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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Dec 19 2024

Cannabidiol Found to Suppress Aggressive Prostate Cancer Progression and Recurrence in New Study

A new study suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) may offer a promising approach to controlling metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

CBD tincture.

Researchers from the University of Louisiana and Mansoura University conducted the study, published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science and published online by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is driven by the dysregulation of the IDO1-Kynurenine-AhR axis, which facilitates tumor progression. This pathway involves the breakdown of tryptophan, an essential amino acid, into kynurenine, a molecule that activates tumor-promoting pathways. CBD, a nonpsychoactive compound derived from cannabis, was found to interfere with this process.
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Dec 19 2024

Clinical Trial Finds Psilocybin Increases Emotional Empathy in Patients With Major Depression

A study published in the peer reviewed journal Molecular Psychiatry has found that psilocybin-assisted therapy significantly improves emotional empathy in patients with major depression.

The study, titled Psilocybin increases emotional empathy in patients with major depression, explored the enduring effects of psilocybin on social cognition, using a randomized, placebo-controlled design involving 51 depressed patients.

Participants were assigned to receive either a single dose of psilocybin (0.215 mg/kg body weight) or a placebo, both embedded in a four-week psychological support program. Empathy levels were assessed using the Multifaceted Empathy Test at baseline and at intervals of two days, one week, and two weeks post-administration.
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Dec 19 2024

New Jersey Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Ban Kratom Sales

New Jersey lawmakers have introduced a pair of bills to criminalize the manufacture, distribution, and possession of kratom under certain conditions.

Kratom products.

Senate Bill 3981, sponsored by State Senator Teresa Ruiz (D), and Assembly Bill 5129, introduced by Representative Alexander Schnall, were filed on December 16 and referred to their respective Judiciary Committees.

If enacted, the legislation, titled “CJ’s Law,” would categorize kratom as a controlled dangerous substance. Kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia, has been used medicinally and therapeutically for thousands of years.
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