WeedLife News Network

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.”

Growing up, Georgia's family thought she was a bit of a hypochondriac because she'd always complain about weird aches and pains. Even doctors didn't really take her symptoms seriously.

"I remember at 14 going to the doctors with really bad lower back pain, and they told me it was my posture. I was really fatigued all the time and sleeping so much," Georgia told Hack.

Finally, after years of pain and other chronic symptoms, Georgia was diagnosed with endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body. It can be painful, chronic, and has no cure.

Medical cannabis was legalized in Colorado in 2000, but 20 years later, Camille Stewart, MD, isn't able to prescribe it to her patients. Nor is she able to dictate the dosage or frequency with which patients take the drug.

That's because of the weird limbo in which medical cannabis exists. Although it is legal in many states, cannabis still is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug with no current acceptable medical use and a high potential for abuse. That puts it in the same category as heroin, LSD and MDMA (ecstasy).

You can see why that's very confusing to a layperson, and even confusing to a person in the medical field. You've got this thing called medical cannabis, but then at a federal level it literally says in the law that there is no medical use for it."

Dr. Camille Stewart, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado (CU) Division of Surgical Oncology and CU Cancer Center Member

In Colorado, the most a physician can do is recommend cannabis for a medical condition. Most states operate in a similar fashion, though laws vary on how cannabis is obtained or grown and who can make the recommendation for a patient to receive it.

TORONTO, Dec. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX: AH, OTC: ALEAF) (“Aleafia Health” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the launch of high potency CBD 50 oils, further strengthening the Company’s growing line of cannabis products for wellness oriented consumers. It will be sold to adult-use consumers as SymblTM High CBD 50, and to medical patients as EmblemTM CBD 50.

“The commercialization of our business is fully underway with Aleafia Health’s third major product release in the last month,” said Aleafia Health CEO Geoff Benic. “CBD 50 formulas are differentiated and highly sought after formats in both the medical and adult-use markets which further reinforces our cannabis extract market leadership position.”

CBD sales to medical patients commenced today, with product shipments to the adult-use market expected later this month. Highlights include:

For Investor & Media Relations:

Nicholas Bergamini, VP Investor Relations
1-833-879-2533
IR@AleafiaHealth.com
LEARN MORE: www.AleafiaHealth.com

Consuming cannabis before getting behind the wheel is never a good idea, but just how much influence does it have on our driving?

A study published on Tuesday suggests that low doses of CBD don’t have an influence on people’s capabilities to drive. It also found that while THC is capable of impairing drivers, the effects wear off within a period of four hours.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first to analyze the impact CBD has on driving, while also providing more information as to how THC affects us behind the wheel.

“These findings indicate for the first time that CBD, when given without THC, does not affect a subject’s ability to drive. That’s great news for those using or considering treatment using CBD-based products,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Thomas Arkell.

Photo by William Krause via Unsplash

In the 18 months since Arkansas’ first medical marijuana dispensary opened in May 2019, overall sales have surpassed 28,000 pounds. In total, Arkansans have spent $187 million to obtain 28,674 pounds of medical marijuana.

At this rate, officials with the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission anticipate sales will reach 30,000 pounds by late December.

Locally, since Plant Family Therapeutics of Mountain Home opened in February, the company has sold 1,303 pounds of medical marijuana.

In Mountain View, since Fiddler’s Green opened in July 2019, the company has sold 1,581 pounds of medical marijuana.

There are 31 dispensaries in operation, with six remaining that are working toward opening. The six include new dispensaries in Hardy, Little Rock, Fayetteville and Osceola, as well as two in Pine Bluff.

Would you smoke cannabis if it meant you might consume less alcohol, tobacco, or prescription drugs? A recent study examining a group of patients adds more convincing evidence to the idea that marijuana is an “exit” drug rather than a gateway drug.

Published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, the study compared survey results of 973 patients who answered questions about how they used alcohol before and after receiving medical cannabis authorizations from their doctors. Among them, 44 percent reported drinking less frequently on a monthly basis, 34 percent consumed fewer standard drinks per week, and eight percent said they drank no alcohol at all in the 30 days prior to completing the survey.

