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Author: Frank Schuler

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European CBD Novel Food Evaluations Put On Hold

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

Cannabidiol (CBD) products are extremely popular around the world, with consumers and patients buying them every day around the globe from brick and mortar stores, online, and virtually every other way that people buy any other type of product.

A vast majority of those products are either under-regulated or completely unregulated. That is not to say that every product is unsafe, however, what percentage of products are unsafe is nearly impossible to know right now.

Governments around the world are scrambling to try to implement rules and regulations for the emerging CBD industry, with many of them experiencing setbacks.

The latest example of that is in Europe, where the European Food Safety Authority announced this week that it will be putting a pause on processing CBD novel food applications. Below is more information about it via a news release from the European Food Safety Authority:

EFSA’s expert Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) has received 19 applications for CBD as a novel food, with more in the pipeline.

Chair of the NDA Panel, Prof. Dominique Turck said: “We have identified several hazards related to CBD intake and determined that the many data gaps on these health effects need filling before these evaluations can go ahead. It is important to stress at this point that we have not concluded that CBD is unsafe as food.”

There is insufficient data on the effect of CBD on the liver, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system, nervous system and on people’s psychological well-being.

Studies in animals show significant adverse effects especially in relation to reproduction. It is important to determine if these effects are also seen in humans.

This latest delay is definitely disappointing, and will likely be pointed to by cannabis opponents as ‘justification’ to abandon the CBD industry entirely.

It’s not as if there is a lack of research on this subject. A quick search on PubMed.gov, which houses peer-reviewed study results from around the globe, lists 4,881 returns for a ‘cannabidiol’ search query. A search for ‘CBD’ returns 9,727 study results.

By comparison, a search for the common sleep aid ‘Lunesta’ returns only 314 results. Obviously, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it does provide context regarding the level of research that CBD has already been subjected to.

Hopefully the European Food Safety Authority gets the data that they think they need and can get back to processing applications sooner rather than later.

In addition to the growing body of peer-reviewed research, there are literally millions of people around the globe that now regularly use CBD products and the sky has yet to fall. It’s anecdotal but still worth noting.

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Researchers In Israel: Cancer Patients “Improved Significantly” After Medical Cannabis Use

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Cancer is absolutely one of the worst things on this planet. If you or a loved one has suffered from cancer then you know firsthand how awful it is.

Scientists and doctors have worked countless hours over many decades to try to get to the bottom of what causes cancer in an attempt to try to prevent it, as well as working to determine what treatments are effective for people that develop cancer.

The cannabis plant is often the subject of cancer treatment research, with quite a bit of research determining that cannabis seems to be beneficial to some extent. That is what researchers in Israel seemed to find when they recently conducted a medical cannabis study involving oncology patients.

“The use of medical cannabis (MC) to treat cancer-related symptoms is rising. However, there is a lack of long-term trials to assess the benefits and safety of MC treatment in this population. In this work, we followed up prospectively and longitudinally on the effectiveness and safety of MC treatment.” the researchers stated.

“Oncology patients reported on multiple symptoms before and after MC treatment initiation at one-, three-, and 6-month follow-ups. Oncologists reported on the patients’ disease characteristics. Intention-to-treat models were used to assess changes in outcomes from baseline. MC treatment was initiated by 324 patients and 212, 158 and 126 reported at follow-ups.” the researchers stated regarding the study’s methodology.

“Most outcome measures improved significantly during MC treatment for most patients (p < 0.005). Specifically, at 6 months, total cancer symptoms burden declined from baseline by a median of 18%, from 122 (82-157) at baseline to 89 (45-138) at endpoint (−18.98; 95%CI= −26.95 to −11.00; p < 0.001). Reported adverse effects were common but mostly non-serious and remained stable during MC treatment.” the researchers determined.

“The results of this study suggest that MC treatment is generally safe for oncology patients and can potentially reduce the burden of associated symptoms with no serious MC-related adverse effects.” the researchers concluded.

Feel free to share the results of this study with people that you know. As always, make sure to consult with your doctor before starting any medical treatment, including medical cannabis treatment.

