One hallmark of Justin Trudeau’s leadership in Canada was legalizing cannabis, making it legal to buy it at shops and dispensaries even without a doctor’s note. That act has made accessibility to cannabis commonplace and within reach for teens too, who are fond of gummies and edibles. But cannabis can hurt developing brains, and it’s not only providing pain relief and therapy. While it can calm symptoms of PTSD, it can also lead to negative outcomes such as anxiety and depression, finds a new study.

The study looked at 35,000 Canadians who use cannabis and shows that rising cannabis use and worsening mental-health symptoms are increasingly appearing together, with the connection between the two strengthening over time.

The study, led by McMaster University, was published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry and analyzed data from two large, nationally representative Statistics Canada surveys of Canadians aged 15 and older living in the provinces, to examine cannabis use and mental-health outcomes between 2012 and 2022.

With the legalization of cannabis in Canada landing at the midpoint of the study period, the authors suggest that stronger products, wider availability, and increased use for stress relief may be contributing to the patterns they observed. The study doesn’t prove causation, but it underscores a widening public-health issue as cannabis use and mental-health challenges rise in parallel.

“We see that Canadians who use cannabis tend to be more likely to meet criteria for anxiety and depressive disorders, and more likely to report suicidality. We also see that this co-occurrence has strengthened over time,” said Jillian Halladay, an assistant professor who contributed to the study.

Key findings:

• The number of people reporting generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive episode nearly doubled, increasing to 5.2% and 7.6%, respectively.

• Suicidality didn’t change much in adults but increased by 44% among youth. Younger Canadians also saw some of the strongest cannabis–mental-health connections.

• Canadians who used cannabis at any level, compared to those who did not, were more likely to meet criteria for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive episode and report suicidality. The connection between cannabis use and these mental-health problems strengthened over time.

• In 2022, Canadians who used cannabis regularly (two or more times a week) were about five times more likely to report anxiety, depression, or suicidality than those who did not use cannabis.

“This extends our prior study that similarly found a strengthening in the co-occurrence of cannabis use and these mental-health problems between 2002 and 2012,” she says.

Halladay and her fellow researchers emphasize that the growing overlap between cannabis use and mental-health problems highlights the need for earlier detection of anxiety, depression, and suicidality among people who use cannabis, as well as routine screening for cannabis use in mental-health settings.

“It’s important for people to recognize when and how their cannabis use may be impacting their mental health, and how their mental health may be influencing their cannabis use. It’s also increasingly important for health and mental-health providers to assess and address both cannabis use and mental-health concerns together.”

This study furthers recent research from McMaster that found anxiety and depression rates among teenagers increased nearly three-fold over the last decade. In that study, rates of anxiety and depression were higher in teens who use cannabis heavily.

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Previous research that evaluated the effect of the hallucinogenic molecules of cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol THC) the main psychoactive compound in cannabis on motor vehicle crashes concluded that there is no increase of crash risk because of detectable THC. The molecule may linger days after use and is not a reliable indicator that a driver is impaired, report scientists in a new study.

Despite evidence showing no correlation between the detection of THC in the blood and driving impairment, 6 American states in the United States have per se laws using 2 or 5 ng/mL of THC as the cut-off point for driving under the influence of cannabis, while 12 have a zero-tolerance law.

These cut-off points are considered face value evidence of driving impairment, which means that even if it has been several days since an individual’s last use of the drug and they show no behavioral impairment, they may still face legal risks, up to and including felony charges. In Dubai you can go to jail for having cannabis in your blood, even if the cannabis was consumed in London, Tel Aviv or Toronto.

To address this issue, a team of researchers led by Dr. Thomas D. Marcotte, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and codirector of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, set out to investigate the blood concentrations of THC in regular cannabis users, as well as the simulated driving performance for participants who exceeded per se cut-off points compared with those who were below these values. The researchers measured baseline concentrations of THC in 190 regular cannabis users after instructing participants to abstain from cannabis for at least 48 hours. Following abstention, the researchers also evaluated driving performance in this group using a driving simulator.

From this, the team found that many regular users of cannabis exceed zero tolerance and per se THC cut-off point concentrations days after their last use. Specifically, 43% of participants exceeded zero-tolerance statutes at baseline, while 24% had baseline blood THC concentrations that were greater than or equal to the per se cut-off of 2 ng/mL, and 5.3% had blood concentrations greater than or equal to 5 ng/mL.

