Health
Study challenges negative cannabis stereotypes, claiming link to brain benefits
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While cannabis has recently come under fire for potential negative health risks, a recent study suggests that its use could increase brain volume and cognitive fitness.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, brain scans and cognitive test results for more than 26,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 77, using data from the UK biobank.
The study found that cannabis users — particularly those who reported moderate lifetime usage — showed larger volumes in several brain regions.
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“Compared to individuals with no history of cannabis use, those who reported using cannabis showed larger volumes in several brain regions characterized by a high density of cannabinoid (CB1) receptors — regions involved in processes such as memory, information processing and emotion regulation,” lead study author Anika Guha, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Fox News Digital.
A recent study suggests that cannabis use could increase brain volume and cognitive fitness. (iStock)
The cannabis users also scored better on cognitive tests that measured learning, processing speed and executive function.
This outcome differs from many previous studies, which have focused on short-term cognitive impairment during or shortly after cannabis use, the researcher pointed out.
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“These findings suggest that the relationship between cannabis and the brain may differ across the lifespan, and that moderate use in mid-to-later adulthood may be associated with positive brain health outcomes,” Guha said.
Not all areas of the brain showed positive effects among cannabis users. The posterior cingulate, which is involved in self-reflection and memory, had lower volume with higher marijuana use.
“The takeaway is not that people should start using more cannabis based on these findings alone.”
As cannabis has been rising in popularity among all ages, this type of study is important for understanding its long-term effects and the pros and cons of use, according to Matt Glowiak, Ph.D., chief addiction specialist with Recovered, an organization that provides information and resources for mental health and addiction treatment.
The drug’s effects likely depend on factors such as age, dose, frequency, product composition and individual vulnerability. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
“Given the connection between cannabis use and larger brain volume, it is believed that it may help [older] individuals retain cognitive function that might otherwise naturally decline,” Chicago-based Glowiak, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This is a huge benefit, but one we need to explore a bit further, ahead of encouraging those who would otherwise not consider integrating cannabis into their healthcare regimen.”
Limitations and caveats
As the study was observational in nature, it could not prove that cannabis use improves brain health — instead, it only showed an association, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, who was not involved in the study.
“The preponderance of previous evidence does not line up with improved cognitive function from chronic cannabis use,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “This study is an outlier, and though it cannot be ignored, it is not justification for use.”
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The study also relied on the UK Biobank, which offers a “large and rich dataset,” Guha said — but it is limited to the questions that were originally posed to the participants.
“In particular, we have only a broad measure of how many times someone has used cannabis over their lifetime,” she said. “We do not have access to details about how they used cannabis, such as whether they smoked or used edibles, the type or potency of cannabis, or when in their life they used most heavily.”
Cannabis users scored better in learning, processing speed and executive function. (iStock)
“Those details likely matter a great deal for understanding how cannabis affects the aging brain.”
Given these limitations, Guha suggests that the findings should be seen as an early indicator that cannabis use may be related to brain aging, “and as a starting point for more targeted research that can tease apart these relationships.”
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“The takeaway is not that people should start using more cannabis based on these findings alone,” she emphasized. “While cannabis may have potential benefits in some contexts, a substantial body of research also documents important risks, underscoring that cannabis is neither completely beneficial nor completely harmful.”
The drug’s effects likely depend on factors such as age, dose, frequency, product composition and individual vulnerability, according to Guha.
“Given the widespread use and legalization of cannabis, it would be great to know that it is net-positive for brain health — however, this feels too good to be true, and too early to claim,” one expert said. (AP)
“As with any substance, individuals should consult with a healthcare provider before initiating use, particularly if they have a history of mental health concerns, as THC (the primary psychoactive component of cannabis) can exacerbate symptoms such as psychosis in vulnerable individuals,” she added.
Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, reiterated that this study is an “outlier,” as most previous research has shown “detrimental effects” from cannabis use.
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“Given the widespread use and legalization of cannabis, it would be great to know that it is net-positive for brain health — however, this feels too good to be true, and too early to claim,” he said. “I would advise proceeding with caution and moderation.”
