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Author: Frank Schuler

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Large Drop In Cannabis Possession Prosecutions In Jersey

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

The topic of cannabis is arguably the most popular topic on earth right now. Momentum for international cannabis reform has never been greater since the dawn of prohibition, and the emerging cannabis industry continues to expand across the globe at an ever-increasing rate.

One place that probably doesn’t come to mind for many people involved in the ongoing international cannabis discussion is Jersey. Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands located between England and France. It’s a self-governing dependency of the United Kingdom, with a mix of British and French cultures.

Cannabis is prohibited in Jersey, however, prosecutions there have experienced a steady decline over the last handful of years. Per Jersey Evening Post:

The data formed part of a response from Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles to a States written question from Deputy Sam Mézec.

A recent Freedom of Information request also revealed that the number of convictions for class B drugs, which includes cannabis, in 2021 had almost halved when compared with 2020 – falling from 65 to 35. Class A drug convictions also fell by almost a quarter – from 30 in 2020 to eight in 2021.

Simon Harrison, co-ordinator for the End Cannabis Prohibition Jersey campaign group, said he believed the reduction in prosecutions and convictions could be due to the growth of the medicinal cannabis industry in the Island.

What is going on in Jersey is reflective of a more sensible approach to cannabis policy compared to policies found in some other countries where cannabis is not only prohibited, but also carries hefty prison sentences and/or fines.

Currently, if someone is caught with less than 15g of cannabis in Jersey (non-medical patient), it leads to a ‘parish hall inquiry by way of a written caution.’ Anything involving over 15 grams results in a criminal court case, as well as if someone is caught with less than 15 grams of cannabis more than twice in Jersey.

It’s an approach to cannabis enforcement that is clearly not as good as outright legalization, however, it is better than what is in place in many other parts of the world.

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Israeli Bioreactor Yields Exponentially More Potent Cannabis Cells

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Israel has long served as an international cannabis research hub. In fact, Israel is home to the most famed cannabis researcher of all time, Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Prof. Mechoulam, who is dubbed the ‘Godfather of Cannabis Research,’ is credited with being the first scientist to describe the chemical structure of cannabidiol (CBD), and also for being the first to isolate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

During an era when most countries seemingly did everything that they could to hinder cannabis research, Israel embraced it. As a result, the country has an enormous head start on most, if not all, other countries when it comes to cannabis research.

As further proof that Israel is on the cutting edge of cannabis science, it is being reported that researchers in Israel have boosted the potency of cannabis cells twelve fold by creating them in a bioreactor. Per Times of Israel:

An Israeli company has cloned hemp cells and used a bioreactor to grow them into a substance with all the active compounds of cannabis — and 12 times the potency.

BioHarvest Sciences says the breakthrough could make the medical benefits of cannabis available in cheaper, cleaner and greener form. It has started applying for the necessary licenses to manufacture and sell its product for medical use in Israel and the United States.

How long it will take for the products to actually make it to patients is anyone’s guess at this point. For that matter, I suppose it’s still possible that the process could get derailed in some way, as all things international cannabis are typically more complex than they need to be.

It’s unclear if the end product has been tested on humans yet and determined to be safe for patient consumption. Sufficiently arriving at that determination alone could take some time and involve a process that is riddled with hurdles.

Still, it’s a possibly huge scientific breakthrough. The cannabis cells produced in the bioreactors reportedly only take three weeks to create from start to finish. That is a significantly shorter window of time compared to traditional cultivation methods (up to six months in some cases).

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Brazil’s Federal Council Of Medicine Creates Confusion With New Cannabis Guidance

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

Brazil is the most populous country in South America. With a population of over 200 million people, Brazil makes up almost half the population on the continent and dwarfs the next most populous country in South America, Colombia (roughly 50 million people).

It’s a safe bet that there are a considerable number of suffering patients in Brazil, many of which that would likely benefit from using one or more types of cannabis products for medical purposes.

Unfortunately, Brazil’s medical cannabis program is still limited in many ways, with many suffering patients not qualifying for the country’s emerging medical cannabis program because their condition or conditions are not on the list of those that qualify for safe access.

To make matters worse, the nation’s Federal Council of Medicine issued new guidance this month that would further limit who can qualify to receive medical cannabis. Per Globo:

Eight years after its last guidance on the use of cannabidiol, the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) published this Friday (14) a new standard aimed at guiding how doctors should treat the subject.

