Should I stop smoking cannabis?
A review of 20 years of cannabis studies has resulted in apocalyptic headlines about the harm caused by the drug. Is it really more dangerous than previously thought? Luisa Dillner reports
Medicinal cannabis and the caregiving community giving it away for free
Sarah Whitehead: Marijuana legislation is being relaxed all over the world – but not in the UK, where the most unlikely of horticulturalists are taking the law into their own hands
Women are second-class citizens when pregnancy makes us potential criminals
Jessica Valenti: A world in which all women of child-bearing age are considered 'pre-pregnant' is the stuff of nightmares
If doctors fear being sued, taking away that fear might help patients
Richard P Grant: A bill being considered by the Department of Health might make it easier, when all else has failed, to get the treatment you need
We should all be thankful that Rob Ford went to rehab – and hope he stays
Bill Clegg: Yes, as the Toronto mayor finally admits, rehab is amazing. But you have to cross the invisible threshold alone
Psychiatric drugs are doing us more harm than good
Peter Gøtzsche: As with benzodiazepines in the 1980s, the UK is prescribing SSRI antidepressants at a staggering rate – and to no good effect
DNP: the return of a deadly weight-loss drug
Philip Strange: How could a
chemical used a century ago in explosives come to be used by bodybuilders to
lose weight? The story of dinitrophenol illustrates
the fatal allure of slimming drugs
Recovering addicts: tell us about your experience with heroin addiction
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death Sunday brought heroin back into the spotlight. Heroin use is growing more common in the US. We want to hear from those who have experienced it firsthand
Sharing NHS medical records will be vital for improving healthcare
Dr John Parkinson: Research using anonymised medical records will help ensure the safety and efficacy of drugs, vaccines and medical devices
A safe, effective diet pill – the elusive holy grail
Trade in illegal, ineffective drugs flourishes as pharmaceutical industry repeatedly fails to produce successful pill
DNP victims’ families lead fight to have fat-burning drug classified
More than 60 deaths attributed to metabolism-boosting chemical fertiliser, which is marketed online as a diet pill
Iran sees dramatic rise in HIV infections
Health minister says taboo surrounding disease is preventing effective treatment, and 70% do not know they are infected
Antidepressant use on the rise in rich countries, OECD finds
Rate not matched by increase in global diagnoses, prompting concern among psychiatrists about over-use of medication
Home health tests: the rise in DIY diagnosis
From cancer to cholesterol to cannabis-use, the range of self-screening kits is vast. But are they accurate, or worthwhile? Ann Robinson put some to the test
Do antidepressants work?
The prescription of antidepressants is growing faster than for almost any other drug - in the UK and around the world - but the debate over their effectiveness rages on. Have you ever taken or prescribed antidepressants? Share your experiences anonymously in our online survey