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A groundbreaking study presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2024, unveiled disturbing findings relating to the impacts of marijuana use by pregnant mothers. This research linked such usage to various neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) in kids. Unlike previous studies reliant on self-reported data, this study dived into health registries examining confirmed diagnoses of prenatal marijuana addiction (otherwise known as cannabis use disorder or CUD) and the specified neurodevelopmental disorders using diagnostic tools based on the ISD-10-AM to capture a more reliable assessment of the risks associated with marijuana [...]

Psychotic disorders, such as Schizophrenia, disrupt a person’s ability to differentiate between reality and inner thoughts and feelings. They often manifest with hallucinations, loss of motivation, trouble thinking clearly, strange or lack of feelings, trouble with speech and communication, and sudden drop in grades or job performance among many other behavioral signs. These disorders affect between 2.3% to 3.5% of the population and tend to emerge during adolescence or early adulthood and are associated with adverse outcomes such as suicide and an average reduced life expectancy between 10 to 20 years. Research studies have long suggested a potential link [...]

Findings from the Illinois 2023 Annual Cannabis Report show a correlation between marijuana legalization in Illinois and a spike in fatal car crashes, pediatric poisonings, and use of marijuana by pregnant women. Fatal Car Crashes:  In 2020, there were more significant increases in positive cannabis drug tests among drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents in Illinois when compared to other nearby states and the United States1. Pediatric Poisonings: Between 2021 and 2022, there was a notable rise in the incidents of youth aged 12 to 17 years old contacting the Illinois Poison Control Center due to cannabis ingestion1. Edible [...]