Skip to main content
pills painkillers opioids pharmaceutical drugs pharma

Cannabis Associated With Quality Of Life Improvements, Reduced Opioid Use

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

The cannabis plant has been used by humans for many centuries due to its wellness benefits. An example of that is cannabis’ inclusion in Emperor Shen Nung’s (regarded as the father of Chinese medicine) pharmacopeia.

It wasn’t until the 1900s and the rise of global cannabis prohibition that opponents started touting cannabis as being ‘bad for human health.’ Once prohibition was implemented across the globe, cannabis research was largely hindered resulting in many people unfortunately believing anti-cannabis propaganda.

Fortunately for compassion and logical reasoning, cannabis research has picked up exponentially in recent decades. A new study found that cannabis use is associated with improvements in quality of life, as well as a reduction in opioid use. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Patients suffering from chronic pain, depression, anxiety, and other conditions report sustained improvements in their symptoms following the use of cannabis, according to observational data published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology Reports.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis products (either oils, flower, or a combination of both) in a cohort of 1,378 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Participants possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis products. (Since 2018, healthcare specialists have been permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Authors assessed the efficacy of cannabis at one, three, six, and twelve months.

Consistent with prior studies, patients reported reduced levels of anxiety, better sleep, and improvements in their health-related quality of life following cannabis treatment. Many patients also reported decreases in their daily opioid consumption – a finding that is also consistent with numerous other studies.

The study’s authors concluded: “There was an associated improvement in self-reported anxiety, sleep quality, and HRQoL [health-related quality of life] in patients treated with the CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products]. Those prescribed treatment formulations including dried flower were most likely to show a clinical improvement. … There was a reduction in opioid prescriptions at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months compared to the baseline… Most reported adverse events were mild to moderate, consistent with prior assessments of safety.”

Other studies assessing the use of cannabis products in patients enrolled in the UK Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those suffering from chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, depression, generalized anxiety, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions.

Full text of the study, “An observational study of clinical outcome measures in patients treated with cannabis-based medicinal products on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry,” appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology Reports. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

Germany Bundestag Parliament

Is The German SPD Parliamentary Group Against Legalization?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

The ongoing legalization saga in Germany often feels like something out of a soap opera. Since the summer of 2021, when the current governing coalition was elected in Germany, the push for legalization has experienced several ups and downs.

Between the summer of 2021 and October 2022, cannabis observers inside Germany and around the world watched with collectively held breath waiting for a legalization measure to be formally introduced. What was touted after the 2021 federal election was a robust, nationwide sales system similar to what is in place in Canada.

Several leaks surfaced in news coverage regarding what the legalization measure would include, along with various reactions from German lawmakers every time headlines were made. Many lawmakers expressed frustration with the process during that period.

In October 2021, the world finally got its first glimpse into a legalization measure largely championed by Germany’s Minister of Health Dr. Karl Lauterbach. Unfortunately, the measure that was described in a press conference held by Minister Lauterbach at the time was a rolled-back version of what many advocates had hoped for.

Minister Lauterbach described his measure as being multi-phased, with the first phase permitting personal cannabis cultivation, possession, and consumption, along with permitting noncommercial cannabis clubs to operate. It would also remove cannabis from the nation’s narcotics law.

A second phase, which would need to come later via a separate measure, would permit the launch of regional adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs. Yet, before any of that was to be formally set in motion, Minister Lauterbach made it clear that he would first seek European Union approval of his plan before introducing it.

Minister Lauterbach eventually introduced his measure in 2023, with the measure receiving approval by Germany’s Federal Cabinet earlier this year. The measure also passed the Bundesrat, only to experience some turbulence in the Bundestag. Earlier this month the measure appeared to be dead for the year, then it was announced that a vote was expected, just for the vote to never actually happen.

Various media accounts surfaced this month blaming members of the SPD parliamentary group for the measure failing to receive a vote. Bundestag member Dr. Rolf Mützenich (SPD) was recently asked, “Dear Mr. Mützenich, are you worried about the citizens’ severe loss of trust in the SPD due to the repeated postponement of the vote on the CanG or does it not matter to you?”

Dr. Mützenich replied with, “The SPD parliamentary group continues to support the bill to decriminalize cannabis. It is regrettable that other reports spread a false impression – perhaps deliberately. The SPD has long campaigned for a liberal drug policy and failed to do so due to the Union under Chancellor Merkel.”

“We are now committed to ensuring that the law will, above all, take health protection into account; final discussions are still being held on this matter. The law is scheduled to be passed at the beginning of next year and, we intend, to come into force in April 2024 as planned.” Dr. Mützenich also stated.

The timeline offered up by Dr. Mützenich is in line with previous statements made this month by members of the Bundestag. Whether or not the timeline proves to be accurate is something that we will all have to wait and see.

