Drug Facts in Media

The legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with an increase in its abuse, injury due to overdoses, and car accidents, but does not significantly change health care use overall, according to a new study.

Regular coffee drinkers can sniff out even tiny amounts of coffee and are faster at recognizing the aroma, which could open the door to new ways of using aversion therapy for addiction.

An analysis of published studies gauging attitudes to medicinal cannabis has found that while health professionals are broadly supportive, they feel they lack clinical and legislative knowledge, and their greatest concerns are the psychiatric harm that may be caused to patients and misuse by recreational drug users.

A study of cannabis users in states where it's legal found 82% use the drug before and/or after exercise, with many reporting it increases enjoyment, enhances recovery, and heightens motivation.

Taking a pharmaceutical formulation of cannabidiol, a cannabis-based medicine, cut seizures nearly in half for children with a rare and severe type of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome, according to a phase 3 study.

According to a roadside survey conducted in Washington State, 14.1% of drivers with children in the car -- nearly one in seven -- tested positive for THC, the principal psychoactive compound in marijuana.

Scientists used a compound found in a shrub native to Africa to reveal the three major shapes of the serotonin transporter, a protein in the brain linked to anxiety and depression. The discovery opens new avenues for developing medications to treat addiction.

A new study reveals that many people with cancer use marijuana, and rates of use in the US have increased over time. The study also found that patients with cancer are more likely to use prescription opioids than adults without cancer.

New evidence suggests that those who smoke cannabis, or marijuana, weigh less compared to adults who don't. The findings are contrary to the belief that marijuana users who have a serious case of the munchies will ultimately gain more weight.

Researchers in Colorado examined medical records of 250 patients who received endoscopic procedures after 2012, when the state legalized recreational cannabis. They found patients who smoked or ingested cannabis on a daily or weekly basis required 14% more fentanyl, 20% more midazolam, and 220% more propofol to achieve optimum sedation for routine procedures, including colonoscopy.

Scientists have revealed neuronal mechanisms underlying the formation and retrieval of cocaine use-associated memories. Their research sheds light on how drug addiction develops and reveals pathways that can be exploited for the development of strategies to treat cocaine addiction.

With a growing number of states legalizing recreational or medical marijuana, more women are using the drug during pregnancy, in part due to its reported ability to relieve morning sickness. A new study, conducted in rats, sheds light on how cannabis exposure affects the brain of a developing fetus.

Researchers report combining cannabinoids with morphine did not significantly increase impulsivity or memory impairment in a study conducted in rhesus monkeys. The findings suggest using opioids and marijuana together could offer a safe way to cut opioid dosage among patients suffering from pain and thereby reduce their risk of becoming addicted to opioids.

Performance-enhancing steroid use could increase the risk of cocaine use and addiction in teens, according to a new rodent study. The combination of these drugs could also impair fertility in young women.

A clinical review offers new advice to help patients and doctors.

Forty-four men with liver injury, attributed to over-the-counter bodybuilding supplements, experienced a uniform and distinctive pattern of signs and symptoms that were often prolonged, difficult to treat, and accompanied by disability and weight loss, according to a new study.

An estimated 76 million people use psychostimulants, which include illicit drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, as well as prescription stimulants. A new study from Australia is the first to present national data of psychostimulant use in young adults who experienced a fatal stroke.

Efforts to curtail the flow of cocaine into the United States from South America have made drug trafficking operations more widespread and harder to eradicate.

Pregnant women who use cannabis may slightly increase the risk their unborn child will develop psychosis later in life, suggests new research.

A new study shows that compared to other patients, cancer patients use different forms of medical marijuana for unique reasons.