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Cannabis Associated With Significant Decreases In Pain Patient Prescription Drug Use

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Sixty five percent of chronic pain patients at 3 pain centers in Germany reported ceasing opioid use after starting medical cannabis treatment according to the results of a recent survey published in the German science journal Schmerz. Additionally, 60 percent reported ceasing the use of antidepressants, and 58 percent reported ceasing their use of anticonvulsants according to the survey.

In addition to the patients themselves, physicians also separately completed the self-developed questionnaire. Participating physicians reported that 61 percent of the study’s participants achieved “substantial pain relief,” 66 percent achieved better sleep, and 34 percent achieved improvements in their mental well-being.

The survey involved 187 patients from three pain centers in the German federal state of Saarland, all of which received at least one treatment of a prescribed medical cannabis-based product (CbMs). The cross-sectional study’s data was collected from January 1 to December 31, 2021.

“CbMs can contribute to a clinically relevant reduction in pain, sleep problems and muscle tension and can improve daily functioning in carefully selected and supervised patients with chronic pain.” the study’s authors stated.

“CbM can contribute to the reduction or complete cessation of other pain medications (antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids).” the researchers concluded. This particular survey builds on the results of previous research.

Data published earlier this month in the journal JAMA Network Open reports that nearly one in four pain patients residing in states where medical cannabis access is legal self-identify as cannabis consumers.

Numerous placebo-controlled trials document the ability of either inhaled or vaporized herbal cannabis to significantly mitigate pain in various patient populations, including those suffering from HIV, diabetes, spinal cord injury, or with severe treatment-resistant neuropathy (nerve pain). These positive results have been replicated in clinical trials utilizing relatively low doses of cannabis as well as in trials using plant-derived cannabis extracts.

A 2017 report by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that “conclusive or substantial evidence” exists for cannabis’ efficacy in patients suffering from chronic pain, stating, “Patients who [are] treated with cannabis or cannabinoids are more likely to experience a clinically significant reduction in pain symptoms.”

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Cannabis Associated With Improvements In Patients With Headache Disorders

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Anyone that has experienced a headache knows that it is no fun at all. A headache is a painful sensation in any part of a person’s head, with pain ranging from minor to severe. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck (or some combination of these factors) can play a role in primary headaches.”

For some patients, headaches can be very common. Patients that fit that description have a condition known as ‘headache disorder,’ which is characterized by recurrent headaches. Headache disorder is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system.

The cannabis plant may possess the power to help people effectively treat headache disorders, as demonstrated by a recent study from the United Kingdom. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: The use of cannabis products is associated with symptomatic improvements in patients with headache disorders, according to observational trail data published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis-derived products in 97 patients diagnosed with migraine and other headache disorders. Study subjects were participants in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, and each of them possessed a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis. Study participants consumed cannabis by either vaporizing marijuana flowers or by ingesting plant-derived extracts containing both THC and CBD. Researchers assessed subjects’ symptoms compared to baseline at one, three, and six-months.

Cannabis therapy was associated with sustained improvements in pain, anxiety, sleep, and other health-related outcomes. Fewer than one-in-five patients reported experiencing any adverse events from cannabis. Most events were perceived to be mild.

“[While] these results provide promise with respect to the changes in health-related quality of life experienced by those with primary headache disorders, there is a still a requirement for further RCTs [randomized placebo-controlled trials] to be conducted to understand the true efficacy of CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] for this indication,” authors concluded. “However, whilst these are awaited, the present study outcomes with respect to safety and efficacy, provides useful insights to inform current clinical practice.”

According to a systematic review of the literature published in December, the inhalation of cannabis flowers is generally effective and well-tolerated among patients with migraine. Authors of the review concluded: “[M]edical marijuana has a significant clinical response by reducing the length and frequency of migraines. No severe adverse effects were noted. Due to its effectiveness and convenience, medical marijuana therapy may be helpful for patients suffering from migraines.”

Patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry with diagnoses of post-traumatic stress, depression, refractory epilepsy, and inflammatory bowel disease have also demonstrated symptomatic improvements following cannabis therapy.

Full text of the study, “UK Cannabis Registry: Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with headache disorders,” appears in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Additional information on cannabis and headaches is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

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Cultivating Cannabis For An Emerging International Cannabis Market

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

The act and art of cultivating the cannabis plant is far from a new thing. Researchers have found evidence of humans cultivating the cannabis plant in a domestic fashion going back roughly 12,000 years. Yet, the methods, techniques, and particularly the technology that humans have incorporated over time has evolved considerably.

For many years humans cultivated cannabis the same way that many crops were cultivated – by planting seeds into tilled soil and cultivating it under the sun using nothing more than rain or river/creek water. Over time fertilizer concoctions were eventually incorporated. Selective breeding techniques were eventually used by various cultivators, with particular genetics being grown for specific uses.

At some point cannabis cultivation operations moved indoors, both to control the environment that the plants were grown in to maximize yield as well as out of necessity to avoid detection by law enforcement. Advances in artificial lighting and feeding systems occurred as a result, with many of those advances still being used by producers today.

The cultivation sector of the emerging international cannabis industry is currently taking cannabis production to a level that was previously unfathomable. Advances in cultivation research and technology are allowing producers to cultivate cannabis that is of a higher quality and quantity than ever before.

One of the biggest benefits to cannabis reform efforts is the opening up of cannabis production research and innovation. No longer are cultivators restricting their crafts to closets and basements. They can completely operate out in the open and only be restricted by their creativity and ingenuity, and every cannabis consumer and patient on the planet is benefitting from it.

A group of leading cannabis production experts will be participating in a panel at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference in Barcelona on March 9th. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn directly from people that are at the forefront of the global cannabis production evolution. Panelists will include:

  • Marcus Richardson, Hashish Aficionado and Creator of Bubble Bags (Moderator)
  • Timo Bongartz, General Manager of Fluence Emea
  • Sabrina Carvalho, Cannabis Plant Specialist at Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
  • Neal Lund, Global Technical Advisor at RIOCOCO
  • Jeremy Youness, International Commercial Sales and Cannabis Cultivation Specialist at Fohse

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading cannabis business to business (B2B) event series on the planet, with previous conferences occurring in several countries on multiple continents. The event series is owned and operated by cannabis advocates that believe in celebrating cannabis culture, in addition to providing world-class cannabis industry education and networking opportunities.

The International Cannabis Business Conference has once again partnered with Spannabis, Europe’s top cannabis expo, to form another super-event that is a must-attend for anyone that is serious about succeeding in the emerging cannabis industry. Spannabis originally teamed up with the International Cannabis Business Conference in 2019, and the collaboration was a tremendous success. The 2023 super-event will be bigger and better than ever, with the collaboration event being the largest of its kind.

Not all networking opportunities are created equal, and that is particularly true in the cannabis space. International Cannabis Business Conference events are attended by cannabis leaders from dozens of different countries, with the Barcelona B2B trade show serving as the first major international cannabis event of its type for 2023. The conference itself will be held at the L’Auditori de Cornellà, with the after-party being held at the Hotel Arts (Ritz-Carleton) Barcelona. You can view the event’s schedule at this link here.

The International Cannabis Business Conference also has additional upcoming events in Berlin in June 2023. Secure your tickets now before the events are sold out!

 

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What Percentage Of Germany’s Population Consumes Cannabis?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

For lawmakers and potential cannabis industry regulators, knowing what current cannabis consumption rates are in a given country is important for various reasons. First and foremost, knowing current cannabis consumption rates provides insight into what a potential domestic market size could be. Germany is trending towards adult-use cannabis legalization, and one of the main estimates that needs to be pinned down is the potential size of Germany’s adult-use cannabis market. After all, how else can determinations be made for such things as the initial regulatory jobs and entity licenses needed? Newly released data from Germany’s Epidemiological Addiction Survey gives lawmakers, regulators, and cannabis observers something to work with.

