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Italian Army Seeks To Supply Country’s Entire Medical Cannabis Program

Written by Johnny Green on January 4, 2023. Posted in Policy.

Back in April 2015, Italy’s Army did something that shocked many people around the world – it unveiled to the international community a cannabis farm that it operated. The unveiling came months after a government announcement that the project would begin operations, although seeing so many plants in full bloom received considerably more attention than the government’s initial announcement back then.

The concept of a government cultivating cannabis is not new. After all, for over 50 years a federal cannabis research cultivation project has operated at the University of Mississippi in the United States, and some of the cannabis from the research program is supplied to a very limited number of medical cannabis patients. However, Italy’s medical cannabis effort involving the military is much different in size and scope.

When Italy’s Army held it’s unveiling in 2015, the stated goal of the cultivation project was to cultivate enough medical cannabis to supply thousands of patients, to keep the cannabis secure throughout the cannabis’ lifecycle, and to lower medical cannabis prices for approved patients. Zoom forward to today, and the cultivation project operated by Italy’s Army will likely end up supplying nearly half of the nation’s medical cannabis program in 2023, with the remaining medical cannabis supply coming from imports. Leadership in Italy’s Army recently expressed publicly a new goal of eventually supplanting exports entirely with domestically produced medical cannabis.

Increasing Cultivation Output

Currently, Italy’s medical cannabis policy requires that 1,500 kilograms of cannabis be cultivated, harvested, and provided to registered medical cannabis patients in a year. The Italian Army’s goal for 2023 is to cultivate enough cannabis to fulfill 700 of those required kilograms. To put that figure into perspective, the Army’s cultivation operation, which is located just outside of Florence, yielded 50 kilograms in 2020 and 300 kilograms in 2022.

“The next step is self-sufficiency — that’s our ambition,” said Nicola Latorre according to Defense News. Latorre leads the Italian Defence Industries Agency in charge of the cultivation project. All of the domestically produced cannabis that is part of the Army-operated program is cultivated indoors. Apparently the program started by utilizing two rooms, which has since expanded to ten. Presumably, the additional space required to increase production has already been identified and will be located at the same secure facility.

Part of the reported strategy to boost production also involves improved cultivation technology and techniques, including “perfecting lighting, watering, temperature and ventilation” as well as the use of a “blend of secret nutrients developed in-house.” The cannabis is cultivated hydroponically, and in addition to pursuing the goal of boosting overall production, Italy’s cultivation program will start providing patients with cannabis-infused olive oil at some point in 2023.

Expanding Safe Access To All Suffering Patients

It is great news, in general, that domestic medical cannabis production is increasing in Italy. With that being said, developing a nation’s medical cannabis supply in a way that gives the entire monopoly to the government and cultivating all cannabis under artificial lighting is far from optimal. In order for a medical cannabis program to reach its full potential, it needs to help as many suffering patients as possible, and that requires, among other things, a comprehensive approach to sourcing cannabis and providing safe access.

A landmark decision was rendered by Italy’s Supreme Court in late 2019 that provided some level of legal protections for limited home cultivation. The decision was significant to be sure, however, patients still run the risk of selective enforcement and specified cultivation rights need to be codified into Italian law for all suffering patients. Furthermore, the list of qualifying conditions for Italy’s medical cannabis program needs to be expanded considerably.

In addition to sensible medical cannabis policies that pertain to individuals, Italy needs to expand who can cultivate cannabis on a large scale. The Army can and should continue to cultivate cannabis if it wants to, if for any reason to boost competition and keep prices low, however, domestic private sector and charitable organizations also need to be allowed to operate in a similar fashion to help ensure that Italy’s medical cannabis industry truly becomes self-sustaining for the long haul, and that as many suffering patients get helped as possible in the process.

What Were The Top U.S. Cannabis Policy Stories In 2022?

Written by Frank Schuler on January 4, 2023. Posted in Policy.

The United States has historically led the charge when it comes to global cannabis prohibition, so any time cannabis policies are reformed in the U.S. it’s good news for the rest of the world, in addition to being good news domestically.

