WeedLife News Network

LAS VEGAS - On October 6, 2022, President Biden announced that he will pardon all prior federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana and will call on federal regulators to review how the drug is classified.

The pardons will affect approximately 6,500 people convicted of federal offenses for simple possession from 1992 through 2021, as well as thousands of people in Washington D.C., according to senior administration officials. President Biden is also calling on governors to take similar actions.

“Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Mr. Biden said. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities.”

The president wants to end what he calls a failed approach to marijuana that disproportionately affects people of color with simple possession convictions, officials said.

Among additional steps, the president will also direct the attorney general to issue certificates of pardons that individuals can show to law enforcement and employers, two administration officials said.

Mr. Biden also plans to direct the Department of Health and Human Services and attorney general to review the status of marijuana as a schedule 1 controlled substance, a category that also includes heroin and LSD, the officials said.

Dozens of licensed cultivators have about 80,000 marijuana plants growing.

Around 1,100 patients have signed up for medical marijuana, and 96 doctors or nurse practitioners are working to certify them. Small growers are complaining a large one has been allowed to skirt the rules.

But the Mississippi State Department of Health has zero investigators — and only three staffers — overseeing Mississippi’s new medical marijuana program.

So far only one testing facility has been licensed and is only partially ready to test products. Plus, the health department’s program director still has another job — running the department’s Office Against Interpersonal Violence.

Health Department officials told the Board of Health on Wednesday that the agency is in a four-month “provisional” period with licensed marijuana businesses. As it finds problems or violations, it’s typically just issuing “corrective actions,” giving marijuana businesses a chance to straighten up without hitting them with fines or sanctions or calling in law enforcement.

The Health Department in a meeting with its board Wednesday pledged transparency in its oversight of medical marijuana, shortly before going into a closed door session to brief the board on specific active marijuana program investigations. During its public meeting, some board members’ questions were deferred to the upcoming executive session.

New York seems to have a weed store on every corner. None of them are legal.

New York City’s crisp autumn air has a distinct scent to it, and this year that scent is weed. Many of the city streets have a fresh look to them, too — marijuana and cannabis products are for sale, out in the open, everywhere.

New York legalized recreational marijuana in the spring of 2021, but the state is still in the process of doling out licenses to legally sell it, which makes the situation ... confusing.

So I recently treated myself to a little NYC cannabis secret shopping-reporting tour to try to figure out what was going on. A tarot card reader sold me a pre-rolled joint off of a table in Washington Square Park, warning me to watch out for other sellers who might not know what they’re talking about.

An issue to ponder for another day, on both of my merchant’s entrepreneurial fronts. Later, I bought an edible from a smoke shop even though neither I nor the guy selling it seemed clear on what it was. CBD? Just regular marijuana? The synthetic stuff that might set me up for a very bad time? Maybe the tarot reader had a point.

In the Lower East Side, I popped into a store with marijuana-leaf stamps adorning its facade. “This dispensary is not a speakeasy bar ... or is it ... sorry,” a sign outside read. Then, in some fine print, it got to the point: “We sell weed.” There, I bought what I think are more reliable edibles and chatted at length with the guy behind the counter about his plans for the store.

“We're going to have this entire new universe of plastic waste of the worst kind,” says one environmental activist.

A member of the Australian Greens says fresh legal advice paves a clear path for the national legalisation of cannabis.

Suzan Kennedy has smoked marijuana, and says her Wisconsin roots mean she can handle booze, so she was not concerned earlier this year when a bartender in St. Paul, Minnesota, described a cocktail with the cannabinoid delta-8 THC as “a little bit potent.”

Hours after enjoying the tasty drink and the silliness that reminded Kennedy of a high from weed, she said, she started to feel “really shaky and faint” before collapsing in her friend’s arms. Kennedy regained consciousness and recovered, but her distaste for delta-8 remains, even though the substance is legal at the federal level, unlike marijuana.

“I’m not one to really tell people what to do,” said Kennedy, 35, who lives in Milwaukee and works in software sales. But if a friend tried to order a delta-8 drink, “I would tell them, ‘Absolutely not. You’re not putting that in your body.’”

