Author: Frank Schuler

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BDSA Forecasts $57 Billion Cannabis Market By 2026

Written by Frank Schuler on September 16, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

A new report from BDSA, an international cannabis industry data company, was published this week which provided new projections and estimates for the emerging global cannabis industry.

“The report projects annual global cannabis sales to grow from $30 billion in 2021 to $57 billion in 2026, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 13%.” a press release from BDSA stated.

“Despite an inflationary environment and concerns about recession that dampened consumer spending, legal cannabis sales in the U.S. will reach $27 billion by the end of 2022, a jump of 7% over 2021 sales of $25 billion.” the release went on to state.

“The ‘hockey stick’ trend of sales growth seen in the early years of legal cannabis has passed, and economic and regulatory headwinds are exerting pressure on legal cannabis markets,” said Roy Bingham, CEO of BDSA. “Still, our updated forecast predicts that steady gains in developing U.S. markets will continue to drive single-digit annual growth in total U.S. legal sales in 2022, with continued growth prospects out to 2026.”

As with all cannabis industry projections, the main factor at play is politics. After all, a regulated cannabis industry cannot exist in the first place without cannabis reform. Thankfully, more and more jurisdictions are getting on the right side of history when it comes to cannabis policy.

With 2023 right around the corner, this particular report from BDSA essentially involves a three year window. A lot can happen in the next three years for the emerging global cannabis industry, not the least of which will hopefully be the launch of a regulated adult-use industry in Germany.

Switzerland Adult-Use Cannabis Pilot Program Delayed By ‘Quality Issues’

Written by Frank Schuler on September 16, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Switzerland has worked to launch a pilot adult-use cannabis program in various jurisdictions, including in Basel where the country’s first pilot program was set to launch today. A pilot program involves making cannabis commerce legal for adult-use purposes for some people in limited instances.

The goal of pilot programs, which are popping up in Europe, is to help countries gain insight into adult-use cannabis policies and regulations at a local level in order to be better suited to craft laws and regulations at the national level.

Denmark already has pilot programs in place and is working to expand pilot programs to more markets within its national borders. The Netherlands also has plans for launching a pilot program, however, that program has experienced a number of setbacks. Unfortunately, it appears that the pilot project in Basel, Switzerland is also experiencing delays. Per Swiss Info:

The ‘Weed Care’ experiment in the city of Basel was supposed to launch on September 15. But it has been put on hold because traces of pesticides were found in some of the supposedly organic plants.

Basel’s health department said on Friday that the delay could last several weeks or even months as products must now be analysed again by an independent body.

On one hand, it would obviously be nice to see the pilot program launching today. Yet, on the other hand, no one wants to consume tainted cannabis products, so a delay is warranted. It is worth noting that Switzerland has allowed the legal sales of low-THC cannabis products nationwide since 2017.

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Canadian Case Study Finds Favorable Results For CBD Oil And Autism

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2022. Posted in Science.

It is estimated that over 75 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with autism, with countless other people going undiagnosed for one reason or another. The first diagnosis of autism occurred roughly 75 years ago, and the definition of what constitutes autism has evolved since that time.

Currently, autism is defined by Autism Speaks as, “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”

The most common types of developmental therapy for people with autism include speech and language therapy, which has been found to improve the person’s understanding and use of speech and language, particularly in social interactions.

A recent study in Canada found that CBD oil may be an effective treatment for those diagnosed with autism. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: The administration of plant-derived CBD oil is safe and effective in the treatment of autism-related symptoms and it ought to be considered as a viable treatment option for patients with the disorder, according to the findings of a case study published in the journal Cureus.

A team of Canadian investigators assessed the long-term use of CBD oil containing 20 mg of CBD and less than one mg of THC in a non-verbal pediatric patient with autism spectrum disorder. Prior to initiating CBD treatment, the patient exhibited behavioral symptoms with outbursts of anger and physical aggression (e.g., punching, kicking, biting, head-butting, and scratching).

Following twice-daily CBD treatment, the patient “experienced a reduction in negative behaviors, including violent outbursts, self-injurious behaviors, and sleep disruptions. There was an improvement in social interactions, concentration, and emotional stability.”

Investigators concluded: “In the case study presented, the child patient has shown behavioral and cognitive improvements with no side effects reported. … With the increasing clinical studies on the use of cannabidiol in treating patients with mood disorders, anxiety, chronic pain conditions, and other behavioral problems, it should be considered as a treatment option in managing symptoms related to autism.”

The findings are consistent with numerous other studies demonstrating that the use of either CBD-dominant cannabis or oral extracts is associated with symptom mitigation in children with ASD.

Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol in treatment of autism spectrum disorder: A case study,” appears in Cureus. Additional information on cannabis and ASD is available from NORML.

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People In London Support Cannabis Decriminalization By Wide Margin

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Back in May we reported that London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that a commission would be launched to explore, among other things, cannabis policy reform. Cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent at an ever-increasing rate in most countries, however, the United Kingdom is not one of them.

