WeedLife News Network

More and more women are using weed in pregnancy but they may want to think twice.

Researchers have found a link between marijuana use by expectant mothers and autism and childhood psychosis. Now, a small study has shown how cannabis use can affect the placenta and may be linked to higher levels of anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity in children.

The US researchers looked at 322 mother-child pairs based in New York City who were part of a wider research project on stress in pregnancy. When the children were between 3 and 6 years old, hormone levels were measured from hair samples, electrocardiogram recordings were used to measure heart function, and behavioral and emotional functioning was assessed based on parental surveys.

"This new study supports a growing body of evidence that smoking cannabis during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for women and their children," Dr. Daghni Rajasingam, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom, told the Science Media Centre in London.

"We know from previous studies that using cannabis during pregnancy is linked to impaired fetal brain development, stillbirth, low birth weight, and pre-term birth. This new evidence adds to these existing safety concerns, suggesting that cannabis use in pregnancy could lead to higher anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the children," she said.

"There is only a small sample of women and children used in this study, and we would like to see more research done in this area."

Medical marijuana and physicians is still a tricky situation. 

Medical marijuana is already a mainstream facet of healthcare delivery in many states in the US. Physicians in states where legal marijuana programs are fully established are saddled with the responsibility of giving certificates for approval to patients they deem fit for the program. Patients use medicinal marijuana to deal with different types of health conditions which include pain relief, inflammation, seizures, insomnia, and a host of other ailments.

A recent court proceeding witnessed the ruling of the Michigan appeal court to uphold a two-year suspension of a physician who gave out 22,000 medical cannabis certificates in a year. Read on as we visit the peculiarities of this case and why the appeal court has chosen to uphold the ruling to suspend the physician.

Medical Marijuana in Michigan

The state of Michigan following the decision by 62.7% of its voters in November 2018 became the thirteenth state in the US to legalize medical marijuana. The medical marijuana program in the state requires all patients and primary caregivers to have a state registry ID card. Between the period of October 2014 and the same time in 2015, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had 84,785 new and renewal medical marijuana certifications.

The requirements for a patient to qualify for a medical marijuana card in Michigan are very straightforward which is why the state is always seeing a high turnover of applications and certifications. To qualify, the applicant must be a resident of the State of Michigan. The applicant must also have a written certification from a physician licensed by the state. The physician will state the condition of the patient while explaining how marijuana will help in achieving therapeutic aims in the patient. The state also has applications classified for those 18 years and older and those below the age of 18.

A closer look into the case

It is possible for you to initially doubt the authenticity of the figures seen above but you read right, the figure is 22,000. Dr. Vernon Proctor the physician in question in his defense stated that the figure is expressed to the court for certificates was not true. Instead, he refuted the claims by stating that it was more than 1,000 during the stated period. To back up these claims, Proctor stated that they went to five clinics a day and each of those clinics had about 20 to 50 patients per day.

Time flies – it was 25 years ago on Friday voters in the US state of California gave the green light for medical cannabis.

California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, Prop. 215, was the  first law to legalize the personal use and cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes since prohibition took effect in the United States. The state’s voters approved Prop. 215 with 5,382,915 (55.6%) votes in favor and 4,301,960 (44.4%) against.

The Act protected patients and defined caregivers possessing or cultivating marijuana recommended by a physician from laws that would otherwise see them prosecuted. It also forbid the punishing of physicians recommending the use of medical marijuana.

This occurred in the face of federal prohibition still applying – and while raids and prosecutions from the feds continued for some years, in March 2009 federal officials announced that they would no longer attempt to interfere with medical marijuana distribution/use in the state.

Where California went, other states followed – albeit very slowly for the next two decades. But today the majority of states have programs in place, albeit with varying levels of restrictions.

Hemp oil comes from the same species of Cannabis sativa plants that yield marijuana and CBD oil, but it's a decidedly different product.

Hemp oil, aka hemp seed oil, is produced by cold-pressing the seeds from hemp plants, similar to how olive oil is made by pressing olives.

