WeedLife News Network

Marijuana advocates have argued for decades that the federal government has a cure for cancer and that cure is the cannabis plant.

There are no two ways about it. This article is probably going to come across a little harsh. The words and points made herein, for some, may even teeter on inappropriate, way too soon to discuss so explicitly. Let me humbly apologize in advance.

It is not, nor is it ever, my intention to exploit the pain and suffering of strangers for the sake of journalism. It is, however, my moral responsibility to shut down, when I can, the myths perpetuated by the cannabis advocacy community. This goes double if it means that I might be able to save someone battling cancer.

Photo by Ana Maria Serrano/Getty Images

Of course, with modern medicine being the powerhouse that it is, there is a slew of cancer treatment options out there, most of which are not at all pleasant to endure. Anyone who’s had a family member go through chemotherapy can attest to this firsthand. But it’s the best we got. There is no known cure for cancer. In any situation, a cancer patient can only hope that the doctors catch it early enough to increase the effectiveness of a treatment program. If they don’t, the patient must drive a very fine line down the hard road of keeping the faith and lost hope.

This week, cancer claimed the life of legendary cannabis advocate Eddy Lepp. He was one of the most respected members of the medical marijuana community, according to High Times, having served eight years in federal prison for growing low-cost and sometimes even complimentary weed for thousands of patients in need under California’s 1996 medical marijuana law. Among his advocacy efforts, the canna-veteran also believed marijuana helped with cancer.

Anxiety is a common occurrence. According to the ADAA, the disorder is found in around 43% of the general public in the United Kingdom. Even though the ailment is so common, only 37% of individuals who are affected seek treatment. The harmful side effects and reliance associated with anxiety drugs are the main reasons why people refuse treatment. As a safer alternative to traditional anti-anxiety drugs, more people are looking for a towards CBD in its various forms such as CBD hemp gummies for anxiety in the UK more and more these days. 

Wastewater samples taken during 2020 show that methamphetamine (ice) use plunged in Australia during the first COVID-19 lockdown while cannabis use spiked, according to a new study led by the University of South Australia.

Western Australia recorded the largest drop in ice loads, falling more than 50 per cent between April and June 2020, attributed to border closures restricting imports of the popular drug. Cannabis is largely produced locally so national supplies were still plentiful, and wastewater samples reflected this, with all states except the Northern Territory showing large increases in cannabis use.

Researchers from UniSA, The University of Queensland and University of Adelaide collaborated on the study, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

Wastewater samples are taken every two months from 20 treatment plants across Australia, covering approximately half the population, and tested for methamphetamine (ice), MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, cannabis and alcohol. Samples collected before the COVID-19 pandemic (August 2016 - December 2019) were compared with those taken between February and June 2020 when Australia went into a national lockdown.

According to the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System, approximately half of Australia's cocaine users stopped using the party drug – or cut down drastically – during the lockdown when global supply lines were disrupted. This was reflected in the wastewater loads but once restrictions were eased, cocaine use returned to pre-pandemic levels. A similar pattern was seen with ecstasy use.

If you are looking to buy CBD (cannabidiol) oils, it is extremely important that you dig deep to find the latest and accurate information about high-quality CBD oils. This is because CBD oils now are an industry in themselves and there are always bad apples who look to profit off of customers by scamming or misleading them into buying inferior products.

The worst part is that it is not always easy for interested CBD oil buyers to find out which CBD products and brands are supported by trustworthy claims. New merchants and brands are flooding the market with the growth in popularity of CBD oil. It is no surprise that each one of them claims to be dealing in the best cbd oils and of the highest quality. However, along with the cbd industry, online selling became very popular in short time. The good thing is that you can blindly trust authority cbd oils review websites and choose your best cbd oil from the list.

How To Identify High-Quality CBD Oils?

CBD Oil is an extract taken from cannabis plants. It is important to note here that CBD, though present in marijuana too, is primarily extracted from agricultural hemp for medicinal purposes. It is for the simple reason that these cannabis varieties contain minimum Tetrahydrocannabinol (the substance that makes people feel high. This is one point that makes CBD less controversial and more versatile for people.

How is CBD Oil Manufactured?

Unfortunately, there are not many regulations that control the manufacturing process of CBD oils. In other words, different CBD brands make use of different extraction methods for processing CBD oil from hemp.