When cannabis reform cannot be achieved at a national level, it’s wise for cannabis activists to focus their efforts locally. If enough local victories are won it builds momentum for larger reform efforts at a higher level.

With that in mind, any changes in cannabis policy and/or enforcement in London would be a great thing, and that appears to be something that many Londoners support according to the results of a new poll. Per excerpts from YouGov:

New YouGov data finds that Londoners support decriminalising cannabis within the boundaries of the capital by 50% to 33%. However opinion is divided across party lines, with 64% of the capital’s Labour voters supporting such a move compared to only 34% of Conservative voters.

Younger Londoners are also notably more likely to support a change in the law, with 52% of 18-24s and 56% of 25-49-year-olds supporting decriminalisation, versus 45% of 50-64 year olds and 34% of those aged 65 and over.

Of course, 17% of poll participants indicated that they ‘didn’t know’ whether they support cannabis decriminalization or not. However, it’s a safe bet that many of them, if properly educated on the subject, would move from the ‘don’t know’ category to ‘support.’

It’s also likely a safe bet that many people that do support cannabis reform refrained from indicating so when asked for fear of being subjected to persecution and/or stigma. It’s a phenomenon that is regularly found in cannabis polling.

Polls consistently demonstrate a lower level of support than there actually is, as proven by comparing polling results and election results in places that vote on cannabis.

THC Provides Symptomatic Relief To Patients With Tourette Syndrome

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2022. Posted in Science.

As many as one percent of people worldwide suffer from Tourette Syndrome to some degree, although many cases go undiagnosed. Tourette Syndrome is a nervous system disorder that involves the patient making repetitive movements and/or unwanted sounds.

Most cases of Tourette’s Syndrome start when the sufferer is a child, with some cases getting worse as the patient gets older. Typical treatments for Tourette Syndrome includes pharmaceutical medications and/or psychological therapies.

Cannabis is another form of treatment for Tourette Syndrome, albeit an emerging form of treatment that is not as common. A recent study in Canada found cannabis to be effective in some cases. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Toronto, Canada: Vaporized cannabis containing ten percent THC provides symptomatic relief to patients with Tourette Syndrome (TS), according to placebo-controlled data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Canadian researchers assessed the short-term effects of vaporized cannabis of varying potencies versus placebo in nine patients with TS.

They reported that subjects exhibited and perceived modest improvements following the administration of THC-dominant cannabis, but that they failed to demonstrate similar improvements following the use of either lower THC cannabis and/or high-CBD cannabis. Researchers acknowledged, “[G]iven the small sample size, … it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the benefits of THC.”

Prior studies assessing the long-term use of oral THC have documented a reduction in tics in TS patients. The findings of a 2019 study concluded, “Medical cannabis seems to hold promise in the treatment of GTS [Gilles de la Tourette syndrome] as it demonstrated high subjective satisfaction by most patients however not without side effects and should be further investigated as a treatment option for this syndrome.”

Full text of the study, “A double-blind, randomized, controlled crossover trial of cannabis in adults with Tourette Syndrome,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Additional information on cannabis and TS is available from NORML.

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UK Study Finds Cannabis Consumption Is Not Linked To Changes In Motivation

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2022. Posted in Science.

Historically, cannabis consumers have been portrayed by cannabis opponents as lazy ‘do nothings’ that sit on couches all day eating potato chips. Those stereotypes have also been perpetuated in mainstream media.

Unfortunately for cannabis opponents, there are numerous examples of people in peak physical condition that consume cannabis every single day, as demonstrated by the growing number of professional athletes that are coming out of the cannabis closet.

To be fair, there are certainly cannabis consumers that lack motivation, however, it’s not because of the cannabis. Some people are just lazy. That is reflected in the results of a recent study out of the United Kingdom. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Neither adults nor young people who consume cannabis exhibit symptoms of so-called ‘a-motivational syndrome,’ according to case control data published in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

British researchers assessed apathy, anhedonia (an inability to feel pleasure), and effort-based decision making in a cohort of late-adolescent and young adult cannabis consumers. Their performance was compared to that of age-matched controls (non-cannabis consumers).

Researchers identified no significant differences between the two groups.

“Cannabis use has historically been linked with a-motivation, which is reflected in prevalent, pejorative ‘lazy stoner’ stereotypes. In this study, we counter this cliché by showing that a relatively large group of adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls did not differ on several measures of reward and motivation,” they concluded. “Specifically, people who used cannabis on average four days per week did not report greater apathy or anhedonia, reduced willingness to expend effort for reward, or reduced reward wanting or liking compared to people who did not use cannabis. … Our results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that non-acute cannabis use is not linked with amotivation, which may help to reduce stigma experienced by people who use cannabis.”

The investigators’ findings are consistent with those of other recent studies refuting long standing claims that those with a history of marijuana use typically lack motivation.

Full text of the study, “Anhedonia, apathy, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls,” appears in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

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Study Associates Cannabis Use With Lower BMI Among Those With HIV/HCV

Written by Frank Schuler on September 8, 2022. Posted in Science.

