A new study from Georgia State University, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, shows that there continues to be issues with misrepresentation of MDMA in unregulated markets across the United States, although there has been improvements in recent years.

MDMA, often referred to as “ecstasy”.

The research analyzed 4,719 alleged MDMA samples submitted to the DrugsData drug-checking service, aiming to understand how often the drug is misrepresented and identify trends in its purity over time.

The findings reveal that 75% of the samples were expected to contain only MDMA, but only about 48% of them actually did. “MDMA-only prevalence declined from 1999–2009 (57.4% to 15.2%), recovered from 2009–2017 (15.2% to 56.0%), and increases more moderately from 2017–2023 (56.0% to 74.1%)”, states the study.

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A study set to be published in the journal Archives of Oral Biology in January 2025 explores the potential biological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Perugia in Italy, the study examines CBD as a possible adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment. The study was published online ahead of print by ScienceDirect.

Using in vitro models, the research tested the effects of CBD on human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (HSC-3). The study utilized various concentrations of CBD, ranging from 1 µM to 100 µM, to assess cytotoxicity, cell viability, morphology, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage. The researchers selected two key concentrations for analysis: 25 µM, identified as a toxic dose, and 6.25 µM, as a non-toxic dose.
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A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology demonstrates that the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) may effectively inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, a yeast commonly associated with infections such as oral candidiasis.

Researchers treated C. albicans with varying concentrations of CBD, ranging from 0 to 20 µg/mL, and observed a significant reduction in yeast growth.

After one exposure to 20 µg/mL of CBD, the yeast cell count decreased from 5.1 × 10⁶ cell/mL in the control group to 1.8 × 10⁶ cell/mL. A second exposure further reduced the cell count to 1.1 × 10⁶ cell/mL. The study also noted a decrease in the yeast’s ability to transition from yeast to hyphae, a key factor in infection development, dropping from 20% in the control group to just 2% with CBD treatment.
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An early economic analysis published in the journal Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research suggests that medical marijuana could provide notable cost savings when treating chronic pain.

The study assessed the cost-effectiveness of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) compared to other treatment options, such as analgesics, physiotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, over a one-year period in the UK.

The research modeled various scenarios and consistently found that when CBMPs were used to reduce pain levels, healthcare resource usage decreased. Even with a conservative estimate of a 5% increase in efficacy, based on Real-World Evidence, CBMPs were shown to be more cost-effective. The study further predicts that as prescription costs for CBMPs decline, the potential savings will grow even larger.
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