Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?

8 Responses to Should Venezuela legalize marijuana?

1. Servetus says:

   February 7, 2026 at 11:42 am

   Marijuana use can lead to a reduction in opioid use:

   6-Feb-2026 — Legalizing cannabis for both medical and recreational use may lead to a decline in daily opioid use among people who inject drugs in the United States, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher (BUSPH). […]

   …the study found that US states that legalized marijuana for medical and adult recreational use saw a 9-to-11-percentage-point decline in daily opioid use among this population, compared to states that legalized marijuana for medical use only.

   While the harms and benefits of cannabis use and cannabis reform continue to be debated on the national stage, these findings highlight one major potential advantage of widespread access to marijuana: this increased access may enable people to substitute their use of the unstable and toxic opioid supply with comparatively safer cannabis and, thus, lower their chances of experiencing opioid-related harms or dying from an overdose. In the US, opioids contribute to more than 75 percent of fatal drug overdoses. […]

   People who inject drugs are part of a population that is at the epicenter of the opioid crisis in America, and they stand to benefit the most from policies that increase access to cannabis. By focusing on this group, the study builds upon past research on cannabis use and opioid mortality that has primarily examined the general population—which has a lower risk of experiencing opioid-related harms—with mixed results.

   “The magnitude of decrease in opioid use that we observed among a population that is experienced with opioid use and likely to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms after reducing this use is very profound and important,” says study lead and corresponding author Dr. Danielle Haley, assistant professor of community health sciences at BUSPH. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: Opioid use dropped in states that legalized recreational cannabis — As the federal government begins to loosen restrictions on cannabis, a new study found that removing legal barriers to cannabis use may reduce daily opioid use and, thus, the risk of opioid-related overdoses among people who inject drugs

   Drug and Alcohol Dependence: Cannabis legalization and cannabis and opioid use in a large, multistate sample of people who inject drugs: A staggered adoption difference-in-differences analysis

   Authors: Danielle F. Haley, Stephanie Beane, Leo Beletsky, Courtney R. Yarbrough, Sabriya Linton, Umedjon Ibragimov, Hannah LF Cooper.

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2. Servetus says:

   February 10, 2026 at 6:49 pm

   New synthetic opioids (nitazines) discovered in New Orleans wastewater point to increased use during Superbowl LIX and Mardi Gras:

   10-Feb-2026 — In early 2025, the party-loving city of New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted two major events within the span of a month: Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras. And, as with many major events, it appears there was an increase in recreational drug use during this time. Researchers … show how monitoring wastewater revealed an increase in the use of relatively new dangerous synthetic opioids during these two events.

   “Our study reveals the growing trend of synthetic opioid use in communities and our non-invasive approach to detect these emerging drugs, helping public health officials to respond more effectively and shape informed policies,” explains Ramesh Sapkota, an author of the study.

   Opioid drugs including oxycodone, heroin and fentanyl have fueled an ever-worsening epidemic in the U.S. And synthetic opioids such as nitazenes are emerging as new drugs that are being misused. Nitazenes were first developed as an alternative to morphine in the 1950s but carried too high an overdose risk for clinical use. However, they re-emerged in the illicit drug market around 2019. And although they frequently appear in overdose-related deaths, not all jurisdictions are monitoring for them yet. For example, Louisiana’s Department of Health reported that 46% of overdose deaths in 2023 were caused by opioids, but none officially report nitazene involvement, contradicting the national trends reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. […]

   “With this knowledge, valuable insight into the evolving dynamics of the overdose crisis is gained, and a discussion on public health responses to combat these illicit drugs and prevent further loss of life is opened,” concludes Lomnicki. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: Wastewater reveals increase in new synthetic opioids during major New Orleans events

   ACS Publications: Nitazenes Discharged during Super Bowl and Mardi Gras Celebrations in New Orleans, USA

   Authors: Ramesh Sapkota, Emilia E. Lomnicki, and Bikram Subedi.

