforced with hemp & flax fiber
Mechanical Property Comparison of Hemp and Flax Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid versus Additive-Enhanced and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid in Fused Deposition Modeling
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15440478.2026.2619884
On pretreating hemp fibers with enzymes to reduce stiffness
Early-stage enzymatic treatments of scutched hemp fiber: Impact on fiber properties
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092666902600169X
🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿
For cannabis, a Moroccan review of the medical & cosmetic applications of its cannabinoids, terpenes & flavonoids
Therapeutic and Biotechnological Potentials of Cannabis sativa L.: Chemical Diversity, Bioactivity, and Sustainable Valorization
https://revues.imist.ma/index.php/morjchem/article/view/60506
🏥 Public Health, Legalization Effects & Bioassays 🏥
For healthcare encounters involving drug poisonings, cannabis poisonings were lower than other substances & with fewer admissions & deaths
United States healthcare encounters for poisoning involving cannabis relative to other substances
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00952990.2025.2603243
For older adults in the healthcare system, one third reported drug screening for cannabis or illegal drugs
Cannabis or drug screening and discussions with clinicians among older adults who use cannabis in the US, 2021-2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379726000474
🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒
In Canadian adolescents from 2013 to 2023, their overall cannabis use decreased & their prevalence of psychological distress increased, but cannabis use was associated with psychological distress, especially among females
Adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023: A population‐based study in Ontario, Canada
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/add.70333
Of course, as the authors state fairly, “It is possible that adolescents are increasingly self-medicating psychological distress with cannabis and/or that rising cannabis potency is increasingly contributing to psychological distress.”
In adolescents who were exposed to household cannabis use but who were not by the end of the study, they had lower levels of internalizing & externalizing problems as well as psychotic-like experiences
Household cannabis cessation and adolescent mental health outcomes in a prospective cohort study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-026-04668-4
In US adolescents using cannabis, on their demographics
Associations Between Major Depressive Episodes, Sociodemographic Factors, and Past-Year Marijuana Use Among U.S. Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.nigerianmedjournal.org/index.php/nmj/article/view/1125
In young adults co-using alcohol & cannabis, on the 4 types of users & their relationship to harm
Heterogeneity of Within-Day Simultaneous Alcohol and Cannabis Use Behaviors Among Young Adults: A Multilevel Latent Class Analysis
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00286
🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠
In people with Parkinson’s disease, their amount of gray matter volume loss was associated with their brain’s expression of the CB1 receptor
Grey matter volume loss in Parkinson’s disease Psychosis and cannabinoid receptor gene expression in the brain
https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/grey-matter-volume-loss-in-parkinsons-disease-psychosis-and-canna/
In brain cells, the cannabis polyphenols (primarily flavonoids, stilbenoids, lignans & lignanamides) caused antioxidant activity, anti-inflammation & reduced stress of the endoplasmic reticulum (protein processing center) to reduce apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Involvement of Keap1/Nrf2 and the antioxidant defence in cytoprotective effects induced by cannabis polyphenols in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226000806
💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭
In brain scans of people with PTSD, inhibiting their FAAH enzyme (which breaks down anandamide) increased anandamide levels but did not change brain connectivity or emotional task responses
Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-03864-3
In fading affect bias (unpleasant affect fading faster than pleasant affect), cannabis showed a robust effect
Marijuana Consumption and Reactions Positively Predict the Fading Affect Bias for Marijuana Events in Person and Online
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/3928365cd36d870095863ea0b73c177d/download_pub
For cannabis adverse experiences, on mining Reddit with a transformer-based algorithm
Transformer-Based Topic Modeling: Characterizing Cannabis Product Adverse Experiences Self-Reported as Requiring Medical Attention on Reddit
https://www.jmir.org/2026/1/e82661/
For treating cannabis use disorder comorbid with PTSD, depression or ADHD, a review on using AI-augmented contingency management therapy
Tailored psychotherapy and AI-enhanced contingency management for co-occurring disorders in cannabis use disorder: a systematic review
