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Interest in the use of cannabis and cannabinoids to treat chronic non-cancer pain is increasing, because of their potential to reduce opioid dose requirements. We aimed to investigate cannabis use in people living with chronic non-cancer pain who had been prescribed opioids, including their reasons for use and perceived effectiveness of cannabis; associations between amount of cannabis use and pain, mental health, and opioid use; the effect of cannabis use on pain severity and interference over time; and potential opioid-sparing effects of cannabis.
Findings: 1514 participants completed the baseline interview and were included in the study from Aug 20, 2012, to April 14, 2014. Cannabis use was common, and by 4-year follow-up, 295 (24%) participants had used cannabis for pain. Interest in using cannabis for pain increased from 364 (33%) participants (at baseline) to 723 (60%) participants (at 4 years). At 4-year follow-up, compared with people with no cannabis use, we found that participants who used cannabis had a greater pain severity score (risk ratio 1·14, 95% CI 1·01–1·29, for less frequent cannabis use; and 1·17, 1·03–1·32, for daily or near-daily cannabis use), greater pain interference score (1·21, 1·09–1·35; and 1·14, 1·03–1·26), lower pain self-efficacy scores (0·97, 0·96–1·00; and 0·98, 0·96–1·00), and greater generalised anxiety disorder severity scores (1·07, 1·03–1·12; and 1·10, 1·06–1·15). We found no evidence of a temporal relationship between cannabis use and pain severity or pain interference, and no evidence that cannabis use reduced prescribed opioid use or increased rates of opioid discontinuation.
Interpretation: Cannabis use was common in people with chronic non-cancer pain who had been prescribed opioids, but we found no evidence that cannabis use improved patient outcomes. People who used cannabis had greater pain and lower self-efficacy in managing pain, and there was no evidence that cannabis use reduced pain severity or interference or exerted an opioid-sparing effect. As cannabis use for medicinal purposes increases globally, it is important that large well designed clinical trials, which include people with complex comorbidities, are conducted to determine the efficacy of cannabis for chronic non-cancer pain.
(Source: The Lancet – Public Health https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30110-5/fulltext)
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Unintentional marijuana ingestions in children under 5 rose over 1,000% in 7 years, with edibles and pandemic-related factors fuelling the trend.
Unintentional marijuana ingestions among children younger than 5 years have risen more than 1,000% in the past seven years, according to research presented at the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado.1,2
The retrospective study, Rising Trends in Paediatric Marijuana Ingestions: A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Department Presentations, reviewed over 2,300 paediatric emergency department (ED) cases from 2016 through 2023. Researchers found sharp increases in exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with children most often consuming cannabis edibles that resembled candy.
“Even young children in states where marijuana is not legal are being hospitalized after unintentionally ingesting cannabis products—often edibles that look like candy,” said study author Brittain Robinson, MD, FAAP, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
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Years of data from regions that have legalised recreational marijuana reveal troubling trends that challenge the rosy predictions made by legalisation advocates. Whilst the debate over cannabis policy continues to polarise communities, emerging evidence suggests the consequences of legalisation extend far beyond what supporters initially anticipated.
Rising Addiction Rates Paint Concerning Picture
According to federal survey data, approximately 19 million Americans met the criteria for cannabis use disorder as of 2023. Research indicates that roughly 30 per cent of marijuana users will develop this condition, characterised by compulsive consumption despite negative consequences.
The marijuana legalisation harms become particularly evident when examining how commercial markets operate. Once cannabis businesses gain access to advertising, retail spaces, and investment capital, they follow the predictable pattern of any profit-driven industry selling addictive products: they provide increasingly potent versions to meet consumer demand.
Health Consequences Beyond Expectation
The cannabis legalisation consequences manifest in both immediate and long-term health impacts. Emergency departments have reported increases in cannabis-related hospitalisations, including cases of young children experiencing severe psychotic episodes after accidental consumption.
Systematic reviews have linked marijuana use to serious health conditions including heart attack, stroke, lung damage, psychosis, and schizophrenia. These findings underscore concerns that extend beyond individual choice into broader public health implications.
Traffic Safety and Community Impact
One of the most sobering statistics reveals that legalisation correlates with approximately 1,400 additional car-crash deaths annually. Communities near newly opened dispensaries have experienced decreased property values, whilst one Federal Reserve estimate found that legalisation increases chronic homelessness—defined as homelessness coupled with drug addiction or mental illness—by 35 per cent.
