The International journal of social psychiatry
April 26, 2026
Valerio Ricci, Giovanni Martinotti, Giuseppe Maina
Distinguishing substance-induced psychotic disorders from primary psychotic disorders with substance use is diagnostically challenging. A systematic review of 36 studies covering over 80,000 individuals found that cannabis-induced psychosis typically involves prominent positive symptoms, preserved negative symptoms, and elevated affective and anxiety features, with 36% to 46% transitioning to schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Methamphetamine-induced psychosis ranges from simple persecutory delusions and tactile hallucinations in transient cases—with markedly elevated violence rates (75.6%)—to complex sensory disturbances in persistent cases. Despite substance-specific patterns, substantial overlap with primary disorders and poor diagnostic stability (25% to 39% of initial diagnoses converting to primary disorders) limit cross-sectional assessment. Superior antipsychotic response at lower doses may favor substance-induced etiology.
medRxiv Preprint Server
April 23, 2026
Giada Lombardi, Grace Blest-Hopley, Martina Maria Tarantini et al.
preprint
Regular cannabis users show altered brain responses during reward anticipation and outcome processing, but their actual task performance does not differ from non-users. Using the Monetary Incentive Delay Task, the study found that cannabis users had reduced neural activity in reward-related brain regions during anticipation of potential gains and losses, yet their reaction times and accuracy were comparable to non-users. These findings suggest that regular cannabis use is associated with changes in reward-related brain function without corresponding behavioral deficits.
Cancer causes & control : CCC
April 22, 2026
Amrit Baral, Yue Pan, Wayway M Hlaing et al.
Among U.S. adults aged 50 and older, lifetime cannabis use was similar for cancer survivors (41.6%) and those without cancer (42.6%) between 2015 and 2019, while lifetime use of classic psychedelics like LSD (8.9% vs. 10.3%) and psilocybin (6.4% vs. 7.7%) was slightly lower among survivors. Co-use of both cannabis and classic psychedelics was also lower in survivors (11.2%) than in those without cancer (12.6%). By 2021-2022, these group differences were no longer statistically significant. Prevalence varied by cancer type, with highest co-use among survivors of head and neck, cervical, and hepatobiliary/pancreatic cancers. Substance use patterns among cancer survivors are not uniform and differ across subgroups.
The journal of behavioral health services & research
April 1, 2026
Destin Rothe, Erica K Yuen, Kathleen A Moore et al.
An educational video about delta-8 THC increased knowledge about the substance among college students and lowered intentions to use it among those who had used it before but not recently. Perceived benefits, costs, and attitudes toward legislation were not affected. The video was developed based on an earlier survey in which students reported that delta-8 THC has weaker effects than delta-9 THC and is beneficial for mental and physical health, and that a strong motive for use was enhancing positive feelings. The results support brief video interventions for improving knowledge and reducing behavioral intentions regarding delta-8 THC.