The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board will continue discussions about allowing West Virginians eligible to use medical marijuana to grow plants.

Board members met last week to continue discussions as well as possible concerns related to access to dispensaries and cost.

Gov. Jim Justice signed the state medical marijuana law in April 2017, which allows patients to use medical cannabis plants and products for medical treatment.

Rusty Williams, a patient advocate for the board, has supported allowing people to grow plants.

James Thomas’ hips began to bother him three or four years after he had joint replacement surgery. He turned to medical marijuana and is still testing out the right formulation.

What do the latest studies show for marijuana for lung cancer patients?

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent cancer affecting both men and women. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2021 alone there were around 235,760 new lung cancer cases and the year isn’t even over yet.

It is the leading cause of death among men and women, despite the fact that cases continue to reduce because more people quit smoking cigarettes each year – the number one preventable risk factor for lung cancer.

But given how common lung cancer is, can cannabis help? Considering how cannabis has already been widely used for helping treat other forms of cancer, much is still unknown about its efficacy for cancer. Additionally, many people still lack awareness surrounding the cannabis plant because most people think that you can only smoke it – which doesn’t make sense if you already have a disease afflicting your lungs.

So what to the experts have to say about medical marijuana use for lung cancer?

“So when we utilize phytocannabinoids from the cannabis plant, we are actually replenishing our body’s own cannabinoid system. By doing so, it helps us deal with pain and inflammation much more effectively,” she tells SurvivorNet.

Texas’ medical marijuana is best known for being one of the most restrictive in the county, limiting its medicinal relief to fewer than 6,000 and only to those with neurological disorders or terminal cancer.

However, a new law that passed during the Legislature -effective September 1st– will now allow people with PTSD and cancer patients to use low doses of THC cannabis, as part of the Texas Compassionate Use Program.

This new law will also increase the previous THC cap in medical marijuana to 1%, which experts say it’s still a pretty small quantity.

“Because [the program] was so narrow for so long, many patients were forced to go to the neighboring states around Texas that have robust medical programs to gain access to the plant,” said Jax Finkel, the executive director of Texas’ chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

“And in fact, many patients have had to actually leave the state permanently for access — medical refugees,” Finkel added.

The state Medical Marijuana Advisory Board voted Tuesday to reject five requests to add to the list of conditions that qualify people for medical marijuana, even while board members acknowledged that, in several cases, patients with the conditions could benefit from using medical cannabis.

The board rejected bids to allow medical marijuana to be used to treat traumatic brain injury, hepatitis, Hepatitis C, chronic insomnia that isn’t responding to other treatments and major depressive disorder that isn’t responding to other treatments.

Pennsylvania’s 367,925 active medical marijuana patients have all been diagnosed as having one or more of 23 serious medical conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety disorder, cancer, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder and chronic pain.

A move to amend the applications by the board was stymied by the board’s own policies.

Under the board’s existing policies, board members don’t have the option to amend an application submitted to them – the board must either refer the proposed new condition to one of its subcommittees to recommend the change or the board can notify the applicants to resubmit the request with the changes sought by the board, said Carol Mowery, assistant legal counsel for the Department of Health.

These days, there are numerous reasons why you should be cutting back on your alcohol consumption.

For one, we’ve long known that it causes several illnesses including heart disease and cancer and two, with the pandemic, alcohol can compromise your immune system. During the pandemic, so many people took up the habit of drinking at home, during Zoom parties, and these so-called “quarantinis” can have a majorly negative impact on our health – at a time when we need it more than ever.

Excessive consumption of booze can turn around our lives for the worse. It can cause domestic abuse problems, and affect our families as well as personal relationships. However, a tip over the edge can turn a booze lover into a full-fledged alcoholic, which is already advanced abuse of alcohol.

If you’re having a hard time cutting back on your drinks, new research supports the hypothesis that cannabis can help – in more ways than one.

Legislation to legalize cannabis at the federal level recently proposed by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and a group of Senate Democrats is long overdue. While it aims to fix injustices done to communities of color that have been most harmed by the war on drugs, it excludes one very important demographic: patients.

The bill is presented as “comprehensive” cannabis reform. It makes cannabis legal in the United States for recreational use and has many provisions for expanding the cannabis industry. It also adds taxes that provide revenue to the federal government and stipulates that some of the money collected be used to enhance the lives of communities that have been most hurt by the failed war on drugs.

