Marijuana Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Marijuana, including details on benefits, cancer, effects, uses, addiction. | ||||||
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An age-period-cohort analysis of cannabis use prevalence and frequency in Germany, 1990-2009.Piontek D, Kraus L, Pabst A, Legleye S IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, Munich (Germany), München, Germany. BackgroundIn order to better understand trends in cannabis use, this study estimates independent and non-confounded age, period and cohort effects on 12-month cannabis use prevalence and frequency.MethodsData from seven waves of the German Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) conducted between 1990 and 2009 were used. The total sample included 29 836 men and 34 877 women aged 18-65 years. Cross-classified random effects models were conducted to estimate fixed effects of age and random effects of periods and birth cohorts. Analyses were stratified by gender.ResultsWith regard to 12-month prevalence, substantial age variations were identified with a peak of cannabis use in young adulthood. The overall effects of periods and birth cohorts were not significant. With regard to frequency of use, there were no significant influences of either variable. The results were largely identical for men and women.ConclusionsThis study identified little variation in trend data of current cannabis use. When confounding influences of period and ageing are controlled, the widely reported increases in cannabis consumption in recent birth cohorts cannot be demonstrated. Published 21 October 2011 in J Epidemiol Community Health. Articles on Marijuana published 21 October 2011: Psychosocial factors related to cannabis use disorders. Subst Abus, 32(4): 242-51. ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to explore the association between psychosocial risk and protective factors and cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in a cohort of African American and Puerto Rican young adults. A representative sample (N = 838) from the East Harlem area of New York City was assessed at 4 points in time (at mean ages 14.1, 19.2, 24.5, and 29.2). The psychosocial measures came from 6 domains: personality attributes, family, peer, work, neighborhood, and substance use. The ... [Abstract] [Full-text] The prevalence of substance use among psychiatric patients: the case study of bugando medical centre, mwanza (northern Tanzania). Subst Abus, 32(4): 238-41. ABSTRACT World Health Organization (2004) documented that substance use or abuse and mental disorders are important causes of disease burden accounting for 8.8% and 16.6% of the total burden of disease in low income and lower middle-income countries, respectively. Alcohol use/abuse disorders alone contribute to 0.6%-2.6% of the total burden of disease in these countries. This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited 184 psychiatric patients seen at Bugando Medical centre and assessed them ... [Abstract] [Full-text] The draft genome and transcriptome of Cannabis sativa. Genome Biol, 12(10): R102. ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Cannabis sativa has been cultivated throughout human history as a source of fiber, oil and food, and for its medicinal and intoxicating properties. Selective breeding has produced cannabis plants for specific uses, including high-potency marijuana strains and hemp cultivars for fiber and seed production. The molecular biology underlying cannabinoid biosynthesis and other traits of interest is largely unexplored. RESULTS: We sequenced genomic DNA and RNA from the marijuana ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Differential signaling in human cannabinoid CB(1) receptors and their splice variants in autaptic hippocampal neurons. Br J Pharmacol. Background and purpose: Cannabinoids such as Δ(9) -THC, the chief psychoactive component of marijuana and hashish, primarily act via cannabinoid receptors CB(1) and CB(2) and produce characteristic behavioral effects in humans. Due to the tractability of rodent models for electrophysiological and behavioral studies, much of the work examining cannabinoid receptor action has made use of rodent cannabinoid receptors. While CB(1) is relatively well-conserved among mammals, human CB(1) ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Phytocannabinoids as novel therapeutic agents in CNS disorders. Pharmacol Ther. The Cannabis sativa herb contains over 100 phytocannabinoid (pCB) compounds and has been used for thousands of years for both recreational and medicinal purposes. In the past two decades, characterisation of the body's endogenous cannabinoid (CB) (endocannabinoid, eCB) system (ECS) has highlighted activation of central CB(1) receptors by the major pCB, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) as the primary mediator of the psychoactive, hyperphagic and some of the potentially therapeutic ... [Abstract] [Full-text] The histopathology of drugs of abuse. Histopathology, 59(4): 579-93. Milroy C M & Parai J L (2011) Histopathology 59, 579-593 The histopathology of drugs of abuse The use of drugs for recreational purposes is widespread. The drugs used can be divided into groups including stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, etc.), opiates and opioids (heroin, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, etc.), sedatives (benzodiazepines and related substances) and miscellaneous drugs, including ketamine and cannabis (marijuana). These drugs can have profound effects on all organ systems ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Articles on Marijuana published 20 October 2011: Perinatal Exposure to {Delta}9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Triggers Profound Defects in T Cell Differentiation and Function in Fetal and Postnatal Stages of Life, Including Decreased Responsiveness to HIV Antigens. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 339(2): 607-17. Marijuana abuse is very prominent among pregnant women. Although marijuana cannabinoids have been shown to exert immunosuppression in adults, virtually nothing is known about the effects of marijuana use during pregnancy on the developing immune system of the fetus and during postnatal life. We noted that murine fetal thymus expressed high levels of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Moreover, perinatal exposure to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) had a profound effect on the fetus as ... [Abstract] [Full-text] Evidence for involvement of the insula in the psychotropic effects of THC in humans: a double-blind, randomized pharmacological MRI study. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol, 14(10): 1377-88. The main reason for recreational use of cannabis is the 'high', the primary psychotropic effect of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This psychoactive compound of cannabis induces a range of subjective, physical and mental reactions. The effect on heart rate is pronounced and complicates bloodflow-based neuroimaging of psychotropic effects of THC. In this study we investigated the effects of THC on baseline brain perfusion and activity in association with the induction of 'feeling high'. ... [Abstract] [Full-text] © 2004-2011 Marijuana Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
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