Month: November 2022

Could a fentanyl vaccine potentially save thousands of lives? A recent animal study published in the journal Pharmaceutics indicates that a fentanyl vaccine was able to block the drug from entering the brain of rats—thus making it a worthy candidate for human studies and eventually something available to the public that can save lives.

Researchers administered rats with three doses of the vaccine or immunization at three-week intervals, and another group of rats received a placebo. To determine if the drug was working, they tested the immunized rats’ pain responses by heating up their tails for up to 10 seconds and seeing how long they took to pull away.

The vaccination significantly reduced entry of fentanyl into the brain and anti-fentanyl antibodies targeted fentanyl with no cross-reactions to other opioids. 

“We believe these findings could have a significant impact on a very serious problem plaguing society for years—opioid misuse,” study

Researchers in the United Kingdom are currently recruiting volunteers for a study designed to explore the effects of cannabis on the human brain. Subjects selected for the full study will be paid for their participation in the research, which is being undertaken as part of King’s College London’s Cannabis & Me project.

The researchers conducting the study have said that the research is “paramount” to understanding the science behind cannabis, which they say is used daily by approximately 200 million people worldwide and is subject to legalization efforts in countries around the globe. Dr. Marta Di Forti, a leading cannabis and psychosis researcher and the leader of the new study, noted that “Cannabis is consumed daily by many recreationally but also for medicinal reasons.” 

“But in the UK, the prescription of medicinal cannabis remains rare,” Di Forti added, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “Our study aims to provide

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved landmark legislation to expand medical marijuana research, marking the first time both chambers of Congress have passed a standalone cannabis bill. The measure, titled the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, received the approval of the House of Representatives during the summer and now heads to the desk of President Joseph Biden for his consideration.

Democratic Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, the co-sponsor of the legislation in the House along with Maryland Republican Representative Andy Hariss, noted the significance of the legislation after the Senate vote on Wednesday.

“After working on the issue of cannabis reform for decades, finally the dam is starting to break. The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act in the House and Senate represents a historic breakthrough in addressing the federal government’s failed and misguided prohibition of cannabis,” Blumenauer, the founder and co-chair of the

Marijuana use is associated with heightened physical activity among individuals who are HIV+ positive, according to a study published last month.

The findings, which come via a team of researchers from Brown University, Boston University and the University of Minnesota, showed that “those who reported consuming cannabis were significantly more likely to be physically active than those patients who did not,” according to NORML’s summary of the study, which was published in the journal AIDS Care.

“Chronic pain, depression, and substance use are common among people living with HIV (PLWH). Physical activity can improve pain and mental health. Some substances such as cannabis may alleviate pain, which may allow PLWH to participate in more physical activity,” the authors wrote in the abstract. “However, risks of substance use include poorer mental health and HIV clinical outcomes.”

They said that their “cross-sectional analysis examined the relationships of self-reported substance use

A study published Wednesday in Neuropsychology attempted to determine if CBD reduces the adverse effects of THC, such as paranoia and memory loss, but found little evidence to support this theory. Study participants were observed and both pleasurable effects as well as adverse effects like paranoia and memory recall were recorded.

The study, called “Does cannabidiol make cannabis safer? A randomised, double-blind, cross-over trial of cannabis with four different CBD:THC ratios” aimed to determine if increasing the amount of CBD can reduce the “harmful effects” of cannabis—notably from THC.

Cannabis products are typically marketed with CBD:THC ratios, with CBD frequently being touted to augment THC’s effects, leading researchers to explore the relationship between the plant’s two most popular compounds. But they found that CBD doesn’t necessarily show evidence of reducing adverse side effects.

Forty-six individuals, ages 21-50, who consume cannabis infrequently, were observed and given an initial baseline visit—followed by