News
Research on Pot and the Teen Brain
A new CAM study targets young marijuana smokers, focusing on how drug abstinence impacts cognitive skills of teen subjects. An article in proto, MGH’s online magazine, looks at the study and others, and talks about how changing laws are creating a more accepting environment for a substance that might have more lasting effects than most…MORE
Videos of Proceedings of the Marijuana and Cannabinoids Summit Now Available
Dr. Evins spoke and Drs. Randi Schuster and Jodi Gilman presented their latest studies at the Neuroscience Research Summit, convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The summit focused on the neurological and psychiatric effects of marijuana, other cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system. The goal of this summit was to ensure that evidence-based information…MORE
For individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness, quitting smoking has a net benefit
Weight gain is a prominent concern for individuals who quit smoking. While prior research has shown an overall net benefit of quitting smoking even when weight gain is considered (see here), individuals with mental illness are typically not included in this research. According to a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, individuals…MORE
Center Awarded $10 Million to Help Patients with Serious Mental Illness Quit Smoking
The Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital has been awarded $10 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the effectiveness of two practical approaches to improve the health of people with mental illness in the community. The project will test whether tailored education to primary care doctors alone or combined…MORE
CAM Doctors at the Neuroscience Research Summit (March 22-23)
Dr. Evins will be speaking and Drs. Randi Schuster and Jodi Gilman presenting their latest studies at the Neuroscience Research Summit, convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The summit will focus on the neurological and psychiatric effects of marijuana, other cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system. Both the adverse and the potential therapeutic effects of…MORE
The Association of Recovery Schools honors recovery research award recipients
On December 5th in Washington, D.C., the national Association of Recovery Schools hosted their Annual Recovery Research Awards Banquet. RRI director John F. Kelly, Ph.D. received the Recovery Researcher of the Year Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Advocacy and Public Policy through Science. The awards banquet was attended by several staff from federal…MORE
Can benefits of brief interventions to curb drinking in primary care be extended to the pharmacy?
What problem does this study address? Dozens of randomized controlled trials suggest that brief interventions (30 minutes or less) delivered in primary health care settings can reduce drinking by 1 to 3 drinks per week, on average, and may also reduce the incidence of risky or problematic drinking (see here). The pharmacy is another potential…MORE
New Statement against the Use of Stigmatizing Language in the Addiction Field
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the world which can have implications for help-seeking and treatment (see here for an infographic on stigma). The International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) released an addiction terminology statement recommending against the use of terminology that “can stigmatize people who use…MORE