WeedLife News Network

These days the list of illnesses that cannabis medicines can be used for grows every day, with research studies being done left and right to test its efficacy against different symptoms and disorders. Most attention is focused on CBD because of its lack of psychoactive effects, while THC is often left out. However, it was found early on that THC is good for the eyes, and has been used to treat conditions like glaucoma for decades.

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Medical cannabis back in the day

Before getting into the restart of medical cannabis in more recent decades, let’s go over some facts about the use of cannabis in medicine. Essentially, it’s been used in medicine for thousands of years, long before it was co-opted by Western medicine in the 1800’s, and then re-introduced once again after a period of enforced illegalization. It’s a part of two of the oldest medicinal traditions, Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, both of which have multiple applications for the use of cannabis to treat tons of different ailments. It has been used in many other lesser-known medical traditions as well.

Prior to it being scheduled as a narcotic by the Single Convention on Narcotic Substances which forced a global illegalization, cannabis was being used in all types of Western medicine applications. In fact, it was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia for the first time in 1850, but dropped from there in 1937 following the Marijuana Tax act. Before the laws changed, it could be found in tons of products, for almost anything. Most people, of course, had no real understanding of this, but it does show that cannabis was being used very heavily in the world of medicine. Considering how many countries were forced into illegalizing the plant, this was not confined to just the US.

Cannabis has existed medicinally in essentially three stages. The first was everything up until the 1800’s when it was used in natural medicine traditions. The second stage was the original co-opting of the drug into Western medicine, and the third is the reintroduction back into Western medicine more recently.

David Spradin is the CEO of a California-based marijuana company called Perfect Union.

It has 14 marijuana stores between Los Angeles and Sacramento, six stores in New Mexico and has had stores in Oregon and Washington, says Rick McAuliffe, a Rhode Island lobbyist who now also serves as a director for Spradin’s new local affiliate: Perfect Union-RI.

The company and 27 other businesses all filed applications last month for a chance to run one of six new medical marijuana dispensaries planned for Rhode Island. 

While Spradin’s local venture incorporated just in November, the Californian has been around, buying up one marijuana cultivation operation, in Warwick, and purchasing a Providence site for a possible second — indicators of the interest some outside investors have with Rhode Island’s booming, multimillion-dollar marijuana industry.

Spradin’s Western stores sell in both the recreational and medical markets “and he thinks the opportunity in Rhode Island and the Northeast is very good,” says McAuliffe, particularly if Rhode Island joins several Northeast states and legalizes recreational use of the drug.

There’s still more to be done to improve patient access to medical cannabis in Western Australia says the director of a medical clinic in Perth’s western suburbs.

In November 2019, changes were made to Western Australia’s medical cannabis program to make patient access a little easier. Previously, patients would need a referral to a specialist from a GP in order to gain a prescription for cannabis medicines, but the change enabled GPs the ability to prescribe medicines where a patient is over the age of 16, isn’t drug dependent and doesn’t have a history of drug use.

The involvement of a specialist certainly appeared to discourage access. Between November 2016 and August 2019, only 876 approvals were granted. But further improvements are still required, particularly where medicinal cannabis is classified Schedule 8.

Speaking with radio station 6PR’s Gary Adshead last week, Director of St Francis Medical group David Cooper said doctors are still experiencing barriers within Western Australia’s health system.

“The doctors have to apply to state health if the treatment is a schedule eight or a controlled drug treatment,” said Mr. Cooper – and this was resulting in delays of up to 6 weeks for some patients.

In the whole ‘scare’ industry of marijuana, there’s a lot of weird, often illogical, mainly contradictory, and definitely silly stuff floating around. Often, when investigating further, it’s found that there’s a lot of talk, but not a lot of substantial information that this talk is based on. One of the more troubling theories, as far as I’m concerned, is that cannabis and schizophrenia are linked. Is this something that the standard marijuana smoker really has to worry about?

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What is cannabis?

Cannabis is a flowering plant of the Cannabaceae family. It’s generally split into three species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Some people consider them to be all the same species. Cannabis is known for its hemp fiber properties, its medicinal abilities, and its psychoactive effects, the latter of which have caused the plant to be unnecessarily scheduled in ways that keep it from public use.

Generally speaking, when referring to a plant that is less high in the psychoactive compound THC, the plant is considered hemp, and when it contains a large amount of THC, it’s considered marijuana. The cutoff in the US is .3% according to the last farm bill, but Europe makes the distinction at .2%. This distinction separates what can be used medicinally in many locations, especially where low-THC products are legal, but high-THC products are not.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder which can include delusions and hallucinations for the sufferer. The condition is also associated with disorganized speech, general lack of motivation, and issues with proper thinking patterns. For many who suffer from it, it creates an inability to distinguish reality from fantasy. The symptoms of the disorder often take place in episodes of high intensity, intertwined with periods of normality. Approximately 1% of the population is estimated to have schizophrenia.  As of right now there is no cure for the disorder, and those with the condition are generally relegated to high doses of very strong medication. It is said that with medication, many with the affliction are able to keep their symptoms under control. There is no specific test that will give an answer as to whether a person has schizophrenia. Like many psychological disorders it is merely characterized by its symptoms, and diagnoses are given based on these symptoms.

