Health | Addiction | Cannabis
Marijuana found to be a potential tool to fight the opioid crisis, a drain on IQ, and a mixed bag for entrepreneurs
In an interview last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that lawmakers are in the process of merging various marijuana bills in an effort to prioritize some form of federal cannabis legalization.
Schumer indicated that a new bill could remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and allow states the freedom to determine their own policies regarding cannabis without federal interference. The bill could also direct cannabis tax revenues to invest in communities impacted the most by the war on drugs, expunge marijuana records, and prevent large corporations from monopolizing the cannabis market.
Cannabis | Health | Science
Two new research studies report evidence of toxic chemicals in marijuana smokers and withdrawal symptoms in most people using cannabis for pain relief.
As President-elect Joe Biden prepares for his inauguration Wednesday, stakeholders in the US cannabis industry eagerly anticipate the increasingly likely prospect of federal legalization of cannabis.
House Democrats intend to re-introduce the MORE Act, which would federally legalize cannabis, and pass it relatively quickly. Newly appointed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated the MORE Act will be a priority in the US Senate.
So things are looking up for US cannabis advocates and users. …
A team of investigators from Texas A&M University and The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) report that an FDA-approved heart medication shows significant effectiveness in interfering with the entry…
The Lancet’s EClinical Medicine reports that adults with Down syndrome are three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population.
The increased risk became particularly striking among…
A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) suggests that 64% of adult COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US are attributable to just four pre-existing conditions.
COVID-19 hospitalizations…
Coronavirus | Health | Science
New COVID-19 research runs the gamut from discoveries in prevention and treatment to greater insights into the social and political impact of the virus.
This week saw the US death count from COVID-19 surpass 500,000, a figure that far exceeds that of other countries. Health experts attribute the disproportionately high death toll in the US to the Trump administration’s disorganized, patchwork, pandemic response. “If we had put … public health measures in place for the past year, we wouldn’t be in this position,” says Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, an epidemiologist and past president of the American Public Health Association.
Against this backdrop, new research reports continued to pour in regarding a wide range of issues relating to COVID-19. …
Cannabis | Health | Science
New research studies show that THC and CBD accumulate in breast milk and fetal THC-exposure produces abnormal newborn brain activity.
Earlier this week, New Jersey became the latest state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. New Jersey voters had approved the legalization of marijuana in the 2020 election, and a new law had actually gone into effect on January 1. However, the law imposed strict rules regarding who would still face penalties for marijuana usage and who could use the drug. So on February 22, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to legalize adult use of cannabis and decriminalize marijuana possession in small amounts.
As the trend toward legalization continues, researchers continue to explore the health impacts of marijuana use. Two…
COVID-19 | Health | Neuroscience
New research suggests that inflammatory molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid are the cause of “Covid brain.”
In a New York Times article back in October 2020, health and science writer Pam Belluck reported on what was “becoming known as Covid brain fog: troubling cognitive symptoms that can include memory loss, confusion, difficulty focusing, dizziness and grasping for everyday words.”
Rick Sullivan, 60, described his experience with COVID brain fog along a spectrum, ranging from his head feeling heavy to a full-on “fog” when he “cannot function” and just sits and stares, “unmotivated to move, my mind racing.”
Mr. Reagan, 50, was described as having to leave his job as a vascular medicine specialist due to finger…
Humor
I didn’t want to go anywhere anyway
I always suspected that I had the latent capacity to become a full-on Howard Hughes recluse. Thanks to 2020 I’ve been able to make that dream a reality.
I’m a middle-aged guy. I don’t like crowds. I’m not crazy about parties. I get social anxiety and I communicate better electronically. I have a handful of legit friends and a bunch of acquaintances.
Lock-down protocols are basically my go-to weekend plans. Yet all over the media I see stories of people lamenting the loss of all sorts of things due to COVID-19.
I just find it hard to relate when people…
Ed Ergenzinger
Patent attorney with a PhD in neuroscience. Sometime adjunct professor. Writer. Carbohydrate enthusiast.
