Drug Facts in Media

Scientists have shed light on poorly understood brain mechanisms that suppress drug and alcohol cravings, uncovering new insights that may help in the development of better addiction medicines.

Bisexual women had higher rates of past-year and daily marijuana use compared to heterosexual women, and gay/lesbian women were also more likely to report daily marijuana use and past year medical marijuana use than heterosexual women. While previous research has explored the association between state-level medical marijuana laws and marijuana use and MU disorder among the general US population, this is among the first to explore this relationship for lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.

As growing numbers of people are using cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study reports that prescriptions are not backed up by adequate evidence.

Chronic cocaine use changes gene expression in the hippocampus, according to new research in mice.

A significant proportion of eScooter injuries in the US seem to be occurring while 'drivers' are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and almost never wearing a helmet, suggests a new study.

A specific gene associated with autism appears to undergo changes in the sperm of men who use marijuana, according to new research. The gene change occurs through a process called DNA methylation, and it could potentially be passed along to offspring.

A team has developed a breathalyzer device that can measure the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana, in the user's breath. The breathalyzer was developed using carbon nanotubes, tiny tubes of carbon 100,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nanotechnology sensors can detect THC at levels comparable to or better than mass spectrometry, which is considered the gold standard for THC detection.

Nearly one in four Arizona teens have used a highly potent form of marijuana known as marijuana concentrate, according to a new study. Among nearly 50,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders from the 2018 Arizona Youth Survey, a biennial survey of Arizona secondary school students, one-third (33%) had tried some form of marijuana, and nearly a quarter (24%) had tried marijuana concentrate.

Since the first states legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, several others have joined them, and cannabis-infused edibles, including gummy bears, cookies and chocolates, have flooded the market. But these sweet treats have created confusing results for scientists trying to analyze their potency and purity. Now researchers report that components in chocolate might be interfering with cannabis potency testing.

Using the largest database of real-time recordings of the effects of common and commercially available cannabis products in the United States, researchers found strong evidence that cannabis can significantly alleviate pain, with the average user experiencing a three-point drop in pain suffering on a 0-10 point scale immediately following cannabis consumption.

Among adults aged 18 years and older, 31 percent used prescription opioids only as prescribed by a physician medically and 4 percent misused them. Thus, the overwhelming majority (88 percent) of all past-12-month prescription opioid users used the drugs for medical purposes only.

Spending on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine fluctuated between $120 billion and $145 billion each year from 2006 to 2016, rivaling what Americans spend each year on alcohol, according to a new study.

After medical marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, cannabis-related poison control calls involving the commonwealth's children and teenagers doubled, according to a public health investigation.

A new study found no harm to newborns from opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) during pregnancy compared with no treatment.

Compared to people who only drank alcohol, those who used alcohol and marijuana simultaneously were more likely to drink heavier and more often, according to researchers. They were also more likely to experience alcohol-related problems -- like impulsive actions they later regretted.

Not a good mix: A researcher has found that adults who combine prescription opioids for severe pain and cannabis report elevated anxiety and depression symptoms, with no increased pain reduction.

A new study finds that marijuana access leads to reductions in opioid-related deaths.

Using in-depth interviews with adolescents (16-19 years of age) who used alcohol and marijuana, this study examines the role that social and physical contexts play in adolescent decision-making about simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana.

Researchers were surprised to find that methamphetamine use is not linked with worse health outcomes among burn patients, but was associated with significantly worse discharge conditions for meth-positive patients. Meth-positive patients suffered worse injuries and stayed longer in hospital than meth-negative patients. Also, more meth-positive patients left the hospital against medical advice and fewer had access to support such as skilled nursing facilities. They did worse in every measure of socioeconomic status.

More than a tenth of U.S. adults age 65 and older currently binge drink, putting them at risk for a range of health problems, according to a new study.