Drug Facts in Media

Previous research has shown that cannabinoids can help lessen side effects of anti-cancer therapies. Now a new review has examined their potential for the direct treatment of cancer.

Childhood adversity permanently alters the peripheral and central immune systems, increasing the sensitivity of the body's immune response to cocaine, reports a new study.

New research on how cannabis use alters eating behavior could lead to treatments for appetite loss in chronic illness, according to experts. Using a new procedure to dose lab rats with cannabis vapor, the researchers found how the drug triggers hunger hormones. They also identified specific brain regions that shift to 'hungry' mode while under the influence.

Hormones that signal the body's state of hunger and fullness could be the key to new treatments for drug and alcohol addiction. Gut hormones have received considerable attention from scientists seeking to understand overeating and obesity, which led the panelists to discover that those hormones are also involved in addiction.

Scientists have discovered that a small group of brain cells in the hypothalamus called 'orexin' neurons could be a promising target for medications for controlling binge eating episodes in individuals with obesity. These neurons, named for the chemical messenger they use to communicate with other brain cells, have previously been shown to be important for addiction to several drugs, including cocaine.

White adolescent boys experiencing early puberty are at higher risk for substance use than later developing boys, a new study finds.

A class of molecules formed when the body metabolizes omega-3 fatty acids could inhibit cancer's growth and spread, researchers report in a new study in mice. In mice with tumors of osteosarcoma - a bone cancer that is notoriously painful and difficult to treat -- endocannabinoids slowed the growth of tumors and blood vessels, inhibited the cancer cells from migrating and caused cancer cell death.

Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors. Scientists have now uncovered that a gene called Maged1 plays a crucial role in controlling these pathological changes.

A pioneering study has found carers who turned to medicinal cannabis to treat children with epilepsy overwhelmingly (75 percent) considered the extracts as 'effective'.

A new therapeutic may help reverse chemical imbalances made to the brain by habitual drug use and could one day help recovering drug addicts avoid future drug use.

A professor is working to change that, and a new clinical trial is right around the corner.

Opioids are powerful painkillers that act on the brain, but they have a range of harmful side effects including addiction. Researchers have developed a tool that gives deeper insights into the brain's response to opioids.

Cannabis use may be decreasing among teens, but a new study showed that American adults have increasingly used cannabis daily since 2007. The study found that nondaily cannabis use decreased among those aged 12 to 25 and 35 to 49 before 2007, and increased among all adults after 2007, particularly among adults 26 to 34.

Researchers have found that individuals who regularly attend church and report that religion is very important in their daily decision making are less likely to use marijuana recreationally and medically.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration's decision to restrict prescription drugs containing hydrocodone (a popular opioid painkiller) was associated with a 'significant' increase in illicit trading of opioids through online markets, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

Researchers have found there is no significant association between cannabis use and suicidal behavior in people with psychiatric disorders. The study findings contrast with pre-existing data that shows the drug is linked to an increased chance of suicidal behavior in the general population.

Research reveals a new potential mechanism for combating drug addiction relapse.

Synthetic cannabis, also popularly known as 'spice' or 'k2,' may boost the risk of a stroke in young users, warn US doctors.

New research indicates that opioid misuse and the use of cannabis and other drugs may compromise the effectiveness of treatments for alcohol use disorder.

Researchers have discovered that men who have used psychedelic drugs in the past have a lower likelihood of engaging in violence against their intimate partners.