Geneology International

Tag: marijuana

  • CBD, cannabis and marijuana: What’s the difference?

    CBD, cannabis and marijuana: What’s the difference?

    The Alabama Health-related Hashish Fee is functioning on building the rules and polices for clinical cannabis pursuing the Legislature’s monthly bill in the final regular session.

    At its most new assembly, the commission talked over a wide range of diverse solutions that could be offered—tinctures, oils, topical lotions,edibles— most alternatives are on the table besides for raw product or service and using tobacco or vaping forms.

    Meanwhile, there are CBD solutions almost everywhere in Alabama, from formal CBD suppliers to fuel stations. They promote CBD in all of the earlier mentioned outlined types and even have vapes accessible.

    So what’s the distinction?

    The major big difference is that the CBD products and solutions on the shelf nowadays are derived from hemp, when the healthcare cannabis will be derived from cannabis. The crucial variation among the two hashish vegetation is the total of the psychoactive ingredient THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

    Hemp has a lot less than .3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} THC, which is also Alabama’s lawful restrict for CBD merchandise. CBD has been authorized in Alabama since Congress handed the 2018 Farm Bill clearing hemp from the checklist of managed substances.

    THC is the ingredient of marijuana that generates the result of sensation “high.”

    Ad. Scroll to carry on reading.

    The Alabama Clinical Hashish Commission is working with cannabis, any cannabis plant that has a lot more than .3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} THC.

    “That’s the place you get the benefits for pain and other troubles to do with the healthcare facet of it that you do not get with the CBD,” McMillan mentioned.

    CBD

    CBD has been touted to assistance with a wide variety of ailments from nervousness to blood tension, but only 1 cannabis-derived merchandise has been authorised for the cure of seizures. There are at the moment no other CBD products and solutions Food and drug administration-accredited, despite their legality.

    “We are informed that some companies are advertising CBD merchandise to deal with conditions or for other therapeutic utilizes, and we have issued quite a few warning letters to these types of companies,” the Food and drug administration states on its web-site. “Under the FD&C Act, any products intended to have a therapeutic or healthcare use, and any merchandise (other than a food items) that is supposed to have an effect on the framework or operate of the body of humans or animals, is a drug.  Medicines have to generally both obtain premarket approval by Food and drug administration by way of the New Drug Application (NDA) system or conform to a ‘monograph’ for a unique drug class, as set up by FDA’s Above-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Overview.”

    McMillan also explained he has some concerns about the absence of regulation of CBD.

    “There’s no regulation of CBD,” McMillan stated. “We’ve obtained some truly very good businesses in Alabama creating good CBD items but we really don’t know what’s coming in from out of point out with gummies and drops and all those vape matters and all that. It is an place that demands to be controlled.”

    “FDA proceeds to be involved at the proliferation of items asserting to incorporate CBD that are promoted for therapeutic or healthcare makes use of even though they have not been approved by the Fda,” the Food and drug administration web site proceeds. “Often these kinds of products and solutions are bought on the net and are thus offered in the course of the nation. Advertising unapproved products with unsubstantiated therapeutic claims is not only a violation of the regulation, but also can set patients at possibility, as these items have not been established to be harmless or effective. 

    Ad. Scroll to go on reading through.

    “The agency has and will continue to observe the market and acquire action as essential to protect the general public well being from corporations illegally providing hashish and hashish-derived solutions that can set people at danger and that are becoming promoted for therapeutic works by using for which they are not authorized. At the same time, Food and drug administration recognizes the likely therapeutic opportunities that cannabis or hashish-derived compounds could present and acknowledges the sizeable interest in these opportunities.”

    With hemp manufacturing, investigate and possession getting legal in 2018, there is nonetheless significantly investigate remaining accomplished to analyze the distinct consequences of CBD, including aspect consequences. Even so, some preliminary investigate has demonstrated likely for good results from CBD.

    Health-related cannabis

    Health-related marijuana, or clinical cannabis as it is formally becoming named in Alabama, will comprise significantly greater concentrations of THC. Compared with CBD, it will be under stringent polices from the initially working day a patient can get it.

    All hashish will be approved by physicians exclusively accredited and properly trained to prescribe cannabis. The patients will also have to have a card figuring out their permission to use prescription cannabis. The products and solutions will be plainly marked with a hashish warning image and information about the contents.

    For the reason that no hashish items are permitted by the Food and drug administration, the products simply cannot be offered in pharmacies. In actuality, cannabis remains a Timetable 1 drug at the federal degree, prohibited even for clinical needs. But an amendment in 2014 to the legislation prohibits the Justice Office from interfering with condition health-related cannabis legislation.

    In Alabama, all medical cannabis goods will be offered by way of legally licensed dispensaries.

    The commission is looking at a assortment of merchandise mixes and fees to be built out there.

    Ad. Scroll to keep on looking at.

