Tag: user_id 13800

Sharp reductions in costs of producing cannabis, fentanyl likely to spur widespread changes in use, dependence

The legalization of cannabis and the arrival of nonmedical fentanyl are fundamentally changing drug markets in North America. A large part of these changes relates to the ability to produce large quantities of the drugs at low costs, which has slashed wholesale prices for both drugs and retail prices for cannabis. A new analysis explores the effects of these changes on use. The analysis concludes that sharp declines in production costs for cannabis and opioids could dramatically reduce the price per dose for consumers in ways that alter patterns of use and dependence.

The analysis, by a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), is published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

“Historical analogies suggest that very large declines in price can have effects on use that go beyond just expanding traditional patterns of consumption,” explains Jonathan Caulkins, professor of operations research and public policy at CMU’s Heinz College, who wrote the analysis. “The overall situation with cannabis and fentanyl may look more different in 2040 compared to today — just as today looks different compared to 2000.”

Caulkins focused on the motivations for use of these drugs, factors that appear ready to change. He also considered market factors, noting that basic relationships among production costs, prices, and consumption have held up in markets over centuries. And he looked at wild cards — cultural, sociological, and political changes that could be equally influential.

Caulkins started with two key economic ideas: First, prices in competitive markets fall to match the marginal cost of production. For example, North American cannabis production costs have decreased as much as 95 percent. Second, when prices fall, consumption rises. This has occurred with cannabis, although as yet, there is no indication that fentanyl production has reduced retail opioid prices — but monitoring retail opioid prices is difficult.

Therefore, falling prices affect consumption, but the effects of precipitous declines may not be simply a larger version of the effects of modest price declines. Among other factors to consider is elasticity of demand, including how the degree of responsiveness to price changes varies from one setting to the next and from one outcome to the next. In short, for many products used widely by society (e.g., lighting and electricity, computers, cigarettes), Caulkins explains, their meaning changed when production costs fell radically.

“Liberalization of cannabis policy and reduced production costs may fundamentally change the place of cannabis in society,” Caulkins notes. Consider, for example, that cannabis operations are listed on the NASDAQ and Toronto stock exchanges, legalization has led to a wide range of products such as edibles and vaping, and advertising for the product has soared. More changes are likely, he suggests.

Significant declines in wholesale opioid prices could also have far-reaching and unexpected effects, Caulkins predicts. Among them: reducing the value of criminal organizations’ cross-border smuggling, making distribution less violent.

“We don’t know what the future holds,” he adds, “but I predict that if someone in 2040 lists the major changes in drug markets, use, and dependence that occurred since 2020, there will be items on that list that pertain to the declines in production costs brought about by cannabis legalization and the spread of synthetic opioids.”

Based on this prediction, Caulkins concludes: “It’s not too soon to invest more in monitoring markets to stay abreast of the diverse ramifications that may flow from these radical reductions in production costs.”

This Article first appeared at ScienceDaily.com

 

Daily e-cigarette use shows ‘clear benefit’ in helping smokers to quit

A new study published Tuesday 10 March, No Smoking Day, from King’s College London highlights the ‘clear benefit’ of using e-cigarettes daily in order to quit smoking, and supports their effectiveness when compared to other methods of quitting, including nicotine replacement therapy or medication.

People in Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder may Struggle to Abstain During COVID-19 Lockdown

The first-wave COVID-19 lockdown in Barcelona, Spain, has been linked to increased drinking among people recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD), as reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Pandemic-associated stress has already been associated with increased drinking in the general population, but few studies have examined the impact among people with a clinical diagnosis of AUD, who may be particularly susceptible to using alcohol as a coping mechanism. Additionally, almost all COVID-19 studies to date have been based on self-reported alcohol use, which does not always provide an accurate measure, particularly among heavy drinkers and those with AUD. In the latest study, researchers used the results of urine alcohol tests to assess changes in alcohol consumption among people with AUD before and after the first-wave lockdown. Although the lockdown in Spain was one of the strictest in the world, with residents allowed to leave homes for basic needs only, alcohol r

More evidence is urgently needed on opioid use in Black communities

Although the prevalence of opioid use among Black people is comparatively low, the rate of opioid deaths has increased the sharpest and fastest among that population in recent years, according to an article in the March/April issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

UTHealth leading nation’s largest opioid use disorder recovery housing study

One of the nation’s largest research projects aimed at measuring the outcomes of medication-assisted recovery (MAR) housing for opioid-use disorder will launch this spring, led by harm reduction specialists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) in partnership with the Health and Human Services Commission’s Texas Targeted Opioid Response Program (TTOR).

Digital solutions including remote monitoring can help chronic pain sufferers manage their pain and reduce the probability of misuse of prescription opioids.

For the first time, an app has been shown to reduce key symptoms of chronic pain. A UNH-led study evaluated the impact of Manage My Pain(MMP), a digital health solution on chronic pain patients.

Opioid Prescriptions for Common Orthopaedic Procedures Lack Consistency

A new review article published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) examines the variability that exists in opioid prescribing patterns across the United States for many common orthopaedic procedures. While the Northeast and Midwest were most impacted by the opioid epidemic, the study found that patients in the West and South consistently were given prescriptions at or greater than the national medians. These regional and national variations in opioid prescribing practices can serve as a benchmark for orthopaedic surgeons to help develop guidelines to reduce excess postoperative opioid prescriptions.