As far as whether the SPD parliamentary group is for or against legalization in Germany, it appears that at the very least there are mixed opinions within the political party, but hopefully there is more support for policy modernization than there is for continued status quo-maintaining foot-dragging.

Joints cannabis flower Joints cannabis flower Joints cannabis flower Joints cannabis flower Joints cannabis flower

Fewer Youth Say Cannabis Is “Easy” To Access Post-Canada Legalization

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Policy.

A popular talking point among cannabis opponents leading up to cannabis policy reform, including medical cannabis policy reform, is that reform will ‘increase youth access to cannabis.’ It is a talking point that opponents seem to always hurl into the public sphere when policy reform is being considered by lawmakers or voters.

What cannabis opponents fail to recognize is that regulating cannabis involves checking government-issued identification to ensure that the person is permitted to acquire cannabis. A regulated industry also involves compliance checks and audits, all of which make it much harder for youth to access cannabis. None of that is true of the unregulated market.

According to a recent survey conducted in Canada, where cannabis was legalized for adult use in 2018, fewer young people are reporting that it is “easy” to access cannabis. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Waterloo, Canada: The percentage of young people who say that it is “easy” for them to acquire cannabis has decreased significantly since Canada legalized the adult-use marijuana market, according to data published in the journal Archives of Public Health.

Canadian researchers assessed young people’s perceptions surrounding the availability of cannabis products. They determined that the percentage of underage youth reporting that cannabis was easy to access decreased by 27 percent from 2018 – the year Canada legalized cannabis markets nationwide – to 2020. Self-reported marijuana consumption by young people also decreased during this period.

The study’s authors concluded: “While there has been a growing number of studies focused on examining changes in cannabis use among Canadian youth since the onset of the Cannabis Act, and more recently since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there appears to be a paucity of research dedicated to examining changes in youth perceptions of cannabis availability over the same period of time. In response, this study provides unique and novel evidence of how youth perceptions of cannabis access have changed since the onset of the Cannabis Act. … Our data suggest that in our large samples of youth, perceptions of cannabis access as being easy has declined in prevalence since legalization and through the early and ongoing pandemic response period.”

Data from the United States has similarly failed to identify any significant uptick in youth marijuana use following the adoption of state-level legalization. According to a May 2023 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of high schoolers who ever tried marijuana fell 30 percent between 2011 and 2021 – during which time nearly half of all US states legalized cannabis. The percentage of students who self-identified as current marijuana consumers decreased by a similar percentage during the same period.

Full text of the study, “Youth perceptions of difficulty accessing cannabis following cannabis legalization and during the early and ongoing stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: Repeat cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the COMPASS study,” appears in Archives of Public Health. Additional information on cannabis use trends among young people is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’

Cannabis leaf plant

THC Associated With Cognitive Improvements In Patients With Advanced Cancer

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Patients who are battling cancer experience any number of negative symptoms, including symptoms related to cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment can come in many forms, including but not limited to impaired memory, reduced concentration, slower information processing, and/or reduced executive function.

Various treatments exist for cognitive impairment including pharmaceutical drugs. Cognitive remediation is another option, in which the patient learns compensatory strategies and methods to supplement their cognitive functioning.

Medical cannabis is used by many cancer patients, including varieties of medical cannabis that are high in THC. According to a recent study, oral THC dosing is associated with cognitive improvements among cancer patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Hjørring, Denmark: Cancer patients who take daily doses of oral THC (dronabinol) exhibit improved cognitive performance and they experience reductions in pain and depression, according to clinical data published in the journal Palliative Medicine Reports.

Danish researchers assessed the use of prescription dronabinol in six patients with advanced cancer. Subjects consumed oral THC daily for two weeks.

Investigators reported, “[T]reating palliative cancer patients with dronabinol for 14 days … seems to improve cognition in different domains, including in speed of mental processing, nonverbal and in-the-moment reasoning, as well as short-term memory and working memory.”

The study’s findings are consistent with those of others reporting cannabis-associated cognitive improvements in patients with cancer, bipolar disorders, HIV, and chronic pain.

Researchers also reported that THC dosing was associated with reductions in patients’ pain, depression, and fatigue. Some patients also reduced their use of other prescription medications during treatment – a finding that is consistent with numerous other studies.

The study’s authors concluded: “[I]n this group of patients, the short-term use of dronabinol did not impair cognition. Rather, the treatment was associated with improved cognition, especially in the processing and reasoning domains. The study also found relief of pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, which may have had an indirect beneficial effect on cognitive functions. … The study results suggest dronabinol may have a beneficial effect on different parameters for patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care.”

Dronabinol (aka Marinol) is a Schedule III prescription drug in the United States.

