WeedLife News Network

When the first Missouri dispensaries opened their doors in 2020, getting a Missouri marijuana card didn’t really do much for qualifying patients. The selection of medical marijuana products only covered a narrow spectrum of needs, and there were no options for people with a very low or high tolerance to THC.

Fortunately for residents of the Show Me State, the medical marijuana selection is now flourishing. From St. Louis to KC, St. Joseph to Poplar Bluff, and everywhere in between, you can find exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s edibles with a higher CBD content, vape pens with a higher THC content, or a perfectly balanced smokable flower.

While using medical marijuana without becoming uncomfortably impaired is one of the top concerns most of our patients have, it’s also important to help people with an exceptionally high THC tolerance get the most out of their natural treatment plan as well.

For those of you who struggle to get the kind of relief you’re looking for because your body just doesn’t seem to register the results, we see you, too. In this post, we are going to take a look at reasons for some people’s tolerance to be higher than others’, and what you can do to boost the effectiveness of your cannabis every time you use it.

Reasons Why Some People Have a Higher Tolerance to THC

There are two main reasons why some people have a higher tolerance to THC than others. Mitigation strategies will be approximately the same no matter what your reasons are, and it will likely take a bit of trial and error in order to find the solutions that work best for you. But experimentation is half the fun, right?

We talk a lot about melatonin here at cbdMD because it works so well in combination with CBD. But we realize - we've kind of dropped the ball, so to speak. We have yet to address what we've assumed everyone knows. Most people know what melatonin does but have no idea what melatonin is. We thought it's time we get to the bottom of these questions: What is melatonin? What is melatonin used for? We'll also explain how it works in your body and why we love pairing it with CBD so you can get your best sleep.

And do we need to even talk about why sleep is so important for your body? Ask those dark circles under your eyes if sleep is one of the most crucial things you do for your body. We cannot survive without sleep, an essential function of our body that allows our mind and body to recharge themselves and do crucial reparative work. Our cognitive function, memory, and our immune systems all depend on the work of sleep. And to make sure we get enough of it, our bodies produce a natural 'drowsy' hormone.

So, let's talk about melatonin, nature's little sleeping helper. Here's what we'll cover today:

Key Questions We'll Answer (and More!)

What Is Melatonin?

If you’re one of the millions of people who have trouble sleeping, you may have considered a cannabis compound, such as CBD. Some say cannabis compounds are helpful, but more research is needed. And they might not be legal, depending on where you live. Look up the laws to know what’s allowed.

What Does the Research Say About Cannabis?

Also known as marijuana, there’s growing interest in the health benefits of cannabis, specifically cannabis compounds. Two cannabinoids that get a lot of attention are:

Research results on cannabis and sleep are mixed. So far, there haven’t been many controlled studies to show that THC, CBD, or a combination of both can boost sleep quality, says Bhanuprakash (Bhanu) Kolla, MD. He’s an associate professor of psychiatry and psychology and a consultant for Mayo Clinic’s Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, MN.

But some studies show promise. That includes a small one on dronabinol, a human-made version of medical THC. Early research shows it might help with obstructive sleep apnea. But “at this point, we do not recommend the use of cannabis products for treatment of sleep apnea or other sleep disorders,” Kolla says.

Ryan Vandrey, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimoe, looks at how cannabis use affects sleep. He says there’s evidence that THC can help you fall asleep faster in the short-term. But “there’s a big gap in our knowledge” for how cannabis affects overall sleep quality long-term or if it can help people with sleep disorders.

A nightly dose of medicinal cannabis (MC) improved sleep and other quality of life (QOL) outcomes in patients with high-grade gliomas, according to results of a study published in Frontiers in Oncology.

Researchers conducted a randomized, phase 2 trial comparing 2 ratios of oral MC oil in patients diagnosed with recurrent or inoperable high-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma multiforme and grade III anaplastic astrocytoma.

The study enrolled 88 patients. Their average age was 53.3 years, a majority of patients were White (95.2%), and about half were women (49.4%).

