“Ketamine slowed me down in so many ways and that's what's helped me. Before I would get mad at something small, where I shouldn't be mad at all. Now I stop and think and say ‘Do I really need to put that energy into being mad at something like this?’"

Canadian Forces veteran Scott Atkinson says he was a different person a year ago.

New studies are showing that using cannabis can help slow aging in the brain.

The stereotypical weed smoker is depicted as a slow dimwit with the inability to harbor productive thoughts for more than a few seconds. They are motivated by their hedonistic tendencies and want to get “high” as much as possible.

In 2021, we know this is not true considering that almost half of all US adults have tried cannabis at one point in time. While this harmful stereotype was used to deter people from smoking under the assumption that “cannabis negatively impacts the brain” – science is shedding new light on this topic.

Thriving black market full of misleading health claims, potentially contaminated products.

The claim from the sales person to the undercover Marketplace crew seemed straightforward enough: a CBD-infused balm will "100 per cent" help with back pain and "in 15 minutes it will feel like relief." But not only is that promise a complete exaggeration, both that claim and the product are illegal.

A CBC Marketplace investigation has found hundreds of illegal CBD products for sale in a thriving Canadian black market. Going undercover, we found products are easily available and salespeople are willing to make extravagant and illicit health claims.

A cannabis product label may clearly state indica or sativa, but a new scientific paper with a Canadian connection suggests the results may be more muddled, with the labels being “poor predictors of a sample’s genetics and chemistry.”

That may mean buyer beware for those specifically wanting sedating or uplifting effects . A purchaser may be expecting certain distinct aromas or psychoactive effects — based on the indica or sativa tag — but that’s not necessarily what they’re going to get.

Cannabis and its effect on sex is a topic that is often discussed. But cannabis and its effect on the sex lives of seniors doesn’t get nearly as much coverage, but it should.

The range of which cannabis can affect someone’s sex life is wide, from simply helping people feel more turned on, to opening the mind to deeper intimacy and promoting mindfulness. When applied to seniors, cannabis can provide an even larger influence, offering relaxation and increased libido, while also treating symptoms that naturally appear as people grow older and their bodies start to change.

An eight-year-old Woodstock child ate a large quantity of cannabis gummies over the weekend. The child was rushed to hospital and was in stable condition. Woodstock police wanted to remind people who consume cannabis, particularly edibles such as gummies or other sweets, to be mindful of safe storage away from children. Police encourage adults to safely store any alcohol and cannabis products out of reach or behind locked doors to ensure children do not consume them by mistake.

 Alain Vadeboncoeur had been fighting for more than a year to have advertisements using his photo without consent removed. But the fraudulent ads recently reached a new high: a septuagenarian was intoxicated after consuming cannabis jujubes. She was convinced that the “candies” were approved and recommended by the renowned Quebecois doctor.

The woman bought the bear-shaped gummies containing CBD, a compound naturally found in cannabis, after seeing an internet ad earlier this month. The website claimed that the colourful treats relieved chronic pain. Alain Vadeboncoeur’s name and photo were linked to the misleading advertising.

Unlicensed cannabis is not as strong as you may think it is. 

That's according to a recently published study by the New Brunswick Research and Productivity Council.

Researchers comparing samples of illicit and legal cannabis products found that the claims of potency for illicit products were significantly less accurate.  

The RPC's chief officer of science Diane Botelho said the study was taken on to find out whether there was any legitimacy to claims made about cannabis products on the illicit market being 'better'. 

"Our scientists have been curious for a number of years now as to whether or not illicit cannabis products were equivalent to legal cannabis products with respect to health and safety as well as potency claims," said Botelho. 

Those with a recorded history of cannabis use in general practice records are at a much higher risk of developing mental ill-health problems such as anxiety or depression as well as severe mental illnesses, new research shows.

The findings indicated that following the first recorded use of cannabis, patients were three times more likely to develop common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.