The tide keeps turning!

CBD shows promise in curbing substance abuse. More connections are forming between cannabis and anti-cancer treatments. And men who consume frequently have higher sperm counts?

From wellness to creativity boosting and the holy grail of “targeted medicine,” the matrix of connections between our bodies and cannabis remains mostly uncharted – largely because federal prohibition blocks government resources. But the sweep of legalization is bringing a wave of new cannabis understanding.

With new studies, surveys, and trend reports popping up daily – and even bigger ones on the way – Eaze is tracking the most essential developments to help you keep up throughout 2019. As you’re about to see, February was a big month for research.

Enjoy the momentum!

Cannabis may fight an invasive brain cancer.

Though it’s complex and quite preliminary, a new clinical abstract suggests that cannabis-based therapy can help disrupt the deadly invasive effects of the fast-growing brain cancer Glioblastoma. H/T Dr Caplan. A separate study at Penn State found cannabis could halt the growth of colon cancer cells.

Vaping may be more potent than smoking flower.

That may seem obvious, since oil is concentrated – but there’s a twist here: Given the same dose of cannabinoids via flower and vaporized oil, the vapers reported stronger effects. H/T Leafly.

Cannabis jobs pay more.

According to Glassdoor, cannabis job openings rose 76 percent in 2018, and cannabis workers earn about 11 percent more than the U.S. median salary of $52,863. The median cannabis industry paycheck was $58,511 a year. H/T CNBC.

Pain is the thing folks cite most.

People enrolling in state medical marijuana programs cite one reason above all others: chronic pain. That’s followed by stiffness from MS and chemotherapy-related nausea, according to analysis of 15 states published in the journal Health Affairs. H/T Associated Press. A separate study found that not only is cannabis effective for treating pain, but it’s cost-effective, too.

But they may be lying …

… and are actually using cannabis for mood disorders. Why? Because “mood disorders” aren’t recognized by most states as qualifying conditions – and a Canadian analytics company says despite what they may tell their prescribing doctors, the majority of patients are using it for anxiety, depression, and other mental-health implications. H/T Merry Jane.

Spoiler alert: Everyone is different!

A University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus study is hoping to identify how cannabis affects users in unique ways. Using an off-campus consumption site and a driving simulator, researchers will test 90 people, including everyday consumers, occasional consumers and non-users, to measure psychoactive effects, tolerance and other indications. H/T Colorado Public Radio.

Don’t drive impaired, period.

That’s the only takeaway, really – but researchers in Colorado wanted to see if there was a spike in traffic fatalities after adult-use legalization. There was, in fact, a tiny rise … that went away almost immediately, and probably had nothing to do with legalization. H/T The Verge. The same phenomenon was observed in crime rates near dispensaries in Colorado.

Cannabis is NOT low-key birth control.

Forget everything you’ve heard: Men who identified as frequent cannabis users had higher sperm-counts in a study of more than 600 couples attending a fertility clinic. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston say the unexpected findings could be explained by a number of factors – including higher testosterone in risk-takers more likely to be consumers – and doesn’t necessarily mean a better chance of fatherhood. H/T Bloomberg.

Legal states have lower teen use.

Another one for the not-what-you-expected file: The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse says it found that medical cannabis was associated with 1.1 percentage point reduction in marijuana use among teens. H/T Marijuana Moment. (And if that seems contradictory, consider that up in Canada, they basically found the same thing).

CBD and substance abuse.

The non-psychoactive cannabidiol shows promise as a potential treatment for several substance use disorders, a team of Australian researchers concluded in synthesizing the results of multiple human and animal trials on CBD and addiction. Those included cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse. H/T Marijuana Moment.

Next month in Study Haul: How cannabis consumers gain less weight; the best way to store your weed long-term; and the connection between cannabis and binge-drinking.

See you then!

STUDY HAUL | All the coolest cannabis research from February