Drug Facts in Media

New research finds that drug withdrawal-induced anxiety and reinstatement of drug seeking behaviors are controlled by a single pathway in the brain and centered around dopamine cells.

Some cannabis edibles look remarkably like popular snack foods and may be easily confused for them, finds a new study.

Legalization of recreational marijuana reduces demand for costly prescription drugs through state Medicaid programs, according to a new analysis.

Clinical awareness of connection between alcohol and dementia is paramount to providing the best patient care management.

People who reported multiple symptoms consistent with severe substance use disorder at age 18 exhibited two or more of these symptoms in adulthood, according to a new analysis of a nationwide survey in the United States. These individuals were also more likely, as adults, to use and misuse prescription medications, as well as self-treat with opioids, sedatives, or tranquillizers.

Cannabis use among pregnant women is on the rise and may be associated with negative health outcomes in children, according to a new study.

A new study reports that, among youth with substance use and depression, a significant proportion show early improvements in depression during their treatment for substance use. Youth who are using cannabis less frequently prior to treatment and those without conduct disorder are more likely to experience early depression improvement.

The rates of older adults getting treatment for substance abuse rose sharply from 2000-2017, in tandem with the Baby Boom cohort reaching older adulthood.

Receiving psychosocial and behavioral therapy alongside medications for opioid use disorder leads to better treatment engagement and continuity, according to researchers.

A new study shows that using cannabis products to treat pain, anxiety and depression failed to improve these symptoms while doubling the risk of developing the addictive symptoms of cannabis use disorder. People seeking cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression were at greatest risk of CUD. Contrary to evidence-based medicine, people with medical marijuana cards choose their own products and dosing, suggesting the need for better controls over dispensing, use, and professional follow-up of these patients.

A new study establishes important conceptual connections between the fields of circadian rhythms, metabolism, and addiction. Going beyond current studies on substance use disorders, which focus on the impact of addictive drugs on the brain, this new research highlights an existing connection between specific neurons and peripheral organs.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was associated with a reduction in self-reported cannabis use by up to 60 per cent among people with schizophrenia who have cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to a new study.

Researchers found that blood pressure medications have an unanticipated effect on the brain.

Although recreational and medicinal marijuana (cannabis) is increasingly available across the U.S., public and professional awareness that cannabis use may adversely affect brain health is critical, according to the American Heart Association's first scientific statement on the subject.

Smoking cannabis leads to lung damage, but in a different way to tobacco, new research has found. The findings come from the long-running Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, which has documented cannabis use and measured lung function throughout adult life up to age 45 in more than 1,000 individuals born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972/73.