Leaving out patient care overlooks the largest group of people who will or may be affected by this new law.

An estimated 115 million Americans over age 50 will develop one or more illnesses such as osteoarthritis, anxiety, insomnia, or cancer that are treatable with cannabinoid medicines. Not providing for them in the discussion draft underscores that lawmakers are not paying attention to the needs of patients, the ways in which patients differ from recreational users, and the ways in which a recreational paradigm does not support needed clinical care.

First, legislation should decouple medical and recreational cannabis. While legalization of recreational cannabis may address the needs of healthy people, it does not address people’s medical needs. People need competent care based on sound science that is aligned with the same fundamental values that apply in all areas of medicine, including respect for patient choices through informed consent, beneficence through sound medical advice that ensures patients benefit while minimizing harm, issuing exact prescriptions to ensure that patients get the right medicine, and justice by ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and all have the same treatment opportunities.

As more states are legalizing recreational and medical cannabis across the United States, the cannabis market is growing.

But as more people consume cannabis, potential adverse events to the plant are becoming evident, including cannabis allergy.

What Is Cannabis Allergy?

Some cannabis consumers may suffer from a cannabis allergy, which is a body reaction to the cannabis plant. It has recently become relevant because of recent legalization in the U.S. and Canada.

Although the study on cannabis allergy is still in its infancy, we can outline its most relevant characteristics.

Cannabis sensitization is not so rare. Humans can be allergic to almost anything, and it is even possible to have multiple allergies. People may be exposed to hempseed hidden in foods and drinks. However, they may also suffer from sensitization by inhaling, smoking, touching, and eating cannabis.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals subsidiary GW Pharmaceuticals has announced it has received approval in the UK for the use of Epidyolex to manage seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare genetic disease causing benign tumours to grow in the brain and on other vital organs. Among its many impacts where the condition is severe are seizures and impaired intellectual development. The seizures are often resistant to conventional therapies.

Usually diagnosed in early childhood, the number of people living with TSC in the UK is estimated between 3,700 and 11,000.

GW Pharmaceuticals’ cannabidiol-based Epidyolex (known as Epidiolex in the USA) is already in use in the UK for seizures associated with Lennox Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome. In September last year, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved it here for the same indications.

The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has now also approved it for TSC as an adjunct therapy to be used in conjunction with clobazam (a benzodiazepine class medication), for patients two years of age and older.

CALGARY -- The death of 15-year-old Mia Wilkinson has rocked her family and friends, the teen girl passed away suddenly on August 12.

“It really hits home and it's gut wrenching,” said Kendra Myhre, a long-time friend of the family.

“I am so upset and hurt and devastated.”

Mia was diagnosed with Ohtahara syndrome when she was a baby, which causes her to have severe seizures and sometimes she could have up to 100 episodes every day. When Mia was about seven years old, her mom Sarah explored cannabis oil and it changed Mia’s life.

Since then, Sarah has worked to educate and counsel other families about the benefits of cannabis for children who suffer from severe seizures.

London, UK, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Link Reservations Inc. (OTC Pink: LRSV) (the “Company”), a provider of medicinal mushroom and cannabidiol (CBD) wellness products for both humans and pets, announces its LinkResPet and DailyLifeCBD products will be available for purchase in all four retail locations of Collins Tobacco & Vape Stores. This comes as the Company looks to expand its presence across the marketplace and increase consumer awareness of its pet and human wellness products.

Rene Lauritsen, Link Reservations Inc CEO, commented: “We are very excited to have our products in all four Collins Tobacco & Vape retail locations. In the next few months we hope to continue this growth and have a stronger presence in retail locations across the U.S. and eventually in the Europe and the UK. This is a great way to increase product awareness amongst consumers who are already interested in CBD products but haven’t come across our products before. Retail presence for us is clearly a key driver of sales as we look to grow our market share. I look forward to updating investors on any further developments”.

LinkResPet’s products consist of CBD tinctures for dogs and cats. While DailyLifeCBD has a functional mushroom and CBD range of products including its DailyLifeCBD Immune tincture, as well as other CBD products in the pipeline. All products are made with the highest quality hemp oil and are lab tested, THC and GMO free. The hemp oil used in LRSV products comes from organically grown certified U.S. and European hemp. The Company ensures that its products undergo a rigorous process of quality control and testing using the latest scientific methods.

