Drug Facts in Media

A team of researchers has discovered that an antioxidant found in rosemary extract can reduce volitional intakes of cocaine by moderating the brain's reward response, offering a new therapeutic target for treating addiction.

A new study that details trends among psychiatric hospitalizations between 2015-2019 finds that while most hospitalizations did not involve any substances, methamphetamine-related hospitalizations have increased while overall number of psychiatric hospitalizations remained stable.

Adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they had later bedtimes and slept fewer hours during the night during childhood and adolescence, according to a new study.

A new study suggests that cannabis, the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide, is associated with an increased occurrence of head and neck cancer.

Cocaine binds to a specific transporter in the brain that is responsible for regulating dopamine levels. Researchers have studied and described the process, producing new knowledge that may bring us a step closer to designing a drug for cocaine abuse.

A lesser-known cannabinoid that is gaining in popularity Cannabigerol (CBG) effectively reduced anxiety in a clinical trial without the intoxication typically associated with whole plant cannabis. It may even have some memory enhancing effects, according to a new study. For the study, researchers conducted the first human clinical trial investigating the acute effects of CBG on anxiety, stress and mood. The research revealed that 20 mg of hemp-derived CBG significantly reduced feelings of anxiety at 20, 45 and 60 minutes after ingestion compared to a placebo.

Since 2009, U.S. high school seniors have reported steep declines in medical use, misuse and availability of the three most commonly prescribed and misused controlled substances for teens, a new study found.

Researchers have found a significant increase in cannabis use among adults with diabetes in the United States, raising concerns about the potential impact on their health outcomes.

Researchers outline some of the intermediate biological steps that could play into how prenatal cannabis exposure leads to behavioral issues down the line.

A new study shows that people with COVID-19 who used cannabis were more likely to be hospitalized and require intensive care than those who did not use the drug.

A clinical trial on a two-drug therapy for methamphetamine use disorder reduced use of the highly addictive drug for up to 12 weeks after initiation of treatment. Participants in the ADAPT-2 clinical trial who received a combination of injectable naltrexone plus extended-release oral bupropion (NTX+BUPN) had a 27% increase in methamphetamine-negative urine tests, indicating reduced usage. By contrast, the placebo group had an 11% increase in negative tests. To date there is no FDA-approved medication for it.

Nearly one in six patients in primary care reported cannabis use, with 35% of those using at levels indicating moderate- to high-risk use disorder. The findings indicate the need for routine cannabis use screening. Currently few healthcare systems offer this screening in primary care settings.

During pregnancy, the effects of therapeutical doses of amphetamine have been investigated on birth outcomes in humans. However, a thorough investigation of the mechanisms underlying the long-term effects of embryonal exposure to addictive doses of amphetamine remains largely unexplored. Using a tiny worm, researchers have revealed the underlying mechanisms of embryonal exposure to methamphetamine (Meth) and amphetamines, a psychostimulant used to treat a variety of brain dysfunctions.

A new study assessed cannabis use in the United States between 1979 and 2022, finding that a growing share of cannabis consumers report daily or near-daily use and that their numbers now exceed those of daily and near-daily alcohol drinkers. The study concludes that long-term trends in cannabis use parallel corresponding changes in policy over the same period.