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3. Servetus says:

   February 10, 2026 at 7:10 pm

   Alcohol addiction alters gene expression in the endocannabinoid system:

   9-Feb-2026 — Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) … the work provides new insight into the biological basis of alcohol addiction and points toward potential therapeutic targets.

   “Alcohol use disorder is one of the leading causes of disease and death worldwide, yet despite its enormous social and health impact, available treatment options remain limited,” explains UMH professor Jorge Manzanares, senior author of the study. “Understanding what changes in the brain after decades of alcohol consumption is essential for developing more effective therapies,” he adds.

   To address this question, the researchers analyzed post-mortem brain tissue from individuals who had consumed alcohol chronically for an average of 35 years. The study focused on the endocannabinoid system, a key neurobiological network involved in reward, motivation, and addictive behaviors. […]

   The endocannabinoid system regulates fundamental brain functions such as pleasure, mood, memory, and stress response. It consists of receptors—including CB1 and CB2—their endogenous ligands, and enzymes responsible for ligand degradation, such as FAAH and MGLL. “This system acts as a fine-tuned modulator of brain activity and plays a central role in reward and motivation,” Manzanares explains.

   Previous studies had shown that alcohol interacts with the endocannabinoid system, but evidence from human brain tissue was scarce. This study provides a detailed picture of how chronic alcohol use alters the expression of key endocannabinoid genes in brain regions critical to addiction. […]

   Compared with control samples from individuals without addiction, brain tissue from people with alcohol use disorder showed marked gene expression imbalances. Expression of the CB1 receptor gene increased by 125% in the prefrontal cortex and by 78% in the nucleus accumbens. “CB1 is closely linked to reinforcement of addictive behaviors and relapse risk,” explains UMH professor María Salud García-Gutiérrez, first author of the study.

   In contrast, expression of the CB2 receptor gene decreased by approximately 50% in both regions. “Because CB2 has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory functions, its reduction suggests a weakening of the brain’s defenses against alcohol-induced damage,” García-Gutiérrez notes.

   The study also revealed striking alterations in GPR55, a receptor long considered ‘orphan’ due to uncertainty about its natural ligand. GPR55 expression increased by 19% in the prefrontal cortex but dropped by 51% in the nucleus accumbens. This is the first study to document changes in GPR55 gene expression in humans with alcohol use disorder.

   In addition, the researchers detected region-specific changes in FAAH, the enzyme responsible for degrading anandamide, an endocannabinoid involved in anxiety and reward. FAAH gene expression was reduced in the prefrontal cortex but increased by 24% in the nucleus accumbens, potentially altering endocannabinoid availability and signaling. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: Chronic alcohol use reshapes gene expression in key human brain regions linked to relapse vulnerability and neural damage — A post-mortem brain study of human patients reveals long-term alcohol use profoundly alters endocannabinoid gene expression in reward- and decision-related regions, offering new insights into addiction biology and potential therapeutic targets

   Addiction: Endocannabinoid system gene expression in mesocorticolimbic brain regions of individuals with alcohol use disorder: A descriptive study

   Authors: María Salud García-Gutiérrez, Abraham Bailén Torregrosa, Francisco Navarrete, Auxiliadora Aracil-Fernández, Gabriel Rubio, Jorge Manzanares.

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4. Servetus says:

   February 10, 2026 at 7:45 pm

   Long term tea and coffee consumption is seen as reducing the risk of dementia:

   9-Feb-2026 – …moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee (2-3 cups a day) or tea (1-2 cups a day) reduced dementia risk, slowed cognitive decline, and preserved cognitive function. […]

   “When searching for possible dementia prevention tools … it’s important to remember that the effect size is small and there are lots of important ways to protect cognitive function as we age. Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can be one piece of that puzzle.”

   Early prevention is especially crucial for dementia, since current treatments are limited and typically offer only modest benefit once symptoms appear. Focus on prevention has led researchers to investigate the influences of lifestyle factors like diet on dementia development.

   Coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients like polyphenols and caffeine, which have emerged as possible neuroprotective factors that reduce inflammation and cellular damage while protecting against cognitive decline. Though promising, findings about the relationship between coffee and dementia have been inconsistent, as studies have had limited follow-up and insufficient detail to capture long-term intake patterns, differences by beverage type, or the full continuum of outcomes—from early subjective cognitive decline to clinically diagnosed dementia.

   Data from the NHS and HPFS help to overcome these challenges. Participants repeated assessments of diet, dementia, subjective cognitive decline, and objective cognitive function and were followed for up to 43 years. Researchers compared how caffeinated coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee influenced dementia risk and cognitive health of each participant.

   Of the more than 130,000 participants, 11,033 developed dementia. Both male and female participants with the highest intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared with those who reported little or no caffeinated coffee consumption. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also had lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (7.8% versus 9.5%). By some measurements, those who drank caffeinated coffee also showed better performance on objective tests of overall cognitive function.

   Higher tea intake showed similar results, while decaffeinated coffee did not—suggesting that caffeine may be the active factor producing these neuroprotective results, though further research is needed to validate the responsible factors and mechanisms.

   The cognitive benefits were most pronounced in participants who consumed 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee or 1-2 cups of tea daily. Contrary to several previous studies, higher caffeine intake did not yield negative effects—instead, it provided similar neuroprotective benefits to the optimal dosage. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: Consuming 2-3 cups of coffee daily associated with lower dementia risk, better cognitive function — Mass General Brigham researchers analyzed data from 131,821 participants collected over four decades and determined that moderate caffeinated coffee and tea intake can lower dementia risk

   JAMA: Coffee and Tea Intake, Dementia Risk, and Cognitive Function

   Authors: Yu Zhang, MBBS; Yuxi Liu, PhD; Yanping Li, PhD, Yuhan Li; Xiao Gu, PhD; Jae H. Kang, ScD; A. Heather Eliassen, ScD; Molin Wang, PhD; Eric B. Rimm, ScD; Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH; Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD; Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH; Dong D. Wang, MD, ScD.

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5. Servetus says:

   February 19, 2026 at 7:18 pm

   No DMT found in the brains of rats in study done in Denmark:

   17-Feb-2026 – For decades, the idea that the human brain might naturally produce the psychedelic compound DMT has attracted considerable attention. It has been speculated that DMT could function as a natural signaling substance in the brain – possibly as a co-transmitter alongside serotonin.

   Previous research has shown that mammals, including rats, possess the enzyme indolethylamine N-methyltransferase (INMT), which can synthesise DMT. However, it has remained unclear whether DMT occurs in the brain in measurable amounts.

   Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark (Mikael Palner) and Bern University Hospital (Paul Cumming) have now examined whether the rat brain naturally contains DMT and whether the substance can be stored in the nerve cells that release serotonin. […]

   We found no evidence of naturally occurring DMT in the adult rat brain – even when we inhibited its breakdown – nor did we observe that administered DMT was stored in serotonin neurons, says Mikael Palner, Associate Professor at the Department of Clinical Research and first author of the study. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: New research: No trace of DMT in the rat brain’s serotonin system — In the effort to confirm the scientific debate, that the psychedelic drug DMT resides naturally in the brain and may be co-released with serotonin. Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark found no measurable amounts of DMT, natively in the brain

   Neuropharmacology: N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is neither formed nor retained in serotonin terminals in the rat brain

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6. Servetus says:

   February 19, 2026 at 7:37 pm

   The munchies response after using marijuana has been verified experimentally in rats and humans at Washington States University:

   19-Feb-2026 — The urgent onset of “the munchies” after cannabis use isn’t imaginary – it’s a cognitive response that occurs regardless of sex, age, weight or recent food consumption and could offer clues to help people struggling with appetite loss. […]

   “There are a lot of different diseases, conditions and disorders associated with wasting syndromes and lack of appetite, and this study really supports the idea that cannabis can be used medicinally to increase appetite in people who have conditions like HIV, AIDS, or who are on chemotherapy,” said Carrie Cuttler, a WSU psychology professor. […]

   The human clinical trial examined 82 volunteer subjects aged 21 to 62 from the greater Pullman, Wash., community. Each participant was randomly selected to vape either 20 or 40 milligrams of cannabis or a cannabis placebo, the latter of which served as the control group.

   “The human study found irrespective of body mass index, time of last food consumption, sex or how much cannabis was consumed, human participants who used cannabis during the trial ate significantly more food,” McLaughlin said.

   Of all the food options — spanning carbohydrates to protein to fatty snack foods — some appealed more than others.

   “Beef jerky was one of the No. 1 things intoxicated people gravitated toward, which I don’t understand. Honestly, I would have thought chocolate, chips, Rice Krispies treats — things like that,” Cuttler said, noting water was also high on the list of desirable items.

   The study examining appetite in rats at the University of Calgary yielded similar findings. Like the human participants, rats were exposed to cannabis in a controlled environment and provided with multiple food options, which they were tasked with pulling a lever to be rewarded food. No matter what the food was, rats that were under the influence consistently pulled levers.

   “The sober animals are kind of like, ‘I’m full. Why do I care?’ They don’t put in any effort at all. They barely work in any capacity to get access to food. But you get them stoned again, and even though they’re now full and they’ve eaten, they go right back as if they’re starving,” Hill said. […]

   The study is significant because, on a subject with little scientific support, it helps highlight the physiological mechanisms responsible for appetite stimulation.

   Endogenous cannabinoids, also called endocannabinoids, are naturally produced by the body to regulate mood, memory, pain, immune responses and appetite in order to maintain balance.

   “That’s what the natural endocannabinoid system does in the hypothalamus,” McLaughlin said. “But THC hijacks that entire system. So even though you’re not necessarily hungry, THC can stimulate cannabinoid receptors in the brain and make you feel hungry.”

   The stimulation of those cannabinoid receptors in the brain is another key finding from the research. Pharmacology studies at the University of Calgary that blocked cannabinoid receptors in the peripheral nervous system in rats didn’t curb appetite, but blocking those same cannabinoid receptors in the brain did. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: ‘The munchies’ are real and could benefit those with no appetite

   Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Cannabis produces acute hyperphagia in humans and rodents via increased reward valuation for, and motivation to, acquire food

   Authors: Catherine Hume, Carrie Cuttler, Samantha L. Baglot, and Matthew N. Hill.

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7. Servetus says:

   February 28, 2026 at 8:57 pm

   A new phone app has been developed for use by people whose housing situation is uncertain and who have problems with drug addiction:

   26-Feb-2026 — Although drug overdose deaths declined in the U.S. last year, the rate of substance use disorder is rising, and the problem remains undertreated: Fewer than one in five people with substance use disorder report that they’ve received any treatment for it. An especially vulnerable group are those who use substances and do not have stable housing, who research shows are both far more likely to experience overdose and much less likely to receive treatment for their condition compared to those who have secure housing.

   A new study has shown that a mobile app developed by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is effective at helping this at-risk population take steps toward recovery. Among people who misused opioids or other substances and lacked stable housing, those who used the app reported significant reductions in their opioid and non-opioid substance use after a month compared to those who did not engage with the app. App users also improved their health literacy and showed improvements in key mental health measures associated with successful treatment compared to their baseline measurements. […]

   The uMAT-R (pronounced “you matter”) app was developed and launched in 2018 by a team led by Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, PhD, a professor in the WashU Medicine Department of Psychiatry and senior author of the new study. It was designed to provide free, easy-to-access support for people with any substance use disorder, including misuse of opioids, stimulants and hallucinogens, with the goal of reducing overall overdose deaths. It works on iOS and Android smartphones. […]

   The app is not yet publicly available; participants are generally enrolled while receiving care for substance use disorder at a treatment center or other health care facility in Missouri, including Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where patients are screened and enrolled through the WashU Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine’s Emergency Care Research Core staff. Other participants have requested enrollment through the research team after learning of the app through word of mouth. Cavazos-Rehg, who is also on the faculty of the WashU School of Public Health, noted that such peer-to-peer information sharing is characteristic of the online substance use disorder communities that provided the initial inspiration for the app.

   “I observed how folks use social media venues to support each other, even during times when they were feeling most alone or stigmatized,” said Cavazos-Rehg. “They would ask questions on social media about clinical care and seek out resources for mental health help. This inspired me to develop a tool for people who are going through mental health problems or are in recovery support.”

   Cavazos said that a long-term funding commitment from the Missouri Department of Mental Health brought the project to life. “They recognized that a lot of life happens outside of traditional in-person mental health and substance use treatment settings, and that mobile apps can be affordable, accessible tools that can improve the health and wellbeing of people, especially during critical times when other types of help may not be readily available,” she said. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: App aids substance use recovery in vulnerable populations — uMAT-R helps adults with unstable housing reduce harmful drug use, improve mental health

   Drug and Alcohol Independence: Leveraging a digital health intervention to improve recovery outcomes among people with substance misuse experiencing housing insecurity

   Authors: Vidya Eswaran, Fanghong Dong, Xiao Li, Hannah S. Szlyk, Nathaniel A. Dell, Erin Kasson, Jessica Williams, Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg.

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8. Servetus says:

   February 28, 2026 at 9:46 pm

   Cannabis oil preparations were used by researchers to connect complex plant specific behaviorally active constituents pinpointing borneol as the most potent Or49 activator in the study, directly linking plant chemistry to a precise mosquito sensory target:

   24-Feb-2026 – From summer evenings to global disease prevention, mosquito repellents are a daily defense for billions of people, yet until now, scientists didn’t fully understand how mosquitoes themselves perceive these “keep away” signals. A new study has pinpointed an odorant receptor that helps mosquitoes detect a repellent odor and steer away. The researchers found that activating this receptor switches on a dedicated neural pathway that can override the insects’ attraction to human scents, producing clear avoidance behavior. By mapping the molecular and neural mechanism behind this response, the findings point to new strategies for designing more targeted and effective mosquito repellents.

   For millennia, people have relied on plant extracts such as camphor and borneol to repel mosquitoes, but the biological mechanism behind their effectiveness has remained unclear… Baylor University, the University of Washington, the University of California, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and additional international partners, has now identified the specific smell receptor that causes mosquitoes to actively avoid borneol, a natural compound found in camphor tree oils. […]

   Using genetic engineering alongside electrophysiological recordings, brain imaging, and behavioral experiments, the researchers showed that borneol activates a specialized sensory neuron in the mosquito’s maxillary palp, an organ central to host detection. Notably, this neuron sits beside the palp’s attraction-sensing neurons, those that help mosquitoes find humans by detecting carbon dioxide and other body odors, highlighting a built-in neural architecture that integrates repulsion signals alongside host-seeking cues. To speed identification of the most relevant natural activators of this pathway, the team turned to an unexpected source: cannabis essential oil. By screening and fractionating multiple cannabis oil preparations and using Or49 activation as a biological readout to guide purification, they connected complex plant mixtures to specific behaviorally active constituents and ultimately pinpointed borneol as the most potent Or49 activator in the study, directly linking plant chemistry to a precise mosquito sensory target.

   Understanding how mosquitoes detect and respond to repellent odors is especially important as resistance to conventional chemical repellents grows and concerns rise over their environmental and health impacts. Targeting a mosquito’s own sensory wiring could allow researchers to develop repellents that are more precise, longer-lasting, and potentially less harmful to humans and ecosystems. […]

   AAAS Public Science News Release: Cannabis essential oils unlock how camphor repels mosquitoes – new study

   Nature Communications: Sensory coding of borneol repellency in culicine mosquitoes via the Or49 pathway

   Authors: Yuri Vainer, Evyatar Sar-Shalom, Yinliang Wang, Robert M. Huff, Dor Perets, Esther Yakir, Majid Ghaninia, Iliano V. Coutinho-Abreu, Carlos Ruiz, Dhivya Rajamanickam, Alon Warburg, Omar S. Akbari, Philippos A. Papathanos, Rickard Ignell, Jeffrey A. Riffell, Ronald Jason Pitts & Jonathan D. Bohbot.

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