Author: Frank Schuler

Cannabis A “Common Treatment” For Chronic Pain Survey Finds

Written by Frank Schuler on July 26, 2022. Posted in Science.

Chronic pain is arguably the most common health condition found around the world, with an estimated one out of every 5 adults suffering from chronic pain (1.5 billion people).

It’s a condition that is often coupled with one or more other health conditions and is often the first symptom that a patient goes to their doctor for review, and unfortunately, find out that they are experiencing other health conditions that are causing the chronic pain.

Chronic pain is defined by John Hopkins Medical Center as, “longstanding pain that persists beyond the usual recovery period or occurs along with a chronic health condition, such as arthritis.”

A growing body of scientific evidence is finding that the cannabis plant can effectively treat chronic pain in a manner that is much safer compared to pharmaceutical painkillers. A new survey out of Canada echoes previous findings. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Quebec, Canada: Nearly one-third of patients living with chronic pain conditions acknowledge using cannabis for pain management, according to data published in the Canadian Journal of Pain.

Canadian investigators assessed cannabis use trends in a cohort of 1,935 chronic pain patients residing in Quebec. (Cannabis products are legal for both medical purposes and for adult use in Canada.)

Just over 30 percent of patients in the sample said that they used cannabis explicitly for purposes of pain management.

Authors identified greater cannabis prevalence among younger patients, but they reported no significant differences between men and women with respect to how likely they were to consume the substance.

“Cannabis is thus a common treatment reported in people living with CP [chronic pain],” they concluded. “Our study re-emphasizes the importance of rapidly generating evidence on the safety and effectiveness of cannabis, in addition to age-tailored education and awareness efforts among people living with CP.”

Among patients in US states where medical cannabis access is permitted, over 60 percent are qualified to use it to treat pain.

Full text of the study, “Prevalence of cannabis use for pain management in Quebec: A post-legalization estimate among generations living with chronic pain,” appears in the Canadian Journal of Pain. Additional information on cannabis and pain management is available from NORML.

Cannabis Effective At Mitigating Musculoskeletal Pain According To Survey

Written by Frank Schuler on July 18, 2022. Posted in Science.

Musculoskeletal health conditions are a major problem around the globe. In fact, it’s the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating that as many as 1.71 billion people suffer from a musculoskeletal condition to some degree.

Virtually every musculoskeletal condition involves pain, with lower back pain being particularly common among patients. Pain can come in many forms when someone suffers from a musculoskeletal condition, ranging from mild annoying pain all the way to completely debilitating pain.

Thankfully, a growing number of studies are finding that cannabis is an effective form of pain management, including a recent study conducted in Puerto Rico. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain disorders report obtaining significant relief following their use of medical cannabis products, according to data published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

A team of Puerto Rican investigators surveyed 184 patients with chronic pain conditions regarding their use of medical cannabis. (Lawmakers legalized patient access to certain cannabis preparations in 2015.)

Respondents suffering specifically from musculoskeletal conditions reported an average reduction of 4.47 points on the Numeric Rating Scale following cannabis administration. Eighty-nine percent of survey participants said that cannabis was “more effective” than opioids for pain management – a finding that is consistent with other studies.

Authors concluded: “This study showed that the use of medical cannabis among patients with musculoskeletal conditions effectively reduced pain levels based on their NRS reported scores. In addition, most patients using medical cannabis considered that this drug represents a better option than narcotics (e.g., opioids) for adequate pain management. Additional studies on medical cannabis should evaluate whether the experience and perspective presented through this study could translate into satisfactory and consistent clinical outcomes.”

Survey data from 2020 estimated that one in five Canadian patients battling musculoskeletal disorders used cannabis to ease their pain. Among pain patients enrolled in medical cannabis access programs, most subjects report decreasing or even eliminating their use of opiates.

Full text of the study, “Patient experience and perspective on medical cannabis as an alternative for musculoskeletal pain management,” appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML.

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Alzheimer’s Case Report From Brazil Finds “Encouraging” Results For Cannabis Extracts Treatment

Written by Frank Schuler on July 18, 2022. Posted in Science.

It is estimated that as many as 50 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. It is also estimated that every 3 seconds someone is diagnosed with the condition.

