Thai happiness canna-tea + autism, elite athletes, fibro & porphyria

Wicked boat strikes cost big in terms of dollars & morality

Lex Pelger WhiteWhaleCreations

Aug 10, 2026

Cannabinoids & The People,
or; Drugs & Drug Wars

🌟 This week 🌟

(#hashtags for jumping to articles by searching for them with your browser)

Cannabis for autism, IBD & porphyria (a blood disorder)
Interviews of elite athletes on why they use cannabis (#athletes)
For women with fibro, a CBD topical (#fibro)
According to the Thai, a cannabis tea for happiness + an old cannabis cream recipe for eczema & psoriasis (#Thai)
Crazy man: turns out cannabis & music combine well (#music)
2 on CBG, with 1 of them being help for ADHD
Harms: lots on psychosis & some on heart harms
Not 1 but 2 reviews on cannabis roots (they’re having a moment) (#roots)
Preclinical: CBD for Gulf War illness, neuropathic pain & Alzheimer’s + THC for anorexia
Psychedelics: psilocybin for anorexia & DMT for depression
War on Drugs: Such a damning ~20k word report on Trump’s boat strikes + they’ve spent $5B & they’re killing Mexican fishermen

[numbers for C&P#195: ~9.4k words, ~25 minutes reading time, 168 papers]

📌 Editor’s notes 📌:
- Thanks to everybody who reached out about our safety. Our home wasn’t in danger, but we did have to evacuate Bordeaux because of the smoke. Unfortunately, the fire was just a stone’s throw away from our family campground where we were about to spend our summer vacation, but a number of kind souls offered us refuge elsewhere & the kids got to enjoy some nice beaches on an island up north.
With the rush, I didn’t quite get this newsletter out in time - so that’s why it’s long on news & only regular on science. Summer is always a tough time to stay on top of the research.

- Friend of the newsletter Dr. Kenneth Weinberg was recently on the cannabis podcast of Montel Williams: ‘The Art of Healing: Dr. Kenneth Weinberg on Cannabis’.

- Friend of the newsletter Doug Fine just had his PBS doc ‘American Hemp Farmer’ picked up for international distribution & you can watch it free here (I also recommend the book of the same name, which lives happily on my cannabis book shelf).

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the 195^th 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. If you purchase one of my canna-graphic novels based on Moby Dick, proceeds go to Americans for Safe Access to support medical cannabis patients.

For producing cannabinoid content, work with my company White Whale Creations: writing, science archives, social media, newsletters & podcasts.

As always, ask me anything!

🤝 Sponsor 🤝: CB EXPO: The European cannabis industry meets in Dortmund

The Cannabis Business Expo and Conference - CB Expo - returns to Dortmund from 15 to 17 September. For the fourth time, it will provide the European cannabis industry with a central platform for business development, knowledge transfer and networking. Once again, CB Expo takes place in parallel with InterTabac, NUBIZ and InterSupply - and will be even more closely integrated into the overall concept of the leading international trade fairs for tobacco and nicotine products. The aim is to make even greater use of the growing intersections between the cannabis industry and the areas of tobacco, vaping, next-generation products and accessories.

Companies such as actiTube, BB Recreational GmbH, Beamer, EUPHORIA TRADE, Fiftys GmbH, Green Brothers Switzerland, MONKEY KING, HONEYPUFF INC., Maryjanecones, SANALEO GmbH, SAS MAMA FAMILLE B2B CANNA and Buddy Belgium (SPRL BRC & Co) will present their products and solutions in the midst of the international trade fair environment.

In addition to product information, the CB Conference on 16 and 17 September will provide a central meeting point for knowledge transfer and discussion. Key topics include:

Headshop business in transition: offline vs. online
CBD and novel food - never-ending story or happy ending?
Future products: which products will shape the cannabis and tobacco market of the future - vapes, pouches or entirely new formats?

This year, the CB Conference will also move closer to the conference programme of InterTabac, NUBIZ and InterSupply. Additional networking opportunities will be offered by the CB Reception on Thursday evening from 7 p.m.

With one ticket, visitors gain access to CB Expo, InterTabac, NUBIZ and InterSupply. Information is available on the website:
https://cb-expo.com/de/

🎥 Lex’s new work 🎤

@CannabinoidsAndThePeople on YouTube & LinkedIn
Canna-edu videos sponsored by the National Cannabis Study (join & get paid $100 to talk about your use of our favorite plant)

Canna-science videos for CV Sciences on YT @CVSciencesInc & on TT @pluscbd
For 30% off their CBD, THC & PEA products, at pluscbdoil.com use the coupon code ‘LEX’
[videos paused for the summer while I work on a video series about their lovely new PlusHLTH products]

@LexPelgerAndHisBooks on TikTok, YouTube & (sometimes) Instagram:
I called the below the ‘Evacuate Bordeaux’ series because I used the opportunity to catch up on books I read lately:

Elizabeth Gaskell’s ‘North & South’ (wonderful old book, great for anyone who likes Middlemarch or Jane Austen. Plus, it speaks to the current AI Revolution through the lens of the Industrial Revolution)
‘The Fort Bragg Cartel’ by Seth Harp (fucking terrible book. But important to anyone paying attention to the military & their complicity in narcotics trafficking)
‘Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco’ by Burrough & Heylar (an amazing business book frequently recommended by Matt Levine)
‘The Player of Games’ by Iain M Banks (great scifi read & my first by this modern master)

And as always, at the bottom is the album of the week: Shirley Horn’s impeccable piano & voice

💖 Ways to support this work 💖

- A paid subscription on Substack

- Buy Me a Coffee

- Venmo: @Lex-Pelger

- PayPal: donate here

📣 A request to spread the word 📣

This newsletter only spreads by word of mouth, so please share to friends & colleagues.

🍃 BEST OF CANNABINOID SCIENCE 🍃

(most of the phytocannabinoid data is here & most of the endocannabinoid data is in the ‘Canna-Science Archive’ at the bottom)

For Corbus Pharmaceuticals in Massachusetts, they’re focusing on obesity with a CB1 inverse agonist (brake) restricted to the body
https://cannabinoidpipelineinsights.substack.com/p/targeting-the-endocannabinoid-system

For MIRA Pharmaceuticals, they have a CB2 drug (MIRA-55) for chronic inflammatory pain & a CB2/‘biased’ CB1 drug for metabolic health & substance use disorders
https://cannabinoidpipelineinsights.substack.com/p/cannabinoid-r-and-d-chronic-pain

For IGC-Pharma, they are targeting Alzheimer’s disease with a partial CB1 drug
https://cannabinoidpipelineinsights.substack.com/p/agitation-and-alzheimers-brief-look

⚕️ Clinical ⚕️

For autism, data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry found that the initiation of cannabis-based medicinal products was associated with improvements in anxiety, sleep & health-related quality of life
‘UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A Clinical Outcomes Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder’
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/npr2.70146

In people with inflammatory bowel disease, a survey found cannabis use associated with the relief of nausea, vomiting, insomnia & joint pain as well as an improved ability to live independently, with 60% saying that cannabis use reduced their opioid consumption & ~90% saying it improved their quality of life
‘Marijuana Use for Symptom Control in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Patients’ Perceptions and Patterns of Use’
https://karger.com/mca/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000553354/4558109/000553354.pdf

In young people with epilepsy resistant to treatment, CBD caused 70% of them to have a 50% reduction in seizure frequency
‘Effectiveness and Safety of Cannabis-Based Products for Refractory Epilepsy From Real-World Evidence’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149291826002183

In people with porphyria (difficulty making the blood component heme), a survey found that ~70% reported cannabis using for symptom management & that there was an association with the use of complementary & alternative medicines
‘Complementary and alternative medicines and cannabis use among individuals with acute intermittent porphyria’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1096719226004865

For elite athletes using cannabinoids, interviews found they used them for pain management, sleep, recovery & mental health but faced systemic barriers related to misinformation, stigma & inconsistent policy guidance (#athletes)
‘Inside the Minds of Professional and Elite Athletes: A Qualitative Exploration of Perspectives on Cannabinoid Use in Contact Sports’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/19417381261460194
As someone who joined a gym this week & worked out one time, I completely get what they mean.

