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If there is one substance you hear about a lot right now it is cannabis. Some people are against the use of this ‘drug’ while others swear their life has been improved by using by-products of the cannabis sativa plant. So, are there studies and science to back up the claims that cannabis offers health benefits? Indeed, there is evidence that this natural plant and the cannabinoids it contains may offer health benefits. So, let’s take a closer look.

Relieving Chronic Pain

Do you live with chronic pain? Taking NSAIDs and other medications are often discouraged if you have stomach issues and due to their addictive nature. So, people often look for an alternative that can help with pain management. Indeed, this is where cannabis comes in. Research has shown that this plant has the ability to reduce pain for people suffering from arthritis, migraines, fibromyalgia and even endometriosis.

Help with Stress and Anxiety

A large number of people struggle with stress and anxiety on a daily basis. The demands of work and problems in your personal life can leave you suffering psychologically, and this can take a toll on your physical health too. Thus, people have long been searching for a way to help them relieve their symptoms and to encourage better emotions. As you may have guessed, this is why a lot of people are trying cannabis and CBD products. Studies have suggested that it might be able to have a positive impact on serotonin, which is an essential hormone for regulating your moods.

Help for Hepatitis

There is some suggestion that  the effect cannabis has on the liver might be able to help those that have hepatitis, which is a condition that commonly leads to inflammation of the liver. For a long time, there has been research to find new medications and therapeutics for those that are suffering from hepatitis. There is now hope that CBD could be the answer, as a study revealed that it could stop the virus from replicating.

Improved Quality of Sleep

Many people around the world struggle to fall asleep and enjoy quality rest. This can lead to mood swings and tiredness the next day which affects productivity and the enjoyment of activities. But, the good news is that studies on cannabis suggest that this may be a substance that can improve your quality of sleep. It is not clear whether this is a plant that can improve sleep directly or if it was due to indirect effects. For example, cannabis may have enabled someone with anxiety to relax or relieve discomfort, which leads to a better quality of sleep. Either way, it might be the way to enjoy better rest.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is still reviewing a medical marijuana bill that would allow registered patients with qualifying conditions to safely access and use medical cannabis. If Ivey signs the bill into law, Alabama would become the 37th state in the U.S. to legalize medical marijuana. Learn more in the video above.

Ivey on Thursday signed three bills into law, including legislation for wine delivery and permanent daylight saving time.

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COMPASSION ACT SUMMARY

Qualifying for the Program

Legal Protections

Physicians’ Role and Regulation

Click here to read the full breakdown of the bill.

ALMOST 40% OF Irish people believe cannabis should be legalised for recreational use and there is an overwhelming support for the medical use of cannabis. 

New polling by Red C on behalf of The Journal shines a light on the nation’s views on legalising cannabis, with only 4% of people opposed to the medical use of cannabis.  

At present, the use of four cannabis-based products is allowed in Ireland in strict circumstances and under a pilot scheme.

There is near uniformity across different age groups in believing that medical use should be legal, but opinions vary on whether recreational use of cannabis should be permitted. 

A majority (56%) of 18-34 year olds believe that cannabis should be legalised for both medical and recreational use while this drops to just 21% for those aged over 55. 

Strong support for the legalization of medical cannabis was shown by the candidates from the National Liberation (PLN), Christian Social Unity (PUSC) and Citizen Action (PAC) parties. Of the eleven candidates, eight are in favor, one is against, and no response was received from two other applicants.

In the case of the liberationists, there are two candidates who are deputies and with the power to influence the approval of a bill along these lines. They are Carlos Ricardo Benavides and Roberto Thompson, both green and white legislators. Both are in favor of the initiative promoted by independent legislator Zoila Rosa Volio. File 21,388 was ruled the previous November by the Environment Commission, but since then there has been no progress by the Presidential Office.

“From the beginning I have been in favor of the project of the deputy Zoila Volio on Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis,” said Benavides. “I consider it a great opportunity for the country to generate wealth and employment in many regions of Costa Rica,” he added.

Other liberationists who agree to legalize medical cannabis are José María Figueres and Rolando Araya. “I would legalize medical cannabis, based on the ample scientific evidence in its favor. In addition, it would authorize the planting of hemp as a profitable alternative for our farmers”, wrote Figueres on his social networks.

For his part, Araya acknowledged being in agreement due to the expert investigations, although he considered the first thing to be to move the country forward. “It’s like the house is on fire and they ask about the color of the curtains, that will be later,” he said.

After multiple failed attempts to legalise medical marijuana, this bill may finally get over the line – and soon.

Access to medical cannabis in Alabama is extremely limited. “Carly’s Law”, which was passed in 2014, permitted the University of Alabama at Birmingham to provide CBD oil to children with debilitating seizures as part of a clinical study. In 2016, “Leni’s Law” was passed to provide an affirmative defence to patients possessing CBD to treat certain debilitating conditions.

Other legislation has been introduced over the years such as HB 243, which wasn’t successful. Alabama’s House has been seen as the place where cannabis legislation goes to die, until now.