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Morocco’s National Cannabis Regulatory Agency Meets For The First Time

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

Morocco is one of many countries around the world that are working towards reforming their cannabis laws and launching a legal, regulated cannabis industry.

For several decades Morocco has served as an international source of cannabis, albeit an unregulated one. Hashish from Morocco is common in parts of Europe, especially Spain.

The demand for cannabis products from Morocco is clearly there, it’s just a matter of getting the country and legal global industry to a point where legal supply can meet legal demand, and that is also true for domestic sales.

That will be awhile, however, Morocco did recently take a significant step in that direction when its regulatory agency met for the first time. Per The New Arab:

Morocco’s national regulatory agency overseeing the use of marijuana for medical use met for the first time on Thursday in one of the last steps before legalisation in the world’s top cannabis-resin producer.

The North African nation adopted a law in 2021 provisionally authorising the legal uses of cannabis for medical, cosmetic and industrial uses, and tasked a national agency to oversee the process.

Chaired by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities approved its organisation chart and budget for the year 2022.

A regulated industry cannot exist without a regulatory body overseeing it, and from that perspective, the inaugural meeting by the National Agency for the Regulation of Cannabis Activities is a big deal in Morocco. Hopefully it helps speeds things up.

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Researchers Find CBD To Be An Effective Form Of Oral Care Treatment

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Having a wound in your mouth can be very uncomfortable, and in some cases, can lead to serious health issues. Developing a wound in your mouth can happen due to a number of factors, and regardless of the reason, it’s something that needs to be taken seriously.

Failing to properly care for a mouth wound can lead to infections in some cases, and at the very least, it will make the problem last longer if it goes untreated.

Researchers in Thailand recently examined the ability of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat oral inflammation, gingival wounds, and ulcers by using a scratch test assay and evaluating cytotoxicity.

“The hemp extract and CBD significantly decreased TNF-α release by up to 91.05 ± 2.91% and 50.78 ± 7.21% of LPS activity, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner, compared to 10 µg/mL hydrocortisone (61.67 ± 3.79%). The hemp extract and CBD also significantly decreased IL-1β release, also in dose-dependent response, up to 78.03 ± 3.34% and 85.87 ± 1.11% of LPS activity, respectively, compared to 5 µg/mL hydrocortisone (80.81 ± 3.55%).” the researchers stated.

“The mean percentage of closure of the wound area was 27.92 ± 1.21% when exposed to 5 µg/mL hemp extract and 33.49 ± 1.67% when exposed to 0.5 µg/mL CBD, compared to 24.34 ± 2.29% for non-treated control.” the researchers went on to say.

“Our study demonstrates that both hemp extract and CBD can inhibit TNF-α and IL-1β production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and promote wound healing in HGF-1 cells. This is the first to show that short-term exposure to hemp extract and CBD promoted gingival fibroblast wound healing, demonstrating that hemp extract and CBD have potential benefits in the treatment of oral inflammation and ulcers.” the researchers concluded.

If you are experiencing any of the conditions mentioned in this article make sure to contact a medical professional as soon as possible before trying any new treatments.

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South Africa Department Of Justice: Cannabis Industry Not Our Domain

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

In the fall of 2018, South Africa’s Supreme Court determined that cannabis prohibition as it pertained to personal use by adults in private settings was unconstitutional. While the decision did not extend to many other parts of cannabis policy, lawmakers in South Africa used it as an opportunity to completely overhaul the nation’s approach to cannabis policy and industry.

Similar court decisions were rendered in Italy and Mexico to some degree, however, lawmakers in those countries have been very slow to move policy beyond the individual Court decisions.

South Africa, on the other hand, has really stepped up efforts to embrace the cannabis plant and the industry that surrounds it. As we previously reported, South Africa’s government is currently accepting proposals for cannabis businesses and recently approved the country’s first cannabis pharmacy.

