Stigma, more anesthesia, CUD, CHS & the War on Drugs
Greece banning hemp & Germany not covering flower
Cannabinoids & The People,
or; Drugs & Drug Wars
🌟 This Week 🌟
THC & CBD for rheumatological conditions
Stigma still a problem for medical cannabis use, especially in older folks
Cannabis users need more anesthesia
In college athletes, cannabis linked to slower reaction times
Cannabis Use Disorder Week: 9 studies
For CHS, growing your own is actually a risk factor
Preclinical: CBD for neuropathic pain, depression, PTSD & lung injury
Psychedelics: first documented traditional use of psilocybin in Africa + 3 on psychedelics for autism
Ketamine: 3 on the bladder problems
War on Drugs: attack on innocent Ecuadorian fishermen + CIA-linked assassinations in Mexico +lots of good reporting
Harm reduction: US overdoses down everywhere except the West + CDC should abandon the term “EVALI”
[numbers for C&P#187: ~7.5k words, ~20 minutes reading time, 152 papers]
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the 187th edition of Cannabinoids & the People, Lex Pelger’s free weekly digest of all the new cannabinoid science, assorted canna-news + the War on Drugs, harm reduction & other psychoactives. Support this work with a paid subscription or by buying me a coffee.
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🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃
(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the ECS data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)
⚕️ Clinical ⚕️
For people with a rheumatological condition, those using THC/CBD-balanced products had the highest positive impact scores, with the most benefit seen from dried cannabis or edibles
Perceived Impacts and Predictors of Cannabis Products used by Rheumatology Patients in Alberta: A Multivariable Analysis of Cross-sectional Survey Data
https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acr.80071
For schizophrenia & CBD, a meta-analysis of 5 trials found small improvements to positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, etc) & general health, but no effects on negative symptoms (lack of motivation, flattened affect, social withdrawal, etc)
Cannabidiol for the treatment of positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00406-026-02249-3
For anesthesia in cannabis users, a meta-analysis of 7 studies found they required more propofol as well as moderately increased levels of opioids
Anesthetic Requirements in Chronic Cannabis Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://www.scivisionpub.com/pdfs/anesthetic-requirements-in-chronic-cannabis-users-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis-4174.pdf
In someone with a glioblastoma (most aggressive brain cancer), a case report of radio-chemotherapy combined with CBD leading to 25 months of stability
Unexpected long survival of a patient with glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab and cannabidiol
https://jcimcr.org/pdfs/JCIMCR-v7-4002.pdf
For brain aneurysms, THC use was not associated with more risk or more severe clinical presentations
Recreational substance use and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: differential effects of alcohol and THC
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10143-026-04295-w
For Dravet syndrome (a rare pediatric epilepsy), a comparison found that stiripentol worked as well as fenfluramine & caused a greater seizure reduction than CBD
Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Stiripentol, Cannabidiol, and Fenfluramine as First-Line Add-On Therapies for the Treatment of Seizures in Dravet Syndrome: A Network Meta-Analysis Study
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0046-1822865
In college athletes, cannabis use was linked to ~20% slower reaction speed, which was partially reversed with a year of abstinence
Cognitive Performance Recovery Following Marijuana Cessation in NCAA Division I Athletes
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2026.1821656/abstract
For stigma in cannabis, a review of 25 studies on how “ageism, legal ambiguity, and provider bias, leads to nondisclosure of cannabis use”
Stigma, Including Anticipated Stigma, and Cannabis Use Disclosure Among Older Adults in Health Care Settings: An Integrative Review
https://journals.healio.com/doi/abs/10.3928/19404921-20260416-01
And an analysis of stigma causing harm when cannabis is being used as a medicine
Taboo or Treatment? Cannabis as Medicine in the Face of Stigma
https://dialogues.rutgers.edu/images/Journals_PDF/dialogues-issue20_accessible-compressed.pdf#page=124
For dronabinol (pharmaceutical THC) prescribed by Medicare, its usage decreased slightly from 2014 to 2019, with the most common areas of medicine being internal, family, oncology & infectious diseases
Geographical Disparities and Medical Specialty Differences in Dronabinol Prescribing in Medicare
https://utppublishing.com/doi/pdf/10.3138/guthrie-2025-0006
Patients tend to dislike dronabinol because isolated THC, without anything else to modulate it, is often said to either feel like nothing, or like “getting kicked in the face by a horse”.
In Connemara ponies taking CBD for 3 weeks, on the metabolic effects (moderate changes to insulin dynamics) & how it moves through their system (a slow elimination)
Metabolic effects and pharmacokinetics of oral cannabidiol (CBD) in Connemara ponies following 21 days of treatment
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1813917/full
Cannabis Use Disorder
For cannabis use disorder, a review on anxiety as a driver of progression
Anxiety as a driver of cannabis use disorder progression: neurobiological, psychological, and clinical pathways
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2026.2657872
For cannabis-related disorders (CRD), Medicare data showed adult-use cannabis laws associated with increased rates of CRD diagnoses & claims
The Impact of Recreational Cannabis Laws on Cannabis-Related Disorders in the US Medicare Population
https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308522
For cannabis use disorder risk, an analysis found 5 distinct classes of users, with the high-risk class increasing during legalization expansion
Latent classes of substance use patterns and cannabis use disorder Risk in U.S. Adults during recreational Legalization expansion (2015–2023)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326001346
For cannabis use disorder, in females, their symptom severity decreased with age & their mental health scores improved, while males did not have these age-related improvements
Sex differences in age-related patterns of cannabis use disorder symptoms and mental health
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00952990.2026.2650344
In midlife adults, the risks for cannabis use disorder were greatest in those with the highest use frequency, whether medical or nonmedical
Cannabis use disorder risk among midlife adults reporting medical and nonmedical cannabis use, 2019-2024
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626001596
For cannabis & lung cancer, public health data found an association between cannabis use disorder & a few types of lung cancer
Association of cannabis use and lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169500226004824
In a Canadian analysis of higher-risk cannabis use, on the rates & ingestion methods across the provinces
Differences in higher-risk cannabis use outcomes across Canadian provinces and territories: A cross-sectional study
https://link.springer.com/article/10.17269/s41997-026-01202-0
For assessing cannabis use disorder, a meta-analysis of 40 studies found a lack of clear evidence for the current diagnostic tools
The psychometric properties of validated tools to assess cannabis use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42046882/
And unsurprisingly, an evaluation of the ‘Perceived Barriers for Cannabis Reduction and Cessation Scale’ found it to be a reliable measure of perceived barriers for cannabis reduction
Psychometric evaluation of the perceived barriers to cannabis reduction and cessation scale
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326001383
⚠️ Harms ⚠️
In frequent cannabis users, the morning after using cannabis, they had no cognitive impairment, but worse memory
Cognitive performance and subjective effects the morning after last use of smoked cannabis by adults who use cannabis frequently: An observational study
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fa2eabb04edcf45a65121de/t/69d3eef9406c4e6cd92805ab/1775496960488/cognitive+performance+the+next+day.pdf
For the accidental ingestion of THC by children, an editorial against the automatic reporting of cases to child protective services (CPS)
Things We Do for No Reason™: Reporting every child who ingests tetrahydrocannabinol to child protective services
https://shmpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jhm.70334
“Yet, ingestions of other household products, like cleaners with more capacity to harm children than THC, do not automatically trigger reporting. CPS investigations can cause harm. Instead of automatic reporting, hospitalists should consider whether the child’s caregiver took reasonable steps to prevent unintentional ingestion and recognizes the dangers of child-friendly THC packaging. Hospital providers must explore the circumstances of each ingestion to determine which should trigger mandatory reporting.”
