Cannabis

DESTIN, Fla. — Physicians can consider cannabis before opioids for chronic pain when other options have been exhausted, according to a speaker at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology East.

Concurrent use of cannabis and nicotine during pregnancy vs. use of either substance alone was tied to increased risks for infant and neonatal death and maternal and neonatal morbidity, researchers reported.

NEW YORK — A state with retail access to cannabis reported no decline in use during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a state having no retail access, according to research presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, moving it from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance.

BOSTON — In this video, an expert reviews current topics in addiction medicine, like ties between cannabis use and cardiovascular health, buprenorphine access and pre-operative alcohol assessments.

BOSTON — There is some evidence that cannabinoids may help with neuropathic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting and MS-associated spasticity, “but it’s not exactly a slam dunk,” a speaker said.

Recent cannabis legalization and retail sales have had a limited impact on teen use, a study showed.

DENVER — Researchers have recruited women with multiple sclerosis for a study using a home-based telehealth intervention for cannabis use disorder, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

Enrollment in medical cannabis programs increased overall from 2020 to 2022, but it decreased in most states where nonmedical cannabis use became legal, research showed.

A law allowing for medical cannabis research could have far-reaching implications in rheumatology and across the health care spectrum, but there are still significant hurdles to clear before cannabinoids become part of routine care.