Unfortunately, 2022 did not yield national legalization in the U.S. as many cannabis advocates had hoped, however, there were still many notable victories. Below is NORML’s top ten cannabis policy events from 2022 per a news release:

#1: THREE MORE STATES ENACT ADULT-USE LEGALIZATION LAWS

Voters and lawmakers in three more states — Maryland, Missouri, and Rhode Island — enacted laws in 2022 legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and regulating retail cannabis markets. Voters in Missouri voted in favor of a constitutional amendment while Maryland voters approved a legislative referendum. Rhode Island’s law was enacted by the legislature. In total, 21 states — comprising nearly one-half of the US population — have now adopted laws regulating adult use marijuana production and retail sales.

“Reformers achieved numerous significant legislative victories in 2022,” NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri said. “As more lawmakers recognize that advocating for marijuana policy reforms is a political opportunity, not a political liability, we anticipate future legislative gains in 2023 and beyond.”

#2: TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS RECEIVE MARIJUANA-SPECIFIC PARDONS AND EXPUNGEMENTS

The President of the United States and several state officials issued mass pardons and expungements in 2022 to those with prior low-level cannabis convictions. In October, President Joe Biden granted pardons to over 6,500 people with federal marijuana possession convictions. In Connecticut, Colorado, Oregon and elsewhere, officials issued over 100,000 marijuana-related pardons and expungements. To date, two dozen states have enacted legislation explicitly facilitating the expungement of prior marijuana-specific convictions. As a result of these laws, NORML estimates that 2 million Americans have had their cannabis-related convictions set aside in recent years.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans unduly carry the burden and stigma of a past conviction for behavior that most Americans, and a growing number of states, no longer consider a crime,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.”

#3: SENATE FAILS TO MOVE SAFE BANKING ACT

The 117th Congress adjourned without members of the US Senate holding any hearings or votes on either the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act or other significant pieces of marijuana reform legislation. Since 2019, House members have advanced the legislation on seven separate occasions. The Senate companion bill had 42 co-sponsors, including nine Republicans.

“It is unfortunate that Congress, and members of the US Senate specifically, failed to take this opportunity to affirm the legitimacy of state-legal marijuana markets and instead acted in a way that will continue to deny this emerging legal industry access to basic financial tools and services,” said NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox. “Until Congressional action is taken, state-licensed marijuana businesses, the hundreds of thousands of people they employ, and the millions of Americans that patronize them will continue to be at a higher risk of robbery due to the cash-heavy nature of this industry created by outdated federal laws. Furthermore, smaller entrepreneurs who seek to enter this industry will continue to struggle to compete against larger, more well-capitalized interests.”

Prior to the 2020 election, Sen. Chuck Schumer – then Minority Leader – pledged on multiple occasions that he would prioritize bringing legislation to repeal the federal criminalization of cannabis to a floor vote.

#4: MORE LAWMAKERS ENACT WORKPLACE PROTECTIONS FOR CANNABIS CONSUMERS

State lawmakers adopted numerous laws in 2022 limiting employers’ ability to either fire or refuse to hire employees solely based upon their off-the-job marijuana use. Specifically, lawmakers in California, the District of Columbia, and Rhode Island prohibited employers from discriminating against workers who test positive for carboxy-THC on a drug test, while protections for patients were enacted in several other states (e.g., Louisiana, Missouri, and Utah). In total, eight jurisdictions — California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Montana, and Rhode Island — have enacted statutes limiting employers’ ability to hire/fire workers for their recreational cannabis use in certain circumstances, while more than half of medical marijuana access states have enacted similar workplace protections.

“These decisions reflect today’s changing cultural and legal landscape surrounding cannabis,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “It is time for workplace policies to adapt to this new reality and to cease punishing employees for activities they engage in during their off-hours that pose no legitimate threat to either workplace safety or productivity.”

