Biobot Analytics(link is external), another SBIR grantee, pioneers the commercial application of wastewater technology to monitor the presence of drugs in communities. 2019 — Researchers identify a brain receptor with anti-opioid activity, a discovery that opens the door to new way to improve opioid safety. Using this method, researchers are able to show that opioid receptors function in different cell locations depending on the type of opioid.

They also suggest that continued use of cannabis may be an effort to alleviate unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Extracts are prepared for human use and have Certificates of Analysis that show the product meets FDA requirements. Letters of authorization may be written for researchers to include in IND submissions if they plan to use extracts in a clinical trial.

  • 2001 — NIDA-supported animal research shows a single exposure to cocaine induces changes in brain cells that are very similar to long-term potentiation, a process that plays an important role in associating experiences with feelings and motivations.
  • Designed for young people and those who influence them—parents, guardians, teachers, and other educators—these resources inspire learning and encourage critical thinking so teens can make informed decisions about drug use and their health.
  • NIDA-supported research identifies brain processes that increase the rewarding effects of cocaine the more a person uses it, a change thought to play an important role in the development of cocaine craving and addiction.
  • NIDA-supported research leads to the FDA approval of lofexidine, the first non-opioid treatment for opioid withdrawal.

Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. People commonly use cannabis by smoking dried plant material (“buds” or “herb”) in joints like a cigarette, in blunts—cigars or cigar wrappers that have been partly or completely refilled with cannabis—or in pipes or bongs (water pipes). Dried cannabis can also be vaped using electronic vaporizing devices such as dry herb vaporizers and vape pens. NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow explains why we study teen drug use and shares a message to parents & teen influencers. New NIDA animation tackles a common question and explains the science behind drug use and addiction to help light the… Take a scientific journey to learn about the brain’s complex responses to specific drugs.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW)

  • NIDA researchers clone the dopamine transporter, cocaine’s primary site of action in the brain.
  • NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation.
  • NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow explains why we study teen drug use and shares a message to parents & teen influencers.
  • Research shows that behavioral interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and contingency management can be effective in treating cannabis use disorder.68 Read more about behavioral treatments for substance use disorders on the National Institute of Mental Health website.
  • Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.
  • Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care.

It assesses the opioid’s ability to trigger cells to remove opioid receptors from the cell membrane, a process called internalization. 1998 — As part of a team including the Pasteur Institute, Karolinska Institute and Glaxo Wellcome Geneva, a NIDA-supported researcher identifies a brain receptor activated by nicotine use. NIDA-supported scientists identify the brain chemical dynorphin(link is external).

Cannabis cigarettes

In a study partially funded by NIDA, researchers merge technologies from the imaging and genetic fields to discover that the number of brain dopamine D2 receptors an individual has may correlate directly with the amount of euphoria experienced while taking methylphenidate, a mild stimulant. 1993 — The NIDA Medications Development Program obtains approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for levomethadyl acetate (LAAM), the first medication approved in a decade for the treatment of opioid use disorder. NIDA researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder. 1992 — NIDA-supported research isolates anandamide, a chemical in the brain that interacts with the active ingredient in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Cardiovascular Effects

Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care. 2018 — The “Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 (the SUPPORT Act),” became law on October 24, 2018. 1999 — NIDA-supported researchers report the first clinical cases of cannabis withdrawal. Two scientific studies suggest that irritability, stomach pain, and withdrawal from social interactions may be symptoms of quitting cannabis after ongoing use. The findings suggest that effective treatments to alleviate these symptoms are needed.

Only 1 in 5 U.S. adults with opioid use disorder received medications to treat it in 2021

2001 — NIDA-supported animal research shows a single exposure to cocaine induces changes in brain cells that are very similar to long-term potentiation, a process that plays an important role in associating experiences with feelings and motivations. NIDA scientists identify a chemical known as D-Ala2,D-leu5enkephalin (DADLE) that may help reduce long-term nerve damage from methamphetamine use. This has important implications for treating people with substance use disorder and the cannabis marijuana national institute on drug abuse nida side effects of long-term substance use. NIDA researchers clone the dopamine transporter, cocaine’s primary site of action in the brain.

The plant contains at least 125 different cannabinoids,1 including delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It has intoxicating effects, meaning it can temporarily alter a person’s mood, thoughts, and perceptions. Through grants and contracts awarded to investigators at research institutions around the country and overseas, as well as through its Intramural Research Program, NIDA addresses the most fundamental and essential questions about substance use.

New information from the NIH Safe Passage Study calls for stronger public health messaging regarding the dangers of drinking and smoking during pregnancy. 2015 — The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 changed the rules again for federal funding related to syringe exchange programs. 108-7, the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education FY 2003 Appropriations Act, continued prior prohibitions on funding of sterile needle and syringe exchange programs and on legalization of Schedule I controlled substances. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation(link is external) on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV for those at increased risk, including people who inject drugs. NIDA awards grants to the first five regional sites under its new Clinical Trials Network (CTN). The network continues to conduct clinical research into medications for substance use disorders and to bring updated science to communities and healthcare offices.

What are the effects of secondhand exposure from cannabis smoke or vapor?

This includes detecting and responding to emerging substance use trends, understanding how drugs work in the brain and body, identifying social determinants of substance use risk and SUDs, and developing and testing new approaches to prevention, treatment, and recovery. The ABCD Study® explores the effects of environmental, social, genetic, and other biological factors on the developing adolescent brain. This study will provide critical insights into risk and resilience factors for cannabis and other substance use to inform future prevention interventions. Cannabis use at a young age has also been linked to other mental health conditions, including the likelihood of developing psychosis87 and to developing cannabis use disorder later in life. Find the latest science-based information about drug use, health, and the developing brain. Designed for young people and those who influence them—parents, guardians, teachers, and other educators—these resources inspire learning and encourage critical thinking so teens can make informed decisions about drug use and their health.

Are there treatments for cannabis use disorder?

SBIR-funded Spark Biomedical develops a wearable treatment technology intended for the relief of opioid withdrawal symptoms. 2009 — NIDA launches a comprehensive Physicians Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, which gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit, and nonmedical prescription drug use, including an interactive online drug use screening tool. 2002 — NIDA-supported research leads to the FDA approval of buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone, the first medications for opioid use disorder that can be prescribed in an office setting. NIDA-supported research identifies brain processes that increase the rewarding effects of cocaine the more a person uses it, a change thought to play an important role in the development of cocaine craving and addiction.

Monitoring the Future Survey: Why we Study Teen Drug Use, a Message to Parents

The study is chosen as a runner-up in Science magazine’s 2020 Breakthrough of the Year. 1975 — NIDA supports the first nationally representative survey of adolescent and young adult substance use and attitudes. The ongoing Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey tracks trends in past-year, past-month, and lifetime substance use among 12th graders. The NIDA Drug Supply Program also has purified cannabinoids on inventory for pre-clinical use (non cGMP). Purified cannabinoids comprise Δ9-THC (provided as a solution in ethanol), Δ8-THC, Δ9-THCA, Δ9-THCV, CBD, CBN, and CBG. Cannabis use disorder can be diagnosed as mild (when a person has two or three of these symptoms), moderate (four or five of these symptoms), or severe (six or more of these symptoms).