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Epidemiology and public health

Section Editor: Brian Fairman, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA
Covers the epidemiology in all populations of cannabis use and cannabis-related disorders and their impact on public health, public safety, and socioeconomic conditions.


  1. The Veterans Health Administration tracks urine drug tests (UDTs) among patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) and recommends discussing the health effects of cannabis use.

    Authors: Tauheed Zaman, Dawn M. Bravata, Amy Byers, Erin Krebs, Samuel Leonard, Charles Austin, Friedhelm Sandbrink, Deborah S. Hasin and Salomeh Keyhani
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:12
  2. The primary components driving the current commercial fascination with cannabis products are phytocannabinoids, a diverse group of over 100 lipophilic secondary metabolites derived from the cannabis plant. Alt...

    Authors: Pierrick ClƩment, Walter K. Schlage and Julia Hoeng
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:9
  3. Marijuana use is increasingly common among patients with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). We determined if lifetime recreational and medical marijuana use were associated wit...

    Authors: Whitney M. Davidson, Anika Mahavni, Timothy Chrusciel, Joanne Salas, Lisa R. Miller-Matero, Mark D. Sullivan, Celeste Zabel, Patrick J. Lustman, Brian K. Ahmedani and Jeffrey F. Scherrer
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:7
  4. Our primary objective was to understand breastfeeding individualsā€™ decisions to use cannabis. Specifically, we investigated reasons for cannabis use, experiences with healthcare providers regarding use, and po...

    Authors: Caroline B. Smith, Jenna Schmidt, Elizabeth A. Holdsworth, Beatrice CaffƩ, Olivia Brooks, Janet E. Williams, David R. Gang, Mark A. McGuire, Michelle K. McGuire, Celestina Barbosa-Leiker and Courtney L. Meehan
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:6
  5. Acute cannabis use has been demonstrated to slow reaction time and affect decision-making and short-term memory. These effects may have utility in identifying impairment associated with recent use. However, th...

    Authors: Ashley Brooks-Russell, Julia Wrobel, Tim Brown, L. Cinnamon Bidwell, George Sam Wang, Benjamin Steinhart, Gregory Dooley and Michael J. Kosnett
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:3
  6. In the USA, an increasing number of states have legalized commercial recreational cannabis markets, allowing a private industry to sell cannabis to those 21 and older at retail locations known as dispensaries....

    Authors: Samantha Marinello, Rebecca Valek and Lisa M. Powell
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2024 6:2
  7. Cannabis use, be it either cannabidiol (CBD) use and/or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use, shows promise to enhance exercise recovery. The present study aimed to determine if individuals are using CBD and...

    Authors: Anthony G. Pinzone, Emily K. Erb, Stacie M. Humm, Sarah G. Kearney and J. Derek Kingsley
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:32
  8. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the cannabis industry has adapted to public health emergency orders which had direct and indirect consequences on cannabis consumption. The objective of this...

    Authors: Kelda Newport, Lisa Bishop, Jennifer Donnan, Shefali Pal and Maisam Najafizada
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:31
  9. There is an expanding unregulated market for a psychotropic compound called āˆ†8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC) that is being derived from hemp, but a summary of adverse events related to delta-8-THC has not be...

    Authors: Eric C. Leas, Raquel M. Harati, Nora Satybaldiyeva, Nicolas E. Morales, Shelby L. Huffaker, Tomas Mejorado and Igor Grant
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:15
  10. Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive cannabinoid from the cannabis plant that can be synthetically converted from cannabidiol (CBD). Most states permit the full or restricted sale of hemp and h...

    Authors: Erin K. Bradley, Brooke E. Hoots, Evan S. Bradley and Douglas R. Roehler
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:9
  11. Investigation of cannabis use trends among emerging adults (EA, aged between 18 and 24 years) following 2018 Canadian Recreational Cannabis Legislation (RCL) is critical. EAs report the heaviest cannabis use i...

    Authors: Nā€™deye Rokhaya Gueye, Kevin Prada and Danielle de Moissac
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:8
  12. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived influence of cannabis on sexual functioning and satisfaction. This study used Kaplanā€™s and Masters and Johnsonā€™s sexual response cycle (desire, excitement...