Collins Tobacco & Vape has been in business 12 years and has four locations in Miami & Miami Beach. These are 6750 Collins Ave Miami Beach, 2611 Collins Ave Miami Beach, 1711 N. Bayshore Dr Miami (Grand Hotel) and 2504 NE 2nd Ave Miami.

For more information about LinkResPet or to purchase CBD products for pets, please visit www.linkrespet.com or follow us on Twitter @res_pet

Cannabis farmers tend to aim for high THC content cultivars of weed when they’re creating a new strain, without giving much thought to the effect these compounds have on the user’s body.

The potency of cannabis is determined by the content level of CBD and THC compounds present in the plant. So, it is normal to be curious about the exact amount of THC and CBD present in a cannabis product before smoking.

In the last decade, hundreds of new strains of cannabis have been created giving smokers a wide range of options to choose from. No two strains of weed can offer exactly the same characteristics. The taste and aftereffects of each cultivar will be distinct from one another.

This has caused a deviation from the normal cannabis culture practiced in the ’70s and ’80s. Back then there were fewer cannabis cultivars and everyone had an idea of the amount of THC and CBD present in them.

Now, THC and CBD content levels have risen and can be as high as 30% in a weed product, with extracts having very high levels of CBD or THC compounds.

A notification to FDA by Charlotte’s Web to demonstrate the safety of its full-spectrum hemp extract was met with objections in a letter made public Wednesday, underscoring regulatory challenges plaguing the hemp-based CBD market in the U.S.

The development highlights Congress must intervene to clear a pathway for hemp-based CBD products, several industry executives said.

“This is just simply a clarion call for the passage of legislation to provide a legal pathway for the sale of CBD,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, in an interview.

GW Pharmaceuticals hurdle 

Charlotte’s Web (and others) cited material differences between its full-spectrum hemp extract and the CBD drug known as Epidiolex, the latter of which FDA approved in 2018. Yet FDA concluded the new dietary ingredient (NDI) from Charlotte’s Web is excluded from the definition of a supplement because CBD was first authorized for investigation as a new drug.

“Looking at the totality of the record, FDA has concluded that your NDI 1202 is a CBD product and thus is subject to the exclusion from the definition of dietary supplement” under U.S. law and “may not be marketed as or in a dietary supplement,” wrote Cara Welch, acting director of FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP).

The North Carolina Senate is considering Senate Bill 711, The Compassionate Care Act, which would legalize medical marijuana in this state.

The sponsors say this act would give North Carolina the strictest medical marijuana law in the country.

Below are some questions and answers about who could get medical marijuana and how a medical marijuana law would be implemented if S711 becomes law.

This information is current as of  early August 2021 and is subject to change. The latest version of S711 is available at the N.C. General Assembly website.

Rules for patients

How would someone qualify to get medical marijuana?

Thanks to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD containing less than 0.3% of THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana) is everywhere. And hemp seed oil in products has been around for decades. But aren’t CBD oil and hemp seed oil the same thing? Not quite.

While both are derived from the cannabis sativa plant and both are legal at the federal level, they are more like cousins than identical twins. Unfortunately, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably or in misleading ways in advertising. Often, both are misnomered as “hemp oil,” which neither truly is. Let’s clear things up.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds themselves and does have some potential health benefits, including an ideal ratio of rich fatty acids. These omegas may help with cardiovascular health by reducing the speed of plaque buildup in the arteries along with lowering blood pressure. Hemp seed oil is also frequently promoted as a beauty ingredient, benefitting skin, hair and nails. Hemp has long been grown for its fiber and industrial uses.

CBD Oil

CBD oil utilizes the stalks, leaves and flowers of the plant and is usually cultivated for its high concentration of CBD (cannabidiol), one of the compounds found in the cannabis sativa plant. Unlike hemp seed oil, CBD directly affects the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a recently discovered system in the body that helps regulate many other systems.

CBD oil, along with other compounds from the plant, is promoted as having the potential to help manage anxiety and depression, reduce stress, promote alertness and focus, improve sleep quality, boost mood, relieve pain, reduce inflammation and reduce the occurrence of epileptic events.