In people with spinal cord injuries, a low-dose of 1:1 THC:CBD oil caused no clinical changes to spasticity but did improve patient-rated spasticity outcomes
‘Medical cannabis improved self-reported spasticity rating in patients with chronic spinal cord injury: a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover pilot clinical trial’
https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/publications/medical-cannabis-improved-self-reported-spasticity-rating-in-pati/

On the combination of cannabinoids & music, a survey found that most people found it enhanced relaxation, improved mood & increased feelings of connection, while also reporting the substitution of cannabis for pharmaceutical treatments for pain, anxiety & sleep, “with music further amplifying these therapeutic effects” (#music)
‘Evaluating the Combined Effects of Cannabinoids and Music, and Their Interactions in Mood and Emotional Regulation: An Online Survey’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/25785125261467505

For happiness, a drip tea infused with cannabis was associated with a “statistically significant increase in happiness levels”, as based on the questionnaire Thai Mental Health Indicators (TMHI) (#Thai)
‘Effectiveness of Cannabis Sativa-Infused Drip Tea on Happiness Among Individuals Interested in Medical Cannabis-Based Care: A Quasi-Experimental Study’
https://jhsmr.org/index.php/jhsmr/article/view/1393

For CBG in healthy adults, it was well-tolerated with the main reports being “significant decreases in self-reported ratings of Jittery and Active associated with 50 mg, significant decreases in Calm associated with 100 mg, and increases in Appetite associated with 200 mg of CBG”
‘Safety, Pharmacodynamics, and Pharmacokinetics of Oral Cannabigerol (CBG) in Healthy Adults’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022356526011845

In people with ADHD, this thesis project found that 80 mg of CBG reduced verbal recall but improved attention & processing speed, with participants reporting lower levels of impulsivity & higher levels of coordination
‘CBG and Attention: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Examining the Effects of Cannabigerol on Indicators of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder’
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6251/

In women with fibromyalgia, a CBD topical reduced localized pain, improved functional capacity & decreased pain & symptom severity scores (#fibro)
‘CBD-Containing Topical Formulation for Localized Pain in Fibromyalgia: A 12-Week Pilot Feasibility Study’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/25785125261468882

In people with eczema & psoriasis, a traditional Thai herbal cream containing cannabis & turmeric showed antioxidant & anti-inflammatory effects (#Thai)
‘Phytochemical Characterization, Biological Activities, and Preliminary Clinical and Mechanistic Evaluation of Traditional Thai Herbal Cream Containing Cannabis sativa and Curcuma longa for Eczema and Psoriasis’
https://www.preprints.org/frontend/manuscript/99c551acb797c83103132fe94624732e/download_pub

In the children & youth of Manitoba, Canada, the legalization of cannabis was not associated with an increased number of cannabis-related hospitalizations
‘Cannabis-related hospitalizations before and after the legalization of recreational cannabis among children and youth in Manitoba, Canada’
https://ijpds.org/article/view/3469

For the semi-synthetic cannabinoid THC-O-acetate, a survey on how people are using it
‘THC-O-acetate: understanding consumer experiences with a novel semi-synthetic cannabinoid’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2026.2698553

📑 Reviews 📑

For how THC moves through the system, a review of 9 different models
‘Mind the Gap: Unraveling the Pharmacokinetic Variability of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)’
https://accp1.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcph.70233

For complex epilepsies & encephalopathies, a review of CBD found improvement in non-seizure outcomes including cognition, behavior, motor function, sleep & quality of life
‘A systematic review of highly purified cannabidiol in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies and complex treatment-resistant epilepsies: Nonseizure outcomes’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0920121126001439

For post-exercise recovery, a review of 70 studies on CBD found it to be anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anxiolytic & painkilling
‘Cannabidiol’s effectiveness in post-exercise recovery: an integrated systematic review’
https://www.revistas.una.ac.cr/index.php/mhsalud/article/view/20144/36711

For neuropathic pain, a review on the mechanisms of cannabinoids & the positive results in human trials
‘Cannabinoids for Neuropathic Pain: A Pharmacological Review of Mechanisms, Clinical Translation, and Future Directions’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42411099/

For neuropathic pain in the body, this review found the CB2 receptor to be a more likely effective target than the CB1 receptor
‘Cannabinoids in peripheral neuropathic pain: Resolving mechanistic mismatch through CB2-oriented phenotype stratification’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299926006126

For kidney injury & repair, a review of targeting the endocannabinoid system
‘Emerging Roles of Cannabinoid Pathways in Renal Injury and Repair’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1777644/abstract

In adolescent depression, a review on the indirect evidence that exercise’s help for depression occurs via improved anandamide responses, CB1 receptor signaling & neural circuit changes between the prefrontal cortex & the amygdala (an emotional processing center)
‘Exercise-Induced Anandamide–CB1R Signaling and Prefrontal–Amygdala Stress Circuits in Adolescent Depression: A Critical Hypothesis-Driven Narrative Review’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1915122/abstract

For the CB1 receptor, a review on its central role in regulating stress, sleep, feeding behavior & energy metabolism
‘The CB1 receptor as a convergence hub linking stress, sleep and appetite regulation: An integrative neurobiological model’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763426003209

⚠️ Harms ⚠️

In EEG brain scans of people with cannabis use disorder, there was enough signal that cannabis users could be distinguished from controls
‘Prefrontal connectivity alterations and oscillatory dynamics in cannabis use disorder’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301051126001572
“The results showed that a delta–high gamma and beta–high gamma coupling in the prefrontal regions highly specific to classify the top features of CUD participants when the eyes were open. Signaling adaptive modulation of neural oscillations of cannabis users was relatively stable coupling in both states. In addition, it was found that frontal–parietal and frontal–temporal coherence in CUD participants were linked at heightened levels during eye closure according to functional connectivity analysis.”

In heavy cannabis users, they had significantly higher scores for positive & depressive symptoms of psychosis, with earlier age of use associated with increased psychotic-like experiences & poor functioning
‘Cannabis use patterns and psychotic-like experiences: a cross-sectional study of heavy users, occasional users, and non-users’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395626003638

For reports of adverse reactions to cannabis in the Italian system, the most common were neurological/psychosis issues, GI reactions & heart problems
‘Analysis of spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions related to medical cannabis from the Italian Phytovigilance System’
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bcp.70695

For cannabis consumption methods & cannabis use disorder risk in Chilean public health data, people vaping cannabis or using edibles had a higher risk of cannabis use disorder than people smoking
‘Non-smoked cannabis consumption formats and Cannabis Use Disorder severity in an illicit setting: Evidence from Chile, 2020–2024’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395926002793

In people with cannabis use disorder, progesterone lessened the cannabis cravings in females but not males
‘Sex differences in stress responding in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of progesterone in cannabis use disorder’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07128-2

For cannabis use & psychosis, a meta-analysis found a clear dose-response relationship, with genetic factors strongly amplifying this risk (especially the COMT Val allele)
‘ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CANNABIS USE AND PSYCHOSIS: AN UMBRELLA REVIEW AND METAANALYSIS’
https://www.academicmed.org/Uploads/Volume8Issue3/243_7317_JAMP_Ravi_Bammidi_1372_1382.pdf

In people who had a heart transplant, the cannabis users had higher rates of complications & rejection
‘Cannabis use and Post-Transplant Outcomes in Heart Transplant Recipients: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42406563/

In the vascular tissue of young adults, the cannabis users had the first stages of plaque formation in their arteries
‘Cannabis Is Associated With Potentially Proatherogenic Inflammation in Youth’
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/circres/fulltext/10.1161/circresaha.126.328913~cannabis-is-associated-with-potentially-proatherogenic

In a young adult with a heart attack, on a potential link to their chronic cannabis use
‘Extensive coronary thrombosis following cannabis use in a young adult: a case report’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12245-026-01275-1

For cannabis-induced psychosis, a review found that cannabis use “eliminates [the] traditional female advantage in psychosis onset timing”
‘Sex-specific vulnerabilities in cannabis-induced psychosis: A scoping review’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876201826002595

In young adults using cannabis, a review found high-potency cannabis use associated with a greater number & intensity of adverse mental health outcomes including dependence, psychosis & cognitive deficits
‘Influence of cannabis potency on mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults: scoping review’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410915/

For neurodevelopmental outcomes after prenatal cannabinoid exposure, a review found the most consistent associations to be behavioral dysregulation, attention-related difficulties & executive function, but most studies found no significant associations with global cognition, language or motor development
‘Neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal cannabinoid exposure: a systematic review’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-026-03126-z

For prenatal cannabis exposure & infant neurodevelopment, a review of 12 studies found an association with poorer self-regulation & visual processing in two studies while the other 10 found no direct associations except for low-income households having worse NICU scores compared to high-income households
‘Prenatal cannabis exposure and infant neurodevelopment: A scoping review of evidence and methodological gaps’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378378226001453

In the German Rhine region after partial legalization, there were increases for cannabis-related disorders, especially dependence & cannabis-related psychosis
‘Cannabis-Related Hospitalizations Before and After Partial Legalization: An Analysis From Five Psychiatric Clinics in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area’
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13353537/

🐁 Preclinical 🐁

For rats taking synthesized CBD, there were no meaningful differences from those taking plant-derived CBD
‘Comparative in vitro safety assessments of synthetized and plant-derived Cannabidiol (CBD), and pharmacokinetics of synthetized CBD: Evidence of similar toxicological profiles and accumulation upon repeated oral administration’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2026.1844643/abstract