Alzheimer’s disease involves the degeneration of the brain resulting in disruptions in memory, cognition, personality, and other everyday mental functions. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the disease.

To make matters worse, diagnosis rates of the disease are expected to increase significantly in the coming decades if effective treatments are not discovered/developed. Absent any breakthroughs, it’s estimated that the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s could more than triple by 2050.

Fortunately, cannabis may be able to help. Researchers in Brazil recently published a case report involving a patient and microdosing low-THC cannabis extracts. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil: Cannabis microdosing is associated with cognitive and behavioral improvements in a patient with mnemonic and non-mnemonic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms, according to a case report published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.

An international team of investigators affiliated with The Federal University for Latin American Integration in Brazil and with John Hopkins University in Baltimore reported on the experimental treatment of THC-rich extracts in a 75-year-old male patient with mild-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The patient had been diagnosed with AD two-years prior to his use of cannabis.

Extracts used in the trial contained an 8-to-1 ratio of THC to CBD. The patient receiving the intervention used the extracts daily for 22 months. The subject’s daily dosage never exceeded 1 mg of THC per day.

Investigators reported that the patient exhibited “rapid” and “robust” symptom amelioration following his use of low doses of THC-rich extracts. Specifically, they reported, “[C]ognitive and memory enhancement lasted for more than one year following the start of treatment and remained stable while we progressively evaluate/follow up with the patient, for more than one year after the official report ended.” Authors also reported improvements in the subject’s quality of life and in behavioral issues, including a reduction in mood swings and aggressiveness. Follow up evaluations identified no evidence of cannabis-related toxicity or significant side effects.

They concluded: “Our results are unprecedented and very encouraging. … In summary, data presented in this case report suggest that cannabinoid microdosing is a potential therapeutic for AD, with no significant side effects, although placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm and extend these data.”

Prior studies and case reports assessing the use of THC in Alzheimer’s disease patients have similarly reported improvements in AD symptoms, such as reduced agitation and improved sleep, following cannabinoid dosing.

Full text of the study, “Cannabinoid extract in microdoses ameliorates mnemonic and non-mnemonic Alzheimer’s disease symptoms: A case report,” appears in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. Additional information on cannabis and Alzheimer’s disease is available from NORML.

Researchers In Norway Explore Cannabis Treatments And Parkinson’s Disease

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

Parkinson’s disease is a condition that attacks the nervous system and involves the patient experiencing tremors, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movements. The condition seems to mainly affect middle-aged and elderly people.

Scientific research has found that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by both genetic and environmental conditions, although there is still a great deal about the condition that is unknown.

It is estimated that as many as 10 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease worldwide, with men being 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with the condition compared to women.

Researchers in Norway recently examined cannabis as a form of treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and the results provide hope. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Bergen, Norway: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often report symptomatic benefits from the use of cannabis, according to survey data published in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

Norwegian investigators surveyed cannabis use patterns and related attitudes among PD patients. Consistent with prior surveys, they reported that a significant minority of PD patients consume cannabis for symptom relief. Respondents were most likely to report improvements in motor function, sleep, and pain as a result of their marijuana use.

Observational trial data has determined that cannabis inhalation is associated with improvements in tremor, rigidity, pain, sleep, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) in patients with PD. Placebo-controlled trial data has also determined that acute CBD administration (300mg) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in experimentally-induced anxiety and tremor in PD patients.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use in Parkinson’s disease: A nationwide online survey,” appears inActa Neurologica Scandinavica. Additional information on cannabis and PD is available from NORML.

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Argentina’s Supreme Court Upholds Medical Cannabis Cultivation Rights

Written by Frank Schuler on July 7, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Medical cannabis advocates have tried for many years to get home cultivation officially approved in Argentina. Unfortunately, it has been a very slow process.

As we have mentioned in previous coverage, in 2017 lawmakers in Argentina passed a law that legalized cannabis for medical use. For the next few years, the new law essentially proved to be nothing more than symbolic as industry rules and regulations went nowhere.

In late 2020 Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández signed a decree calling for the legalization of home cultivation along with allowing pharmacies to sell medical cannabis products.