With no advances and more restrictive, CFM resolution No. 2,324 authorizes cannabis products to be used only to treat some cases of epilepsy. The text also prohibits the prescription of “any other derivatives (of cannabis sativa) other than cannabidiol”.

The new guidance is the target of considerable pushback from a wide array of stakeholders, and not just patients. Members of the emerging cannabis industry, as well as members of the medical community, were quick to offer criticism.

One major point that is being made by experts from all types of backgrounds is that Brazil had previously authorized the sale of CBD medication for multiple sclerosis in pharmacies. The new guidance obviously contradicts that prior authorization, as well as other practices that are common in Brazil right now.

The guidance puts doctors in a really tough situation and clearly limits their ability to treat patients. It will be interesting to see if the guidance is actually incorporated, or if it is legally challenged and/or scraped in the future.

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Cannabis Extracts Safe And Effective In Dementia Patients Per Switzerland Study

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Cannabis extracts are growing in popularity around the globe within the medical cannabis community for a multitude of reasons. For many years, cannabis flower was the most prominent form of medical cannabis, however, more and more patients are increasingly going the extract route.

For those that are not familiar, cannabis extracts are exactly what the name implies. They are products that are created as the result of processing cannabis flower via various methods to extract and concentrate cannabinoids from the flower.

The rise in use of cannabis extracts has been paralleled by new questions regarding whether cannabis extracts are safe for patients, both in the short and long terms. A team of researchers in Switzerland recently examined long term use of cannabis extracts among dementia patients, and the results of the study were insightful. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Geneva, Switzerland: The administration of plant-derived extracts containing a two-to-one ratio of CBD to THC is associated with behavioral improvements and few adverse side effects in dementia patients, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

A team of Swiss researchers assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of the adjunctive use of cannabis extracts in a cohort of dementia patients (mean age: 81 years). Participants received an average of 12.4 mgs of THC and 24.8 mgs of CBD per day for up to 13 months.

Investigators reported “marked improvements” in patients’ symptoms over the course of the trial, including reduced agitation. They reported “no problems related to the treatment and limited adverse drug reactions.”

They concluded, “A long-term THC/CBD (1:2) medication can be administered safely and with overall positive clinical improvement to poly medicated older adults with severe dementia and associated problems.”

The study’s results are similar to those recently reported in a placebo-controlled trial which determined that the sublingual administration of CBD-dominant plant extracts reduced agitation and improved sleep in dementia patients.

Full text of the study, “Cannabinoids for behavioral symptoms in severe dementia: Safety and feasibility in a long-term pilot observational study in nineteen patients,” appears in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

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Cannabis Spray Shows Promise For Cancer Patients With Refractory Pain

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

One area of cannabis research that is of particular interest to people around the globe, and for obvious reasons, pertains to how the cannabis plant can be used to help people suffering from cancer. It’s one of the most intriguing, and yet also controversial topics in the cannabis world.

A growing body of peer-reviewed research is finding that the cannabis plant can help effectively treat cancer and related symptoms. It is important to differential between the claim that ‘cannabis can help treat cancer’ versus ‘cannabis cures cancer.’

Many personal patient experiences back up the claim that cannabis may cure cancer, in some instances. However, it is a very cruel thing to tell someone that is suffering from cancer that something, cannabis included, will absolutely cure their cancer, guaranteed. After all, nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to medicine and treatment regimens.

More research needs to be conducted, and hopefully one day there is a cure found for cancer, and if the cure does indeed prove to involve cannabis, that would be amazing. Until that time, the cannabis plant can still do other things to help suffering cancer patients, including when it comes to pain management.

A recent study out of Australia examined a specific cannabis spray to see if it helped treat cancer patients experiencing refractory pain, and the results of the study are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

New South Wales, Australia: Terminal cancer patients with refractory pain respond favorably to a proprietary cannabis spray containing equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD, according to data published in the journal PLOS One.

A team of Australian investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of a novel water-soluble oro-buccal nanoparticle spray containing 2.5 mgs of THC and 2.5 mgs of CBD in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer and intractable pain.

Researchers reported that cannabis dosing was associated with improvements in pain relief among all patients, with those patients suffering from bone metastasis experiencing the greatest levels of relief. No serious adverse events were reported, though some patients did experience drowsiness following treatment.