With ever-climbing HPV-positive cancer rates, research on the effect CBD and THC has on the human papillomavirus can’t come soon enough.

Often called the common cold of the sexual world, the Centers for Disease Control states that HPV has infected over 79 million individuals worldwide. Both prevalent and highly contagious, HPV tends to thrive on porous skin located in the throat, anal cavity, cervix and tongue, making it extremely difficult to test and eradicate around the world.

Risk factors of HPV are a compromised immune system, smoking and poor diet and sleep. Thought to cause over 70% of cervical cancers, the World Health Organization states that HPV has more than 100 types and has one of the best known defenses: vaccination. 
For decades, researchers believed that marijuana played a role in HPV-related cervical cancer. However, a 2010 study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, found that marijuana did not cause cervical cancer.

Understanding HPV’s infectivity

While once thought to only be contracted through sexual conduct, studies in the last two decades have showcased that HPV can live on surfaces. A 2002 study, published in the British Medical Journal found HPV DNA could live in a clinical environment, without skin-to-skin contact. A more recent and in-depth study, featured in Taylor & Francis Online, found that when comparing the bovine papillomavirus with the human papillomavirus, both showed a remarkable ability to retain a 50% infectivity at room temperature after 3 days. 

Additionally, in 2014, Penn State further researched earlier findings, discovering that unless a special method of cleaning instruments (autoclaving) or bleach was present, HPV was persistent on surfaces and was able to be transmitted. While still cited as a “sexually-transmitted infection,” HPV appears to be anything but. 

Bill Cobb uses medical marijuana to treat PTSD and chronic back pain.

“I’m a 50-year-old Black man who’s been a civil rights worker,” said Cobb, now a criminal justice activist in Philadelphia. “I smoke to have my brain slow down. But to be honest, I also smoke because I enjoy it.”

Alleviating his physical and mental pain is difficult when he feels another sting: His doctor-recommended medicine is not covered by insurance. He pays out of pocket — as much as $120 a week.

“It’s way too expensive,” Mr. Cobb said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Other marijuana users in Pennsylvania agree.

Patients in Ohio’s medical marijuana program say the information they find on legal marijuana dispensaries, cannabis products and prices come not from the state government or marijuana industry, but from a series of third-party websites run mostly by out-of-state companies.

Sites such as WeedMaps, Leafly and IHeartJane boast directories of places to buy medicinal cannabis. They aren’t all the same; Leafly, for example, offers reviews of specific products and strains of marijuana. IHeartJane lets users search for reviews of specific brands and patients can filter dispensaries to find those owned by veterans or members of minority groups. But all of the sites provide a clearinghouse for information on marijuana products.

The cannabis-focused media site OhioCannabis.com includes a list of Ohio dispensaries along with news and other information about the industry. The site also includes a directory of doctors who write marijuana recommendations and a ratings system for dispensaries.

“That's what I've done since the beginning is be a resource for patients,” OhioCannabis.com founder Johnny Lutz said.

The sites “serve a purpose since dispensary menus often do not provide details like THC/CBD content,” Mary Jane Borden, co-founder of the cannabis advocacy organization Ohio Rights Group, said in an email.

As time goes on, alternative plant medicine, such as cannabis, are slowly changing the way pain management is viewed and executed.

Did you know that in 2019, chronic pain impacted one-third of the U.S. population? This number continues to rise, and so does the consumption of various substances to help manage and/or combat pain.

Currently, different NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), acetaminophen, and opioids are used the most often for the treatment of pain. However, there’s no guarantee that these drugs will be fully effective in eliminating pain nor is there a guarantee that these drugs won’t cause any adverse side effects.

Nowadays, cannabis and its many cannabinoids are being pursued more because of their medicinal and therapeutic properties.Overall, though, alternative plant medicine is becoming a part of thousands of people’s routines and lifestyles for numerous reasons. Here are a few main reasons why.

Understanding Types of Pain and How to Treat It Properly

Oftentimes, when someone experiences pain, their primary mission is to eliminate it and use or consume a product to achieve relief. Before treating pain though, it’s important to understand the characteristics of the pain itself, the severity of it, and the nature of it. For example, is the pain acute or chronic? Is it neuropathic or inflammatory pain? Is the pain caused by an injury, illness, ailment, or a new medication? After understanding the type of pain, finding an appropriate treatment method is the next step.