In a mouse model of Gulf War illness, CBD improved their brain’s immune system, altered energetic states & reshaped the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain)
‘Cannabidiol reverses neuroimmune priming and microglial exhaustion in aged Gulf War Illness mice’
https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-10072088/v1_covered_c8d3edfa-571a-47c8-a173-a9b69202aef2.pdf?c=1783097394

In a rat model of anorexia due to exercise, THC reduced weight loss & prolonged survival
‘Progressive weight loss is attenuated by THC treatment in rats with activity-based anorexia’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938426002313

In a mouse model of neuropathic pain, CBD injections reversed their mechanical sensitivity, lowered inflammatory cytokines & reduced activation of the microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain) via serotonin receptors
‘Spinal 5-HT1A Receptor-Related and Microglial Mechanisms Associated With Intrathecal Cannabidiol-Induced Antinociception in Neuropathic Pain’
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ardp.70282

In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, nano-CBD had enhanced transport across the blood-brain barrier & caused anti-inflammatory, antioxidant & neuroprotective effects
‘RGD-functionalized cannabidiol lipid nanoparticles improve brain delivery and alleviate cognitive and metabolic dysfunction via gut-brain axis modulation in an Alzheimer’s disease model’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332226007602

In an adolescent rat model of schizophrenia, CBD was associated with beneficial shifts in their gut microbiome while both THC & CBD decreased pro-inflammatory microbes & promoted anti-inflammatory ones
‘THC and CBD Differentially Modulated Gut Microbiota in the Poly I:C Rat Model of Schizophrenia’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1858604/abstract

In a tissue model of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, THC & CBD lowered the neuroinflammation caused by the monocytes (a type of white blood cell)
‘Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Diminish CD16+ Monocyte-Induced Astrocyte Inflammation, while THC Uniquely Inhibits Monocyte Chemotaxis Independent of HIV Status’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11481-026-10300-2

In a rat model of skin wounds, topical cannabis seed oil improved wound closure rates, reduced inflammation & improved proliferation & blood vessel formation markers, perhaps via COX-2, NLRP3, SIRT1 & GSK3β
‘In vivo and in silico wound healing potential of Cannabis Sativa seed oil through inflammation mediators’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42426779/

In a tissue model of early-stage human immune cell development from stem cells, both CBD & THC accelerated differentiation, especially in B cells
“Both CBD and THC induced loss of CD34 expressing HSPCs in a concentration-dependent manner at several time-points, suggesting accelerated differentiation of HSPCs to downstream progenitors. Interestingly, both CBD and THC elicited a strong increase in CD19+ early B cell populations. With CBD and THC, there was also a trend towards an increase in the percentage of monocytes at early time points, with significant increases at several time points at 10 µM, and an increase in the proportion of megakaryocyte progenitors at later time-points. We also found that monocytes and type 2 classical dendritic cells that developed in presence of CBD had greater phagocytic capacity.”
‘Cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol alter human hematopoiesis by enhancing B cell lineage commitment’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300483X26001447

For bacteria resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, adding the terpene β-caryophyllene improved antibiotic efficacy as well as skin wound healing via the upregulation of wound-healing-associated genes
‘Restoring ciprofloxacin efficacy via β-caryophyllene synergy for concurrent infection control and tissue regeneration’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11274-026-05121-7

🆕 Novel Studies 🆕

(my grab bag section for stuff I haven’t quite seen before)

On the effects of inhaled cannabis on asthma, the revered Dr. Tashkin collected the contradictory data & objected to a recent study that combined smoking & vaping
‘Does Inhaled Marijuana Use Have an Adverse Effect On Asthma?’
https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0012-3692(26)00442-3/fulltext

For the anti-neuroinflammation effects of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB - a ketone having a PR moment) in microglia (guardian immune cells of the brain), blocking the CB2 receptor removed or lessened the benefits of BHB
‘Unveiling the role of CB2 receptor in beta-hydroxybutyrate mediated modulation of’ [sic]
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13105-026-01206-x
Here’s one more sexy molecule who we can add to our list of things that work via the endocannabinoid system.
(In fact, as I sit here processing science late on a Friday night, I realized that I too am something that works via the endocannabinoid system)

📰 US Headlines & Fav Articles 📰

For the dreaded federal hemp THC ban, this Senate approved adding a one-month delay to a major spending bill, but a coalition of 35 attorney generals called on Congress to not reverse the planned recriminalization & a Senator introduced an amendment to strip out the extension provision
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/senate-gives-hemp-thc-products-a-lifeline-by-including-provisions-to-delay-planned-federal-ban-in-new-spending-bill/
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/state-attorneys-general-push-congress-not-to-reverse-course-on-banning-hemp-thc-products/
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/gop-senator-aims-to-keep-hemp-thc-product-ban-on-track-for-november-with-new-amendment/

In the US, major cannabis companies have donated millions to PACs aligned with Trump
https://www.salon.com/2026/07/25/big-cannabis-has-cozied-up-to-the-gop/
“Over the past couple of months, four major marijuana companies - Verano, Curaleaf, Trulieve and Vision Management Services, a subsidiary of Green Thumb Industries - each gave $2.5 million to America First Agriculture Action Inc., a Trump-friendly super PAC. They weren’t alone in their donations. Ascend Wellness and Arboretum Bidco, two additional major cannabis companies, also gave $500,000 and $1 million to the PAC. Trulieve gave another $250,000 to the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund, a pro-Israel super PAC.”

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to pay $200k to the National Academy of Sciences for a “clear, scientifically defensible, and operationally actionable fitness-for-duty standards for pilots and air traffic control specialists”
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/faa-considers-new-marijuana-standards-for-pilots-and-air-traffic-controllers-under-trumps-rescheduling-move/
Oh man. They could have just paid me 200 bucks and save themselves the trouble. Absolutely everybody wants a good clear measure of cannabis intoxication. There would be so much money for whoever solves that problem. And yet the problem has yet to be solved.
The only vaguely related work is the potential of using ratios of metabolites to find out when the person last ingested. But that still is not a measure of intoxication or readiness to perform safety-sensitive occupations.

In Canada, a federal court ordered the Human Rights Commission to reopen a discrimination complaint where a cannabis user said the bank revoked his mortgage for (legally) growing medical cannabis in his home
https://www.westernstandard.news/news/federal-judge-orders-human-rights-commission-to-revisit-marijuana-mortgage-discrimination-case/75362

In Massachusetts, the initiative on rolling back the legalization of cannabis will appear on the ballot
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/massachusetts-officials-reject-challenge-to-anti-marijuana-initiative-signatures-ruling-it-will-appear-on-november-ballot/

In Michigan, the Supreme Court ruled that small amounts of illegal cannabis are no longer enough to justify a warrantless vehicle search
https://www.mlive.com/cannabis/2026/07/michigan-supreme-court-rules-vehicle-searches-based-solely-on-low-level-marijuana-violations-are-illegal.html

Meanwhile, in Maryland, the courts allowed for the police to search cars based on the smell of cannabis if the occupants are underage
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/maryland-court-allows-police-to-search-cars-based-on-smell-of-marijuana-if-occupants-are-underage/

In an Arizona independent living community, senior citizens can now use on-site kiosks to buy cannabis products
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/senior-citizens-can-order-marijuana-on-easy-mode-from-new-kiosk-at-independent-living-community-in-arizona/

An interview of reggae legend Native Wayne by Alex Rogers of ICBC

🌐 International News 🌐

In Colombia, on the President-elect & how he used to defend narcotics traffickers in court & now reinvented himself as a law & order candidate
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/world/americas/colombia-president-de-la-espriella-trump-us-investigation.html

In Germany, half of the ~900 applications for cannabis cultivation associations were rejected
https://internationalcbc.com/nearly-900-cannabis-cultivation-association-applications-submitted-in-germany/

In Germany, a leading pharmacologist alleges cannabis from Thailand has been “greenwashed” into GMP compliance, usually in Portugal
https://www.cannabiz-africa.com/blog/all-medical-cannabis-imported-from-thailand-into-the-eu-is-greenwashed

In Spain, a draft tobacco law could quietly dismantle the thriving cannabis social club scene
https://businessofcannabis.com/spains-tobacco-crackdown-could-quietly-wipe-out-its-cannabis-clubs/

In Jamaica, the government is reviewing a framework for the religious use of cannabis
https://cannabislaw.report/jamaican-government-reviewing-framework-for-religious-use-of-cannabis/

In the UK, on the barriers to medical cannabis access
‘Barriers to Medical Cannabis in the UK: Human Rights Implications of Criminalization and Inequitable Access’
https://journals.sas.ac.uk/amicus/article/view/5917

In Himachal Pradesh, India, they become the 3^rd state to allow for the legal cultivation of cannabis for medical & scientific purposes
https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/24/himachal-becomes-third-state-in-india-to-allow-legal-cannabis-cultivation-for-medicinal-scientific-use