However, hemp seeds have little to no THC or CBD, says Jeffrey Chen, MD, co-founder and CEO of Radicle Science, a health-tech company that offers research and validation services for CBD products.

Instead, many of hemp oil's purported health benefits come down to its nutrients: Hemp oil is a rich source of minerals and healthy omega fatty acids, which may help with skin, hair, and nail health among other things. However, research is still in the early stages.

Hemp nutrition

One tablespoon of hemp oil contains roughly 125 calories and 14 grams of fat (18% DV). In addition, hemp seeds are a rich source of other nutrients, including:

Though little to no medical research links cannabis use with COVID-19 relief, that is definitely not the case in business where the pandemic proved to be a boon for the industry.

As the world continues to contend with COVID-19, much about the virus remains uncertain, including its interactions with cannabis. (original article appeared on Benzinga)

In the early months of the pandemic, various studies linked pot to both adverse and beneficial results. The trend continues today, with little conclusively known about the cannabis-COVID medical connection if indeed there is one.

That said, it is much clearer to see that the pandemic created a significant beneficial impact on the marketplace.

Almost All Conclusions Require Additional Data

Several physicians and researchers tell Benzinga that little has been concluded regarding any cannabis-COVID connections, beneficial or adverse.

Dr. Robert Milanes, a California-based cannabis physician of telehealth platform Heally, stated, "One thing we know conclusively is that cannabis cannot cure COVID-19."

The cult hero products sold out within five days

CBD skincare is making waves in the beauty industry and has been endorsed by celebrity fans Gwyneth Paltrow and Kristen Bell, who have raved about the benefits of cannabidiol. Growing in popularity, hemp skincare can drastically improve various skin conditions, thanks to its ability to reduce sebum production and act as an anti-inflammatory.

Recently, Hey Bud Skincare – Australia’s number one-selling hemp skincare range – launched two new CBD skincare products which sold out within just five days. But now, they’re back in stock – and we have a 15% discount code…

The two CBD products on offer? Hey Bud’s Daily Hemp Gel Cleanser, and Hyaluronic Acid + Hemp Serum, which garnered a waiting list of 27,000 people.

This gentle foam cleanser will leave skin cleansed, brighter, moisturised, and balanced. Enhanced with Hemp Seed Oil, this cleanser clears pores while regulating oil balance, making it ideal for those with spot-prone skin. Meanwhile, the Sodium PCA ingredient will provide advanced hydration, and hyaluronic acid will help to combat dry or flaky skin.

SHERWOOD, Ark. – From chronic pain to PTSD, veteran health has been a national topic of debate for generations.

But a growing movement has veterans finding relief in plants, switching from pill bottles to buds and easing their pain through cannabis.

According to the National Institutes of Health, veterans are twice as likely as the general population to die from an opioid overdose, a statistic sending many away from pharmacies and into dispensaries in states where medicinal marijuana is legal. 

“It was a feeling that I didn’t like,” Carmichael said, describing nausea and brain fog that accompanied pain relief. In addition, the increased possibility of addiction and overdose sent him looking for another option. 

Soon, he found another treatment: medicinal marijuana, which also helped with his anxiety and insomnia in one fell swoop. 

Hemp is not a new word in the world of cosmetics: the oil of this plant has been used since ancient times as a natural and effective means of moisturizing the skin. But cannabis became a really fashionable ingredient in the beauty industry a couple of years ago due to the widespread decriminalization. In a number of US states, the use of marijuana is completely legalized, in some European countries, the use and storage of small amounts of “weed” are turned a blind eye. 

​All this allows more research and discovery of new properties of cannabis, not only as of the component of Delta 8 cartridges but also as a valuable cosmetic source. So, hemp oil perfectly moisturizes the skin and copes with the restoration of the hydrolipid layer. Products with this ingredient can have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, help with increased sebum production and soothe skin. So, let’s have a look at seven fashionable canna products in the beauty industry.