The FDA and some marijuana industry experts share Kennedy’s concerns. At least a dozen states have banned the hemp-derived drug, including Colorado, Montana, New York, and Oregon, which have legalized marijuana. But delta-8 manufacturers call the concerns unfounded and say they’re driven by marijuana businesses trying to protect their market share.

So what is the difference? The flower of the marijuana plant, oil derived from it, and edibles made from those contain delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the substance that produces the drug’s high, and can be legally sold only at dispensaries in states that have legalized marijuana.

Similar products that contain delta-8 THC are sold online and at bars and retailers across much of the U.S., including some places where pot remains illegal. That’s because a 2018 federal law legalized hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant. Hemp isn’t allowed to contain more than 0.3% of the psychotropic delta-9 THC found in marijuana.

HARRISBURG - A series of investigative stories from Spotlight PA this year has uncovered serious flaws in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program and prompted calls for change from doctors, patients, industry leaders, and policymakers.

The coverage — based on months of reporting, dozens of interviews, and thousands of pages of public records — has revealed misleading or dangerous tactics by cannabis businesses, unequal advertising rules, legal gray areas for workers and employers, and inconsistent enforcement by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration.

Here’s a look at the reporting, its impact, and the issues we’re keeping an eye on:

“Unproven, Unsafe”

A first-of-its-kind review of more than 60 websites revealed that some cannabis companies made statements that multiple health policy and addiction treatment experts called misleading, incorrect, or even dangerous. Spotlight PA’s analysis focused on claims companies made about using cannabis to treat opioid addiction.

Thousands of pages of records obtained by Spotlight PA also showed that state regulators do little to ensure cannabis dispensaries, which require a permit from the state, make accurate medical claims on their websites. Meanwhile, companies that offer to help patients obtain a medical marijuana card operate with little to no oversight.

Impact: One dispensary removed incorrect information from its website after Spotlight PA contacted the company in December.

CARY - While marijuana is illegal in North Carolina, cannabis enthusiasts have found a loophole.

Store owners can legally sell products with less than 0.3% THC -- the psychoactive compound in marijuana -- under the 2018 Farm Bill. This legislation cleared the way for products like Delta 8 to hit store shelves and gain popularity, especially in places where recreational marijuana is still illegal like North Carolina.

Delta 8 is a type of THC itself, distilled from Cannabidiol (CBD), another chemical found in marijuana. The type of THC regulated by the Farm Bill and other legislation is known as Delta 9 THC.

But while Delta 8 is technically legal, there is little regulation of the industry that produces it. Dr. Ziva Cooper, Director of the UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, said this can allow for bad actors to swoop in and make products that are unclean, unsafe or even just incorrectly labeled.

"A lot of these Delta 8 THC products are made through this type of synthetic pathway where there can be contaminants," Cooper said. "There can be heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, there can be other cannabinoids in there that people aren't aware of."

In fact, in a study published in the December 2021 edition of Chemical Research in Toxicology, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center tested 27 Delta 8 products. They found that none of them contained the correct amount of Delta 8 THC, and many contained additional byproducts including heavy metals and additional cannabinoids including delta 9 THC.

According to representatives of the cannabis industry, Colorado’s medical marijuana sales sit at their grimmest point, leaving the state’s cannabis industry “on the brink," reported The Modesto Bee. (Benzinga)

What Does The Colorado Department Of Revenue Say?

In July, the state’s recreational and medical cannabis sales hit almost $154 million, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) figures.

So far this year, total sales have reached more than $1 billion. Yet medical marijuana sales for July only reached just over $18 million, "the lowest monthly figure ever recorded since January 2014," when retail sales were legalized in the Centennial State.

Adult-use sales had it better at more than $135 million, which is a jump from April, May, and June figures. Still, that's significantly lower than last July at nearly $168 million. “There is a dangerous perception that Colorado’s cannabis industry is a cash cow,” said Tiffany Goldman, board chair of the Marijuana Industry Group. “This perception is false.”

The state employs more than 41,000 people to work in the industry. However, Goldman expressed that a number of small cannabis businesses had to close. As an example, Buddy Boy Brands' seven metro-area dispensaries closed permanently in June, with owner John Fritzel blaming "a tax balance," a market downturn, and high costs.

