The AP (12/18, Whitehurst, Barrow) reports the President signed an executive order Thursday that could reclassify “marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD,” and instead would be “a Schedule III substance, like ketamine and some anabolic steroids.” While the reclassification by the Drug Enforcement Administration would not make cannabis legal for recreational use by adults nationwide, “it could change how the drug is regulated and reduce a hefty tax burden on the cannabis industry.” Furthermore, it will also “open new avenues for medical research,” and overall represents “a major shift in federal drug policy that inches closer to what many states have done.”

NBC News (12/18, Gregorian, Reichman, Dean) reports the order “directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to conclude the formal rescheduling process, which has been going on for more than a year, and move to publish a final rule that would reclassify cannabis.” It also “directs the White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs to work with Congress to allow people in the U.S. to benefit from access to CBD products while still restricting sale and access to products that pose serious health risks.”

Related Links:

— “Trump signs executive order that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug,”Lindsay Whitehurst and Bill Barrow , AP, December 18, 2025

HealthDay (12/18, Thompson) reports a study found that a single half-hour course could help young adults “feel less anxious and depressed, by helping them increase their tolerance of uncertainty.” According to researchers, “young adults who took the course titled ‘Uncertainty-Mindset Training’ continued to feel better a month after taking it.” Even though the course “lasted less than a half-hour,” participants, up to a month later, still “showed substantial improvement in their ability to tolerate uncertainty, as well as decreases in anxiety and depression.” Researchers noted that “three months later, these participants’ tolerance of uncertainty was still much improved, but the reductions in depression and anxiety had started to wane.” The study was published in Psychological Medicine.

Related Links:

— “Anxious, Depressed About An Uncertain World? Training Can Help You Cope, Study Says,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , December 18, 2025

The Washington Post (12/16, Ovalle) reports some policy and health experts say the President’s recent declaration “that illicit fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction” is “a stretch,” adding that “the move may have little practical impact on curbing drug supply, addiction and overdose deaths.” The Administration “has cited the deadly drug crisis in enacting tariffs on China and Mexico, labeling criminal groups terrorist organizations and launching military strikes on suspected smuggling drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.” Experts in national security and transnational crime “say such heavy handed measures could harm global alliances needed to combat traffickers.” Public health experts “say the designation may also exaggerate fears about fentanyl.”

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— “The Washington Post (requires login and subscription)

Medical Economics (12/16, Payerchin) reports “a national study found” that women physicians “and early-career physicians face higher social isolation, correlating with increased burnout and suicidal ideation.” Investigators found that “specialties like pathology, emergency medicine, and settings like veterans’ hospitals report the highest isolation levels.” The researchers said, “Physicians have the same innate need for connection as all other human beings. … Efforts by both organizations and physicians to prioritize and nurture personal and professional relationships and social connections may enhance well-being and physicians’ ability to care for others.” The findings were published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Related Links:

— “Social isolation contributes to physician feelings of burnout, workplace satisfaction, suicidal ideation,”Richard Payerchin, Medical Economics, December 16, 2025

HealthDay (12/17, Gotkine) reports a study found that “body dissatisfaction may causally increase eating disorder and depressive symptoms.” The investigators utilized “data from the Twins Early Development Study to examine the longitudinal associations between body dissatisfaction at age 16 years and later eating disorder and depressive symptoms, as well as body mass index (BMI), in young adulthood.” The researchers “observed an association for a 1-point increase in body dissatisfaction with a 1.99-point higher eating disorder symptom score, a 0.59-point higher depressive symptom score, and a 0.27 kg/m2 higher BMI, on average. Higher body dissatisfaction was also associated with more severe eating disorder and depressive symptoms in monozygotic and dizygotic twin difference analyses.” They noted that “the association was smaller for BMI and was less precisely estimated in monozygotic twins.” The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Body Dissatisfaction Linked to Eating Disorder, Depressive Symptoms,”Elana Gotkine, HealthDay , December 17, 2025

The AP (12/17, Stobbe) reports “teen use of alcohol, nicotine and marijuana remains at record lows, according to” the results (PDF) of the Monitoring the Future survey that were released Wednesday. Teenagers “consume a lot of energy drinks, though. And there are slight, but concerning, increases in heroin and cocaine use.” However, “the findings indicate teens are drinking, smoking and using substances at much lower rates than in the past.” About “two-thirds of 12th graders this year said they hadn’t used alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes or electronic cigarettes in the previous 30 days.” Thirty years ago, “the figure was closer to about one-third.” The new “findings also seem to echo other surveys that show continued declines in teen sexual activity, which experts say is at least partly due to teens connecting through smartphones and social media instead of in person.”

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— “Teen drug use remains low, but survey finds small rise in heroin and cocaine use,”Mike Stobbe , AP, December 17, 2025

MedPage Today (12/15, George) reports a study found that “six midlife symptoms of depression were tied to an increased risk of dementia.” Results show that “depressive symptoms that emerged as midlife indicators of increased dementia risk” include: losing confidence in oneself; not able to face up to problems; not feeling warmth and affection for others; feeling nervous and strung-up all the time; not satisfied with the way tasks are carried out; and difficulty concentrating. Researchers noted “these associations were independent of established dementia risk factors like APOE4 status, cardiometabolic conditions, and lifestyle factors.” The study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (12/15) reports a study found that “in 2022, national spending on behavioral health care for children ages 6 to 17 was nearly $42 billion – including nearly $3 billion in out-of-pocket spending from families.” That figure “represented 40% of all pediatric health care expenditures, nearly twice as much as in 2011.” Researchers noted that “overall pediatric behavioral health expenditures rose from about $18 billion in 2011 to $41.8 billion in 2022. Spending on in-person and telehealth outpatient visits increased from 2011-2022, while spending on medications decreased and spending on emergency department or inpatient services remained stable.” The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Pediatric Behavioral Health Spending Rising Dramatically, Psychiatric News, December 15, 2025

HealthDay (12/12, Thompson) reported, “Smokers who use cigarettes and vape devices interchangeably might not be doing themselves as much of a disservice as once feared, a new study says.” Investigators found that “these ‘dual users’ are more likely to eventually quit smoking than people who smoke without vaping.” Additionally, “dual users…are more likely to reduce their cigarette smoking rate, and thus reduce the amount of harmful chemicals they inhale from smoke.” The findings were published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Related Links:

— “Smokers Who Vape More Likely To Quit Or Cut Back, Study Argues,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, December 12, 2025

Psychiatric News (12/12) reported a systematic review and meta-analysis of 76 clinical trials found that “when it comes to preventing depression or anxiety relapse, slowly tapering off an antidepressant while receiving psychological support is comparable to remaining on the medication.” Researchers observed that “slow tapering with support and medication continuation both reduced relapse risk by about 50% compared with abrupt discontinuation – with moderate evidence to support the finding. Dose reduction reduced relapse risk by 38% compared with abrupt discontinuation, though this approach was supported by low levels of evidence.” Furthermore, “slow tapering without support and fast tapering with or without support were not superior to abrupt discontinuation.” The review was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “Slow Tapering of Medication and Psychological Support Limits Depression Relapse, Psychiatric News, December 12, 2025