    Valid diseases incorporate autism, Crohn’s ailment, despair, PTSD, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Most cancers, terminal ailments, stress ailment, Parkinson’s, sickle mobile anemia, spasticity, Tourette’s, and even persistent nausea or agony. On the other hand, documentation is demanded to exhibit common treatment or remedy has been unsuccessful.

  • Medical marijuana and autism: ‘I’m getting my boy back,’ mom says

    Medical marijuana and autism: ‘I’m getting my boy back,’ mom says

    But around 17 months, items began to change. He stopped talking. He commenced covering his ears and hitting his head on the flooring like one thing was bothering him.

    Fouquette remembers her mother telling her, “I imagine we need to have to get him examined. There’s some thing undoubtedly heading on there.”

    Five months later, in 2012, Ezra was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

    “It is really devastating,” she explained to CNN Main Professional medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “I have heard people today look at it to like losing a little one. You get rid of the thought of the little one that you have been gonna have, the lifetime that you were being gonna have, the lifestyle that he’s gonna have.”

    Ezra Fouquette was diagnosed with autism when he was 22 months old.

    Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has an effect on 1 in 44 little ones in the United States, in accordance to the CDC. It begins early in daily life, and the core signs and symptoms are social and conversation challenges as properly as repetitive behaviors and rigidity.

    “They may possibly discuss pretty properly, but they are not able to carry on a dialogue. Then you have the opposite conclusion of the spectrum, in which you have kids and older people who are entirely nonverbal,” mentioned Dr. Doris Trauner, a pediatric neurologist and distinguished professor of neurosciences and pediatrics at the College of California, San Diego.

    “They have a sure plan. They like to do factors above and over once more,” she instructed Gupta. “They have repetitive behaviors, the most normal of which are factors like hand-flapping or spinning in circles.”

    But autism can also lead to much more troubling concerns like significant disruptive habits and self-harm.

    Early detection of autism in children has improved, but disparities remain, CDC studies suggest

    “Aggression and self-injurious behaviors are however quite typical, particularly in little ones with significant autism,” Trauner mentioned. “Everything from repetitively banging their head versus a wall to hitting their head with their arms to pinching on their own or biting their arms.”

    Behavioral remedy, occupational therapy and speech treatment can assist, but there are no US Food stuff and Drug Administration-permitted treatment plans for the main symptoms of autism.

    There are two Food and drug administration-approved antipsychotic medications, employed to treat bipolar dysfunction and schizophrenia, that are approved to deal with kids with autism, but only if they clearly show significant aggression or self-harm.

    “These medications are productive for people signs and symptoms but regretably are affiliated with sizeable facet results,” said Dr. Eric Hollander, director of the Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Software at Montefiore Wellness Process in New York. “It can predispose them to the improvement of issues like diabetic issues or cardiovascular-form issues.”

    “There’s an important need to acquire new remedies, each to handle the main signs of autism … and to have fewer of a facet result load,” he additional.

    Exploring for solutions

    When it came to her son Ezra, Fouquette tried out all the things she could feel of to aid him.

    “We tried using gluten-no cost, casein-free of charge, dairy-totally free. We have attempted homeopathic solutions. We have tried out each treatment out there,” she informed Gupta.

    But she failed to want to give him psychotropic drugs when he started turning out to be much more intense.

    “I didn’t want to attempt any of those people just since there had been so several aspect consequences,” she stated. “But, at a person place, I experienced a lot of bruises on me since he was finding more violent.”

    Fouquette was determined to discover support. Which is when she saw a story on the nearby news about a medical trial involving kids with autism and CBD, the non-psychoactive aspect of the cannabis plant, at the Middle for Medicinal Hashish Investigate at UC-San Diego.

    “He was 9 then,” she explained. “What am I gonna do in the foreseeable future as he continues to develop if I am now obtaining a really hard time with his aggression now?”

    Fouquette had no hesitations when it arrived to hoping healthcare cannabis for her son.

    “I’ve noticed CBD applied for children with epilepsy,” she reported. “I saw how significantly it assisted other persons, and I thought, ‘it’s all-all-natural. There may possibly not be any true facet results with it. Why not try it?’ “

    So she enrolled Ezra in the clinical demo.

    Medical cannabis, autism and the mind

    Trauner is the lead researcher for the UCSD demo, a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover analyze, which usually means the individuals you should not know when they are obtaining the placebo or the drugs, and neither do the physicians. Scientists are analyzing how CBD could have an impact on the brains of small children with autism.

    “We know that in autism, there are some distinctions in mind chemistry. There are some modifications in neurotransmitter systems, each in the dopamine technique and in the serotonin program, that might lead to some of the signs and symptoms,” she told Gupta.

    Dr. Sanjay Gupta on medical marijuana: We are in an age of wisdom, but also an age of foolishness

    Serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters that have alerts, or details, from 1 nerve mobile to a different. Serotonin is believed to regulate mood and has a significant effect on early mind enhancement. Dopamine can boost conduct when we obtain a reward.

    Various scientific tests have shown that dopamine levels that are possibly much too lower or much too significant in young children with autism can bring about sure places of the brain to malfunction, resulting in higher amounts of repetitive behaviors and minimized degrees of social interaction, Trauner reported.