Full text of the study, “Impact of low dose dronabinol therapy on cognitive function in cancer patients receiving palliative care: A care-series intervention study,” appears in Palliative Medicine Reports.

germany flag germany flag germany flag

SDP Leadership: German Legalization Vote Expected In Early 2024

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

As 2023 continues to wind down, cannabis advocates and policymakers in Germany are turning their focus to 2024 with hopes that it will prove to be the year that a long-awaited national adult-use cannabis legalization measure is finally passed and implemented in Europe’s largest economy.

The parliamentary group leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party recently indicated that a legalization vote “will come at the beginning of 2024.” Rolf Mützenich, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, made the statement in a recent interview with Rheinische Post.

Germany’s ongoing cannabis policy modernization saga has experienced a lot of highs and lows, even as recently as this month. At the start of December, it appeared that a long-awaited legalization vote in the Bundestag would not happen until 2024.

Then, in a surprise turnaround, it was announced that the governing coalition reached an agreement to update certain provisions of the measure and that a vote would take place before the end of the year.  That expected vote was then unceremoniously pulled back, and now we are essentially back to where we started at the beginning of December.

“It also remains unclear whether the SPD parliamentary group leadership has a problem with the content of the law or whether the timing of its adoption just before Christmas seems inappropriate to them in times of budget crisis. And the SPD press spokeswoman’s “confidence” or not: it doesn’t seem impossible that the law might even be stopped completely “on the home stretch.” Legal Tribune Online stated in its reporting at the time.

In his recent wide-ranging interview with Rheinische Post, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Rolf Mützenich stated (translated from German to English), “We are taking a close look at the concerns. But we have agreed on this project in the coalition and it will come at the beginning of 2024. I assume so.”

Fellow Social Democratic Party member Burkhard Blienert, who initially introduced the cannabis legalization measure being considered by Bundestag members and continues to lead ongoing talks with the European Union, recently urged his fellow lawmakers to take action:

At this point, no one can count their metaphorical German legalization eggs until they actually hatch. As we have seen over the course of the last two years, the political process can be full of delays and setbacks.

For the sake of compassion, logic, and good stewardship of public resources lawmakers in Germany need to get the ball rolling as early as possible in 2024. What is currently being proposed is already found elsewhere in Europe at this point, albeit in smaller nations.

Malta and Luxembourg already permit adult-use cultivation and possession. Additionally, Malta has now licensed five entities to operate noncommercial cannabis clubs. Limited adult-use cannabis trials are underway in both Switzerland and the Netherlands. With that in mind, Germany now has some catching up to do, and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later.

cbd hemp leaf plant cannabis

Cannabis Associated With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Improvements

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

One of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders that people are diagnosed with around the world is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The symptoms of the condition can look different from patient to patient, and diagnosis typically occurs early in life.

According to the results of a prior study, “the prevalence of persistent adult ADHD was 2.58% and that of symptomatic adult ADHD was 6.76%, translating to 139.84 million and 366.33 million affected adults in 2020 globally.”

A team of investigators associated with various academic institutions in the United Kingdom recently explored how the use of medical cannabis interacts with ADHD. They specifically looked at cannabis use’s potential impact on the quality of life among ADHD patients. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit sustained improvements in their symptoms following the use of cannabis products, according to data published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology Reports.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis products (either oils, flower, or a combination of both) in a cohort of 68 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Participants possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis products. (Since 2018, specialists have been permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Authors assessed the efficacy of cannabis at one, three, six, and twelve months.

Researchers reported improvements in patients’ anxiety, sleep quality, and overall health-related quality of life following cannabis treatment. Over one-third of patients ceased taking at least one ADHD prescription drug medication over the course of the study.

The study’s authors concluded: “This case series is the first of its kind in assessing the clinical outcome of patients from the UKMCR with a primary diagnosis of ADHD prescribed CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] for up to 12 months. This study reports that treatment with CBMPs was associated with improvements in general HRQoL [health-related quality of life] after 1, 3, and 6, months, in addition to anxiety and sleep quality after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. These results suggest that CBMPs may play a role in alleviating symptoms and co-morbid anxiety and sleep disruption associated with ADHD.”

Prior studies assessing the use of cannabis products in patients enrolled in the UK registry have reported them to be effective for those suffering from chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, depression, generalized anxiety, migraine, inflammatory bowel disease, and other afflictions.

Full text of the study, “An analysis of clinical outcomes of medicinal cannabis therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,” appears in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports. 

Cannabis plant flower bud garden

Guernsey Cannabis Prescriptions Top 13,000 In Last Year

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown dependency island in the English Channel near the French coast, only has a population of roughly 65,000 people. Yet, three private clinics on the island have reportedly issued over 13,000 medical cannabis prescriptions over the course of the last year.

