Two more research studies warn against having a cavalier approach to cannabis.

First, researchers at University of Sydney, in Australia, determined the prevalence of recent alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis use in young persons presenting for mental healthcare. (more…)

In 2009, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that more than 13,000 emergency room visits were associated with energy drinks.

Now, The New York Times tells us, FDA reports the caffeine drink, 5-hour Energy, may have been involved in 13 deaths over the past four years.

There’s no absolute proof that these drinks were the sole cause of these events. And the makers of 5-Hour Energy and Monster Energy insist their products are safe and unrelated to the problems reported to the FDA.

Regardless. (more…)

Cannabis is considered a cause of psychotic illness, interacting with genetic and other environmental risk factors.

Researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center, in The Netherlands, investigated whether an urban environment contributes to the effects of adolescent cannabis use on psychosis risk. (more…)

Researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center, in the Netherlands, studied the use of cannabis in adolescence and their risk for psychotic outcomes. (more…)

It might be useful for some patients, say researchers at the University of Sydney, in Australia.

But which ones? (more…)

Researchers at Prince of Wales Hospital, in New South Wales, Australia, reviewed the evidence to determine the extent to which use of cannabis, alcohol, and other psychoactive substances affect the age at onset of psychosis. (more…)

Research suggests that cannabis use has a negative effect on onset and outcome of schizophrenia.

Now, researchers at Eli Lilly Nederland at Houten, The Netherlands report, “cannabis users experienced less satisfaction with life and had a lower probability of having a relationship compared with nonusers.” (more…)

For over 2 decades, cannabis (marijuana) has been the most widely used illicit drug by young people in high-income countries, and has become popular on a global scale.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, in Herston, Australia reviewed the adverse effects. (more…)

Attorney General Eric Holder says the US Justice Department will no longer raid medical marijuana clubs. His declaration is a fulfillment of a campaign promise by Barack Obama, and marks a major shift from the previous administration.

In fact, there’s scant support for medical marijuana based on medical science.  Here’s what’s been published in just the past 6 months. (more…)

Dr. Cecile Henquet, of the Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht, presented a summary of what we know during the 23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress.

Here are the highlights of an interview on Medscape. (more…)

Writing on Medscape, Dr. Michael Compton reviewed the effects of marijuana. (more…)

Researchers from Faculté des Sciences du Sport, in Bordeaux, France compared the response to 2 exercise programs vs usual care. (more…)

Researchers from Australia report that early use of marijuana is a risk-modifying factor for psychosis in young adults. (more…)

Researchers from Unifob Health in Bergen, Norway reviewed the literature to “examine the benefits of music therapy for people with serious mental disorders.” (more…)

Researchers from the Norwegian University tell us, “The benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) for humans with mental disorders have been well-documented using cats and dogs.”

But what about farm animals? (more…)

 Early onset of psychosis is associated with a history of lifetime cannabis abuse or dependence, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston. (more…)

Researchers from Italy and the US studied changes in psychological symptoms, reasoning, abuse, tolerability, quality of life, fatigue, and ability to control movement in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had never before been exposed to cannabis. (more…)

Researchers from Spain and Boston studied the relationship between age and cannabis use in patients with a first psychotic episode. (more…)

In the largest unselected, population-based study on this topic to date, researchers from Finland observed “Cannabis use is associated with prodromal symptoms of psychosis in adolescence.” (more…)

Two Canadian doctors debate the issue. And a reader debates me.

Enjoy!
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