Aug 31 2024

Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Website Goes Down Following Weeks of Turmoil

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) website has been down for at least two days, exacerbating concerns that have been building for weeks within the agency.

The outage has disrupted access to key resources, including the open data portal where the state typically posts monthly marijuana sales data, as well as information on applications and licensing for the marijuana industry.

In addition to the website outage, the CCC has not provided an update of the state’s marijuana sales data since June 30, leaving a gap of over two months. This is a significant deviation from the commission’s usual practice of providing monthly sales reports, often supplemented with weekly updates. The lack of timely reporting has raised concerns among stakeholders about transparency and the agency’s ability to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities.
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Aug 31 2024

Missouri Recalls Over 30,000 Marijuana Products

Missouri regulators have recalled tens of thousands of cannabis products after being unable to verify their safety.

The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has issued a recall for marijuana products distributed by Blue Sky Health & Wellness, LLC, citing potential health and safety risks. Although no negative reactions have been reported so far, officials are taking precautionary measures.

The recall was triggered because the products were not properly tracked in Metrc, the state’s mandatory track and trace system, as required by law. Without this tracking, officials cannot confirm that the products meet health and safety standards.
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Aug 31 2024

California Issues More Marijuana Recalls for Illegal Pesticide Use

California officials have issued a mandatory recall of two additional marijuana products for using an illegal pesticide.

On Thursday, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) issued a consumer advisory regarding the mandatory recall of the following legal marijuana products:

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Aug 31 2024

Study: CBD Shows Promising Anti-Cancer Potential Against Drug-Resistant Cholangiocarcinoma

A new study from researchers at Khon Kaen University in Thailand has revealed that cannabidiol (CBD) could be a powerful weapon against gemcitabine-resistant cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a particularly challenging form of bile duct cancer.

Published in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, the study highlights CBD’s potential to overcome drug resistance in CCA through mechanisms involving endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, both in laboratory settings and in animal models.

CCA is notoriously difficult to treat, especially when patients develop resistance to gemcitabine, a standard chemotherapy drug. The researchers explored whether CBD, a compound derived from marijuana, could be effective in combating this resistance. The results were compelling, as the study found that CBD not only inhibited the growth of cancer cells but also induced significant levels of apoptosis—programmed cell death—by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This led to cell cycle arrest and a marked reduction in tumor size in a mouse model.
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Aug 31 2024

Meta-Analysis Finds Psilocybin is “Highly Effective” in Reducing Severity of Depressive Symptoms

According to the results of a newly published study, “psilocybin is highly effective in reducing depressive symptoms severity” among patients with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms (photo credit: Shutterstock).

Published in the journal Brain Sciences, the study is titled Comparison between Single-Dose and Two-Dose Psilocybin Administration in the Treatment of Major Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Current Clinical Trials. It was conducted by researchers from Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, all in Italy

“Current pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) are often only partially effective, with many patients experiencing no significant benefit, leading to treatment-resistant depression (TRD)”, states the study. “Psilocybin, a classical serotonergic psychedelic, has emerged as a notable emerging treatment for such disorders.”
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Aug 31 2024

Former President Trump Announces Support for Legalizing Marijuana in Florida

Former President Donald Trump, the current Republican nominee for president, has announced his support for Florida’s Amendment 3 to legalize marijuana, while adding that lawmakers should ban public smoking.

“As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History. We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime”, starts Trump in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.”

Trump continues: “We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.”
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Aug 30 2024

Kentucky Sees Surge in Medical Marijuana License Applications: Over 1,000 Come In Before Deadline

Kentucky’s Office of Medical Cannabis saw a surge in business license applications, receiving over 700 submissions in the first three days of this week, just ahead of the Saturday deadline.

This sharp increase contrasts with the 28 applications received throughout July. To date, more than 1,000 applications have been submitted by businesses aiming to operate as medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivators, processors, or safety compliance facilities. This number is expected to rise further before the deadline at midnight on Saturday.

Starting January 1st next year, licensed dispensaries will be allowed to sell cannabis products to qualifying patients. The state will award these licenses in October through a lottery system.
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Aug 30 2024

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is Sending Marijuana Seeds to Space

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to deliver marijuana seeds to space, reports V13 Media.

(Photo credit: Futurism).

This mission, scheduled for March, will transport a variety of cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), including strains provided by FastBuds, a cannabis cultivation company. The seeds are part of a broader experiment aimed at understanding how the unique conditions of space travel and the space environment might influence plant growth and genetic mutation.

The primary goal of this project is to explore whether space can induce beneficial genetic changes in plants, potentially leading to the development of crops that can withstand adverse conditions on Earth. Scientists will closely examine the marijuana seeds after their 30-day stay in space to determine if they can be genetically modified to grow in harsher climates, a critical consideration as climate change continues to challenge traditional agriculture.
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Aug 30 2024

Nebraska Secretary of State Says Medical Marijuana Initiatives Can Appear on November Ballot

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announced today that Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection has officially submitted enough valid signatures for their two initiatives to appear on the November 5 ballot.

“The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection initiative petition has collected 89,051 valid signatures and has met the 5% distribution requirement in at least 51 counties”, said SOS Evnen today in a press release. Evnan also said “The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation initiative petition has collected 89,005 valid signatures and has met the 5% distribution requirement in at least 51 counties.”

The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation initiative would legalize the use, possession, and licensed distribution of marijuana and marijuana products for qualified patients who have a written recommendation from a healthcare practitioner. The measure would establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the registration and regulation of individuals involved in the possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery, and dispensing of medical cannabis.
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Aug 30 2024

LSD, Psilocybin and Ayahuasca Show Promise in Treating Alcohol Use Disorder, Finds Study

Researchers at the University of Southern Santa Catarina in Brazil have conducted a comprehensive review, revealing the potential of “classic psychedelics” such as LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca in treating alcohol use disorder (AUD).

LSD (top left), dried psilocybin mushrooms (top right), ayahuasca (bottom left), and beer (bottom right).

The study, published in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, highlights the pharmacotherapeutic effects of these substances, particularly in cases where traditional treatments have failed.

The study’s abstract emphasizes the challenge posed by alcohol dependence, noting that it is often resistant to conventional treatment methods. “Classic psychedelics have demonstrated promising pharmacotherapeutic effects in the treatment of treatment-resistant psychopathological conditions, such as addiction, especially related to alcohol dependence,” the researchers wrote. They attribute these effects to the substances’ ability to modulate neuroplasticity in the brain, which could play a crucial role in overcoming addiction.
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