According to the survey data, nearly ten percent (9.6%) of Germany’s population used at least one illegal substance in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. The most popular substance according to the survey results was cannabis, with roughly 8.8% of Germany’s population reportedly having consumed cannabis at least once during the one-year timeframe. Men (10.7%) were more likely to report having consumed cannabis compared to women (6.8%). Of the population that reported having consumed cannabis, young adults (18-24 years old) were the largest group (22.8% of consumers), followed by 25-39 year olds (12.3% of consumers), and 40-59 year olds (4.6% of consumers).

A Domestic Supply For A Continental Demand

It is worth noting that just because some survey participants reported having consumed cannabis in the last year in Germany doesn’t mean that they are all frequent consumers and/or that they would automatically make all future adult-use cannabis purchases from regulated sources. One has to assume that a subset of the professed cannabis consumer group involved in the survey tried cannabis but did not purchase it themselves, and that another subset would continue to make purchases via unregulated sources if/when Germany launches a regulated adult-use industry.

With all of that being said, the domestic market in Germany will still be enormous given the size of the nation’s population, assuming that a relevant number of current unregulated adult-use cannabis purchasers migrate to the regulated market. If it were an apples-to-apples comparison people could look to Canada, compare their consumptions rates and survey data pertaining to legal cannabis purchases versus unregulated ones, and be well-suited to make a very educated guess as to what the size of Germany’s legal market could be.

However, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but rather, an apples-to-bratwurst comparison due to Germany’s level of tourism and its geographical location on the European continent. Germany shares more borders than any other country in Europe, and it’s a safe bet that adults from surrounding nations will cross the border to partake in the new found freedoms once Germany’s regulated industry launches. How many is tough to say, although it’s guaranteed to be a significant amount of people.

Unfortunately for many of those cannabis tourists, the supply in Germany may not be able to meet the demand, at least not at first. Germany’s current legalization pursuits involve a model that is built entirely on domestic production due to various treaty provisions. I don’t know how much cannabis the European continent can consume, but with Germany likely to serve as a legal continental adult-use cannabis market oasis for some duration of time I have to assume that it will be off the charts.

Will Regulations Be Affected?

It will be interesting to see how both regulators and cannabis industry members navigate the adult-use domestic supply provision of Germany’s reported legalization model. Will regulators put stringent purchasing limits in place to help balance demand with supply? Even if they did, would it be effective? Will we witness a boom in the number of domestic cultivation licenses issued in Germany to boost supply? If so, will the licenses be limited to a handful of companies or be issued to a wide array of companies? These are just some of the lingering questions swirling  out there.

Meanwhile, when legalization does arrive in Germany, it will reportedly allow adult households to cultivate up to 3 cannabis plants (per the current plan), which will affect domestic demand to some degree. How many people will choose to cultivate their own cannabis, and equally importantly, how many of them will actually succeed in doing so, is anyone’s guess. Whatever amount it ends up working out to, it will help on the domestic front.

Some people may falsely assume that Germany’s government could care less about supply shortages, however, the premise being pitched by Germany’s Health Minister to the European Union is largely that Germany’s legalization goal is to improve public health via the consumption of regulated products. That public health outcome will only become a reality if/when prices for regulated products are competitive with the unregulated market. Supply shortages would obviously guarantee that the unregulated market would continue to thrive in Germany, and that is the exact opposite of what lawmakers and regulators want.

Canadian Banks Sued By The Cannabis Industry Over ‘Financial Discrimination’

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Uncategorized.

One of the most hotly-debated topics in the cannabis industry relates to banking access for companies. Many companies over the years have experienced banking issues related to cannabis prohibition around the world, and yet, many other countries have had no issues.

Understandably, there are people in the cannabis industry that think banking reform is a top priority, while others don’t seem as concerned about it for one reason or another. Many advocates are not necessarily opposed to banking reform, but rather, do not want to see it tied to social justice and equity efforts and simply decided on its own merits. Conversely, there are also others that do wish to tie the two together.

