Argentina's Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to legalize medical marijuana, joining the lower house and setting the country on course to become the latest to relax its laws on pot.


President Mauricio Macri is all but certain to sign the bill, which garnered an unusual level of cross-party support and was applauded by patients and their families.
A group of mothers with sick children burst into tearful applause in the Senate as lawmakers voted 58-0 to pass the bill.
"This is a dream fulfilled, an immense happiness because it will bring solace to patients," said Maria Laura Alasi, whose

Credit: Human Brain Project
A natural signaling molecule that activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain plays a critical role in stress-resilience—the ability to adapt to repeated and acute exposures to traumatic stress, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The findings in a mouse model could have broad implications for the potential treatment and prevention of mood and anxiety disorders, including major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they reported in the journal Nature Communications.
"The study suggests that deficiencies in natural cannabinoids could result in a predisposition to developing PTSD and depression," said Sachin Patel, M.D.

(HealthDay)—There has been an alarming increase in young Americans' exposure to marijuana ads as more states legalize the drug, a new study contends.

Recreational and/or medicinal use of marijuana is now legal in more than half of U.S. states, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis said.
"Advertising can be powerful," said study first author Melissa Krauss, a research statistician in the department of psychiatry. "That's why we're concerned that so many young adults are seeing ads for marijuana.

(HealthDay)—The prevalence of tobacco use is higher for sexual minorities, with significant differences seen by sex, according to a study published online March 27 in Pediatrics.


Hongying Dai, Ph.D., from Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., used data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to compare use of various tobacco products according to sex and distinct sexual identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure).

A dried flower bud of the Cannabis plant. Credit: Public Domain
With new legislation imminent in Canada, marijuana is a hot topic these days. Those who smoke it may be cheering. Those who've never tried it may be thinking, why not? And those looking to make a business out of it are grappling with how to navigate a challenging product.

But one of the most contentious aspects of legalization is age.

Many sites promise help with health issues, but only a few have been tested in randomized clinical trials.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today released a paper with a comprehensive set of public policy recommendations for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders involving illicit and prescription drugs. The paper is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Drug overdose deaths, particularly from opioids such as prescription pain relievers and heroin, is a rising epidemic," said Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP, president, ACP.

(HealthDay)—One-quarter of U.S. middle and high school students say they've been exposed to potentially dangerous secondhand e-cigarette vapors, a federal government study shows.

E-cigarette vapors can contain harmful substances such as nicotine, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. E-cigarette devices can also be used for marijuana and other illicit drugs.
Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from the 2015 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

(HealthDay)—Cupcakes, brownies and candies containing marijuana can look irresistible to kids—but eating even one treat might poison them, a leading group of U.S. pediatricians warns.

With marijuana legal in recreational or medicinal form in more than half of U.S. states, edible forms are a popular alternative to smoking pot. But, parents must take steps to keep these potential temptations away from their children, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A single pot cookie or candy bar can contain several times the recommended adult dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Credit: CC0 Public Domain
Veterans who have drug or alcohol problems are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as their comrades, a new study finds. And women veterans with substance use disorders have an even higher rate of suicide—more than five times that of their peers, the research shows.

The risk of suicide differs depending on the type of substance the veteran has problems with, according to the study.
The highest suicide risks are among those who misuse prescription sedative medicines, such as tranquilizers.