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Cannabis works wonders for chronic inflammation but we are just now understanding why.

Regardless of how anyone feels about inflammation or the amount of pain it comes with, it remains an unavoidable healthy response that keeps us alive. From bruising a finger to the after-effects of cancer treatments, inflammation is the body's automatic response to every physical condition. There are times when inflammation could lead to extreme pain and adverse conditions due to a dysfunctional effect on the immune system. At this point, drugs are needed to reduce the pain and hasten to heal.

Recent studies show that cannabis could be an essential anti-inflammatory agent. Some medications have been tested and proven over the years to be effective against debilitating and extremely painful inflammations. However, better options are being sought for managing chronic conditions. Because most potent anti-inflammatory medications tend to have adverse side effects when used for long periods,

This piece investigates the potential of cannabis to serve as a panacea for chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders. We investigate the relationship between cannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and these disorders mentioned above.

What Is Inflammation?

You can consider inflammation to be the body's way of fighting and protecting itself against harm. In this case, harm could mean an infection or injury within or outside the body. For instance, when you have an injury, the first thing you notice is that the affected area reddens and swells. This reaction is due to the immune system sending out a group of white blood cells to contain the bleeding and fight off any form of infection.

Within the body, this same reaction occurs around the vital organs and also in the blood vessels. Put simply; the immune system causes any part of the body at risk of being infected to be inflamed. The elderly deal with more chronic inflammation and use cannabis at a higher rate then early generations. 

It appears Pakistan may soon be entering the lucrative and growing global cannabis industry. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government announced late last year that it would allow for the industrial production of hemp, a cannabis plant containing cannabidiol (CBD) that many experts believe has numerous therapeutic benefits and is generally sold in the form of gel capsules, gummies, oils, supplements, and extracts.

Unlike its cousin, marijuana, hemp does not contain significant quantities of the psychoactive component known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is the compound most associated with the intoxicating effects of cannabis. Although hemp-derived CBD production in Pakistan would mostly be for export markets, its use domestically for medical purposes has been legal since September of 2020, meaning that new production could also service a growing domestic market.

More recently, Pakistan’s Minister of Science and Technology Shibli Faraz is reported to have told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Science and Technology that the government is set to introduce legislation to regulate the domestic cannabis industry imminently. This represents a huge economic opportunity for Pakistan as the country struggles to address its chronic current account deficit by boosting exports and diversifying its agricultural sector.

The use of CBD products related to health and wellness is set to experience exponential growth globally. This trend should be accelerated by the recent UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) decision to reclassify cannabis as a “therapeutic product.”

In a consumer report from 2019, researchers estimated that 64 million people in the United States had tried CBD within a year of the study. The CBD market is also just starting to grow in Europe well as in other regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Fortune Business Insights recently reported that the global cannabinoid market is projected to grow from just under $3.7 billion in 2021 to approximately $58 billion by 2028, which represents a compound annual growth rate of 47 percent.

The City of Grover Beach might be the first city in San Luis Obispo County to permit cannabis lounges, but what exactly would a lounge look like?

“With tables and perhaps a bar where people can sit and socialize and use cannabis like you would sip a martini or a beer at a bar," said Ed Schmults, CEO of Urbn Leaf.

The four retailers in the city, including Urbn Leaf, have expressed interest in adding a cannabis lounge to their existing location.

“Is it just like a bar or is it more like a wine tasting? Or are there elements of like a health and wellness seminar where you can learn about applications for pain or inflammation or anxiety or sleep? Or maybe a combination of all those things," said Schmults.

City officials say the additional tax revenue can be used for city initiatives and projects. Over the last year, the cannabis industry in the city has generated more than $2 million in cannabis tax revenue.  

Lafayette - It’s been a few years since the first medicinal marijuana products became available to patients in Louisiana and earlier this month the raw smokeable form was added to the list of available options.

But medicinal marijuana patients in the state are concerned about the pricing.

"My hope is that more production takes place, more consumption takes place, and then it’ll be volume-driven," he said.

Before HB391 was passed last summer by governor John Bel Edwards, the only options for medicinal marijuana patients were products like gummies, oils and tinctures.

Often times these products were pricey due to the processing it goes through.

A new vaccine being developed could be used to help those prone to Opioid Use Disorder and opiate addiction.

Scientists with a new research center at the University of Washington are working on a vaccine to help fight the opioid epidemic in a bid to stem the tide of overdose deaths that has swept the nation over the past two decades. 

Marco Pravetoni, the head of the new UW Medicine Center for Medication Development for Substance Use Disorders, is leading the effort to develop the vaccine. Similar to immunization against an invading pathogen, the vaccine under development would stimulate the body’s immune system to attack and destroy opioid molecules before they can enter the brain. 

