WeedLife News Network

The reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that asthma affects 339 million people worldwide. It has definitely earned a spot as one of the chronic ailments that could use an effective, natural treatment.

With CBD becoming more and more popular, some asthmatics have decided to give it a leap of faith. Many people, however, are concerned whether CBD and asthma are actually a good match.

CBD (cannabidiol) is the non-intoxicating compound of hemp or marijuana plants. It has created the latest gold-rush in the wellness industry thanks to its versatility and an excellent safety profile.

Hemp-derived CBD is legal in all 50 states under the 2018 Farm Bill. You can find it over the counter in health retail outlets, dispensaries, and vape shops. It comes in tinctures, capsules, edibles, topicals, vapes, and even pet products.

But can CBD actually help asthma sufferers reduce the symptoms of their illness?

People suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, which leads to chronic inflammation, are on the fast track to colon cancer, but prevention might begin with cannabis.

Young adults typically brush off the risk of colon cancer as an old man’s disease, yet the illness is becoming increasingly common in people under the age of 50. Consider the tragic outcome of Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, who died at age 43 after a heroic battle with colon cancer—despite his otherwise impeccable physique and health. 

A class of conditions exhibiting variable levels of severity are called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—difficult-to-treat conditions ranging from ulcerative colitis to Crohn’s disease. IBD can lead to chronic inflammation, which can lead to oncogenesis, or progress into cancer. Colon cancer, in particular, is a disease with relatively grim survival rates and only a handful of viable options for treatment. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that 1.3% of all U.S. adults reported receiving a diagnosis for IBD, and the condition usually creates a domino effect of other symptoms.

New research, however, suggests that cannabis’ psychoactive compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could help prevent colitis-associated colon cancer in mice.

A team of researchers associated with the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia observed the effects of THC in mouse models to evaluate the potential efficacy of the compound in preventing colon cancer in humans. The team’s research was published last month in an issue of iScience.

One issue that’s unanimous by numerous doctors and researchers is the importance of disclosing cannabis consumption patterns with a physician.

Cannabis is so much more than a plant that can get consumers high. It’s an alternative medicine, a natural remedy, and a difference-making plant that can improve lives. Although cannabis has numerous therapeutic and medicinal properties, when it’s consumed along with prescribed or non-prescribed medications, adverse side effects can occur, which can be harmful to one’s health. Even though nobody has died from a cannabis overdose so far, there are concerns about combining cannabis products with various medications.

Here’s why it’s crucial to discuss cannabis consumption patterns with a doctor or healthcare provider.

Concerns & Lack of Research Findings

As time goes on, more of cannabis’s health benefits are being discovered. However, limited research exists on the effects caused from combining cannabis with different pharmaceutical medications or over-the-counter meds. Just like with other drugs, when cannabis is combined with different medications, certain side effects can arise, which may be negative and detrimental to one’s health and well-being.

For years, researchers have tried determining how prescribed and non-prescribed medications interact with different cannabinoids. Despite the variety of studies that are underway about this topic, do you know how complex the cannabis plant is? It contains more than 400 already discovered chemicals and over sixty cannabinoids! But, there’s still much to learn about other cannabinoids, their safety profiles, and their effects

A partnership between Ilera Holistic Healthcare and Southern has paved the way for the release of two new cannabis tinctures in Louisiana designed to reduce autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, regardless of age.

Touted as the first medical marijuana (MMJ) product in the state, its release was made possible by scientific research, according to Louisiana-based Ilera Holistic.

The research shows that cannabis is “safe and effective on patients (including children) to treat ASD,” the company statement notes. Patients who use cannabis have reported significant improvement in quality of life, mood and sleep, as well as less reliance on other medications, it adds.

Louisiana exceeds “the national percentage of autism diagnoses, while at-risk and under-served patients still struggle to receive safe and effective healthcare,” Dr. Chanda Macias, Ilera Holistic CEO, notes in the statement.

Called HOPE, the product was formulated by Zelira Therapeutics and will be available through state-licensed MMJ pharmacies to patients and families who have a doctor’s prescription. The product is gluten-, dairy-, soy- and nut-free, pesticide-free and lab-tested. It will be available in a 1:1 THC:CBD tincture and a 5:1 THC:CBD tincture.

The Arkansas Department of Health’s website reports that there are 83,779 active medical marijuana cards in the state, but dispensaries and patients are seeing an unprecedented amount of shortages.

“We had to raise our prices because we had just too many people coming through the shop,” Owner of Green Springs Medical marijuana dispensary in Hot Springs, Dragan Vicentic, said. He said he’s seen the shortage at his dispensary since June. They have a list of 75 different strands of marijuana and he was out a dozen this week. He said the shortage is growing each week and it’s impacting patient’s health.