    In animal types studying autism, serotonin amounts in the brain might be lessen than expected, and including serotonin enhances social working in mice, she reported.

    “And CBD, between lots of other items, does have effects on the serotonin process with raising the availability of serotonin,” she extra. “And that could be encouraging in terms of social interactions in distinct.”

    Across the place in New York, a identical demo, involving young children and adolescents with autism and the cannabinoid cannabidivarin (CBDV), is also underway at Montefiore Well being System.

    “We know that autism is a developmental condition that commences early on as the brain is becoming formed,” stated Hollander, the guide researcher on this double-blind placebo-managed research.

    “I believe CBDV can play an crucial job in autism,” he reported. “It can minimize excitation in neurons and raise inhibition.”

    When young children with autism are far too psyched or really don’t have enough inhibition, it can guide to explosive behaviors, temper tantrums, rage or self-damage, and they can display screen repetitive behaviors, Hollander mentioned.

    “So it improvements the ratio of excitation to inhibition in distinctive neurons,” he mentioned.

    Ezra's mom, Joann Fouquette, said she thinks her son's aggressive behavior stemmed from not being able to communicate his needs since he was mostly nonverbal.

    While both equally research are however ongoing and the blinds have not been damaged, early comments has been constructive.

    “Some of the sufferers have experienced a definitely significant profit,” Hollander reported. “We have observed what we experienced hoped, which was a considerable minimize in the irritability signs or symptoms, mood tantrums or explosive episodes. We have experienced patients who have experienced enhancement in their repetitive behaviors, as nicely.”

    In California, very similar reports have arrive in from parents.

    “We are seeing some fairly amazing modifications,” Trauner claimed. “Small children whose intense conduct was day by day, it can be absent away. I indicate, long gone absent. … Small children whose self-injurious actions is better, and they’re to the position wherever the calluses on their wrists are starting off to heal,” she said. “A whole lot of the young ones are extra social.”

    But Trauner cautions that more exploration desires to be finished.

    “It is really far too quickly to get excited about it. I assume there’s some reason for hope, but it is really not a fantastic strategy to run out and acquire it and just test to use it on your very own,” she reported.

    “There are a number of factors for that. Just one is that it can be poisonous. It can induce liver dysfunction,” she extra. “It really is also not clear what dose is the very best dose if it does work, and whether or not what you’re getting genuinely has what you consider it does, for the reason that it’s unregulated.”

    ‘I’m receiving my boy back’

    For the duration of the trial, Fouquette’s son Ezra been given the placebo at 1 level and CBD at one place, but Fouquette and the medical doctors continue to really don’t know when he was obtaining it.

    Ezra was typically nonverbal likely into the trial, she said. But in the initial few weeks, something amazing happened.

    “One particular working day, I was at the grocery retail outlet, and my husband sent me a video clip. And it can be Ezra laying on the ground wrapped in a blanket, and he’s singing,” she reported. “He experienced under no circumstances sung right before … and he is singing the entire music.”

    Fouquette informed Gupta what was likely through her mind at the time. “I am acquiring my newborn back. I am getting my boy back again,” she reported, preventing back again tears.

    “I’m ready to communicate with him. He’s conversing to me. He is joyful. He’s not aggressive anymore. He is singing,” she said. “What much more could I inquire for?”

    Because Ezra completed the examine a calendar year ago, he has not proven any aggression and has continued to communicate.

    “He has experienced no regression whatsoever,” she reported. “It helped him … what ever is likely on in his mind, make people connections that he needed to make. And after those connections were built, he hardly ever misplaced them.”

    It is really not very clear what function the therapy may possibly have performed in Ezra’s development. The examine hasn’t been revealed, and it was not seeking at whether hashish or CBD could be neuroregenerative to the brain. Much more study is necessary in this spot.

    “Some of the youngsters who’ve shown an effect … demonstrate it for numerous weeks right after the research drug is taken away. And some look to retain some advancement,” Trauner mentioned. “But I never know why that would be.”

    Regardless of why it happened for Ezra, who is now 11, Fouquette is grateful.

    “I you should not feel it is really a heal. It gave him an capability to communicate. It gave him an skill to converse a lot more. I assume that is why the aggression remaining,” she reported. “It’s just going to make it easier for him — easier for him to reside, less difficult for him to be himself.”

  • Could Delta-8 marijuana products soon be a thing of the past in Florida?

    Could Delta-8 marijuana products soon be a thing of the past in Florida?

    TALLAHASSEE — Following years of partisan squabbling more than the destiny of Florida’s professional medical cannabis application, Democrats and Republicans are coming with each other to force what they are calling a significant reform bill.

    It could make it a great deal more difficult for Floridians to get their hands on delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) merchandise.