1. The hand cream by The Body Shop

The hemp series are perfect for very dry skin and as a spot treatment for particularly affected areas of the body such as elbows, legs, or feet. Considering that regular handwashing and antiseptics are our new reality, protective cream with panthenol or hemp oil can be a real salvation.

2. Kiehl’s face serum

The brand’s new product is a dense serum with a pleasant but intense aroma and hemp seed oil. It is suitable for all skin types, including problem skin, but for oily skin, it may be too dense.

3. Shine Is face mask

The mask with small apricot granules works on two fronts: gently exfoliates the skin and moisturizes it. Hemp and shea oils fight flakiness and dryness of the face. Considering that few people benefit from sitting at home in front of a laptop, a mask can become a real quarantine salvation for depressed skin.

A key congressional committee has approved legislation that would direct the VA to conduct studies into the use of cannabis as a therapeutic treatment for PTSD and chronic pain.

A key congressional committee last week approved a bill that would authorize federal research into the therapeutic applications of cannabis for military veterans. Under the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be required to conduct clinical trials into the potential of cannabis as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain among the nation’s veterans.

The bill was approved by the House Veterans Affairs Committee on Nov. 4 by vote of 18 to 11, receiving support from all the panel’s Democratic members as well as one Republican. The committee approved previous versions of the bill last year and in 2018, but the legislation has yet to be passed by the full Congress and signed into law.

“Our veterans are no strangers to confronting challenges, and that’s why Congress needs to explore alternative treatment options,” Rep. Lou Correa, a California Democrat and sponsor of the bill, told Marijuana Moment. “The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2021 meets veterans where they already are and opens a new door for federal policy that supports treatment options preferred by veterans.”

“How can we not try to gather the vast resources of Congress and the federal government to explore alternative treatment options like cannabis when veterans themselves are telling us that’s what they need,” Correa added. “To not support this legislation would be to defer once again of our obligation to care for those who have sacrificed so much to help protect our nation.”

The VA has acknowledged that PTSD and trauma experienced on the battlefield can contribute to a higher rate of suicidal ideation. Anecdotal evidence shows that cannabis can help ease the symptoms of PTSD, but clinical evidence has so far been inconclusive. In addition, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has advised Congress that there is “substantial evidence” that cannabis has medicinal value as a treatment for chronic pain and urged lawmakers to fund research into the potential risks and benefits of medical marijuana.

In a busy week with countless events and so many esteemed guest speakers, it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite moment from MJBizCon 2021, but on this Veterans Day, there is one story that stands out.

The House of Representatives approved a massive infrastructure bill late Friday, which includes allowing researchers to study marijuana purchased from state-licensed dispensaries. The legislation is now heading to President Joe Biden’s desk. (article originally appeared on Benzinga)

The bill will allow scientists to study research cannabis that is not exclusively government-grown, in addition to encouraging states with legal cannabis to educate people about impaired driving.

The move came on the heels of recently approved legislation that would require the VA to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans.

Bill Removing Barriers To Cannabis Research

The new infrastructure measure requires collaboration between the transportation secretary, attorney general and the secretary of health and human services in which the three agencies are expected to complete a public report within two years of the bill’s enactment. The report is expected to contain a recommendation on establishing a national clearinghouse to “collect and distribute samples and strains of marijuana for scientific research that includes marijuana and products containing marijuana lawfully available to patients or consumers in a state on a retail basis” as well as a study that looks deeply into impaired driving. 

The measure also stipulates that scientists working in states that are not yet in the process of legalization should also have access to dispensary products available in jurisdictions that have ended prohibition.

After months of uncertainty, officials announced Monday that qualified medical cannabis patients in South Dakota are now able to apply for a patient card.

Eligible patients in South Dakota can officially file applications to receive a medical cannabis card under a new law that has had a clumsy rollout.

A notice posted Monday on a state government website dedicated to the new medical cannabis program said that physicians “can now access the medical cannabis patient portal and begin certifying medical cannabis patients.”