For medical cannabis in Brazil, an analysis of lawsuits against the government requesting access found the most frequent conditions were epilepsy, autism & pain
‘Therapeutic indications in lawsuits seeking medical Cannabis in Brazil: a cross-sectional study in light of scientific evidence’
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13336621/

In Argentina, Chile & Uruguay, a comparison of presidential opinions on drug policy reform since the 1970s
‘Presidential support for drug policy reform: a comparison of cannabis policies in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (1973–2015)’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2026.2693262

⚖️ Business, Laws & Education ⚖️

For the METRC cannabis tracking tags, a report by Beard Bros found they contain lead & arsenic, suggesting issues with worker safety & as well as disposal
https://beardbrospharms.com/articles/california-forced-cannabis-operators-to-use-millions-of-metrc-tags-now-the-tags-have-reportedly-tested-positive-for-prop-65-chemicals/

For cannabis dispensaries, an analysis of where a dollar goes as it moves upstream & why things land hardest on the growers
https://toddharrison.substack.com/p/where-did-the-money-go-and-why-arent

On the legalities of cannabis interstate commerce by Marc Hauser
https://cannabismusings.substack.com/p/cannabis-musings-july-30-2026

In US states with adult-use cannabis laws, they had reduced rates of personal bankruptcy
‘Recreational marijuana legalization and personal bankruptcy’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1544612326009463

For unlicensed cannabis cultivation in California, the single largest & most consistent predictor of reduced unlicensed cultivation was the presence of licensed farms
‘Patterns and correlates of unlicensed cannabis cultivation in California (USA) following adult-use legalization’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926002641

On the effects of cannabis taxes on consumption, a potency tax reduced consumption of higher-potency products while a price tax reduced consumption of higher-price products, but it also pushed people into the illicit market
‘The Impact of Various Tax Bases and Rates on Cannabis Consumption Among US Adults Who use Recreational Cannabis’
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hec.70129

For building adult-use cannabis markets, a policy playbook from the Niskanen Center
‘A Policy Playbook for Building and Fixing Adult-Use Cannabis Markets’
https://www.niskanencenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Improving-Adult-Use-Cannabis-Markets-final-draft.pdf

For cannabis policy, a touchy-feely article on storytelling & the art of noticing unloved others
‘Arts of noticing unloved others: reflections on the importance of methods, meetings, and affect in cannabis policy’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14744740261457166

For stakeholders in the hemp supply chain, interviews on their perceived challenges
‘Identifying stakeholder perceptions of barriers in the hemp supply chain: a sentiment analysis approach’
https://www.emerald.com/rjta/article-abstract/doi/10.1108/RJTA-11-2025-0257/1385312/Identifying-stakeholder-perceptions-of-barriers-in

In South Africa, a review of 65 papers on the value pathways for cannabis biomass
‘Cannabis sativa L. biomass valorization as a strategic bioresource for South Africa’s circular bioeconomy: integrating biorefinery pathways and green extraction’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13399-026-07177-9

In an analysis of HHC gummies, 10 different cannabinoids & synthetic cannabinoids were found
‘Identification and estimated amounts of five triethylsilylated-cannabinoids in HHC gummies by GC-MS and HPLC-UV analysis’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665910726000514
“GC-MS analysis identified a total of ten cannabinoids: five parent cannabinoids (9R-HHC, 9S-HHC, Δ8-THC, Δ9-THC, and iso-hexahydrocannabinol) and five cannabinoid triethylsilyl (TES) derivatives that corresponded to each of the parent cannabinoids.”

🚗 Driving 🚗

For driving in those who use cannabis the night before, those above the blood THC cutoff of ≥2 ng/mL had subtle changes to their driving performance, most of which did not reach statistical significance
‘The use of THC cutoff levels in blood and oral fluid for detecting impairment in frequent cannabis users who smoked cannabis the “evening before”’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-026-07129-1

In rural young adults, a survey found that they used cannabis more frequently & drove under the influence more frequently than urban young adults
‘Rural-urban residence in relation to cannabis use influences and behaviors among a sample of US young adults reporting past-month cannabis use’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42387866/

🚓 The War on Drugs 🚓

Damning & comprehensive report on the Trump boat strikes as either murder, extrajudicial killings or crimes against humanity: “So what you’re telling us is you need less evidence to kill somebody than you do to hold them.” - Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)
https://www.wola.org/analysis/killing-spree-extrajudicial-executions-in-the-u-s-boat-strikes-campaign/

The cost of the boat strikes: ~$5B
https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/the-us-military-campaign-to-stop-drug-trafficking-has-failed-its-time-to-move-on/

Boat strikes hitting Mexican fishermen
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-07-20/us-drone-attacks-mexico-drug-boats

The DEA released a 50^th anniversary book!
https://www.dea.gov/about/history
oh man, I know you can read it free at the link above, but I am sorely tempted by the $50 print copy. If it wouldn’t go towards funding something I’ve spent my entire life trying to dismantle, I would so buy it.
But instead I will mind the history chapters for images to demonstrate how the US War on Drugs is absolutely our Captain Ahab story.

On the EU Drug War, an excellent take on social programs as the true solution with Portugal as both the guide & the warning
https://www.socialeurope.eu/europes-drug-war-punishes-the-poor-and-spares-the-powerful

Mexican cartels moving into Africa by sending chemists there to take advantage of its centrality as well as the local market
https://insightcrime.org/news/mexican-meth-expertise-spreads-to-african-labs/

In Bangladesh, a new law allows for the death penalty in cases of drug crimes committed in cyberspace
https://cannabislaw.report/bangladesh-parliament-passes-law-allowing-death-penalty-for-drug-crimes-in-cyberspace/

In Sri Lanka’s recent Drug War push, thousands of teenagers arrested
https://english.newsfirst.lk/2026/07/31/thousands-of-teens-arrested-in-sri-lanka-s-anti-drug-war

In Lebanon, the influencer “Dr. Food” sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor for smuggling ~800 kg of hashish in cake packaging
https://cannabislaw.report/lebanese-food-influencer-dr-food-sentenced-to-life-for-smuggling-hashish-out-of-lebanon-in-cake-packaging/

In Indonesia, 3 police officers killed during a drug raid
https://en.antaranews.com/news/422360/nine-arrested-after-officers-killed-in-central-kalimantan-drug-raid
And a military raid seized 5k cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/indonesia-military-seizes-5000-cannabis-plants-in-highland-papua-raid/
And in Jakarta, a pilot arrested with 26 kg of MDMA faces possible execution
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-malaysia-airlines-pilot-arrested-drugs-mdma-ecstasy-6290211

In northern India, over a dozen police dismissed due to alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/kathua-cop-sacked-over-drug-smuggling-jk-police-tightens-noose-narco-terror-904450

In Korea, 2 men accused of growing cannabis in underground bunkers after pocketing ~$600k in state agricultural loans
https://cannabislaw.report/korea-two-men-accused-of-growing-cannabis-in-underground-bunker-using-government-grants/

Near the Bahamas, the Coast Guard seized $2.8M of cannabis on a boat
https://www.military.com/coast-guard-seizes-2.8-million-in-marijuana-near-the-bahamas

In Spain, 2 tons of hashish intercepted arriving from Morocco
https://cannabislaw.report/spanish-security-forces-seize-nearly-two-tons-of-hashish-arriving-from-morocco/

In Thailand, 1.6 tons of cannabis seized that was destined for the Netherlands
https://cannabislaw.report/thai-examiner-thai-customs-save-government-further-blushes-with-1-6-tonnes-cannabis-seizure-destined-for-hollands-drug-market/

In Mendocino, California, 173k cannabis plants seized from unlicensed operations
https://cannabislaw.report/173000-illegal-cannabis-plants-26-guns-seized-in-massive-mendocino-county-enforcement-sweep-mcso/

In Nepal, 400+ kilograms of cannabis seized
https://cannabislaw.report/nepal-over-419-kg-of-marijuana-seized-in-sarlahi-two-arrested/

In Australia, a man linked to a criminal syndicate arrested for cannabis & money-laundering to the tune of $17M
https://cannabislaw.report/australia-man-arrested-as-part-of-multi-million-dollar-drug-cannabis-and-money-laundering-investigation/

In Australia, 260 cannabis plants seized at a value of ~$500k
https://cannabislaw.report/australia-nsw-520k-cannabis-seized-following-search-warrant-cessnock/

In New Zealand, the bust of a grow with 150 cannabis plants
https://cannabislaw.report/nz-cannabis-bust-in-ngaruawahia/

In the UK, a cannabis farm above a pub discovered with 150 plants
https://cannabislaw.report/uk-cannabis-farm-discovered-in-rooms-above-pub/

In Nepal, 140 kg of cannabis seized from an orchard
https://cannabislaw.report/nepal-140-kg-marijuana-seized-from-orchard-in-parsa/

