Friday Fact

A recent study published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, based on data from the International Cannabis Policy Study, found that Canadians support regulations that would better protect individuals from the marijuana industry and its products. It also determined that marijuana users, as a subgroup of the national population, were less likely to support these […]

A recent study in JAMA Health Forum found that British Columbia’s experiment with “safer supply” was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. It also found that the province’s decriminalization of the possession of illicit drugs was associated with a statistically significant increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations. The study, led by Dr. […]

A recent study in Drug Testing and Analysis highlighted the emergence of semi-synthetic cannabinoids (SSC). While Delta-9 THC is known as the “high”-inducing cannabinoid, hundreds of others are also present in the cannabis plant, including CBD. Now, synthetic cannabinoids are being developed, which presents additional health-related risks to marijuana users. The study, which analyzed 79 […]

A recent study published in JACC Advances, which is affiliated with the American College of Cardiology, found that marijuana users under the age of 50 were six times more likely than non-users to experience a heart attack (myocardial infarction). The study, which analyzed data from more than 4.6 million individuals, also found that the risks […]

A recent study in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice analyzed 43,553 urine drug screens that were given in 25 jails in the United States in 2023, finding that 75% tested positive for at least one drug. Among the tests that were positive, 69% were positive for marijuana, 55% for stimulants, 30% for opioids, and 12% […]

A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes found that many state-level qualifying conditions for medical marijuana lack supporting evidence, as contrasted by the conclusions of a 2017 report about marijuana from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).  The report from the NASEM assessed the potential therapeutic effects of marijuana […]

A recent study in JAMA Network Open, reported on in The New York Times, found that individuals who received hospital-based care (i.e., an emergency department visit or hospitalization) for cannabis use disorder (CUD) were 2.8 times more likely than the general population to die within 5 years.  The study, based on data from 11.6 million […]

According to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the illicit market for marijuana has been expanding. In fiscal year 2024, CBP seized 174,991 pounds of marijuana, up from 149,582 in FY 2023 and 154,797 in FY 2022.  The number of individual seizure events––as opposed to total weight––has also been increasing. In FY 2024, there […]

A study published last month in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine identified 5 risk factors and 3 protective factors for adolescent marijuana use. The study, based on the 2021 Planet Youth survey, drew on a sample of 4,404 15–16-year-olds in Ireland.  Perhaps not surprisingly, the use of other substances was a risk factor for […]

A study that was published last week in Addictive Behaviors found that alcohol and tobacco are more likely to be used on days when marijuana is used.   The study found that individuals consumed an average of 0.45 more alcoholic drinks on days when marijuana was used, compared to days when marijuana was not used. Similarly, the study found that […]

Between 2022 and 2023, the number of marijuana-related emergency department (ED) visits increased by 4.6%, from 857,289 to 896,418, according to the federal Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). This represents an 11.5% increase compared to the 804,285 marijuana-related ED visits in 2021. In 2023, marijuana was the second most frequently cited drug in ED visits, surpassing the number of […]

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that warned that carfentanil has “reemerged in the U.S. drug supply.” Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.  Between the periods of January–June 2023 and January–June 2024, the number of overdose […]

According to the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, 8th and 10th graders who reported seeing advertisements for marijuana on billboards were more likely to have used marijuana in the past year and the past month. Compared to those who never saw these marijuana billboards, those who reported seeing them more than once a day were […]

This November, voters in Florida rejected Amendment 3, the ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana in the Sunshine State. This is especially notable, given that the pro-legalization campaign received more than $153 million in contributions. This represented the most expensive marijuana-related ballot measure in history.  The campaign in support of Amendment 3, misleadingly […]

A systematic review and meta-analysis published this month in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that the legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with increases in past-month marijuana use among adolescents and young adults. As opposed to lifetime or past-year use, past-month use is indicative of more frequent use. […]

November 5, 2024, marked an historic night for the movement to oppose the legalization and commercialization of mind-altering substances. In the four states that voted on recreational drug use, all four rejected the industry-backed proposals, favoring policies that prioritize public health and safety.  In Florida, voters defeated Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana […]

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is the nation’s premier survey that assesses the prevalence of substance use and substance use disorder. Though the NSDUH’s national estimates are often cited, it also provides state-level estimates that can shed light on the impact of the legalization of recreational marijuana. The prevalence of past-month marijuana use […]

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, from 2018 to 2023, the number of marijuana hospital-treated poisonings for children aged 4 and under increased by 733%:  On July 1, 2022, low-dose hemp edibles were legalized in Minnesota. On August 1, 2023, Minnesota then legalized marijuana. From 2022 to 2023, hospital visits among children aged 4 […]

On October 10, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a patient education page titled, “Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome.” Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is characterized by repeated nausea, vomiting, and severe stomach pain after using high doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) over an extended period of time––THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes […]

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 7 entitled, “Cannabis Use During Adolescence and Young Adulthood and Academic Achievement,” found that marijuana use is associated with:  The study was a meta-analysis of 63 studies that included more than 400,000 individuals. It concluded, “moderate-certainty evidence showed cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood is probably […]

A July 2024 report from the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) reported: “Following the medical marijuana legalization in 2016, North Dakota’s hospitals observed an increase in both emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to marijuana related events.” After legalizing medical marijuana, North Dakota saw a 336% increase in marijuana-related emergency department visits, rising […]

The Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a federally-funded coalition of law enforcement agencies, warned, “following medical marijuana legalization in South Dakota, hospitals observed an increase in emergency department visits and hospitalizations for marijuana complications/poisonings.” Specifically, from 2020 to 2022, South Dakota saw a 53% increase in marijuana-related ED visits, a 57% increase in hospitalizations, […]

Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana in 2018, which has been associated with an increase in the number of marijuana-related exposure reports to the Oklahoma Poison Center. Oklahoma Watch reported, “In 2022, 583 cases of accidental marijuana consumption were reported to the Oklahoma Poison Center. Almost half involved a child under 6 and most involved edibles.” Citing […]

Recently, several studies have been released that highlight the physical risks of daily or frequent marijuana use. A study published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery and featured on CNN showed that daily marijuana usage was linked to higher risks of certain cancers. Another study published in Atmospheric Environment: X and featured on Americans for Nonsmokers’ […]