WeedLife News Network

For now, it seems that cannabis will be growing in market share over the coming years and the next generations will consume it far more openly than previous generations.

It turns out that the youths of today are far more interested in consuming cannabis as they are smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. While some might think this is bad news, it is in fact much better news than you could anticipate.

A recent study, published int the Journal of Adolescent Health, revealed the following (via NORML): Researchers with the University of Washington assessed trends in alcohol, nicotine, and non-prescribed pain reliever use among a cohort of over 12,500 young adults (ages 18 to 25) in Washington State following adult-use cannabis legalization.

They reported, “Contrary to concerns about spillover effects, implementation of legalized non-medical cannabis coincided with decreases in alcohol and cigarette use and pain reliever misuse.” Researchers did find that the prevalence of past-month e-cigarette use increased post-legalization.

Authors concluded, “Our findings add to evidence that the legalization of non-medical cannabis has not led to dramatic increases in the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and non-prescribed opioids. … The findings indicate that the most critical public health concerns surrounding cannabis legalization and the evolution of legalized cannabis markets may be specific to cannabis use and related consequences.”

Commenting on the study’s findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Real-world data from legalization states disputes longstanding claims that cannabis is some sort of ‘gateway’ substance. In fact, in many instances, cannabis regulation is associated with the decreased use of other substances, including many prescription medications.”  

Although marijuana has been typically associated with younger adults, that is a stereotype according to the National Library of Medicine. People over 50 are using the drug more often now.

"As an older population grows in the United States that has a tolerant attitude toward marijuana use, the dynamics of marijuana use and the effects of marijuana on personal, social, and health outcomes among older adults require attention," the site states. And according to a study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, marijuana use in people over 65 increased by 75 percent between 2015 and 2018. That said, while marijuana does provide a lot of medicinal benefits, it does affect everyone differently and experts reveal it can cause unexpected side effects. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

McIntosh shares, "Long-term cannabis usage causes CHS, which is characterized by severe cyclical nausea and vomiting, as well as epigastric or periumbilical abdomen discomfort. It goes unnoticed due to a lack of awareness. The prevalence rate is around 95% among users."

Cedars Sinai states, "Marijuana has very complex effects on the body. Experts are still trying to learn exactly how it causes CHS in some people. In the brain, marijuana often has the opposite effect of CHS. It helps prevent nausea and vomiting. The drug is also good at stopping such symptoms in people having chemotherapy. But in the digestive tract, marijuana seems to have the opposite effect. It actually makes you more likely to have nausea and vomiting. With the first use of marijuana, the signals from the brain may be more important. That may lead to anti-nausea effects at first. But with repeated use of marijuana, certain receptors in the brain may stop responding to the drug in the same way. That may cause the repeated bouts of vomiting found in people with CHS. It still isn't clear why some heavy marijuana users get the syndrome, but others don't."

According to McIntosh, "Chronic users are at high risk of developing chronic psychosis disorders like schizophrenia. It causes hallucinations and personality disorders in 95% of users."

Some small studies and anecdotal sources suggest that autistic people may benefit from the therapeutic effects of cannabis. However, there is currently not enough evidence to support this claim.

What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, such as making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and nerve-wrecking for the socially anxious.

Being an introvert is different from having social anxiety. Whereas its normal for introverts to feel drained from social interactions, social anxiety is actually a type of mental illness that causes a person to experience fear during social situations.

Also known as social phobia, people who suffer from this condition experience severe dread and fear whenever they have to do anything with other people; it could be public speaking, making a presentation, attending a party, or even a simple family gathering.

What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, such as making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and nerve-wrecking for the socially anxious. These can result in physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, trembling, dizziness, upset stomach, and brain fog.  With around 7% of the American population suffering from social anxiety disorder, it’s more common than we think but treatment and diagnosis is necessary to prevent it from escalating to depression or substance abuse.

Currently, available treatments are not always successful. Data shows that just 30% of anxiety patients undergoing treatment show improvements, but it’s also not helpful that pharmacological treatments have negative side effects.

Medicinal cannabis reduces cancer-related pain and the need for opiate-based painkillers, reveals a new comprehensive study of its use by oncology patients.

Pain, along with depression, anxiety, and insomnia, are some of the most fundamental causes of oncology patients’ disability and suffering while undergoing treatment therapies, and may even lead to worsened prognosis.