In Florida, a man faces federal prison time for intent to distribute 100+ kg of cannabis
https://cannabislaw.report/man-caught-in-florida-with-over-100-kilos-of-marijuana-faces-federal-indictment/

In Syria, border guards seized 40+ kg of hashish & 700k pills of Captagon (a stimulant) incoming from Lebanon
https://cannabislaw.report/syrian-border-guards-seize-over-40-kgs-of-hashish-and-700000-captagon-pills-coming-from-lebanon/

In Saudi Arabia, 2 Yemenis arrested for 27 kg of hashish
https://cannabislaw.report/saudi-two-yemenis-arrested-over-27-kg-of-hashish/

In Sri Lanka, a Canadian arrested with 20+ kg of hashish
https://cannabislaw.report/canadian-national-arrested-at-katunayake-airport-with-hashish-worth-over-rs-200-mn/

In Uzbekistan, 12 kg of hashish oil seized at airport
https://cannabislaw.report/uzbek-authorities-seize-nearly-12-kg-of-hashish-oil-at-airport/

In Macau, a man arrested with 3 kg of cannabis hidden in a suitcase
https://cannabislaw.report/malaysian-national-caught-at-macau-airport-with-3-4-kg-of-cannabis-hidden-in-suitcase/

In Nigeria, a man gets 7 years in prison for advertising cannabis online
https://cannabislaw.report/nigeria-man-gets-seven-year-jail-term-for-advertising-cannabis-online/

In Kuwait, a dentist arrested after trying to sell hashish & other drugs on the Internet
https://cannabislaw.report/kuwaiti-dentist-arrested-for-alleged-drug-trafficking-via-social-media/

In Bali, Indonesia, a drug network run by Russians uncovered with 7.8kg of the synthetic cathinone mephedrone
https://cannabislaw.report/bnn-exposes-russian-drug-network-in-bali/

In Singapore, they are testing a clip-on hair scanner for detecting illegal drugs
https://cannabislaw.report/singapore-central-narcotics-bureau-cnb-investigating-drug-hairscanner-tech/

WoD Research

For the crack epidemic of the 1980s, on how the Black community responded in New York City & Atlanta with demands for more aggressive enforcement while also engaging in community activism
‘”The People vs. Crack”: Drugs, Violence, and the Politics of Order Maintenance’
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/D0ADF329BC0A12802CA6E8FCE3ADB59B/S089803062610061Xa.pdf/people_vs_crack_drugs_violence_and_the_politics_of_order_maintenance.pdf

In Bali, Indonesia, on the police methods for detecting cannabis grows
‘LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST THE MODUS OPERANDI OF HYDROPONIC MARIJUANA CULTIVATION IN DENSELY RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BALI REGIONAL POLICE’
https://myjournal.or.id/index.php/JLSSH/article/view/611/535

For illicit drug markets, an analysis of how each generation integrates the new technologies
‘Risk actants and the socio-technical evolution of illicit drug markets through time: from payphones to crypto-spatial markets and a nascent dark metaverse’
https://www.emerald.com/dhs/article-abstract/doi/10.1108/DHS-01-2026-0005/1385214/Risk-actants-and-the-socio-technical-evolution-of

🛡️ Harm Reduction News 🛡️

In Minnesota, a good piece of journalism on the power of harm reduction & the current worries about funding with a focus on the organization Harm Reduction Sisters
https://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction/2026/05/harm-reduction-sisters-nonprofit-saves-lives-that-might-not-be-good-enough-duluth-minnesota-pulitzer-story-reach/

In Manitoba, Canada, their only supervised consumption site will fully open this week
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/supervised-consumption-site-open-aug-11-9.7286865

In Winnipeg, Canada, the demand for naloxone training increases as the drug crisis worsens
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/naloxone-training-opioid-overdose-drugs-9.7272419

In Minnesota, syringe service programs at risk after state support drying up
https://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction/2026/08/needle-exchange-programs-at-risk-of-closure-as-state-funding-dries-up/

Professional POS Ann Coulter said “we could probably end the country’s drug problem by not saving anyone who overdoses”
https://anncoulter.com/2026/07/23/why-are-we-saving-drug-addicts/

Harm Reduction Research

For indigenous harm reduction approaches in British Columbia, on using the Two-Eyed Seeing approach
‘Indigenizing Harm Reduction: Exploring First Nations community-led wise practices in response to the toxic drug crisis in BC’
https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/ijih/article/view/47012

In interviews of people who reversed overdoses, on how this becomes normalized & invisible moral labor by people who use drugs
‘The habitus of care: Overdose normalization, reversal expertise, and the invisible moral labor of people who use drugs’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953626006362

For community-based harm reduction programs, a review of 78 studies found their scale-up was associated with reduced opioid overdose mortality, lessened HIV & HCV transmission & improved initiation & retention of medications for opioid use disorder
‘Community-Based Harm Reduction Programs for Opioid Use Disorder: A Narrative Systematic Review of Effectiveness, Implementation Barriers, and Policy Implications’
https://www.asidejournals.com/index.php/internal-medicine/article/view/729

🍄 Psychoactives, Psychedelics & Plant Medicines 🍄

A fascinating look at a rediscovered early Catholic document on peyote
https://themicrodose.substack.com/p/a-lost-peyote-document-from-1619

An excellent takedown of the evangelical psychedelic book ‘The Christian’s Guide to Psychedelics’ by the pastor Joe Welker
https://www.psychedeliccandor.org/p/reviewing-the-christians-guide-to

Psychedelics & MDMA

For females with anorexia nervosa, psilocybin caused significant improvements to eating disorder symptoms & motivation to change
‘Psilocybin therapy for adult females with anorexia nervosa: pilot study’
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/1F7A572C32BD84045048704D33112A18/S0007125026106874a.pdf/psilocybin-therapy-for-adult-females-with-anorexia-nervosa-pilot-study.pdf

In people with & without depression taking DMT, it reduced their anxiety, increased their life satisfaction & sustained their improvements in quality of life over the next year
‘Beyond symptom reduction: DMT improves anxiety, life satisfaction, and quality of life in healthy volunteers and patients with depression’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02698811261465005

For psychedelics & aging, a review of their potential for longevity science
‘Psychedelics and longevity: implications for lifespan, healthspan and functional aging’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/30653495.2026.2696224

A review of psychedelics & the thalamocortical system (a bridge between the cerebral cortex & the thalamus responsible for sensory perception, regulating consciousness, motor control & cognitive functions)
‘Psychedelics and the thalamocortical system: A scoping review’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305726000870

On Canadian policy for using psychedelics in palliative care, a review of the trajectory of their drug policy
‘Policy pathways and historical insights: Canada’s evolving approach to psychedelic access for end-of-life distress’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395926002665

In a rat model of alcohol use disorder, a single dose of ayahuasca reduced relapse drinking, lowered the anxiety & depression-like behaviors induced by alcohol, lessened oxidative stress across brain regions & restored the levels of BDNF (a key brain growth factor)
‘Single Ayahuasca administration attenuates alcohol relapse and associated behavioral, neurochemical, and oxidative alterations in rats’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278584626002150

Ketamine

In brain scans of people with major depressive disorder, a ketamine infusion altered cortical dynamics in the responders, potentially being a useful biomarker for predicting antidepressant response to ketamine
‘Ketamine alters the aperiodic EEG exponent in major depression: implications for cortical E/I balance and treatment prediction’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20451253261462240

In ketamine for a range of mental health conditions, on their disorder-specific changes to their brain scan EEG results
‘Ketamine effects on EEG and their links to therapy differ across treatment-resistant major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder’
https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ijnp/pyag037/8725363

In ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, on the potential of higher levels of kynurenic acid as a predictor of therapeutic response
‘Kynurenine pathway profiles as markers of ketamine response in treatment-resistant depression’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159126006379

In people with treatment-resistant depression, ketamine injections produced short-term clinical benefits
‘Effectiveness and safety of repeat dose subcutaneous ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, and the impact of prior ketamine treatment: open label extension of the KADS study’
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/0995DD957145B888CB118FA878F1A930/S0007125026106928a.pdf/effectiveness-and-safety-of-repeat-dose-subcutaneous-ketamine-for-treatment-resistant-depression-and-the-impact-of-prior-ketamine-treatment-open-label-extension-of-the-kads-study.pdf

A case report of chronic ketamine use associated with progressive multisystem organ dysfunction
‘Chronic ketamine use associated with progressive multisystem organ dysfunction’
https://casereports.bmj.com/content/19/7/e273088.abstract

A case report of ketamine use leading to pain & bladder problems
‘Ketamine-induced cystitis: Lessons from a case of recreational use’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544319126004711

For cancer-related pain & palliative care, a review of ketamine’s clinical use & safety
‘Ketamine for Cancer-Related Pain in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review of Clinical Use and Safety’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15360288.2026.2700291

