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Cannabis News
Legalized Pot May Lead to More Traffic Crashes
Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, June 22, 2017 – Although states where recreational marijuana is legal may have experienced a slight bump in traffic collisions, the good news is that there wasn't an increase in crash-related fatalities compared to other states, two new studies show. Insurance claims data show that Colorado, Washington and Oregon all experienced an increase in auto accident claims after retail marijuana sales became legal, according to research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). But Washington and Colorado had similar rates of traffic fatalities as eight other states that haven't legalized recreational pot, an analysis of federal crash data published June 22 in the American Journal of Public Health found. The conclusions of the two separate studies don't necessarily conflict, said J.T. Griffin, chief government affairs officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "One of the ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Cannabis, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
Pot Plus Booze: A Deadly Mix Behind the Wheel
Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, June 15, 2017 – Marijuana and alcohol make a terrible mix on the road, significantly increasing a driver's chances of causing a deadly crash, a new study warns. The risk of being the person to start a crash if you've used both pot and alcohol "increases by more than fivefold when compared with drivers who used neither of the substances," study author Dr. Guohua Li, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, said in a school news release. Researchers looked at data from nearly 15,000 fatal two-vehicle crashes in the United States between 1993 and 2014. Drivers who caused the crashes were much more likely than blameless drivers to test positive for alcohol (28 percent vs. 10 percent), marijuana (10 percent vs. 6 percent), or both alcohol and marijuana (4 percent vs. 1 percent). Drivers who tested positive for alcohol, marijuana or both ... Read more
Related support groups: Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Cannabis, Hangover, Acute Alcohol Intoxication
Nearly 10 Million U.S. Adults Suffer From Mental Illness
Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 12, 2017 – Nearly 10 million American adults have a serious mental illness, and a similar number have considered suicide during the past year, according to a new government report on the nation's behavioral ills. The report also said that 15.7 million Americans abuse alcohol and 7.7 million abuse illicit drugs. The nation's growing opioid epidemic was also a focus in the report. The researchers found that 12.5 million people are estimated to have misused prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) or hydrocodone (Vicoprofen). Despite the growing number of Americans with mental health problems, about a third of those who need help aren't getting it, said researcher Dr. Beth Han. She's from the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). "These are real increases," ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Smoking, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Alcohol Dependence, Endocet, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Alcoholism, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, Substance Abuse, Cannabis
Marijuana May Make Your Gums Go to Pot
Posted 1 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, June 1, 2017 – Frequent pot smokers might be dooming themselves to diseased gums, a new study suggests. "It is well known that frequent tobacco use can increase the risk of periodontal [gum] disease, but it was surprising to see that recreational cannabis [pot] users may also be at risk," said study lead author Jaffer Shariff. He is a postdoctoral resident in periodontology at Columbia University School of Dental Medicine. For the study, Shariff's team analyzed data from nearly 2,000 Americans. Of those, 27 percent reported the use of cannabis (marijuana, hashish or hash oil) one or more times for at least 12 months. Frequent recreational cannabis users were more likely to have signs of moderate to severe gum disease than less-frequent users, the researchers found. "The recent spate of new recreational and medical marijuana laws could spell the beginning of a growing oral ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Oral and Dental Conditions, Toothache, Smoking Cessation, Gingivitis, Oral Thrush, Dental Abscess, Cannabis, Periodontitis, Stomatitis, Prevention of Dental Caries
Many Teens Ride With Impaired Drivers
Posted 30 May 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 – More than one-third of Canadian high school students admit riding in cars with drivers who've been drinking alcohol. And almost 20 percent say they've ridden with someone who'd recently used marijuana, a new study reveals. "These numbers are concerning," said study author Leia Minaker, an assistant professor at Canada's University of Waterloo. "A significant proportion of car-crash deaths are related to alcohol and drug impairment." The researchers analyzed results of a 2014-15 national survey taken by 24,650 students. Based on the results, they estimate that 9 percent of students in grades 11 and 12 have driven within an hour of drinking, and more than 9 percent have driven after using marijuana. "The link between alcohol-impaired driving and collision rates is well-recognized, but the consequences of marijuana use are less clear," Minaker said. Canada wants to ... Read more