    All those smokable and edible items have been aspect of a quickly-escalating sector in Florida. Simply because of a loophole in the 2018 farm bill handed by Congress, hemp merchandise containing tons of Delta-8 are not controlled like marijuana merchandise significant in the psychoactive delta-9 THC compound — even while the compounds are extremely comparable. Delta-9 provides the euphoric influence felt by users of clinical and recreational cannabis.

    But Delta-8 is only lightly regulated by the state. The hashish reform monthly bill, HB 679, sponsored by Reps. Andrew Figured out, D-Brandon, and Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, would change that.

    It also would:

    • Extend the use of telehealth in healthcare marijuana.
    • Prohibit health-related cannabis advertising.
    • Have to have medical professionals to entire a six-hour training class prior to they are cleared to advocate cannabis to patients.
    • Increase cannabis patients’ registration cards to last two many years as an alternative of a person.
    • Restrict clinical cannabis firms from sitting on an inactive license, then flipping it for a gain.
    • Develop a new Clinical Cannabis Tests Advisory Council, and broaden rules close to the tests of cannabis products and solutions.

    “The Legislature for the past five decades has been hoping to stroll backwards on marijuana,” Learned stated in an job interview. “I would say today is the to start with stage forward, and there will be additional.”

    Delta-8 merchandise are created from hemp, just like other lawful, around-the-counter items containing cannabidiol, or CBD. But the goods, which can produce euphoric outcomes comparable to health care or recreational cannabis, have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food items and Drug Administration.

    Beneath Roach and Learned’s monthly bill, the state would demand businesses providing Delta-8 to sign-up their items with the condition, and no ingestible hemp-based merchandise could be marketed to a Floridian youthful than 21.

    Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who was a cannabis industry lobbyist right before managing for office environment, said she welcomes the clarity in Realized and Roach’s invoice.

    “I’ve generally been a huge supporter of the growth of hashish in the state of Florida, but undertaking it ideal,” Fried reported. “We have to make positive that we are guarding the customers.”

    Lawmakers and lobbyists say the bipartisan monthly bill is a accurate compromise. It does not give a lot more conservative lawmakers every cannabis provision they would want. For instance, a controversial policy restricting the amount of Delta-9 THC in the marijuana bought to Florida individuals is not in the monthly bill. Roach sponsored that measure all through the 2021 session.

    Linked: Controversial Florida healthcare marijuana invoice ‘effectively dead’

    “I feel the political minute for THC caps has appear and long gone,” Roach stated Wednesday. “The more recent users coming into the Legislature feel to be youthful and have a extra libertarian bent, at least on the Republican aspect.”

    The monthly bill also does not have cannabis steps favored by some progressives, this sort of as a provision avoiding workforce discrimination for cannabis people.

    But measures like the enlargement of telehealth, which turned a flashpoint for some clients more than the summertime, are broadly well known.

    Relevant: Some health-related cannabis people nervous about the conclusion of the DeSantis coronavirus get

    No companion bill has been filed in the Senate, but Realized announced at a news meeting Wednesday that just one would be sponsored by Sens. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, and Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens. Jones confirmed this in a textual content message.

    It’s unclear whether House Speaker Chris Sprowls or Senate President Wilton Simpson supports the measure. Their workplaces did not reply to emailed requests for remark.

    “It’s refreshing to see a bipartisan effort, even if it’s not (in the long run) profitable,” said Ron Watson, a longtime Tallahassee lobbyist who specializes in health care cannabis concerns.

    • • •

    Tampa Bay Moments Florida Legislature coverage

    Get updates by way of text message: ConText, our totally free textual content messaging support about politics information, delivers you the latest from this year’s Florida legislative session.

    Indication up for our publication: Get Capitol Excitement, a particular reward edition of The Excitement, every Saturday even though the Legislature is assembly.

    We’re working challenging to convey you the newest news from the state’s legislative session. This exertion can take a lot of assets to gather and update. If you have not now subscribed, you should think about acquiring a print or electronic subscription.

  • Is Medical Marijuana Better Than CBD Oil?

    Is Medical Marijuana Better Than CBD Oil?

    Hashish has obtained enormous acceptance as a medication for its therapeutic properties. The plant has hundreds of cannabinoids, out of which two cannabinoids obtained the most focus, THC and CBD. THC is regarded for its euphoric results whilst CBD is recognised for its non-intoxicating, therapeutic homes.

    The representation of the cannabinoid as a ‘non psychoactive’, therapeutic compound of the cannabis plant went so considerably that the cannabis marketplace witnessed a key change towards CBD infused goods.

    But are these statements actually accurate? Or can this be viewed as just some “marketing strategy” that these CBD brands are using to appeal to the audience?

    Is CBD much better than marijuana, as a good deal of people presume or is it the opposite which is accurate?

    Health-related Cannabis vs CBD

    It may get a very little bewildering for a good deal of people who are common with the fundamentals of cannabis and its cannabinoids.

    Certainly, THC is intoxicating and CBD is not.