Such a vaccine would not prevent drug cravings commonly experienced by those with opioid abuse disorder. But the treatment, if successful, would block the effects of opioids including euphoria, pain relief and even overdose, thus likely reducing abuse.

The new research center opened this month and has raised more than $2 million in initial funding. Pravetoni hopes to raise enough money to complete further research on the vaccine under development.

“What I’m hoping to achieve is pretty much every year, we’re going to start a new clinical trial,” Pravetoni told the Seattle Times in early January.

In November, taxes for recreational marijuana sales in Arizona totaled around $5.05 million, slightly above medical cannabis tax, which amounted to $5.03 million.

Arizona continues to smash cannabis sales records, with yet another milestone of over $1.23 billion of marijuana products sold during the first 11 months of 2021, Arizona Mirror writes.

After soaring to record highs in October to nearly $58 million, adult-use recreational cannabis sales hit a new peak in November by surpassing $60 million for the first time. On the medical side, after reaching $73 million in March and April, sales fluctuated throughout the year.

In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. Since then, 36 states (and four U.S. territories) have followed suit, keeping pace with rapidly evolving policies and attitudes toward cannabis. In addition to the widespread legalization of medical cannabis, 18 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use.

As one of 14 states that have not legalized medical cannabis under state law, Tennessee is in the minority, even in the South. In fact, five of Tennessee’s neighboring states have legalized cannabis for either medical (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Missouri) or adult use (Virginia). And Mississippi appears to be on the verge of legalizing medical cannabis, too (as we’ve written about here, here, and here).

Tennessee’s current policy regarding cannabis does not appear to reflect the attitudes of its voters. According to a 2018 poll conducted by Middle Tennessee State University, most Tennesseans (approximately 81%) support some form of legalization, with 44% supporting medical use and 37% supporting adult-use legalization. This widespread popularity has even caught the attention of some Tennessee state representatives who are personally opposed to legalizing medical cannabis.

For example, Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-D75) introduced legislation last July that would have required county election commissions to place three non-binding questions on the ballot asking voters whether Tennessee should (1) decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana; (2) legalize medical marijuana; or (3) legalize adult-use marijuana. Rep. Griffey released a statement clarifying that while he was personally “against the legalization of marijuana,” his “personal opinion should not dictate” that marijuana remains illegal under state law if legalization is what Tennessee voters want.

So where does Tennessee stand on medical cannabis now? And where might it head? These questions are the focus of this article, which is the first in our series on cannabis in Tennessee.

Vaping sweet spots differ from one user to another. Achieving this phenomenon involves making a raft of adjustments on your vaporizer as well as choosing suitable e-juice.

There is plenty of vaping lingo to learn for any new or aspiring vaper. Some of these terms are relatively basic and not necessarily key to the success of your vaping sessions. However, others must be understood fully before joining in on the vaping craze.

“Sweet spot” is a common vaping-related phrase that you’ll frequently stumble upon in numerous vape-related publications. But what exactly does this term denote, and how central is it to your success as a vaper? That question shall be the focus of this post.

Your sweet spot refers to the point during vaping when you can enjoy an optimal vaping experience. It’s a combination of factors, including implementing specific settings on your vaporizer and choosing the right vape juice. The quality of your vaporizer also plays a crucial role in determining your sweet spot.

Another thing worth noting is that sweet spot varies from one vaper to another. Plus, it depends on your vaping level. Seasoned vapers more commonly experience the phenomenon compared to beginners.

Sweet Spot and Vape Quality

As we’ve just highlighted, the quality of your vaporizer plays an instrumental role in determining how efficiently you can achieve your sweet spot. With low-quality e-cigs, it’s almost impossible to experience your vaping sweet spot.

Oklahoma needs to move on from the “Wild West” that emerged with legalization of medical marijuana by strengthening regulation of the industry, a state lawmaker said.

State Rep. Sean Roberts, a Republican from Hominy, said Wednesday that he’ll introduce legislation this year to modify both the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act and Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Waste Management Act. Goals are to cut down on illegal cultivation of marijuana and to address rising influences of “foreign actors” on state interests.

“These changes that I am proposing will stop the many illegal operations in our state run by foreign actors, such as criminal Chinese enterprises or cartels, who participate in human trafficking and are smuggling their illegal narcotics out of Oklahoma to other states,” Roberts said.

If passed, Roberts’ legislation would alter Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority ownership residency requirements for businesses. Specifically, it would change OMMA residency requirements from 75% of owners living in Oklahoma to 100%. It also proposes that Oklahomans found to be acting as “middlemen” for entities outside the state would face potential suspension of business licenses.

“When medical marijuana was legalized in Oklahoma, it basically created a ‘Wild West’ situation as we did not have enough legal structure in place to address all future issues that could arise,” Roberts said.