“Once certified by a physician, patients will then be able to access the online application process and complete their applications,” the notice said. “Approved applicants will have a medical cannabis patient card mailed to them.”

Monday’s notice from the department ends months of uncertainty and disputes surrounding the new medical marijuana law, which was approved overwhelmingly by South Dakota voters at the ballot in last year’s election.

The law took effect on July 1, but no dispensaries were open on that date save for one that opened a Native American reservation in the state.

Colorado — A Colorado mother is on a mission to educate the public about the detrimental impacts of THC on brain health in teenagers. Laura Stack's son Johnny took his own life after regularly using high-TCH cannabis products which he'd purchased legally with a med-card. He was 19.

A conversation Laura had with Johnny just prior to his death in November of 2019 still lingers painfully in her memory.

"We were standing in the kitchen getting ready to have dinner and he said, 'I just want you to know you were right.' He said you told me that marijuana would hurt my brain and it has ruined my mind and my life," she said.

Three days later, sheriff's deputies woke her and her husband in the middle of the night to say that Johnny was dead.

"He jumped off the roof of the RTD building on Lincoln Station thinking the mob was after him," Laura said.

Khairy Jamaluddin says cannabis-containing products should be registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) as prescribed by the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulation 1984 under the Sale of Drugs Act.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) acknowledges the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Malaysia, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in formal recognition of medical marijuana.

The existing legislations that regulate cannabis and its by-products in Malaysia, including the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Poisons Act 1952 and the Sale of Drugs Act 1952, do not prohibit the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

A product containing cannabis that is used for human medicinal purposes can be imported and consumed in Malaysia if that product complies with the requirements of the law.

On November 8, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman asked MOH to state Malaysia’s position on the use of hemp or “medical marijuana” as one of the alternative medicines that can be offered to patients.

Syed Saddiq mentioned that cannabis or hemp has been used as alternative medicines in many foreign countries and is recognised by the international medical community.

BMB-101 by Bright Minds represents a new generation of therapeutic psychedelics.

Effective today—Bright Minds Biosciences shares will commence trading on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “DRUG.” Bright Minds is already listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:DRUG) under the same symbol. Nasdaq Stock Market LLC approved the listing of the company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

Bright Minds’ team of drug designers developed psychedelics to make them safer and accessible for a larger patient population, often people who are out of options when dealing with treatment-resistant conditions. The company has several patented drugs in its pipeline—primarily 5-HT2C and 5-HT2C+5HT2A agonists—that are currently at the late-preclinical stage.

The particularly intractable epileptic condition common in children, Dravet syndrome, is difficult to manage using conventional drugs. That’s why a number of patients resort to using cannabis, itself a mild psychedelic, to fight it. Charlotte’s Web, for instance, shares the name of the late Charlotte Figi whom the strain was named after. Now, scientists are exploring psychedelics to battle the condition as well, which so far are demonstrating remarkable capabilities.

Bright Mind Biosciences’ leadership is thrilled about the “psychedelic drug revolution” that’s re-inventing therapy as we know it. A renewed interest in medical benefits from drugs such as psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and so forth is everywhere.

“We’re making the drugs [of] the ‘60s great again! And to be honest, even better than they were in those days thanks to modern day scientific knowledge and helping a lot of patients out on the way,” Bright Mind Biosciences CEO Ian McDonald told High Times.

The DEA needs way more marijuana and mushrooms in 2022 to do research!

The interest in marijuana globally isn't rescinding anytime soon. This has birthed confidence in the hearts of marijuana enthusiasts that it may lead to more research and possibly federal legalization. Well, such hopes for legalization steam from news like this: the DEA wanting more cannabis and psychedelics for research in the coming year 2022. 

The DEA calling for a mass increase in production 

The Drug Enforcement Administration has made an official call for a dramatic increase in research-based psychedelics and cannabis production for 2022. In a report by Marijuana Moment, the Federal agency will declare its interest in a notice scheduled for publication on Monday that has become the topic of interest within the cannabis industry. 