In children, on differentiating between cannabinoid hyperemesis & cyclic vomiting syndrome
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Versus Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome in Children Presenting to the Emergency Department
https://scholarlyworks.corewellhealth.org/corewellhealth_west_research_posters/120/
For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, higher risk was associated with an older age of first cannabis use, more frequent use of edibles & concentrates, riskier cannabis use patterns, growing your own cannabis, using cannabis for headaches/migraines or nausea/vomiting & experiencing bipolar disorder or psychosis/dissociative identity disorder
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome prevalence and risk factors in the U.S.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395926001593
For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a case report & advice on diagnosis & care in the emergency room
Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome: Diagnosis and Care in the Emergency Setting
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/aenjournal/fulltext/10.1097/tme.0000000000000625~cannabis-hyperemesis-syndrome-diagnosis-and-care-in-the
For cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a case report of a 13-year-old with significant weight loss whose diagnosis was initially superior mesenteric artery syndrome (compression in the GI tract)
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Mimicking Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome: A Case of Delayed Diagnosis in an Adolescent
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2994-8754/JTG-2026-00001
In youth affected by psychosis, those in early psychosis care had a “strikingly high rate of cannabis use”
Prevalence of cannabis use in psychosis-affected youth: Insights from an Ontario-based early intervention cohort
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15332640.2026.2657003
As always, is cannabis use driving the psychosis or is it a DIY treatment that they found?
(my recent video on this complex subject)
For brain imaging in substance-induced psychosis, a review found cannabis use linked to alterations in the cerebellum (brain region of voluntary movement, motor learning & balance) & cingulate cortex (a brain region of social cognition, emotional processing & learning)
Structural Neuroimaging in Substance-Induced Psychosis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-026-01678-0
In youth with prenatal tobacco-cannabis co-exposure, public health data found they had more early school-age physical aggression, while postnatal cannabis exposure was linked to more relational aggression, with maternal sensitivity being protective against both types of aggression
Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Tobacco and Cannabis and Child Aggression at Early School Age: Role of Early Maternal Sensitivity
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10578-026-02020-8
In male rats exposed to THC as adolescents, they had reduced body weight during exposure & later, reduced novel object recognition & increased vulnerability to anxiety
Long-term effects of adolescent THC exposure on anxiety-like behavior and cognitive function in male rats
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07067-y
In a mouse model of prenatal CBD or THC exposure, CBD-exposed females had impaired risk appraisal, CBD-exposed males had synaptic rigidity, while both THC- & CBD-exposed offspring had lessened long-term depression (reducing the strength of a synapse)
Prenatal Cannabidiol and THC Exposure Induce Sex-Specific Executive Dysfunction via Divergent Pathological Rewiring of the Adult Medial Prefrontal Cortex
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9428628/v1/ad21fcdc-3eb0-46dd-809b-53ce0e2b2e4d.pdf
In a mouse model of prenatal CBD exposure, it’s linked to preterm birth because it activates the ion channel PIEZO1, a regulator of contractions
Cannabidiol modulates PIEZO1 activity to regulate uterine contractility and pregnancy outcome
https://langtaosha.org.cn/lts/en/preprint/view/194
In a mouse model of prenatal exposure to both stress & THC, they had disrupted maternal caregiving & the offspring as adolescents had reduced motivated behavior & increased anxiety-like behavior, with female offspring most affected by THC for self-care & social behavior
Concurrent maternal stress and THC exposure alters maternal regulation and downstream adolescent corticolimbic programs
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04049-8_reference.pdf
📑 Reviews 📑
In menopausal women, a review on the potential of cannabis for sleep disturbances, genitourinary symptoms & hormonal changes
Medicinal Cannabis and Sleep Improvement in Menopausal Women: Integrating Nocturia, Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, and Endocannabinoid Regulation
https://asrjs.com/pdfs/medicinal-cannabis-and-sleep-improvement-in-menopausal-women-integrating-nocturia-genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause-and-endocannabinoid-regulation-312.pdf
For neuropsychiatric disorders, a review of targeting the endocannabinoid system (with great charts)
The Endocannabinoid System in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Mechanisms, Dysregulation and Therapeutic Potential
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/14/5/968
For depression, on the evidence of cannabis helping via reductions of neuroinflammation in the brain & hyperactivity in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis
Interplay between the HPA Axis and Inflammation as Mechanisms Therapeutic Targets of Cannabis sativa in Depression
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1801474/abstract
For Alzheimer’s disease, a review of the data for CBD & THC
Cannabinoids in Alzheimer’s disease: animal–human evidence and clinical pharmacology challenges
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1833021/abstract
For cannabis & chronic pain, a Polish review of the evidence
Practical aspects of using cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain and the current situation in Poland: a narrative review
https://journals.viamedica.pl/palliative_medicine_in_practice/article/view/111341
In children with cancer, a review of drug interactions with cannabinoids found the highest risk to be for cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, ifosfamide, irinotecan, vinblastine & vincristine while potential synergies were found with temozolomide, vinblastine, vinorelbine & irinotecan (and if you’re confused as to how some of those drugs are on both lists, you are not alone)