Therapeutic hemp and cannabis products to get you through the first bacterium equinox of 2022.

Whether you’re concerned about flu season or a protracted pestilence that has likely kept you masked and hypervigilant, if not in quarantine mode, a robust cannabis medicine cabinet can help you through the first bacterium equinox of 2022. Cannabis is by no means a cure-all, but you can use it to temper certain cold and flu symptoms much in the same way you might with an over-the-counter remedy—no astro traveling necessary. Furthermore, CBD acts as a unique immune system supporter, functioning as an anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant and immunomodulator, conceivably keeping your immune responses evergreen (as in perennially resilient AF). For the uninitiated, just as recreational cannabis is more than skunky blunts and milky bong hits, contemporary therapeutic cannabis is much more than inky tinctures and skunky salves. In fact, therapeutic hemp can be delivered in a number of holistic, novel and cutting-edge ways. Here are some standouts from our own cannabis medicine cabinet.

1. Identity CBD Bone Broths

Mercer Island, Wash.-based wellness brand Identity produces a number of alternative CBD-infused products, including an obsession-worthy Norwegian bone broth packet infused with 10 mg Oregon hemp CBD. Each package contains enough canna-bone bouillon for a relatively rich mugful of aromatic broth or toothsome addition to a more complex soup recipe.

Officially, the packages are meant to be mixed with 1 cup of water for a potent stock, but when mixed with 1.5 cups of water are much more sippable as a straight-up broth. The broths come in three flavors: Chicken, Chanterelle Mushroom and Ginger Ramen, with the mushroom being my own personal sick day standout.

2. Green Heffa Fixitea

A soothing cup of tea is a sick day necessity; Green Heffa’s Fixitea Herbal “Steam” Blend is a peppermint panacea complete with soothing antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Green Heffa is a family owned and operated farm, producing not just hemp cannabis, but all the botanicals in its teas. The brand’s founder, Farmer Cee, uses Indigenous, heritage farming techniques across Green Heffa’s 14 acres, even calling on the quilters of her hometown of Wilcox, Ala., to produce the brand’s vibrant, Afro-centric packaging. Each of the brand’s teas are built upon unique therapeutic botanical medleys, so if minty relief isn’t your bag, there are multiple other tableaus to choose from.

3. Elixinol Everyday Rapid Reset

The oil-based cannabis tincture is a ubiquitous medicine cabinet addition, but Elixinol’s Rapid Reset absorption-ready CBD liposome stands apart from most dispensary tinctures for its water solubility. That means this tincture—unlike its oilier counterparts—will blend as seamlessly with a glass of plain, flat water as it will with more texturally complex drinks like smoothies or frothy hot drinks. The 1 mg of CBD in each pump is a low enough dose for beginners or those with THC aversions. It’s also easily buildable for users with more established cannabinoid tolerances.

Registered patients would be subject to purchase limits that would restrict them to no more than 3.5 grams of cannabis flower, 1 gram of concentrate, or up to 100 milligrams of THC in infused products.

A new bill to legalize medical marijuana was introduced in Mississippi on Tuesday and on Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee approved the measure by a voice vote. The bill is expected to be taken up on the floor as soon as Thursday, reported Marijuana Moment. A medical cannabis program could start in 2022.

SB 2095, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R), would allow patients with about two dozen specific medical conditions (such as cancer, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, muscular dystrophy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s, as well as chronic medical conditions) to qualify for medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.

The stakes were high — and scary — at a South Dakota community center card game. A group of seniors inadvertently ate a batch of cannabis brownies brought by a 73-year-old woman who didn’t know that her adult son had baked them with THC butter. The incident happened last Tuesday in Tabor, a town with a population of 423 people, according to an affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun. Police responded to several calls of a “possible poisoning” and found that all the patients had been playing cards at the Tabor Community Center and were “under the influence.”

Cops arrested Michael Koranda, 43, after he reportedly told them he had cooked the illicit goods with half a pound of THC butter he bought in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal.Michael Koranda’s mother reportedly took the brownies he baked after he went to bed.

Koranda then went to bed and “his mother unknowingly took the brownies to the card game where several people ate them,” the affidavit read. He was charged with possession of a controlled drug or substance, which is punishable to 5 years in prison, according to the report.

Cannabis edibles can have a significantly stronger effect on users than smokable marijuana. Manufacturers warn that it is easy to accidentally ingest a paralyzing amount by overconsuming the tasty treats.

South Dakota voters approved an amendment to legalize recreational cannabis in November, but that referendum was struck down by the state’s high court.

When Louisiana's first legal smokable medical marijuana was made available on Jan. 1, patients like Corbet King of Wisner were excited about the product that they believed would be a more affordable option than tinctures, oils and edibles.

