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Press Release Issued:
IASIC Opposes the Removal of Cannabis from Schedule 1

BURLINGTON, Vermont – June 25, 2024 – The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC) released its official statement against the proposed rescheduling of Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act:

As physicians and concerned citizens of the United States of America, the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis believes that re-scheduling will have immediate and irreparable harm to the public health and vehemently oppose the removal of cannabis from Schedule 1. Specific objections include (1) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) inappropriately changed the definition of currently acceptable medical use (CAMU); (2) Even under the new definition, cannabis still does not meet the requirements for CAMU; (3) Proper regulation of cannabis as a schedule 3 drug cannot be achieved while non-medical cannabis commerce is allowed.

“HHS and those who are pushing rescheduling of cannabis are unaware or ignoring the huge amount of science on the medical harms of cannabis. There is zero benefit and only problems to be had from rescheduling,” said Eric A. Voth, MD, FACP, President and Chairman of the Board, The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis.

An official request for a hearing with the DEA has been submitted by IASIC during the current open comment period, with its leadership urging the presentation of medical and scientific research from its physician-driven organization of international experts on cannabis.

IASIC has provided substantial education and background on the impending harm of the proposed rescheduling in its monthly speaker series on June 11th as well as on the High Truths on Drugs and Addiction podcast with episode #182: High Truths on Drugs and Addiction on Rescheduling of Marijuana with IASIC.

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Prenatal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure is associated with changes in rhesus macaque DNA methylation enriched for autism genes

Background Abstract With the growing availability of cannabis and the popularization of additional routes of cannabis use beyond smoking, including edibles, the prevalence of cannabis use in pregnancy is rapidly increasing. However, the potential effects of prenatal cannabis use on fetal developmental programming remain unknown. Results We designed this study to determine whether the use

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CDC report documents huge increase in marijuana use among kids and young adults during COVID-19 pandemic San Diego County’s only children’s hospital reports that it continues to see elevated numbers of young patients arriving in its emergency department with cannabis poisoning, echoing findings from a new analysis released last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

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The Impact of Cannabis Use on AdolescentNeurodevelopment and Clinical Outcomes AmidstChanging State Policies

ABSTRACT Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used by adolescents and the third most common psychoactive substance after alcohol and nicotine. Cannabis use during adolescence interrupts a critical period of brain development and leads to inappropriate activation of the reward pathway. Because the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and other executive

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Associations Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Childhood Outcomes

Question Is prenatal exposure to cannabis associated with child outcomes? Findings This cross-sectional analysis of 11 489 children (655 exposed to cannabis prenatally) found that prenatal cannabis exposure after maternal knowledge of pregnancy was associated with greater psychopathology during middle childhood, even after accounting for potentially confounding variables. Meaning Prenatal cannabis exposure may increase risk for

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Characteristics Associated With Cannabis Use Initiation by Late Childhood and Early Adolescence the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development(ABCD) Study

Early-onset cannabis use is common (eg, 12% of 14- to 15-year-olds in the US report lifetime use) and is associated with increased risk for cannabis use disorder, other psychiatric disorders, and other problems (eg, early school drop-out) during childhood and adulthood.1,2 Prospective risk factors of early-onset cannabis use remain poorly understood. Methods | Participants provided

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Placebo Effect a Major Driver of Pain Reduction in Cannabis Trials

A strong placebo response may be largely responsible for the significant pain reduction observed in clinical trials of cannabis-based therapies, results of a new meta-analysis suggest. Investigators found that while the effect size of cannabinoids on pain intensity was significant, the placebo effect was about the same. “The data from the present meta-analysis, including 1459

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Trends in Cannabis Use Disorder Diagnoses in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, 2005–2019

Since 2005, diagnoses of cannabis use disorder have increased substantially among VHA patients, as they have in the general population and other patient populations. Possible explanations warranting investigation include decreasing perception of risk, changing laws, increasing cannabis potency, stressors related to growing socioeconomic inequality, and use of cannabis to self-treat pain. Clinicians and the public

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The Continued Rise of Unintentional Ingestion of Edible Cannabis in Toddlers—A Growing Public Health Concern

A 2-year-old boy presents to the pediatric emergency department (ED) for altered mental status. Prior to arrival, he was with his babysitter in a normal state of health. After questioning, the babysitter mentions rewarding him with a gummy candy for good behavior. The parents admit they have edible cannabis stored in the cupboard that looks

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Cannabis legalization and cannabis-involved pregnancy hospitalizations in Colorado

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between presence of recreational cannabis dispensaries and prevalence of cannabis-involved pregnancy hospitalizations in Colorado. This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnancy-related hospitalizations co-coded with cannabis diagnosis codes in the Colorado Hospital Association from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2018 (recreational cannabis began

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