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Ogunsola AS, Smith S, Eniola OA, Mercy UC, Karaye IM. Sex Differences in the Association Between Cannabis Use and Diabetes Mellitus among U.S. Adults: The National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 2013-2018. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2022; 7:876-881. [PMID: 34981965 DOI: 10.1089/can.2021.0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus is an important public health problem in the United States, accounting for 87,647 deaths in 2019. This study aimed to assess the association between cannabis use and diabetes mellitus by sex among U.S. adults. Methods: Data were abstracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 through 2018. Cannabis use was estimated using exposure status and frequency of use. Diabetes mellitus was assessed based on physician diagnosis or laboratory results, per the American Diabetes Association guidelines. A multivariable survey logistic regression model was fitted to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: A total of 15,062 participants were included in this study. The majority were female (n=7845; 51.1%), >40 years of age (n=8564; 56.3%), non-Hispanic white (n=4873; 61.5%), with at least a college-level education (n=8239; 62.5%). Female participants who used cannabis heavily were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus than female noncannabis users (aOR=0.49; 95% CI: 0.30-0.81; aOR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.31-0.84). However, no significant association was found for female adults who engaged in light use of cannabis (aOR=0.98; 95% CI: 0.55-1.75; aOR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.57-1.79). Among male adults, cannabis use, irrespective of the degree of exposure, was not significantly associated with diabetes mellitus (heavy users: aOR=0.89; 95% CI=0.56-1.41; light users: aOR=0.53; 95% CI=0.22-1.29). Conclusions: Heavy cannabis use is inversely associated with diabetes mellitus in females but not males. Further studies are needed to explore the sex-based heterogeneity-and individual and contextual factors responsible-in the association between cannabis use and diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayobami S Ogunsola
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Samuel Smith
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Olatunji A Eniola
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Udeh C Mercy
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ibraheem M Karaye
- Department of Population Health, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, USA
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Zantut PRA, Veras MM, Benevenutto SGM, Safatle AMV, Pecora RA, Yariwake VY, Torres JI, Sakuno G, Martins MAG, Bolzan AA, Takahashi WY, Saldiva PHN, Damico FM. Lasting effects of prenatal exposure to Cannabis in the retina of the offspring: an experimental study in mice. Int J Retina Vitreous 2021; 7:45. [PMID: 34193310 PMCID: PMC8246684 DOI: 10.1186/s40942-021-00314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prenatal exposure to Cannabis is a worldwide growing problem. Although retina is part of the central nervous system, the impact of maternal Cannabis use on the retinal development and its postnatal consequences remains unknown. As the prenatal period is potentially sensitive in the normal development of the retina, we hypothesized that recreational use of Cannabis during pregnancy may alter retina structure in the offspring. To test this, we developed a murine model that mimics human exposure in terms of dose and use. Methods Pregnant BalbC mice were exposed daily for 5 min to Cannabis smoke (0.2 g of Cannabis) or filtered air, from gestational day 5 to 18 (N = 10/group). After weaning period, pups were separated and examined weekly. On days 60, 120, 200, and 360 after birth, 10 pups from each group were randomly selected for Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) analysis of the retina. All retina layers were measured and inner, outer, and total retina thickness were calculated. Other 37 mice from both groups were sacrificed on days 20, 60, and 360 for retinal stereology (total volume of the retina and volume fraction of each retinal layer) and light microscopy. Means and standard deviations were calculated and MANOVA was performed. Results The retina of animals which mother was exposed to Cannabis during gestation was 17% thinner on day 120 (young adult) than controls (P = 0.003) due to 21% thinning of the outer retina (P = 0.001). The offspring of mice from the exposed group presented thickening of the IS/OS in comparison to controls on day 200 (P < 0.001). In the volumetric analyzes by retinal stereology, the exposed mice presented transitory increase of the IS/OS total volume and volume fraction on day 60 (young adult) compared to controls (P = 0.008 and P = 0.035, respectively). On light microscopy, exposed mice presented thickening of the IS/OS on day 360 (adult) compared to controls (P = 0.03). Conclusion Gestational exposure to Cannabis smoke may cause structural changes in the retina of the offspring that return to normal on mice adulthood. These experimental evidences suggest that children and young adults whose mothers smoked Cannabis during pregnancy may require earlier and more frequent clinical care than the non-exposed population. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40942-021-00314-8.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Matera Veras