    But other than that there is a lot of facts that has been disclosed to the popular community majorly by CBD producers and not by medical cannabis physicians. In addition to that, the illegal standing of the plant at federal stage and the simple fact that it still is not authorised by the Fda are factors that have resulted in creating this imbalance concerning CBD and cannabis.  

    To contact the fundamentals of both, healthcare marijuana or marijuana is a plant that includes factors that include things like cannabinoids, like CBD, and terpenes. CBD, on the other hand, is just a cannabinoid uncovered in marijuana and hemp plants.

    Because marijuana is made up of a ton of parts other than CBD, it has a various vary of outcomes and houses. This suggests that other factors of the plant also have a ton to offer you and most of these results are on the favourable aspect. However, we can not just stay clear of talking about the intoxicating residence of the cannabis plant which is induced by THC.

    Overall health Advantages of THC

    Guaranteed, the cannabinoid can supply you euphoric effects, the ‘high’ in frequent language, but is that all the cannabinoid can do? Certainly not.

    THC has medicinal attributes as nicely which can offer you relief better than CBD in certain ailments. From ache reduction to minimizing nausea, vomiting, pressure, PTSD, and encouraging with sleep, THC has a selection of outcomes on the human entire body that should really be regarded valuable.

    Regardless of all this, it is thought of the “bad guy” mainly because apparently intake THC in large quantities can result in intoxication.

    But does any pharmaceutical eaten in high portions offer you zero disagreeable outcomes? That is a dilemma no one particular is prepared for.

    Is CBD Safer Than Marijuana?

    A ton of folks believe CBD is safer than cannabis. Sure, it does not have any main aspect consequences. And most importantly it is a cannabinoid with medicinal properties that has the prospective to support take care of countless health problems. But it is a product developed by marijuana, in the close. How are we comparing a component with its mother or father plant?

    Properly, we can. And in comparison, it does occur out that CBD can be a minor on the safer aspect since it does not give intoxicating consequences. But that is not in which the discussion should conclude.

    Cannabis or CBD Which Is Improved? 

    The reply to this question can be eventually deduced to own preference and the issue one is suffering from but if we review the properties and results, we will have to pick marijuana around CBD.

    CBD provides outcomes and gains of CBD on your own. But marijuana, on the other hand, has outcomes and added benefits of CBD and many other cannabinoids that are present in the cannabis plant.

    Not just that, research have located that CBD, for some situations, is effective improved in presence of small traces of THC mainly because the cannabinoids create an entourage outcome.

    Is Hemp CBD Far better Than Marijuana CBD?

    There is a different misunderstanding amid cannabis and CBD customers that the CBD derived from the hemp plant is superior. Which is just one of the factors why they change to CBD infused items.

    It should not appear as a shock when we say that CBD derived from both of those hemp and marijuana crops is really the very same. The resource it is extracted from does not change the effects it shall provide.

    The only distinction that should really issue is that hemp derived CBD is legal and cannabis derived CBD is not. In addition to that, it is easier to extract CBD from the hemp plant due to the fact the hemp plant has a lot more CBD and a lot less THC and the reverse is accurate for marijuana.

    That indicates, both equally hemp and cannabis derived CBD generate comparable consequences for the purchaser and change in the supply should not actually subject.

    Takeaway

    Cannabis is superior than CBD oil mainly because it can enable take care of a selection of disorders much better than CBD by yourself. The cause guiding that is the existence of numerous other components in the marijuana plant together with CBD and THC which develop an entourage outcome. Even so, this really should not stop you from employing CBD oil if that is by now performing for you. The strategy is to not take into consideration THC or cannabis “bad guys”.

  • Marijuana: Good or bad?

    Marijuana: Good or bad?

    Cannabis — also referred to as marijuana — is a psychoactive drug that many people use for recreational purposes and its purported medicinal benefits. But what does recent research say about it? Do the risks trump the benefits?

    Share on Pinterest
    Some say cannabis is beneficial to health, while others claim it can become a health risk. What does the most recent research say? Image credit: Cappi Thompson/Getty Images

    At the time of writing this feature, in the United States, 36 states and four territories have legalized cannabis-derived products for medical use. Additionally, 18 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia allow the recreational use of cannabis.

    Although many people use the terms “cannabis” and “marijuana” interchangeably, the latter has racist roots and connotations that go back to nearly a century ago.

    According to the Pew Research Center, nine out of 10 Americans favor some form of legalization for cannabis. The same poll found that 18{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Americans, equating to 48.2 million people, have used cannabis in the last year, with 11{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} saying they have done so in the previous month. Fewer than half — 46{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} — say they have ever used cannabis.

    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), people have used cannabis for at least 5,000 years. And while cannabis use today is generally stable among the general population, its use among college students is rising. In 2020, 44{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of them reported using cannabis in the last year, the highest level in over 35 years.

    It is obvious that many people enjoy the euphoric effects of cannabis, using it for recreational purposes. That latest data suggest that 22.2 million U.S. adults are recreational users. Meanwhile, the number of medical cannabis users is estimated to be about 5.4 million people.