#5: HISTORIC PERCENTAGES OF AMERICANS SAY CANNABIS SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

The percentage of Americans who support adult-use cannabis legalization remains at record highs. National survey data compiled by Data for Progress reported that 74 percent of likely voters now “support ending the federal ban on marijuana.” For the third consecutive year, polling data compiled by Gallup found that 68 percent of US adults say that “the use of marijuana should be legal.” Separate polls released this year by Fox News, Monmouth University, YouGov, Politico, and several others similarly reported that most Americans back legalizing cannabis.

“There is no buyer’s remorse on the part of the American people,” NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri said. “In the era of state-level legalization, voters’ support for this issue has grown rapidly — an indication that these policy changes have been successful and are comporting with voters’ desires and expectations.”

#6: FBI FAILS TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE MARIJUANA ARREST FIGURES FOR THE FIRST TIME

Data provided in October by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that in 2021 over 400,000 drug-related seizures involved cannabis; however, for the first time in decades the agency failed to provide national estimates regarding the number of people arrested for marijuana-related violations. Data previously provided by the FBI has allowed NORML to track yearly marijuana-related arrests since 1965.

“At a time when voters and their elected officials nationwide are re-evaluating state and federal marijuana policies, it is inconceivable that government agencies are unable to produce any explicit data on the estimated costs and scope of marijuana prohibition in America,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.

#7: POTUS SIGNS LAW FACILITATING CLINICAL CANNABIS TRIALS AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT

President Joe Biden signed legislation into law facilitating the federal approval of cannabis-specific clinical research and drug development. It is the first time in over 50 years that a President has signed a stand-alone piece of legislation loosening federal marijuana prohibitions.

Under the new law, the US Attorney General is provided with a 60-day timeline to either approve or deny applications from scientists wishing to conduct clinical trials involving the use of cannabis by human subjects. The law also mandates the US Attorney General to solicit applications from those seeking to grow cannabis for either research purposes or for potential drug development, and it provides a timeline for the AG to approve those applicants. It also calls upon federal agencies, including HHS, to provide a report on the “potential therapeutic effects of cannabidiol or marijuana on serious medical conditions.”

NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox said, “While the significance of POTUS signing the first stand-alone cannabis policy reform bill should not be overlooked, in truth, we don’t need more research to know definitively that prohibition is a misguided and disastrous policy.” He added: “That said, this legislation is certainly a step in the right direction that shows there can be bipartisan cooperation on this issue.”

With advocates facing a divided Congress in 2023, virtually any efforts to advance cannabis-specific reform legislation would require bipartisan support.

#8: ANALYSIS: STATE-LEGAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY EMPLOYS OVER 428,000 FULL-TIME WORKERS

The state-licensed cannabis industry added over 100,000 new jobs in 2021 and now employs over 428,000 full-time workers, according to data compiled in February by Leafly.com and Whitney Economics.

According to its latest report, the cannabis industry created an average of 280 new jobs per day in 2021. That represents a 33 percent year-over-year increase, and it marks the fifth year in a row of annual jobs growth greater than 27 percent.

“At a time when the rest of the economy is struggling and people are leaving their jobs in droves, the legal cannabis industry is blooming, showing exponential employment growth, and attracting talented and driven individuals from across the workforce,” NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox said.

#9: SURVEY: OVER 90% OF PAIN PATIENTS REPORT REDUCING THEIR OPIOID INTAKE FOLLOWING MEDICAL CANNABIS

The overwhelming majority of pain patients provided medical cannabis treatment report either reducing or ceasing their use of opioid medications, according to data published in August in the Journal of Addictive Diseases.

A team of Israeli investigators affiliated with Tel Aviv University assessed the relationship between cannabis and opioids in a cohort of patients with non-cancer specific chronic pain. All of the patients enrolled in the study were prescribed medical cannabis therapy in accordance with Israel’s medical cannabis access laws. Among those patients who reported using opioids at baseline, 93 percent either “decreased or stopped [using] opioids following cannabis initiation” – a finding that is consistent with dozens of other studies involving numerous other patient populations.

