This week in weed: Minnesota tries to regulate skunky smells, a very courteous stoner and unexpected science about your brain on pot
Science news
- Using cannabis could increase efficiency in some parts of the brain according to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine used a new brain mapping technology called connectomics—which looks at how neurons connect with one another—to compare white matter structure in adults who use cannabis and those who don't. They found that adults who use cannabis had greater efficiency in the right subcortical brain.
- Most minors who use medical cannabis are treating anxiety, chronic pain and PTSD according to a study that looked at data from the Leafwell Patient Database.
- Cannabis might make it harder for adults in sober living facilities to abstain from alcohol, according to a study of a sober living house in California. Interestingly, the author of the study also published a paper in 2014 that suggested cannabis might help people cut down on alcohol, though the results were inconclusive.
Policy News
- 57-69% of the 43,000 people who commented on the DEA's plan to reschedule cannabis supported steps toward full decriminalization or legalization, according to rapid analyses conducted by Headset and the Drug Policy Alliance. I wrote about it for The Guardian. For me, one of the most interesting things about this story is the fact that these organizations were able to use technology to analyze the comments overnight. I wonder how future, slower research on the comments will compare.
- New York has shut down 750 unlicensed dispensaries since April
- Minnesota is banning smoking and vaping cannabis in multifamily housing, except for medical users. That'll work.
Reddit post of the week
- This post shows that being extremely high is no excuse to forget common courtesy. The title is "URGENT: So I’m absolutely baked sleeping over my best buddies house. Is it fair if I eat sevaral bags of his chips/crisps and then buy him more in return [+ extra] tomorrow." Commenters agree that OP's buddy will understand.
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