Drug Facts in Media

Death rates from drug overdoses in the US have been on an exponential growth curve that began at least 15 years before the mid-1990s surge in opioid prescribing, suggesting that overdose death rates may continue along this same historical growth trajectory for years to come. These findings suggest that, to be successful, prevention efforts must extend beyond control of specific drugs to address deeper factors driving the epidemic.

Researchers have determined that cannabinoid drugs do not appear to reduce the intensity of experimental pain, but, instead, may make pain feel less unpleasant and more tolerable.

A new study shows that skin stem cells, modified via CRISPR and transplanted back to donor mice, can protect addicted mice from cocaine-seeking and overdose.

New research raises the possibility that a wider group of people battling substance use disorders may benefit from a relapse-prevention compound than previously thought.

Patients using inhaled steroids to control asthma and other breathing problems may be at greater risk for developing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung infections, according to new research.

Someday doctors may prescribe sugar pills for certain chronic pain patients based on their brain anatomy and psychology. And the pills will reduce their pain as effectively as any powerful drug on the market, according to new research. Scientists have shown they can reliably predict which chronic pain patients will respond to a sugar placebo pill based on the patients' brain anatomy and psychological characteristics.

A new study identifies a critical role of the orexin system in the expression of an addicted state in rats.

A new study finds that people who use drugs in New York City have adjusted their behaviors to avoid overdose.

Marijuana use is becoming more prevalent among middle-aged and older adults, with 9 percent of adults aged 50-64 and nearly 3 percent of adults 65 and older reporting marijuana use in the past year, according to a new study.

When medical marijuana is taken for chronic nerve pain, it may provide pain relief by reducing connections between the areas of the brain that process emotions and sensory signals, according to a new study.

Recent research shows that cannabis users experience increased cortical activation during the brain's resting state when compared with nonusers. The resulting 'noisy brain' might impair brain activity and disrupt cognitive processes, say researchers.

New research shows there's promise in specific immune system peptides -- amino acid compounds that signal cells how to function. In this case, they may be affecting brain activity and, by extension, drug cravings.

Scientists have discovered that the time of day influences the way mice respond to steroids. Researchers found that out of 752 genes which regulate lungs in mice, 230 genes work only in the day and 197 only at night.

Bile acids -- gut compounds that aid in the digestion of dietary fats -- reduce the desire for cocaine, according to a new study.

The CB1 receptor is responsible for the intoxicating effect of cannabis. However, it appears to act also as a kind of 'sensor' with which neurons measure and control the activity of certain immune cells in the brain. A recent study at least points in this direction. If the sensor fails, chronic inflammation may result -- probably the beginning of a dangerous vicious circle.

First results appeared 24h after one single dose of the marijuana component; scientists concluded that CBD activate mechanisms which repair neuronal circuitry in patients' prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Scientists have been working to find a safe, non-addictive pain killer to help fight the current opioid crisis in this country.

Researchers have found that a single dose of the cannabis extract cannabidiol can help reduce brain function abnormalities seen in people with psychosis. Results provide the first evidence of how cannabidiol acts in the brain to reduce psychotic symptoms.

Researchers have investigated the effects on the brain of concurrent cannabis and nicotine use, versus the use of solely cannabis and solely nicotine.

To better understand how much marijuana or constituent compounds actually get into breast milk and how long it remains, researchers conducted a study.