    Authors: Amanda Moser, Sharon M. Ballard, Jake Jensen and Paige Averett
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2023 5:2
  13. Due to the growing use of cannabis for the purposes of pain relief, evidence is needed on the impact of cannabis use on concurrent analgesic use. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the association betwee...

    Authors: Ria Garg, Kam Shojania and Mary A. De Vera
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:49
  14. For a long period, cannabis in Lebanon was categorized as an illegal psychoactive substance criminalized by law, despite being the 3rd largest producer of cannabis resin after Morocco and Afghanistan. The curr...

    Authors: Anthony Mina, Clara Rahme, Souheil Hallit and Michel Soufia
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:34
  15. Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at greater risk of developing metabolic disorders. Obesity is a major risk factor for these disorders, and therefore, managing body weight is crucial...

    Authors: Tangui BarrĆ©, Fabrice Carrat, ClĆ©mence Ramier, HĆ©lĆØne Fontaine, Vincent Di Beo, Morgane Bureau, CĆ©line Dorival, Dominique Larrey, Elisabeth Delarocque-Astagneau, Philippe Mathurin, Fabienne Marcellin, Ventzislava Petrov-Sanchez, Carole Cagnot, Patrizia Carrieri, Stanislas Pol and Camelia Protopopescu
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:31
  16. With increased legalization of cannabis, users are combining cannabis with exercise. The purpose of this study is to understand how and why people use cannabis when participating in physical activity.

    Authors: Whitney L. Ogle, Gregg J. Gold, Lukas E. Coppen and Claire Copriviza
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:24
  17. The Canadian Cannabis Act came into effect on October 17, 2018, which allowed Canadian adults to consume cannabis for non-medical purposes (Government of Canada, Cannabis regulations (SOR/2018-144). Cannabis A...

    Authors: Maisam Najafizada, Arifur Rahman, Jennifer Donnan, Zhihao Dong and Lisa Bishop
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:22
  18. Organic solvents are used for manufacturing herbal medicines and can be detected as residues of such processing in the final products. It is important for the safety of consumers to control these solvent resid...

    Authors: Hendrik Jacobus Viviers, AnƩl Petzer and Richard Gordon
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:19
  19. Cannabis use among pregnant women has increased. We surveyed pregnant women in rural Pennsylvania to examine cannabis use and opinions regarding its safety during pregnancy. We examined associations between ch...

    Authors: Mohamed A. Satti, Eda G. Reed, Elizabeth S. Wenker, Stephanie L. Mitchell, Jay Schulkin, Michael L. Power and A. Dhanya Mackeen
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:16
  20. Cannabis legalization has resulted in the proliferation of cannabis products. Participantsā€™ familiarity with terms for these products may have implications for assessment, as unfamiliarity with particular term...

    Authors: S. Berberian, M. L. Broussard, C. Tully, V. Methuku, D. A. Pardini and M. H. Meier
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2022 4:14
  21. Cannabidiol (CBD) is now a legal substance in Europe and is available in ā€˜high street shopsā€™, usually as CBD oil. However, in the United Kingdom (UK), there is no clear consensus among healthcare professionals...

    Authors: Obioha Ukaegbu, Jared Smith, David Hall, Thomas Frain and Cyrus Abbasian
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:51
  22. Understanding similarities, differences, and associations between reasons people vape nicotine and cannabis may be important for identifying underlying contributors to their co-use.

    Authors: Danielle M. Smith, Lynn Kozlowski, Richard J. Oā€™Connor, Andrew Hyland and R. Lorraine Collins
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:39
  23. Cannabis has increasingly become an alternative treatment for chronic pain, however, there is evidence of concomitant negative health effects with its long-term usage. Patients contemplating cannabis use for p...

    Authors: Jeremy Y. Ng, Darragh A. Dzisiak and Jessica B. Saini
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:36
  24. Despite decreasing consumption by general populations, use of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) persists in some marginalised groups, including those who use other substances. This article explor...

    Authors: Melissa A. Jackson, Amanda L. Brown, Jennifer Johnston, Richard Clancy, Iain McGregor, Raimondo Bruno, Nick Lintzeris, Mark Montebello, Jennifer Luksza, Jenny Bowman, Nghi Phung, Dave Allsop and Adrian J. Dunlop
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:33
  25. Oral fluid is a widely studied matrix able to isolate the primary Cannabis constituent THC, facilitating its detection via mass spectrometry, and in most cases link these findings to recent drug use. As an alt...