An Overview of Cannabinoid Interactions With Common Pediatric Antineoplastic Agents
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42057496/
For dogs with cancer, a review of the antitumor effects of CBD
Antitumor Effects (Potential) of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Canine Oncology: A Systematic Review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1800410/abstract
🐁 Preclinical 🐁
In a rat model of neuropathic pain with depression & anxiety, CBD reduced anxiety, depression & pain-related behaviors via the CB1 & a serotonin receptor in the anterior insular cortex (integrator of sensory & emotional aspects of pain)
Cannabidiol in the Anterior Insular Cortex Attenuates Chronic Neuropathic Pain and Comorbid Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors: Involvement of CB1 and 5-HT1A Receptor Signaling
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9226782/v1/73b6fdeb-ee2d-4035-a5b0-29a6fc00f8ea.pdf
In a female rat model of depression, CBD caused increased freezing times, higher cortisol levels & improved memory-related performance
Effects of Cannabidiol on Behavior and Oxidative Stress in a Rat Model of Depression Under Chronic Stress
https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/16/3/73
In a mouse model of PTSD, CBD shifted their genes towards non-stressed levels
Cannabidiol modulates spontaneous recovery through distinct and conserved transcriptomic signatures in mPFC subregions
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10111-4_reference.pdf
In a rat model of lung injury due to blood loss, CBD reduced oxidative stress, suppressed inflammation & inhibited apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Cannabidiol attenuates lung ischemia-reperfusion injury by modulating RIPK1/RIPK3-mediated necroptosis and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling
https://ijbms.mums.ac.ir/article_27571.html
In rats, the combination of cannabis & aerobic exercise modulated cardiac inflammation
Cannabis supplementation combined with aerobic exercise is associated with modulation of AKT, PI3K, and inflammatory gene expression in cardiac tissue and blood of fatty liver rats
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2452014426000841
In mice taking CBG, this thesis project found no significant impact on motor coordination or fatigue
Use of a Cannabigerol and Cannabidiol Formulation on Motor Coordination and Fatigue in the C57BL/6 Mouse
https://harvest.usask.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/93f716bb-abd9-48cf-b449-4d449ba19ca1/content
In rats taking hemp seed oil for 10 weeks, they developed mild fatty liver disease
Immunohistochemical analysis and distribution of lymphocytes and Kupffer cells in the liver of rats with long-term experimental use of hemp seed oil
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42048501/
In a genetic expression analysis, CBD, CBC, CBG & CBN were predicted to alter metabolism & have some benefits for the heart but adverse effects for the brain, with potential liver toxicity from CBC, CBN & (more strongly) CBD, while CBG protected the liver
Transcriptomic comparison on the mechanism of action of four major constituent cannabinoids in hemp extract
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00432-w
For HIV in human astrocytes (the brain’s most common support cell), this thesis project found that THC & CBD lowered inflammation
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Diminish Primary Human Monocyte-Astrocyte Inflammatory Interactions: Implications for Chronic HIV
https://www.proquest.com/openview/4ad57a4697459f031a09ce57d8e50b76/1
🆕 Novel Studies 🆕
(a grab bag section for cool & new stuff)
In an analysis of the public comments on cannabis rescheduling, ~29% supported it, ~7% opposed it &~63% said it didn’t go far enough, with the supporters being motivated most by therapeutic benefits & economic impacts, while the opposers were concerned with public health risks, addiction & underage use
Characterizing public comments via Regulations.gov in response to proposed cannabis rescheduling in the United States
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42029003/
Lex’s roundup of fav newsletters:
#Canna: Marijuana Moment, Cannabis Law Report, Cultivated, Cannabis Musings (oy vey), Talking Joints Memo, Sticky Bits, Highly Objective, Cannabitch, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Dr. Peter Grinspoon, Doctor Approved, Medical Marijuana Memory Blog (by Dame Alice O’Leary Randall)
#DrugWar: InSight Crime, Marshall Project, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
#HarmReduction: Filter, Drug Data Decoded, International Drug Policy Consortium, National Harm Reduction Coalition, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
#Psychoactives: Psychedelic Alpha, Ecstatic Integration, ICEERS, Substance, The Microdose
📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles
The DEA shares two Canadian cannabis horror stories (a murder + a God complex) that point to the rare but real mental health dangers of high levels of THC
https://www.justthinktwice.gov/news-statistics/2024/06/12/descent-cannabis-induced-psychosis-one-edmonton-familys-horror
In Georgia’s medical cannabis program, lupus added as a qualifying condition & vapes as an ingestion method (but not smoking)
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/georgia-governor-signs-bill-to-expand-medical-marijuana-access-by-allowing-vaping-and-adding-new-qualifying-conditions/
As always, I believe that the uses of medical cannabis should be left to healthcare practitioners & not to lawmakers. And for so many patients, smoking & its fast relief is their ideal ingestion method.
In New Jersey, a court said a police officer can’t be fired for off-duty cannabis use
https://cannabislaw.report/new-jersey-court-rules-police-officers-cant-be-fired-for-off-duty-cannabis-use/
In Connecticut, lawmakers reinstated a cap on THC levels at 35%
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/connecticut-lawmakers-pass-bill-to-reinstate-thc-limits-for-marijuana-flower/
The Grand Ole Opry named Señorita as its official THC beverage
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/14/3294752/0/en/se%C3%B1orita-named-official-thc-beverage-partner-of-opry-entertainment-group-venues.html
In celebration, here is a performance by the Cannabis Crusader Willie Nelson at the Grand Ole Opry in 1965, looking very clean cut.
This one is also in tribute to my grandfather “Pap” who introduced me to Willie & who, for someone of his generation, was surprisingly sympathetic to cannabis.