Patients were randomly assigned to receive a 1:1 ratio of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) or a 4:1 ratio of THC to CBD. In the 1:1 group, the dose of THC was 4.6 mg/ml, and the CBD dose was 4.8 mg/ml. In the 4:1 group, the THC dose was 15 mg/ml, and the CBD dose was 3.8 mg/ml.

The researchers assessed QOL changes from baseline to week 12 using a paired t-test for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Brain (FACT-Br). The results showed greater improvements in physical domains (P =.025), functional domains (P =.014), and sleep (P =.009) with the 1:1 ratio over the 4:1 ratio.

Darren McCarty said he wouldn't be alive today if he never found marijuana.

The former NHL star and four-time Stanley Cup champion balanced a 16-year hockey career with binge drinking and alcoholism, McCarty told Insider in an interview. But once he retired in 2009, there was no sport left to balance out his addiction, and his drinking habits escalated to life-threatening levels over the next six years.

"I was 280 pounds," McCarty said. "My blood pressure when I was in the hospital was 265 over 145. I should be dead."

But in November 2015, he made the decision to do a seven-day detox in his garage while under the care of his wife Sheryl Simmons, who served as his nurse.

But the key ingredient that helped McCarty get through the detox, he said, was Rick Simpson Oil, or RSO, a cannabis-oil product with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana that gets users high.

Children whose parents regularly smoke or vape marijuana may experience viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, more frequently than those whose parents do not smoke, according to a study published in the journal Pediatric Research.

Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, USA surveyed 1,491 parents and caregivers who lived in Colorado, a US state where recreational and medicinal use of marijuana is legal. The researchers found that parents who regularly smoked or vaped marijuana reported that their children experienced more viral respiratory infections in the year prior to the survey, compared to children whose parents did not smoke tobacco or marijuana. Parents who smoked or vaped marijuana reported that their children had not experienced other conditions often related to second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, such as ear infections and asthma attacks, more frequently nor that they had visited a hospital emergency department more often in the previous year, compared to children whose parents did not smoke.

The negative impact that exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke can have on children's health has been extensively studied but the impact of second-hand marijuana smoke on young children is unclear. Our findings identify the potential for increased respiratory infections in children exposed to second-hand marijuana smoke. This could have significant healthcare implications as more states in the USA move towards legalising recreational marijuana use."

Adam Johnson, Corresponding Author

Of the parents and caregivers who participated in the survey, 78 (5.2%) reported regularly smoking or vaping only marijuana, 214 (14.3%) reported regularly smoking only tobacco and 80 (5.4%) reported regularly smoking both marijuana and tobacco. The researchers found that those who only smoked marijuana tended to be younger, educated to a higher level, less likely to identify as Hispanic, and have a higher income than those who did not smoke or who only smoked tobacco. Parents and caregivers who smoked both marijuana and tobacco tended to be younger and were less likely to identify as Hispanic than non-smokers. They also had lower income and education levels than non-smokers, compared to those who only smoked marijuana and those who only smoked tobacco.

Alabama became the 36th state to allow cannabis for medical use when Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act on May 17, 2021. The act establishes a process through which applicants will compete for a limited number of licenses in the following categories: (1) cultivator; (2) processor; (3) dispensary; and (4) “integrated facility” (which can cultivate, process, transport, and dispense medical cannabis under one license), as well as a to-be-determined number of licenses for secure transporters and testing laboratories. A 14-member Medical Cannabis Commission licenses and regulates the medical cannabis program, with input from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries on cultivation matters. The act requires that the Commission and the department adopt regulations that allow license applications by September 1, 2022.

This article provides an overview of the requirements for obtaining a dispensary license, and is part of a series of similar overviews for the other five license categories. 

What is a dispensary license?

A dispensary license authorizes the licensee to: (1) purchase and transfer cannabis from a processor, integrated facility, or cultivator, if the cultivator contracted with a processor to process its cannabis on the cultivator’s behalf; and (2) dispense and sell medical cannabis to a registered qualified patient or registered caregiver.

How many dispensary licenses will be issued?

The act authorizes the Commission to issue four dispensary licenses. At least one license must be awarded to a business entity that is 51%+ owned by individuals of “African American, Native American, Asian, or Hispanic descent,” and “managed and controlled” by such individuals “in its daily operations.” Each dispensary licensee may operate up to three dispensing sites, each of which must be in a different county from any other dispensing site and is subject to other restrictions.