The study’s data is derived from the Canadian Cannabis Patient Survey 2019, a survey of patients registered with licensed producer Tilray, and led by the company’s VP of patient research and access and University of Victoria researcher Philippe Lucas.

Greater Success With Intention

Lucas says the study’s most interesting finding was that when patients had a deliberate intention to use medical cannabis to reduce their alcohol consumption, their odds of drinking less or ceasing drinking altogether were significantly higher.

“About 13 percent of participants cited that they deliberately used medical cannabis to reduce the use of alcohol. Conversely, fewer than one percent worked with their physician to do so,” Lucas says.

There were hopes a (positive) TGA decision would be published last week in relation to over-the-counter cannabidiol (CBD) in Australia. Here’s what’s happening.

First, a recap of the road to this point.

Cannabidiol is a non-intoxicating (i.e., it doesn’t create a high) cannabinoid that can be extracted from hemp. CBD has been the focus of significant research into its potential for the treatment and/or management of a wide range of conditions.

In April 2020, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) kicked off a consultation relating to proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard. Among these was the potential for altering the Schedule 4 listing for cannabidiol to one that would enable CBD formulations meeting certain criteria to be made be available from pharmacies without needing a prescription.

The Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling (ACMS) and Advisory Committee on Chemicals Scheduling (ACCS) met back in June to make an interim decision that wasn’t made public until September. The interim decision stated certain low dose CBD products will be downscheduled from Schedule 4 to Schedule 3. Further detail on how the Schedule 3 listing may look for cannabidiol is here.

(image: Study: In search of preventive strategies: novel high-CBD Cannabis sativa extracts modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 gateway tissues. Image Credit: Dmytro Tyshchenko / Shutterstock)

Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that novel Cannabis sativa extracts may decrease levels of the host cell receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain viral entry to target tissues.

SARS-CoV-2 is the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues to sweep the globe threatening public health and the worldwide economy.

The team – from the University of Lethbridge and Pathway Rx Inc., Lethbridge – developed hundreds of new C. sativa cultivars and tested 23 extracts in artificial 3D human models of the oral, airway and intestinal tissues.

As recently reported in the journal Aging, 13 of the extracts downregulated expression of the SARS-CoV-2 host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

(image: Delta 9 Cannabis Inc.)

A Canadian cannabis Company is rolling out a new take on its growing technology that may help the fight to contain the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 350,000 Canadians and killed more than 11,000. Worldwide, those numbers have surged to 60.6 million cases and more than 1.4 million deaths.

Winnipeg-based Delta 9 Cannabis Inc.(TSX: DN, OTCQX: VRNDF, Forum) has developed and validated new proprietary decontamination equipment, called the “Decontamination Pod”, which can be used to decontaminate medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other equipment.

In a media release detailing this news for investors, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, John Arbuthnot called this technology, also branded as a D-Pod, a likely game changer for governments, hospitals, and care-facilities in the fight against COVID-19, allowing them to decontaminate large amounts of PPE and other equipment, increasing the availability of existing PPE inventories and preventing potential exposures to the virus.

“We are extremely proud of our employees and partners for bringing this technology to this point and look forward to continuing to do our part in providing solutions to this health crisis.”

(image: Image: Wikimedia - CC BY-SA 3.0)

A new study on the long-term effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on roundworms has been published. Here’s why it has some significance.

Canada’s Canopy Growth announced recently announced its medical division, Spectrum Therapeutics, carried out a study focusing on toxicity and lifespan effects of CBD in Caenorhabditis elegans – roundworms. However, unlike some roundworms, C. elegans is a non-hazardous, non-infectious, non-pathogenic, non-parasitic organism according to the University of Minnesota College of Biological Science.

Caenorhabditis elegans is often used in preclinical lifelong drug toxicity studies given an estimated 60–80% of its genes have a human ortholog (evolved from a common ancestral gene).

While cannabidiol is already in wide use around the world, there had been no life-long toxicity studies conducted to date to determine the impact either way or potential for same of long-term exposure to CBD. Given C. elegans short lifespan of 2-3 weeks, this made it a good candidate for such a study.