“The data is clear and consistent,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Cannabis is effective in treating a variety of forms of chronic pain and, for some patients, it provides a viable alternative to potentially deadly opioids.”

#10: MISSISSIPPI BECOMES 37TH STATE TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS ACCESS

State lawmakers passed comprehensive legislation in February regulating the production and dispensing of medical cannabis products. The legislation was enacted 15 months after state voters initially passed a similar medical marijuana legalization initiative. However, the courts later struck down the state’s citizens’ initiative process – thus nullifying the 2020 election result.

“Marijuana access has been long overdue for Mississippi’s patients,” NORML’s State Policies Manager Jax James said. “The overwhelming majority of voters decided in favor of this policy change two years ago, and while lawmakers cannot make up for lost time, they have an obligation to roll out this program as swiftly as possible so that patients can finally access the medicine they need.”

The Amount Of Legal Cannabis Planted In Greenhouses In Uruguay Nearly Doubled In A Year

Written by Johnny Green on January 4, 2023. Posted in Business, Policy.

Uruguay’s legal cannabis industry may not be as large as industries in other nations, however, it will always hold the distinction of being the first regulated national adult-use cannabis industry in the world’s history.

Lawmakers in Uruguay first passed a legalization measure back in 2013, nearly ten years ago. It took a handful of years for the first legal transaction to occur, and these days consumers of legal age in Uruguay have several options for legally sourcing cannabis, including via pharmacies.

By many reasonable measures the legal cannabis industry is succeeding in Uruguay, and that is reflected in statistics that were recently released regarding how much cannabis is being planted in greenhouses in Uruguay. The rate of increase is impressive. Per La Diaria Politica (translated to English):

The Directorate of Agricultural Statistics of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) published this week the 2022 Yearbook, which includes the current status and evolution of agricultural production and provides other related data, such as the volume of exports and imports. of agricultural products, the price of land and registered purchase and sale operations.

The document reports a significant increase in the area of cannabis in greenhouses, which went from 120,000 to 239,782 square meters between the agricultural years 2020/21 and 2021/22. In the same sense, the number of licenses granted for the plantation of cannabis went from 80 to 167 in the same period. In contrast, open-air cannabis plantations have been on the decline since 2020, and went from 580 hectares to 513 in the aforementioned period.

Greenhouses are a much more sustainable method for cultivating cannabis compared to cultivating cannabis inside of a building being that they use less non-renewable resources. The climate in Uruguay is favorable for cultivating cannabis in general, and greenhouses help keep pests and rain off of the plants while also maximizing exposure to sunlight.

As we previously reported, Uruguay recently expanded the number of cannabis options at pharmacies, with a higher-THC option rolling out last month. Another cannabis option is expected to come to pharmacies in Uruguay in late 2023, although it is still unclear what cannabinoid levels will be involved with the new variety.

Clinical Trial Finds Cannabis Oil To Be Effective At Treating Insomnia

Written by Frank Schuler on January 4, 2023. Posted in Science.

Insomnia may not seem like a serious health condition to some people, however, anyone that suffers from significant insomnia will be quick to point out that it can have a negative impact on a person’s life.

The Mayo Clinic defines insomnia as, “a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.” Chronic insomnia occurs when the condition lasts longer than a month.

In addition to making a person feel tired throughout the day, insomnia can also be an indicator of one or more other serious health conditions. Researchers in Australia recently conducted a clinical trial involving cannabis extracts and insomnia patients, and their findings are encouraging. Below is more information via a news release from NORML:

Melbourne, Australia: The short-term use of plant-derived cannabis extracts is well-tolerated and effective in patients diagnosed with insomnia, according to placebo-controlled trial data published in the Journal of Sleep Research.

Australian researchers assessed the use of a proprietary cannabis oil product (Entoura-10:15) versus placebo in 29 subjects with chronic insomnia. Extracts contained 10mg of THC and 15mg of CBD. Participants consumed either extracts or placebo for a period of two weeks.

Investigators reported that those receiving cannabis extracts experienced improved sleep quality by up to 80 percent, and that “60 percent of participants no longer classified as clinical insomniacs at the end of the two-week intervention period.”

