Illegal Drugs News

April 18, 2025

Top Headlines

Simultaneous Alcohol, Cannabis Use May Fuel More Drinking

Apr. 10, 2025 — A recent study found that people may perceive fewer negative effects of alcohol if they are also using cannabis at the same ...

Brain Study Increases Understanding of What Triggers Drug Use Relapse

Apr. 10, 2025 — Research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and thereby the formation of strong drug-related ...

What Links Cannabis Use and Psychosis? Researchers Point to Brain's Dopamine System

Apr. 9, 2025 — A new study found that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with ...

Potential Risk Biomarkers Found for Schizophrenia Resulting from Cannabis Use

Mar. 21, 2025 — A new study has analyzed and compared the fatty acids in the blood of individuals with schizophrenia, of those with cannabis use disorder and of those with both diagnoses, with the aim of shedding ...

Latest Headlines

updated 4:28pm EDT

Medicinal Cannabis Is Linked to Long-Term Benefits in Health-Related Quality of Life, Study Finds

Apr. 2, 2025 — Patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia maintained improvements in overall health-related quality of life (HRQL), fatigue, and sleep ...

Cannabis Users Face Substantially Higher Risk of Heart Attack

Mar. 18, 2025 — Marijuana is now legal in many places, but is it safe? Two new studies add to mounting evidence that people who use cannabis are more likely to suffer a heart attack than people who do not use the ...

Cannabis Terpenes Offer Potential New Way to Treat Fibromyalgia Pain

Mar. 12, 2025 — A recently completed study found that certain terpenes in Cannabis sativa are effective at relieving post-surgical and fibromyalgia pain in preclinical ...

Compound Harnesses Cannabis' Pain-Relieving Properties Without Side Effects

Mar. 5, 2025 — Researchers have developed a compound that relieves pain in mice but doesn't affect the brain, thereby avoiding mind-altering side effects and abuse potential. The custom-designed molecule, derived ...

A New Path to Recovery: Scientists Uncover Key Brain Circuit in the Fight Against Cocaine Use Disorder

Feb. 26, 2025 — Imagine a future where the grip of cocaine use disorder can be loosened, where cravings fade, and the risk of relapse diminishes. A new study brings ...

Daily Cannabis Use Linked to Public Health Burden

Feb. 20, 2025 — A new study analyzes the disease burden and the risk factors for severity among people who suffer from a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Researchers say the condition occurs in ...

Smoking Cannabis in the Home Increases Odds of Detectable Levels in Children

Jan. 23, 2025 — Researchers analyzed cannabis smoking practices to assess whether in-home smoking was associated with cannabis detection in ...

Changes in Opioid Use Outcomes After Passage of Medical Marijuana Laws

Jan. 13, 2025 — A new study found no changes in opioid outcomes among the general population with the states' passage of medical and recreational marijuana laws. However, the findings also show decreases in opioid ...

Ketamine Use on the Rise in U.S. Adults; New Trends Emerge

Jan. 7, 2025 — According to a new study, ketamine use has risen significantly since 2015. The results highlight the need for closer monitoring of recreational ketamine ...

Brain Structure Differences Are Associated With Early Use of Substances Among Adolescents

Dec. 30, 2024 — A study of nearly 10,000 adolescents has identified distinct differences in the brain structures of those who used substances before age 15 compared ...

Perceptions of Parent Cannabis Use Shape Teen Attitudes

Dec. 4, 2024 — Teens who think their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favorable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to a new study. The research also reveals that ...

Rats on Cocaine: When Aversion Is Not Enough

Dec. 3, 2024 — Propensity to addiction starts with the very first drug use experience, a new study ...

Reducing Risk of Opioid Addiction While Alleviating Pain

Dec. 2, 2024 — Increasing the levels of chemicals naturally produced in the body called endocannabinoids may thwart the highly addictive nature of opioids such as morphine and oxycodone while maintaining the ...

How Next-Day Responsibilities Influence Cannabis Use

Nov. 15, 2024 — A study found that people are less likely to consume cannabis if they had an upcoming activity, which is consistent with other studies, and would reduce use the most for job interviews and caring for ...