The catch to the 2020 decree, which is essentially the same catch that has hindered Argentina’s medical cannabis program since 2017, is that it relied on the creation of rules and regulations pertaining to licenses. Before someone can cultivate medical cannabis in Argentina they must first obtain a license from the government, and there essentially is no effective licensing process in place.

Medical cannabis advocates have pursued various legal remedies, and Argentina’s Supreme Court recently rendered a landmark decision that provides some legal protections for home cultivation. Per El Destape (auto-translated to English):

The Supreme Court of the Nation unanimously ratified the decriminalization of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and made it compulsory to register it in the official records for those who want to carry out this practice . The highest court ruled in this regard when evaluating the proposals of the Medicinal Cannabis Moms Association (Macame) of Santa Fe, which had questioned the constitutionality of the rules regarding the self-cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use by minors in their care.

“The public health and safety reasons involved are sufficient to justify the State issuing administrative authorizations within the framework of Law 27,350 for self-cultivation and the production of products derived from cannabis for medicinal purposes. This determines, in turn, that the intervention of the State in this area does not imply an unjustified interference in the personal autonomy of article 19 of the National Constitution”, he stressed.

Ultimately, what is needed is a fully functioning medical cannabis program in Argentina so that there is no room for doubt when it comes to the rights of medical cannabis patients.

Every patient should be able to cultivate cannabis legally based on codified laws that law enforcement is mandated to follow. Whenever patients have to rely on case law in the absence of codified law, it always creates situations that are ripe for selective enforcement which no patient should ever have to deal with.

Lawmaker Survey Finds Strong Support For Cannabis Reform In Guernsey

Written by Frank Schuler on July 7, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Guernsey is an island located within the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. It’s part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It’s likely not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about cannabis reform.

However, there is growing support for cannabis reform in Guernsey, including within lawmaker circles. The Guernsey Press recently analyzed survey answers involving lawmakers and their views about cannabis policy. Per the Guernsey Press:

Although some answers were nuanced or not particularly clear, we can work out that more than half of Guernsey deputies – Alderney representatives in the States were not involved – were supportive of the medicinal use of cannabis.

More than half were again supportive towards looking again at the way cannabis is regulated.

And about 40% were open to some form of legalisation of the Class B drug for personal use.

It’s always a nuanced thing when lawmakers express general support for cannabis reform, in that their support is just that – general. It doesn’t provide insight into what specific provisions they may support.

Do they support home cultivation? Do they support a regulated industry? There are a number of policy components that go into cannabis policy reform, and any number of them could result in a lawmaker switching from ‘supportive’ to ‘opposed.’

Still, the survey results from Guernsey are encouraging. It could definitely be worse, with the numbers flip-flopped. Thankfully, that is not the case.

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Study Finds Most Likely Reasons For Canadian Medical Cannabis Use

Written by Frank Schuler on July 4, 2022. Posted in Science.

People use cannabis for a variety of reasons, including and especially wellness purposes. Whereas cannabis prohibition is a relatively new policy phenomenon, the use of cannabis for medical purposes by humans goes back many centuries.

The cannabis plant is arguably the most versatile plant on earth, possessing the ability to effectively treat a number of ailments, as proven by a growing body of research and a seemingly never-ending list of personal testimonials.

A team of researchers in Canada recently surveyed medical cannabis patients to try to determine the most common reasons for medical cannabis use. Below is more information about the researchers’ findings via a news release from NORML:

Quebec City, Canada: Canadians who consume cannabis for purposes of self-medication most frequently report doing so to address pain, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and depression, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Canadian researchers surveyed 489 subjects who purchased cannabis products at adult-use retailers, but who acknowledged doing so to self-medicate. Consistent with prior data, respondents were most likely to report consuming cannabis products to mitigate anxiety (70 percent), improve sleep (56 percent), alleviate pain (53 percent), and address feelings of depression (37 percent). Subjects were also likely to acknowledge using cannabis to alleviate muscle spasticity, migraine, nausea, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Survey respondents typically reported using cannabis flower and selecting products dominant in THC. However, those respondents that exclusively defined their cannabis use as medical-only expressed a preference for CBD-dominant products.

In contrast with other surveys, most respondents acknowledged reporting their cannabis use to their health care professionals.