What are the requirements for obtaining a dispensary license?

Applicants for a dispensary license must pay a non-refundable application fee of $2,500. Each “owner, shareholder, director, [and] board member” of an applicant, along with each “individual with an economic interest in an applicant,” must submit to a “state and national criminal background check.” If any “owner, director, board member, or individual with a controlling interest” has been “convicted of or released from incarceration for [any] felony” or “convicted of a controlled substance-related felony” within the last 10 years, the applicant is ineligible for a license.

When it comes to CBD, entrepreneurs would be well served to start with the end in mind. 

The foreseeable outcome is federal regulation – just like any other consumed food or dietary supplement on the market.

While it is understandable that CBD manufacturers would prefer to run their businesses without any government intervention, being left unchecked has made the sector vulnerable to unscrupulous behavior.

Without regulation in place, anyone can sell CBD products.

Consequently, there are plenty of bad actors out there without experience growing hemp or making high-quality hemp extracts.

The legal cannabis market is planned to reach $43 billion by 2025. In the US, as of July 1, 2021, 47 states have legalized cannabis, of which 19 states have legalized it for both recreational and medical use. This means that 43% of the US adult population resides in these states and that by 2025, 5.4 million Americans will be registered as patients in medical cannabis states.

Looking at these numbers, a question that often arises is - will all these people be able to get life insurance coverage?

Up until recently, using marijuana was taboo and was not supported, even condoned, by the health care and life insurance fields. Things have changed, research shows more in-depth findings, and customer behavior and demand have shifted.

When insurers review an individual applying, there are quite a few factors considered:

Age

PIERRE, S.D. — As the November deadline for proposed laws concerning legalized medical cannabis approaches, the South Dakota Department of Health is holding a public hearing to consider the adoption and amendment of proposed rules for South Dakota medical cannabis program.

The hearing will be held on Aug. 18, 2021 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. CDT, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. MDT in Conference Room 3 of the Kneip Building, 700 Governor’s Drive in Pierre. Anyone interested in testifying for or against the proposed rules may do so by appearing in person or remotely at the hearing.

To testify remotely, you must register by Aug. 13, 2021 by clicking here.

If you cannot make it in person or remotely, written comments and materials must reach the South Dakota Department of Health — 600 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota 57501 — by Aug. 28, 2021.

After the hearing, the DOH will consider all written and oral comments.

Misinformation has run rampant over the use of marijuana for decades. In 1936, the church group-financed movie Reefer Madness taught the public about the perils presented in using the drug — everything from attempted murder to suicide and madness. Around the same time, Harry Anslinger and others began the war on drugs, which was at least partly fueled by racist motives. Ever since, rumors and or slanted science about weed has often filled in a gaping hole in research due to restrictions on drugs illegalized by western governments. That said, the legalization of marijuana in various states and countries has led to marketing campaigns making sometimes dubious claims of the herb’s health benefits.

Some people have long tended to lump all illegal drugs together, seeing little difference between the dangers posed by drugs like heroine or methamphetamines to marijuana. But how dangerous is marijuana, really? Can it kill you? Is it possible to overdose on weed?

The answer to the latter question is an easy “no.” There are some ways that joints, bong hits or synthetic versions of the psychoactive agents in marijuana can kill you, but overdosing on pure, unadulterated marijuana that isn’t mixed with anything is very nearly impossible.

“It’s not close to alcohol or opiate toxicity,” says Mujeeb Shad, a psychiatrist with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Why the Danger of Marijuana Is Self-Mitigated

The reason marijuana doesn’t pose the same sort of risk as opiates, cocaine, amphetamines or even alcohol is that some of the active components of the pungent herb work against each other in your body.

Synthetic cannabinoids have different biochemical properties compared to THC that increase their risk.

By Nate Guzowski

A problem of increasing social importance is the rise in the use of synthetic cannabis alternatives, commonly called K2 or Spice or a number of other brand names. In 2020, 2.4% of high school seniors tried synthetic cannabis.