Patients also reported improvements in appetite and emotional well-being.

“This study demonstrated that the administration of the investigative cannabis-based medicine was generally safe and tolerated in a short-term exposure in a cohort of patients with advanced incurable cancers with controlled pain or intractable pain despite opioid treatment,” authors concluded. “There was a reduction in pain overall for the study cohort of 12 percent by the end of the treatment phase. … [This] cannabis-based medicine … is of significant clinical interest given that this formulation was a self-titrated medicine, that showed preliminary analgesic efficacy in a subgroup of patients.”

Full text of the study, “Pilot clinical and pharmacokinetic study of delat-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol nanoparticle oro-buccal spray in patients with advanced cancer experiencing uncontrolled pain,” appears in PLOS One. Additional information on cannabis for pain mitigation is available from NORML.

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Argentina’s Government Launches Public Company To Provide Cannabis Seeds, Testing, And Training

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Business, Policy, Science.

Earlier this month Argentina’s government issued its first-ever license for domestic cannabis production. It was a big milestone for Argentina’s domestic cannabis industry. Another significant announcement was made this month by Argentina’s government which could have international implications.

Days ago Argentina’s government announced the launch of a new national company dedicated to pushing the nation’s cannabis industry forward. The company, called ‘Cannabis Conicet,’ will focus on providing the nation’s emerging cannabis industry with genetics, testing, and training. Per excerpts from InfoBae:

The legal cannabis universe is expanding rapidly. The Argentine State presented this Tuesday “Cannabis Conicet”, a national technology-based company dedicated to the marijuana plant industry, made up and directed by scientists from the organization, with the idea of ​​”allowing the democratization of production, distribution and access to cannabis and the hemp industry”, as announced by the Minister of Science and Technology, Daniel Filmus, during the premiere day.

The public company will be made up of professionals from the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet), the Arturo Jauretche National University (UNAJ) and the El Cruce Dr. Néstor Kirchner Hospital, but its authorities project that it will be a collective and federal work.

The new company seems to be primarily focused on the domestic industry in Argentina, with the ultimate goal right now appearing to be reducing Argentina’s reliance on the international cannabis community. For example, the term ‘scientific sovereignty’ was used by Ana Franchi, president of the Conicet, as part of the company’s announcement.

The development of tailored cannabis genetics, products, and other forms of intellectual property are going to play a very prominent role in the emerging cannabis industry going forward, and from that perspective, what Argentina is doing is a smart move.

Countries that solely rely on importing medical cannabis products from afar, which some nations currently do, will put those countries at a huge disadvantage once lawmakers finally decide to get on the right side of history.

While lawmakers that fit that description continue to drag their feet on cannabis reform and embracing the emerging cannabis industry domestically, countries like Argentina are stepping up their research and other scientific efforts. An opportunity cost clearly exists, and countries that are sitting on their hands need to get with the program as soon as possible.

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Study Associates Cannabis With Improved Sleep In Adults With PTSD

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a very serious issue all over the globe. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is estimated to be 3.9% in the general population, and a much higher rate for those that have lived in countries where war and conflict has occurred.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.”

As with most health conditions, there are varying degrees of severity when it comes to PTSD, ranging from mild anxiety all the way to full blown panic attacks occurring regularly to the point that the patient can’t function. Flashbacks and regular nightmares are also symptoms of PTSD.

Fortunately, the cannabis plant has been found by a growing list of studies to help people that suffer from PTSD. A recent study in Israel found that cannabis use is associated with improved sleep among adults with PTSD. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Haifa, Israel: The use of cannabis prior to bedtime is associated with perceived improvements in sleep in subjects diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to data published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Israeli researchers assessed the impact of cannabis on sleep in a cohort of 77 PTSD patients. Study participants kept a daily journal where they recorded numerous sleep measures each morning.

Investigators acknowledged that the use of cannabis was associated with self-reported improvements in sleep onset and a reduction in the frequency of nightmares. Subjects who consumed products higher in CBD were less likely to report early awakenings.

“Our data suggest that MC [medical cannabis] may help reduce nightmares and [that] CBD in particular may be important for preventing early awakenings,” they wrote. “This provides a strong basis for further hypotheses testing, potentially through clinical trials, of the sleep-inducing effects of MC and for testing CBD in particular.”

