Researchers outline some of the intermediate biological steps that could play into how prenatal cannabis exposure leads to behavioral issues down the line.

A new study shows that people with COVID-19 who used cannabis were more likely to be hospitalized and require intensive care than those who did not use the drug.

A clinical trial on a two-drug therapy for methamphetamine use disorder reduced use of the highly addictive drug for up to 12 weeks after initiation of treatment. Participants in the ADAPT-2 clinical trial who received a combination of injectable naltrexone plus extended-release oral bupropion (NTX+BUPN) had a 27% increase in methamphetamine-negative urine tests, indicating reduced usage. By contrast, the placebo group had an 11% increase in negative tests. To date there is no FDA-approved medication for it.

Nearly one in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with 35% of those using at levels indicating moderate- to high-risk use disorder. The findings indicate the need for routine cannabis use screening. Currently few healthcare systems offer this screening in primary care settings.

During pregnancy, the effects of therapeutical doses of amphetamine have been investigated on birth outcomes in humans. However, a thorough investigation of the mechanisms underlying the long-term effects of embryonal exposure to addictive doses of amphetamine remains largely unexplored. Using a tiny worm, researchers have revealed the underlying mechanisms of embryonal exposure to methamphetamine (Meth) and amphetamines, a psychostimulant used to treat a variety of brain dysfunctions.

A new study assessed cannabis use in the United States between 1979 and 2022, finding that a growing share of cannabis consumers report daily or near-daily use and that their numbers now exceed those of daily and near-daily alcohol drinkers. The study concludes that long-term trends in cannabis use parallel corresponding changes in policy over the same period.

When breastfeeding mothers in a recent study used cannabis, its psychoactive component THC showed up in the milk they produced. The research also found that, unlike alcohol, when THC was detected in milk there was no consistent time when its concentration peaked and started to decline. Importantly, the researchers discovered that the amount of THC they detected in milk was low -- they estimated that infants received an average of 0.07 mg of THC per day. For comparison, a common low-dose edible contains 2 mg of THC. The research team stressed that it is unknown whether this amount has any impact on the infant.

A sharp rise in exposures to synthetic cannabis products among youth -- some leading to hospitalization -- highlights the need for increased education around the dangers of exposure and increased focus on safe storage and packaging.

A follow-up analysis 50 years later finds no adverse heart health risk from Professor Mont Liggins' landmark steroid study to reduce illness and death for pre-term babies.

Researchers have uncovered a mechanism in the brain that allows cocaine and morphine to take over natural reward processing systems.