As of 2020, it was estimated that roughly 38.4 million people around the world have HIV. HIV is a very serious health condition that causes AIDS and interferes with the body’s ability to fight against infections.

It is estimated that roughly 58 million people around the globe have hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause the liver to become inflamed, and if not properly treated, hepatitis C can lead to serious liver damage in suffering patients.

Many people that are diagnosed with either HIV or HCV also suffer from the other condition as well. As with virtually every health condition, having a healthy body mass index (BMI) is important. A recent study in France found that medical cannabis use was associated with a lower BMI in patients diagnosed with HIV and HCV. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Marseille, France: People co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C who consume cannabis are at a lower risk of being overweight, according to data published in the journal AIDS Education and Prevention.

French investigators assessed the relationship between cannabis use and body mass index (BMI) in a cohort of 992 HIV/HCV patients. Consistent with prior research, they reported that a history of marijuana use was “inversely associated with BMI.”

Prior studies involving HIV/HCV subjects have also identified a link between cannabis use and a lower risk of diabetes, fatty liver disease, and early mortality.

Other case control studies have consistently reported that those with a history of marijuana use are less likely than abstainers to be obese or to suffer from type 2 diabetes.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use as a protective factor against overweight in HIV-hepatitis C virus co-infected people,” appears in AIDS Education and Prevention. Additional information on cannabis and HIV/AIDS is available from NORML.

63% Of Colombians Support A Sales Tax On Cannabis Products According To Survey

Written by Frank Schuler on September 3, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Colombia has served as ground zero for the war on drugs in many ways for many years, largely due to the nation’s cocaine industry. It is obviously no secret that Colombia has served as the world’s top source for cocaine for decades, with the United States being a particularly popular market for the illegal substance.

The war on drugs in Colombia has made things harder for the nation’s emerging legal cannabis industry for various reasons, not the least of which is the stigma that comes with trying to legalize a historically banned substance in a nation like Colombia, even though cannabis is not cocaine.

A big part of boosting Colombia’s emerging cannabis industry involves changing the hearts and minds of citizens in the South American country, and according to the results of a recent poll, efforts appear to be gaining traction on that front. As highlighted in a recent article from Portafolio, the survey, which was conducted by Jaime Arteaga y Asociados, found the following:

91% of survey participants that have used cannabis-based products would recommend it to other people
37% of survey participants have frequented a store where medical and/or cosmetic cannabis products are sold
63% of Colombians believe that ‘sales taxes on cannabis products would improve social investment’

The survey results provided a lot of insight into not only the level of support for Colombia’s emerging cannabis industry, but also insight into consumer trends. For instance, the survey found that nearly half of the survey participants (46%) that reported consuming cannabis reported using it in topical form.

Due to its favorable climate, Colombia is uniquely positioned to cultivate an enormous amount of raw cannabis at a price that is literally impossible to replicate in most other parts of the world.

The nation would be wise to expand its emerging cannabis industry and take its rightful place as a legal global cannabis leader, which according to the recent survey results, appears to be a very popular issue that most Colombians seem to support.

Study Finds That CBD Oil Mitigates Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy

Written by Frank Schuler on August 29, 2022. Posted in Science.

I have said it before and I will say it again – cancer is one of the worst things on earth. If you or a loved one has ever battled cancer, then you know firsthand how awful cancer can be. Unfortunately, it’s something that millions of people die from every year, with millions more being diagnosed during the same duration of time.

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2020 alone, over 10 million people died from cancer around the world, with cancer being to blame for one out of every six deaths on earth.

Various treatments are currently incorporated into strategies to battle cancer, with one of the most common forms of treatment being chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment involving powerful chemicals that aim to kill fast-growing cells in the human body.

Chemotherapy can be effective in some cases, but it yields numerous side effects to some degree in all cases. One common side effect is neuropathy. Chemotherapy can damage the nervous system around the brain and spinal cord.

Fortunately for chemotherapy patients that must undergo the treatment, cannabidiol appears to help mitigate chemotherapy-induced neuropathy according to a recent study out of Denmark. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Roskilde, Denmark: The short-term administration of CBD oil extracts is safe and effective in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to data published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.

Danish investigators assessed the twice daily administration of CBD oil (300 mg/daily) in patients receiving either oxaliplatin or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Subjects used CBD for a period of eight days immediately following their first cycle of chemotherapy. Patients outcomes were compared to those of similarly matched controls.

Researchers reported that the use of CBD was associated with pronounced improvements in patients’ pain-related outcomes, including cold sensitivity and throat discomfort.

“CBD attenuated early symptoms of CIPN with no major safety concerns,” they concluded. “Long-term follow-up is ongoing. Results should be confirmed in a larger, randomized study.”

Separate studies have identified an association between patients’ long-term use of cannabis products and statistical improvements in cancer-related symptoms as well as significant reductions in their use of prescription painkillers.

Full text of the study, “Oral cannabidiol for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” appears in Supportive Care in Cancer.