Get a Clue - Weed

Details: Published: 29 August 2024; Hits: 612

Following a tragic crash that killed six high school girls in Oklahoma, the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging parents to warn their teenagers about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana. The NTSB has released its final report on the March 22, 2022 collision, which provides detailed insights into the causes and implications of the accident.

Background of the Crash

The collision occurred in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, involving a Chevrolet Spark hatchback and a gravel-hauling semi. The investigation revealed that the 16-year-old driver slowed for an intersection but then accelerated through a stop sign. The NTSB concluded that she was likely impaired by recent marijuana use and distracted by having five other teenagers in the car.

NTSB Findings and Recommendations

Impairment from Marijuana

The NTSB report highlights several key impairments caused by marijuana:

Decreased Motor Coordination: Marijuana use can significantly impair motor skills necessary for driving.
Slowed Reaction Time: Users may react more slowly in critical driving situations.
Impaired Judgement of Time and Distance: Accurate perception of time and spatial relationships is crucial for safe driving.

Broader Concerns: Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy pointed out that the issue of cannabis impairment while driving extends beyond teenagers. With more states legalising recreational marijuana, both teens and adults tend to underestimate its risks when driving.

Legal Status of Marijuana: As of now, marijuana is legal for recreational use in 24 states and Washington, D.C., for individuals aged 21 and older. However, driving while impaired by marijuana is illegal across all states and Washington, D.C. In Oklahoma, recreational use is not permitted, although medical use is allowed.

Safety Alert and Parental Guidance: The NTSB has issued a safety alert urging parents to discuss with their children the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana. The board emphasised the importance of educating young drivers on making responsible choices to avoid impaired driving and not riding with impaired drivers.

Broader Implications: The NTSB’s findings underscore the critical need for increased awareness and education around the risks of driving under the influence of marijuana. As legalisation expands, understanding how marijuana affects driving abilities becomes increasingly important to prevent similar tragedies.

(Source: AP News)

Details: Published: 28 August 2024; Hits: 575

boysmoke Recent research highlights that abstaining from cannabis for 28 days can lead to significant cognitive improvements and changes in brain activation among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study, presented by Omar Iqbal Khan, MD, emphasises the potential benefits of cannabis abstinence on the default mode network (DMN), which plays a crucial role in modulating cognition.

Key Findings

Cognitive Improvements: The cannabis withdrawal group exhibited significant improvements in multiple cognitive domains by the end of the 28-day period. These improvements underscore the potential cognitive benefits of abstaining from cannabis for individuals with MS.

Day 28 Differences:

CW Group vs. CC Group: By day 28, the CW group showed increased activation in the left posterior cingulate and right angular gyrus (p < 0.05 for both, TFCE).
Within CW Group: The CW group exhibited increased activation at day 28 versus baseline in the left posterior cingulate, right angular gyrus, left hippocampus (BA 36), and right medial prefrontal cortex (p < 0.05).

Implications for the Default Mode Network (DMN): The DMN is known to modulate cognition, and the study revealed enhanced DMN activity following cannabis abstinence. This finding provides objective evidence supporting the cognitive benefits of abstaining from cannabis for individuals with MS.

Summary: The study concluded that abstaining from cannabis for 28 days can reverse the activation of DMN activity and lead to improved cognition across several domains in people with MS. These findings offer valuable insights for counselling patients with MS and cognitive complaints about the potential benefits of cannabis abstinence.

Source: PracticeUpdate

Details: Published: 28 August 2024; Hits: 632

loint Adolescent polysubstance use, particularly among youth with early-onset cannabis use (CU), is a growing concern. This article delves into a study that examines the various polysubstance use profiles among adolescents with early-onset CU and how these profiles impact CU outcomes in early adulthood.

Study Overview: The study aimed to determine whether outcomes in early adulthood are best explained by early-onset CU itself or by resulting polysubstance use profiles. Conducted as part of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, the research analysed data from 794 participants who reported lifetime CU by age 21.

Participants: Participants were stratified into three groups based on the age of CU onset:

Early-Onset CU: 349 participants who began using cannabis at age 15 or younger.
Later Adolescent-Onset CU: 359 participants who began using cannabis between ages 16 and 18.
Adult-Onset CU: 86 participants who began using cannabis at age 19 or older.

Methodology: Self-reported substance use data were collected from the early-onset CU group at ages 15 and 17, while CU frequency and problem CU were assessed at age 21 for all participants. Repeated measures latent profile analyses were used to identify distinct polysubstance use profiles within the early-onset CU group.

Key Findings

Polysubstance Use Profiles: Four distinct polysubstance use profiles were identified among youth with early-onset CU:

Light Users: 54% of the early-onset group.
Escalating Users: 13% of the early-onset group.
Frequent Users (Without Cigarettes): 14% of the early-onset group.
Frequent Users (With Cigarettes): 19% of the early-onset group.

Cannabis Use Outcomes at Age 21: The study found significant differences in CU outcomes at age 21 based on these profiles:

Escalating and Frequent (With Cigarettes) Users: These individuals showed consistently greater CU frequency and problem CU compared to those in the later adolescent-onset or adult-onset CU groups.

