Oct 25 2024

Florida Marijuana Legalization Campaign Raises Over $120 Million

Smart & Safe Florida, the nonprofit political committee sponsoring the marijuana legalization initiative Amendment 3, has raised over $120 million.

According to the Florida Division of Elections, Smart & Safe Florida has raised $121,717,339.03 in support of Amendment 3, as of October 21. The most recent donation was on October 18, with Trulieve giving another $10 million, adding to the tens of millions they’ve already donated.

Amendment 3 would make recreational marijuana a constitutional right. Under the proposed law, those 21 and older would be allowed to possess and use up to three ounces of dried marijuana flower and up to five grams of marijuana concentrates. These products would be available for purchase at licensed marijuana retail outlets and medical marijuana dispensaries with dual licenses.
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Oct 25 2024

Study: CBD and THC Oils Show Antitumor Effects in Canine Prostate Cancer Cells

Researchers at São Paulo State University have demonstrated that cannabis extracts containing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can inhibit the growth of canine prostate carcinoma cell lines, potentially offering new avenues for cancer treatment.

Published in Veterinary Sciences, the study states that prostate cancer “is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, even when diagnosed at an early stage in humans and dogs. Dogs have a significant incidence of spontaneous prostate cancer, which is highly similar to human androgen-independent prostate cancer and represents a valuable model for comparative studies.”

Researchers claim that CBD and THC “have demonstrated antiproliferative and anti-invasive properties in different tumor types. In this study, CBD or THC-rich extracts inhibited the proliferation of two canine prostatic carcinoma cell lines, PC1 and PC2, showing an IC50 of 3.43 and 3.57 μM for CBD rich extracts, and 4.90 and 4.48 μM THC rich extracts, respectively.
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Oct 25 2024

Study: CBD Mitigates Anxiety and Neuroinflammation in Offspring of Obese Mothers

A new study has found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help alleviate behavioral and neuroinflammatory challenges in adult offspring born to obese mothers.

CBD tincture.

“Maternal obesity is known to increase the risk of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder in the offspring”, notes the study’s abstract. “While preventive measures are well-documented, practical approaches for addressing the damages once they are already established are limited.”

Researchers say they “have recently demonstrated the interplay between maternal obesity and treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) on neuroinflammation and peripheral metabolic disturbances during adolescence, however, it is known that both factors tend to vary throughout life. Therefore, here we investigated the potential of CBD to mitigate these alterations in the adult offspring of obese dams.”
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Oct 25 2024

Study: U.S. Adolescent Marijuana Use Decreased by Over 7% From 2011 to 2021

A recent study published in Pediatric Reports by researchers from Florida Atlantic University provides a comprehensive look into the evolving patterns of marijuana use among U.S. adolescents over the past decade.

Using data from the biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2011 to 2021, which covered 88,183 students in grades 9 through 12, the study highlights a notable downward trend in marijuana use among teens.

The findings reveal that the percentage of adolescents reporting current marijuana use decreased significantly from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021. First-time use before age 13 also saw a marked reduction, dropping from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021.
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Oct 24 2024

Delaware Awards State’s First-Ever Recreational Marijuana Business Licenses

The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) held its inaugural marijuana licensing lottery today, marking the first step in awarding marijuana business licenses in the state.

The event, conducted at 9 a.m., randomly selected from 727 applications across multiple categories, excluding retail licenses, which will be drawn in a separate lottery in December due to the high volume of applications.

The lottery distributed licenses for categories such as cultivation, manufacturing, and testing across Kent and Sussex counties. In the open cultivation category, Kent County awarded 4 licenses out of 31 applications, while Sussex County granted 7 licenses from a pool of 27. The micro-cultivation category saw 6 licenses awarded in Kent and 8 in Sussex, with a similar distribution for social equity applicants.
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Oct 24 2024

US Congress: Bicameral Bill to Protect Marijuana Users in Public Housing Gains Sixth Sponsor

A bill that would protect marijuana users in federally assisted housing has gained its sixth cosponsor, with Congressmember Troy Carter (D-LA) the most recent to join the effort.

The Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act, introduced earlier this year by Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) in the House and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in the Senate, seeks to allow state-legal marijuana use in public housing without fear of eviction.

The legislation, which has the support of Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and now Carter, would address the gap between state and federal marijuana laws, protecting tenants who comply with their state’s regulations on medical or recreational marijuana. This would apply to those living in public housing or Section 8 housing.
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Oct 24 2024

Study: Medical Marijuana Linked to Improved Symptoms in Fibromyalgia Patients

A recent observational study published in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy suggests that patients with fibromyalgia (FM) experience significant symptom improvement when using cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs).

Conducted by researchers from Imperial College London and Kings College London, the study followed 148 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry who used either cannabis flower or oil extracts.

“A cohort study of fibromyalgia patients treated with oils (Adven®, Curaleaf International, UK), dried flower (Adven®, Curaleaf International, UK) or both cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) was performed”, states the study. “Primary outcomes were changes from baseline at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months in validated patient-reported outcome measures.”
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Oct 24 2024

Massachusetts: Over $500 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold Since July, Prices Hit All-Time Low

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) has released sales data for the state’s legal marijuana industry for the first time since the end of June.

After a nearly four-month hiatus, the CCC has published marijuana sales data for July, August, September, and the first 13 days of October. Prior to this release, the last data was provided on June 30.

According to the CCC, a total of $536.6 million in legal marijuana was sold between July 1 and October 13. Approximately 90% of these sales — $484.7 million — came from recreational purchases, while medical marijuana patients accounted for $51.9 million during the same period.

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Oct 23 2024

Alabama Judge Appoints Mediator in Medical Marijuana Licensing Dispute

A judge has appointed a mediator to address the ongoing legal battle over Alabama’s medical marijuana licensing.

Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson named retired Circuit Judge Eugene Reese as the mediator in an effort to resolve disputes between companies vying for licenses to grow and sell medical cannabis, reports the Associated Press. Anderson emphasized that mediation could lead to a “speedy and just resolution.”

Although Alabama lawmakers approved a medical cannabis program in 2021, legal challenges have delayed its implementation. The dispute revolves around the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s process of awarding licenses. Companies denied licenses have accused the commission of violating state law, prompting the court to block the third attempt at issuing licenses in July.
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Oct 23 2024

Poll: 56% of Voters in Kansas Support Legalizing Recreational Marijuana, Just 30% Oppose

According to the results of newly released polling, a strong majority of voters in Kansas support legalizing recreational marijuana.

The Emerson College Poll, which covered Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, asked participants “Would you support or oppose Kansas legalizing recreational marijuana?”

For Kansas voters, 56% said they support the measure, with 30% opposed and 14% undecided. If all 14% who are undecided chose to oppose legalization, the issue would still have a double-digit lead in support.
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