History Corner: 1975: a sentence of 12 years in prison for a 19-year-old selling 11 grams of grass
https://boingboing.net/2026/05/15/19-year-old-got-12-years-for-selling-5-of-pot-in-1975.html
🌐 International Updates 🌐
In Greece, the government moves to ban hemp flowers despite an advisory board saying that this contradicts EU law
https://businessofcannabis.com/greece-moves-to-ban-hemp-flower-sales-despite-government-advisory-body-warning-of-conflict-with-eu-law/
In a German draft of a new law, the government would end public healthcare coverage of cannabis flowers (but not extracts or pharmaceutical cannabinoids)
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-update-rate-stabilization-act-end-of-cannabis-flowers-as-a-reimbursable-service-planned/
And a federal court placed further restrictions on cannabis telemedicine
https://cannabislaw.report/germany-judiciary-restricts-practices-of-telemedicine-platforms-for-cannabis/
In the UK, the first available cannabis suppositories were made by Curaleaf
https://cannabislaw.report/good-shit-curaleaf-laboratories-becomes-first-uk-manufacturer-of-medical-cannabis-suppositories/
In Zambia, medical cannabis to be integrated into the public health system
https://cannabislaw.report/zambia-major-policy-shift-new-controlling-body-aims-to-integrate-cannabis-into-public-health-system/
In Pakistan, the government met with tribal leaders to formalize cannabis cultivation
https://cannabislaw.report/pakistan-govt-engages-tribal-elders-to-formalise-cannabis-cultivation/
In Bolivia, dozens demonstrating for cannabis decrim
https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2026/05/02/decenas-se-manifiestan-en-bolivia-a-favor-de-la-despenalizacion-de-la-marihuana/
In Thailand, on the recent see-sawing of cannabis legality
https://www.talkingdrugs.org/from-legalisation-to-limbo-thailands-turbulent-cannabis-industry/
Plus, the Thai press has been reporting on a cannabis fatality due to a heart attack after smoking cannabis
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016636
⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️
In Massachusetts, the greatest cannabis retailer density was in areas of high social vulnerability & low child opportunity
Place-Based Inequities in E-cigarette/Vape and Cannabis Retail Density in Massachusetts: The Role of Child Opportunity and Social Vulnerability
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012369226005982
In a secret buyer program in a Minnesota city, more than half of stores sold hemp-derived THC products to pseudo-underage individuals
More Than Half of Retailers Sold Hemp-Derived THC Products to Underage-Appearing Buyers Despite Age Restrictions
https://www.jsad.com/doi/abs/10.15288/jsad.25-00393
For opportunities in industrial hemp, on using an AI to analyze social media for analyze barriers & possibilities
Exploring barriers and opportunities in industrial hemp through NLP on social media
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162526001976
🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓
In Ecuador, an account from innocent fishermen wrongly attacked by US drones for suspected narco-trafficking
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/apr/21/ecuador-us-boat-strike-survivors
Those mother fuckers. When the US patrol boarded the fishing boat after the drone attack with their guns drawn, they first deleted videos of the attack & then stole the crew’s food & beer. The crew were then handcuffed, hooded, held at sea for several days & then taken to El Salvador for questioning before finally being released to immigration authorities. Of course, their boat won’t be replaced & the people behind this extrajudicial attack won’t be held responsible for their wrongs.
“For the crew of the Don Maca, the experience has left lasting trauma. “I get scared in the middle of the night. I can’t sleep well. My ears still hurt,” Palacios said. “I think that’s it for me. I’m done with fishing. Going back out there is impossible. I thought they were going to kill us.” Other crew members have declined to speak publicly, citing fears of reprisal, said Palacios: “They’re afraid someone will kill us for what happened.””
Meanwhile, 120 organizations joined to demand an end to complicity in US extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean
https://elpais.com/us/2026-04-23/mas-de-120-organizaciones-exigen-el-fin-de-la-complicidad-de-terceros-paises-en-las-ejecuciones-extrajudiciales-de-estados-unidos-en-el-caribe.html
In Mexico, on the CIA’s involvement in cartel assassinations & the bind it places on federal officials because of the ban on foreign operatives carrying out missions on Mexican territory
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico
On Guadalupe Fernández Valencia, or “La Patrona”, the highest-ranking woman in the Sinaloa cartel
https://insightcrime.org/news/from-drug-dealer-to-sinaloa-cartels-highest-ranking-woman/
In Poland & central Europe, on how Mexican cartels are setting up meth labs & sending over their cocineros (cooks)
https://balkaninsight.com/2026/04/29/mexican-cartels-are-already-operating-in-poland-and-central-europe/rd/
On how a 30-ton cocaine bust in Spain highlights the highly fragmented supply chain & the rise of West Africa as a major transit hub
https://insightcrime.org/news/what-spains-record-cocaine-bust-says-about-the-drug-trade/
For Tren de Aragua, an analysis of their financial evolution for money laundering
https://insightcrime.org/news/tren-de-aragua-money-laundering-schemes-reveal-factions-ongoing-refinement/
In Brazil, on how influencers are used to launder money for criminal groups (raffles!)
https://insightcrime.org/news/how-influencers-launder-money-for-criminal-groups/
As someone with only 40k followers on TikTok, I guess I’m not big-time enough to have been approached by the cartels, yet.
In Costa Rica, on the first 3 people to be extradited to the US on drug charges, including the former security minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez
https://insightcrime.org/news/meet-the-first-costa-ricans-to-be-extradited-on-drug-charges-to-the-us/
In California, 2 cops got 30 months of prison for continuing to seize cannabis after legalization & then selling it
https://cannabislaw.report/usa-ex-cops-who-posed-as-federal-agents-to-extort-marijuana-get-up-to-30-months-in-prison/
In Australia, a retiree was caught with a truck carrying 110 kg of cannabis (~$720k)
https://cannabislaw.report/australia-nsw-pensioner-accused-of-driving-truck-carrying-a-720k-cannabis-haul/
WoD Research
For the impact of drug legislation on crime reduction, this review found that decriminalization & harm reduction decreased drug possession arrest without increasing violent or property crime, while criminalization & police repression were associated with either no effects or counterproductive effects such as increased violence or recidivism
Impact of Drug Legislation on Crime Reduction: A Systematic Literature Review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1806036/abstract
For the push to expand the death penalty to people who deal drugs, a legal & rhetorical analysis from Reagan to Trump
‘Punishing death dealers’: examining claims to expand the death penalty to people who deal drugs
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10282580.2026.2663183
In Australia, on Vietnamese crop-sitters & their cannabis syndicates
How Crop-Sitters Unveil the Vietnamese Cannabis Industry in Australia
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003528586-10/crop-sitters-unveil-vietnamese-cannabis-industry-australia-hai-thanh-luong
For cartels, on analyzing them through an entrepreneurial ecosystem framework
Narcos, Inc.: drug cartels and the architecture of entrepreneurial ecosystems
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12117-026-09591-x
For cybercrime in drug trafficking, a legal analysis of responses at the regional & local levels
Administrative and criminal law analysis of countering cybercrimes in the field of illicit drug trafficking at the regional and local levels
https://www.ashdin.com/articles/administrative-and-criminal-law-analysis-of-countering-cybercrimes-in-the-field-of-illicit-drug-trafficking-at-the-regional-and-lo-1105084.html
In Costa Rica, on mapping the likely routes of narco-trafficking
Mapping the Likely Routes of Narco-trafficking in Costa Rica
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11067-026-09745-y
In the Malaysian state of Sabah (northern Borneo), on regional drug flows & local economic effects
Framing the Seriousness of Drug Smuggling in Sabah: Enforcement Paradoxes, Borderland Economics, and Regional Drug Flows in Malaysia
https://journal.uitm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/JAS/article/view/11150
An analysis of drug trafficking & the effects on youth
Drug Trafficking, Security Threats, and Impacts on Youth: A Comprehensive Review
https://thesocietyandpeople.com/index.php/tsap/article/view/3
🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️
In the US, overdoses are going down, except in the West (though this data is more messy & localized than I realized)
https://filtermag.org/cdc-overdose-data-west/
On EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) & why the CDC should abandon the term
https://filtermag.org/cdc-abandon-evali/
Basically, this EVALI phenomenon has now been linked distinctly to tainted illicit THC vape cartridges that contained vitamin E acetate, but ever since the confusion of when this story broke, EVALI has become associated with legal nicotine e-cigarettes. This is detrimental to public health because, despite the hand-wringing you might see in some places, vaping nicotine instead of smoking tobacco is a huge public-health win. But misunderstandings around the term EVALI have led to a reduction in nicotine vaping in favor of tobacco smoking. The CDC needs to fix this.