They concluded: “Our short-term trial suggests Entoura 10:15 medicinal cannabis oil, containing THC:CBD 10:15 and lesser amounts of other CBs and naturally occurring terpenes, to be well tolerated and effective in significantly improving sleep quality and duration, midnight melatonin levels, quality of life, and mood within 2-weeks in adults with insomnia. … Long-term studies are needed to assess whether chronic medicinal cannabis intake can restore natural circadian rhythm without the need for ongoing cannabis intake.”

The results are similar to those of a prior placebo-controlled clinical trial, published in 2021, that also reported that plant-derived cannabis extracts are “well tolerated and improve insomnia symptoms and sleep quality in individuals with chronic insomnia symptoms.” Observational trials similarly report benefits in patients’ sleep quality following the inhalation of cannabis flowers prior to bedtime.

Full text of the study, “Medicinal cannabis improves sleep in adults with insomnia: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial,” appears in the Journal of Sleep Research. Additional information on cannabis and insomnia is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

France Lifts Ban On CBD Product Sales

Written by Hazel Norman on December 31, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Roughly one year ago, on December 30, 2021 the government in France issued a ban on the sales of CBD products. CBD products have increased in popularity and availability throughout Europe in recent years, including in France.

Due to ongoing cannabis stigma, some lawmakers and regulators have portrayed CBD as being harmful, and they seem to have dusted off a number of reefer madness talking points that used to be applied to cannabis in general and are now revamping them to be more narrowly focused on CBD.

That stigma and ongoing anti-cannabis rhetoric by opponents has led to CBD crackdowns in some parts of the world. France’s ban was effectively short lived, as the ban was initially put on hold in January 2022 and is now being lifted altogether. Per Le Parisien:

The good news is confirmed for CBD sellers. Temporarily suspended last January, the ban on the sale in the raw state of the flowers and leaves of certain varieties of cannabis is now officially lifted, according to a decision of the Council of State on Wednesday , which “cancels the decree of December 30 2021 prohibiting the sale of cannabis flowers and leaves with a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level of less than 0.3%”.

The institution “notes that CBD (cannabidiol), which has no psychotropic effect and does not cause addiction, cannot be considered a narcotic product”.

The Council of State “retains that it has not been established that the consumption of the flowers and leaves of these varieties of cannabis with a low level of THC would involve risks for public health. It therefore considers illegal the general and absolute prohibition of their marketing”.

Another example of a looming CBD crackdown can be found in Hong Kong where a complete CBD ban is going into effect in 2023. Unlike France, leaders in Hong Kong have made it clear that they will not be reversing course and that the ban will indeed go into effect and anyone caught violating the new ban will receive years in prison.

France’s lifting of the previous CBD ban is certainly welcomed news, however, the European nation still has a long way to go when it comes to improving cannabis policy. Cannabis consumption is very popular in France, and cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy. It’s beyond time that France got completely on the right side of history when it comes to cannabis laws.

Researchers In Australia Find Oral Cannabis Products To Be Safe And Effective

Written by Frank Schuler on December 31, 2022. Posted in Science.

Oral cannabis products have grown in popularity and availability in recent years. Many patients still prefer to consume medical cannabis in edible or inhaled form, however, some patients need to have smokeless options in forms that do not require chewing and other effort that is hard for some patients.

Many oral cannabis products have a long shelf life, are easy to transport and store, and provide a specific dosage of cannabinoids that many patients’ conditions and situations require. Oral cannabis products are not for every patient in every situation, yet they are a great option for many.

One lingering question that accompanies any new form of medicine is, ‘is it safe and effective?’ A team of researches in Australia recently explored the long-term safety and efficacy of oral cannabis products and the results were encouraging. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Western Australia, Australia: Patients authorized to consume plant-derived oral cannabis products show sustained improvements in their symptoms, according to longitudinal data published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers assessed the long-terms safety and efficacy of oral cannabis products in a cohort of nearly 4,000 Australian patients authorized to use them. Study participants were naïve to cannabis prior to their enrollment in the trial. The majority of the study’s subjects (64 percent) suffered from chronic pain conditions. All of the study’s participants consumed oral cannabis products for a period of two years.