Medical cannabis reform was first implemented in Guernsey in 2019, with the British Crown dependency issuing its first medical cannabis cultivation license in November 2021. Momentum for adult-use reform picked up in recent years, however, actual passage and implementation of an adult-use cannabis measure seems unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Lawmakers in Guernsey agreed in 2022 to explore the idea of adult-use cannabis reform. Unfortunately, all laws passed by Guernsey’s government must also be approved by the United Kingdom’s Privy Council – a concept known as ‘royal assent.’

“One of the hurdles we’ve encountered as we have looked more deeply in cannabis legalisation is getting royal assent in the UK [passed by the King’s Privy Council, which, at the moment, appears very unlikely.” stated Policy & Resources Committee member Deputy Bob Murray earlier this year.

A survey of domestic lawmakers in Guernsey back in the summer of 2022 found that over half of them supported reviewing the nation’s cannabis policies, with 40% of survey respondents indicating that they supported rescheduling cannabis.

For now, Guernsey’s emerging medical cannabis industry will continue to serve patients via the prescription process. If local lawmakers and industry members have their way, Guernsey’s industry will increase in size and scope in the coming years, and serve patients in other jurisdictions.

The stated goal coming out of Guernsey is for companies to be able to import raw cannabis from other jurisdictions, make them into various products, and then export those finished products to large European markets such as Germany.

However, for that to happen a “massive investment” needs to be made into the industry according to Deputy Marc Leadbeater, and investors seem hesitant.

“The problem is a lot of the previous investors in medicinal cannabis are wary about investing in that area at the moment due to developments with cannabis legislation across the globe.” Deputy Leadbeater stated according to reporting by the BBC.

The Netherlands Flag

Cannabis Trials Begin In The Netherlands After Long Delay

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Limited adult-use cannabis commerce trials finally launched this week in the Netherlands after several delays. Cannabis trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement.

“The aim of the experiment is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to regulate a quality-controlled supply of cannabis to coffee shops and to study the effects of a regulated supply chain on crime, safety, public nuisance and public health. In order to allow the experiment to take place, special legislation must be adopted.” the Netherlands’ government stated at the time.

The push to launch cannabis trials in the Netherlands has experienced a series of setbacks. Back in September 2019, ten municipalities were selected for participation in the trials, although legislation was still needed to allow the trials to proceed.

On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

The initial timeline to launch the trials was 2021, however, that did not happen. The same was true for 2022, with the year coming and going and the Netherlands seeming to be no closer to achieving the full implementation of initial cannabis trials. The delays were reportedly due to a lack of legal supply.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. Fortunately, the trials did launch this week in Breda and Tilburg.

Cannabis trials are not unique to the Netherlands. Multiple cannabis trials are already underway in Switzerland, such as in cities like Zurich and Basel, with more expected to be launched in the next calendar year.

The public policy concept of cannabis trials is a key component of the legalization model being pursued in Germany. Germany’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert recently traveled to The Netherlands to discuss the concept:

Cannabis trials are expected to launch in other cities in the Netherlands, although it is still unclear when that will happen exactly. Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands selected for cannabis trials.

malta flag

Malta Approves More Noncommercial Cannabis Clubs

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Malta became the first European nation to pass an adult-use cannabis legalization measure back in 2021. The passage of a national legalization measure in Malta made the country the third nation on earth to do so, following Uruguay and Canada.

Unlike Uruguay and Canada, adult-use sales in Malta are limited to noncommercial cannabis clubs. Dispensaries and adult-use sales at pharmacies are still prohibited in Malta, in addition to other forms of commerce.

Back in October Malta approved its first round of licenses for noncommercial cannabis clubs, and earlier this month it approved another round, with three more entities receiving approval. Per Cannabis Health News:

Malta’s Responsible Cannabis Use Authority (CURA) has issued three new licences to Cannabis Harm Reduction Associations (CHRAs).

This brings the total to five clubs which have now received approval, with Sprawt, Northern Lights and NEGE joining KDD Society and Ta’ Zelli which were licensed in early November.

Regulations state that only associations listed on the CURA website can cultivate and distribute cannabis to their members. Membership is limited to residents of Malta over the age of 18 and a copy of their identity card must be provided to the association as proof of age and address.

Unfortunately, the European Union does not permit its members to legalize national adult-use sales. Rather, all policy modernization has to be medical and/or research in nature, which is why Malta was permitted to proceed with licensing noncommercial cannabis clubs.

Such clubs are geared towards reducing the public health impact related to humans consuming unregulated products.

Another public policy experiment that is found in Europe involves the permitting of adult-use cannabis commerce pilot programs. As of right now, Malta does not have plans to launch such programs. Limited local pilot programs are one form of commerce that the European Union permits since they are geared toward research.