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10550887.2026.2616726
In interviews of people with self-identified problematic cannabis use, an analysis of it as a network phenomenon through Actor-Network Theory & Deleuze’s concept of affect
The emergence of problematic cannabis use as a network phenomenon
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926000277
In people with insomnia, they had higher fecal levels of the endocannabinoid oleoylethanolamide
Fecal metabolic biomarkers associated with insomnia severity: A study on 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, octopamine, oleoylethanolamide, and elaidic acid
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0731708526000555
🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬
In a hair analysis of endocannabinoid levels in people who had just given birth, a thesis project found that lower levels of anandamide were associated with PTSD symptoms
From Hair to Mind: Endocannabinoids in the perinatal context and their association with stress-related psychopathology
https://tud.qucosa.de/en/landing-page/https%3A%2F%2Ftud.qucosa.de%2Fapi%2Fqucosa%253A102095%2Fmets/
In a mouse model of osteoporosis due to menopause, desmethoxyyangonin (a potent activator of the CB2 receptor) restored bone mineral density & improved bone microarchitecture
Desmethoxyyangonin, a Potent Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Agonist, Alleviates Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Mice via Dual Regulation of Osteoblast and Osteoclast Function
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.70232
In a model of the placenta, adding an antioxidant can prevent the rapid oxidation of CBD & increase transfer to the fetus
Placental transfer and vasoactivity of cannabidiol: beware of rapid oxidation
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299926001354
🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠
In people with sclerotic forms of graft-versus-host-disease (more tissue scarring), they had higher blood levels of anandamide
Exploring Novel Endocannabinoid Pathways in Sclerotic Chronic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2666636725020159
🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal & Surgeries 🦴
In people who had knee surgery, those with higher pain scores had lower spinal fluid levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG before the surgery & lower levels of anandamide before & after the surgery
Endocannabinoids, perioperative pain, and acetaminophen in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study
https://journals.lww.com/painrpts/fulltext/2026/04000/endocannabinoids,_perioperative_pain,_and.2.aspx
In a rat model of infants exposed to painful surgical procedures, CBD decreased their vocalizations but not their anxiety-like behavior in adulthood, with adult males also showing increased levels of corticosterone & adult females having lower body weight
Investigating Cannabidiol’s Effectiveness to Mitigate the Adverse Consequences of Exposure to Neonatal Procedural Pain
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.70125
❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️
In the hearts of people with cocaine use disorder, they had more problems than those with cannabis use disorder
Incidence of New-Onset Cardiac Arrhythmias in Cocaine and Cannabis Users: A Retrospective Cohort Study
https://academic.oup.com/ehjacc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ehjacc/zuag011/8460652
🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️
For cosmetic gels, on the use of PEA as a gelator
Palmitoylethanolamide as a novel green gelator in oleogels
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01932691.2026.2625035
🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️
In cancer cells, hemp seed extracts caused metabolic stress & disrupted autophagy (cellular recycling), leading to arrest of the cell cycle
Hemp seed extract exerts cytostatic effects through metabolic stress and autophagy modulation in malignant cells
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-37119-4_reference.pdf
Thanks.
- lex
PS: For this week’s hard harmonica album, ‘The Paris Sessions’ by Sugar Blue. Born James Joshua Whiting in NYC & with a mother who sang & danced at the Apollo theater, Sugar Blue took up the harmonica at 10 & by his midteens, had already performed with Muddy Waters. He made his first recordings in the early ‘70s & soon moved to France on the advice of Memphis Slim. He’s perhaps best known for playing on a number of Rolling Stones album after Mick Jagger found him busking in Paris, most notably the song ‘Miss You’. He moved back to Chicago in the mid-‘80s & started cutting albums & touring. He didn’t record many albums as a leading man but was a superstar sideman, working with everyone from Stan Getz to Prince to Bob Dylan to Willie Dixon. For his latest album, ‘Colors’, released in 2019, he wrote & recorded it on 4 different continents (including a great cover of ‘Day Tripper’).
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.