In North Carolina, on Hurricane Helene, harm reduction & what it’s like when people’s needs are taken care of
https://www.wunc.org/2026-05-05/helene-frayed-the-safety-net-for-people-who-use-drugs-the-community-wove-it-back-together
For safer drug supply programs, a bioethical defense
An Ethical Defense of Safer Supply
https://philpapers.org/rec/KRIAED-2
Harm Reduction Research
For addiction care in the US versus the Netherlands, a comparison through an anthropological lens
Governing Addiction: An Anthropological Comparison of Care in the United States and the Netherlands
https://scarab.bates.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=bjps
For English prisoners about to leave custody, giving them opioid substitution treatment in the month before release reduced later overdoses
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-leavers-in-substance-misuse-treatment-4-week-outcomes/prison-leavers-in-substance-misuse-treatment-4-week-outcomes-report
In the Stockholm needle exchange program, despite restrictive regulations, there was a marked reduction in needle sharing
Needle and syringe coverage per injection and factors associated with needle sharing among clients of the Stockholm Needle and Syringe Program, 2013–2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926001519
In a needle exchange program, adding winged infusion sets (“butterflies”) & larger-volume syringes (“barrels”) increased engagement
Reintroducing Winged Infusion Sets to Needle Syringe Programs: A Case Study in Harm Reduction Equity
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1741947/abstract
On drug sellers’ use of a drug checking service, a British Columbia service found they were used as a preventative measure
Drug sellers’ use of a drug checking service amid the overdose crisis in British Columbia, Canada
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42029063/
For harm reduction vending machines, an analysis of their utility at 2 Pennsylvania sites
“Smart” harm reduction vending machines to improve public health: Evaluating the utilization
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949875926001116
For overdose response hotline operators, interviews on their stressors & fulfillment
“We’re here, and we’re non-judgmental, we’re here to save lives”: stressors and fulfillment among overdose response hotline operators in Canada
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-026-01462-6
For overnight emergency room staff, on empowering them in the treating of opioid use disorders
Midnight medicine: Empowering night shift to treat opioid use disorder (OUD)
https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jom/article/view/3996
For substance use disorders, a global analysis of their burden
Global substance use disorders burden from 1990 to 2021: post-COVID shifts and widening inequalities
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13107084/
🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄
In South Africa, the first documented traditional use of psilocybin on the continent
Psilocybin use among Basotho healers and non-healers in southern Africa
https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/429dw_v1
On psychedelic trials & the therapists expressing concerns over safety & ethics
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/therapists-on-psychedelic-trials
In the Swiss psychedelic program, on the serious underreporting of harms
https://www.ecstaticintegration.org/p/the-hidden-harms-of-the-swiss-psychedelic
Psychedelics & MDMA
For responsiveness to psychedelic therapy, therapists identified the factors most conducive to positive outcomes to be a strong therapeutic alliance, robust social support, openness, capacity to surrender, secure attachment & belief in an active mode of therapeutic action
Therapist-rated predictors of response to psychedelic-assisted therapy
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-026-00642-4
For 5-MeO-DMT, on its use in men’s groups & for transformative leadership sessions
Attunement as Leadership: Council Practice and Low-Dose 5-MeO-DMT as Transdisciplinary Pathways to Transformative Leadership
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02604027.2026.2659286
In psychedelic use, mystical experiences were associated with greater self-compassion, compassionate love & life satisfaction
Psychedelic Use and Mystical-Type Experiences are Associated With Greater Self-Compassion, Compassionate Love, and Life Satisfaction
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00221678261442571
For psychedelics, a survey of the processes of ego dissolution & connectedness
Toward enlightenment: Dissolving the ego and expanding the world through mindfulness and psychedelics
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-57942-001
In MDMA for couples therapy, a thesis project interviewing people on the erotic content & relational healing
Sex and Psychedelics: A Phenomenological Inquiry into Erotic Content and Relational Healing in MDMA-Assisted Therapy
https://www.proquest.com/openview/a3b7a94786869eee22af4ddcaf55c2b1/1
For 2C-B vs MDMA & psilocybin, on their physical effects & duration in the body
Acute dose-dependent effects of 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B) compared with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy participants
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-026-02428-9
A case report of cardiac arrest after psilocybin use
Talk About a Bad Trip!: Psilocybin Use With Pre-Existing Cardiovascular Conditions, a Case Report
https://scholarlyworks.corewellhealth.org/internal_medicine_confabstract/858/
For the recovery of repressed memories with psychedelics, a review of the (spotty) literature
Evaluating the evidence for repressed memory recovery in psychedelic contexts
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07076-x
For psychedelic medicine, a review of its intertwining with mysticism
Secular Mysticism: Entanglements of Science and Religion in Psychedelic Medicine
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11013-026-09988-x
For the ayahuasca experience, a review of the brain-body interactions
Brain-body integromics of the ayahuasca experience
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226004269
For suicidal ideation & depression, a review of ayahuasca
Ayahuasca Therapy: Possible Reduction of Suicidal Ideation in Treatment-Resistant Depression – A Systematic Review
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.2026.2661580
For substance use disorders, a review of psychedelics
Epigenetic Mechanisms of Psychedelics in Addiction: Emerging Evidence and Therapeutic Potential
https://media.sciltp.com/articles/2604003691/2604003691.pdf
For adults with autism, a review on the potential benefits of psychedelics
The spectrum of potential benefits and ethical considerations for psychedelic-assisted therapy in autistic adults
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950484826000135
And another
The Ecstasy of Gold in Neurodiversity: Focus on the Use of Psychedelics in Autism Spectrum Disorder
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/8a0700c0d1126993e225580221cacdc8/download_pub
And one on the mechanisms used
Serotonergic psychedelics for Autism spectrum disorder: Neurobiological mechanisms and translational prospects
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584626001144
Ketamine
For people with cancer & existential distress, intranasal ketamine improved all outcome measures
Intranasal Ketamine for Existential Distress in Advanced Cancer
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0885392426007657
For the antidepressant effects of ketamine, they were not altered by the current use of SSRIs, SNRIs or antidepressants
