How high is too high? KIRO tests pot-smoking drivers to find out

This article originally appeared at https://www.kiro7.com/news/how-high-too-high-kiro-7-tests-pot-smoking-drivers/246320721/ THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — In a test that’s never before been done in Washington, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News had volunteers smoke marijuana and then put them behind the wheel to show what stoned driving looks like and the danger on the road. To find out how much marijuana is […]

Marijuana Mile: Driving test highlights challenges for Mass. lawmakers

This article originally appeared at https://www.boston25news.com/news/marijuana-mile-driving-test-highlights-challenges-for-mass-lawmakers/491580705/ WEYMOUTH, Mass. — A series of driving tests involving volunteers under the influence of marijuana revealed a wide range of effects on drivers, based on their tolerance for the drug and other factors. FOX25 Investigates organized the controlled tests on a closed course, under the supervision of a doctor, […]

Czech policymakers to present draft plan for vice tax and cannabis regulation

This article originally appeared at https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/czechia-mulls-tax-on-addictive-substances The taxation of addictive substances depending on how harmful they are, the launch of a regulated cannabis market, and increased spending on addiction prevention and treatment are among the first steps outlined in the Czech cabinet’s draft plan for tackling addiction over the next three years. National anti-drug coordinator […]

Cannabis Tourism Is Now A $17 Billion Industry—And It’s Just Taking Off

This article originally appeared at https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyakowicz/2022/05/29/cannabis-tourism-is-now-a-17-billion-industry-and-its-just-taking-off/ From marijuana farm tours to “bud and breakfast” hotels, American destinations are discovering that “canna-cations” aren’t just for stoners anymore. Adrienne, a fortysomething makeup artist, grew up in the mountains of northern Georgia, a state where cannabis is still illegal. When she and her husband were planning a vacation […]

Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis

This article originally appeared at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-02112-8 Authors: Tabea Schoeler, Jason Ferris & Adam R. Winstock  Abstract Cannabis, a widely used psychoactive substance, can trigger acute cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms (CAPS) in people who use cannabis (PWUC). To assess rates and correlates of CAPS requiring emergency medical treatment, we analyzed data from an international sample of PWUC […]

Cannabis use disorder is associated with shorter length of stay and increased home discharge after primary total joint arthroplasty

This article originally appeared at https://arthroplasty.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42836-023-00164-9Authors: Dalia Rahmon1, Abdul Kareem Zalikha  ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6577-52242, Matthew Mazur2, Inaya Hajj Hussein1 & Mouhanad M. El-Othmani3  Abstract Introduction Increased legalization of cannabis use across the United States has been correlated with increased cannabis use in the clinical setting. However, little is known regarding the characteristics and postoperative outcomes after […]

The case for marijuana legalization just got stronger

This article originally appeared at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/16/one-of-the-biggest-arguments-against-marijuana-legalization-is-falling-apart/ America’s high school students are using drugs and alcohol at or near the lowest levels on record, according to federal data released Wednesday. The 2015 Monitoring the Future Survey, conducted by the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) since 1975, found that past-year use of alcohol and […]

Who just made the case for drug legalization? Drug-warrior in chief Jeff Sessions

This article originally appeared at https://www.salon.com/2017/04/23/who-just-made-the-case-for-drug-legalization-drug-warrior-in-chief-jeff-sessions-thats-who/ For decades, critics of the drug war have argued that drug prohibition begets violence. Recently, that argument received the seemingly unwitting support of a surprising source: drug war advocate and new Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “You can��t sue somebody for a drug debt. The only way to get your money […]

State Cannabis Legalization and Psychosis-Related Health Care Utilization

This article originally appeared at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800728 Authors: Holly Elser, MD, PhD1,2; Keith Humphreys, PhD3,4; Mathew V. Kiang, ScD5; et alSwapnil Mehta, MD4; Jong H. Yoon, MD4,6; William O. Faustman, PhD4,6; Ellicott C. Matthay, PhD7 JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(1):e2252689. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.52689 Key Points Question  Is state cannabis legalization or commercialization associated with increased rates of psychosis-related health care claims? Findings  In this cohort study of claims data from 63 680 589 beneficiaries from […]

Recreational cannabis legalization has had limited effects on a wide range of adult psychiatric and psychosocial outcomes

This article originally appeared at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/recreational-cannabis-legalization-has-had-limited-effects-on-a-wide-range-of-adult-psychiatric-and-psychosocial-outcomes/D4AB5EB78D588473A054877E05D45F16 Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2023Authors: Stephanie M. Zellers, J. Megan Ross, Gretchen R. B. Saunders, Jarrod M. Ellingson, Tasha Walvig, Jacob E. Anderson, Robin P. Corley, William Iacono, John K. Hewitt, Christian J. Hopfer, Matt K. McGue and Scott Vrieze Abstract Background The causal impacts of […]