“Traditionally, cancer-related pain is mainly treated by opioid analgesics, but most oncologists perceive opioid treatment as hazardous, so alternative therapies are required,” explained author David Meiri, assistant professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

“Our study is the first to assess the possible benefits of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain in oncology patients; gathering information from the start of treatment, and with repeated follow-ups for an extended period of time, to get a thorough analysis of its effectiveness.”

Need for alternative treatment

After talking to several cancer patients, who were looking for alternative options for pain and symptom relief, the researchers were keen to thoroughly test the potential benefits of medicinal cannabis.

“We encountered numerous cancer patients who asked us whether medical cannabis treatment can benefit their health,” said co-author Gil Bar-Sela, associate professor at the Ha’Emek Medical Center Afula.

Medical marijuana patients spent $24 million in April at the state’s 38 dispensaries to obtain 4,213 pounds, up from the 4,166 pounds sold in March. Hot Springs is home to two of the top five dispensaries for the amount of product sold.

Sales for the first four months of 2022 total $89.8 million, and 15,678 pounds, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

“The amount of product sold increased slightly from March to April,” said DFA spokesman Scott Hardin.

“On average, patients in Arkansas are spending $22.45 million each month across the state’s 38 dispensaries to purchase approximately 3,919 pounds. State tax collection on medical marijuana also increased in April with $2.98 million in total ($2.46 million collected in March).”

The state also collects a cultivator privilege tax, which means tax revenue is not always tied to how much product is bought by consumers at dispensaries and the price for the product sold to dispensary customers.

A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health has found that the legalisation of cannabis leads to lower use of alcohol, cigarettes, and pain medications by young adults.

The study, conducted by researchers with the University of Washington assessed trends in alcohol, nicotine, and non-prescribed pain drug use among a group of over 12,500 young adults aged 18 to 25 in Washington State following the legalisation of cannabis.

The study said “contrary to concerns about spillover effects, implementation of legalised nonmedical cannabis coincided with decreases in alcohol and cigarette use and pain reliever misuse. The weakening association of cannabis use with the use of other substances among individuals ages 21–25 requires further research but may suggest increased importance of cannabis-specific prevention and treatment efforts.”

Cannabis is often theorised to be a gateway drug, leading to further substance abuse, yet the results of numerous studies suggest this is untrue. A 2020 study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy surveyed medical cannabis patients about their alcohol consumption after obtaining a cannabis prescription. The study found that 44% of patients reported drinking less frequently on a monthly basis, 34% consumed fewer drinks per week and 8% said they drank no alcohol in the 30 days prior to taking the survey. Research also suggests that cannabis legalisation reduces the risk of death from opioids, a 2014 study found that annual opioid overdoses were 25% lower in US states where medical cannabis was legal.

Fatigue can be a side effect of cannabis, one that can be difficult to control if you haven’t had experience with the drug.

There’s a reason marijuana is great for those struggling to get a good rest. The plant causes the body to naturally loosen up and relax, which is great for anyone looking to get some Zzzzs. But if you’re just looking to get high or relax a bit, fatigue is a side effect you want to avoid. 

Here are some useful tricks to help you counteract the sleepy effect of marijuana.

Change your setting

If you can’t go to bed or simply don’t want to, the most helpful thing to do is to change your setting. Go for a walk, start talking to a friend, eat something, preferably with protein to help you shake off the lazy feeling, or do something engrossing. A walk is particularly helpful for any and all occasions, exposing you to fresh air, new surroundings, and is something that can be done in almost all situations.

Stretching

Working out is one of the world’s best natural energy boosters, helping you sleep more soundly and decreasing your fatigue. It might be too much to ask of your body to go for a run while on a sleepy high, but some light stretches will do the trick, making you feel more present and helping you get out of your head a little bit.

Take a shower

If you’re at home or at a friend’s house and you start feeling that powerful marijuana-induced stupor, hop in the shower. This will help you relax and wake up, causing you to feel refreshed and ready to do something different.

There are still very limited studies of the efficacy of CBD products in equines; here is a look at what a few have discovered.

CBD, also knowns as cannabidiol, is a compound found in the plant Cannabis sativa, commonly referred to as marijuana. Cannabis actually produces two compounds of interest, tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

THC is popular with some people for its psychoactive effects, while CBD has shown to have some therapeutic benefits. Also of note, is “hemp”, which is the same plant, but a different cultivar, which mean the same plant is bred for specific qualities. In this case, hemp is grown and used largely for its commercial or industrial use, and is bred to only have 0.3% of THC (based on the USA Federal Farm Bill Act 2018 Sect 297A, hemp must have less than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and usually around 3% CBD, but some varieties may contain up to 25% CBD. In Canada, all cannabinoids are regulated under the Cannabis Act of 2018. Industrial hemp must have less than 0.3% THC, but there is no legal limit to the amount of CBD.