Concurrent SSRI, SNRI, or Other Antidepressant Use Not Associated With Differential Outcomes in Ketamine or Esketamine Treatment
https://www.psychiatrist.com/pdf/concurrent-ssri-snri-or-other-antidepressant-use-not-associated-with-differential-outcomes-in-ketamine-or-esketamine-treatment-pdf/
In treatment-resistant depression, brain scans of the changes caused by ketamine
Ketamine-related neural changes in treatment-resistant depression: A multimodal synthesis of fMRI and PET studies
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032726007433
In treatment-resistant bipolar depression, a case report of ketamine combined with Theta Burst Stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation to mimic theta brain waves)
Ketamine infusion combined with accelerated sequential theta burst stimulation in multi-therapy-resistant bipolar depression: A case report
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S187620182600167X
For ketamine’s urinary problems, a review of the history
From Battlefield Anesthetic to Public-Health Challenge: A Historical Review of Ketamine and Its Genitourinary Sequelae (1960s–Present)
https://www.auajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1097/01.JU.0001191344.82487.eb.17
And for bladder injuries in young people using ketamine, on approaches to treatment
More than a bad trip: a practical approach to emergency and specialist management of ketamine-related bladder injury in children and young people
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751722226000508
And on a multidisciplinary approach to managing ketamine uropathy,
A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Managing Ketamine Uropathy
https://www.auajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1097/01.JU.0001191476.64741.7c.28
Kratom
For a kratom extract, a case report of seizures & dangerously fast heart rhythm
Ventricular Tachycardia Following Kratom Ingestion Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Young Woman: Case Report
https://escholarship.org/content/qt9r43b2xz/qt9r43b2xz.pdf
🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃
In Lithuania, an analysis of hemp for construction, food & cosmetics
Unconventional resources in the context of climate change: opportunities for the development of the hemp market in Lithuania
https://conferences.vilniustech.lt/index.php/ENVIRO/article/view/2278
🌱 Growing 🌱
For medical cannabis, a review of its lifecycle & environmental impact
Recent Advances in Sustainability Assessment of Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation and Production
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8797/8/3/60
For the continuous cropping of autoflowering hemp, a thesis project on the effects on the plant & its root microbial communities
Effects of Continuous Cropping of Autoflowering Hemp on Rhizosphere Soil
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1601/
On 4 different substrates for cuttings, a comparison of effects on rooting & morphology
Impacts of Commercial and Custom Substrates on Rooting and Morphology of Cannabis sativa ‘Suver Haze’ Stem Cuttings
https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/horttech/36/3/article-p429.xml
For improving cannabis clone performance, on the benefits of the rhizobacteria (symbiotic root bacteria)
Characterization and application of native Patagonian rhizobacteria to improve clonal performance and growth in Cannabis sativa L
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8834956/v1/975e7f58-b5ba-4edf-b55f-83c177a43efb.pdf
For determining cannabis chemotype, a genetic analysis of the B locus & berberine bridge enzyme family on the enzymes for cannabinoid production
The Structure of the Chemotype Determining Locus in Cannabis sativa
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13128303/
For the wild cannabis type CSLZ, a genetic analysis of its metabolic differences
Haplotype-Resolved Regulation of Secondary Metabolism in Cannabis
https://watermark02.silverchair.com/uhag159.pdf
In cannabis sex determination, an analysis of 3 genes on the X-chromosome
Three closely linked X‐chromosomal genes potentially control sex determination in Cannabis sativa
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.71185
⚙️ Extracting, Analyzing & Formulating ⚙️
For comparing cannabis lab testing, on better ways to capture total yeast & mold counts
Regional (in)Consistency and Comparability of Cannabis Laboratory Testing: A Statistical Exploration of Total Yeast and Mold
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149291826000810
In Brazilian cannabis oils & extracts, on quantifying cannabinoid levels with a high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD)
HPLC-DAD Method for Cannabinoid Quantification in Brazilian Cannabis Oils and Extracts
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9224291/v1/95bd2949-2d46-46ff-b82f-4641970b2ec8.pdf
🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞
On hemp seed cake & an analysis of its use as a functional ingredient in baking
Characterization of Hemp Seed Cake and Its Use as a Functional Ingredient for Bakery Application
https://iadns.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/fft2.70280
For livestock feed, on the agronomy of light conditions & harvest times for nutrition value
Nutritive Value and Cannabinoid Potency of Diverse Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Varieties Grown under Different Light Conditions and Harvested across Multiple Time Points as a Possible Feed Source for Livestock
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c16989
On feeding animals hemp (or willow) to lower methane & nitrogen emissions
The potential of willow and hemp bioactive compounds to reduce methane and nitrogen emissions: in vitro and in vivo studies
https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/57624/
🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️
On creating hemp-derived graphene-like materials (a nanomaterial in high demand these days)
Hemp-Derived Graphene-like Materials: A Renewable Pathway Toward Scalable Conductive Carbon Nanomaterials
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/16/5/475
For sound absorption, on making composites from hemp, flax & denim
Development of Sustainable Lightweight Acoustic Composites from Denim, Flax, and Hemp Fibers
https://acoustics.ippt.gov.pl/index.php/aa/article/view/4349
For hemp as a building material, a review of its potential
Harnessing Hemp: A Comprehensive Review of Its Potential as a Biobased Building Material
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/JMCEE7.MTENG-22181
For hemp fiber concrete blocks, an analysis of their greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment of Bottom Ash Block, Hemp and Pineapple Fibers Concrete Blocks
https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/JASCI/article/view/263964
For insulation, an analysis of the best ratios of hemp fines (fragments from the hemp seed dehulling process)
Hemp fines as alternative lignocellulosic material for non-woven semi-rigid thermal insulation panels
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589234726000771
For hemp insulation, an analysis of composite materials & their properties
Unlocking the potential of bio-based composites: Durability and sustainability of hemp, flax, and miscanthus with low-carbon binders
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259012302601128X
In hemp concrete, modeling of its thermomechanical properties after adding sodium silicate
Thermomechanical characterization and modelling of sodium silicate impregnated hemp concrete
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950061826013425
🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿
