Abstract Background We aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude about cannabis use among college students in India, compare the perspective among users and non-users and lay a framework for development of effective primary prevention strategies in future. Methods This cross-sectional study was done in different colleges of Mumbai. Two hundred and sixty students of both sexes aged between 18 and 25 years were selected by systematic random sampling. Participants had to fill a sociodemographic questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire that was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results About 11.2% of the participants were users of cannabis and around...

Please use this link to access this publication. ABSTRACT International consensus has emerged, which proposes that the measurement and standardization of the quantity of THC potency, or dose (mgTHC), is a requisite for identifying consistent relationships between patterns of cannabis use and the risk for negative health outcomes, especially critical given the increasing number of U.S. states and European countries considering legalizing cannabis for recreational use. Despite the lack of measurement approaches that provide accurate, real-time data on THC dosage, the number of states that have implemented legal adult use cannabis markets has coincided with the use of regulatory seed-to-sale or track-and-trace systems. Seed-to-sale...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Cannabis is one of the most commonly utilized recreational drugs. However, increasing evidence from the literature suggests harmful implications on cognition. Thus, the main aim of the current review is to summarize literature findings pertaining to the impact of cannabis on neurocognitive skills, focusing on the imaging biomarkers provided by MRI. Two reviewers navigated the literature independently using four main search engines including PubMed and Cochrane. Articles were first evaluated through their title and abstract, followed by full-text assessment. Study characteristics and findings were extracted, and the studies' quality was appraised. 47 articles were included....

Abstract Background: Medical marijuana (MMJ) is available in Pennsylvania, and participation in the state-regulated program requires patient registration and receiving certification by an approved physician. Currently, no integration of MMJ certification data with health records exists in Pennsylvania that would allow clinicians to rapidly identify patients using MMJ, as exists with other scheduled drugs. This absence of a formal data sharing structure necessitates tools aiding in consistent documentation practices to enable comprehensive patient care. Customized smart data elements (SDEs) were made available to clinicians at an integrated health system, Geisinger, following MMJ legalization in Pennsylvania. Objective: The purpose of this project was to examine and contextualize...

Abstract Background: Motivational interviewing (MI) is frequently used to facilitate behavior change. The use of change talk during motivational interviews can predict subsequent behavior change. However, no studies have compared the information obtained from traditional face-to-face motivational interviews and computer-mediated motivational interviews or resulted in the same amount of behavior change. Objective: This study aimed to investigate if face-to-face motivational-type interviews (MTIs) and computer-mediated MTIs elicit the same amount of "change talk" and behavior change when young adults discuss their ambivalence about using marijuana. Methods: A total of 150 users, including frequent marijuana users, occasional marijuana users, and non-marijuana users, participated in the study. All participants reported...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective This short communication reports on the association of annual measures of young adult (age 18–24) past month cannabis use with cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment admissions by state in the U.S. from 2008 to 2017. Methods Annual data on percentage of past month cannabis use and the total number of CUD treatment admissions among young adults were acquired for each state from SAMHSA NSDUH and TEDS-A data sets. For each state, the correlation over time between cannabis use and treatment admissions rate was calculated and visualized in a choropleth map. Fixed-effects regression, where effects...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background: Vaping is the second most common modality of using cannabis following smoking. We examined differences in demographics and substance use behaviors between adolescent cannabis vapers and those exclusively using other cannabis modalities. Methods: In 2019, 4875 students from six Connecticut high schools completed school-wide, online surveys. Past-month cannabis users (n = 931; 52.8% female, 16.38(1.27) years old, 44.9% non-Hispanic White) reported on cannabis modalities used (e.g., combustible, vaporizable, edible) and were classified as cannabis vapers or non-vapers. Cannabis vapers reported on device type used to vape cannabis: a cannabis-specific device or modified/hacked e-cigarette. Unadjusted...

Abstract Background: Most U.S. states have legalized cannabis for medical and/or recreational use. In a 6-month prospective observational study, we examined changes in adult cannabis use patterns and health perceptions following broadened legalization of cannabis use from medical to recreational purposes in California. Methods: Respondents were part of Stanford University’s WELL for Life registry, an online adult cohort concentrated in Northern California. Surveys were administered online in the 10 days prior to state legalization of recreational use (1/1/18) and 1-month (2/1/18–2/15/18) and 6-months (7/1/2018–7/15/18) following the change in state policy. Online surveys assessed self-reported past 30-day cannabis use, exposure to others’ cannabis use, and...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objective: Cannabis markets are evolving in terms of greater diversity and potency of products. The current study examined changes in cannabis use and modes of consumption among 16- to 19-year-olds in three markets with different regulatory frameworks: England, Canada, and the United States (US). Methods: Repeat cross-sectional online surveys were conducted in 2017, 2018, and 2019, with samples of 16- to 19-year-olds recruited from commercial panels in Canada (n = 11,779), England (n = 11,117), and the US (n = 11,869). Regression models examined changes in the prevalence of any cannabis use and use of...

Abstract: Cannabis sativa L. turned out to be a valuable source of chemical compounds of various structures, showing pharmacological activity. The most important groups of compounds include phytocannabinoids and terpenes. The pharmacological activity of Cannabis (in epilepsy, sclerosis multiplex (SM), vomiting and nausea, pain, appetite loss, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, schizophrenia, glaucoma, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)), which has been proven so far, results from the affinity of these compounds predominantly for the receptors of the endocannabinoid system (the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), type two (CB2), and the G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55)) but, also, for peroxisome proliferator activated...