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Date: January 8, 2020 Source: Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Summary: Researchers assessed the time trends in alcohol and marijuana detected in homicide victims and found that the prevalence of marijuana almost doubled, increasing from 22 percent in 2004 to 42 percent in 2016. Alternately, the prevalence of alcohol declined slightly from 40 percent in 2004 to 35 percent in 2016.
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Marijuana use during pregnancy can have a significant impact on the health of unborn babies, a new joint study by Western University and Queen’s University researchers says.
“This is the first study to definitively support the fact that THC alone has a direct impact on placental and fetal growth” study co-author and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry associate professor Dan Hardy said in a statement.
In lab rats, researchers showed regular exposure to a low dose of THC — meant to mimic daily use of pot during pregnancy — led to an eight per cent drop in birth weight and a more than 20 per cent decrease in brain and liver growth in the fetus.
The research team also showed how THC can prevent oxygen and nutrients from crossing the placenta and reaching the unborn baby. By looking at human placental cells, the team found THC exposure reduced the amount of an important protein that transports glucose — a key nutrient used in human energy production — into cells.
“This study is important to support clinicians in communicating the very real risks associated with cannabis use during pregnancy.”
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Colorado, Washington, Nevada, and Massachusetts Post Increases in Youth Use Over Previous Year
(Alexandria, VA) - Today, state-level data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the most authoritative study on drug use conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), finds that marijuana use in "legal" states among youth, young adults, and the general population continued its multi-year upward trend in several categories.
Additionally, use rates in "legal" states continue to drastically outstrip the use in states that have not legalized the drug. Highlights include:
- Past-month marijuana use among young people aged 18-25 in "legal" states has increased 8 percent in the last year (30.94% versus 28.62%). Use in this age group is 50 percent higher in "legal" states than in non-legal states (30.94% versus 20.66%).
- Past-month youth use (aged 12-17) in states with commercial sales continued its recent upward trend. Since last year, "legal" Washington experienced the largest surge in past month youth use with an 11 percent increase (9.94% versus 8.96%). Colorado experienced a four percent increase (9.39% versus 9.02%).
- Massachusetts overtook Colorado as the top-ranking state for overall first-time use, which is now number two.
- Past-month youth use in "legal" states is 40% higher than in non-legal states (8.92% versus 6.26%). Past-year youth use in "legal" states is roughly 30% higher than in non-legal states (15.82% versus 12.10%).
- First-time youth use in "legal" states is 30% higher than non-legal states (6.96% versus 5.38%)
"This data show the marijuana industry is achieving its goal of hooking our kids on today's highly potent marijuana," said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration. "As we learned just this week from the Monitoring the Future survey, the number of young people who perceive marijuana as being harmful is at a historic low. Given the recent data linking high potency marijuana with serious mental health issues, addiction, and future substance abuse, this is extremely concerning. We call on Congress and the President now to stop helping the pot industry and commence a science based information campaign about the dangers of today's marijuana products."
Research has shown that the adolescent brain - particularly the part of the brain that regulates planning for complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making and social behavior - is not fully developed until the early to mid-20s. Developing brains are especially susceptible to all of the negative effects of marijuana and other drug use. Given the drastic increase in marijuana use we are witnessing in this age group in "legalized" states, there should be great cause for concern.
"This data, combined with yesterday's Monitoring the Future study, and the statements from the overwhelming majority of doctors, educators, substance abuse professionals and parents, must be our guide to changing the current discourse," continued Dr. Sabet. "We cannot allow Big Marijuana to continue to deceive the American people for their bottom line."
Dr Kevin Sabet
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This early study isn't conclusive, but its findings could have grave implications.
Sports leagues, state legislators, and universities are changing the way they treat and punish marijuana use largely because the drug is increasingly perceived as harmless. But preliminary research suggests cannabis may have a dangerous side effect on one critical organ: the heart.
The new study, which evaluated the health of 3,407 people in the United Kingdom, suggests a link between regularly using marijuana — defined as daily or weekly use within the past five years — and changes to the heart’s structure and functions. It was published Wednesday in the journal JACC Cardiovascular Imaging.
Researchers observed that the study participants who used cannabis regularly had larger left ventricles and showed early signs of impaired heart function.
Partial abstract: Conclusions: Regular cannabis use was independently associated with adverse changes in left ventricular size and subclinical dysfunction compared to rare/no cannabis, whereas previous regular cannabis use was not. Findings should be interpreted with caution and further research is required to understand the potential pathophysiology, dose-response effects of cannabis use and the long-term implications of regular use on the cardiovascular system. Health care professionals and policy makers may need to advise caution on regular recreational cannabis use until such systematic research is availabe.