Based on the results from the driving simulation, participants with elevated baseline concentrations of THC did no worse on a driving simulator compared with participants who were below per se cut-off points. Altogether, the results add to a growing body of evidence showing that current per se THC blood limit laws lack scientific credibility as face-value evidence of impairment.

“More work needs to be done to address how to best identify drivers who are under the influence of cannabis and are unsafe to drive,” the study authors wrote. “At present, the best protocol is a combination of observations in the field and toxicology testing.” They also added that “an essential component of improving highway safety is collaborations between law enforcement and the scientific community to develop standards that are unbiased and potentially lifesaving.”

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Once whispered about in underground circles and jungle clearings, the psychedelic brew known as ayahuasca is now a global phenomenon—and in 2025, its reach shows no sign of slowing. From Silicon Valley executives to trauma survivors, the call of the vine continues to draw seekers from all corners of the world. But the practice, steeped in centuries of Amazonian tradition, is facing new pressures as demand grows and legality shifts across borders.

The spiritual and medicinal use of ayahuasca originates with Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin, particularly in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. In places like Iquitos and Tarapoto, ayahuasca ceremonies are still held in malokas (circular huts), guided by shamans who sing icaros—healing songs meant to direct the energies of the ceremony.

Retreat centers such as Temple of the Way of Light and Nihue Rao continue to host international guests seeking healing, insight, or deep spiritual transformation. These centers often blend tradition with modern therapy models, including pre- and post-ceremony integration sessions.

Rising Centers: Costa Rica and Portugal

Outside of the Amazon, Costa Rica has emerged as a popular and well-regarded destination for ayahuasca work. Retreat centers like Rythmia Life Advancement Center offer week-long experiences that combine plant medicine with yoga, breathwork, and Western-style psychological support.

Portugal, too, is becoming a hub, largely due to its relaxed drug laws and growing psychedelic community. Though not legal per se, ceremonies often operate in a gray area with minimal interference from authorities.

In the United States, ayahuasca remains federally illegal due to its DMT content—a Schedule I substance. However, several religious organizations, such as the Santo Daime Church and União do Vegetal (UDV), have received legal exemptions to use ayahuasca in sacramental ceremonies.

Beyond these groups, underground ceremonies have proliferated, particularly in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, where local decriminalization movements have deprioritized the enforcement of psychedelic drug laws. These events are often invite-only and framed as “healing circles” rather than religious rites. It is also believed to be quite popular in Israel as well, where you can find a healing ceremony –– much needed in this intense time of conflict.

Who’s Drinking Ayahuasca in 2025?

The profile of the typical ayahuasca participant has shifted. While still attracting spiritual seekers and New Age devotees, today’s ceremonies are increasingly attended by:

• Tech and creative professionals seeking clarity, focus, or emotional breakthroughs.

• Military veterans looking to address trauma and PTSD.

• Therapists and healers incorporating the experience into their own personal development.

• Women and mothers exploring ceremony as part of rites of passage or ancestral healing.

Ayahuasca is also becoming a tool for psychedelic integration therapists, many of whom now have firsthand experience with the medicine as part of their training or personal exploration. While the effects can feel transformative, it is important to do the real work on yourself after the experience.

But with popularity comes complexity. Indigenous leaders and activists have raised concerns about cultural appropriation, overharvesting of ayahuasca vines, and the commercialization of sacred traditions. Some Amazonian communities are pushing back, creating frameworks for reciprocity and ethical sourcing.

Organizations like The Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund are advocating for fair compensation, intellectual property protection, and cultural sovereignty for the original stewards of the medicine.

Is It Safe?

Ayahuasca is not a party drug. The brew often leads to intense physical purging (vomiting, shaking, crying) and emotional processing. While many report life-changing insights, others have experienced psychological distress, especially when ceremonies are held without proper guidance or integration support.

In rare cases, ayahuasca can be dangerous—especially for people with certain psychiatric conditions or those taking antidepressants or SSRIs. That’s why screening and aftercare are now standard practice at reputable retreat centers. This should be said about cannabis, which is now banned in Florida. Canada is allowing all cannabis to be legal for recreation use, making it accessible to very young teens.

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Medical marijuana growers swear by it: that music from different styles enhances the growth of their plants. This is the reason why parents in the 80s played Mozart to their embryos.

