Cannabis use is associated with reduced brain volumes in a region involved in facial emotion processing, according to a new study in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
“There is a high rate of overlap between regular (at least weekly) cannabis use and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety,” said study author Kristin E. Maple, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“People with depression and anxiety often have differences in brain structure in regions that process facial emotions. The current study was designed to investigate whether cannabis users (without mood or other psychiatric disorders) have similar differences in brain structure, and whether those abnormalities are related to problems processing facial emotions.”
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NPR: Pass The Brazier: Early Evidence Of Cannabis Smoking Found On Chinese Artifacts
Humans have been smoking pot to get high since the first millennium B.C. Archaeologists have found early evidence of cannabis use from wooden bowls exhumed from ancient tombs in western China.
Nevada bans employers from refusing to hire those who fail marijuana tests /
(CNN) — Starting in 2020, Nevada employers cannot refuse to hire a job applicant for failing a marijuana screening test, making it the first state to pass such a law.
“It is unlawful for any employer in this State to fail or refuse to hire a prospective employee because the prospective employee submitted to a screening test and the results of the screening test indicate the presence of marijuana,” states the law, signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak on June 5.
MedicineNet: Legalizing Medical Pot Won’t Ease Opioid Crisis: Study
HealthDay News) — Medical marijuana has been a beacon of hope in the opioid epidemic, with states legalizing weed in hopes that its use will cut down on fatal overdoses from painkiller use.
Now, a new study is throwing cold water on that notion.
There’s no association between medical marijuana laws and opioid overdose death rates, researchers report.
New Mexico Adds Opioid Use to Conditions for Medical Marijuana
“New Mexico health officials on Thursday expanded the list of qualifying conditions for the state’s medical cannabis program to include opioid use disorder, joining several other states. Other qualifying conditions that were added include Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and three degenerative neurological disorders.”
Cronos catapults higher after saying it plans to enter the US CBD market within the next year / Markets Insider
Carmen Reinicke
“Cronos Group soared more than 15% Wednesday after the Canadian cannabis company announced it plans to launch cannabidiol, or CBD, in the US within the next six to 12 months”
The Verdict on CBD Is … Confusing/WSJ
“An FDA hearing on CBD, the nonpsychoactive substance in marijuana, sent industry shares down sharply, but not for long”
Ben & Jerry’s wants to make CBD ice cream / New York Daily News
“Your brain freeze may soon come with a side of pain relief.
Frozen sweets giant Ben & Jerry’s plans to make CBD-infused ice cream if it becomes legal to add the chemical found in hemp and marijuana to edibles in the U.S. The company is so set on the idea that it submitted a comment to the Food and Drug Administration in support of legalizing CBD-infused foods and beverages for a public hearing being held on the matter Friday.”
Veterans face hurdles accessing medical marijuana
Claire Hansen Staff Writer
“Under current VA policy, VA doctors cannot prescribe or recommend medical marijuana to patients – including in states where medical marijuana is legal – because of the drug’s status as a Schedule I controlled substance.”
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