The consumption of psychedelics such as magic mushrooms and LSD may help to improve sexual function months after use according to a study published in the medical journal Nature. To understand the relationship between psychedelic use and sex, researchers from the Centre for Psychedelic Research at [...]

A study conducted by Charles Darwin University (CDU) and RMIT has found that a cannabis extract, called PHEC-66, can cause cell death in melanoma tumors. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer which in 85% of cases is caused by overexposure to the sun. According to [...]

The Thai government has announced it will ban the recreational use of cannabis through a new version of the cannabis and hemp control bill Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said on Tuesday. Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022 under the Bhumjaithai party, leading to a wave of [...]

A study involving the use of a driving simulator to assess the ability of those aged over 60 to drive after using cannabis has shown no direct link between driving performance and THC blood levels. Researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada published the results [...]

Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered that low doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may have potential antidepressant effects in individuals with mild to moderate symptoms of depression. The study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology involved 39 volunteers aged 18 to 35 who were recruited from the [...]

A survey of cancer survivors from across the USA has shown that nearly half reported using cannabis at some point in their lifetimes and that the most popular form of delivery is via smoking joints. The survey, which was published in the journal Cancers included 1886 [...]

Treatment with medical cannabis is associated with reduced levels of depression in patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder, according to a study published in the journal Pharmacopsychiatry. The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen and medical cannabis provider Algea Care in Germany [...]

The consistent consumption of cannabis over three decades doesn’t appear to significantly heighten the risk of mental health issues or significantly impair cognitive function, according to the results of a longitudinal study published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science. Scientists affiliated with the University [...]

The Czech Republic will no longer press ahead with a fully regulated legal cannabis market, according to a draft bill on cannabis reform presented by the country’s coalition government on Wednesday. The Pirate Party, which has been pushing for the complete legalisation of cannabis in the [...]

Using cannabis before a run increased the enjoyment experienced by runners, but did not help them perform to higher standards, a study published in the journal Sports Medicine has found. Scientists from the University of Colorado studied 42 runners who were all current cannabis users, assessing [...]

A YouGov survey has revealed that 44% of UK adults between the ages of 18 to 24 occasionally or regularly order low or non-alcoholic drinks over alcoholic beverages. The study, carried out in conjunction with industry body Portman Group, found that 44% of 18 to 24 [...]

Scientists wishing to assess changes in the quality of life of patients currently being prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in the UK have published their findings that show positive outcomes in all of the assessed areas; sleep, anxiety and general quality of life. Patients’ self-reported outcomes [...]

Cannabis has been one of the most studied subjects in recent times with much of the focus placed on its medicinal and recreational properties. However, in what has been described as ‘exciting new research’, cannabis is now being investigated for its potential use in pesticides. Working [...]

At a meeting in the European Parliament last week a Ukrainian MP urged MEPs to help establish his country as the centre of European psychedelic research, in part to provide psychedelic treatment for the estimated 25 million people at risk of chronic mental health disorders such [...]

The final draft of Germany’s cannabis legalisation bill was agreed upon yesterday after negotiations took place between members of the coalition government, paving the way for Germans to be allowed to use cannabis for recreational purposes in the Spring of 2024. Amendments to the bill were [...]

Teenagers in America are reporting levels of cannabis use close to the lowest on record according to data gathered from the 2022 Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health. There are 24 states in America that now have fully [...]

The South African National Assembly has passed The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, five years after it was first introduced. The bill, which can only be made into a law once signed by the President, will permit adults to use and cultivate cannabis at their home, [...]

American homeowners in states where recreational cannabis is legal have seen the price of their houses increase by an average of 41% compared to homes in states where it is not legal, according to a report. Analysis of house prices from 2014 to 2023 by Real [...]

Psilocybin one of the key psychedelic compounds in magic mushrooms, has been the subject of another scientific trial to investigate its potential use as a medicine to improve mental health outcomes. In the study, published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, authors from different universities in [...]

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 [...]