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sarah Gomes Menezes Benevenutto
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Angélica Mendonça Vaz Safatle
- Ophthalmology Service, Department of Surgery, Veterinary Medicine College and Zootechny, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Augusto Pecora
- Ophthalmology Service, Department of Surgery, Veterinary Medicine College and Zootechny, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Victor Yuji Yariwake
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Janaina Iannicelli Torres
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Sakuno
- Retina Service, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marco Antonio Garcia Martins
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Aline Adriana Bolzan
- Ophthalmology Service, Department of Surgery, Veterinary Medicine College and Zootechny, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Walter Yukihiko Takahashi
- Retina Service, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva
- Laboratory of Experimental Air Pollution, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Francisco Max Damico
- Retina Service, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Haines-Saah RJ, Mitchell S, Slemon A, Jenkins EK. ‘Parents are the best prevention’? Troubling assumptions in cannabis policy and prevention discourses in the context of legalization in Canada. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2019; 68:132-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Abstract
Although truancy has been studied extensively, less attention has been given to the actual voices of the truants themselves. The current study helps fill that gap by examining recollections from a sample of 34 emerging adults (ages 18-25) who experienced various levels of high school truancy across different geographical settings. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was used to explore how former truants spent their time while being truant. The findings highlight factors in the contexts of the individual, home, and school that can impact the decision to be truant from school.
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Hyshka E. Applying a social determinants of health perspective to early adolescent cannabis use – An overview. DRUGS-EDUCATION PREVENTION AND POLICY 2013. [DOI: 10.3109/09687637.2012.752434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Fattore L. Considering gender in cannabinoid research: a step towards personalized treatment of marijuana addicts. Drug Test Anal 2012; 5:57-61. [PMID: 22887940 DOI: 10.1002/dta.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a complex disorder with interacting factors, including environmental factors, drug-induced neurobiological changes, comorbidity, personality traits and stress responsivity. Numerous genetic variants that affect these factors may work in concert to affect vulnerability and severity of addiction. Traditionally, abuse of illicit drugs, including cannabis, was considered to be primarily a problem specific to men but the recent focus on drug addiction in women has brought attention to numerous sex differences in the central effects of these drugs, epidemiology of abuse-related disorders, etiologic considerations and psychiatric comorbidity. Gender is now recognised as a major factor in the modulation of the pharmacological effects of drugs of abuse, and sex differences have been reported in various phases of the addiction cycle in both humans and animals. Recently, important gender-dependent differences have been detected in the rates of initiation of marijuana smoking and in the frequency of use. Several animal studies, and in particular self-administration studies, confirmed the crucial role played by sex and gonadal hormones in determining higher sensitivity to marijuana's rewarding properties and vulnerability to cannabis addiction in females than in males. In general, women also show higher rate of relapse to drug use than men, likely due to divergent withdrawal experiences and increased reactivity to internal (emotional) and external (drug-associated) cues. According with this, craving for marijuana smoking and propensity to re-use cannabis after abstinence may also develop differently between the sexes and require distinct treatment approaches, thus highlighting the urgent need for gender-tailored prevention strategies and detoxification treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana Fattore
- CNR National Research Council of Italy, Neuroscience Institute-Cagliari @ Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
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Hovdestad WE, Tonmyr L, Wekerle C, Thornton T. Why is Childhood Maltreatment Associated with Adolescent Substance Abuse? A Critical Review of Explanatory Models. Int J Ment Health Addict 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-011-9322-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Abstract