    Cannabis is currently illegal at the federal level and is classed as a Schedule I controlled substance. This classification level states that a substance must have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

    It is a controversial classification, as it places this drug in the same category as heroin, methaqualone, LSD, and MDMA, or ecstasy.

    This has made rigorous clinical cannabis research in the U.S. difficult to conduct, and it can be hard for the average person to find conclusive information regarding its health effects.

    With so many states having legalized cannabis, research is accelerating, however. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has voiced its support for the clinical investigation of drugs utilizing compounds from cannabis plants.

    The FDA is charged with the development and safety of medical products and has therefore not explicitly addressed the health effects of recreational cannabis.

    Speaking of the FDA’s position, Dr. Tom Curran, of Upstate Medical University in New York, told Medical News Today that “they have one foot on the accelerator and another on the brake.”

    He pointed out that until recently, all the cannabis used in U.S. research has come from a single source: a growing facility at the University of Mississippi.

    Some experts have questioned the value of this cannabis for research. Speaking to NPR, cannabis researcher Dr. Sue Sisley described it as “an anemic greenish powder,” adding that “it’s very difficult to overcome the placebo effect when you have something that diluted.”

    The university’s cannabis is less than half as potent as the average cannabis available today and far less than that in the case of extracts such as edibles.

    As a result, any research based on the University of Mississippi’s research stock may underreport its effects — positive or negative — adding yet one more element of uncertainty to existing studies. Therefore, since May, the federal National Institute of Drug Abuse has begun a protracted process of contracting with other suppliers.

    Dr. Curran noted that among the institutions that have publicly advocated the removal of such obstacles to high-quality cannabis research are the following:

    Medical cannabis research: In search of answers

    Whether a person is a recreational user or interested in cannabis for medical purposes, it is natural to seek assurances that it is safe to use. The best available source of such information is medical cannabis research that measures its possible benefits and risks.

    In 2017, a review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) assessed more than 10,000 scientific studies on the medical benefits and adverse effects of cannabis conducted throughout 2016. This research remains the most comprehensive reference for the health effects of cannabis.

    In 2021, researchers attempted a similar review for data from 2016 to 2019. They concluded that “we identified few recent studies conducted within U.S. populations [that] were of substantial rigor and quality to move the evidence base forward for many clinical conditions.”

    In this article, we look at the most recent credible research exploring the medical benefits of cannabis to identify its health benefits and risks in an attempt to answer what seems to be a simple question: is cannabis good or bad?

    Before we proceed, we should address a common question: what is the relationship between cannabis and CBD, which come from the same plant, cannabis sativa? Are they the same thing?

    No, they are not.

    Cannabis sativa contains some 450 chemicals, among which are a family of 80–100 chemicals called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids interact with the brain’s endocannabinoid system, which regulates a variety of activities, including mood, sleep, memory, and appetite.

    The main cannabinoids in the plant are:

    1. delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis
    2. cannabidiol (CBD), which is believed to be anti-psychoactive and may moderate or control anxiety, chronic pain, sleep issues, and addictive impulses

    When people refer to cannabis, they are referring to both THC and cannabidiol, as well as any other compound of the cannabis sativa plant.

    The FDA has so far approved four medications containing cannabinoids:

    Cannabis sativa plants with minimal THC are generally referred to as hemp, the source of much CBD. According to a 2019 Gallup poll, 14{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Americans use CBD, and sales are predicted to exceed $61 billion by 2027.

    There are a variety of medical claims in support of CBD, many of which have not yet been clinically confirmed, largely due to the obstacles that hinder cannabis research.

    Research has suggested that cannabis may be of benefit in the treatment of certain conditions listed below.

    Chronic pain

    One area that the 2017 NAS study looked at closely was the use of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain.

    The research found that cannabis, or products containing cannabinoids, may effectively relieve neuropathic pain caused by damaged nerves.

    However, beyond that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “there is limited evidence that cannabis works to treat most types of acute or chronic pain.”

    Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety

    It has been alleged that cannabis may help address depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety.

    While some have proposed the use of cannabis as an antidepressant, a 2020 study found little evidence supporting this — instead, it found that the opposite is more likely true.

    In March 2021, the first FDA-approved, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of cannabis’ value for treating PTSD was published.

    It reported that veterans who smoked cannabis experienced no greater improvement in the severity of their PTSD symptoms than those of a placebo group.

    On the other hand, a nonplacebo study from December 2020 reported that veterans who smoked cannabis were 2.57 times more likely to no longer qualify as having PTSD.

    A study published in April 2021 incorporating eight small trials investigating cannabis’ use as a remedy for social anxiety found insufficient evidence of its value as an anti-anxiety intervention. The 2017 NAS study found that regular users of cannabis may actually be at an increased risk of social anxiety.

    It is also worth noting that a 2017 study published in Clinical Psychology Review cautioned that cannabis is not recommended as an appropriate treatment for people with psychotic disorders.

    Alcoholism

    A 2021 randomized, controlled trial found that smoking cannabis on days when alcohol is consumed reduced the amount of alcohol by a third and halved the number of binge-drinking days.

