20 April 2023
Just like people, the simple nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans is driven to consume high-calorie food when its cannabinoid receptors are activated, hinting at a common signalling pathway for preventing starvation
14 April 2023
The US has made a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses available without prescription – it will no doubt prevent some deaths, but it’s not enough to tackle the opioid epidemic
29 March 2023
In the past two decades, death rates from drug overdoses have dramatically increased among adults 65 years and older living in the US
25 November 2022
Researchers have reproduced the entire biochemical pathway for how coca plants make cocaine in another plant, which could help people manufacture the drug for scientific study
6 October 2022
US president Joe Biden announced a pardon for thousands of people convicted for possession of marijuana under federal law
24 August 2022
Nearly half of a group who took psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, as part of a 12-week therapy programme reported giving up drinking months later after having previously been diagnosed as alcohol dependent
13 June 2022
Some smokers lose their cravings after experiencing damage to specific parts of the brain, suggesting these areas form a network that somehow fuels the habit
12 January 2022
A concoction of vilca seeds and fermented alcohol may have provided a mild hallucinogenic experience, enabling Wari leaders in South America to bond with their people
20 October 2021
A sample of saliva placed on a strip and analysed with a smartphone camera can reveal if a person has ingested cannabis in the past 12 hours
3 March 2021
Some people find that taking small doses of psychedelic drugs can sharpen awareness or improve their mood, but these benefits may happen simply because people believe they will