In contrast to marijuana where THC is the active molecule, these alternatives use a range of different, more potent compounds that activate the same pathways as THC, namely the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, which is responsible for the subjective effects of cannabinoid intoxication.

JWH-018 is perhaps the most widely abused of these molecules historically due to its ease of synthesis, but these products may contain any of a large number of similarly acting molecules. JWH-018 has approximately 5 times the activity as THC, but other synthetics can far exceed this. For example, HU-210 has an activity measured in hundreds of times the potency of THC. The legal status of these compounds varies on a case-by-case basis and can be poorly defined. This is because the CB1 receptor is promiscuous with respect to the variety of chemical matter it will bind to. JWH-018 is officially a schedule 1 drug, whereas HU-210 is unscheduled currently.

Research out of Australia is indicating the “entourage effect” associated with medicinal cannabis is likely really a thing.

So, what is the entourage effect?

Coined by Israeli researchers in the late 1990’s, the entourage effect describes medical cannabis treatment efficacy not being limited to a specific cannabinoid such as THC or CBD, but multiple compounds working together producing a therapeutic effect. These compounds aren’t just cannabinoids, but also terpenes – aromatic chemicals.

There are many who accept the entourage effect exists, but to this point scientific evidence to support it has been scant.

Research just released from Sydney University’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics indicates hemp extracts deliver high concentrations of cannabinoid acids in mice due to a ‘pharmacokinetic entourage’ mechanism – higher than when they are administered alone as a single molecule.

Pharmacologists at the University of Sydney in Australia have found tantalising clues as to why low-dose CBD products containing a full-spectrum of cannabinoids seem to have therapeutic impacts at relatively low doses.

The study shows cannabinoids in a cannabis extract interact to produce much higher concentrations of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in the bloodstream than when CBDA is administered alone as a single molecule.

In fact, the cannabis extract delivered 14-times higher CBDA concentrations in the bloodstream when administered orally to mice.

Low-dose CBD products appear to reduce anxiety and are anticonvulsant agents against seizures. But it remains unclear how these products produce these results.

"Our own preclinical studies show CBDA reduces anxiety and seizures. This result provides us with a pathway to explore why some cannabis extracts yield pharmacological effects in humans at lower doses”, said the researchers.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/21/07/22108497/cbd-can-reduce-...

This week, CV Sciences (OTCQB:CVSI) released the results of a preclinical study that suggests that CBD can reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms in smokeless tobacco users.

The study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, San Diego and published on Springer Nature, found that CBD prevented nicotine-dependent rats from exhibiting withdrawal symptoms including increased pain sensitivity and weight gain during short-and long-term nicotine restriction.

The company also released its potential plans to develop the world’s first and only FDA-approved treatment for smokeless tobacco addiction. 

Bioavailability is a term growing in popularity like the rise in CBD, but why is it so important and does it really make a difference? Bioavailability is the amount of an active ingredient that absorbs into the blood stream allowing for the ingredient to effectively activate in the body. Supplements like vitamin C have little issue absorbing into the blood stream and activating in the body because they are considered water soluble; however, supplements like vitamin D3, omega 3, curcuminoids and cannabinoids like CBD have difficulties absorbing in the body because they are fat soluble. This means they do not dissolve well in hydrophilic (water-loving) media, like say the human body. Instead, these fat-soluble supplements are transported through our digestion system before entering the blood stream, breaking down along the pathway. As the body breaks down the supplements, that means considerably less of the active ingredient is absorbed into the body. This is why bioavailability is so important, especially as it relates to fat-soluble compounds, like CBD.

In fact, bioavailability is an integral part of improving a customer’s experience with products like CBD. Traditional oral products like oils and capsules have absorption rates around 10% or less. This means the customer is paying $60 for a bottle but only absorbing $6 worth! However, there are ways of fixing this experience. There are at-home-hacks that a customer can do in order to improve bioavailability. For instance, simply eating a high-fat snack like nuts, hemp hearts or avocado prior to taking a CBD supplement—or any fat-soluble supplement—can increase absorption rates by three- to five-fold. Black pepper has also been touted to improve absorption rates at home, but the rate of increase is not published.