Related support groups: Alcoholism, Cannabis, Hangover, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse, Acute Alcohol Intoxication
Compound in Pot Eases Severe Form of Epilepsy
Posted 24 May 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 – A landmark clinical trial has shown that a compound in marijuana can ease life-threatening seizures in children with a rare and devastating form of epilepsy. Cannabidiol – a non-intoxicating chemical – reduced seizure frequency by 39 percent in patients with Dravet Syndrome, researchers report. This is the first randomized, controlled trial to show that cannabidiol (CBD) can help control seizures in some people with epilepsy, said study author Dr. Orrin Devinsky. He is director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "It's a big landmark in the scientific study of cannabis, and it's a major landmark in epilepsy care," Devinsky said. "After four millennia of using cannabis to treat epilepsy, we now have for the first time scientifically rigorously obtained data that this specific compound works in this specific ... Read more
Related support groups: Seizures, Epilepsy, Seizure Prevention, Cannabis, Seizure Prophylaxis
Pot a Factor in More ER Admissions for Colorado Teens After Legalization
Posted 5 May 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 5, 2017 – A Colorado children's hospital saw four times as many marijuana-intoxicated teenagers land in its ER or urgent care centers following legalization of recreational pot in that state, a new study reports. The number of teens diagnosed annually with marijuana intoxication or testing positive for pot during a drug screen at Children's Hospital Colorado rose from 146 in 2005 to 639 in 2014. The findings run counter to national surveys that have shown no increase in teenage pot use in states where recreational marijuana is legal, said lead researcher Dr. George Sam Wang. He's an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. For example, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found a similar percentage of teenagers reported pot use in 2015 as in the prior decade, researchers said in background notes. "Our study shows that ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Drug Dependence, Substance Abuse, Cannabis, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
Drugs Now Involved in More Fatal U.S. Crashes Than Alcohol Alone
Posted 28 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 – In vehicle crashes that claim American lives, illicit drugs are now more likely to have played a role than the use of alcohol on its own, a new report says. The trend comes as more states legalize marijuana and the nation faces a troubling rise in opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the researchers noted. In 2015, drugs were detected in 43 percent of drivers who suffered fatal injuries, a higher percentage than cases involving alcohol alone, the report found. The report was by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org). "As drunk driving has declined, drugged driving has increased dramatically. And many of today's impaired drivers are combining two or more substances, which has a multiplicative effect on driver impairment," Ralph Blackman, president and CEO of ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid, Butrans, Ultram, Opana ER
Higher Illicit Pot Use in States That OK Medical Marijuana: Study
Posted 26 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 – An unintended byproduct of medical marijuana laws could be a sharper increase in illicit pot use, a new U.S. study reports. Illicit pot use increased significantly more in states that passed medical marijuana laws compared to other states, researchers found in comparing three national surveys conducted between 1991 and 2013. States with medical marijuana laws also saw an increase in people who can't stop using pot even though it's interfering with many aspects of their lives, researchers said. This is known as cannabis use disorder. These laws "seem to send a message that use of this drug is safe and acceptable in some way," said lead researcher Deborah Hasin of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. With this implicit message, more people feel free to use pot as they would alcohol, as a means to relax or to cope with problems like anxiety or ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Substance Abuse, Cannabis, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
For the Young, Cigarettes Go Better With Booze Than Pot
Posted 19 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017 – At parties across America, young adult smokers are more likely to pair cigarettes with alcohol than with a "joint." "Our findings show that co-use of cigarettes and alcohol could be more pleasurable than co-use of cigarettes and marijuana," co-first author Noah Gubner, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco's Institute for Health Policy Studies, said in a school news release. The results could also point the way to better efforts to help young adults stop all unhealthy habits, the researchers added. "Smoking cessation interventions should highlight these differences and address co-use to effectively help people cope with triggers to smoke," added co-first author Johannes Thrul, a postdoctoral scholar at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. For the study, researchers surveyed more than 500 smokers in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Nicotine, Alcoholism, Cannabis, Hangover, Nicorette, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol Inhaler, Commit, Habitrol, Acute Alcohol Intoxication, Nicorette DS, Nicotrol NS, ProStep, Nicotrol TD, Nicorelief