For medical cannabis, a special issue of 38 articles in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Cannabis in Transition: Medicalization, Legalization, and Implications for Health
https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(26)00139-X/abstract
🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥
For people with adverse childhood experiences, there were more likely to experience adverse health effects from the nonmedical use of cannabis or opioids
Adverse Effects of Non-Medical Use of Cannabis or Opioids Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/23/5/574
For Queer people in Maine, victimization & discrimination were stressors linked to cannabis & alcohol use
Associations of gender minority stress with cannabis and alcohol use in transgender and gender diverse adults in Maine
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-57913-001
In low-income veterans, those with obesity & cannabis use had more poor physical, social & emotional functioning
History of Cannabis Use and Obesity Among U.S. Low-Income Veterans: Associations With Mental Health and Psychosocial Functioning
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11126-026-10284-5
For detecting cannabinoids in human samples, a review of methods
Extraction and Mass Spectrometry Detection of Cannabinoids in Clinical Samples
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42059241/
For human ingestion of CBD, an analysis of the metabolites found in urine
Cannabidiol metabolites identified by LC-QTOF after controlled dosing
https://www.ovid.com/journals/joat/abstract/10.1093/jat/bkaf098~cannabidiol-metabolites-identified-by-lc-qtof-after
In saliva, on testing for natural & semi-synthetic cannabinoids using bar adsorptive micro extraction
Bar Adsorptive Microextraction for Trace Determination of Natural and Semi-Synthetic Cannabinoids in Saliva
https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/13/5/134
For quantifying cannabinoids in roundworms, on validating an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method
An Accurate Method Based on Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Quantification of Five Cannabinoids in Juvenile and Adult Caenorhabditis elegans
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42024230/
🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒
On cannabis risk knowledge among young adults, knowledge was highest among Germans & lowest among UK participants, with risk knowledge being lowest among regular cannabis consumers
Through the haze: a multinational cross-sectional comparison of cannabis risk knowledge gaps among young adults
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00439-3
For adolescents in the Turks & Caicos Islands, cannabis use linked to psychological distress, bullying & lower parental involvement
Prevalence and Socio-ecological Correlates of Adolescent Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use in the Turks and Caicos Islands
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1747234/abstract
In young adults, on the effects of the tri-use of alcohol, cannabis & nicotine
Tri-use of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine in daily life among young adults: A day-level comparison of substance use outcomes to dual-use and alcohol-only use occasions
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-61795-001
🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠
In human brains & a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, the levels of CB1 receptors were significantly reduced across a number of brain regions
Reduced CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Expression in Alzheimer’s Disease and Transgenic Mouse Models
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/agm2.70080
In a mouse model of IBS leading to visceral pain & depression in adulthood, environmental enrichment reduced these symptoms via the CB1 receptors in the glutamate (the brain’s most common excitatory neurotransmitter) neurons of the prelimbic cortex & the GABA (the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter) neurons of the stria terminalis, as well reduced hyperactivity in the paraventricular nucleus
Environmental enrichment reverses ELS-induced visceral pain and depression through a prefrontal-limbic circuit involving CB1Rs
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10105-2_reference.pdf
For neuroinflammatory diseases, on incorporating CBD into a glucose nanoparticle for better blood-brain barrier penetration
Non-Invasive Brain Targeted Delivery of Cannabidiol for Alleviating Neuroinflammatory Disease
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adma.202518697
For neurological diseases, on testing combinations of CBL & CBD with cyclodextrins
Inclusion complexes of cannabinoids with cyclodextrins: Theoretical methods to evaluate and discuss drug repurposing
https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15002545/v1
💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭
For cannabis & sleep, a survey from the National Sleep Foundation found ~9% of people used cannabis for sleep & 11% were interested
Use and interest in cannabis as a sleep aid: Results from a National Sleep Foundation population survey
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721826000707
For the effects of different ingestion methods on mental health outcomes, something hidden behind a paywall…
Differentiating Cannabis Use: Associations Between Product Type and Mental Health Outcomes
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00111287261441245
🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠
For COVID-19, a review on the potential of cannabinoids in combination with the Artemisia genus of plants
A Review of the Investigation of Selected Cannabinoids, Cannabimimetic and Artemisia Combination Treatment Compounds Against COVID-19 and Their Use as Investigational Natural Therapeutic Agents
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/2d2b833857af479de5d1b849803b835e/download_pub
For cannabis leaf extracts, a characterization of their compounds as well as their antibiotic & fungicidal effects
Cannabis sativa L. leaf by-products extracts: Chemical composition, antimicrobial and in silico study
https://www.ecoeet.com/Cannabis-sativa-L-leaf-by-products-extracts-Chemical-composition-antimicrobial-and,220997,0,1.html
🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal, Inflammation & Surgeries 🦴
In a rat model of inflammatory pain, tolerance to the THC-induced decrease in running was more pronounced in males
Repeated Tetrahydrocannabinol Injections Induce Tolerance but Do Not Disrupt Ongoing Behaviour Upon Withdrawal in Male and Female Rats With Inflammatory Pain
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13108161/
In skeletal muscle cells, PEA & ibuprofen enhanced levels of the proteins involved in muscle contraction & the extracellular matrix while reducing proteins associated with carbohydrate & lipid metabolism, mostly in the ribosomes (protein processing centers of the cell)
The Effects of Palmitoylethanolamide or Ibuprofen on the Abundance Profile and Synthesis Rate of Proteins in C2C12 Skeletal Myotubes
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13104729/
For the painkilling effects of cannabinoids, a modeling study using cheminformatics
QSAR Modeling of Analgesic Cannabinoids via Dual Feature Selection and Support Vector Machines: A Cheminformatics Case Study
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/404812370_QSAR_Modeling_of_Analgesic_Cannabinoids_via_Dual_Feature_Selection_and_Support_Vector_Machines_A_Cheminformatics_Case_StudyQSAR_Modeling_of_Analgesic_Cannabinoids_via_Dual_Feature_Selection_and_Suppor
For chronic pain, on producing co-prodrugs of NSAIDs & PEA
Discovery of novel long-acting co-prodrugs NSAIDs-PEA: Synthesis, nanocrystals preparation, characterizations and antinociceptive effects