Australia’s Neurotech International Limited (ASX: NTI) has reported final results of in-vitro studies indicate its DOLCE/NTI cannabis strains exhibit potent anti-inflammatory activity.

Neurotech acquired an exclusive worldwide license to utilise proprietary cannabis strains from Dolce Cann Global, which it hopes could potentially be used to treat neurological disorders including autism, epilepsy and ADHD.

Neurotech’s analysis of 80 cannabis samples from the Dolce Cann Global revealed varying amounts of  cannabinoids including CBDV, CBDA, CBGA, CBG, CBD, THCV, CBN, THC, d8-THC, CBC and THCA – some of the many cannabinoids found in cannabis. CBDA was found to be present in particularly high levels.

The company has been undertaking a series of in-vitro* studies to assess the neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and neuro-modulatory activities of the strains. Neurotech says the final results indicate DOLCE/NTI strains examined have shown to significantly improve neuronal cell health, cell viability and have the potent ability to reduce inflammation.

“Preclinical studies suggest that these strains exhibit potent and unique properties when compared to CBD alone and warrant the further assessment of these strains in phase 1 clinical trials,” said Assoc. Prof. Fahey.

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas have hit a significant milestone a little more than a year after the first dispensaries in the state began serving customers.

Local news outlets in the Natural State reported that medical cannabis sales in Arkansas have officially eclipsed $200 million, with patients purchasing more than 15 tons of product. 

The exact figures, according to local television stations KATV and 5NEWS: $200.7 million and 30,648 pounds of medical marijuana.

MMJ in AR

Voters in Arkansas approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, but the first dispensary didn’t open until May of 2019. The law’s rollout faced impediments from state lawmakers and jurists in the nearly three years before the voters approved it at the ballot box and patients were able to be served, and has continued to face resistance. 

Lawmakers passed a measure last year, a month before sales began, significantly restricting the advertising of medical marijuana products. And in February, a county judge in Arkansas issued a freeze on the state’s ability to issue more licenses for dispensaries.

Medicinal cannabis could offer patients significant relief from intractable epilepsy, but cost and access barriers remain, a review has found.

Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) can offer patients significant relief from intractable epilepsy, according to evidence from a small number of patients.

In a review of 10 cases of severe childhood-onset epilepsy, Imperial’s Prof. David Nutt and Rayyan Zafar looked at the impact of combined CBD and THC-based products on the frequency of epileptic seizures.

They found carers reported a 97% reduction in monthly frequency of seizures when patients received whole plant extract cannabis treatments – not currently licenced in the UK – showing a clear benefit among this group. However, despite the clinical benefit, they cite the significant cost for their use and difficulty in accessing the treatments in the UK.

Zafar, a PhD candidate in the Department of Brain Sciences, said: “Patients and their families deserve better, so we implore policy makers, regulators and public health bodies to prioritise the health of these individuals and help them to access in the NHS medicines which are making a dramatic improvement to their lives.”

Post-traumatic stress patients who consume state-authorized cannabis products exhibit reduced symptoms over time as compared to nonusers, according to longitudinal data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Veterans are far more likely to self-report using cannabis than are those in the general population, and many veterans attest that cannabis is effective for the self-management of their PTS symptoms. These findings substantiate their claims.”

A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, John Hopkins University, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine compared PTS symptoms in cannabis-using patients relative to non-users over a one-year period. Cannabis consuming participants primary accessed THC-dominant flowers from state-authorized retailers.

Researchers reported: “Participants who used primarily THC-dominant cannabis reported a greater reduction in PTSD symptom severity over time compared to controls. Cannabis users also showed a greater than two-fold rate of remission from their PTSD diagnosis (defined by no longer meeting criteria for a PTSD diagnosis on the CAPS-5) compared to controls by the 1-year follow-up assessment.”

The medical marijuana industry in Arkansas is booming, according to reports.

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas have hit a significant milestone a little more than a year after the first dispensaries in the state began serving customers.

Local news outlets in the Natural State reported that medical cannabis sales in Arkansas have officially eclipsed $200 million, with patients purchasing more than 15 tons of product. 

The exact figures, according to local television stations KATV and 5NEWS: $200.7 million and 30,648 pounds of medical marijuana.

MMJ in AR

Voters in Arkansas approved a measure legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, but the first dispensary didn’t open until May of 2019. The law’s rollout faced impediments from state lawmakers and jurists in the nearly three years before the voters approved it at the ballot box and patients were able to be served, and has continued to face resistance. 

Cancer is cruel.

If you or someone that you know was ever diagnosed with cancer, then you are well aware of how terrible it is.

