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Analysis: Liberalization of European Cannabis Policies Not Linked to Increased Marijuana Use by Young People

Stockholm, Sweden: More permissive marijuana policies are not associated with upticks in cannabis use among young people, according to data published in the journal PLoS One.

Swedish researchers assessed trends in the use of marijuana by adolescents and younger adults in 11 European countries over a 23-year period (1994-2017). During that time, several nations liberalized their marijuana laws while others made no changes.

Investigators reported that young people's use of cannabis either remained stable or increased in countries that failed to amend their marijuana laws. By contrast, teen use decreased in jurisdictions that liberalized their policies.

"This comprehensive re-analysis of all available data from EMCDDA [the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction] does not corroborate an impact of changes in cannabis legislation on cannabis use among young people in Europe," authors reported. "Overall, since the 1990's, self-reported use appeared to increase among countries without any policy changes but decrease after both decriminalization and depenalization of cannabis-related crimes."

The findings are similar to those from the United States showing decreasing rates of marijuana use by adolescents in jurisdictions that have legalized the adult-use cannabis marketplace.

The study's authors concluded, "There is no evidence as of date, considering available data and previous publications, that policy changes regarding recreational cannabis significantly affect the prevalence of recreational cannabis use among young people in Europe."

Full text of the study, "Changes in cannabis policy and prevalence of recreational cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in Europe: An interrupted time-series analysis," appears in PLoS One.

Survey: More Than One in Four North Americans Self-Report Having Used Cannabis for Medical Purposes

Waterloo, Canada: More than one in four North Americans acknowledge having used cannabis for medical purposes, according to survey data published in the journal Psychopharmacology.

An international team of researchers from Australia and Canada assessed the prevalence of self-reported medical cannabis use among a population-based cohort of more than 27,000 respondents from the United States and Canada. Participants in the study were between the ages of 16 and 65. Fifty-eight percent of subjects reported having had some prior experience with marijuana.

Just over 27 percent of all respondents reported having consumed cannabis for medical purposes. Those who did so were most likely to report having used cannabis to manage pain (53 percent), to reduce anxiety (52 percent), or to improve sleep (46 percent) - a finding that is consistent with other studies. Subjects were also likely to report using cannabis to offset symptoms of post-traumatic stress, migraine, and depression. Self-reported medical use was higher in jurisdictions where such access is permitted as compared to places where its use remains illegal.

Authors concluded: "A substantial proportion of the North American population self-reported cannabis use for medical purposes for a variety of medical reasons, including those living in jurisdictions without legal markets. ... Our findings have implications for how cannabis use is being used by the population, which may include authorized use with prescription by a health professional, and also self-defined medical use without professional guidance. ... Further research is needed to understand the safety and efficacy of these forms of medical cannabis use."

Full text of the study, "Prevalence of self-reported reasons of cannabis use for medical purposes in USA and Canada," appears in Psychopharmacology.

Cannabinoid Acids Exhibit Anti-COVID Activity in Preclinical Models

Corvallis, OR: Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) exhibit anti-COVID activity in culture, according to data published in the Journal of Natural Products.

Researchers with the University of Oregon reported that both cannabinoids inhibited the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into human epithelial cells. Authors reported that the cannabinoid acids showed equal efficacy against multiple COVID variants.

Both compounds are abundant organically in raw hemp plants and in certain hemp extracts.

By contrast, activated compounds such as THC and CBD failed to show efficacy in the models.

Authors concluded, "Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2."

Prior preclinical studies and reviews have similarly suggested that certain cannabis compounds could potentially modulate COVID infections. However, to date, no human studies have substantiated the theory that cannabinoids can assist in either preventing COVID infections or in mitigating symptoms of the virus. Clinical trial data published in November failed to demonstrate that the adjunctive use of CBD aided COVID patients in their recovery from the virus. An observational study published in October reported an association between problematic cannabis use and an increased risk of COVID breakthrough infections.

Since the start of the COVID pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration has sent numerous warning letters to companies for misrepresenting their CBD products as a COVID treatment options for patients. NORML has repeatedly cautioned consumers to beware of online misinformation surrounding the commercial marketing of either whole-plant cannabis or CBD as potential remedies for the COVID-19 virus.

Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids block cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the emerging variants," appears in theJournal of natural Products.

Study: Alcohol, Not Cannabis, Associated with Violent Behaviors in Psychotic Patients

Montreal, Canada: The consumption of alcohol, but not cannabis, is associated with an increased likelihood of impulsiveness and violent behavior among subjects with schizophrenic spectrum disorders, according to data published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

A team of Canadian and Italian investigators assessed the relationship between the use of alcohol and cannabis on psychotic, impulsive, and violent behavior in a cohort of subjects diagnosed with either schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. All of the subjects in the cohort possessed a history of violent behavior.

Researchers reported: "Cannabis use disorder was neither associated with impulsive behavior nor with violent behavior." By contrast, they determined that "alcohol use disorder was positively associated with increased levels of impulsivity, in particular impulsive and thoughtless behavior. ... [A]lcohol use disorder was [also] significantly associated with violence."

They concluded, "In summary, our findings indicate that lifetime cannabis use disorder is frequent among patients with psychotic disorders but is not associated with violent and impulsive behaviors."

Previous studies have identified elevated levels of cannabis use among subjects with certain psychiatric disorders, some of whom may be seeking to self-medicate with it.

Full text of the study, "Cannabis use disorder is not associated with lifetime impulsive behavior and severe violence in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders from a high-security hospital," appears in theJournal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Canada: Growing Percentage of Cannabis Consumers Transitioning to the Licit Marketplace

Waterloo, Canada: A growing number of Canadians who consume cannabis are obtaining it from the legal marketplace, according to data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Investigators affiliated with the University of Waterloo, School of Public Health Sciences surveyed nearly 5,000 Canadian adults who acknowledged having purchased cannabis flowers within the past year.

Researchers reported that the percentage of consumers switching from the illicit market to the licit market increased from 2019 to 2020 and that the majority of respondents (58 percent) now acknowledge obtaining cannabis flowers from licensed retailers. The study's authors attributed these changes in behavior to increases in retail availability and falling prices for cannabis products available in the legal marketplace.

The findings are consistent with those of a 2021 study published in the journal Health Reports which found that nearly 70 percent of cannabis consumers reported obtaining cannabis from a legal source, up from 47 percent in 2019.

Canada initially legalized the retail sale of cannabis in October 2018.

Full text of the study, "Cannabis flower prices and transitions to legal sources after legalization in Canada, 2019-2020," appears in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.