MDMA, known to many around the world as the rave drug ecstasy, can be more effective at treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when paired with talking therapy than treatments that are currently available to patients, according to a study recently published in the medical journal Nature.   [...]

A study involving 12,000 participants over 20 years has found that those who enjoy caffeinated drinks such as tea or coffee daily have less chance of experiencing frailty in old age.  Researchers from the National University of Singapore wished to examine the potential association between drinking [...]

A draft bill which would enable GPs to prescribe cannabis medicines in the UK has been published by the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC), in an attempt to improve patient access to cannabis. In the bill, the CIC propose that the most straightforward process would be to [...]

Rates of crime in communities where state-licensed cannabis dispensaries have been opened in the US have been found by a recent study not to rise, but in fact, stay neutral.  Opponents to the legalisation of cannabis and to the introduction of retail cannabis stores often express [...]

Cannabis users admitted to the hospital with COVID were more likely to successfully fight the virus than those who did not use cannabis, according to a study. The study found cannabis users experienced fewer negative symptoms including lower rates of respiratory disease, fewer deaths, and lower [...]

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today released a statement advising consumers to take no more than 10mg of CBD per day, stating concerns that high daily doses could lead to liver damage. CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid extracted from the cannabis plant believed to have [...]

A recent study investigating a possible link between ‘quiet quitting’ and the use of psychedelic mushrooms has produced data that suggests workers become less productive due to the use of psilocybin.  The study, published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs by Benjamin A. Korman, a scientist [...]

A recent study has found that people who use cannabis and tobacco simultaneously are nearly twice as likely to develop symptoms of mental health, specifically anxiety and depression, than those who don’t. With the aim of adding to a perceived lack of information on the association [...]

The latest Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, has said his government will “rectify” the country’s cannabis policy and limit its use to medical purposes within six months. In an interview with Bloomberg, Thavisin, who was elected in August, said there is a need to “rewrite [...]

Researchers in America have discovered that shortly after states changed their laws to allow for recreational cannabis use, the number of admissions into mental health treatment facilities declined.  Published in Health Economics in June 2023, the study shows that in the two years following a state’s [...]

Employers are at risk of breaching the Equality Act over their approach to prescription cannabis patients, according to a new report from the Cannabis Industry Council (CIC). The report, titled ‘The Use of Prescription Cannabis at Work’, claims that employers must provide reasonable adjustments to accommodate [...]

The government has this week released plans to make illegal the possession, supply and production of laughing gas, otherwise known as nitrous oxide. The gas, which is commonly used in medical practice and catering, will become a Class C drug. The new ruling means those caught [...]

A study published in the Journal of American Medicine suggests that one dose of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can have a significant positive effect on participants living with major depressive disorder.  The randomised, double-blind study was undertaken by a team of scientists from [...]

Event drug testing can prevent harm and must be reintroduced to festivals by the 2024 season, says a prominent parliamentary committee in a new report released this week.  The Home Affairs Committee released their inquiry as a response to the government’s latest drugs strategy, ‘From Harm [...]

A recent study published in the journal Psychiatry Research shows no link between prolonged recreational cannabis use and psychosis, even in a cohort of adolescents deemed to be at high risk of developing the disorder. Scientists affiliated with Hofstra University in New York and with Stanford [...]

Researchers from the University of Bath used donated cannabis to produce accurate results in a study conducted to test the hypothesis that users of high-strength cannabis would experience more anxiety, depression and psychosis-like symptoms than users of lower-strength cannabis. Previous studies have found associations between the [...]

A recent study from researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder has found that cancer patients using cannabis edibles experience improvements in pain levels, sleep quality, and cognitive function.  The research, published in the journal Exploration in Medicine, found that cancer patients buying cannabis-infused food products [...]

Scandinavian scientists have produced evidence that could lead to the development of non-hallucinogenic psychedelic medicines for the treatment of depression.   A study conducted by researchers from the University of Helsinki, and published in the journal Nature, aimed to understand if psychedelics could help fight depression without [...]

Aiming to address substance abuse issues, as well as rising levels of poor mental and physical health amongst the 19 million strong US military Veteran population, scientists have recently published a study showing cannabis may help with many different symptoms experienced by those who have served [...]

A recent study conducted in Alberta, Canada found that 34% of women in the age bracket associated with menopause currently use cannabis, and 66% have used cannabis previously. Researchers wished to investigate the use of cannabis to relieve menopausal symptoms due to a lack of data [...]

A report has found that more than 57 million prescriptions for opioids such as tramadol, codeine and fentanyl, were issued to UK patients last year. The equivalent of one prescription every 108 minutes. The report, created by Sapphire Clinics, found that one in seven (14%) chronic [...]

Volteface and The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCS) have today been appointed as the new secretariat for the UK’s medical cannabis All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). APPGs are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament, but seek to unite groups of MPs and peers [...]

