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Cannabis legalization drives rising use among adults with historically lower consumption

A new study led by Boston College School of Social Work Professor Summer Sherburne Hawkins found that recreational cannabis legalization in the United States is driving increases in cannabis use among adults with historically lower consumption, as opposed to increasing use among those who already consumed cannabis.

21 Jan 2026

Alcohol-free drinks may reduce harm, if marketing loopholes stop

The BMJ review warns that unregulated alcohol-free drinks may widen inequalities and undermine effective alcohol control, emphasizing the need for caution.

19 Jan 2026

Shifting blame: Public opinion on opioid crisis responsibility divides along political lines

Approximately 88% of adults view opioid overdose deaths as a very serious problem with high agreement across political groups, according to a national survey conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

16 Jan 2026

Smoking cessation drug shows promise for treating cannabis use disorder

A new randomized controlled trial has found promising evidence that the smoking cessation medication varenicline (Chantix/Champix) can help people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) to reduce cannabis use.

15 Jan 2026

Weekly THC levels reveal when cannabis use becomes a disorder

Weekly cannabis use accurately predicts the risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

15 Jan 2026

Bradycardia emerges as key clinical sign of xylazine-opioid overdose

Researchers have identified bradycardia-an abnormally low heart rate–as a symptom of xylazine-opioid overdose.

14 Jan 2026

Cannabidiol could become a therapeutic tool for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Cannabidiol (CBD) could become a therapeutic tool to address some of the most frequent and disabling consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

14 Jan 2026

More surgical patients on opioid use disorder treatment demand updated pain care

As more Americans receive treatment for opioid use disorder, that progress is increasingly showing up in the operating room, creating an urgent need to modernize how pain is managed during and after major surgery, according to a study in the February 2026 issue of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

13 Jan 2026

Fruit fly study identifies genes regulating dopamine and sleep

Dopamine in the brain influences movement, learning, motivation and sleep. In humans, problems with dopamine are linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease, depression and sleep disorders.

13 Jan 2026

Digital interventions for alcohol and cannabis use among young adults show potential to reduce harms

Young adults today are digital natives-naturally fluent with devices and online platforms-so some of their most effective behavioral-health interventions will likely arrive in their pockets via text, app, or other mobile medium.

12 Jan 2026

Perfectionism and competitive sports practice associated with risk of exercise addiction

Physical exercise is one of the main recommendations for maintaining good health. However, when practiced compulsively and without control, it can become a problem: exercise addiction.

12 Jan 2026

Thrift store. Clinic. Roller rink. Center becomes ‘radical’ lifeline amid homelessness, drug crises.

From the outside, the abandoned Family Dollar store in the Lower 9th Ward looks intimidating. It's covered in graffiti, with aluminum cans and trash dotting the parking lot.

9 Jan 2026

In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow community works to rebuild from meth’s destruction

Brothers Lonny and Teyon Fritzler walked amid the tall grass and cottonwood trees surrounding their boarded-up childhood home near the Little Bighorn River and daydreamed about ways to rebuild.

8 Jan 2026

Study: Extended MOUD treatment significantly increases survival probability

A new study of over 32,000 US Veterans has found that the longer people stay on medications for opioid use disorder (buprenorphine, methadone, or extended-release naltrexone), the greater the probability of short- and medium-term survival. This benefit continues to increase at least for four years of ongoing treatment, considerably longer than most patients currently stay in treatment.

8 Jan 2026

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

A preclinical study uncovered a new gene therapy that targets pain centers in the brain while eliminating the risk of addiction from narcotics treatments, a breakthrough which could provide hope for the more than 50 million Americans living with chronic pain.

7 Jan 2026

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Just outside Salt Lake City sits an old, two-story, brick hotel. It's been given new life as a homeless shelter for seniors. The Medically Vulnerable People shelter — or MVP shelter, as it's known — is for people 62 and older or for younger adults with chronic health issues.

7 Jan 2026

Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine

Elyse Stevens had a reputation for taking on complex medical cases. People who'd been battling addiction for decades. Chronic-pain patients on high doses of opioids. Sex workers and people living on the street.

7 Jan 2026

Marijuana use associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens

Using marijuana just once or twice a month was associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens, according to a large national study of adolescents led by Ryan Sultán, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

23 Dec 2025

Altered stress signaling helps explain relapse in alcohol use disorder

A new study by Scripps Research reveals that alcohol dependence disrupts two signaling pathways in a stress-related part of the brain-and offers insights on developing drugs to treat this condition.

22 Dec 2025

Washington’s homeless hide in plain sight, growing sicker and costing taxpayers more

Every night, Abdullah Ibrahim retreats from the streets into a wooded stretch along the Potomac River.

18 Dec 2025

Addiction News and Research

Cannabis legalization drives rising use among adults with historically lower consumption

Alcohol-free drinks may reduce harm, if marketing loopholes stop

Shifting blame: Public opinion on opioid crisis responsibility divides along political lines

Smoking cessation drug shows promise for treating cannabis use disorder

Weekly THC levels reveal when cannabis use becomes a disorder

Bradycardia emerges as key clinical sign of xylazine-opioid overdose

Cannabidiol could become a therapeutic tool for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

More surgical patients on opioid use disorder treatment demand updated pain care

Fruit fly study identifies genes regulating dopamine and sleep

Digital interventions for alcohol and cannabis use among young adults show potential to reduce harms

Perfectionism and competitive sports practice associated with risk of exercise addiction

Thrift store. Clinic. Roller rink. Center becomes ‘radical’ lifeline amid homelessness, drug crises.

In Lodge Grass, Montana, a Crow community works to rebuild from meth’s destruction

Study: Extended MOUD treatment significantly increases survival probability

Gene therapy breakthrough could provide hope for millions living with chronic pain

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine

Marijuana use associated with worse school performance and emotional distress for teens

Altered stress signaling helps explain relapse in alcohol use disorder

Washington’s homeless hide in plain sight, growing sicker and costing taxpayers more

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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