There may be something to it:

Soil microbes enjoy bouts of white noise finds scientists in a new research project. Fungal soil microbes that promote plant growth seem to get a boost from white noise. Researchers say it’s like hosting an underground rave.

When scientists periodically played a noise similar to radio static to Trichoderma harzianum, the fungi grew bigger and produced more spores than other samples grown in a soundproof booth. The vibrations might stimulate mechanoreceptors in Trichoderma’s cell walls, which alters the expression of genes involved in growth, suggest researchers.

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You could find a CBD-based body scrub online, but until now Walmart was staying away from CBD-based nutraceuticals. In a new announcement this week you can now make your morning more mellow with CBD-enhanced products you can find at Walmart. CBD are the non-hallucinogenic molecules found in the cannabis plant otherwise known as medical marijuana.

The initial offerings of CBD Life Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK:CBDL) will include Nano CBD Coffee Creamer, Mellow Mornings, and CBD Pain Cream, which have seen growing demand in local markets.

These products will now have national distribution, broadening our customer base across the US announces CBD Life Sciences: “By entering the Walmart Marketplace, we are now accessible to one of the largest retail platforms in the world, boasting over 120 million monthly visitors. This launch strategically positions CBDL to significantly increase brand visibility and consumer base.”

The company says that their yearly forecasts project a substantial revenue boost, with a projected increase of 35% in annual sales due to this new distribution channel. Revenue growth over the past 12 months has already seen a 20% rise, and they expect accelerated growth driven by this expansion.

“Our launch on Walmart Marketplace represents a monumental step forward in our growth strategy,” said Lisa Nelson, CEO of CBD Life Sciences, Inc. “We are not only expanding our reach but enhancing our capacity to deliver value to our investors. The CBD market is poised for explosive growth, and with this new distribution channel, we are strategically positioned to capitalize on the rising consumer demand.”

“As a small but rapidly growing company, we recognize that entering high-traffic marketplaces like Walmart is a powerful catalyst for scaling. We continue to prioritize innovation in our product lines and have seen positive feedback from both consumers and local retailers.

“With our products now on Walmart Marketplace, we anticipate a sharper competitive edge and a much larger footprint in the booming CBD sector, which is projected to reach $47.22 billion by 2028.

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Even before it was recreationally legal it was easy to find cannabis on the streets of Thailand. Head to a busy Phuket a couple of years ago, and cannabis pre-rolls were as easy to find as a Thai pancake. Last year when we were in Koh Phangan we went on an ATV tour to an organic farm. They offered hydroponically-grown lettuce and organic honey to us, along with jars of cannabis – all for sale.

But what could have been a boost to local and international tourism (it was the Thais from Bangkok who bought the cannabis in the end on our ATV trip) is falling out of favor with the mainstream Thai public.

About 76% of people who took part in a survey in Thailand said they “totally agreed” or “rather agreed” with their leader’s policy u-turn to re-criminalize the plant, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration.

Related: our family trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand

The poll was conducted via phone between May 14 and 15 among 1,310 Thai nationals aged 18 and above. About 23.4% disagreed with the move, while 0.9% declined to answer or said they had no interest in the issue. Thailand’s latest prime minister Srettha Thavisin, nicknamed Nid, is a Thai businessman and politician currently serving as the prime minister of Thailand since 22 August 2023.

The proposed policy reversal is a blow for Thailand’s nascent cannabis industry after decriminalization was pitched as a way to boost agricultural income and the country’s wellness tourism industry.

Related: high tech shisha helps you smoke 100 cigarettes an hour

Srettha has vowed to restrict the use of marijuana to medical purposes. Canada is one of few countries in the world where medical cannabis legal. Varying stages of legality can be found in the United States but laws vary from state to state. While Israel is a medical cannabis research leader, recreation cannabis is not legal. A Telegram drug dealer recently got 8 years in jail for enabling cannabis buying and selling. Cannabis use, and even detection in your blood from previous use can put you in jail in the United Arab Emirates.

With changing laws in Thailand, tourists should exercise caution when using cannabis there. Thailand can be cruel and strict with tourists who break their laws.

About 75% of respondents in Thailand support the restricted use of cannabis for medical reasons, while 19% said the government shouldn’t implement any policies to support the use of the plant, the latest poll showed.

Cannabis advocacy groups last week rallied to protest Srettha’s order, asking the government to reconsider the plan to protect the interest of a rising industry and a large community of growers. Thailand’s lush tropical climate could be a great place to establish cannabis factories for export.

