All articles tagged with #cannabis
The Washington Post Well+Being piece notes that daily cannabis use is rising, but long-term effects are not well understood. It highlights potential short-term benefits like sleep or pain relief while stressing possible health risks—anxiety, heart health concerns, withdrawal—and the need for more research to establish safe usage guidelines.
In a mouse study, obese mice on a high-fat, high-sugar diet treated with THC lost weight and body fat, but only those given a full-plant cannabis extract showed improved glucose tolerance; THC alone did not yield this metabolic benefit, suggesting other cannabis compounds drive the positive effects. The work, published in The Journal of Physiology, cautions against drawing human conclusions and highlights the need for further research into non-THC cannabinoids like CBG and other plant compounds.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed the Democratic-backed bill to create a regulated recreational cannabis market, delaying any legal sales to 2027 and prompting criticism from lawmakers who say the veto keeps Virginia’s cannabis economy in limbo and preserves an illegal market; Spanberger’s substitute would have started later and imposed stricter penalties, while supporters argue legalization could generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue over five years. The legislature will need to try again in 2027.
A multisite study of over 1,000 individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis finds that using cannabis and tobacco together markedly raises long-term risk of developing a full psychotic disorder—about 2.9 times higher than non-users—compared with single-substance use. The effect is partly biological, as smoking tobacco increases cannabis THC absorption, potentially accelerating brain changes. Short-term symptoms rise with either substance, but the major difference appears over time in conversion risk, especially for heavy cannabis use paired with light tobacco use. Stopping both substances could reduce risk, highlighting the need to address co-use in at-risk populations. For those with established psychosis, ongoing tobacco use is linked to a roughly 20-year decrease in life expectancy due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
A mouse study shows that while pure THC can promote weight loss, it does not improve glucose control; a whole-plant cannabis extract containing THC and other cannabinoids did improve glucose tolerance and metabolic markers, indicating non-THC compounds drive metabolic benefits and could inform safer, non‑psychoactive diabetes therapies. Researchers caution against using cannabis for weight loss until more is known and plan to identify the active compounds.
A Johns Hopkins Medicine study shows that consuming cannabis edibles with alcohol produces greater and longer-lasting driving impairment than either substance alone, and standard field sobriety tests often miss cannabis-related impairment, underscoring the need for better public awareness and detection tools as well as reexamination of the 0.08% alcohol limit when cannabis is involved.
In people at clinical high risk for psychosis, co-use of cannabis and tobacco over a two-year period nearly triples the risk of developing a psychotic disorder, signaling a potential synergistic effect and underscoring the need for replication and to test whether cessation reduces risk.
A Washington State University study finds acute cannabis intoxication broadly disrupts memory across multiple domains, increasing false memories and making source tracking harder, with noticeable effects at both 20 mg and 40 mg THC; implications for daily tasks and eyewitness accuracy.
A Colorado study of 169 adults aged 60+ found that older first-time cannabis users mainly seek relief from pain, sleep problems, and mental health concerns to improve quality of life, not to get high. They often rely on word-of-mouth rather than healthcare providers, and many favor CBD–THC combination edibles—the so-called 'Goldilocks option'—as a balanced approach. The findings point to a need for better patient–provider information and clinical tools to guide safe, effective use, especially as legal and regulatory contexts vary by state.
FBI agents raided Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas’s Portsmouth office and a cannabis dispensary as part of a federal corruption and illegal cannabis investigation; reports say the probe began under the Biden administration, Lucas has not been charged, and allies frame the raid as politically motivated while emphasizing due process.
The White House drug czar clarifies that moving marijuana to Schedule III under federal law does not legalize cannabis nationwide; the administration argues Schedule III covers medical use and research, not broad legalization. The new National Drug Control Strategy also flags the dangers of high-potency marijuana and illicit grows, and federal plans to recriminalize hemp THC products are expected later this year. In short, state cannabis reforms remain at odds with federal law.
An FBI raid on Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas’s Portsmouth office and its cannabis-linked business drew national attention because Lucas wields outsized influence over the state budget and redistricting, raising questions about whether the probe is politically motivated and how it intersects with Virginia’s evolving cannabis laws and recent federal prosecutorial turnover.
Federal agents executed a court-authorized raid of Sen. Louise Lucas’s Portsmouth legislative office and searched a nearby cannabis-related business, part of a broader operation affecting multiple Virginia sites. The FBI has not disclosed charges or arrests, and Lucas or other officials have not commented on the specifics, urging caution and transparency as details remain scarce. It is not yet clear whether the investigation concerns Lucas’s legislative activities, her cannabis business, or another matter entirely. Lucas is a longtime Virginia power broker and chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, with recent involvement in redistricting debates and budget negotiations.
A British couple, Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson (both 20), were arrested at Istanbul Airport after cannabis was found in their luggage en route to London from Thailand. If convicted of drug trafficking, they could face up to 30 years in a Turkish prison. Their families have started a fundraising campaign for their defense and they remain in custody as the case proceeds, which could take up to a year; Turkey is known for severe penalties in drug trafficking cases.
Researchers at Stellenbosch University analyzed three cannabis strains and found 79 phenolic compounds, 25 of which were new to Cannabis, including 16 tentatively classified as flavoalkaloids—the first evidence of this rare group in Cannabis leaves. Using two-dimensional liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry, they observed that these flavoalkaloids are concentrated mainly in leaves of one strain, underscoring substantial chemical variation and suggesting that cannabis leafy material—often discarded—may have unexplored medical potential beyond cannabinoids.