    Authors: Roberta Gorziza, Joseph Cox, Renata Pereira Limberger and Luis E. Arroyo-Mora
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:30
  26. Differences in access to medical versus recreational cannabis outlets and their associations with intentions to use cannabis have not yet been examined among young adults. This study compares the associations ...

    Authors: Regina A. Shih, Joan S. Tucker, Eric R. Pedersen, Rachana Seelam, Michael S. Dunbar, Aaron Kofner, Caislin Firth and Elizabeth J. Dā€™Amico
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:28
  27. The use of cannabinoids in mental health has gained strength in recent years due to emerging scientific evidence and the lifting of prohibitionist laws that prevailed for years in many countries, including Col...

    Authors: Juan Manuel Orjuela-Rojas, Xiomara GarcĆ­a Orjuela and Sabina Ocampo Serna
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:26
  28. The US national surveys and data from legal adult use cannabis states show increases in the prevalence of cannabis use among older adults, though little is known about their manner of cannabis consumption. Her...

    Authors: Meenakshi S. Subbaraman and William C. Kerr
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:17
  29. Adolescents often use substances such as tobacco and cannabis. Co-use of these substances can lead to physical, mental, and psychosocial difficulties beyond that which would be anticipated by simple additivity...

    Authors: Crystal Lederhos Smith, Brittany Rhoades Cooper, Andre Miguel, Laura Hill, John Roll and Sterling McPherson
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:16
  30. While current cannabis research has advanced our understanding into the effects of its individual components, there is a pressing need to identify simple terminology that is understood in the same way by resea...

    Authors: Ava Mason, Musa Sami, Caitlin Notley and Sagnik Bhattacharyya
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:12
  31. Public and medical interest in cannabidiol (CBD) has been rising, and CBD is now available from various sources. Research into the effects of low-dose CBD on outcomes like stress, anxiety, and sleep problems h...

    Authors: Julie Moltke and Chandni Hindocha
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2021 3:5
  32. Multiple cases of e-cigarette or vaping product useā€“associated lung injury (EVALI) have been reported in the USA, which have been attributed to informally obtained cannabis oil vaping devices. This report esti...

    Authors: Danielle M. Smith and Maciej L. Goniewicz
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:45
  33. Despite reduced sanctions and more permissive attitudes toward cannabis use in the USA and Europe, the prevalences of adolescent cannabis use have remained rather stable in the twenty-first century. However, w...

    Authors: Noora Knaappila, Mauri Marttunen, Sari Frƶjd, Nina Lindberg and Riittakerttu Kaltiala
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:44
  34. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) leads to increased length of stay (LOS), which leads to increased healthcare costs, and can cause financial burdens for hospitals. The purpose of the study was to determine t...

    Authors: Jacinda Heintzelman, Lisa Persons and Igor Melnykov
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:39
  35. The effects of chronic cannabis consumption on physiological parameters of athletic performance are investigated to determine whether chronic cannabis consumption negatively affects athletic performance; impro...

    Authors: Andrew Kramer, Justin Sinclair, Lara Sharpe and Jerome Sarris
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:34
  36. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading fast all around the world with more than fourteen millions of detected infected cases and more than 600.000 deaths by 20th July 2020. While scientist are workin...

    Authors: Alberto Sainz-Cort and Joost H. Heeroma
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:23
  37. Dental plaque is a global health problem affecting people of various age groups. Cannabinoids are gaining enormous research attention due to its beneficial properties for various applications. A preliminary ob...

    Authors: Kumar Vasudevan and Veronica Stahl
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2020 2:20
  38. There is a paucity of information regarding cannabis use behaviors in adult community-based athletes as most research in athletes has focused on misuse of cannabis in elite, adolescent, university-based athlet...

    Authors: Joanna S. Zeiger, William S. Silvers, Edward M. Fleegler and Robert S. Zeiger
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2019 1:7
  39. Elevated white blood cell (WBC) count in tobacco cigarette smokers compared to non-smokers has been well documented, but little is known on circulating WBC counts and cannabis use.

    Authors: Omayma Alshaarawy
    Citation: Journal of Cannabis Research 2019 1:6