Aug 26 2024

Study Finds THC Amplifies CBD’s Role in Improving Schizophrenia Symptoms

A new study published in the journal BMJ Mental Health reveals promising insights into the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on key biomarkers associated with schizophrenia.

Conducted by researchers from Germany’s Central Institute of Mental Health, Goethe University Frankfurt, the University of Goettingen, and Australia’s University of Sydney, the randomized clinical trial explored how varying doses of CBD—both alone and in combination with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC)—impact endocannabinoid levels in healthy volunteers.

“The mental health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) are promising but can be inconsistent, in part due to challenges in defining an individual’s effective dosage,” states the study’s abstract. “In schizophrenia, alterations in anandamide (AEA) concentrations, an endocannabinoid (eCB) agonist of the eCB system, reflect positively on treatment with CBD. Here, we expanded this assessment to include eCBs alongside AEA congeners, comparing phytocannabinoids and dosage in a clinical setting.”
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Aug 26 2024

Arkansas: $22.9 Million in Medical Marijuana Sold in July, Over $150 Million Year-to-Date

Medical marijuana patients in Arkansas purchased nearly $23 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in July.

According to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), there was $22.9 million in marijuana sold legally in July via 37 medical marijuana dispensaries. This is nearly identical to the $22.8 million sold in April and the $22.9 million sold in May, and an uptick from the $21.7 million sold in June.

The year-to-date total for medical marijuana sales in Arkansas is now $158 million, putting the stop on track to easily top a quarter of a billion dollars by the end of the year. In total, there are around 105,000 medical marijuana patients in the state.
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Aug 26 2024

New York Office of Cannabis Management Acting Director Says They Won’t Process 2023 Marijuana Applications Until 2025

The head of the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) says that they don’t plan to finish reviewing 2023 applications for those wanting to enter the recreational marijuana market until sometime in 2025.

Felicia Reid, acting director of the OCM, told Spectrum News 1 that there are still 600 applications pending for marijuana retailers and microbusiness that were filed in November 2023. Reid says the review of these applications will continue until “early next year”.

Reid says applicants from December’s marijuana cultivation queue will wait even longer. Reid says they will be reviewed “on a rolling basis” after completion of the November queue.
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Aug 26 2024

Rhode Island to Open First State-Sanctioned Overdose Prevention Center in the U.S. This Fall

Rhode Island is set to open its first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center (OPC) this fall, according to a report by Filter Mag.

The center, operated by Project Weber/RENEW, will be located at 45 Willard Ave in Providence and is expected to provide vital resources and support to individuals who use and are addicted to illicit drugs like heroin.

“We plan to have the overdose prevention center open in the fall”, said Claire Macon in Providence, Rhode Island, who is the outlets Overdose Prevention Center Manager.
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Aug 26 2024

An Updated List of Every Marijuana Bill Currently Active in the US Congress (Over 20)

Here’s a current and updated list of all marijuana-related bills actively being considered in the United States Congress.

Although marijuana is legal for medical use in 38 states, and for recreational use in 24, it remains entirely illegal on the federal level. A bevy of federal legislation to change that is currently alive in the US Congress, although only a few have a legitimate chance of being passed into law in the near future.

Under congressional rules, any marijuana bill introduced before January 2023 has already been rendered inactive. Bills introduced on or after January 2023 will remain active until the end of the current legislative session in January 2025 unless they are enacted into law. Lawmakers may choose to reintroduce any inactive bills in future sessions.
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Aug 26 2024

California Funds Project to Protect “Legacy Cannabis Culture and Genetics”

A group of academic researchers, scientists, and community-based organizations today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary, community-based participatory research (CBPR) study for cannabis agriculture.

Funded by a $2.7 million grant from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the project incorporates public education and CBPR to implement the standard methods and systems used across agriculture to define, document, and legally protect as intellectual property the individual and collective genetic resources of legacy cannabis breeders and legacy cannabis cultivation communities.

“The CBPR model is a partnership approach to research that equitably involves community members, organizational representatives, and academic researchers in all aspects of the research process,” explains UC Berkeley historian Dr. Todd Holmes, one of the researchers on the project. “For a historic project like this, it’s absolutely vital that the community is a partner in the design, implementation and analysis of the research.”
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Aug 26 2024

DEA Won’t Rule Out Arresting People Who Are Following State Marijuana Laws, But Says It’s “Not Our Intent”

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have not ruled out making arrests for marijuana use in states like Ohio, despite the state recently legalizing marijuana.

Brian McNeal, a DEA spokesman, told WOSU (an NPR affiliate) that the agency’s primary concern is those involved in the manufacturing and distribution of illicit substances. “So are we necessarily after the kid with an ounce of weed… we want to provide information and remind that it still remains a federally illegal substance, and you can be arrested and prosecuted,” McNeal said.

However, McNeal acknowledged that the DEA “typically” leaves these types of arrests to local law enforcement. “Can a student be arrested by a federal agent? Whether it’s FBI, DEA, HSI? Yes, but that is not our intent or our goal,” he noted.
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Aug 23 2024

Study: High-Dose Psilocybin May Be Effective in Treating Depression

A new study published this week by The British Medical Journal and the US National Institute of Health reveals that high-dose psilocybin may offer benefits in treating depression.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

Conducted by a team of researchers from multiple hospitals and universities in Taiwan, the study systematically reviewed and analyzed the performance of various psychedelics, including LSD and MDMA, against escitalopram, a widely used antidepressant.

The study found that while “most psychedelics were better than placebo in psychedelic trials”, only high-dose psilocybin was more effective than placebo in antidepressant trials that included escitalopram.
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Aug 23 2024

Federal Marijuana Banking Legislation Has 166 Bicameral and Bipartisan Sponsors

Support for federal marijuana banking legislation continues to grow, despite no legislative progress being made since the Senate Banking Committee approved the measure last September.

In the US House of Representatives, the SAFE (Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act) Banking Act (H.R. 2891) has 129 sponsors, including 102 Democrats and 27 Republicans, making it the most widely supported marijuana-related bill in the US Congress. The legislation would provide clear federal protections for banks and credit unions offering financial services to state-legal marijuana businesses, which include medical marijuana dispensaries in 38 states and recreational marijuana stores in 23 states.

On the Senate side, the SAFER (Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act) Banking Act (S.2860) has gained 37 sponsors following the recent endorsement by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the fifth Republican to back the bill.
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Aug 23 2024

Study Finds Weak Correlation Between THC Blood Levels and Impairment

A new study published in Forensic Science International reveals that while alcohol and benzodiazepines have a clear and significant impact on driver impairment as their blood concentrations rise, the effects of THC are much less consistent and harder to predict, calling into question per se THC driving limits.

The research, which examined over 15,000 cases of impaired driving, highlights the complexity of assessing impairment from different substances, with alcohol and benzodiazepines showing a strong correlation between concentration and impairment, unlike THC and amphetamines.

The study aimed to determine how blood concentrations of ethanol, benzodiazepines, amphetamines, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) correlate with the severity of driver impairment, as measured by a Clinical Test of Impairment (CTI). Researchers utilized data from a national database, analyzing 15,514 individual mono-drug cases collected over nine years. The study population was predominantly male, with a median age of 34 years. In addition to these cases, 3,684 drug-free drivers with similar age and gender distribution were included as a reference group.
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