In a mouse model of the antidepressant effects of ketamine, on how it changed brain-wide neural dynamics & the microbiome
‘Multilayer brain network analysis in mice reveals ketamine-induced reorganization of brain-wide fluctuations and gut-brain axis’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-10606-0

Kratom

For kratom, a survey of why people were using it
‘An Initial Survey Assessing the Temporal Relationship of Kratom Initiation With Medical Treatment and Substance Use’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768357261465591

For kratom, a clinical study found stimulant-like benefits with increased energy & focus
‘Observational Real-World Analysis of Dose-Dependent Effects of Mitragyna speciosa (Korth.) on Focus and Energy’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1838148/abstract

For doctors dealing with kratom, a survey found that the majority felt comfortable discussing its use & over half reported treating problematic kratom use or kratom use disorder
‘Kratom in Clinical Practice: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Screening Behaviors Among U.S.-Based Healthcare Providers’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2686382

A case report of kratom use leading to a bronze-colored skin rash
‘Photodistributed Hyperpigmentation Associated with Chronic Kratom Use: A Case Report’
https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(26)01942-0/abstract

🍃 The Plant & its Products 🍃

For hemp seeds, a review of their nutritional composition & utilization as food, medicine & industrial materials
‘Review on Comprehensive Utilization of Hemp Seed with High Quality’
https://www.scirp.net/pdf/ojapps_2313833.pdf

For hemp root extracts, a metabolic analysis & their potential as a food & cosmeceutical (#roots)
‘Health-Promoting Potential of Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Root Extracts: Phytochemical Composition, Biological Activities, and Nutraceutical Applications’
https://www.lidsen.com/journals/rpn/rpn-06-03-012

In cannabis roots, a review of their compounds’ antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory & antioxidant properties as well as interactions with root microorganisms
‘Back to the roots: Cannabis sativa L. root metabolism, microbiomes, and biotechnological potential’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-026-13955-2

🌱 Growing 🌱

For increasing cannabinoid & terpene production, on the benefits of mechanical stress (a trick of legacy growers)
‘Pre-harvest mechanical stress increases cannabinoid and terpene production in cannabis’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12870-026-09309-9

In young cannabis cuttings under salt stress, the bacterial metabolite Bacillin 20 improved germination rates & seedling vigor
‘Bacillin 20 modulates root architecture and germination responses of cannabis under non-saline and saline conditions’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669026012379

For analyzing pesticide levels in cannabis, on an automated process using a QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged & Safe) approach with a GC-MS/MS
‘Automated QuEChERS method for high-throughput analysis of pesticides in Cannabis sativa L. flowering tops by GC-MS/MS’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003267026008901

In the development of the callus in Moroccan cannabis, on the effects of different mediums & treatments
‘Somatic embryogenesis and histological characterization of callus development in moroccan varieties of Cannabis sativa L.’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11240-026-03532-w

For micropropagation of cannabis, a book chapter on strategies
‘In Vitro Mass Propagation of Cannabis sativa L. for Enhanced Production of Anti-aging Metabolites: The Strategic Role of Plant Growth Regulators’
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-8064-4_12

For feminized hemp seed production, on chemically inducing male flowers on genetically female plants using sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers
‘Optimized Chemical Masculinization and SCAR Marker-Assisted Screening for Feminized Seed Production in Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)’
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pbr.70111

In early cannabis seed germination under stress conditions, a genetic analysis of the response of the GATA transcription factors (proteins that regulate developmental & stress-response processes)
‘Whole-genome analysis reveals the tandem duplication of Cannabis sativa L. GATA and their stress-responsive expression during seed germination’
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12870-026-09308-w_reference.pdf

For cannabis undergoing drought stress, a review of its stress responses
‘Drought Stress in Cannabis sativa L.: Current Knowledge, Research Gaps, and Future Perspectives – A Review’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1890092/abstract

For watering cannabis, on creating an automated AI system
‘Automated Dehydration Assessment in Cannabis via YOLOv8 Localization and Multi-Modal Feature Classification’
https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ecticit/article/view/265968

For using drones & AI to monitor your hemp, this field experiment measured the need for nitrogen fertilizer
‘AI-Driven Prediction of Plant Physiological Traits in Hemp Using UAV-Based Multispectral Imagery’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/remote-sensing/articles/10.3389/frsen.2026.1843209/abstract

For retting & decortication, an analysis of the effects of roller pressure & moisture
‘PREDICTION OF HEMP FIBER DAMAGE AND DECORTICATION EFFICIENCY USING RANDOM FOREST REGRESSION’
https://smartquillpublishing.uz/storage/articles/pdfs/2026/07/d87c478b-a772-49f7-a096-55d6a674cf80-journal-2026-yil-2-tom-1-son-46-53.pdf

For the water retting of hemp fiber, on using a bacterial bioreactor
‘A prototype bioreactor for the water retting of hemp bast fiber: dynamics of the liquor bacterial consortium across sequential retting cycles’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1856675/abstract

🍞 Food & Nutrition 🍞

For insulin resistance, a review of hemp seeds (& flaxseed, chia, pumpkin & sesame)
‘Bioactive components, mechanisms, and applications of functional seeds (Flaxseed, chia, pumpkin, hemp, and sesame) in insulin resistance: A mini-review’
https://www.herbmedpharmacol.com/Article/jhp-53271

A book chapter on hemp for food security
‘Hemp: A Potential Crop for Resilient Food Security’
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-92-1471-6_8

On making emulsion gels of soy protein & hemp protein isolate & the effects of salt on gel quality
‘Synergistic effects of ultrasound and Na+ on soy protein isolate–hemp protein isolate–carboxymethyl cellulose composite emulsion gels: Evaluating the potential for low-salt gel foods’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813026032757

For extraction from discarded hemp, on using green technologies to extract nutritional components
‘Biorefining hemp processing by-products by supercritical CO2, pressurized liquid, and enzyme-assisted extractions for the recovery of valuable bioproducts’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960308526001847

For hemp cake as a food waste, it had lower energy recovery potential than flaxseed, but better than cherry pits
‘Energy Potential of Selected Food Waste Samples: A Comparative Analysis of Flaxseed Cakes, Hemp Cake, and Cherry Pits’
http://generalchemistry.chemeng.ntua.gr/uest/kos2026/Proceedings/Session%20XVII/279.KOS2026_Urbancl.pdf

🏗️ Industrial Uses & Fiber 🏗️

For creating antibiotic clothing, on enriching hemp fabric with nanoparticles of platinum & palladium
‘Green Functionalization of Hemp Fabrics with Pd/Pt Nanoparticles via Microwave-assisted Rose Extract Synthesis and Ridge-regularized RSM Optimization’
https://www.nanoient.org/journals/index.php/jent/article/view/3002

For synthetic dye from water, on the adsorption performance of hemp biowaste
‘Comparative Study of the Sorption Mechanism of Reactive Black 5 Dye on Raw and Carbonized Sorbent Derived from Industrial Hemp Biowaste’
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/7/808

For clearing the dye methylene blue out of water, on combining hemp waste with potassium carbonate
‘K2CO3-activated carbon derived from industrial hemp waste: characterization and methylene blue adsorption studies’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1536383X.2026.2697840

On hemp for biochar, on the effects of chicken manure, vermicompost & wastewater sludge
‘Biochar-Amended Chicken Manure, Vermicompost, And Wastewater Sludge On Hemp Growth, Heavy Metal Accumulation, And Rhizo-Microbial Communities’
https://www.airitilibrary.com/Article/Detail/15606686-N202606120016-00005

For growing, cleaning & separating hemp seeds, on the effects of soil & seed size
‘DETERMINING EFFECT OF GROWING CONDITIONS ON HEMP SEED PROPERTIES’
https://erdev.lbtu.lv/sites/default/files/proceedings/2026/TF064.pdf

On creating electromagnetic interference shielding materials from hemp, sunflower & flax
‘Development of Helianthus annuus waste derived activated biocarbon and Hampa hybrid fibre (hemp 55% and flax 45%) reinforced rigid ester biocomposites for electromagnetic shielding applications’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10854-026-17942-1

On upcycling hemp hurds into cellulose nanomaterials
‘Upcycling of Hemp Hurds into High-Value Cellulose Nanomaterials: Nanofibrillated Cellulose and Nanocrystalline Cellulose Production and Characterization’
https://ojs.bioresources.com/index.php/BRJ/article/view/25930

For 3D printed hemp/polylactic acid, on the best printing parameters & testing temperatures for tensile strength
‘Influence of printing parameters and testing temperature on the tensile behaviour of 3D printed hemp/PLA’
https://www.icmams.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/paper-136.pdf

For layered epoxy-based composites, reinforcing with hemp & Astragalus fibers
‘Fabrication and characterization of layered epoxy-based composites reinforced with hemp and Astragalus fibers’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352710226015767

