This study used patient data (deidentified), over a ten-year period comparing the occurrence of HNC in patients with a diagnosed CUD (N=116,076 patients) to those who did not use cannabis (N=3,985,286 patients) to arrive at relative risks factors. The authors (Gallagher, T. et.al.) found that when comparing non-users to those with a CUD, the risk of developing “any” HNC was 3.49 times greater in the CUD group. For location specific cancers in the CUD group, risk of oral cancer was 2.51 higher, oropharyngeal cancer (back of mouth and throat) was nearly 5 times higher, and laryngeal cancer (throat) was more than 8 times the risk, when compared to non-cannabis user group.

While the authors identify several potential relationships common to tobacco and cannabis use to adverse health outcomes, the call for more research to better understand this issue is clear. 

Abstract Read Time: < 5 minutes

Image: MIG 

The authors commented on the fact that THC levels available in Denmark had increased sharply during the study period. In parallel, the prevalence of CUDs also increased as did the frequency of cases of schizophrenia. The CUD/ schizophrenia risk factor for males, 16 to 20 years, (3.84) was over twice that of females of the same age group (1.81). 

Read time: 15-20 minutes. 

Photo: Unsplash.com/Stormseeker

This study examined national survey data for teens, 12 – 17 years of age (N=68,263), from 2015 to 2019, grouped as either “no marijuana use”, recent marijuana use (with no diagnosis of a CUD), and those marijuana users having been diagnosed as having a CUD. Researchers reported that when compared to non-users, the casual teenage marijuana user is over twice as probable to experience some adverse impacts to their mental health, scholastic achievement, cognitive development, and processing. For those diagnosed with a CUD, their risk rate is nearly 4 times greater for these same adverse outcomes than the non-use group. 

This study demonstrates that more research is needed to fully understand the implications, short and long term, of marijuana use by teens and young adults. 

Read time: 10 minutes

Photo: Unsplash.com/Rawson-Harris

Findings such as these, may have an influence on issues of mental health, legalization and regulations on usage.

Read Time: < 5 minutes

Photo: Unsplash.com / J. Fuller

The December 1st, 2020 edition of JAMA (Vol. 324, No. 21) released the results of a study into impaired driving from the Netherlands titled, “Effect of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Driving Performance” by T. Arkell (et.al.). The near year-long study examined the effects of vaporized cannabis products on safe driving performance. Of 41 potential participants,  26 individuals with a history of “occasional cannabis use”, were screened and selected to be part of this study. The term, “occasional cannabis use” was defined as less than twice a week in past 12 months or more than 10 lifetime exposures.

During the study, that focused on how well the drivers maintained lane position on a roadway, all drivers were administered marijuana that was either THC dominant (22% THC potency), Cannabidiol dominant (9% CBD potency), or a placebo. During and after the driving sessions blood was collected for analysis. Also, drivers provided their subjective feedback on their driving quality, sense of impairment, and confidence to safely operate a motor vehicle. Note: Of the 188 monitored drives by participants, 16 had to be stopped for safety reasons. 

Some of the findings for the drivers that used THC products, compared to the CBD and placebo drivers included:

• A lower confidence level in their driving ability
• A lower perception of their driving quality
• A higher sense of impairment 

The study showed that: 

• The THC drivers had greater difficulty in maintaining lane position up to 5-hours after use
• The drivers who used a CBD dominant or a placebo product, demonstrated no significant differences in their performance

Read Time: 5-10 minutes

Image: Unsplash / G.Pierce