Receiving a diagnosis that you or a loved one has cancer is something that is absolutely heartbreaking.

It is estimated that roughly 17 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2018 worldwide.

Unfortunately, that number is expected to increase to 27.5 million by 2040.

According to a new study, women are more likely than men to switch to cannabis rather than pharmaceuticals to treat pain and other issues. The findings are even more remarkable, considering women also reported getting less support from physicians to try medical cannabis.

Researchers from DePaul University and John Hopkins University worked on the study, publishing their findings in the Journal of Women’s Health. 

The study involved data from a survey of medical cannabis patients that asked them about their experiences using weed to treat various conditions. Part of the study focused on asking patients specifically about the impact of using medical cannabis on their pharmaceutical prescriptions.

According to survey data, women appeared more likely than men to use medical cannabis for symptoms that included pain, anxiety, inflammation, and nausea. They also were more likely to increase their use of cannabis once they qualified for medical cannabis in their state and decrease their use of pharmaceuticals.

Less support from doctors

While women reported less use of pharmaceuticals after trying cannabis for pain and other symptoms, they also reported less support from physicians.

If you’re someone who is suffering from chronic pelvic pain, there’s a decent chance you might have success in treating your symptoms with cannabis.

That’s the takeaway from a new study called Use of Cannabis for Self-Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain. The study, via researchers from the Mayo Clinic and published last month in the Journal of Women’s Health, found that 23 percent of patients who participated in the research reported using cannabis to soothe their symptoms. 

“The majority used [cannabis] at least once per week…Most users…reported improvement in symptoms, including pain, cramping, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, libido, and irritability,” the authors of the study wrote. “Over one-third (35%) stated that cannabis use decreased the number of phone calls or messages sent to their provider, and 39% reported decreased number of clinical visits.”

The researchers said that nearly a quarter of the participating patients “report regular use of cannabis as an adjunct to their prescribed therapy,” and that despite most reporting side effects, most also said that cannabis improved their symptoms. 

“To our knowledge, this is the first study in the United States, which evaluated the prevalence of cannabis use among women with CPP. Our findings show that a clinically significant percentage of women use cannabis in addition to or as an alternative to traditional therapy for chronic pain,” the authors wrote, as quoted by NORML. “[U]sers indicated that cannabis improved CPP-related symptoms, decreased reliance on the health care system, and helped reduce use of opioid medications. Our findings provide important incremental evidence, and we hope to pave the way toward acceptance and consideration of cannabis as a therapeutic option for patients with debilitating pain to improve their quality of life.”

While not sufficient treatment in itself, research continues to find cannabis is an excellent tool in the war against cancer.  

In a recent study, Thomas M. Clark, Ph.D., head of a recent analysis, found that “the anticancer effects of cannabis outweigh the carcinogenic effects even in the airways and bladder, where carcinogen exposure is high.” 

Clark headed an August analysis directly on the issue of cannabis and cancer, supported by his sabbatical leave from Indiana University South Bend. At first, Clark had three hypotheses: cannabis increases cancer risk, the benefits and risks of using cannabis canceled out, or cannabis lowers cancer risk.  

At the first analysis of the data set, there was a slight association with cannabis and reduced cancer risk. However, by removing data that did not control for tobacco use, defined as data with a high risk for selection bias, and data at risk for performance bias, the association became medium to large.  

Likewise, the data revealed a medium to large association with reduced cancer risk if data related to testicular cancer was removed. However, according to the analysis, “the hypothesis that cannabis use increases cancer risk is not supported by the available data.”  

Nine months following the launch of legal medical cannabis sales in Utah, regulators and industry leaders are hailing the early success of the state’s program and looking forward to 2021 for continued growth. Voters in Utah approved the medical use of cannabis with the passage of a ballot initiative known as Proposition 2 in November 2018. 

But the measure soon came under attack by state legislators, who attempted to tighten restrictions on the law with a replacement bill that caused an uproar from medical cannabis advocates. A measure that was termed a compromise bill by lawmakers was passed in December 2018, although it saw legal challenges and multiple changes in subsequent legislative sessions.

Sales of medical cannabis products finally began at licensed dispensaries, or pharmacies as they are called in Utah, on March 2 of this year, and statewide sales already exceed $2 million monthly. The number of registered patients has risen quickly, surpassing 10,000 in September, six months sooner than regulators expected the tally to reach that milestone.

“It’s been going. It’s been going well, as with all new programs and people starting and really pushing to get up and going like they did early on — and now (producers) are starting to find their traction to be able to keep moving forward,” Cody James, manager of the Utah Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis Program, said at the time.

“I don’t think that anybody had an idea as to the number of patients that Utah was going to see this early,” James added. “I think we’re exceeding all of the studies that we had on the number of patients.”