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Dimitriu agreed that more large-scale studies and review papers are needed to get a “clearer picture.”
“What this cannabis study shows is that there may be conflicting information, which warrants more investigation.”
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Health
Pancreatic cancer patient Ben Sasse sees ‘massive’ tumor reduction with experimental new drug
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Months after revealing his stage 4 cancer diagnosis, former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is speaking out about an experimental therapy that could extend his life.
Sasse, a Republican who represented Nebraska between 2015 and 2023, shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs — including his liver and lungs.
After initially being given three to four months to live, Sasse, 54, entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth.
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The California-based drugmaker, Revolution Medicines, recently shared data from a phase 3 clinical trial of people with metastatic pancreatic cancer who did not respond to standard chemotherapy.
Patients on the treatment lived a median of 13 months, compared to around six months for those who continued with chemo.
Former Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I have much, much less pain than I had four months ago when I was diagnosed, and I have a massive 76% reduction in tumor volume over the last four months,” Sasse told “60 Minutes” in a recent interview.
Daraxonrasib works by going after a key growth “switch” in many cancers called RAS, according to Sarbajit Mukherjee, M.D., chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida.
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“In pancreatic cancer, that switch is stuck in the ‘on’ position in the vast majority of tumors, constantly telling the cancer cells to grow and spread,” the doctor, who was not involved in the trial and did not treat Sasse, told Fox News Digital.
“Daraxonrasib is designed to bind to RAS in its active state and turn down that signal, which can slow or shrink the cancer.”
“The drug is in the final stages of clinical trials, where it has been shown to double the survival of those previously treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer.”
Pancreatic cancer is difficult to diagnose early because there are generally no symptoms — or only subtle gastrointestinal symptoms — until it is already widespread, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst.
“This is the first-of-its-kind targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer,” Siegel, who also was not involved in the research or the senator’s treatment, told Fox News Digital. “The drug is in the final stages of clinical trials, where it has been shown to double the survival of those previously treated for metastatic pancreatic cancer.”
Sasse, shown above, announced his diagnosis late last year. An expert noted that the survival boost seen from the clinical trial is a “big difference” for a disease that typically has much shorter survival times. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Mukherjee noted that the survival boost seen in the trial is a “big difference” for a disease that typically has much shorter survival times.
“From my perspective, as someone who treats pancreatic cancer every day, daraxonrasib is the first targeted pill in this disease that truly feels like a step change rather than a small incremental improvement,” he said.
“It opens the door to much more personalized strategies going forward. For a cancer where progress has been painfully slow, it could reshape how we care for patients with advanced disease.”
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While current chemotherapy options can shrink pancreatic tumors and help people live longer, they are “tough,” Mukherjee noted — “and once they stop working, our options are limited and survival is usually measured in just a few more months.”
Early data also suggest that when daraxonrasib is combined with standard chemotherapy as the first treatment, there is more shrinkage of tumors and more patients doing well at six months than they typically would only with chemotherapy.
Sasse shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs, including his liver and lungs. (Meghan McCarthy/Palm Beach Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
If the drug is approved, it will likely become an important option for patients when standard chemotherapy stops working, Mukherjee suggested.
“Ongoing trials are now asking whether it should also be used as part of the very first treatment plan,” he added.
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Although the drug is described as “well-tolerated” compared to chemotherapy, the doctor noted that, like any strong cancer drug, daraxonrasib has side effects.
“The ones we see most often include rash, diarrhea, mouth sores and fatigue, with patients needing regular blood tests and close follow‑up while on treatment,” Mukherjee said.
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In the clinical trials, most of these problems have been managed by adjusting the dose or adding supportive medications.
“The limitations are important to be transparent about — it is still not yet FDA‑approved, and it is not a cure,” Mukherjee noted.
In addition to the daraxonrasi, Sasse credits his faith for helping him beat his original prognosis. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“Over time, most cancers will eventually find ways to grow around the drug.”
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In addition to daraxonrasib, which he calls a “miracle” drug, Sasse credits his faith for helping him beat his original prognosis.