Because hemp is a fast-growing plant, it is also of interest as a potential useful product for horses, as either bedding and/or a high-fiber feed source. A byproduct of hemp is hemp seed oil, which generally only contains marginal amounts of CBD. It should be noted that hemp (or its oil) is not currently approved as a feed ingredient for horses in the US or Canada, although the Hemp Feed Coalition hopes to change that.

Cannabidiol has demonstrated numerous therapeutic benefits in people, including helping those with anxiety, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and others. In fact, the FDA of the United States recognizes CBD as a pharmaceutical drug for humans. In Canada, it is a controlled substance and Health Canada oversees its production and use for humans. If CBD is sold with a health claim, it needs to go through Food and Drug Regulations.

However, this becomes more complicated for its use with animals. CBD is not approved as a pharmaceutical therapy for animals, and yet it is also non-nutritional, often being called a nutraceutical. As we know, much of the nutraceutical industry is unregulated.

“The nature of cannabis is it opens your mind. It got me thinking differently.”

Former National Football League (NFL) star Ricky Williams recently sat down with FOX Sports to talk about how cannabis impacted his mental health during his storied football career.

Williams, one of the greatest college football players of all time, played 11 seasons in the NFL. After his fourth violation of the league’s drug policy, Williams was suspended from the league for a year and went on to play the 2006 season with the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts.

Williams’ northern detour drew the ire of football legend Joe Theismann, who derided Williams as “a disgrace to the game.”

Williams addressed those comments in his interview with FOX.

“It was a little bit confusing. But the nature of cannabis is it opens your mind. It got me thinking differently,” Williams told FOX.

What misconceptions surrounding cannabis use would you like to dispel?

There are some misconceptions I would like to point out.

First, it is often said that cannabis is not addictive or that it is psychologically addictive but not physically addictive. While it’s true that it is not very addictive, you can become addicted to it.

Second, it would be extremely difficult to die from an overdose. However, like any other drug, it is possible to use too much, either tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- or cannabidiol (CBD)-heavy strains, which may lead to serious side effects.

Third, CBD will not produce the psychoactive effects of THC, but it may alter your mood, which is why CBD should be described as non-intoxicating, but not as non-psychoactive.

Fourth, pure CBD products still contain 0.3% THC, which can result in a positive drug test.

Understand the pros and cons.

A few weeks ago, New Jersey became the latest state to allow recreational marijuana dispensaries. Customers stood in line for hours for their first chance to legally purchase a substance many said helped them with various things from relaxation to the relief of chronic medical conditions. There is evidence that marijuana can be medically beneficial. But marijuana, like every substance, affects people differently. Here are five things that smoking marijuana every day may do to your body. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

"The most common use for medical marijuana in the United States is for pain control," writes Peter Grinspoon, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

"While marijuana isn't strong enough for severe pain (for example, post-surgical pain or a broken bone), it is quite effective for the chronic pain that plagues millions of Americans, especially as they age." Cannabis may be effective for nerve and muscle pain. It has also been studied for the relief of headaches, insomnia, and fibromyalgia.

Marijuana is renowned for being a relaxant, but in some people, it can have the opposite effect,  causing anxiety, paranoia, and even panic attacks, or exacerbating other mental health issues.

"Marijuana use can cause cognitive impairment and should be used with caution if you have a mental health condition," says the Mayo Clinic.

It’s been more than five years since Australia first introduced a medicinal cannabis program, and a new study has shed light on who exactly gets those scripts.

As reported by The Guardian, researchers from University of Sydney revealed a bunch of juicy statistics around who is being given prescriptions, and for what conditions. It found that chronic pain was the most common reason for medical cannabis being recommended to patients, accounting for 61 percent of prescriptions. Anxiety made up 16 percent of scripts, and sleep disorders 5.6 percent.

The study also shows that pre-pandemic, the age group receiving prescriptions ranged from 45 to 52-years-old. But since 2020, prescriptions are predominantly going to a much younger group, aged 20 to 31.

Queensland was the site of over 51 percent of medical cannabis prescriptions, despite Queenslanders only making up about a fifth of the population.

Sara MacPhail, who authored the study, says that further research is needed to work out why a disproportionate number of scripts were being written in the Sunshine State, and why it’s mostly younger people that are being prescribed the medication.