Almost 8,000 dispensaries and a large number of consumer-agro firms have cropped up across Thailand.

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More and more states in the US are legalizing recreational cannabis, leading to concerns that teen use will increase. Tobacco consumption among high school students, including vaping and e-cigarettes, is a concerning 12.6%. Researchers at UC Davis were interested in learning how the combined use of these two products — cannabis and tobacco — might impact high school students in California.

In a new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, they found high school students who use both tobacco and cannabis products miss more school and have lower grades compared to students who don’t use either product or who use the products individually (tobacco or cannabis) but don’t combine them.

“Substance use is a main predictor of educational outcomes, including absenteeism,” said Melanie Dove, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and first author of the paper. “These results highlight the need for comprehensive efforts to prevent and reduce substance use from both cannabis and tobacco products among youth.”

The researchers analyzed data from the 2021-22 California Healthy Kids Survey. The anonymous, confidential survey administered by the California Department of Education asks questions about wellness, resiliency, school climate and safety. The study reviewed responses from 287,653 high school students in ninth and 11th grade.

The researchers found that among high school students in California:

• 3.7% use tobacco and cannabis
• 3.7% use cannabis only
• 1.7% use tobacco only

Students who used both tobacco and cannabis reported the highest percentage of absenteeism. On average, they missed three days of school in the past month — almost one and a half more days of absenteeism than teens who didn’t use both products. Students who co-used tobacco and cannabis were also more likely to have lower grades than students who did not use either product.

The US Surgeon General released a report describing the health risks of e-cigarettes on youth and young adults. It explains how habits formed in youth, when the brain is still developing and learning, can result in teens getting addicted more easily.

“We know that using tobacco and cannabis puts young people at risk for longer-term addiction, behavioral issues and respiratory health problems,” said Elisa Tong, a co-author of the study. Tong is a physician at UC Davis Health and director of the Tobacco Cessation Policy Research Center. “For young people who are not current users but are exposed to use by others, the aerosol from these products is not harmless, and contains potentially harmful chemicals, heavy metals and fine particulates,” Tong said.

Schools and parents can help prevent tobacco use

The researchers noted some limitations of their study. The survey is not representative of all high school students in California. Students who were absent on the day of the survey were not included. Another limitation is that the data is based on students’ self-reported responses; even though the survey was anonymous, students may feel uncomfortable sharing their actual substance use or absence patterns and may have underreported them.

To better support adolescents facing complex challenges, some families turn to a dual diagnosis teen residential school that addresses both behavioral and mental health needs in a structured environment. These programs provide therapy, education, and skill-building to help students achieve stability and long-term personal growth.

Another consideration is that the percentage of California high school students who report using any tobacco product is 6.6%, according to the 2022 California Youth Tobacco Survey. This percentage is well below the national average (12.6%) and may reflect California’s rigorous anti-smoking campaigns and the adoption of non-smoking public spaces dating back to the mid-1990s.

“While certain school factors — like peer pressure — can contribute to teen tobacco and cannabis use, schools also play a critical role in prevention, especially in partnership with families,” said Kevin Gee, a professor at the UC Davis School of Education and senior author of the paper. “One important tool available to California’s schools is the Tobacco Use Prevention Education program that, when strategically invested in intervention and cessation activities, has shown promise in reducing tobacco use among teens.”

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People who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual – particularly women – respond more positively to tobacco marketing, are more inclined to smoke cigarettes daily and may have a more difficult time quitting, according to two studies by a Rutgers Health researcher. Smoking is far more popular in the Middle East where about 8% of women smoke, and an estimated 40% of men do. Smoking a shisha pipe is a common past-time.

The studies, published in the Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health and Preventive Medicine Reports, investigated how some among the LGBTQ population respond to tobacco marketing, how they use tobacco and their history of quitting using two large national datasets in the US.

Ollie Ganz, a faculty member at the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies and an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health who is lead author of the studies, discussed the significance of the findings to future policy.

Why is specifically studying how sexual minority populations receive tobacco marketing important?

From previous studies, we know that sexual minority individuals are more likely to use tobacco products than heterosexual individuals. This may be because tobacco companies have targeted this population with advertising and promotions, but the impact of this has not been studied extensively. The main thing we wanted to understand in this study is, given that sexual minority individuals are exposed to more tobacco advertising than heterosexual individuals, are there also differences in terms of how receptive they are to the ads, such as having a positive response to the ads.