Sleep scientists from the Scripps Sleep Centre in San Diego, California, have published a study that found 15mg of CBD a day helps people with reported sleep issues get a full night’s rest. The research team looked at a sizable cohort of 1800 individuals with the [...]

The legal sale of cocaine in the Swiss capital, Bern, will be allowed following the introduction of a bill last week which saw it pass by 43 votes to 18. However, the sale of cocaine cannot be legalised until the bill is passed at the federal [...]

Scientists in China published a study in June 2023 showing no association between consuming cannabis and a higher risk of steatosis, also known as fatty liver disease. Aware of the increase in cannabis use in the United States, the team from Wuhan, Hubei wished to address [...]

A DMT trip can be safely extended to last half an hour, according to new research. Results of a world-first pilot study conducted at Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research suggest extended-state DMT, dubbed DMTx, is safe and tolerable for up to 30 minutes. DMT, or [...]

Ending cannabis prohibition is a topic currently being debated in many countries across the world, Thailand and Malta are two countries that have recently legalised the plant, and many others are putting similar plans into place. During these discussions, the issue of driving under the influence [...]

Observing the growing trend throughout the United States of cannabis use in people aged 50 and over, researchers associated with the University of San Diego in California wished to add to the scarcity of available data examining cognitive function in older, cannabis-using adults living with chronic [...]

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that patients given ketamine for the treatment of non-psychotic, treatment-resistant depression reported ‘non-inferior’ outcomes compared to electroconvulsive therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment that involves passing an electric current through a patient’s brain, [...]

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have found that smoking cannabis does not carry the same risks as smoking tobacco. Longitudinal data published in the journal Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases found that cannabis use is not associated with an elevated risk of chronic obstructive [...]

An edible, invisible coating of cannabidiol (CBD) could help preserve food for longer, according to research published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. CBD, a common compound found in cannabis, is well known for its therapeutic potential and ability to reduce anxiety, pain and other conditions. [...]

Medical cannabis has been found to significantly improve physical and mental health in Australian adults suffering from chronic pain and other health issues, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.  The study surveyed over 3,100 participants, with chronic non-cancer pain being the most [...]

Cannabis has been found to effectively alleviate cancer pain in patients, according to a study carried out by Canadian researchers at McGill University. Published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, the study involved 358 cancer patients who consumed cannabis as an additional treatment for [...]

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Oncology has found that a single dose of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can help reduce depression in cancer patients. The phase 2 study, titled “Assessment of Psilocybin Therapy for Patients With Cancer and Major Depression [...]

The Morrocan Government has announced that it has allowed farmers to begin the legal cultivation of cannabis at the start of this month, more than two years after the plans were first announced. By distributing seeds manufactured in Switzerland to the northern provinces of Al Hoceima, [...]

A proposal for implementing Luxembourg’s plans to legalise cannabis for recreational was published at the end of last week. The recommendations allow for the possession of up to 3 grams of cannabis, the cultivation of up to 4 plants at home, and a retail market where [...]

Singapore has executed a man at dawn on Wednesday for his role in a plot to smuggle one kilogram of cannabis into the country, despite pleas for clemency from his family, activists, and people around the world. 46 year old Tangaraju Suppiah was hanged at Changi [...]

A new study has found no significant association between cannabis use and the development of psychotic disorders. Published in the journal Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, the research was conducted by a team of investigators from Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom. The study looked at the [...]

A company from Oklahoma, USA, hopes to enter the record books this Thursday 20th April when they unveil what they claim will be the largest cannabis infused chocolate bar the world has ever seen.  Created by edibles brand Zen Cannabis, the giant confectionary named ‘The Big [...]

A recent study published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics has found that chronic pain patients who use cannabis products for six months experience improvements in their health-related quality of life and a decrease in their daily consumption of opioids. The study was conducted on [...]

The Czech Republic has put forward a draft bill for a regulated cannabis market that would allow individuals to buy up to 5 grams of cannabis per day for recreational purposes. Under the plans, people who wish to use cannabis recreationally would need to register in [...]

Formal plans for Germany’s hotly anticipated cannabis legalisation have been announced today by Minister of Health Dr Karl Lauterbach and Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir. In a press conference held on April 12, Lauterbach announced that following discussions with the EU the German [...]

Scientists have found direct evidence that our ancestors were using hallucinogenic substances in the Bronze Age. It is the earliest direct evidence of humans consuming mind-altering drugs discovered in Europe.  Previous research from other parts of the world has shown evidence of direct drug use in [...]

The German health minister Karl Lauterbach has announced that the bill for the country’s cannabis legalisation will be released “immediately after Easter”, according to media reports. The draft law was originally expected to be released at the end of March 2023, with initial proposals expected to [...]

Professional basketball players in America’s NBA will no longer be subject to any further tests for cannabis use, and cannabis will be dropped completely from the NBA’s anti-drug testing programme, according to a report in The Athletic. The news was part of a package negotiated by [...]