Pot Ingredient Might Ease Severe Epilepsy
Posted 19 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 – An ingredient in marijuana may reduce seizures in people with a severe form of epilepsy, a new study suggests. The ingredient in question is cannabidiol – a molecule from the marijuana plant that does not create a "high." The drug is being developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, which funded the new study. Researchers used cannabidiol to treat a type of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. "The seizures in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome can be very difficult to treat, and the ones that cause falling can be dangerous and occur multiple times in a day," explained an expert in epilepsy treatment, Dr. Derek Chong. He directs the division of epilepsy at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The new study was led by Dr. Anup Patel, of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus. His team tested cannabidiol in 225 young ... Read more
Related support groups: Seizures, Smoking, Epilepsy, Smoking Cessation, Seizure Prevention, Cannabis, Seizure Prophylaxis, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
Pot Smoking Common Among Pregnant Teens: Survey
Posted 17 Apr 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 – Adding to concerns about the harms of teenage pregnancy are new U.S. survey results that show 14 percent of teenage mothers-to-be smoke marijuana. This large national survey found that more than twice as many pregnant 12- to 17-year-olds use marijuana as their nonpregnant peers. And significantly more use the drug than pregnant women in their 20s, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Evidence regarding pot's effects on the developing fetus is limited, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women stop using the drug. "Some of the studies that do exist suggest that there are risks to the pregnancy from pot use," said Dr. Judy Chang, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Those risks include "scrawnier ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Smoking Cessation, Delivery, Cannabis, Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation during Pregnancy/Lactation, Labor and Delivery including Augmentation
Parents' Pot Use a Tricky Topic When It Comes to Their Kids
Posted 30 Mar 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 – It's a classic case of parents telling their kids: Don't do as I do, do as I say. The legalization of recreational and medical marijuana in many U.S. states puts parents who use pot in a challenging position, a pediatrician says. It's important to understand that if your children see you using marijuana, they'll want to do the same, according to Dr. Leslie Walker-Harding. She is chair of pediatrics at Penn State Children's Hospital. Parents who use marijuana need to make their children understand that the drug is not for use by youngsters. "Conventional wisdom is kids will do what they're going to do and you can't make a difference. But in reality, parents have the biggest impact on their kids," Walker-Harding said in a university news release. "The most powerful thing you can do as a parent is tell your child, 'I don't want you to use drugs or alcohol,' " ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Substance Abuse, Cannabis, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
Kids Peppered With Pot Ads
Posted 29 Mar 2017 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 – There has been an alarming increase in young Americans' exposure to marijuana ads as more states legalize the drug, a new study contends. Recreational and/or medicinal use of marijuana is now legal in more than half of U.S. states, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said. "Advertising can be powerful," said study first author Melissa Krauss, a research statistician in the department of psychiatry. "That's why we're concerned that so many young adults are seeing ads for marijuana. It's also likely that younger, more vulnerable kids are seeing ads, too." For the study, Krauss' team surveyed 742 younger people, aged 18 to 34, all of whom reported recent marijuana use. The researchers found that 54 percent had seen or sought out marijuana ads in the previous month. The ads were either online or in more traditional forms such as ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Drug Dependence, Substance Abuse, Cannabis, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse
Pot-Laced Goodies Can Poison a Child
Posted 17 Mar 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 – Cupcakes, brownies and candies containing marijuana can look irresistible to kids – but eating even one treat might poison them, a leading group of U.S. pediatricians warns. With marijuana legal in recreational or medicinal form in more than half of U.S. states, edible forms are a popular alternative to smoking pot. But, parents must take steps to keep these potential temptations away from their children, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. A single pot cookie or candy bar can contain several times the recommended adult dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Eating one of these edibles can cause overdose effects such as intoxication, altered perception, anxiety, panic, paranoia and heart problems, according to a news release from the doctors' group. Here are some tips from the pediatricians for keeping your children ... Read more
Related support groups: Drug Dependence, Substance Abuse, Cannabis
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