“It’s more expensive, they’re having to go back to the streets possibly to get it from the people on the black market which is a terrible idea,” Vicentic said.

Vicentic says a lot of doctors turned patients away from opioids to marijuana.

“They can’t go back to their doctors and get their prescriptions for opioids again because the doctors won't give them to them so it’s a huge deal for the patients,” Vicentic said.

Looking to increase availability to underserved areas of Delaware, a Request for Applications was issued by the state’s Medical Marijuana Program that would open four new compassion centers.

Delaware Office of Medical Marijuana Director Paul Hyland said more centers are needed because the program continues to expand.

According to data from the Division of Public Health, as of Sept. 3, there were 10,587 medical marijuana patients in Delaware. That’s roughly a 29 percent increase in patients since Columbia Care opened its Rehoboth dispensary in October 2019, and about a 278 percent increase since First State Compassion opened its Lewes dispensary in May 2017.

At the time of each opening, DPH provided the Cape Gazette with patient number information – there were 8,211 when Columbia Care opened and 2,802 when First State opened.

In an email Sept. 4, Hyland said the most common concern among cardholders is the lack of selection. Counting all the vendors together, he said, Delaware has about 34 different strains of marijuana. However, he continued, some patients desire a more varied selection.

Asian countries have not been known for their acceptance of cannabis either as a recreational drug, or for its medicinal value. Thailand is the first Asian country to break stride, legalizing medicinal cannabis, and opening up a global export market.

Change doesn’t always come quick, and Asian countries like China and Japan have been notoriously tough with their drug laws, even cannabis. This is true as well for countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In fact, getting caught with minor possession in such countries can earn a person a lifetime in prison, or even a death sentence.

So it’s no small feat that in 2018, Thailand’s military appointed National Legislative Assembly voted 166-0 to legalize medicinal marijuana. Before a law goes into force in Thailand, it also must be approved by Thailand’s reigning monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The legislation went into effect in 2019.

Thailand and cannabis

The legalization of medicinal cannabis, and the opening of a global export market did nothing to change the laws around recreational cannabis in Thailand. Cannabis still remains a category 5 narcotic under Thai drug laws and illegal possession of the plant can garner a person up to 15 years in prison, and approximately a 1.5 million baht fine (about $48,000). If a person is caught trafficking, they could face life in prison, or even the death sentence. The change in laws was covered under the Narcotics Act of 2019, which is a modified version of the Narcotics Act of 1979.

The medicinal legalization is strictly for those authorized by the government to cultivate and use the plant. Users are required to have a doctor’s prescription and a marijuana identification card.

The laws that originally legalized medical cannabis in 2018, are likely to be updated in 2020. The cabinet approved a Public Health Ministry proposal to expand the existing laws to allow patients, medical practitioners, and traditional medicine healers to cultivate cannabis. This authorization, should it pass, would allow a greater number of people to legally grow, including folk healers.

Independent consultancy NNE and venture advisory firm Volvér showcase the significance of science and risk in devising a manufacturing facility.

How can cannabis producers bring a high quality, reliable product onto the market? Morten Allesoe, Principal Consultant and Christian Carlsen, Venture Partner at independent consulting firm NNE, tell MCN about the importance of factoring in scientific evidence and risk awareness.

“We have previously discussed various steps in the journey from having an idea as an investor or entrepreneur, to creating and delivering the product to the patient and the processes that take place within the body once the patient consumes the product – but we are still missing some of the steps between the initial idea and the launch of an operational facility,” explains Business Director Christian Carlsen.

“We advise our customers to take the science- and risk-based approach with a heavy patient focus, but this is a factor that migrates into the broader strategy on how to qualify the facility and the equipment,” says Principal Consultant Morten Allesoe.

How can a focus on science and risk help solve the challenges faced by medical cannabis producers in an emerging market?

Pharmaceutical engineering and consulting company NNE has provided advice and support to an increasing number of medical cannabis clients in recent years. As the nascent medical cannabis industry has grown and developed, both in Europe and elsewhere, Carlsen has identified some key differences between the field of medical cannabis and the traditional pharmaceutical sector.

Cannabis is advertised, sometimes haphazardly, as a cure-all for seemingly endless conditions and health problems these days. According to a recent survey, however, marijuana really is helping many women cope with their menopause symptoms.

The arrival of menopause is associated with a number of adverse symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats. Now, this new research shows more and more women are using marijuana, or at least want to use it, to help alleviate symptoms.

In all, 232 women (average age 56 years old) living in Northern California participated in this research. Over half report dealing with hot flashes and night sweats regularly (54%), while others deal with insomnia (27%) or genitourinary symptoms frequently (69%).