In the last few years, more and more countries have a positive attitude towards the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Of course, there are laws that regulate its cultivation, sale and consumption of marijuana. Although its positive effect is emphasized a lot, there are also opponents of the use of this plant.

Its medicinal properties, such as the relief of pain and inflammatory processes, have long been known. It was still used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. If you want to find out what Florida law thinks about the medical use of marijuana, keep reading.

What is anxiety and what are the symptoms?

Anxiety is a state of consciousness, involving the whole organism, emotions, physical sensations and perceptions, thoughts and behavior. States of fear, worry and panic have been recognized as problems since ancient times.

Constant nervousness and anticipation that something bad will happen significantly lowers the quality of life. An example of anxiety is the constant thought that we will fail in society, that we will not be able to pay the bills at the end of the month, that something will happen to a close person, etc.

Nervousness and fear lead to loss of control, because the autonomic nervous system is more easily activated in such people than in other people.

Monroe County Community College recently hosted an education session aimed at helping prevent marijuana use by Michigan’s youth.

Vicky Loveland, Development Coordinator for the Monroe County Substance Abuse Coalition, recently presented “Cannabis Overview: Protecting Our Youth” via Zoom.  Loveland is a licensed social worker, and she said that the coalition works to reduce abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, underage substance use, and more in Monroe County.

Loveland began the presentation by offering Michigan’s history with legal marijuana, starting with the state’s legalization of medical marijuana sales in 2008.

According to data provided by Loveland, average THC levels in marijuana increased dramatically over time, meaning that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana has been more prevalent, thereby making the substance more potent.

Loveland also noted that the process to get a medical marijuana card is very easy for Michigan residents. She also offered a list of debilitating conditions that warrant medical marijuana card. Most cases cited were “severe and chronic pain.” Loveland said the original intent of the state passing medical marijuana use was to help cancer patients.

However, according to her data, less than 5% of cardholders were using THC products to relieve cancer symptoms, as of 2017. Loveland also described the different strains of marijuana – indica and sativa – as well as their intended effects on the user.

WOOD COUNTY - The Wood County Board of Supervisors has passed an ordinance that requires people to show proof of age 21 to purchase intoxicating hemp products, such as delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in Wood County.

The ordinance went into effect Aug. 23. It also limits the proximity in which these products can be sold near youth-serving organizations and other youth-friendly locations.

“We wanted the focus of this ordinance to be on youth substance use prevention,” stated Jacob Wagner, Wood County Health Department.

Marijuana and hemp are both cannabis plants, but industrial hemp contains 0.3% or less of the psychoactive compound, THC, and marijuana has higher levels of THC. Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized industrial hemp nationwide, a loophole was created that made any other intoxicating chemicals in the cannabis plant legal, except for no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC.

“Delta-8 THC is said to be less potent than delta-9 THC,” Wagner shared, “but products sold in this area are chemically formulated concentrates that cause very similar effects to delta-9 because of their potency.”

In spring 2022, Healthy People Wood County’s substance use prevention team, IMPACT, conducted a community scan of delta-8 THC.

Lisa Quarrell will join expert medical cannabis clinicians at an educational event in Edinburgh this month.

While there’s no strain that will specifically boost your immune system, you can use these strains to lower stress levels that will then strengthen your immunity.

The ongoing pandemic awoke an important discussion that people haven’t had for a while; how to boost the immune system. People are popping vitamins and eating citrus fruits in a bid to protect themselves from the virus, while some folks have been looking into marijuana as well.

But are there strains that protect against the virus or a prevention treatment that people can look into? We take a dive into what we already know and have.

Does Cannabis Work for Colds and Viruses?

First, one’s immune system would have to be compromised for them to get the virus, which then lets us know what we need to guard. While eating foods rich in vitamin C is great, people also need to manage their stress levels so as not to weaken the immune system. Cannabis helps lower stress, which in turn helps strengthen the system. If you can help it, don’t overthink the pandemic or the virus. Instead, focus on getting through one day at a time.