The results of another recent survey, published in the journal Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice, similarly determined that patients certified to use medical cannabis in the US most commonly do so to treat symptoms of pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression. The results of yet another recent survey, conducted by Harris Polling, also found that consumers most often report consuming cannabis to reduce stress, improve sleep, and mitigate anxiety.

Separate survey data compiled in April reported that 21 percent of US Medicare recipients acknowledge consuming cannabis for therapeutic purposes, typically to address symptoms associated with chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Full text of the study, “A description of self-medication with cannabis among adults with legal access to cannabis in Quebec, Canada,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information on the use of cannabis for chronic pain is available from NORML.

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Cannabis Flower Continues To Dominate In North America

Written by Frank Schuler on July 4, 2022. Posted in Business.

For many decades cannabis essentially came in only two forms – cannabis flower and cannabis hashish. If you were lucky then you perhaps had a friend or family member that could make topicals and/or edibles at home.

These days, if you live in North America where legal cannabis products are bought and sold, then you know firsthand how much variety exists at most licensed outlets.

Cannabis products come in all shapes, sizes, and types in those areas, from cannabis-infused sodas to cannabis-infused cotton candy and just about anything else that the mind can imagine.

Yet, despite the exponential growth in cannabis product options, the old-fashioned form of cannabis flower still reigns supreme in North America’s legal markets according to a recent study. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Santa Monica, CA: Cannabis consumers in the United States and Canada predominantly consume marijuana flower instead other product formulations, according to data published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

Investigators affiliated with the RAND Drug Policy Research Center in California and the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada assessed cannabis consumption patterns in the US and in Canada in a cohort of more than 40,000 subjects.

Consistent with prior surveys, they reported, “Dried flower was the most commonly used product” among consumers – regardless of whether those consumers patronized either the licit or illicit marketplace. However, investigators acknowledged that the popularity of other formulations of cannabis, particularly vape oils and edibles, had increased in recent years – especially in markets where cannabis products are legally available from licensed retailers.

Authors concluded: “The current study provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of cannabis consumption at the population level in Canada and the US to date. The findings highlight the rapidly evolving nature of the cannabis product market, including notable shifts in the types of cannabis products used by consumers. … Although dried flower continues to dominate the market, it has begun declining with a notable shift towards increasing popularity of processed cannabis products.”

Full text of the study, “Trends in the use of cannabis products in Canada and the USA, 2018 – 2020: Findings from the International Cannabis Policy Study,” appears in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

Indonesia Exploring Medical Cannabis Reform

Written by Frank Schuler on July 4, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Indonesia is home to some of the harshest cannabis penalties on earth. In fact, people can still receive the death penalty as a punishment for certain cannabis offenses in Indonesia.

Thailand, which shares a maritime border with Indonesia, recently implemented a new cannabis policy that significantly boosted access to cannabis, and people had to be reminded that if they brought cannabis into Indonesia from Thailand that they could be put to death.

Given that background and context, it was significant earlier this week when officials in Indonesia expressed a willingness to explore medical cannabis reform. Per Bloomberg:

Indonesian lawmakers will discuss a plan to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, after a mother’s plea for the treatment for her child spread widely online.

Legislators will study the plan with the health ministry, parliament’s Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said in a statement on Tuesday. Any changes would be done by revising the narcotics law, which bans the use of cannabis except for certain research purposes, he added.

Santi Warastuti went viral for joining Jakarta’s crowded car-free day on Sunday while bringing a placard that said, “Help, my child needs medical marijuana.” Her child has cerebral palsy. Dasco met Warastuti in Jakarta on Tuesday, and vowed to raise the issue with legislators who are deliberating the law.

Medical cannabis reform has swept the globe in recent decades, particularly in the Western Hemisphere and Europe. Asia has been much slower to reform its laws, although that is changing.

It’s likely a safe bet that if Indonesia does legalize cannabis for medical use, which is a huge ‘if’ to be sure, the policy that they implement will be extremely strict.

One thing working in every country’s favor in the region is Thailand’s new cannabis policy, which is demonstrating in real-time that reform is better than prohibition. Hopefully that is a fact that is not lost on lawmakers in Indonesia (and elsewhere).