Certain members of Canada’s cannabis industry are apparently no longer interested in debating in the ‘public square’ and have taken their fight to the court system. Below is more information about it via a news release from Groupe SGF:

Groupe SGF (Cannabis Legal Advisors and Consultants) announces the launch of a class action lawsuit on behalf of Mr. Gabriel Bélanger (Founder of Origami Extraction Inc.) against the Desjardins Federation, National Bank, Royal Bank, Bank of Montreal, TD Bank, and CIBC. The lawsuit alleges that the named banks have engaged in financial discrimination against actors in the legal cannabis industry in Canada.

The legal cannabis industry in Canada faces financial discrimination

The plaintiff, Gabriel Bélanger, is determined to expose to the Superior Court all he has suffered as an actor of the legal cannabis industry in relation with the defendants. The main allegations involve denials of opening bank accounts, sudden closures of current bank accounts, and denials of access to various financial tools such as mortgage loans and credit lines for legal cannabis industry businesses.

Class Action: Justice for industry actors

The class action includes all individuals or corporations that, directly or indirectly, do business with the major defendant banks and who are involved in the legal cannabis industry since October 17th, 2018.

For more information on the class action, please visit Groupe SGF’s website at https://groupesgf.ca/action-collectives-banques.

Quote

“For far too long, Canadian banks have treated the cannabis industry like pariahs, as if it was still completely illegal. By doing so, they are depriving the Canadian, but especially the local economy of developing a promising market.”

Me Maxime Guérin, Lawyer, Groupe SGF – Cannabis Legal Advisors and Consultants

About Groupe SGF – Cannabis Legal Advisors and Consultants and the Plaintiff

Groupe SGF is a Quebec law firm specializing in the cannabis industry. The company represents the interests of industry actors facing legal and financial challenges.

The plaintiff, Gabriel Bélanger, engineer, is the founder and main shareholder of Origami Extraction Inc., a cannabis micro-processing company located in Beauce.

SOURCE Groupe SGF – Conseillers juridiques et consultants en cannabis

For further information: Maxime Guérin, Lawyer, 418-476-2906 (dedicated line), 1-866-782-5910 (toll-free), max@groupesgf.ca

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Review Of Longitudinal Studies Concludes Legalization Associated With Less Use Of Opioids

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

One of the most promising areas of cannabis research hinges on the cannabis plant’s ability to treat pain. Researchers around the globe are conducting studies, reviewing data, and surveying patients to gain a better understanding of how cannabis can be effectively used for pain management.

Pharmaceutical painkillers are commonly prescribed to pain patients, and while they can be effective in some cases at treating pain, in many other cases the patient becomes significantly addicted to the medicine that they were prescribed.

Researchers in Canada recently examined data to gain more insight into the cannabis plant’s ability to replace the use of opioids. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML, the results of which add to a growing body of evidence that cannabis is a preferable alternative to pharmaceutical opioids:

Montreal, Canada: The adoption of state laws regulating the sale of cannabis to adults is strongly associated with reductions in the use of prescription opioids, according to a review of longitudinal studies published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Canadian investigators reviewed data from 32 longitudinal studies evaluating public health outcomes in states that legalized adult-use cannabis sales compared to jurisdictions that did not.

Consistent with prior analyses, researchers identified “robust associations” between the enactment of adult-use legalization and decreases in the public’s use of prescription opioids.

“Most research articles included on this topic were evaluated as having high-quality evidence,” they acknowledged. “As such, the evidence is sufficient to establish a potentially beneficial association between recreational marijuana legislation and prescription opioid patterns.”

Though researchers acknowledged “moderate increases” in adults’ past-month use of cannabis following legalization, they identified “no increase in [use among] adolescents or young adults.” They also failed to identify any uptick in incidences of problematic marijuana use among young people – a finding consistent with prior data.