For creating biodegradable green composite materials, on combining woven aloe vera, flax & hemp fiber reinforced with barium sulfate for strength, flexibility & sustainability
‘Mechanical characterization of woven aloe vera/flax/hemp fiber reinforced hybrid green composites with barium sulphate filler’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10751-026-02636-1

For creating thermoplastic composites with hemp fiber, on the best ratios for strength & ease of processing
‘Manufacturing-ready hemp fiber–blended composites: extrusion compounding, pelletization, and injection-molding outcomes’
https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/polyeng-2026-0016/html

For hemp shives, 3D characterization of their packing structure
‘3D microstructural characterization of hemp shiv packing using X-ray computed tomography: Morphology and density of hemp shiv particles’
https://enpc.hal.science/hal-05686204/file/preprint_chekai-et-al_2026.pdf

For flattening hemp stems, a study of the best design of flattening rollers
‘STUDY OF FLAT MOVEMENT OF FLATTENING ROLLERS ALONG HEMP STEMS’
https://erdev.lbtu.lv/sites/default/files/proceedings/2026/TF199.pdf

On isolating cellulose & lignin from hemp with green solvents
‘Lignin isolation from hemp pomace and hemp stalk with deep eutectic solvents’
https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/prilog-skup/954297

On dissolving hemp-wool blend yarns
‘An investigation into the dissolution of a hemp–wool hybrid yarn by the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10853-026-13261-2

For hemp textiles, an analysis of elementary fibers & spinnability
‘COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON NEW VARIETIES OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP FOR MANUFACTURE OF HIGH-QUALITY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS’
https://erdev.lbtu.lv/sites/default/files/proceedings/2026/TF006.pdf

For hemp-clay composites, on the best percentages of gum arabic for compressive strength
‘Microstructural mechanisms of gum arabic-stabilized red clay binder for hemp shive building composites’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710226016037

🌿 THE CANNA-SCIENCE ARCHIVE 🌿

🏥 Public Health & Bioassays 🏥

For the use of medical cannabis by Queer people in Australia, they started using medical cannabis regularly at an earlier age, were more likely to identify a mental health condition & reported less satisfaction with treatment compared to heterosexuals
‘Patterns, motivations, and healthcare experiences of medical cannabis use among gender and sexuality diverse people in Australia: findings from the Cannabis as Medicine Survey 2022 (CAMS-22)’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12954-026-01489-9

For American Indian & Alaska Native adults in the US, those living in medical or adult-use states had higher levels of use
‘Cannabis use patterns among American Indian and Alaska Native adults across U.S. state cannabis policy environments’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460326002005

For dentists & dental students, a survey found the majority had favorable opinions towards the therapeutic uses of CBD
‘Medicinal cannabidiol: perceptions of dentists and dental students’
https://www.scielo.br/j/rounesp/a/VD4nKfT4wwXdZPW7Ffq3kbS/abstract/

For the rapid detection of cannabinoids in the blood, a proposed sensor
‘High-performance surface plasmon resonance biosensor design: Encircled quad-block resonator structure for real-time label-free detection of marijuana assisted with linear regression’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1386142526009534

In postmortem blood, on determining the levels of CBN, opioids & nicotine
‘Simultaneous Determination and Method Validation For Opioids, Cannabinol and Nicotine in Postmortem Whole Blood Using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography Mass Spectrometry’
https://turbanpress.com/subscription/upload_pdf/7-15-ifct-@-1752314419.pdf

🧒 Adolescents & Young Adults 🧒

In young adults after cannabis abstinence, they had gendered changes in higher-level brain processing
‘Network topology and cannabis use following two weeks of monitored abstinence: moderation of sex and patterns of use findings
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41822540/
“Sex moderation was observed; within male cannabis users, higher past-year CU was associated with significantly higher frontoparietal and ventral attention network (VAN) efficiency. Within female cannabis users, higher past-year CU was associated with significantly lower Default Mode Network assortativity. Within individuals who initiated CU before the age of 17, males had lower assortativity in the VAN and Somatomotor network.”

In heterosexual & sexual minority college students, a survey found the sexual minority participants had lower cannabis harm perceptions
‘Explicit and Implicit Cannabis Harm Perceptions in Relation to Cannabis Use Across Sexual Minority and Heterosexual College Students’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10826084.2026.2696907

In adolescent males, problematic cannabis use was the dominant mediator between adversity & delinquency
‘From early adversity to juvenile delinquency: The mediating role of marijuana use, PTSD symptoms and inhibitory control in adolescent males’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0145213426003340

For adolescents in Minnesota, the use of cannabis has declined since 2013
‘Changing cannabis use among diverse adolescents over a 12-year period of policy change: Trends and disparities’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953626006738

In university students, cannabis use did not seem to influence their dietary behaviors or meal skipping
‘Cannabis Use and Diet Quality Among University Students: The Role of Meal Skipping and Health Behaviours’
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13364245/

In youth with first-episode psychosis, a cannabis harm reduction app was not associated with any robust improvements
‘Correlates of Engagement and Associations with Outcomes in a Cannabis Harm Reduction Mobile App for Youth with First-Episode Psychosis: Exploratory Findings from the CHAMPS Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42423495/

On the motives for alcohol & cannabis use among young adults, they included fun, sociality & coping
‘Day-level latent classes of alcohol and cannabis use motives: Associations by combined use, level of use, and consequences’
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2027-95351-001

🧠 The Brain & Neurological Disorders 🧠

In the adolescent mouse striatum (a brain region for movement, reward & habits), a thesis project on visualizing the CB1 receptor & its co-expression with the glycoprotein Reelin (involved in the migration of neurons in the developing brain)
‘Visualizing and Quantifying Cannabinoid Receptor 1 and Reelin Co-Expression in the Adolescent Mouse Striatum’
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/738456wd

In a tissue model of Parkinson’s disease, the phenylpropionamides from hemp seeds caused anti-Parkinsonian effects, potentially via the triggering of autophagy (cellular recycling)
‘Phenylpropionamides of Cannabis sativa L. seeds exert a cytoprotective effect through modulation of the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy pathway and attenuate apoptosis in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040816626004490

In human astrocytes (the brain’s most common support cell), their CB1 receptors were on the cellular membrane & present in the cytoplasm, but not in the mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell)
‘Human cortical astrocytes express type 1 cannabinoid receptor at mRNA and protein levels’
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr1276976

💭 Mental Health, Addiction & Cannabis Use Disorder 💭

In people with cannabis use disorder, 12 weeks of intense exercise enhanced brain plasticity
‘Exercise-induced brain changes in cannabis use disorder: a longitudinal MRI study of a 12-week supervised HIIT program’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-026-03720-2

For the mental health symptoms of cannabis, a hypothesis paper on one potential link being the disruption of olfactory processing
‘A Hypothesis on the Role of Olfactory Dysfunction in Cannabis-Associated Neuropsychiatric Effects’
https://philarchive.org/rec/PORAHO-2

In people recovering from substance use disorders, a survey of their beliefs about cannabis
‘Cannabis use and beliefs among people in recovery from substance use disorders’
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42238-026-00461-5

In college students with PTSD, a thesis project on the association & mediation between cannabis use & symptom clusters
‘PTSD Symptoms and Cannabis Use Among College Students: Examining the Role of Trauma-Related Cannabis Use to Cope’
https://www.proquest.com/openview/69161249fbce5c469d34943074d697c7/1

For migraine & co-occurring depression, higher levels of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the spinal fluid were correlated with depressive symptoms
‘Endocannabinoid cerebrospinal fluid levels in migraine and its relation to symptoms of depression’
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03331024261451250

In the endocannabinoid levels of people with major depressive disorder, this meta-analysis found they had higher levels of anandamide & PEA (but not 2-AG or oleoylethanolamide)
‘Neuroimmune lipidome dysregulation in major depressive disorder: A meta-analysis of peripheral endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamine signaling’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159126006586

In people with non-psychotic mental disorders, a survey found that legalization of adult-use cannabis caused lower concerns about negative legal consequences
‘Attitudes of Patients with Non-Psychotic Mental Disorders Towards Cannabis After Its Legalization—Comparison with Patients Before Legalization’
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/16/7/730

For cannabis use disorder, a review proposing the Social Anxiety - Metacognitive Recovery Disruption (SAMR-D) model
‘The social anxiety–metacognitive recovery disruption (SAMR-D) model: integrating metacognition, motivation, and recovery processes in cannabis use disorder’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2026.2698560

In a mouse model of anxiety, exercise alleviated anxiety-like behaviors via CB1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex as well as signaling by GABA (the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter)
‘Medium-intensity aerobic exercise can relieve mice anxiety by activating cannabinoid type 1 receptors on medial prefrontal cortex GABAergic neurons’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-026-04162-8_reference.pdf

In a newborn rabbit model of classical (Pavlovian) conditioning, the endocannabinoid system was not involved with classical conditioning but was in sensory preconditioning & second-order conditioning as well as a control of memory reconsolidation
‘Double dissociation in the involvement of noradrenergic and endocannabinoid systems in classical and higher-order conditioning in newborn rabbits’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1074742726000602