Implications: The findings suggest that early-onset CU is not a homogenous behaviour but rather follows distinct polysubstance use trajectories. These trajectories are differentially associated with the risk for future problem CU, highlighting the need for targeted interventions based on specific usage profiles.

Conclusion: The study provides crucial insights into the diverse polysubstance use patterns among adolescents with early-onset CU and underscores the importance of considering these profiles when addressing CU outcomes in early adulthood.

Source: Springer

Details: Published: 28 August 2024; Hits: 517

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) and cannabis use (CU) are significant conditions frequently co-occurring with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) has shed light on the genetic overlap between ADHD and these cannabis-related conditions. This article delves into the study’s findings, highlighting the genetic loci associated with these disorders and their implications for understanding the comorbidity of ADHD and CUD or CU.

Genetic Overlap Between ADHD and Cannabis Use Disorders: The GWAS identified 36 genome-wide significant loci that are concordant for both ADHD and CUD, and ten loci for ADHD and CU. One of the key risk genes identified for ADHD-CUD is DRD2. The study found that ADHD-CUD risk genes exhibited high expression levels across various brain tissues and developmental stages, a pattern not observed in ADHD-CU genes.

Genetic Correlations and Substance Use: ADHD-CUD and ADHD-CU demonstrated similar genetic correlations with substance use; however, they differed significantly when it came to substance-use disorders. This differentiation underscores the complexity of the genetic interplay between ADHD and cannabis-related disorders.

Polygenic Scores (PGS) and Psychiatric Disorders: Individuals with ADHD-CUD showed increased polygenic scores for psychiatric disorders compared to those with ADHD alone. Moreover, they also exhibited a higher burden of rare deleterious variants. These findings suggest that the genetic underpinnings of ADHD-CUD may contribute to a broader spectrum of psychiatric comorbidities.

Risk Stratification: The stratification of individuals with ADHD by their CUD PGS revealed stark differences in the risk of developing comorbid CUD. Those in the highest CUD-PGS bin faced an absolute risk of 22% for comorbid CUD, which is substantially higher than the 1.6% risk observed among control individuals without ADHD.

Implications: These findings provide critical insights into the genetic factors contributing to the co-occurrence of ADHD and cannabis use disorders. Understanding these genetic overlaps can inform targeted interventions and personalised treatment strategies for individuals at high risk of developing these comorbid conditions.

Source: Nature

Details: Published: 28 August 2024; Hits: 559

preg A recent population-based retrospective cohort study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has explored the associations between prenatal cannabis use and maternal health outcomes during pregnancy. The study analysed pregnancies in Northern California from January 2011 to December 2019 and evaluated whether in utero exposure to cannabis is linked to various adverse maternal health conditions.

Study Design and Participants

The study included pregnancies that lasted 20 weeks or longer and were screened for prenatal cannabis use. A total of 316,722 pregnancies from 250,221 unique individuals were examined. The demographic breakdown of the sample was as follows:

Asian/Pacific Islander: 26.5% (84,039)
Black: 6.3% (20,053)
Hispanic: 26.3% (83,145)
White: 37.4% (118,333)
Mean Age: 30.6 years (Standard Deviation: 5.4 years)

Exposure Definition

Prenatal cannabis use was defined based on self-reported use during early pregnancy or positive toxicology test results from universal screening at the entrance to prenatal care (approximately 8-10 weeks’ gestation). The frequency of use was categorised as daily, weekly, monthly or less, never, or unknown. Specific data points included:

Self-reported Use: 2.9%
Positive Toxicology Testing: 5.3%
Both Self-report and Toxicology: 1.8%

Frequency of cannabis use among the study participants was:

Daily: 0.6% (1,930)
Weekly: 0.7% (2,345)
Monthly or Less: 1.5% (4,892)
Unknown: 3.4% (10,886)

Main Outcomes and Measures

Electronic health record data were used to define the following maternal health outcomes:

Gestational Hypertension
Preeclampsia
Eclampsia
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Weight Gain Greater and Less than Guidelines
Placenta Previa
Placental Abruption
Placenta Accreta
Severe Maternal Morbidity

Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) were calculated using a modified Poisson regression to determine the association between prenatal cannabis use and these health outcomes.

Results:

The study found significant associations between prenatal cannabis use and several adverse maternal health outcomes:

Gestational Hypertension: aRR of 1.17 (95% CI, 1.13-1.21)
Preeclampsia: aRR of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.01-1.15)
Weight Gain Less than Guidelines: aRR of 1.05 (95% CI, 1.01-1.08)
Weight Gain Greater than Guidelines: aRR of 1.09 (95% CI, 1.08-1.10)
Placental Abruption: aRR of 1.19 (95% CI, 1.05-1.36)

The study noted that the pattern of results was similar when prenatal cannabis use was defined solely by self-report or toxicology testing. Additionally, the associations between the frequency of prenatal cannabis use and outcomes varied with the specific health outcome being measured.

Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that prenatal cannabis use is associated with several adverse maternal health outcomes during pregnancy. Continued research is necessary to understand whether characteristics such as dose, mode, and timing of prenatal cannabis use moderate these associations. (Source: JAMA)