Results show over a quarter of women say they have used, or are currently using, marijuana to help battle menopause symptoms. Another 10% say they are interested in trying cannabis in the future for their menopause problems.

Perhaps just as interesting, only 19% report using a more traditional form of menopause symptom management like hormone treatment. So, it seems marijuana for menopause is more widespread than even some conventional approaches.

Despite being signed into law in July 2019, many of the improvements touted by Jake Honig’s Law, which expanded the state’s medical marijuana program, have yet to be implemented, frustrating physicians, healthcare professionals and attorneys operating in the healthcare space.

With more than 86,000 patients signed up for the medical marijuana program in New Jersey, and a ballot question asking voters to decide whether or not to legalize recreational cannabis, health care experts say many in their industry remain under informed about the medicinal value of cannabis and when or how to prescribe it.

Dr. David Nathan, founder and president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, said there were numerous issues the medical cannabis program still needed to address in order streamline the program including the sign-up process for patients and physicians, increasing the number of dispensaries, delivery, home cultivation and allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to recommend cannabis.

“My feeling is that anybody who is eligible to prescribe medication in the state of New Jersey should be eligible to recommend cannabis,” Nathan said.

Sheila Mints, a healthcare attorney with Capehart Scathard, said Jake Honig’s Law authorized nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to register patients for the medical marijuana program but, in practice, that change has yet to take effect.

Everyone loves a little self-care, and right now, we probably all need to devote some extra time to ourselves to de-stress.

CBD (cannabidiol) and self-care seem like a match made in heaven. There are claims galore assuring you that adding CBD to your self-care routine will not only chill you out but it’ll do wonders for your anxiety. But what does the science say?

There are a plethora of CBD self-care products available to buy; from earthy deodorants, sumptuous body creams and dewy facial serums, to oils for pulse points, tension and pain relief. You can ingest CBD drops or you can soak in some hemp bath salts. All of these activities on their own are soothing and can do wonders for your anxiety when you take the time out to do them, however, there is some actual science to back up the claims that incorporating cannabidiol could lower your anxiety.

We know that CBD is currently used to treat insomnia and the chronic pain that is associated with various diseases. Studies have shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe physical pain and they also suggest that CBD helps people to fall and stay asleep. Both are important factors for physically relaxing your body.

But if you’re looking to address anxiety with your self-care products (which should never replace the advice or medication given by a medical practitioner), studies indicate that CBD decreases anxiety and social phobias by producing an anxiolytic effect in both animals and humans. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system to help restore homeostasis, meaning it helps to create a stable equilibrium within the human body and mind. In fact, CBD interacts with several receptors in the body that regulate anxiety and it’s manifesting behaviours.

Cannabis and sleep go great together. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when using the herb to help you rest.

Marijuana can be a great tool for sleep. Just talk to any friend who smokes weed at night or who found themselves nodding off in the middle of a party because the herb they smoked was a little too relaxing.

Anecdotal evidence from people with varying degrees of insomnia shows how effective marijuana can be for sleep by helping users feel relaxed and allowing them to achieve hours of uninterrupted rest.

Despite marijuana’s powerful sleep inducing effects, it’s important to understand that the relationship between cannabis and sleep isn’t as clear cut as so many believe it is.

Here are 5 things you should keep in mind when using marijuana as a sleep aid:

Chronically ill Australians desperately trying to access medicinal cannabis could soon be given a helping hand.

Melbourne-based medicinal cannabis company Montu has created a nationwide network of doctors who support the use of controversial cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment and can help more than half a million patients access the drug for a range of medical conditions, regardless of their location.

It will come as a welcome relief for thousands of Australians including Melbourne mother Annee Angell, whose daughter Lindsey has epilepsy.

Ms Angell said it had been an ongoing battle to find the right treatment for her 40-year-old, blind and non-verbal daughter, who would feel the debilitating effects of seizures for days after an episode.

Speaking to NCA NewsWire, Ms Angell said she discovered CBD four years ago, but she was forced to seek out a “backdoor supplier” in a bid to treat her daughter’s lifelong and “unpredictable” condition because the product was illegal.

New research out this month suggests that medical cannabis is extremely prevalent among patients looking to treat symptoms for a serious tissue disorder.

The study, which will be published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, found that more than one-third of patients diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) have used marijuana to manage symptoms.

NORML, which reported on the study last week, said that the researchers found that 37 percent “reported having used cannabis therapeutically,” with cannabis use particularly prevalent “among patients who reported experiencing either moderate or severe pain.”

“Of all of the traditional and complementary therapies used by respondents, ‘marijuana was self-rated as most effective,’” NORML noted in its write-up.

What is EDS?

