Cannabis

A brief intervention appeared associated with lower drug use after 6 months among occasional users, according to study results published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Medical cannabis is now legal in 33 states, most of which consider cancer a qualifying condition for its use in symptom palliation.

Cannabis withdrawal syndrome appeared common among regular cannabis users, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

A single administration of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, induced psychiatric symptoms with large effect sizes, according to results of a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Many studies that evaluate the use, therapeutic effects and characteristics of cannabidiol, or CBD, are produced by authors with conflicts of interest that tie them to the industry and potentially lead to bias, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

PHOENIX — Results presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting showed a reduction in opioid prescriptions by orthopedic surgeons to Medicare Part D patients among states that permitted access to medical cannabis.

Women with anxiety, depression and trauma were more likely to use cannabis during pregnancy, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

Patients with chronic pain and insomnia who frequently used medicinal cannabis to relieve those symptoms said the substance helped them maintain their sleep in the short term, researchers reported in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. However, over longer periods of time, these same patients appeared to develop a tolerance to the drug’s sleep-inducing properties.

Physicians need to better promote open discussions with patients who express interest in cannabis on their use of edibles, enable counseling on safe consumption, and discourage the use of homemade products, according to a commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Newly reported cases of electronic cigarette- or vaping-associated lung injuries, or EVALI, in the United States continued to steadily decline, according to a new report from the CDC.