Last week, Members approved Senate Bill 46 with a 68 to 34 vote. SB46, which would establish the Compassion Act,  had already passed muster in the Senate with little fuss.

The wide-ranging legislation would also among other things establish the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. It also clearly notes the legislation is not to provide for or enable recreational use of marijuana in the State.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill on Wednesday that would expand access to medical cannabis for school children in need by removing obstacles to its administration.

The new legislation, SB 21-056, removes the discretion from school principals to set policies that regulate storing and administering cannabis-based medicines.

Photo by Green Chameleon via Unsplash

The bill places the responsibility on principals to “create a written treatment plan for the administration of cannabis-based medicine and on school boards to adopt policies regarding actual administration.”

School boards will be called upon to create guidelines on how cannabis medicines should be stored.

An Australian-based company with an exclusive licence to a variety of rare cannabis cultivars is putting its plants to the test.

Neurotech International (NTI) has begun a study to assess the safety and tolerability of its products to treat symptoms associated with autism in children.

In a release, the company reported it is currently working on a Phase I/II open label clinical study in 20 children aged five to 17 who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

According to the release, the study marks the first time that full-spectrum cannabis extract containing less than 0.3 per cent THC will be assessed in children with ASD.

Professor Michael Fahey, head of paediatric neurology at Monash Children’s Hospital, is supervising the trials, which will measure the impact that cannabis has on things such as focus, agitation, irritability and general quality of life, over 16 weeks.

Cannabis has been a known sedative for centuries, thanks to its relaxing properties.

Sleep. It’s so vital for health and wellness, yet so many of us struggle with it.

Getting a good night’s rest isn’t as easy as you think, at least for a great deal of the population. If you’re between the age of 18 to 64, you need 7 up to 9 hours of good sleep each night. Yet, a surprising 35.2% of American adults sleep less than 7 hours a night while 10-30% of adults report that they struggle with chronic insomnia.

A night of deep sleep is essential to feeling great the next day, and it also helps prevent a host of health problems down the line. It’s crucial for helping the body to repair internally, prevent sickness, keep the immune system up, prevent weight gain… the list goes on.

Photo by Acharaporn Kamornboonyarush via Pexels

The Florida State Boxing Commission has made a major change to its policy regarding cannabis.

At a meeting Tuesday, the commission voted to essentially eliminate marijuana from its prohibited drug list, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation spokesperson Patrick Fargason told ESPN on Tuesday. Previously in Florida, even trace amounts of cannabis found in a fighter's system would lead to a suspension, fine and a victory getting overturned.

"We're not testing for it," Fargason said. "We're not doing anything with it -- period."

The change was based on a recommendation from the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) medical advisory committee, as well as the UFC's anti-doping policy run by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Fargason said. He added that if a fighter is visibly impaired on fight night, the commission would take action. But Florida will no longer test for cannabis with regards combat sports competition.

Florida's new rule would affect boxers and MMA fighters competing in the state. UFC 261 took place April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida, and there were no suspensions for cannabis on that card, Fargason said. The rule voted on Tuesday will go into effect immediately, he said.

There is perhaps no cannabinoid more misunderstood than cannabinol, or CBN as it is better known.

Once thought to be the primary source of the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana, CBN has an ancient tie to cannabis’ first concentrate, hashish, and is now being explored and isolated to provide relief for conditions like insomnia.

The Mysteries of Indian Hemp

When the United Kingdom assumed control over India in the mid-1850s, it was inevitable that the subjects of the British crown would eventually encounter and consume cannabis in one of the plants primal regions of cultivation.

The nation’s subsequent interest and concern in the plant’s resinous products led to the formation of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission in 1893. This commission represents the first major Western attempt at understanding cannabis, the humble beginnings of the path that with current social tolerance allowing for greater research and access, we now see being being freshly paved into an ultra-modern freeway.

In the years following the commission, some scientists were intrigued enough to pry apart the mysteries of “Indian Hemp.” CBN was the first cannabinoid successfully isolated from charas (otherwise known as hand-rubbed hashish) by British researchers in 1896 and, in 1933, was the first cannabinoid to have its chemical structure successfully elucidated.

A new report finds a new main reason Americans were interested in using medical cannabis during 2020; a year many would like to forget.

The report was based details supplied by Veriheal, which has a database of around 125,000 patient assessments, and comparing sign-up and appointment numbers with Centre for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 tracker numbers.

While the researchers were expecting the majority of interest in cannabis would involve “Relief/Pain-Free,” the results indicated patients were most commonly looking to medical cannabis for alleviation of mental stresses in 2020. In addition to the coronavirus, other major events during the year also mentioned as a stressors were riots, protests and  the US election.

““Happy/Bliss” was found to be the most desired effect while “Relief/Pain-Free” was the second by a much lesser degree,” says Veriheal.

When it came to the point of a confirmed appointment, the primary reason for acquiring medical cannabis was “happy” among males (42%) and “relief” for females (39%), with Verihealth saying the latter was linked to women’s and reproductive health – issues such as menstrual cramps and menopausal pains.

