What do we know about marijuana’s medical benefits? Two experts explain the evidence
With restrictions to cannabis loosening at the state level, research is badly needed to get the facts in order.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Marijuana
Displaying 1 - 20 of 38 articles
Decriminalise use of medical marijuana and legalise small-scale cultivation
There is strong evidence that cannabis is useful for treating a range of conditions. Legalising small-scale cultivation is a start to helping those in need.
Weekly Dose: cannabis has been used medicinally for millennia, why is legalising it taking so long?
Cannabis has a long history, and its misuse hangs over it like a dark shadow.
It’s official: one joint of cannabis makes you lazy … but only in the short term
A new study found that people who are high on cannabis are less likely to opt for a task with a larger reward if the task requires more effort.
More Americans are using cannabis – and view it as harmless
But is the data misleading?
From wine to weed: Keeping the marijuana farm small and local
An era of prohibition may soon be over for marijuana, and powerful players are watching. A legal expert explains how smaller, local producers can keep their pot in the game.
What counts as ‘medical marijuana’ varies from state to state – and that’s a problem
The phrase 'medical marijuana' might give you the image of people buying plants or dried marijuana to smoke. But that's not always the case.
Does cannabis cause mental illness?
The potential harms associated with using cannabis depend, above all others, on two things: the age at which you first begin to use cannabis and the frequency, dose and duration of use.
Labs make new, dangerous synthetic cannabinoid drugs faster than we can ban them
Synthetic cannabinoids – drugs that mimic the psychoactive effect of cannabis – have been linked to injuries and deaths. And when one is banned, another rises to take its place.
Men and women use cannabis for different reasons
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug with more than 181 million consumers worldwide, three quarters of whom are men. Why do men and women use cannabis?
Snorted, injected or smoked? It can affect a drug’s addictiveness
The way you take a drug affects how much of it gets to your brain, and how rapidly drug levels rise and fall.
Decriminalization doesn’t address marijuana’s standing as a drug of the poor
For over 500 years, the drug has been associated with racism and poverty.
Remind me again, how does cannabis affect the brain?
The legislative changes poised to increase the availability of cannabis are outpacing our understanding of the impact that the drug has on the brain.
Trials a step forward for medicinal cannabis but what comes next?
Queenslanders and Victorians with particular chronic illnesses will be eligible to join New South Wales medicinal cannabis trials, due to start mid next year.
Why are politicians still referring to marijuana as a gateway drug?
The myth has been debunked time and time again.
Will legal marijuana lead to more addicts? Probably not
At present, cannabis is fully legalized in Colorado and Washington and will soon be fully legalized in Oregon and Alaska. Additionally, medical cannabis is legal in 23 states. The writing is on the wall…
Goliath vs. 24 Davids: federalism and legal marijuana
Abraham Lincoln said that those who shape public opinion exert an even greater influence than judges and lawmakers. In recent years popular sentiment – on issues like marriage equality and legalization…
Not just potheads: a look at who supports legal marijuana
The United States is experiencing a drastic change in attitudes towards marijuana and marijuana policy. Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana use and more than…
Ballot initiatives take the pulse of the nation
Editor’s note: There were 146 state-wide ballot measures up for consideration by voters in this week’s midterm elections, covering all manner of controversial issues – from abortion and guns to minimum…
Why won’t banks dance with Mary Jane?
In nearly half of US states, marijuana business is booming. Although marijuana is illegal under federal law, 23 states have legalized some marijuana use. Colorado and Washington even allow recreational…
Top contributors
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Professor of Population Health, The University of Queensland
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Addiction Medicine Specialist & Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology & Psychiatry, Monash University
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Emeritus Consultant, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst
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Senior Research Fellow, Monash University
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Head of Urology at Monash Medical Centre and Associate Professor of Surgery, Monash University
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Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine & Pain Specialist, Deakin University
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NHMRC Post-Doc Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia
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Director, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre & Professor of Addiction Studies, Monash University
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Professor of Psychopharmacology and NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Senior Lecturer in Criminology
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Professor and Director, Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland
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Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Monash University
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Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, AMREP Department of Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne & Senior Medical Oncologist and Palliative Care Physician, Melbourne Oncology Group, Cabrini Haematology and Oncology Centre, Wattletree Road, Malvern, Monash University
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Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
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Professor & Specialist in Drug Policy, UNSW Australia
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