Yet, while these pathways exist, what does the science tell us about their effectiveness? When it comes to conducting a clinical trial, especially on CBD, the science is expensive and oftentimes inconsistent (if a company has even done it at all). There are products that market 80% or more absorption which, unless the product is injected into the blood stream (and therefore a drug), are grossly overestimated. Rather, current research on bioavailability hacks are comparable to eating a high fat snack and are often slightly lower, hovering around one-in-a-half-times to two-times improvement over traditional methods. So, while not everyone can or will work their supplement regiments around their meals, bioavailable formulas offer an easy solution to improve customer experience.While eating fatty foods may be the ultimate route of improving absorption, companies have set out to improve absorption to make their products easier and better for the customer while also having a marketable difference in their product over their competitors. Whether emulsifying the active ingredients into a liposome, crushing the compounds into nano-sized particles, or even bio-mimicking Mother Nature herself, there are existing opportunities to allow a product to shine when the customer takes it.

Another consideration with bioavailability is safety in the body. There are manufacturing methods used like liposomal technology and bio-mimicking processes that create a more natural pathway in the body for improving absorption. With liposomal technology the safety is more defined than nanotechnology. Nanotechnology fractures the compounds into tiny (nanometer-sized) particles, with the goal of the compounds’ being so small they enter the blood stream without degradation in the liver. The issue with nano-technology is understanding the pharmacokinetics of the nano-particles and how they truly absorb, distribute, metabolize and excrete (ADME) in the body. To date the FDA has provided little guidance or progress on ADME safety research associated with nano-particles.

The ultimate goal of bioavailability is ensuring the active ingredients bypass the liver’s first pass metabolism, so the CBD or fat-soluble compounds can enter into the lymphatic system where absorption into the blood occurs. While there are various methods being marketed, not everyone is doing adequate research; however, requesting absorption data from manufacturers claiming improved bioavailability can help brands navigate the decision-making process. In addition, while there are various methods for achieving this improved absorption objective, liposomal and biomimicking processes provide more well-known safety profiles than nano-technology.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is once again speaking out in favor of decriminalized cannabis. (image credit: Shutterstock)

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy (U.S.) spoke with CNN on July 18 in an interview about the pandemic, health misinformation and a brief question about cannabis.

In the interview, Murthy was asked the question “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation this week to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. From a health perspective, do you support this?”

Although he didn’t outright speak in favor of recreational cannabis, he did confirm that scientific evidence is how progress will be made—and it will only help those who have been affected by the War on Drugs.

“When it comes to decriminalization, I don’t think that there is value to individuals or to society to lock people up for marijuana use. I don’t think that serves anybody well.”

Campaigner fought lengthy battle to obtain Bedrocan for sick daughter Ava

Vera Twomey has spoken of her joy at decision. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Campaigner Vera Twomey, who fought a lengthy battle to obtain medicinal cannabis for her sick daughter, Ava, has spoken of her joy after hearing the Bedrocan drug will now be funded up front.

Ms Twomey, of Aghabullogue, Co Cork had to find thousands of euro on a regular basis to pay for Dutch medical cannabis Bedrocan, which was excluded from the Medical Cannabis Access Cannabis programme (CAP).

Ms Twomey said about 60 per cent of existing medicinal cannabis patients are on Bedrocan under an individual license system.

It's no secret that studies show that sexually diverse youth - in particular, lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth - use more cannabis and experience more mental health challenges than their heterosexual peers.

But what about the changes that occur in the rates of cannabis use: do they precede those related to mental health or is it the other way around? A new study from Université de Montréal offers some answers.

In the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Kira London-Nadeau, a doctoral student and CIHR Vanier Scholar in the Department of Psychology at UdeM and the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, provides an update.

In her study, conducted under the direction of Professor Natalie Castellanos-Ryan and with the support of Professors Jean Séguin and Sophie Parent, London-Nadeau analyzed data collected from 1,548 adolescent boys and girls - including 128 LGB adolescents - as part of the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Quebec supported by CIHR and the Institut de la Statistique du Québec.

Participants were followed from the age of five months and the study was based on their responses to questionnaires collected at ages 13, 15 and 17. Although there was an association between depressive symptoms at age 15 and increased cannabis use at age 17 in the general sample, the association was five times stronger among LGB youth.