Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Introduction In jurisdictions that have legalized recreational cannabis, perceptions of the ‘legal’ market may influence whether consumers transition from illegal retail sources. The current study examined consumer perceptions of legal versus illegal retail sources in 6 US states with legal retail sales as of 2018: Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State. Methods Data are from Wave 1 of the International Cannabis Policy Study, an online survey conducted in 2018 among 16–65-year-olds. US respondents were asked about cannabis consumption and perceptions of legal cannabis (n = 5530). Multinomial regression models were fitted for each of five...

Abstract For thousands of years, Cannabis sativa has been utilized as a medicine and for recreational and spiritual purposes. Phytocannabinoids are a family of compounds that are found in the cannabis plant, which is known for its psychotogenic and euphoric effects; the main psychotropic constituent of cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). The pharmacological effects of cannabinoids are a result of interactions between those compounds and cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, located in many parts of the human body. Cannabis is used as a therapeutic agent for treating pain and emesis. Some cannabinoids are clinically applied for treating chronic pain, particularly cancer and multiple sclerosis-associated pain, for appetite...

Abstract This paper demonstrates that cannabis can evoke “peak-experiences”—the name psychologist Abraham Maslow gave to fleeting moments of expanded perception indicative of self-transcendence—when used alongside more traditional religious practices such as meditation, fasting, contemplative prayer, and sacramental ritual. For that reason, religious seekers around the globe have deployed cannabis as a deliberate psychoactive to trigger the peak-experiences that stir feelings of ecstasy, wonder, and awe and resolve the “dichotomies, polarities, and conflicts of life.” As such, peak-experiences exemplify a form of spiritual revelation that has played a pivotal role in the history of religion, and because of its ability to elicit unitive consciousness at...

Abstract Cannabis is one of the most versatile genera in terms of plant uses and has been exploited by humans for millennia due to its medicinal properties, strong fibres, nutritious seeds and psychoactive resin. Nowadays, Cannabis is the centre of many scientific studies, which mainly focus on its chemical composition and medicinal properties. Unfortunately, while new applications of this plant are continuously being developed, some of its traditional uses are becoming rare and even disappearing altogether. Information on traditional uses of Cannabis is vast, but it is scattered across many publication sources in different formats, so synthesis and standardization of these data are increasingly important. The CANNUSE database...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Prevalence of cannabis use has been increasing among select subgroups in the US; however, trend analyses typically examine prevalence of use across years. We sought to determine whether there is seasonal variation in use. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a repeated cross-sectional survey of nationally representative probability samples of noninstitutionalized populations age ≥12 in the US. Quarterly trends in any past-month cannabis use were estimated using data from 2015–2019 (N = 282,768). Results Prevalence of past-month cannabis use increased significantly from 2015 to 2019 from...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Research exploring patterns and predictors of problematic cannabis use behaviors among young adults is limited. This knowledge is essential for intervening to prevent abuse and dependence outcomes. Methods Young adult cannabis users (Mage = 19.2[SD = 0.8]) in Southern California (N = 1007) were classified by patterns of problematic cannabis use from the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test, using Latent Class Analysis. Multinomial regression evaluated the association of frequency of use (no past 30 day use, infrequent [use on 1–2 of past 30 days], semi-frequent [use on 3–9 of the past 30 days], and frequent [use on 10...

Abstract Cannabis accounts for the largest share of the illicit drug market, with a high prevalence of use even among adolescents. To tackle this longstanding problem, many kinds of reforms to national cannabis control policies have been implemented in Europe, but their effectiveness is still unclear. This paper analyses the association between selected categories of cannabis policy reforms and changes in perceived cannabis availability and patterns of use among adolescents. Data from 20 European countries across 15 years were drawn from a novel database of the European school Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD). Our analysis is based on a Difference-in-Differences design,...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Marijuana, or Cannabis sativa L., is a common psychoactive plant used for both recreational and medicinal purposes. In many countries, cannabis-based medicines have been legalized under certain conditions because of their immense prospects in medicinal applications. With a comprehensive insight into the prospects and challenges associated with the pharmacological use and global trade of C. sativa, this mini-review focuses on the medicinal importance of the plant and its legal status worldwide; the pharmacological compounds and its therapeutic potential along with the underlying public health concerns and future perspective are herein discussed. The existence of major compounds including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Knowledge about the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis has greatly improved over the past decade, with an ever-increasing range of developments in human clinical applications. A growing body of scientific evidence supports the use of medical cannabis products for some therapeutic indications, whilst for others, the evidence base remains disputed. For this narrative review, we incorporate areas where the current evidence base is substantial, such as intractable childhood epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, as well as areas where the evidence is still controversial, such as PTSD and anxiety. We provide a high-level summary of current developments using findings from recent major reviews, as well as real world evidence (RWE),...

Abstract Background An increasing number of countries legalise the use of medical cannabis or allow it for a narrow range of medical conditions. Physicians, and often the patients’ general practitioner, play a major role in implementing this policy. Many of them, however, perceive a lack of evidence-based knowledge and are not confident with providing patients with medical cannabis. The objectives of this review are to synthesise findings about hospital physicians’ and GPs’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefs towards the use of medical cannabis with the purpose of identifying barriers and facilitators towards providing it to their patients. Methods Peer-reviewed articles addressing hospital physicians’ and GPs’...