Authors concluded, “Given the high comorbidity of PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances and the potential for MC to have effects on both, a greater understanding of how patients experience the effects of MC on overall PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances is warranted.”

Prior studies have similarly reported that cannabis products may be associated with improved sleep duration and with improvements in insomnia. The enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization has also been correlated with a decrease in the sale of over-the-counter sleep aid medications.

Full text of the study, “Post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep, and medical cannabis treatment: A daily diary study,” appears in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders. Additional information on cannabis and post-traumatic stress is available from NORML.

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People With A History Of Cannabis Use Do Not Exhibit More Severe Symptoms Of Psychosis

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Just because someone has consumed cannabis and suffers from mental health struggles, that does not automatically mean that the cannabis consumption caused the mental health issues that the person is unfortunately experiencing.

That may seem like a logical statement, however, cannabis opponents do everything that they can to try to skirt that fact. To make matters worse, the reefer madness mental health propaganda efforts that cannabis opponents pursue is often assisted by mainstream media coverage that echoes their talking points without any context, which is a huge disservice to society.

Mental health is a very serious issue, and it should be treated as such. Facts and science should lead the way, and with that in mind, the results of a new study out of New Zealand further debunks the ‘cannabis makes you crazy’ talking point of opponents. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Christchurch, NZ: Those with a history of cannabis consumption do not exhibit more severe symptoms of psychosis than do those with no history of regular use, according to longitudinal data published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

A team of New Zealand researchers assessed the relationship between marijuana use and the severity of psychotic symptomology in a cohort of over 1,200 subjects born in 1977. Investigators compared the symptom profile of cannabis consumers and non-consumers at age 18, 21, and at age 25.

Researchers reported that cannabis-consuming subjects were more likely than non-users to report experiencing a greater variety of psychotic symptoms overall. However, investigators acknowledged that consumers were not more likely to report experiencing severe symptoms.

Authors reported: “The present analyses sought to determine whether there was a qualitative difference in the kind of symptoms being reported by the two groups. … Both groups tended to report common, low-level symptoms (such as “having ideas or beliefs that others do not share”), and neither group was likely to report what would be considered as more severe positive symptoms of psychosis.”

They concluded: “Collectively, the results suggest that while those who were regular cannabis users reported a significantly greater number of symptoms than non-users, the symptom profile between the two groups did not differ, showing that there was no evidence of greater ‘severity’ among regular cannabis users.”

Although the use of cannabis and other controlled substances is more common among those with psychotic illnesses, studies indicate that lifetime incidences of marijuana-induced psychosis are relatively rare among those who do not already have a prior diagnosis of a psychiatric disease.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use and patterns of psychotic symptomology in a longitudinal birth cohort,” appears in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

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Far More Britons Want Cannabis Laws Loosened Compared To Tightened

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

Cannabis policy discussions in London have made considerable headlines in recent weeks, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan currently in somewhat of a political showdown with some of his political peers.

Mayor Khan is exploring the idea of reforming the way that law enforcement handles simple cannabis possession in London. The policy exploration is part of the work that a newly formed commission is performing at the behest of Mayor Khan. He recently indicated that calls from his political peers to refrain from pursuing the work would not deter him.

Additional headlines were made when it was reported that Home Secretary Suella Braverman was considering changing cannabis’ classification level to a more restricted status. The Prime Minister’s office has since made it clear that what is being reported will not happen, although it’s still unclear to what degree Braverman wants to pursue the concept in the future, if at all.

YouGov recently conducted a poll, asking Britons, “Do you think that the current cannabis laws should be tougher, less tough, or are about right?”

“Home secretary Suella Braverman has been reportedly planning to change cannabis from a class B drug to a class A But only 23% of Britons want to see cannabis laws made tougher, with 42% wanting less tough laws, and 19% thinking they’re ok as they are.” YouGov tweeted regarding the poll’s results.

Sixteen percent of poll participants indicated that they ‘don’t know’ in response to the question being posed to them. Obviously, 42% is not a majority, and for that matter the poll was not legally binding in any way.

However, the fact that only 23% of Britons indicated that they wanted cannabis laws to be made tougher is encouraging, and something that shouldn’t be ignored by lawmakers.