Authors reported inconsistent findings with respect to the potential impact of adult-use legalization on traffic safety or upon the public’s use of alcohol. They identified no increases in the public’s use of tobacco following marijuana legalization, and they failed to draw any conclusions regarding legalization’s impact on either crime rates or suicides due to a lack of sufficient data.

Full text of the study, “The clouded debate: A systematic review of comparative longitudinal studies examining the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on key public health outcomes,” appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

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Will Amsterdam’s New Cannabis Smoking Ban Become A Trend?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Policy.

Amsterdam is one of the most popular cannabis tourism destinations on earth, and for many years, the European city was the undeniable world champion of social cannabis use. It’s not a coincidence that the Cannabis Cup was held there, and only there, for a long time. Yet, in recent years Amsterdam has ceded ground to several other cities when it comes to cannabis tourism, and thanks to a pending policy regarding outdoor cannabis use, it’s possible that Amsterdam could become even less popular with cannabis tourists in the near future.

Starting in May, a new policy will take effect that bans outdoor cannabis consumption in Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District. It is estimated that 18 million tourists visit Amsterdam annually, and tourism activity in the Red Light District has yielded complaints from local residents, including complaints about the smell of smoked cannabis in the area. In addition to the cannabis smoking ban, Amsterdam is planning on toughening rules related to alcohol sales, as well as limiting bar and brothel hours.

Smoking As A Nuisance And Public Health Concern

Some people, myself included, do not mind the smell of cannabis. I live in the State of Oregon where cannabis is legal, and while public consumption carries a fine, smelling cannabis smoke while I am walking around town is still very common. I personally enjoy the smell of it and it makes me smile. However, my opinion is just one of many, and there are many people that do not like the smell of cannabis smoke, or any other type of smoke for that matter. People that do not like the smell consider it to be a nuisance, especially if the smell is constant, which I’d imagine is the case in Amsterdam.

In addition to people that do not like the smell of cannabis smoke outright, there are also people that do not like being around smoke due to health concerns. They may wish to avoid secondhand smoke for general health concern reasons, or it could be due to a diagnosed condition that is harmed by secondhand smoke. It is worth noting that cannabis smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke, however, much of the public likely doesn’t know that, and thus their concerns remain.

Late last year New Zealand passed the world’s first ban on tobacco cigarette sales, prohibiting retailers from selling cigarettes to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. Obviously, some people will still be able to purchase cigarettes in New Zealand, but eventually the ban will apply to everyone as the nation’s population ages. The justification for the ban is public health concerns, and that, coupled with nuisance concerns related to smoke could result in similar policies spreading to other parts of the globe. Being that cannabis is also smoked, in theory, similar policies like what is in Amsterdam could be pursued in other jurisdictions, as well as prohibited sales of smokable forms of cannabis potentially, akin to the prohibition on tobacco sales in New Zealand.

Smokeless Forms Of Cannabis

Public cannabis consumption laws vary around the world, with most jurisdictions still treating such acts as crimes. Although, most of the charges that relate to public consumption crimes are based on the act of possession, not use. As prohibition is replaced with legalization, public consumption bans will shift from being based on possession prohibitions to consumption prohibitions. The difference is nuanced, but very important from an enforcement logistics standpoint.

Even in jurisdictions where cannabis is currently legal for adult-use, public consumption is still prohibited, albeit usually a fine versus a crime. Nearly all of the time, the way public use is detected is via the smell of smoke, and to a lesser extent, vaping. And yet, inhaling cannabis is only one of the many ways to consume it.

These days in a growing number of jurisdictions a wide variety of cannabis products are legally available, including edibles, topicals, beverages, transdermal patches, and other emerging smokeless methods of consumption. As those smokeless products increase in availability and popularity, concerns regarding cannabis smoke will become less prevalent. After all, would anyone in Amsterdam’s Red Light District care if someone was eating a cannabis-infused gummy or wearing a cannabis transdermal patch? How would anyone even know?

microscope lab labratory research

Cannabinoid Combination Possesses Synergistic Anti-Cancer Effects In Cellular Model

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

The cannabis plant is made up of dozens of cannabinoids. THC and CBD may currently garner the most headlines, however, other cannabinoids are growing in popularity amongst patients and researchers.

