Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news - Tue, 18 Aug 2015 04:20:21 PST
Study: Cannabis Users Less Likely To Be Obese, Possess Lower Diabetes Risk
Quebec, Canada: A history of cannabis use is associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and diabetes, according to population-based data published in the journal Obesity.
Investigators from the Conference of Quebec University Health Centers assessed cannabis use patterns and body mass index (BMI) in a cohort of 786 Inuit (Arctic aboriginal) adults ages 18 to 74. Researchers reported that subjects who consumed cannabis in the past year were more likely to possess a lower BMI, lower fasting insulin, and lower HOMA-IR (insulin resistance) as compared to those who did not use the substance.
Specifically, researchers reported that cannabis users possessed an average BMI of 26.8 compared to an index of 28.6 for non-users, after controlling for age, gender and other factors. Those subjects who reported using cannabis but never having used tobacco, or who were former users of tobacco, possessed on average the lowest BMI.
Authors concluded: "In this large cross-sectional adult survey with high prevalence of both substance use and obesity, cannabis use in the past year was associated with lower BMI, lower percentage fat mass, lower fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR. ... The inverse association observed in our work supports evidence from a larger proportion of previous cross-sectional and follow-up investigations. ... As a result, cannabinoids from cannabis may be viewed as an interesting avenue for research on obesity and associated conditions."
Observational trial data published in 2013 in the American Journal of Medicine reported that subjects who consumed cannabis possessed favorable indices related to diabetic control compared to those without a history of recent marijuana use. Separate observational trial data published in 2012 in the British Medical Journal reported that marijuana users had a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and possessed a lower risk of contracting the disease than did those with no history of cannabis consumption, even after researchers adjusted for social variables such as subjects' ethnicity, family history, and levels of physical activity.
Cross-sectional data published in 2011 in the American Journal of Epidemiology similarly reported that the prevalence of obesity in the general population is sharply lower among marijuana consumers than it is among nonusers.
Full text of the study, "Cannabis use in relation to obesity and insulin resistance in the Inuit population," appears in Obesity.
Study: Adolescent Marijuana Use Not Associated With Health Problems In Early Adulthood
Pittsburgh, PA: Marijuana use by adolescents, including self-reported chronic use, is not associated with adverse health effects later in life, according to an assessment of longitudinal data published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Investigators from the Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Rutgers University prospectively examined whether young men who consumed cannabis during adolescence and/or young adulthood experienced a heightened risk of developing physical and mental health problems in their mid-30s. Researchers controlled for several potential confounding factors, including subjects' socioeconomic status, co-occurring use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and access to medical care and health insurance.
Researchers reported that marijuana users, including chronic users, were no more likely to self-report experiencing physical or mental health issues than were non-users. Investigators further reported that early onset chronic marijuana use was not associated with an increased risk for the development of depression or anxiety disorders in early adulthood.
The findings contradicted researchers' initial hypothesis, as their stated motivation for conducting the study was to "provide empirical evidence regarding the potential adverse consequences of marijuana legalization."
Authors concluded: "The present study used prospective, longitudinal data that spanned more than 20 years to examine whether patterns of marijuana use from adolescence to young adulthood were related to indicators of physical and mental health in adulthood. ... Overall, data from this sample provide little to no evidence to suggest that patterns of marijuana use from adolescence to young adulthood ... were negatively related to the indicators of physical or mental health studied. ... This is particularly striking given that men in the early onset chronic group were using marijuana (on average) once per week by late adolescence and continued using marijuana approximately 3-4 times a week from age 20 to 26 years."
Full text of the study, "Chronic adolescent marijuana use as a risk factor for physical and mental health problems in young adult men," appears in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
National Conference Of State Legislatures Resolves To Let States Set Their Own Marijuana Policies
Washington, DC: States and localities should possess the legal authority to establish marijuana policies that are divergent from those of the federal government, according to a resolution enacted last week by the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures.
The resolution affirms that states and local communities "should be able to set whatever marijuana and hemp policies work best to improve public safety, health, and economic development [in] their communities." It calls on Congress to amend federal laws, including the Controlled Substances Act, to "explicitly allow states to set their own marijuana and hemp policies without federal interference."
Founded in 1975, the National Conference of State Legislatures fights against unwarranted Congressional actions into state legislative affairs.
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