Australia’s Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) has warned of the risks of sourcing cannabis products for medicinal purposes via illicit channels.

Interest in medical cannabis in Australia is building, particularly after the TGA’s decision to down-schedule certain CBD (cannabidiol) preparations to Pharmacist Only Medicines (Schedule 3), meaning a prescription isn’t required for qualifying products. While such products have been legally accessible since February 1 this year, there are none yet available.

For a CBD medicine to be supplied without a prescription it must meet Schedule 3 criteria and be listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). None have been, nor are expected to until late this year at the earliest.

“Unless entered in the ARTG, a medicinal cannabis product has not been assessed by the TGA for safety, quality or effectiveness and therefore advertising it to consumers is inappropriate,” says the TGA.

“It may seem like a simple, affordable option, but products bought over the internet may be a serious risk to your health and a waste of money,” it says.

Does your eight-hour workday feel like 40? Are you dragging yourself out of bed every morning just to get to work, whether you commute or telecommute? When your day is over, are you so tired you can barely move? Then you may be experiencing burnout.

Burnout can affect you both emotionally and physically and lead to exhaustion, lack of interest and the feeling you can’t be productive. Its negative effects may spill over into every part of your daily life. If left untreated, burnout can result in long-term serious medical conditions such as an increased likelihood for heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory issues and depression.

Between the pandemic, increased health concerns, job loss, and the other stresses that life throws, many are looking for ways to protect their mental health and wellness.

Since this is a cannabis publication, the natural question is “Can cannabis help?”

With all the research on cannabis, many are still at odds on the benefits of using one or both of the natural compounds CBD (cannabidiol) or THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to aid mental health. Although both are derived from the same plant – cannabis sativa – CBD is a non-psychoactive, so you don’t get the high that you would from THC.

With the medical marijuana industry set to open up in West Virginia in the Fall, some locals are hoping more West Virginia businesses will be granted permits to participate.

Chris Yeager is the head of Appalachian Cannabis, a veteran-owned business that distributes CBD products found it stores across the state. He had hoped to be one of the companies selected to help with the roll-out by applying for a vertical permit.

"It allows you to go from seed to sale. It really allows you to control the quality of the product you put out and you really have your finger on the pulse of the product."

Yeager had initially hoped to have a location on Harper Road in Beckley, but said he was passed over in the permitting process for a company out-of-state. He hopes to make it in the next round as more people apply for cards and the industry expands.

"I would love to see an opportunity for West Virginians to get involved in this industry. I think from a patient or medical side of things, it's a great thing that we are exploring an alternative to prescription drugs."

New research affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder and published in Psychology of Addictive Behaviors reveals that consumption of CBD-dominant cannabis may be associated with reduced alcohol intake. 

In order to test this, the researchers looked at cannabis use across 120 subjects and compared use of cannabis that was primarily CBD-heavy, THC-heavy, or a mix of both. This revealed that those who used CBD-dominant cannabis “drank fewer drinks per drinking day, had fewer alcohol use days, and fewer alcohol and cannabis co-use days compared with the other groups.” Those who used THC/CBD cannabis or THC-only did not experience any reduced alcohol intake or change in their drinking patterns.

“Conflicting evidence exists regarding the effects of cannabis on alcohol consumption, with some studies suggesting that cannabis is a substitute for alcohol, whereas others suggest that cannabis complements alcohol, thereby increasing drinking. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown preclinical promise in decreasing alcohol consumption,” the researchers explained  “This study explores the effects of cannabis containing different potencies of CBD and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on alcohol consumption.

The authors also claimed that the results of reduced alcohol intake were “consistent with preclinical work suggesting that CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption.” Other, past studies that looked at CBD vs. opiates, heroin, tobacco, and other controlled substances revealed similar results.

They concluded: “The present study lends preliminary support to the notion that plant-based CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption among regular cannabis users and suggests that it may be feasible for regular cannabis users to switch to a higher CBD, lower THC content cannabis strain for the purposes of reducing their alcohol intake.”

Healthcare professionals should engage older adults in cannabis discussions given that some people are using weed to self-treat different conditions without first seeking medical input or advice, suggests a new U.S. study.

Published online this week in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, investigators from the University of Texas at Austin explored the health-related characteristics, cannabis use patterns and marijuana sources of medical and non-medical weed users 50 and older.

The initial thought was medical users are more likely than non-medical users to have physical and mental health problems, use healthcare services, discuss their drug use with a healthcare professional and use weed more frequently. To see if that was, indeed, the case, researchers looked at 17,685 people based on data from the 2018 and 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The study determined the rate of past-year cannabis use was 8.9 per cent, 18.5 per cent of whom reported medical use, notes the study. Medical use sought to address, among other conditions, chronic pain, depression and arthritis.

Medical use of cannabis was associated with lower odds of alcohol use disorder, but higher odds of discussing drug use with healthcare professionals (four times higher than recreational users) and buying cannabis at a dispensary.