In humans as in animals, males and females are dissimilar in their genetic and hormonally driven behaviour; they process information differently, perceive experience and emotions in different ways, display diverse attitudes, language and social skills, and show sex-related differences in the brain anatomy and organization. Drug addiction is a widespread relapsing illness that affects both men and women. Sex-dependent differences have been frequently observed in the biological and behavioural effects of substances of abuse, including cannabis. Beside sex differences observed in the cannabinoid-induced effects related to cannabis abuse and dependence, cannabinoids have been shown to exert sex-dependent effects also in other physiological and behavioural aspects, such as food intake and energy balance (more evident in males), or anxiety and depression (more evident in females). Research has just begun to identify factors which could provide a neurobiological basis for gender-based differences in cannabinoid effects, among which, gonadal hormones seem to play a crucial role. Yet, cannabinoid pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic may also be important, as sex differences in cannabinoid effects might be due, at least in part, to differences in muscle mass and fat tissue distribution between males and females. Here, we will review both clinical and laboratory-based research evidence revealing important sex-related differences in cannabinoid effects, and put forward some suggestions for future studies to fill the gap in our knowledge of gender-specific bias in cannabinoid pharmacology.
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Haines RJ, Johnson JL, Carter CI, Arora K. “I couldn't say, I'm not a girl” – Adolescents talk about gender and marijuana use. Soc Sci Med 2009; 68:2029-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2008] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Turnbull PJ. The great cannabis classification debacle: what are the likely consequences for policing cannabis possession offences in England and Wales? Drug Alcohol Rev 2009; 28:202-9. [PMID: 19320707 DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-3362.2008.00045.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The British government downgraded cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug in 2004; but in 2008 it reversed this decision,and cannabis is due to be reclassified back to Class B in January 2009. In this Harm Reduction Digest, Paul Turnbull assesses the impact of reclassification to Class B focusing on policing and the legitimacy of drug law. The government cited the availability of stronger strains of cannabis and a large rise in the number of UK-based "cannabis farms" as the reasons for this decision.This is set against a backdrop of a trend of declining levels of use in the UK and a number of jurisdictions throughout the world adopting civil rather than criminal procedures to deal with cannabis possession offences. It concludes that tougher penalties for cannabis possession will have little deterrent effect on use and that the focus of law enforcement is likely to continue to fall disproportionately on young men from black and minority ethnic groups. Turnbull concludes that a better approach would be to use targeted public health approaches to reduce cannabis use and harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Turnbull
- Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, King's College London, London, UK.
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Abstract
Adolescents' gender-specific cannabis use rates and their correlates were examined. Data were obtained via a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004 in British Columbia, Canada, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. School districts were invited to participate, and schools within consenting districts were recruited. In total, 8,225 students (50% male) from Grades 7 to 12 participated. About 73% were "White," and 47% had used cannabis in their lifetime. Cannabis users were grouped according to their frequency of use: "never users," "frequent users," or "heavy users." Male heavy cannabis users (14.3% of boys) were more likely to be in Grade 9 or higher; be Aboriginal; report poorer economic status; never feel like an outsider; frequently use alcohol and tobacco; and have lower satisfaction with family, friends, and school compared with boys that never used. Female heavy users (8.7% of girls) were more likely to be in a higher grade; report poorer economic status, mental health, and academic performance; frequently use alcohol and tobacco; and have lower satisfaction with their school compared with female never users. Three important gender differences in the multivariate analysis of the correlates of cannabis use were noted: school grade (for boys only), Aboriginal status (for boys only), and mental health (for girls only). Despite the limitations of relying on self-reports, a subset of youth appears to be at risk for excessive cannabis use that may impair life opportunities and health. The gender differences may be important in the design and implementation of prevention or treatment programs for adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Tu
- Nursing and Health Behaviour Research Unit, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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