In yet another example of the shifting cannabis landscape in South Africa, the nation’s Department of Justice recently announced that it should not oversee the emerging cannabis industry. Instead, its recommendation is that other agencies that oversee other large, legal industries perform that task. Per Business Day:

The department of justice was not empowered to introduce legislation dealing with the commercialisation of cannabis, as that fell within the domain of other departments such as health, agriculture, and trade, industry and competition.

On Tuesday, the department of justice’s legal adviser, Sarel Robbertse, gave the department’s response to public comments on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, in a briefing to parliament’s justice and correctional services committee…

It will be very interesting to see where South Africa’s cannabis industry is at five years from now, and how much farther along it is compared to other countries within the global cannabis community.

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Government Agencies In Thailand Sign Agreement To Promote Cannabis

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

In one week Thailand will implement robust changes to the country’s cannabis policies, not the least of which will be allowing every household in the country to sign up to cultivate low-THC cannabis.

To help encourage the nation’s industry, Thailand’s government previously announced that it will offer low-interest loans to aspiring cultivators, as well as distribute over 1 million free cannabis seeds to the public.

Earlier this week over half a dozen agencies in Thailand entered into an agreement to promote the nation’s emerging cannabis industry going forward. Below is more information via a social media post from the National News Bureau of Thailand:

An agreement has been signed by the Ministry of Public Health and seven other agencies to support and promote the appropriate use of cannabis and hemp.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presided over the signing of the agreement to prioritize using cannabis and hemp for health and economic purposes, and not for illegal or inappropriate use. In addition to the health ministry, the agreement was signed by representatives from other agencies, namely the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand, The Medical Council of Thailand, and Thai Traditional Medical Council.

The Royal Thai Police, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Food and Drug Administration also signed as witnesses for the agreement.

According to Anutin, the agreement aims to ensure that use of the plants is prioritized for medicinal and economic purposes, encourage product diversity, and increase market value. He also emphasized the importance of publicizing the goal of removing these plants from the Type 5 Narcotics List in order to prevent public misuse.

Both plants will be removed from the Type 5 Narcotics List on June 9, 2022. However, any product containing more than 0.2% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extract is still classified as a category 5 substance and is subject to narcotics control and suppression laws.

Anyone who wishes to grow cannabis and hemp must register through the Food and Drug Administration’s “Puk Kan” mobile application, while those who intend to cultivate them for commercial purposes must notify the authorities before starting their business.

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Social Organizations Receive Medical Cannabis Cultivation Licenses In Mexico

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Politics.

The road towards adult-use cannabis legalization in Mexico has been full of twists, turns, detours, and in some cases dead ends. In late 2018 Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that cannabis prohibition as it pertained to personal use was unconstitutional. Since that time lawmakers have tried, and failed, to pass a Court-mandated measure to establish an adult-use industry in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Mexico’s emerging medical cannabis program and industry have moved along in the shadows of adult-use reform. As is the case in every country, there are countless suffering patients in Mexico that can benefit from safe access to medical cannabis.

Fortunately for patients in the Oaxaca area, medical cannabis cultivation licenses were issued to over two-dozen community entities that will further boost safe access in the region. Per Politico MX (translated from Spanish to English):

In Oaxaca, 26 social organizations belonging to Oaxacan communities received permits from the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks ( Cofepris ) for the management, selection and cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Among the benefited places are San Dionisio Ocotepec and San Pablo Guilá , who from now on will be able to process cannabis for the production of products whose objectives are to help different medical treatments.

Horacio Sosa Villavicencio, a deputy from Morena, indicated that it was not an easy road, but that thanks to the community organization and the solidarity that exists in the native peoples governed under the regime of uses and customs, it was possible to achieve these authorizations.

Oaxaca has made international headlines multiple times in recent weeks. As we previously reported, city officials in Oaxaca recently issued a directive to local police to leave cannabis consumers alone, even when they are consuming cannabis in public spaces.

Safe access to medical cannabis is extremely important, as is the ability to safely consume medical cannabis after it is legally acquired. For many patients, finding a place to consume cannabis can be tricky.

With that in mind, it’s a great thing to know that if a patient in Oaxaca has to consume cannabis outside of a private residence for whatever reason, they will be able to do so without being persecuted.