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38 papers
This article follows cannabis from its earliest known uses about 12,000 years ago in Central Asia through its spread around the world and long history of medical and practical uses, to modern science that identified THC in 1964 and the body's endocannabinoid system in the 20th century. It notes archaeological…
The study heated Cannabis sativa extracts at 80, 95, 110, 130, and 145 °C for up to 60 minutes and measured acidic and neutral cannabinoids with an advanced UHPSFC/PDA‑MS lab method. Concentrations changed in an exponential way, which fits a first‑order (or pseudo‑first‑order) reaction model. The team calculated rate constants…
This review explains how the mushroom drugs psilocybin and psilocin are broken down in the body. Psilocybin is mainly a pro-drug that enzymes convert into the active compound psilocin. Psilocin is then further changed, and the main substance found in urine is psilocin-O-glucuronide, which matters for clinical and forensic testing.…
This review looked at many studies about classic psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD), MDMA, ketamine, and plant medicines (like ayahuasca). The authors explain how these drugs can change the brain’s wiring, calm inflammatory processes, and shift key brain chemicals. Those actions may help explain why small clinical trials and animal…
Microdosing means taking a very small, sub‑hallucinogenic amount of a psychedelic drug. Research so far is limited and mixed: some large observational studies report small-to-medium mood gains, but at least one randomized trial found no objective benefit. There is no standard definition of microdosing, potency and legality vary, and long‑term…
This review explains that terpenes are the main parts of cannabis essential oils and give cannabis its smells. Hundreds of terpenes have been identified, and they shape how different cannabis types smell, how consumers experience them, and their market value. The authors say terpenes are made and stored in glandular…
In a natural, open-label study at a microdosing event, researchers tested people before and while they expected the effects of a psychedelic truffle microdose. They found better performance on a task that measures convergent thinking and on a task that measures divergent thinking. A short test of fluid intelligence did…
Researchers reviewed studies of drugs that act on serotonin (so-called serotonergic psychedelics) and MDMA. They found that harms and bad reactions are not clearly defined in these studies and are probably reported less often than they actually happen. Some intense or frightening experiences during treatment might help people heal, but…
This review explains the fast-growing problem of so-called "legal highs", which are better called novel psychoactive substances or NPS. Unknown labs keep making slightly different chemicals to avoid bans, and this led to about 80 new substances being spotted in one year. The paper groups these drugs into five main…
This 2018 review looked at animal and human studies of ketamine as a possible treatment for addiction. Early findings are promising: some studies found ketamine helped people stay abstinent from alcohol and heroin and reduced cocaine craving and use. However, the authors say the research is still new, many studies…
This review explains how the main cannabis chemicals, especially THC and CBD, act in the body and how the body absorbs and breaks them down. THC and CBD bind to cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the brain and other organs. Inhaling THC delivers it to blood and brain fast…
The use and availability of oral and inhalable products containing cannabidiol (CBD) as the principal constituent has increased with expanded cannabis/hemp legalization. However, few controlled clinical laboratory studies have evaluated the ...
