Scientists studied how smoking different quantities and strains of cannabis affects stress levels. This post from EurekAlert! Science News shares guidelines for using cannabis to treat stress, anxiety, and depression. In a first-of-a-kind study, Washington State University scientists examined how peoples' self-reported levels of stress, anxiety and depression were affected ... Continue Reading
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Here’s How Marijuana Can Help You Sleep Better
Insomnia is one of the most common reasons people seek out marijuana. So, does smoking a joint before bed make sleeping soundly easier? Read more, in this post from Tonic, about using weed for better sleep. If you’ve ever complained of sleep issues, chances are that someone you know, or some guide on the internet, has told you to try smoking a little weed. In both the ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Decreased hippocampal volume and increased anxiety in a transgenic mouse model expressing the human CYP2C19 gene
ABSTRACT: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, various psychoactive drugs, as well as endogenous steroids and cannabinoid-like compounds are metabolized by the polymorphic cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19). Absence of this enzyme has been recently shown to associate with lower levels of depressive symptoms in human subjects. To investigate ... Continue Reading
STUDY: Stress system changes associated with marijuana dependence may increase craving for alcohol and cocaine
ABSTRACT: Objective To date, little research exists defining bio-behavioral adaptations associated with both marijuana abuse and risk of craving and relapse to other drugs of abuse during early abstinence. Method Fifty-nine treatment-seeking individuals dependent on alcohol and cocaine were recruited. Thirty of these individuals were also marijuana (MJ) dependent; ... Continue Reading
STUDY: The endocannabinoid system in anxiety, fear memory and habituation
ABSTRACT: Evidence for the involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in anxiety and fear has been accumulated, providing leads for novel therapeutic approaches. In anxiety, a bidirectional influence of the ECS has been reported, whereby anxiolytic and anxiogenic responses have been obtained after both increases and decreases of the endocannabinoid tone. The recently ... Continue Reading