Jan 12 2023

Study: Marijuana Legalization Associated With a Reduction in Alcohol Use Disorder, No Increase in Psychosis

The state-level legalization of recreational marijuana is associated with a reduction in alcohol use disorder, according to a study published by the journal Psychological Medicine.

“The causal impacts of recreational cannabis legalization are not well understood due to the number of potential confounds”, states the study. With this in mind, researchers “sought to quantify possible causal effects of recreational cannabis legalization on substance use, substance use disorder, and psychosocial functioning, and whether vulnerable individuals are more susceptible to the effects of cannabis legalization than others.”

Researchers from the University of Colorado and University of Minnesota used a longitudinal, co-twin control design in 4,043 twins, first assessed in adolescence and now age 24-49, currently residing in states with different cannabis policies (40% resided in a recreationally legal state). Researchers tested the effect of legalization on outcomes of interest and whether legalization interacts with established vulnerability factors (age, sex, or externalizing psychopathology).
Continue reading

Jan 11 2023

Minnesota House Committee Approves Bill to Legalize Marijuana

Legislation to legalize recreational marijuana passed an important hurdle today, receiving approval from the House Commerce, Finance and Policy Committee.

The committee passed House Bill 100 today through a voice vote, with some Republicans opposed and all Democrats in support.

“Members, Minnesotans are ready,” said State Representative Zack Stephenson, who sponsored the bill with 29 cosponsors. “Cannabis should not be illegal in Minnesota.”
Continue reading

Jan 11 2023

Legislation to Legalize Marijuana Filed in West Virginia Legislature

A legislative proposal that would make marijuana legal for everyone 21 and older has been filed in West Virginia’s Legislature.

House Bill 2091 was filed by Representative Danielle Walker and has been assigned to the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

“In the interest of the efficient use of law-enforcement resources, enhancing revenue for public purposes, and individual freedom, the Legislature finds and declares that the use of cannabis should be legal for persons 21 years of age or older”, states the measure’s “Purpose and Findings” section. “In the interest of the health and public safety of our citizenry, the Legislature further finds and declares that cannabis should be regulated in a manner similar to alcohol.”
Continue reading

Jan 10 2023

Report: Global CBD Market Valued at $6.7 Billion, to Grow to $23.24 Billion by 2026

A new report has determined that the global market for the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) is currently $6.77 billion.

The 2022 Cannabidiol Global Market Report, conducted by Research and Markets, anticipates the CBD market to grow to $23.24 billion by 2026, a ___% increase with a ridiculously high compound annual growth rate of 36.1%.

“The main product types of cannabidiol are oil, tinctures, suppository, transdermal patches, vape oil, isolates, creams and roll-on, capsules, tablets, and other products”, states the report. “The applications of these are medical, personal use, pharmaceuticals, and wellness and can be distributed across various channels such as hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, online stores, and other distribution channels.”

Continue reading

Jan 10 2023

Arizona Supreme Court Rules Maternal Medical Marijuana Use for Morning Sickness Does Not Constitute Child Neglect

By declining to hear any challenges to an appellate court ruling, the Arizona Supreme Court has effectively ruled that using marijuana during pregnancy to combat morning sickness does not constitute child abuse or neglect.

The lower courts ruling determined that child welfare officials acted inappropriately when they placed a woman on a state registry for consuming marijuana while pregnant. The Supreme Court’s order removes the mother’s name from appearing on the state’s registry.

As noted by NORML, the Arizona Department of Child Safety initially took action against the mother, Lindsey Ridgell, in 2019 when her newborn tested positive for cannabis. Last April, justices on the Arizona Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the prenatal exposure in this case did not constitute “neglect” because the mother was medically authorized under the law to consume cannabis products to treat symptoms of morning sickness.
Continue reading

Jan 10 2023

Study Finds “Direct Relationship” Between Marijuana Use and Objectively Fewer Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions

A new study “provides a direct relationship between the initiation of cannabis therapy and objectively fewer opioid and benzodiazepine”.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Rothman Orthopedic Institute and Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, and the Legacy Research Institute. It was published in the most recent issue of the journal Cannabis and Cananbinoids Research, and was epublished ahead of print by the National Library of Medicine.

For the study, researchers “sought to capture the medically relevant features of cannabis use in a population of patients with orthopedic pain and pair these data with objective measures of pain and prescription drug use.”
Continue reading

Jan 10 2023

Legal Marijuana Sales Begin Today in Connecticut

Starting at 10am today (January 10) it’s legal for licensed retail outlets to sell marijuana and marijuana products to anyone 21 and older.

Although the legalization of marijuana was approved in 2021, today marks the first day of legal sales with nine licensed outlets planning to open their doors to everyone 21 and older, with more outlets to open in the coming days and weeks.

Under the new law consumers will be authorized to purchase up to a quarter of an ounce of dried flower, or up to seven 1-gram joints. Consumers will also be authorized to purchase up to 2 mL of vape cartridges, and edibles with up to 5mg of THC.
Continue reading

Jan 09 2023

Marijuana Legalization Bill Filed in Minnesota, Has Governor’s Support

Legislation to legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older has been filed in the Minnesota Legislature.

House Bill 100 “would set up a regulatory framework and permit cannabis use for any reason for people 21 and older”. It was filed by Representative Zack Stephenson along with 27 cosponsors, all Democrats. It has been referred to the House Commerce Finance & Policy Committee.

“Cannabis should not be illegal in Minnesota,” says Rep. Stephenson. “Minnesotans deserve the freedom and respect to make responsible decisions about cannabis themselves. Our current laws are doing more harm than good. State and local governments are spending millions enforcing laws that aren’t helping anyone.”
Continue reading

Jan 09 2023

The Top 10 Most Popular Marijuana Strains at the Start of 2023

There are hundreds of marijuana strains on the market, but some are considerably more popular than others.

With 2023 now underway there are over 20 states in the U.S. that have legalized recreational marijuana and 39 that have legalized medical marijuana, and the majority of these states have licensed retail outlets selling cannabis and cannabis products. Although the popularity of cannabis continues to rise, and the variety of strains grows on a regular basis, there are 10 strains that standout in terms of their popularity, and for many of them, their sheer staying power.

With that in mind, using data compiled by Leafly and regulatory agencies for multiple legal marijuana states, below is the list of the top 10 most popular marijuana strains to start 2023.
Continue reading

Jan 08 2023

Cannabigerol Demonstrates Anti-Inflammatory Effects in New Study

The cannabis compound cannabigerol (CBG) showed “broad anti-inflammatory effects” in a new study published by the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Conducted by researchers at the University Hospital Duesseldorf and the University of Regensburg, both in Germany, the full text of the study can be found by clicking here.

“Since its medical legalization, cannabis preparations containing the major phytocannabinoids (cannabidiol (CBD) and δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) have been used by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to alleviate pain and inflammation”, states the study’s abstract. “However, minor cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG) also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, but due to the lack of studies, they are not widely used.”
Continue reading