🧬 Reproduction & Hormones 🧬

In pregnant & postpartum people in the US with HIV, on the demographics of their use of alcohol & cannabis during & after the pregnancy
‘Pregnancy and postpartum cannabis and alcohol use among people with HIV in the United States’
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/pmf2.70350

In a tissue model of prenatal human lung development, co-exposure to tobacco, CBD & THC decreased proliferation, increased DNA damage response markers & induced a senescence-like phenotype
‘Co-exposure to cannabinoids and nicotine increases senescence in prenatal human lung development’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-026-05037-w

In an animal model of prenatal vaped THC & nicotine exposure, the adolescent offspring had altered cognitive effects that were modulated by stress & gender
‘Context-dependent attention and memory outcomes resulting from combined prenatal THC and nicotine exposure following chronic stress’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305726000894

In the testes of rats, there was mutual modulation between the endocannabinoid system & the kisspeptin system (a regulator of reproduction & puberty)
‘The Mutual Modulation of Endocannabinoid and Kisspeptin Systems in Rat Testis’
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-396X/7/3/36

🦠 The Immune System & Microbial 🦠

For toxicity in human macrophages (a type of white blood cell) from high levels of lipids, CBD lessened inflammation
‘Cannabidiol selectively attenuates lipotoxic immunometabolic inflammation in human macrophages’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1873494/full

For the parasite Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid worm, dog tapeworm), a combination of the anti-parasite medication albendazole with the terpene caryophyllene reduced their viability with significant synergy over either treatment alone
‘Synergistic Effects of Combined Caryophyllene and Albendazole against Invaginated and Evaginated Protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus’
https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/4761

🦴 Pain, Musculoskeletal & Surgeries 🦴

In people with chronic pain & the physicians who treat them, on the stigma around opioid & cannabis use
‘Perceived Prescription Opioid and Medical Cannabis-Related Stigma Among US Adults With and Physicians Who Treat Chronic Pain’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42420748/

For pain management, a review of nanoencapsulated CBD & THC for better bioavailability
‘Cannabis-Based Nanolipid Formulations for Pain Management’
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/7/844

In a mouse & tissue model of muscle atrophy, hemp seed protein hydrolysates positively regulated muscle protein synthesis & degradation
‘Hemp seed protein hydrolysates and its bioactive peptides mitigate muscle atrophy in in vitro and in vivo models’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996926017126

❤️ The Heart & Blood ❤️

In atherosclerosis (hardened arteries), human plaques had CB1 receptors & deleting or blocking them lessened the plaque buildup & improved metabolic parameters
‘Endothelial cannabinoid CB1 receptor deficiency reduces shear stress-induced arterial inflammation and lipid uptake’
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75214-2

🍽️ The Guts, Nutrition & the Microbiome 🍽️

In people with a high body mass index, this thesis project found that a combination of oleoylethanolamide, ginger & lavender essential oil for 12 weeks did not improve metabolic biomarkers, while reducing white blood cell counts & altering the epigenetics related to metabolism, the immune system & function of the mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell)
‘Metabolic and Epigenetic Impact of Concomitant Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Inhibitors and Oleoylethanolamide in a Novel Delivery’
https://scholarship.miami.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Metabolic-and-Epigenetic-Impact-of-Concomitant/991033131430902976

💨 The Lungs 💨

For ingesting CBD as an inhaled dry powder, on using the flavonoid kaempferol for its antioxidant & anti-inflammatory effects as well as for improved aerosolization
‘Incorporating kaempferol into inhalable cannabidiol dry powder enhances stability, aerosolization, and anti-inflammatory effects’
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1773224726007215

👀 The Eyes 👀

In a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa (a rare genetic disorder of the slow breakdown of photoreceptors), inhibition of the enzyme FAAH (which breaks down anandamide) increased photoreceptor cell number & thickness of the retina’s outer nuclear layer as well as a 30% reduction in reactive oxygen species
‘Photoreceptor preservation by FAAH inhibition in a murine model of retinitis pigmentosa’
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42429887/

For cannabinoid receptors in eyes with glaucoma, on the quantum chemistry of THC, CBD & CBN
‘Δ9-THC, CBN, and CBD in Glaucoma: A Theoretical Insight in Light of Molecular Electrostatic Potential and CB1 and CB2 Ligand-Receptor Interaction’
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/408250329_D_9_-THC_CBN_and_CBD_in_Glaucoma_A_Theoretical_Insight_in_Light_of_Molecular_Electrostatic_Potential_and_CB1_and_CB2_Ligand-Receptor_Interaction

🖐️ The Skin & Topicals 🖐️

In people with hidradenitis suppurativa (a skin disease of painful lumps & deep abscesses), an analysis of the endocannabinoid system & pain-sensing network in their skin
‘Compartment-Resolved Transcriptomics of the Cutaneous Endocannabinoid System and Nociceptive Networks in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Neuro-Immune and Stromal Crosstalk’
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202607.0807

In a skin stem cell model of UVB radiation, the combination of CBG & the vitamin C derivative 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid (EAA) counteracted changes to the membranes, improved antioxidant capacity & caused anti-inflammatory effects
‘Combined Effects of Cannabigerol and 3-O-ethyl Ascorbic Acid on Oxidative
Stress in UVB-irradiated Keratinocytes’
http://vns.microsep.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VNS_2026_Abstract-book_FINAL.pdf#page=46

🎗️ Cancer & Chemotherapy 🎗️

For cancer, a review focusing on cannabis & ferroptosis (a newly discovered type of cell death mediated by iron)
‘Medicinal Cannabis in Cancer Therapy: Targeting Ferroptosis as a Novel and Promising Axis’
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/hujpharm/article/1932122

💊 Synthetic Cannabinoids & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids 💊

In Turkey, on analyzing the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-MDMB-PINACA (5F-ADB)
‘Quantitative analysis of the synthetic cannabinoid 5F-ADB (5F-MDMB-PINACA) in narcotic substances seized in Türkiye’
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00450618.2026.2701756

🔬 Biochemical Discoveries & Research Tools 🔬

For peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ - a nuclear receptor that regulates genetic transcription), this molecular docking & dynamics study found that THC, CBD, THCA & CBDA all had at least one stable binding mode
‘Multiple binding modes underlie Cannabis sativa cannabinoids recognition by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma’
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioinformatics/articles/10.3389/fbinf.2026.1893303/abstract

A proposal for how to convert THC to CBD
‘Synthetic Pathway of Nonpsychoactive Cannabidiol from Psychoactive Tetrahydrocannabinol: A DFT Guide’
https://pubs.acs.org/joceah/article-abstract/91/29/10103/5226288/Synthetic-Pathway-of-Nonpsychoactive-Cannabidiol

On studying anandamide’s cellular effects with a new system using ultraviolet light to cause it to stimulate the CB1 receptor
‘Photorelease of Anandamide at the Cell Plasma Membrane with Optically-Cleavable Targeted Ligands’
https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15005963/v1

Thanks.
- lex

PS: For one of the great voices of jazz, Shirley Horn’s ‘Loads Of Love’ (1963). A great pianist & superior singer, Shirley Horn didn’t find fame until her 50s (in the 1980s), but she was first discovered in 1960 in Washington DC after spending her young life studying music & sneaking into the local jazz clubs. Her first album, ‘Embers and Ash’, came to the attention of Miles Davis & he told the Village Vanguard Jazz Club that he would either perform there with Horn or he would not perform there at all (this was especially notable because Davis was known to not often praise fellow musicians publicly). Those gigs were turned into an album ‘At the Gaslight Square 1961’ & Horn came to the attention of Quincy Jones, then the vice-president Mercury Records, who signed her to the label. Her 2 records with them were well-regarded (a third one was recorded but not released & seems lost to history) but she was more popular with the jazz critics than the wider audience. She resisted efforts to make her into a more popular singer, saying “I will not stoop to conquer”. She semi-retired through the rest of the ‘60s & ‘70s, focusing on raising her daughter.
But in 1978, Steeplechase Records of Denmark tracked her down to make an album & she ended up making 4 with them, leading to engagements across North America & Europe. Then the big break in 1987 when Verve Records pursued her for a contract & she ended up recording 11 studio & live albums for them, these being her most commercially successful productions. Notably, she worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years, Charles Ables on electric bass & Steve Williams on drums. Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) on “the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to Horn’s sound. Working with boundless subtlety, following her every spontaneous twist and turn, they were the ideal accompanists for a performer who clearly will tolerate nothing less than perfection”.
Shirley Horn performed at the White House for several presidents, received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music as well as the French Academie Du Jazz’s Prix Billie Holiday & was awarded the highest US honor for jazz musicians: the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. A survivor of breast cancer, she passed from diabetes complications at the age of 71.

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.

Cannabinoids & the People

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