What did your study find regarding tobacco marketing among sexual minority individuals?

What was unique about our study is that we were able to look at subsets of the LGB population – gay men, bisexual men, lesbian/gay women and bisexual women – rather than looking at them as one group. By looking at these subgroups we discovered that lesbian/gay and bisexual women were more likely to be receptive to marketing for tobacco products overall, and that bisexual women – but not lesbian/gay women – were more likely to be receptive to marketing for cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, compared with heterosexual women.

Among men, we discovered that gay men, but not bisexual men, were more likely to be receptive to cigar advertising compared with heterosexual men. We also found that gay and bisexual men were more likely to be receptive to e-cigarette advertising compared with heterosexual men.

Read Also: cannabis and marijuana use 

In the Preventive Medicine Reports study, you also looked at subsets of the LGB population, but focused on cigarette use behaviors. What were your findings?

We discovered that sexual minority women – particularly bisexual women – are smoking at higher rates and are having a harder time quitting compared with heterosexual women. We also found that the differences in prevalence of cigarette smoking between lesbian/gay and bisexual women and heterosexual women was much greater than between the prevalence between sexual minority men and heterosexual men.

These findings show that we need more support to specifically help sexual minority women quit smoking –particularly bisexual women. This population presents unique challenges, such as greater mental health problems, and there is a need for more resources and tailored interventions to support them in quitting smoking.

How can these findings inform future policy?

In order for tobacco control policies and regulations and public education campaigns to be effective, they need to be able to identify the populations that are at greatest risk for tobacco use. They also need a body of evidence that identifies the factors that are driving elevated use among those populations so effective messages and policies can be developed that directly address those factors.

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Cannabis has been found anecdotally to treat epilepsy. The mode of action is inhibiting neurotransmitters in the brain. But turning parts of a plant into an actual pharmaceutical can take years, even decades to figure out dosing, efficacy and to check safety protocols. An Israeli-Canadian company Innocan, traded on the Canadian stock exchange (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) is trying to tackle pain relief and epilepsy by injected a CBD formulation along with a lipid so it can linger longer in the body.

In a new study in animals they say their CBD-based injection that can last several weeks in the blood, passing through to the brain where it can offer relief potentially for weeks.

The proof-of-concept study found that CBD could be found in the brains of both mice and rabbits weeks after a formulation of CBD and liposomes was subcutaneously injected to them. These results show a strong correlation between the prolonged blood exposure of CBD and its brain distribution. Their delivery technology called LPT keeps the CBD in the bloodstream enabling CBD to pass the blood brain barrier (BBB) and deliver long brain exposure over time.

“The company is encouraged by these study results,” said Eyal Kalo, Innocan’s R&D Director. Sufficient exposure of CBD in the brain is the hallmark of CBD therapy associated with various neurological conditions, he says.

Read Also: We meet the cannabis doctor who prescribed cannabis to Charlotte Figi 

CBD or cannabidiol has demonstrated positive effects in association with various neurological disorders. Besides its well-established anti-epileptic activity, CBD can also protect brains pathology via the activation of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms.

For example, CBD was demonstrated to efficiently protect brain cells from Alzheimer-induced degeneration, reducing the onset of the diseases. In addition, CBD can protect from damage that occurs following an ischemic brain stroke leading to better tissue regeneration and patient recuperation. CBD was shown to have strong beneficial effects in other neurological conditions such as autism or schizophrenia emphasizing its high contribution in improving behavioral impairment usually associated with such pathologies.

The fact that LPT-CBD successively delivers CBD to the brain in a long-lasting manner opens a big venue for the treatment of various neurological disorders.

Read Also: THC to treat autism

According to physicians Green Prophet has interviewed, they suggest a small amount of THC administered to each therapy in order for the CBD to have a maximum effect. THC is the pyscho-active compound in cannabis and its use is still illegal in some US states. Medical marijuana and recreational cannabis is legal in Canada making it easier for approvals for Health Canada to oversee studies and regulations.

CBD is typically take in drops infused in oil but once the compound hits the stomach it is quickly digested by gut enzymes, leaving less of the treatment to enter the blood system. Delivering the drug this way makes it harder to dose patients and a drug would need to be taken several times a day for efficacy. Innocan, in theory, offer a drug delivery mechanism for all types of CBD therapies tackling a wide range of needs.

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