Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease characterized by the destruction of insulating covers on nerve cells by the immune system. The most common form for the disease, relapsing-remitting MS, is characterized by clearly defined attacks of decreasing neurologic function (relapses) followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions). Research into novel therapy approaches continues to investigate safer, more effective alternatives to the currently approved MS therapies. The use of cannabinoid-based therapies in particular appear to show promise for controlling relapses in those with the disease.

Two recent studies documenting the effects ofcannabis use on the brain did not do much for the many questions that remain about the safety and long-term implications of using marijuana.

Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the studies explored cannabis' effect on subcortical brain structure and brain maturation in adolescence in relation to risk of schizophrenia.

Marijuana doesn't appear to shrink important regions of the brains of users, but a study published Wednesday shows something possibly more subtle and important: the brains of people who tend to use marijuana may be smaller to start with.

A second study found that marijuana appears to change the brain structure of young men with a high genetic risk of schizophrenia.

The studies, both published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Psychiatry, don't paint a clear picture of anything, says Dr. David Goldman of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

After two days of selling only to pre-registered patients, the Las Vegas area’s first medical marijuana dispensary is now open to the card-carrying masses.

About a dozen people were in line at 10 a.m. yesterday with the store’s managers expecting steady traffic throughout the day.Euphoria Wellness, 7785 S. Jones Blvd., opened to the public yesterda at 10 a.m. following a limited launch Monday. That means any patient with a medical marijuana card can now purchase from the dispensary.

Customers will be limited to a maximum half ounce of marijuana per purchase due to limited supplies. A half ounce costs $200.

Roni Stetter, Medical Cannabis Patient, USA

Roni never got a definitive diagnosis for her lifelong, debilitating knee pain. What she did get, was advice from her doctor to give up all sports. An injury finally sidelined her college swimming-scholarship aspirations and all other athletic pursuits, leaving her depressed and inactive. Just several short years later, she’s run over 500 miles, including two half marathons and feels healthier and stronger than ever. She attributes this new lease on life to her Medical Cannabis use.

Chief Cannabis Correspondent Ryan Nerz interviews Dr. Lester Grinspoon, a Professor Emeritus at Harvard University and the author of Marihuana Reconsidered. Grinspoon has written an open letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, advising him to consider allowing cannabis as a treatment for post-concussion syndrome.

Professor Grinspoon claims that CBD-heavy strains of marijuana serve as a powerful neuroprotectant, effectively helping the brain heal from concussions.

A new study published online yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine has found states that have legalized medical cannabis have seen a drastic reduction of opioid overdose mortality rates.

Researchers from the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the University of Pennsylvania, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the prescription painkiller overdose death rates of all 50 states between 1999 and 2010, using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The effects of marijuana use are wide-ranging. Some strains make you feel sleepy and relaxed, others make you feel energetic and creative; but one of the most universal effects of getting stoned is acute, unremitting hunger. It is a phenomenon known as "the munchies," and though it is commonly associated with late night, high-calorie diets, recent studies suggest that the relationship between cannabis use and the human metabolic system is more complex than it might seems.

The effects of marijuana use are wide-ranging. Some strains make you feel sleepy and relaxed, others make you feel energetic and creative; but one of the most universal effects of getting stoned is acute, unremitting hunger. It is a phenomenon known as "the munchies," and though it is commonly associated with late night, high-calorie diets, recent studies suggest that the relationship between cannabis use and the human metabolic system is more complex than it might seems.