Interestingly, doctors are generally prescribing flower-based cannabis to patients with anxiety, even though there isn’t a robust body of research showing the flower-based form of the cannabis plant effectively treats the condition.

Rising anxiety and worsening chronic health conditions led to a surge in demand for cannabis that businesses have capitalized on. But thanks to state law, the industry is dominated by just 22 companies.

The pandemic has triggered a medical marijuana boon in Florida.

Over the past two years, the number of people with medical marijuana cards has more than doubled, hundreds more doctors have become licensed to qualify patients, new dispensaries have opened almost weekly and a wide variety of new products have become available.

With anxiety levels rising and chronic health conditions deepening during the numerous COVID-19 waves, more Floridians are seeking cannabis as a medical treatment and the industry has found a way to get it to them.

“We have a lot more people coming in and asking for medical marijuana, but I am also seeing an uptick in the severity of underlying problems,” said Dr. Paul Weisman, who operates ZC Concierge Cannabis Centers in South Florida.

“People have a lot of disabling anxiety right now, a lot of severe sleep disturbance from their anxiety and a lot of chronic pain for conditions that weren’t treated during the pandemic.”

A new study claims to erase and manage conditions like anxiety and alcohol abuse via gene editing.

The brain has control over most things in our body. This pivotal organ is responsible for our moods, memories, thoughts, and so much more. Now, a new study suggests that it could be possible to give your brain a “factory reset,” as if it were an iPhone, and that this could help get rid of conditions like alcohol abuse and anxiety.

The study, published in the journal Science, focused on localizing the region of the brain responsible for the development of alcohol abuse and anxiety, showing how gene editing can erase or control people’s predisposition to these diseases.

Researchers from the University of Illinois based this study on previous findings that linked binge drinking in adolescence to altered brain chemistry, which could impact the way these people regulate their emotions, resulting in higher odds of having anxiety or alcohol abuse. The goal of their study was to use modern gene editing and figure out if these effects could be reversed.

The study was conducted on rats that were exposed to alcohol in their adolescence. Once the rats reached adulthood, researchers measured their levels of anxiety and their desire for alcohol by conducting different tests, including maze experiments and having them choose between different liquids.

Researchers highlighted the importance of adolescent drinking, which can lead to alcohol abuse later on and, more concerning, psychiatric disorders. They found that those who drink during their adolescence have less of a protein known as Arc. The gene-editing process is called CRISPR-d Cas9, and consists of cutting out DNA and allowing it to naturally replenish itself.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) is prepping to grant funds to researchers who are studying cannabis treatment for cancer.

Grant funds will soon be available to researchers who are working to treat cannabis. 

A “Notice of Special Interest” (NOSI) (entitled “Basic Mechanisms of Cannabis and Cannabinoid Action in Cancer”) was posted on May 5 by NIH’s National Cancer Institute, with the intent “to promote research in understanding the mechanisms by which cannabis and cannabinoids affect cancer biology, cancer interception, cancer treatment and resistance, and management of cancer symptoms.”

In the notice, NIH explains that the reasoning behind this effort is due to the growing number of cancer patients seeking relief with medical cannabis, but that there are not enough studies to verify its effectiveness.

“Cancer patients use cannabis and cannabinoids to manage symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment including anorexia, nausea, and pain,” the NOSI states.

“Recent survey evidence suggests that a quarter of cancer patients have used cannabis for symptom management. Despite the increase in cannabis and cannabinoid use, research about their health effects, including potential harms and benefits, remain limited.” 

A modern approach to delivering small doses of psilocybin for the treatment of mental conditions is coming to fruition in Israel.

Israeli biopharmaceutical company Madrigal Mental Care will unveil novel nanotechnology to deliver psilocybin via nasal spray for the treatment and prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at Biomed Israel 2022, on May 10-12, 2022, at the David InterContinental Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel, according to a May 9 press release.

Biomed Israel is a broad celebration of the life science and technology industries. At past events, the event attracted over 6,000 attendees, with 1,000 attending internationally from over 45 countries.

The novel nasal spray system enables nose-to-brain delivery of organic nanoparticles that encapsulate molecules of psychedelic substances—in this case, psilocybin. This nasal spray delivery system can also be used to deliver ketamine, mescaline, MDMA, and other psychedelics.

The nanotechnology was invented by Prof. Amnon Sintov, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) with licensing from BGN Technologies, the Technology Transfer Company of BGU.

“An increasing number of studies point to the advantages of using psychedelic drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and even addiction, with low doses,” Professor Sintov said.