After all, affordability was one of the key selling points when the Legislature passed a bill last year to add the plant's unprocessed flower to the products that Louisiana's two legal growers and nine regional pharmacies could offer to patients.

But when King and other patients arrived at their pharmacies they were surprised to find the flower product in some cases was just as costly or even more expensive, depending on the pharmacy.

Marijuana breathalyzers have long been in development, producing no fruitful results. A new study shows a different path.

Researchers have found a non-invasive way of determining whether or not a person has been impaired by THC. This discovery, achieved thanks to a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, could provide an answer for DUIs related to cannabis consumption, providing a pathway in treating these types of situations.

According to The Harvard Gazette, the technique used in the study is called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which measures brain patterns, which researchers then correlated to THC impairment. The device in question would be designed to be portable and noninvasive, allowing people to use it on the go, measuring THC impairment in subjects.

The study had 169 cannabis users consume THC or a placebo and then submit themselves to fNIRS scans. Those who’d consumed cannabis showed higher levels of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain when compared to those who’d consumed a placebo.

“Our research represents a novel direction for impairment testing in the field,” said lead author Jodi Gilman, associate professor at Harvard and investigator in the Center for Addiction Medicine.

“Our goal was to determine if cannabis impairment could be detected from activity of the brain on an individual level. This is a critical issue because a ‘breathalyzer’ type of approach will not work for detecting cannabis impairment, which makes it very difficult to objectively assess impairment from THC during a traffic stop.”

The company is by far the most significant REIT specializing in the marijuana industry.

The marijuana industry is not currently popular with investors, to put it mildly. That's having a knock-on effect with cannabis real estate investment trust (REIT) Innovative Industrial Properties. Despite being a consistently profitable company that doesn't actually grow or sell any weed itself, Innovative is being punished like its peers; its share price is down by over 15% so far this young year. A submerged stock price doesn't necessarily mean a company is a bargain, however. Let's explore whether Innovative stock is a good buy or a dangerous falling knife investors should avoid.

Hemp compounds identified by Oregon State University research via a chemical screening technique invented at OSU show the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells.

Findings of the study led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, were published today in the Journal of Natural Products.

Hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa, is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food, van Breemen said.

Van Breemen and collaborators, including scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.

The compounds are cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, CBDA, and the spike protein is the same drug target used in COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy. A drug target is any molecule critical to the process a disease follows, meaning its disruption can thwart infection or disease progression.

As of Jan. 1, Oregonians can legally purchase up to two ounces of cannabis flower from licensed retailers, NORML reports.  In a Dec. 28 meeting, Oregon's Liquor and Cannabis Commission approved new rules, including doubling how much marijuana customers can purchase and giving the green light to home delivery across city and county lines, among other issues. (Click here for Benzinga article.)

The new provisions are expected to help streamline oversight of the industry, reduce violence and help keep children from accessing hemp products containing THC, the agency said.

Last year, lawmakers enacted legislation, Senate Bill 408, allowing the amount of cannabis flower that adults can possess to two ounces and more when they're in their homes. 

Ending Illegal Weed Grows & Decriminalization Efforts

The new rules have taken effect on the heels of Oregon lawmakers passing Senate Bill 893 and Senate Bill 5561 last month, with a goal of putting an end to illicit cannabis cultivation by creating better infrastructure to fight the proliferation of illegal marijuana grows in Southern Oregon.

In November, voters in Oregon approved Measure 110, which will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, methamphetamine and LSD, as well as create a support program for drug abuse and addiction.

Armed men in pickup trucks rule over vast illicit industry that has transformed rural counties, depleting water and scaring locals

Christopher Hall parks his old Toyota on a dirt road that dead-ends in a forest in Oregon’s Illinois Valley. He points out a cluster of greenhouses surrounded by piles of trash, and the hillside above, which has been terraced and entirely stripped of vegetation. Guard dogs run through a small clearing, barking at us.

Two men pull up almost instantly in a Honda with busted headlights; the driver asks Hall what he’s doing there. For a bespectacled middle-aged conservationist, Hall is surprisingly reckless. Even though he can see the men are armed, he yells back at them: “Where are you from? We know what you’re doing here is illegal! How many plants are you growing?” One man says they’re from Serbia and claims they have a license to grow as another truck pulls up.

I tell Hall I think we should move on, and he reluctantly shifts into drive but is unable to resist a few parting shots:

“Do you think you can just keep trashing our streams? Have some respect for the land!”

Pot was legalized for recreational use in Oregon in 2015, making it legal for any person to grow up to four plants. But in the past year, longtime locals have been alarmed by the rapid proliferation of unlicensed pot farms, unprecedented in terms of size and allegedly controlled by crime syndicates from eastern Europe, China and Mexico.