Dec 22 2024

Top Marijuana Studies Published in 2024

Despite marijuana remaining a Schedule I drug on the federal level, 2024 has been a huge year for marijuana research.

As marijuana moves closer to being rescheduled to Schedule III, the potential for easier and more comprehensive research on marijuana and its compounds appears to be on the horizon. While this change has not yet been finalized, 2024 has still proven to be a pivotal year for marijuana research.

With that in mind, below are some of the most notable marijuana studies published in 2024, in no particular order.
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Dec 20 2024

Canada: CA$456 Million in Legal Marijuana Sold in October, CA$4.3 Billion Year-to-Date

There was over CA$450 Million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Canada in October, a slight increase from the previous month.

According to data released by Statistics Canada, the nation generated CA$456.27 million in legal marijuana sales, an increase from the CA$451 million sold in September. Ontario had the largest share of marijuana sales for the month with CA$177 million sold. Alberta came second in sales with CA$82 million, followed by British Columbia at $68 million and Quebec at $59 million.

The year-to-date total for marijuana sales in Canada is now around $4.3 billion, resulting in over $800 million in tax revenue.
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Dec 19 2024

Delaware Conducts Marijuana License Lottery, Awarding 15 Retail Licenses

Today, the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC) conducted a public license lottery to select applicants in the Open Retail category for Delaware’s regulated marijuana industry.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

This event marks “a significant milestone in fostering a fair and transparent licensing process, ensuring equal opportunities for businesses to participate in the state’s growing marijuana sector”, according to an OMC press release. In total, OMC issued 15 licenses during today’s lottery.

Distinguished guests from the Delaware General Assembly and oversight bodies, along with independent auditors, were present to witness the proceedings and uphold the integrity of the process.
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Dec 19 2024

Illinois: November Marijuana Sales Reach $172.8 Million, Most in 2024

In November, there was over $172 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Illinois

The $172.8 million in legal marijuana sales in November was more than any other month in 2024, according to the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. This brings the year-to-date total to nearly $1.7 billion.

Of the $172.8 million in marijuana sold in November, $149.3 million was purchased for recreational use, with medical marijuana patients purchasing $23.5 million worth of product. $32 million of the recreational marijuana sold was purchased by those living outside of the state.
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Dec 19 2024

Clinical Trial Finds Marijuana Oil Associated With Significant Improvements in Pain and Quality of Life

In a new study published in the Journal of Southeast Asian Orthopaedics, marijuana oil significantly reduced knee pain and improved quality of life in subjects suffering from treatment-resistant osteoarthritis.

Conducted by researchers from Srisangworn Hospital in Thailand, the study evaluated the “effectiveness of cannabis oil in treating severe knee osteoarthritis in patients awaiting total knee arthroplasty”.

For the study, 32 patients with severe knee osteoarthritis, unresponsive to conservative treatment, were enrolled and divided into two equal groups. The control and experimental groups received syrup and cannabis oil, respectively, at night for 30 days. Pain and quality of life (QOL) were assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), respectively. Liver and kidney functions were also assessed.
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Dec 19 2024

Kentucky: Over 220 Doctor and APRN’s Registered to Recommend Medical Marijuana, Over 2,400 Certifications Given

There’s now over 220 doctors and APRN’s (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) registered to prescribe medical marijuana, with over 2,400 certifications already issued since December 1.

During his Thursday weekly “Team Kentucky” update, Governor Andy Beshear confirmed that more than 220 doctors and APRNs across the Commonwealth have already registered to become official practitioners who can prescribe cannabis to their patients.

Since December 1, Beshear said more than 1,800 Kentuckians have received written certifications for medical cannabis, with 2,480 total certifications issued. A strong majority of these certifications (55%) were issued for chronic pain, with 24% issued for post traumatic stress disorder, 8% for multiple sclerosis, 5% for cancer, 3.5% for chronic nausea, and 2.5% for seizure disorders.
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Dec 19 2024

Lawmakers in New Mexico’s Largest County Vote Unanimously to End Marijuana Testing for Most Public Employees

In a unanimous decision, the commissioners of Bernalillo County, home to approximately 672,000 residents including the city of Albuquerque, have updated the county’s Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy.

The policy now excludes cannabis from the list of illegal drugs when it is used legally outside of work hours for either medical or recreational purposes. This change means that the majority of county employees will no longer face pre-employment or random drug tests for cannabis use.

This move by Bernalillo County mirrors similar actions taken by various cities and counties across the U.S., such as Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and St. Louis, where restrictions on cannabis testing for public sector employees have been implemented.
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Dec 19 2024

Michigan Regulators Fined 67 Marijuana Businesses in November

In November, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) imposed fines on 67 licensed marijuana businesses for a variety of regulatory infractions. Penalties ranged from $333.33 to as much as $19,000, reflecting the seriousness of the violations.

The largest fine, totaling $19,000, was issued to Blue Fox Brands in Lansing for failing to comply with Metrc, the state’s tracking system, as well as for breaches of security and surveillance requirements. Other cited infractions among marijuana operators included noncompliance with annual financial statement submissions, failure to report significant operational or structural changes, and issues related to general operations.

Additionally, some businesses were penalized for improper handling and production practices, noncompliant sales, inadequate waste disposal, and violations of packaging, advertising, sampling, and testing standards.
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Dec 19 2024

Illinois Department of Public Health Approves Adding Female Ogasmic Disorder to List of Medical Marijuana Conditions

The Illinois Department of Public Health has approved a petition to add female orgasmic disorder (FOD) to the list of conditions eligible for medical marijuana.

With the department’s approval, Female Orgasmic Disorder will be immediately added to the state’s list of ailments that allow an individual to become a legal medical marijuana patient. In October, New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Advisory Board voted 7 to 2 to add the same condition to their state’s medical marijuana program, roughly four months after Connecticut’s Medical Marijuana Program Board of Physicians voted to do the same.

According to a study published in May in the journal Sexual Medicine, marijuana significantly improves the sexual experiences of women facing orgasmic disorders.
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Dec 19 2024

Study: CBD May Aid in Dental Tissue Regeneration

Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown promising results in supporting dental stem cell regeneration and combating inflammation, according to a study by researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and the University of Hong Kong.

The study, published in the International Endodontic Journal, investigated how CBD impacts human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) under both normal and inflamed conditions.

The researchers aimed to explore CBD’s effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and odonto/osteogenic differentiation. Using hDPSCs harvested from dental pulp tissue, the cells were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD, ranging from 1.25 to 50 μg/mL, in both standard conditions and inflammatory environments induced by P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
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