Exposure to Marijuana in the Womb May Increase Risk of Addiction to Opioids Later in Life, Study Finds

Nov. 14, 2024 — Evidence has been growing to suggest that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, poses risks to the developing fetus by impacting brain development. Now a new ...

'Sleepy Cannabis': Cannabinol Increases Sleep, Study Suggests

Nov. 11, 2024 — Research shows that a non-hallucinogenic marijuana constituent increases both REM and non-REM sleep in rats. Human trials are now under ...

Nearly 6 Percent of Pregnant Women Report Marijuana Use, U.S. Study Finds

Oct. 30, 2024 — A new study, using responses from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, has found that about 6 percent of pregnant women reported using marijuana during the last month, and many did not ...

The Dangerous Pursuit of Muscularity in Men and Adolescent Boys

Oct. 30, 2024 — Men and adolescent boys are increasingly at risk of resorting to the dangerous use of anabolic steroids in a bid to achieve the desired muscular build modeled on social media, warn body image ...

Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Can Impact Thinking and Learning Skills, Increase Aggression Among Children, Study Shows

Oct. 28, 2024 — As cannabis is legalized and is more accessible in various forms across the country, there is increasing concern among health care providers about potential impact on children. Researchers have new ...

Researchers Show Why Cannabis Policies Should Shift to a Harm Reduction, Health Promotion Approach to Safeguard Public Health

Oct. 23, 2024 — A new paper explains why there needs to be a shift in cannabis policies to a public health approach as opposed to the prevailing, more punitive approach that pushes abstinence instead of public ...

Cannabis Use in Adolescence: Visible Effects on Brain Structure

Oct. 23, 2024 — A collaborative study sheds light on how cannabis use affects brain development in young people, the main one being atrophy of certain regions of the cerebral ...

High Potency Cannabis Use Leaves Unique Signature on DNA, Study Shows

Oct. 16, 2024 — A new study suggests that the use of high potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis ...

Chronic Pain Patients Are More Supportive of Cannabis Access Than Doctors

Oct. 2, 2024 — A study reveals a gap between patient and physician attitudes on medical marijuana ...

Clinical Trial Shows Synthetic Cannabis Reduces Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

Oct. 2, 2024 — Researchers show that a pill form of the drug dronabinol, an FDA-approved synthetic version of marijuana's main ingredient, THC, reduces agitation in patients with Alzheimer's by an average ...

Cognitive Deficits from Meth and PCP Use Are Generated by a Common Neurotransmitter Switch

Sep. 26, 2024 — The effects of sustained drug abuse can manifest in many ways. Loss of memory and reduced cognitive functions are some of the effects that can persist for years. Scientists have now identified a ...

Compound in Rosemary Extract Can Reduce Cocaine Sensitivity

Aug. 20, 2024 — A team of researchers has discovered that an antioxidant found in rosemary extract can reduce volitional intakes of cocaine by moderating the brain's reward response, offering a new therapeutic ...

Methamphetamine-Involved Psychiatric Hospitalizations Have Increased, Study Says

Aug. 16, 2024 — A new study that details trends among psychiatric hospitalizations between 2015-2019 finds that while most hospitalizations did not involve any substances, methamphetamine-related hospitalizations ...

Less Sleep and Later Bedtime in Childhood Linked to Future Substance Use

Aug. 13, 2024 — Adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they had later bedtimes and slept fewer hours during the night during childhood and adolescence, according to a ...

Cocaine Discovery Could Pave Way for Treatment for Substance Abuse

Aug. 7, 2024 — Cocaine binds to a specific transporter in the brain that is responsible for regulating dopamine levels. Researchers have studied and described the process, producing new knowledge that may bring us ...

Cannabinoid CBG Reduces Anxiety and Stress in First Human Clinical Trial

July 31, 2024 — A lesser-known cannabinoid that is gaining in popularity Cannabigerol (CBG) effectively reduced anxiety in a clinical trial without the intoxication typically associated with whole plant cannabis. It ...