Challenging the Substitution Theory
Early advocates claimed marijuana legalisation harms would be offset by reduced consumption of alcohol and opioids. However, recent research from Washington state contradicts this theory, showing that recreational cannabis users typically consume alcohol and marijuana together rather than as substitutes.
The opioid substitution effect, initially suggested by early medical marijuana studies, has vanished with additional years of data collection and may have even reversed in some contexts.
Limited Impact on Criminal Justice Reform
Contrary to expectations, the cannabis legalisation consequences have done surprisingly little to address the problems attributed to prohibition. Whilst marijuana-related arrests decreased by up to 76 per cent in some jurisdictions, total arrests actually rose by approximately 13 per cent following legalisation.
Research examining racial disparities found that legalisation had minimal effect on black-white punishment gaps in the criminal justice system. Studies from Colorado and Washington showed no impact on imprisonment rate disparities, whilst Washington state saw no effect on pretrial detention disparities.
The Enforcement Reality
Analysis suggests many possession arrests were primarily pretextual enforcement mechanisms rather than standalone prosecutions. Drug possession offences account for only about 3 per cent of prisoners nationwide, with marijuana possession representing a fraction of those cases.
Several jurisdictions had already implemented discretionary non-enforcement or decriminalisation of possession before formal legalisation, explaining why the policy shift produced limited criminal justice benefits whilst introducing the dysfunction associated with commercial retail markets.
Crime Rates Remain Unchanged
The argument that prohibition creates black markets generating serious crime finds little support in the data. Research shows legalisation has no discernible effect on major crime rates, either positive or negative. In some regions, legalisation has actually benefited organised crime operations.
Moving Beyond Dogma
Drug policy scholar Mark Kleiman emphasised in his 1992 book that drug control involves careful optimisation of trade-offs—either society faces problems from drug abuse or problems from attempting to control it. The marijuana legalisation harms documented over recent years vindicate this nuanced perspective over ideological certainty.
The evidence challenges claims that legalisation represents pure benefit without corresponding risks. Whilst advocates frame cannabis access as a fundamental right, public health and welfare considerations have consistently formed legitimate grounds for government regulation throughout history.
Contemporary policy debates benefit most from evidence-based analysis rather than axioms about individual liberty. The accumulated data from legalisation experiments provides valuable guidance: increased addiction, elevated suffering, and community dysfunction have emerged as the dominant outcomes, whilst the predicted benefits of legalisation have largely failed to materialise.
As more jurisdictions consider cannabis policy reforms, this evidence base deserves serious consideration. The costs of the cannabis legalisation consequences now visible in communities across North America offer crucial lessons for evidence-based policymaking.
(Source: WRD News)
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) has issued decisive new clinical guidance declaring there is no safe level of marijuana during pregnancy and recommending universal screening for cannabis use throughout pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum periods.
The authoritative medical organisation’s statement directly challenges the increasingly prevalent misconception that cannabis represents a safe or beneficial option for expectant mothers, citing substantial evidence linking marijuana use to serious maternal and neonatal health risks.
Clear Medical Consensus on Pregnancy Cannabis Risks:
ACOG’s new clinical consensus addresses a troubling public health trend head-on. The organisation’s statement explains: “Despite the fact that cannabis use in pregnancy has been associated with spontaneous preterm birth, low birth weight, NICU admissions, and postnatal neurocognitive and behavioural dysfunction, there is a misperception in the general public that cannabis is safe for use during pregnancy due to its increasing availability, legalisation, and social acceptability.”
The guidance represents a significant intervention by one of the most respected medical bodies in obstetrics, joining numerous other expert organisations in warning against cannabis use during this critical period.
No Therapeutic Justification for Cannabis Use:
Perhaps most significantly, ACOG explicitly rejects claims that marijuana during pregnancy serves any legitimate medical purpose. The organisation states unequivocally: “There is no medical indication for cannabis use during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”
This position directly contradicts marketing narratives suggesting cannabis can safely address conditions including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain, as well as pregnancy-related symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The medical consensus from this non-partisan, highly credentialed field could not be clearer: pregnant cannabis use offers no therapeutic benefit whilst carrying substantial risks. (for complete Research WRD News)
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Cannabis (THC) edibles negatively impact safe driving. Impairment is real, detection is difficult. Simply putting 'Medicinal' in front of the word ‘Cannabis' does not reduce impairment or subsequent potential harms of a vehicle, effectively, weaponised by this psychotropic toxin.