    However, the 2017 NAS review cited concerns that cannabis use may lead to an increased risk of harmful use for and dependence on other substances.

    Cancer

    The confirmed value of cannabinoids for people with cancer is that drugs, such as Marinol and Syndros, can relieve post-cancer chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.

    There has been and continues to be a substantial amount of research exploring cannabis’ usefulness in fighting cancer.

    Some promising results indicate that it can arrest the growth of cancer cells in vitro and in animals. However, some evidence states that cannabis compounds that kill one type of cancer may encourage the growth of others.

    Multiple sclerosis

    At the time of writing, a drug containing equal parts THC and cannabidiol and sold worldwide as Sativex is in the midst of phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S. as Nabiximols.

    The drug is a second-line medication for situations where primary multiple sclerosis medicines do not satisfactorily relieve symptoms of spasticity.

    However, no benefit from smoking cannabis has been clinically reported for treating symptoms of MS so far.

    Epilepsy

    As noted above, the FDA has approved Epidiolex for treating Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

    At the other end of the spectrum are studies that have investigated negative associations between cannabis use and health.

    Mental health issues

    There are anecdotal reports that smoking cannabis can help people with bipolar disorder (BD) alleviate its symptoms.

    However, there is a substantial body of evidence that it is associated with more extreme bipolar episodes, as well as symptoms of psychosis, accelerated cycling between moods, suicide attempts, a reduction in long-term BD remission, increased disability, and poorer functioning overall.

    Fortunately, these associations last only as long as cannabis smoking continues.

    A June 2021 NIH study of adults aged 18–35 years identified a strong association between smoking cannabis and an increased incidence of suicidal ideation and attempts, especially among women. The effect was present whether the individual was already depressed before cannabis use.

    A meta-study of available research in 2020 concluded that THC may cause schizophrenia and psychosis in people at risk of those conditions. There was some evidence that CBD reduces the symptoms of these conditions.

    The primary conclusion of the analysis was that further research is necessary to better understand the relationship between cannabis and these disorders.

    A 2017 study contained a curious finding among people with schizophrenia and other psychoses: a history of cannabis use was linked with improved performance on tests assessing learning and memory.

    Life choices

    A study from the University of Queensland published in January 2021 looked at how smoking cannabis regularly can affect people’s lives. The study found that individuals who smoked daily or weekly were more likely to:

    • partake in high risk alcohol consumption
    • smoke cigarettes
    • take other illicit drugs
    • not be in a relationship at 35 years of age
    • be depressed
    • not have a job

    Cannabis use disorder

    While cannabis is not classically addictive, there is evidence that the more someone uses the substance, the more likely they are to develop a dependence on it, referred to as “cannabis use disorder.”

    According to the CDC, three out of 10 cannabis smokers develop the disorder, and that this is especially true of younger people.

    Testicular and lung cancer

    The 2017 NAS study identified evidence suggesting an increased risk for the slow-growing seminoma subtype of testicular cancer.

    However, more recent research indicates this may have been due to other ingredients in smoke, such as benzopyrene, benzanthracene, vinyl chlorides, phenols, and nitrosamines.

    The study concludes that further epidemiological study of the possible connection to cannabis is warranted, perhaps incorporating smoke-free vaping as an ingestion vehicle.

    The same ingredients may also increase the risk of lung cancer when cannabis is smoked as opposed to eaten or vaped. However, the NIH’s National Institute of Drug Abuse reports there is little convincing evidence of a link between cannabis and lung cancer:

    “While a few small, uncontrolled studies have suggested that heavy, regular [cannabis] smoking could increase [the] risk for respiratory cancers, well-designed population studies have failed to find an increased risk of lung cancer associated with [cannabis] use.”

    Respiratory disease

    Regular cannabis smoking has been linked to an increased risk of chronic cough, but it is unclear whether smoking cannabis worsens lung function or increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma.

    There is evidence that demonstrates both the health benefits and adverse effects of cannabis. It is also apparent that some claims of the substance’s effects may be overstated at best and inaccurate at worst.

    While many people enjoy smoking cannabis recreationally, it is clear that more and better research is needed to understand its health effects fully.

    If you happen to live in a state where the use of cannabis is legal, you and your doctor should carefully consider the various reported benefits and risks and how they relate to your illness and health history before using the substance.

    Additionally, remember to always speak with your doctor before taking any new medicine.

  • Mother confronts Reeves over medical marijuana

    Mother confronts Reeves over medical marijuana

    Bryan Loftin, 16, has a mitochondrial disease that causes intense seizures. (Photo courtesy: Christine Loftin)

    Christine Loftin didn’t know what else to do.

    Loftin, a Southaven resident whose 16-year-old son Bryan has a mitochondrial disease that causes intense seizures, was a passionate advocate for a ballot initiative passed in 2020 that created a medical marijuana program.