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“It’s weird to be in your early 50s and get a terminal diagnosis, and people all of a sudden act like you’re 93 or 94, and you have a lot of wisdom,” he said.
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“I don’t know that I have a lot of wisdom, but I have a lot of things that I think we should be reflecting on together.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Sasse for further comment, and to the head of the clinical trial as well.
The Supreme Court appeared divided on Monday during arguments in a dispute that could determine the fate of thousands of lawsuits that claim a widely used weedkiller causes cancer.
The case is the latest turn in a yearslong legal battle over safety concerns with the weedkiller Roundup. Developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, the herbicide is the focus of the lawsuits, which allege that it causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The dispute before the justices stems from a 2019 lawsuit brought by a Missouri gardener, John Durnell, who used Roundup for years. Mr. Durnell claimed in his suit, filed in state court, that glyphosate, a chemical in the weedkiller, caused him to develop cancer.
During Monday’s oral argument, several of the justices expressed skepticism of arguments by Bayer, the German conglomerate that acquired Monsanto in 2018, and the Trump administration, which joined the case in support of the company, that federal rules requiring herbicide safety labeling should bar people from filing state-level claims that accuse companies of failing to warn consumers of dangers.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked a lawyer for the Trump administration whether states would be blocked from taking action if new scientific information raised alarms about a product.
“The states cannot do anything?” the chief justice asked.
Sarah M. Harris, a principal deputy solicitor general, responded that it would be problematic to have each state “jumping the gun” to come to its own conclusion about whether a product caused cancer.
Mr. Durnell’s lawyer argued that the federal Environmental Protection Agency had overreached its regulatory power, a problem that could be rectified by giving a role to the courts, including at the state level. Several of the justices appeared skeptical about that argument too, questioning whether such a ruling would lead to a patchwork of safety regulations throughout the country.
In 2023, a Missouri jury awarded Mr. Durnell $1.25 million in damages. If the court finds for the company, that verdict would be erased and other claims against the company also endangered. If the court finds for Mr. Durnell, not only would his verdict be upheld but it would also clear the way for a flood of other lawsuits to proceed in courts throughout the country.
A ruling is expected by the end of June or early July.
The central issue in the case involves a collision between state and federal power. Bayer has argued that Mr. Durnell’s victory in Missouri is barred by a federal law, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. That statute requires herbicides to be registered with the E.P.A. before they can be sold. Companies must submit scientific and safety data to the agency, along with proposed label information, including safety warnings.
The E.P.A. has previously determined that Roundup is safe to use. Bayer argued that the Missouri court ruling conflicted with that federal determination. Paul D. Clement, who represented Bayer, asserted that the federal agency’s decision invalidates the state court decision.
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Bayer has also said it cannot add warnings to Roundup in any state because they would contradict the E.P.A.’s findings.
In a brief to the justices, lawyers for Bayer wrote that the E.P.A. had “repeatedly determined” that glyphosate does not cause cancer, asserting that the company would not be able to “unilaterally alter the label’s precautionary warnings to include a cancer warning.”
The company appealed the jury verdict in the Missouri case and, after the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld the trial court, asked the justices to weigh in.
Early this year, President Trump issued an executive order that cited the Defense Production Act to guarantee production of glyphosate-based herbicides, appearing to elevate Roundup to a national security priority.
Lawyers for Mr. Durnell argued that nothing in the federal law blocked Bayer from adding a cancer warning to its labels and that such a change would not require E.P.A. approval.
Mr. Durnell was represented by Ashley C. Keller and Jonathan F. Mitchell, a prominent conservative appellate lawyer who represented Mr. Trump in his successful 2024 bid to remain on the Colorado ballot. Both lawyers joined the Supreme Court case only in recent months.
Another lawyer, David C. Frederick, had initially filed briefs on Mr. Durnell’s behalf. In the weeks before the argument, Mr. Frederick asked the justices if he could participate in the argument on behalf of more than 11,500 other people whose claims would be affected by the court’s decision. The justices denied the request.
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