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Nov 8, 2023

The Los Angeles Times Covers Our Work on Tobacco E-commerce Loopholes

This work highlights our study documenting a spike in online shopping for tobacco products corresponding with the enactment of California's ban on flavored tobacco.

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Nov 1, 2023

Washington Post Reporter David Ovalle and I discuss delta-8-THC, THCA and other hemp-derived products

This article discusses how a Texas hemp shop raid highlights legal and safety issues related to cannabis products

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Oct 19, 2023

Bloomberg reporter Gerry Smith and I discuss the use of ChatGPT for medical advice.

This article discusses the surprising quality of ChatGPT at providing health-related information.

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May 23, 2023

Delta-8-THC Adverse events

The findings of this case series suggest that most of the adverse events reported by delta-8-THC users are like those reported during acute cannabis intoxication. This finding suggests that health care professionals follow similar treatment and management protocols, and that jurisdictions should clarify whether delta-8-THC can be sold as a hemp product.

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Apr 28, 2023

ChatGPT beats doctors at responding to health enquiries

In this cross-sectional study of 195 randomly drawn patient questions from a social media forum, a team of licensed health care professionals compared physician’s and chatbot’s responses to patient’s questions asked publicly on a public social media forum. The chatbot responses were preferred over physician responses and rated significantly higher for both quality and empathy.

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Oct 22, 2022

Slate Reporter Niranjana Rajalakshmi and I Discuss Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids

This piece discusses the FDA's concern with the addition of CBD to foods and beverages.

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Sep 3, 2022

Slate Reporter Hannah Docter-Loeb and I Discuss Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids

This piece serves as a type of how to guide to all the (technically) legal cannabinoids you can buy right now.

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Aug 17, 2022

I discuss delta-8-THC on podcast Cannabis Science Today

We discuss the differences between Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC and a loophole in the Farm Bill that has led to a growing, unregulated market for Delta-8.

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Jul 1, 2022

New York Times Reporter Dana G Smith and I Discuss Delta-8-THC

This piece covers the safety and legal status of Delta-8, a new psychoactive cannabis product.

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Jun 29, 2022

ABC News Covers Our Work Documenting a Spike in Searches for Abortion Medications

This piece discusses our JAMA Internal Medicine article documenting a spike in Google searches for abortion pills especially in states with the toughest abortion restrictions.

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Jun 21, 2022

TRDRP Provides Funding to Study Tobacco e-Commerce

This grant will support the development of a surveillance system for monitoring e-commerce retailers compliance with tobacco sales restrictions.

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Jun 6, 2022

Use of Menthol Cigarettes, Smoking Frequency, and Nicotine Dependence Among US Youth

In this JAMA Network Open research article we demonstrate that the addition of menthol to cigarettes is associated with increased smoking frequency and nicotine dependence among US youth.

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Apr 1, 2022

NIDA Funds Research on CBD

This five-year project will fund a survey that will characterize the use of CBD among US adults

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Dec 21, 2021

Public Interest in Delta-8-THC

In this research article in the International Journal of Drug Policy we document how a new hemp-derived cannabis products is taking off especially where access to recreational cannabis remains limited.

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Nov 17, 2021

The Hemp Loophole

In this American Journal of Public Health editorial I discuss how Hemp Loopholes allow access to psychoactive cannabis compounds in States that prohibit recreational Cannabis use

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Jul 6, 2021

STAT news covers our work on menthol cigarettes

This piece highlights our work finding that smokers of menthol cigarettes have a harder time quitting.

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Feb 19, 2021

E-Cigarettes and the EVALI Outbreak

Our article in BMJ Tobacco Control demonstrated that the EVALI outbreak, an outbreak of respiratory illness related vaping products, dramatically reduced online shopping for e-cigarettes and increased shopping for PMI's novel heated nicotine product IQOS rose during this outbreak.

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Oct 15, 2020

CBD is Being Used as an Unproven Health Treatment

In this JAMA Network Open research article we demonstrate that despite CBD only being approved for a narrow range of applications, the public is using CBD to treat a broad range of medical conditions, many with known therapies.

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Oct 15, 2020

The Need for Evidence Regarding Cannabidiol

Read NIDA deputy director Dr. Wilson Compton and Science Policy Branch Chief Dr. Emily Einstein's invited commentary of our work on the use CBD as a therapeutic.

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Jul 1, 2020

The FDA Funds Research on the Impact of Menthol Cigarettes

This project will use a large national dataset to analyze the impact of menthol flavoring on cigarette consumption, dependence and quitting success.

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Oct 23, 2019

Growing Interest in CBD

In this JAMA Network Open research article we document growing public interest in CBD across the United States and relative to other health topics.

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Sep 25, 2019

Revisiting 13 Reasons Why

In this letter in JAMA Psychiatry we discuss lessons learned about how Google Search data can provide an early call to action for suicide-related media and surveillance.

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May 16, 2019

Cannabis Marketing

In this JAMA viewpoint we discuss how few of the lessons from tobacco marketing are being applied to cannabis products presenting a case study of the manufacturer MedMen®

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Jan 7, 2019

The Los Angeles Times Covers Our Work on Disparities in Smoking Prevalence Across US Cities.

This piece discusses our JAMA Internal Medicine study that finding that smoking rates are unevenly spread across neighborhoods in the United States.

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Aug 1, 2017

The Atlantic Covers our Work on Netflix Show '13 Reasons Why'

This piece discusses the findings of our JAMA Internal Medicine articles documenting skyrocketing of suicide-related searches following the release of the Netflix show '13 Reasons Why'.

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Aug 2, 2016

The DiCaprio Effect

In this research article in PLOS ONE we use social media analysis to demonstrate that celebrities can sometimes generate more engagement in health topics than planned events.

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Feb 22, 2016

Charlie Sheen Tweets Our Article

Charlie Sheen shares our article demonstrating increased news and internet searches about HIV after his disclosure of his HIV+ status on Good Morning America.

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