    The medicine, Loftin says, is the only thing that could really help her son. Bryan has tried over a dozen pharmaceutical drugs to treat his seizures over the years, but none have worked. Loftin has been studying the use of medical marijuana to treat seizures, hoping her son would one day have access to it.

    “It’s never been an option for our family to just up and relocate (to another state), so we just had to wait,” Loftin said.

    Last November, Loftin was elated when more than 759,000 Mississippians voted in favor of a medical marijuana program. She thought Bryan would finally get the medicine he needed.

    But that celebratory feeling is now a distant memory.

    Loftin is among thousands of Mississippians who say their will is being ignored. They feel ignored by the Mississippi Supreme Court, which overturned the marijuana program on a constitutional technicality in May.

    And in recent weeks, they’ve felt ignored by a governor who is preventing a legislative alternative and is not meaningfully engaging with the public about the issue — including the patients who need the relief offered by medical marijuana.

    This summer, after the Supreme Court struck down the voters’ medical marijuana program, leaders in both chambers of the state Legislature reached an agreement on a bill that would create an alternative medical marijuana program. They informed Reeves on Sept. 24 they had the votes to pass it in a special legislative session, which only the governor can call.

    Though Reeves had said for months that he would call a special session if lawmakers struck a deal, he has delayed calling lawmakers to Jackson. Instead of calling the special session, Reeves gave lawmakers a last-minute laundry list of things he didn’t like in the bill. Lawmakers said they conceded on many of Reeves’ concerns, but called others “unreasonable.”

    READ MORE: Legislative leaders say Gov. Tate Reeves is holding up medical marijuana with ‘unreasonable demands’

    The way Loftin and many Mississippi voters see it: Reeves is now the sole obstacle standing in the way of the legislation being passed.

    Loftin, who has closely followed the progress of a legislative alternative to Initiative 65, says she has left more than a dozen messages for Reeves inquiring about the special session, but never heard back. So when she heard that the governor would be having lunch a mile from her home in Southaven on Wednesday, she knew it was the best chance she had to get him to listen.

    So Christine loaded up her son Bryan, who is in a wheelchair, and drove to the 10th Inning Bar and Grill for Reeves’ political meet-and-greet and waited for a chance to speak with the governor. 

    Loftin told Mississippi Today that Reeves avoided them until she pushed Bryan in his wheelchair up to him. The long-awaited encounter was videoed and posted to social media.

    Bryan can be seen tugging on Reeves’ coattails. When the governor turned toward the boy, Bryan handed him a photo of himself with a black eye he got after one of his seizures. Reeves reluctantly accepted the photo.

    “We need his medicine and we need it soon,” Christine Loftin said to Reeves.

    “Yes, ma’am, I’m working really hard on that,” Reeves replied. 

    When Loftin said she knew lawmakers had reached a deal and asked what the hold-up was, or any other question on the issue, Reeves gave the same answer. 

    “We’re working on it,” he said over and over again.

    After a while, Christine knew the conversation wasn’t going anywhere, so she and Bryan left.

    “For the first time in over a dozen years, I had hope that there was going to be something that we could do to give Bryan a better quality of life,” Loftin told Mississippi Today in an interview this week. “I can’t put into words what it’s like to have that ripped out from under you.”

    After the encounter with the governor, Loftin shared her story on social media and has blasted Reeves.

    “I really don’t do politics very much, one side or the other, but from where we’re standing, this is all about politics,” Loftin told Mississippi Today. “This has nothing to do with patient care. This has nothing to do with the interest of the people who need the medication. It has nothing to do with anything except for politics. And that’s infuriating.”

    READ MORE: Gov. Tate Reeves dodging on promised medical marijuana session

    We want to hear from you!


    Central to our mission at Mississippi Today is inspiring civic engagement. We think critically about how we can foster healthy dialogue between people who think differently about government and politics. We believe that conversation — raw, earnest talking and listening to better understand each other — is vital to the future of Mississippi. We encourage you to engage with us and each other on our social media accounts, email our reporters directly or leave a comment for our editor by clicking the button below.



    Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

    X

    Republish this article

    Unless otherwise noted, you can republish most of Mississippi Today’s stories for free under a Creative Commons license.

    For digital publications:

    • Look for the “Republish This Story” button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS).

    • Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the “Republish This Story” button option. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services, click here.

    • You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.

    • You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.

    • Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.

    • If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @MSTODAYnews on Facebook and @MSTODAYnews on Twitter.

    For print publications:

    • You have to credit Mississippi Today. We prefer “Author Name, Mississippi Today” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Mississippi Today” and include our website, mississippitoday.org.

    • You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style.

    • You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor Kayleigh Skinner for more information). To learn more about our cartoon syndication services, click here.

    • Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories.

    • You can’t sell or syndicate our stories.

    • You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection.

    • Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization.

    • If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @MSTODAYnews on Facebook and @MSTODAYnews on Twitter.

    If you have any other questions, contact Audience Development Director Lauchlin Fields.

    by Will Stribling, Mississippi Today
    October 29, 2021

    1