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1773224726004156
❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️
For CBD lowering blood pressure, an analysis of the genes & regulatory networks involved
Decoding the antihypertensive mechanism of cannabidiol through integrative bioinformatics and machine learning
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00437-5
In cow blood cells, the terpene beta-caryophyllene modulated their inflammatory responses
Cannabinoid receptor-2 ligand beta-caryophyllene modulates inflammatory responses of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-49474-3_reference.pdf
💨 The Lungs 💨
In an animal model of lung injury due to blood loss, activating the CB2 receptor decreased inflammatory cytokines, lowered oxidative stress markers, reduced cell death & improved survival rates
CB2 receptor agonist JWH133 attenuates hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via GPX4 upregulation
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12931-026-03680-9
🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️
For facial filling, on using injectable hydrogels with CBD microspheres
Physical and biological synergistic strategies: injectable CNF/CMC hydrogels with cannabidiol@PCL microspheres for durable facial filling
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0144861726004935
In cosmetics, on analyzing cannabinoid levels via solid phase extraction with response surface methodology,
Determination of cannabinoids in cosmetics by solid phase extraction with response surface methodology
https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A14%3A19141358/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Acrawler-gcd&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A192446334&crl=f&jrnl=20972806&link_origin=none
🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️
For breast & prostate cancer screenings, heavier cannabis use was associated with lower adherence
Association of Cannabis Use With Guideline-Recommended Cancer Screenings: Results From a National Health Behaviors Survey
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/ascojop/abstract/10.1200/op-24-01093~association-of-cannabis-use-with-guideline-recommended
In breast cancer cells, CBD synergized with the treatment olaparib to cause toxicity, cell cycle arrest & DNA damage
Cannabidiol potentiates olaparib-induced cytotoxicity through cell cycle arrest and DNA damage modulation in breast cancer cells
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11010-026-05550-w
In cervical cancer cells, THC & CBD synergized with cisplatin for diverse anticancer effects
Antiproliferative Effects of Cannabinoids and Cisplatin in Cervical Cancer Cells
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cnr2.70561
For cancer & the enzyme MAGL (which breaks down 2-AG), a review of how it both promotes cancer & exhibits tumor-suppressing characteristics
The dual role of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) in cancer: From oncogenesis to tumor suppression and therapeutic targeting: A review
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813026022439
For cancer, on targeting the MAGL enzyme
The biological functions of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) in cancer
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44446-026-00085-z
💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊
For synthetic cannabinoid use in Brazil, on the demographics of users
Prevalence and correlates of synthetic cannabinoid use in a substance use treatment population: an electronic health record study in Brazil
https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publications/prevalence-and-correlates-of-synthetic-cannabinoid-use-in-a-subst/
On the toxicology of the synthetic cannabinoids UR-144, 5F-UR-144 (XLR-11) & XLR-12
Preclinical toxicological profiling of novel psychoactive cyclopropylindole-based synthetic cannabinoids (SCs): UR-144, XLR-11 and XLR-12: molecular aspects and key toxicity endpoints
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9197780/v1/f80cbf35-e89d-4a1f-9aaa-5abf30c6a052.pdf
In brain cells, the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-MDMB-PICA caused toxicity, oxidative stress & apoptosis (programmed cellular suicide)
Cytotoxic Effects of the Synthetic Cannabinoid, 5F-MDMB-PICA on Human Glioblastoma U87-MG Cells
https://www.medsci.org/v23p1896.htm
For detecting the synthetic cannabinoid EG-2201, on using a naphthalimide-based probe
Synergistic non-covalent-recognition-enabled highly efficient through-space charge transfer for specific synthetic cannabinoid EG-2201 detection
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2026/ay/d6ay00189k/unauth
🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬
On a cheap synthesis of THC using Suzuki–Miyaura coupling
Versatile Synthesis of Δ9‐Tetrahydrocannabinol and Related Compounds by Protecting‐Group‐Free Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling
https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejoc.202600010
For new CB1 drugs, when using AI to analyze their potency
Predicting Affinity and Potency of New Psychoactive Substances at Cannabinoid 1 receptor with Explainable Artificial Intelligence
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1815814/abstract
On incorporating selenium into drugs for the CB1 receptor
Unlocking Selenium Chemical Space via a Programmable Synthesis Platform Bearing Cannabinoid Receptor Recognition Motifs
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.5c16359
Thanks.
- lex
PS: For this week’s Delta blues, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right Mama”. Although he is best known for Elvis covering 3 of his songs, Crudup was an innovator of the blues with a sound all his own (according to Bill Dahl). Born in Mississippi in 1905 to a family of migrant workers, he grew up singing gospel music & later playing local dance halls & cafés. In 1940 at the age of 35, he moved to Chicago to be a musician but was barely making it playing on the streets for change, living in a packing crate underneath an elevated train track. But on the street, the well-known record producer Lester Melrose heard him playing, hired him for a party that night attended by stars like Big Bill Broonzy, Lonnie Johnson & Hudson Whitaker (aka Tampa Red). A hit at the party, Melrose, signed Crudup to RCA’s Bluebird label where he would record ~80 tracks over the next decade.
By the mid-40s, he had a number of songs on the R&B charts including the later Elvis hit “That’s All Right, Mama” (considered by some music historians to be the first rock ‘n’ roll song & leading to Crudup’s sometimes label as the Father of Rock & Roll, a title he accepted was some bemusement). He toured black clubs across the South, sometimes playing with big names like Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James. But by the ‘50s, he stopped recording due to disputes over royalties & low pay. He said, “I realised I was making everybody rich, and here I was poor.” He took to doing farm work & as well as bootlegging, supplying certain establishments with both singing & moonshine. In the late 60s, several people as well as the Songwriters Guild of America were helping him to collect the more than $60k of royalties owed to him but he never collected more than $10k. Crudup said in 1970, “I was born poor, I live poor, and I am going to die poor.” And he did die 4 years later, though his last years saw some success playing the blues & folk festivals for appreciative crowds. Elvis Presley is quoted as saying, “If I had any ambition, it was to be as good as Arthur Crudup.”
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