Get a Clue - Weed

Details: Published: 29 August 2023; Hits: 768

Channel 7 released news on State governments Cannabis and Driving Trials…“It is currently illegal for residents to drive while under the influence of THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

Victorian medicinal cannabis users will be put through a closed-track trial to see when it’s safe for them to get behind the wheel. The 18-month trial will look at the level of impairment medicinal cannabis can cause.

It will not take place on public roads to ensure there’s no safety risk to participants or members of the public, a government spokeswoman said.
Victorian medicinal cannabis users will be put through a closed-track trial to see when it’s safe for them to get behind the wheel.

The 18-month trial will look at the level of impairment medicinal cannabis can cause.

It will not take place on public roads to ensure there’s no safety risk to participants or members of the public, a government spokeswoman said. “Safety on our roads is our No.1 priority,” the statement read. “This trial will give us more data about when medicinal cannabis patients can safely drive on the road.” (source: 7NEWS)

So, another trial? But why? Extensive research has been done globally on this issue around THC and driving impairment, and pretty much all of it uncovers what we intuitively know, that is DOES! Ah, but there was some ‘outliers’ and one such ‘study’ was from a Melbourne based University. A group commissioned by pro-cannabis legalisation groups to conduct a study.

Not unsurprisingly, the findings in this study were far more ‘agnostic’ and even producing a finding that THC and driving wasn’t really a problem – for ‘medical users’ of course!

We here at People Against Drink and Drug Driving will be interested to see where this ‘study’ will land.

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Details: Published: 25 August 2023; Hits: 765

…in utero cannabis exposure is linked to adverse outcomes among offspring, including small for gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and preterm birth.

In addition, prenatal cannabis exposure has also been associated with childhood outcomes such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, as well as symptoms of psychopathology, including psychotic like experiences, internalizing, externalizing, attention problems, and thought and social problems. Maternal cannabis use disorder has also been linked to a greater risk of small for gestational age, preterm birth, low birthweight, and death within 1 year of birth.

Unlike tobacco or alcohol use in pregnancy, because of the current lack of definitive evidence of harm with use, public health efforts to caution against use of cannabis while pregnant are lagging. As the evidence of deleterious effects from prenatal cannabis use continues to accumulate, physicians and researchers in reproductive health have a responsibility to mitigate adverse health outcomes from perinatal cannabis use. Fulfilling this responsibility requires actionable evidence from high-quality research to guide health care clinician counseling, inform developmental screening strategies for exposed offspring, direct health policies, and garner public awareness.

Cannabis Use and Perinatal Health Research | Neonatology | JAMA Network

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Details: Published: 02 August 2023; Hits: 818

Overall, investigators observed 22 and 31 DNA methylation markers associated with recent and cumulative marijuana use, respectively, from the first samples and 132 and 16 methylation markers in the second batch of samples, according to the study.

Many of the epigenetic changes were found in pathways previously linked to cellular proliferation, hormone signaling, infections and mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance use disorders, Hou said.

"In our study, we observed associations between cumulative marijuana use and multiple epigenetic markers across time," Hou said. "Interestingly, we consistently identified one marker that has previously been associated with tobacco use, suggesting a potential shared epigenetic regulation between tobacco and marijuana use. The observed marijuana markers were also associated with cell proliferation, infection and psychiatric disorders, however, additional studies are needed to replicate and verify these findings." (For full story (medicalxpress.com)

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Details: Published: 02 August 2023; Hits: 816

(From) Abstract: Recent European data facilitate an epidemiological investigation of the controversial cannabis–cancer relationship. Of particular concern were prior findings associating high-dose cannabis use with reproductive problems and potential genetic impacts… Cannabis is a more important carcinogen than tobacco and alcohol and fulfills epidemiological qualitative and quantitative criteria for causality for 25/41 cancers. Reproductive and transgenerational effects are prominent. These findings confirm the clinical and epidemiological salience of cannabis as a major multigenerational community carcinogen.

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Details: Published: 02 August 2023; Hits: 960

Cannabis & Youth Homelessness (for 16-25 y.o. homelessness) linked to cannabis use disorder: Homelessness is associated with cannabis use disorder more than all other drugs combined (including alcohol), Massachusetts General Hospital found in youth aged 16-25 years old experiencing homelessness. Rates of single and co-occurring psychiatric disorders and specific SUDs (cannabis use disorder [CUD] and alcohol use disorder [AUD]) were notably high. An increasing number of psychiatric diagnoses was significantly associated with elevated CUD/AUD prevalence and severity. Mood, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and antisocial personality disorders were siågnificåantly associated with elevated CUD/AUD prevalence and severity, as was suicidality (Source: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)

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