A great example of that is cannabichromene (CBC). According to Science Direct, “CBC can be one of the most abundant nonpsychotropic CBs found in strains or varieties of Cannabis,” and “can cause strong anti-inflammatory effects.”

Researchers in Israel recently evaluated a combination of CBD and CBC and its effects in cellular models, and the results are encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Jerusalem, Israel: According to preclinical data published in the journal Cancers, plant-derived extracts containing both CBD and CBC (cannabichromene) are highly effective at killing head and neck cancer cells in culture.

Israeli researchers assessed the anti-cancer activity of 24 plant-derived cannabinoids in head and neck cell cultures.

They reported that the administration of CBD and CBC at a ratio of two-to-one “maximizes the cytotoxicity of HNSCC [head and neck squamous cell carcinoma] cells.” Authors also identified a similar “entourage effect” when CBD was combined with THC at a two-to-one ratio, but they suggested that the former combination possessed a more beneficial safety profile.

“Our research found CBC to enhance the cytotoxic effect of CBD, establishing additional support for the phenomenon of the entourage effect in phytocannabinoids,” investigators determined. “Considering the adverse psychotomimetic effects of THC, there is a clear advantage for favoring the CBD-CBC combination over CBD-THC for novel treatments for HNSCC.”

They concluded, “This research suggests using whole cannabis extracts, which are decarboxylated CBD-rich, to induce cancer cell death.”

Although cannabinoids possess well-established anti-cancer activity in preclinical models, scientists have largely been reluctant to try and replicate these results in controlled clinical trials.

According to a 2015 literature review, cannabis smoke exposure is not positively associated with the development of cancers of the head or neck. A 2009 study reported that the moderate long-term use of marijuana was associated with a reduced risk of head and neck cancers.

Full text of the study, “The effect of cannabis plant extracts on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and the quest for cannabis-based personalized therapy,” appears in Cancers. Additional information on cannabinoids and cancer is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.

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Australia Cannabis Legalization Could Generate A$28 Billion In Tax Revenue In First Decade

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

A new government report is out in Australia involving projections of potential tax revenue if/when national adult-use cannabis legalization becomes a reality in the country. Adult-use is currently illegal in most areas of Australia, with a notable exception being the Australian Capital Territory where some legal protections for consumers exist.

Cannabis commerce, including medical cannabis commerce, is very restrictive in Australia. Most of the country’s medical cannabis industry activity currently revolves around pharmaceutical products and research.

Australia ‘s Parliamentary Budget Office recently released a report that presents two options for legalizing adult-use cannabis in Australia. Part of the report also includes projections for possible industry tax revenue. Per Newsfeed:

According to the PBO report , the first option calls for the creation of the Cannabis National Agency (CANA), which would act as the sole wholesaler between growers and retailers, set wholesale cannabis prices and issue licenses to potential cannabis owners. cannabis companies. Ideally, the agency would be funded entirely by production and retail licensing.

This option would legalize cannabis for anyone aged 18 and over, with no restrictions on how much a person can buy. This approach would also create penalties for selling to underage people, as with alcohol. Cannabis would be available to “overseas visitors”, and residents would be allowed to grow up to six plants. Finally, recreational sales would be “subject to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as a 25% excise duty on sales including the GST”.

The second option contains all the provisions of the first option, except for the final recommendation, which would increase the excise tax to 15% instead of 25%.

The report estimates that legalization would generate as much as A$28 billion in the first ten years after a regulated adult-use industry was launched. It’s worth noting that the projected figure is largely based on a snapshot in time.

As the global cannabis industry continues to evolve and the landscape shifts, the profit potential for companies and governments will shift with it. That is true in Australia just as it is true everywhere else around the world.

It’s unclear at this time what the chances are of either option listed in the government report actually becoming law, but it is encouraging to see that multiple options are being considered, and that the information is from a government entity.