The National Institute of Health defines Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as “a group of disorders that affect connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues,” the outlook for which can “range from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications.” The hallmark symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are extremely flexible joints and elastic-like skin that is susceptible to bruising.

The Malta Medicines Authority is steering standards of good practice into day-to-day excellence, regulating medicinal cannabis through an approach that upholds scientific quality, innovative research and stakeholder engagement.

As a regulatory body, the Malta Medicines Authority (MMA) provides an infrastructure that supports research and development as well as the accessibility of quality medicinal cannabis. Through guidance, technical reviews and scientific evaluations, the MMA enables controlled sourcing of cannabis-based products for the Maltese market and oversees prospective operations of local manufacturing facilities, alongside educational endeavours tailored to the evolving needs of stakeholders.

What are the main developments in Malta relevant to cannabis for medicinal and research purposes?

Medicinal cannabis gained momentum in Malta particularly over the past three years, recognising the opportunity to get policy decisions right and implement practical regulation. The 2018 amendments to the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act (Chapter 537 of the Laws of Malta) enable licensed medical practitioners to prescribe not only cannabis-based products which hold a Marketing Authorisation, but also other products which are manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

The first product was made accessible to patients in Malta by May 2018, following a notification of approval issued by the Superintendence of Public Health on the recommendation of the Medicines Authority. All individual packs of the four products approved to date are serialised with tamper-evident labels upon sourcing to Malta, for traceability purposes. The product portfolios are followed up and any adverse reaction reports managed through a set procedure.

The enactment of Chapter 578 of the Laws of Malta and its subsidiary legislation, also in 2018, portended the legal provisions relevant to the production of cannabis for medicinal and research purposes. The Advanced Scientific Initiatives Directorate within the MMA developed a regulatory framework, including guidance documents which provide an overview of specific procedures such as cannabis cultivation, production, analytical considerations, licensing, security and reporting measures, enabling the implementation of a transparent system throughout all processes, including due diligence and certifications relevant to manufacturing, as well as monitoring and control.

Hill Dickinson Senior Associate Rohit Fogla explores the UK’s regulatory landscape concerning cannabis finance.

As policy on cannabis in the UK and Europe continues to evolve, Rohit Fogla, Senior Associate at Hill Dickinson LLP, outlines the current regulatory regime for medical cannabis, capital raising and investment options for enterprises and investors operating in this sector.

Medical cannabis in the UK

In November 2018, the UK government changed the law to make it possible for ‘cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans’ (CBPMs) to be ordered and prescribed by specialist practitioners without a controlled drugs licence. At the time, it was thought this might be the gateway to further liberalisation of the restrictions on cannabis in the UK, which would foster the development of a UK medical cannabis industry.

However, due to restrictions put in place around the reforms that were introduced, only a very small number of patients with a limited range of conditions have been able to access treatment within the NHS, meaning that medical cannabis remains inaccessible for many of the patients in need.

One of the main barriers to access has been doctors’ inability or unwillingness to prescribe medicinal cannabis. This is partly due to the lack of education around cannabis available to doctors, but also due to the responsibility placed on doctors who elect to pursue this form of treatment. This has meant that those people that cannot access medical cannabis on the NHS or privately, which some estimates suggest run to the millions, are forced to purchase cannabis on the black market.

Before giving CBD oil to your ailing dog or cat, you should know something.

It’s not legal to give your pet CBD oil, a popular treatment for humans looking for help with arthritis and a host of other problems.

When the Cannabis Act was passed by the federal government and updated later to include edibles, its use for pets was not included.

“Veterinarians are not permitted to authorize medical cannabis nor are there are any products that contain cannabinoids that are approved for use in animals,” said Sarah Silcox, president of the Canadian Association of Veterinary Cannabinoid Medicine.

“So the most promising step is the government has last year proposed a new class that they have termed cannabis health products, but they would be approved by Health Canada for both human products as well as animal products,” added Silcox, who predicted that change is at least a year away.

Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment. 

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event. From the confusion of understanding the road ahead to the hectic schedule of treatment protocols and never-ending appointments, many individuals struggle through treatment and beyond.

Amy S., a native of Milwaukee, shared that her breast cancer treatment took a toll not only on her body, but relationships as well.  “Exhaustion was an understatement. I didn’t have the brain power or the patience to give to my children, or my husband.” Amy went on to explain that during particularly difficult chemotherapy sessions, while they were targeting her left breast, she had continuous nausea and insomnia. One bright spot, Amy shared, was that a friend passed her some CBD oil. 

After discussing combining the oil with her other treatment, she found relief in small doses. “It didn’t fix the fear, but it gave me a little bit of my life back, between vomiting and overthinking.” Amy credits CBD oil with helping her deal with anxiety and pain during treatment. And, she’s not alone. 

Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment.