The widely mocked stoner sloth anti-drug campaign typifies a long-held stereotype about marijuana—it makes you slow, stupid, dull. There’s been some research backing up the stereotype, suggesting that marijuana usage can be linked to declines in intellectual function.

But it’s hard to establish that marijuana is definitely the culprit. It’s not like conducting a clinical trial with marijuana would be feasible given the drug's status. So it’s necessary to look in other places for a ready-made control group that can help give a clearer picture of what’s causing the decline.

New evidence suggests that a chemical derived from marijuana may be an effective treatment for patients with drug-resistant forms of epilepsy

Charlotte Figi, an eight-year-old girl from Colorado with Dravet syndrome, a rare and debilitating form of epilepsy, came into the public eye in 2013 when news broke that medical marijuana was able to do what other drugs could not: dramatically reduce her seizures. Now, new scientific research provides evidence that cannabis may be an effective treatment for a third of epilepsy patients who, like Charlotte, have a treatment-resistant form of the disease.

The state's pot dispensaries took in $23.6 million as the social stigma faded and more patients seeking relief from chronic pain tried the drug.

Mainers spent $23.6 million on medical marijuana from dispensaries last year, a 46 percent increase driven by multiple factors, including patients seeking alternatives to prescription painkillers and more doctors certifying people to use the drug, according to dispensary operators.

Operators say the increase in sales illustrates the growing willingness of patients and doctors to consider alternatives to traditional medicine, and a reduction in the social stigma surrounding the use of medical marijuana.

Mad Cow Disease, more properly known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), is a horrific, degenerative brain disease that is fatal in 100% of cases. CJD is caused by prions, which are malformed protein molecules—and there is some evidence that cannabis could work to counteract their effects.

So how does CJD affect the brain?

To understand how CJD affects the brain, we first need to understand some of the basic science behind protein formation and folding. Basically, proteins are very long molecules that are so complex that they fold into three-dimensional structures, which can easily be seen with an electron microscope.

Treatments for curbing marijuana dependence have been mainly based on psychosocial approaches, until now — sort of. 

Published in Addiction Biology, a new study suggests that the combination of topiramate — an anticonvulsant drug, which can also prevent migraine headaches — and psychological counseling limits marijuana use among young smokers more than counseling alone.

Researchers at Brown University recruited 66 volunteers who admitted to smoking at least twice weekly. These individuals, aged 15-24, agreed to be open to receiving psychological and drug treatment to reduce marijuana use. A little more than half of the study’s participants met clinical criteria for marijuana dependence or abuse.

For many decades in the U.S., marijuana has been painted as the psychedelic drug of hippies and stoners who lay around smoking dope to the detriment of their cognitive function. This image of marijuana use can certainly be attributed to one aspect of its culture, but Cannabis — a category of plants that include three species and seven sub-species — have been used in medicine for thousands of years.

Here's the latest research on pot and drinking, pot and opiate dependency, pot and IQ, pot and migraines, and pot and obesity.

Scientific discoveries are published almost daily rebuking  the federal government’s contention that cannabis is a highly dangerous substance lacking therapeutic efficacy. But most of these findings are relegated to obscure, peer-reviewed journals and, therefore, often go unnoticed by the major media and the general public. Here are five new cannabis-centric studies that warrant mainstream attention.

Consumers Seldom Combine Marijuana With Alcohol

NFL players are banned from taking medical marijuana – so instead they’re taking a harmful synthetic version. It could be the league’s next big headache

The mood around Foxboro, Massachusetts improved significantly last weekend, thanks to the New England Patriots regaining their home dominance. The Pats beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-20 to ensure a fifth consecutive trip to their conference’s championship game, a remarkable feat matched only in NFL history by the 1973-77 Oakland Raiders. The scoreline flattered the visitors: Tom Brady and his offense shook off any concerns and coach Bill Belichick conducted another display of defensive wizardry.

New Rochelle, NY, January 21, 2016--Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research the new peer-reviewed open access journal fromMary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, announces a new partnership with The International Cannabinoid Research Society. This new collaboration promotes the missions of the Journal and Society to further the advancement of cannabis and cannabinoid-related research.

Two days before the state’s medical marijuana program started, the section of frequently asked questions on the Department of Health’s medical marijuana assured visitors “(t)he Department of Health will soon post a list of those registered physicians who consent to providing their names and specialties.”

Apparently, not to the public.

To be literal, the original FAQ did not say to whom the list would be posted. You, like me, probably figured it’d be posted on www.health.ny.gov/regulations/medical_marijuana/. That way, we could look up which physicians had completed online training, registered with the state and could certify those of us who met stringent criteria to buy the medication.