The DEA has already increased its 2021 quota for psilocybin and cannabis in September 2021 but is now calling for an even larger quantity of research-grade cannabis with a broader array of psychedelics for production in 2022. 

A plan to double the number of cannabis extracts, psilocin and psilocybin, quadruple mescaline, and quintuple DMT is in the works, and the most outstanding is MDMA. The DEA has proposed a massive 6,300% increase in drug production from 50 grams in 2021 to 3,200 grams in 2022. There will be more research into the therapeutic potentials of the drug. 

While LSD will have a 1.150% increase which is up to 500 grams of powerful psychedelic, cannabis will get a 60% boost under this new DEA proposal, up to 3.2 million grams in 2022 from its initial 2 million grams in 2020. 

How safe is your vaping device if heavy metals are coming through with each puff?

Vaping is heralded as the answer to the negative effects of smoking. It has proven to be safer in many different instances, however – in 2019 we did see a short-lived crises where 68 people died and 2,807 were sickened with e-cigarettes and some cannabis-related vaping devices.

Dubbed as the EVALI, there have been many attempts to make it safer, more regulated, and so forth. The major issue with the cases back in 2019 was that potentially Vitamin E acetate was added to dilute cannabis oils. These oils were primarily sold like this in the unregulated market.

Some groups tried to put the blame on legal cannabis, however virtually every case of EVALI came from states that did not have legal cannabis on the books. In other words, the unregulated market.

However, while vaping has been “safer” than smoking in general, there is some evidence to suggest that vaping could have some other unforeseen consequences as well. This according to recently published research which was titled, “Metals in Cannabis Vaporizer Aerosols: Sources, Possible Mechanisms, and Exposure Profiles”.

Essentially, researchers were looking to see if the actual devices could be releasing harmful metals into the smoke and what potential health issues this could have on end-users. Basically, with the devices heating up the elements, they could be releasing heavy metals which is then shot directly into the lungs.

Some people report an ultra-sensitivity to cannabis, along with symptoms that are similar to allergies. Is it possible to be allergic to marijuana?

Allergic reactions can include almost anything you can think of, from different types of foods, drinks, and even marijuana.

According to estimates from Medical News Today, around 10% of people have an allergic reaction to marijuana. These can vary, with some doctors believing that piercing red eyes, runny nose, itchy skin, hives, and sneezing could be some of the symptoms.

Photo by Kirill Vasikev/EyeEm/Getty Images.

There’s an important term for allergies called allergic sensitization. It refers to the complex exchange that occurs between the allergen and the person who’s developing the allergy according to the environment they’re in. The allergy develops due to the body’s reaction, triggered by the immune system when exposed to the allergen, in this case, marijuana.

Since there’s not a lot of research available on marijuana and allergies, there’s no clear way of treating these conditions. There’s also no way of knowing if CBD or other marijuana compounds could cause these same reactions in people with these sensitivities.

Washington, D.C. has made changes to the expiration of medical cannabis cards, as well as increased possession limits for medical cannabis patients.

City leaders in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday extended a lifeline to the district’s beleaguered medical cannabis dispensaries. 

The D.C. Council gave unanimous approval to an emergency bill that will allow medical cannabis patients “whose cards expired since Mar. 2020 to continue using them to purchase medical marijuana through the end of Jan. 2022,” the website DCist reported, while additionally creating “a new two-year medical marijuana card (instead of the current one-year card), and increases the amount of marijuana a patient can buy at a time to eight ounces, up from four.”

The emergency measure, the website noted, is designed to help dispensaries that “have seen a steep drop-off in business this year because many patients who saw their medical marijuana cards expire during the pandemic have not renewed them yet.”

That resulted in “roughly 6,216 patient registrations for the District’s medical cannabis program [expiring] in a very short time period, reducing the number of registered patients in the program from nearly 12,000 to approximately 5,500,” Mendelson said in a memorandum to the council late last month. 

DCist reported that there was “minimal” debate over Mendelson’s bill on Tuesday, although the leadup to the vote on the measure was at time contentious.