Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
In a small randomized, double-blind crossover study of 15 men with chronic radicular lower‑limb neuropathic pain, a single sublingual dose of THC (about 15.4 mg on average) reduced pain more than placebo. The amount of pain relief was linked to changes on resting‑state fMRI: reduced connectivity between emotional/cognitive brain areas…
In mouse hippocampal brain slices, the researchers found that Δ9‑tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‑THC) strongly activates CB1 cannabinoid receptors on GABA‑releasing axon terminals and reduces GABA release. The effect depended on how Δ9‑THC was dissolved, required CB1 receptors, and did not come from changing GABA receptors or GABA uptake. The results point to…
Researchers looked at sixty studies to see how biology, social life, and psychology mix together to affect substance use problems and mental health. They found that brain systems, genes, childhood experiences, parenting, personality, and existing mood or anxiety problems all interact. This makes addiction and related psychiatric symptoms complicated, especially…
This paper reviewed studies since 2016 to identify cannabis-related factors linked with higher risk of psychosis. It found that personal and genetic vulnerability, earlier age of first use, more frequent use, higher-THC products, how cannabis is taken, and using other drugs all raise the odds of cannabis-related psychosis. Evidence that…