Second, it helps to be cautious when smoking during these times. You would be putting yourself and others at risk if you passed a joint around, even if the people you are smoking with are known to you personally. The best way to combat this virus is to eat right, observe personal hygiene, lower stress levels through cannabis if you are a user, and mask up as has been recommended. It would also do no harm to try the best cannabis strain for pain if you have inflammation or general fatigue. While it will not protect you from the virus, it will give you relief from pain.

While marijuana is known to treat conditions such as epilepsy and cancer, you don’t just get to pick up any strain and hope for the best. It is recommended that you see a doctor who will administer the right one for your condition as well as the required dosage.

Of the 808 study respondents, 77% reported positive effects — with 28% citing reduced pain, 18% noting improved sleep, and 22% experiencing reduced anxiety. (Benzinga)

An online study conducted by Realm of Caring, a cannabis nonprofit advocacy organization, and researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that “medical cannabis consumption can improve the quality of life for those who could not find reprieve from traditional methods.”

Study results, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, showed that medical cannabis helped mitigate various neurological disorders and pain-related ailments that were impacting participants.

“Realm of Caring takes part in IRB-approved (Institutional Review Board) research to ensure we are truly helping individuals to improve their quality of life,” said Sasha Kalcheff-Korn, executive director for Realm of Caring.

Method: Study participants who consumed medicinal cannabis were invited to complete anonymous surveys to provide feedback about their experiences. “Of the 808 study respondents, 77% reported positive effects — with 28% citing reduced pain, 18% noting improved sleep, and 22% experiencing reduced anxiety.

“This research spotlights several concerns that we actively address, such as providing information to the medical community, partnering with quality product companies for more affordable options, and providing free one-on-one support to alleviate unwanted side effects. Realm of Caring will continue to collect and publish data to ensure we fulfill our mission,” Kalcheff-Korn added.

A study that analyzed the hospital patient records of cannabis consumers with COVID-19 reveals new evidence to show that consumers had improved clinical outcomes.

The Journal of Cannabis Research published a new study recently that claims that cannabis can help lessen COVID-19 symptoms. The study, “Cannabis consumption is associated with lower COVID-19 severity among hospitalized patients: a retrospective cohort analysis,” used data collected from two Los Angeles hospitals: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. A retrospective analysis found decreased severity of symptoms and improve clinical outcomes in relation to COVID-19 patients.

Researchers explained the importance of studying the relationship between cannabis and COVID-19. “In the USA in 2020, an estimated 17.9% of the population (49.6 million people) used cannabis during the past year,” researchers wrote. “Given the magnitude of COVID-19 and the prevalence of cannabis use in the USA, it is important to evaluate how active cannabis usage may affect clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.”

Among the 1,831 patients whose cases were analyzed, all were 18 or older. Age among cannabis active consumers was a noteworthy consideration, due to the severity of symptoms experienced differently between young or old patients. “Consistent with known trends, active cannabis users were overall younger than non-users,” researchers wrote. “However, when adjusting for age these outcomes remained consistent. Even more, when adjusting for comorbid conditions, demographics and smoking history we found that cannabis users still had less severe disease progression compared to non-users.”

Cannabis’s unique properties warranted further examination from researchers. “Consistent with our understanding of how cannabis may play a role as an immunomodulator, non-cannabis users were found to have greater elevations in inflammatory biomarkers at the time of admission and during their hospital course,” researchers wrote in their discussion. According to the National Cancer Institute, an immunomodulatory agent is known to suppress the immune system, and assist the body in fighting cancer, infection, and other diseases.

Ultimately, researchers found that cannabis consumption was beneficial for some patients, but more research would be necessary to support that conclusion. “In this retrospective review of 1831 COVID-19 patients requiring hospital admission, current cannabis use was associated with decreased disease severity. This was demonstrated in lower NIH severity scores as well as less need for oxygen supplementation, ICU admission and mechanical ventilation,” they wrote. “While there was a trend toward improved survival in cannabis users, this was not statistically significant. To our knowledge, this is the first study looking at clinical outcomes of cannabis users hospitalized with COVID-19. Further studies, including prospective analyses, will help to better understand the relationship between cannabis and COVID-19 outcomes.”