Investigators reported: “This is the largest and longest real-world analysis of the efficacy and safety of GMP [good manufacturing practices]-like oral medicinal cannabis (MC) in a continuous enrolment cohort registry. 3,961 heterogenous, cannabis naïve patients with a wide range of ages, clinical and complex conditions, and concomitant medications, prescribed oral MC, demonstrated a rapid and significant improvement across all measured patient and clinical reported validated outcomes. … Oral MC was well tolerated. … This safety is particularly salient in contrast to the safety and tolerability of prescribed long-term opioids.”

They concluded, “This large Australian longitudinal cohort registry of cannabis naïve, complex chronic disease patients treated with oral MC for over 24 consecutive months, demonstrates safety of oral generic medicinal cannabis, and demonstrated oral MC improves patient and clinician reported impact of pain, sleep and well-being.”

An estimated 100,000 Australians have been prescribed cannabis products following the enactment of legal changes in 2016 providing patients with regulatory access to medical marijuana products.

Full text of the study, “A large Australian longitudinal cohort registry demonstrates sustained safety and efficacy of oral medicinal cannabis for at least two years,” appears in PLOS One.

German Lawmakers Block Health Ministry Funding And Demand Legalization Measure

Written by Hazel Norman on December 26, 2022. Posted in Policy.

As 2022 draws to a close and cannabis observers start to look ahead to 2023, Germany will continue to be the focal point of most people’s attention. Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is currently lobbying the European Union for its approval of the general legalization plan that he presented to the federal cabinet back in October.

Various theories are swirling as to why European Union sign off is being sought prior to the introduction of a measure in Germany, with the leading theory seeming to be that approval would mitigate challenges from EU member nations seeking to prevent the spread of legalization.

A group of lawmakers in Germany is growing impatient with the delays related to the introduction of legalization, demanding that a measure be introduced immediately. They even recently followed through with a threat to withhold some of the Health Ministry’s funding due to the delay. Per RND:

It was an unusual process: During the budget deliberations for 2022, the budget politicians of the traffic light coalition put Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) under heavy pressure: they decided to block an amount of one million euros for the ministry’s public relations work until Lauterbach presents a draft law for the legalization of cannabis agreed in the coalition agreement. The reason for this approach: the coalition partners had the impression that Lauterbach did not actually want the release and was therefore trying to delay the project.

Lauterbach actually thought he was on the right track, because at the end of October he presented very detailed key points for legalization. They stipulate that the acquisition and possession of up to 30 grams of cannabis should be exempt from punishment in the future. However, a concrete draft law is still missing.

There appears to be rumblings out of Germany that the components of the general legalization plan presented to the federal cabinet in October are not firm, and that it’s possible that some components could get watered down due to negative feedback from the EU during discussions.

Hopefully, a measure is officially introduced soon in Germany and the parameters are favorable, regardless of if there is EU sign off or not. It is unclear what will happen if/when EU approval is not granted.

Minister Lauterbach has previously indicated that he will not pursue legalization without prior EU approval, however, if it keeps resulting in lost funding perhaps it could change his tune. Meanwhile, we will all continue to wait and watch for any signs of movement.

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Italian Researchers Examine Cannabis Spray And Stroke Survivors

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

According to the World Stroke Organization it is estimated that over 12 million people experience a stroke in any given year, and that as many as one out of every four people over 25 years old will have a stroke at some point during their life.

A stroke is defined by the Mayo Clinic as occurring when, “the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients.” Brain cells can begin to die very quickly when deprived of oxygen and nutrients.

Life after experiencing a stroke can be difficult for those that live through it, with many stroke survivors experiencing some level of paralysis due to the stroke. Post-stroke treatments can involve physical therapy and various medications.

A treatment that is growing in popularity is cannabis, and according to a recent study in Italy, at least one form of cannabis treatment appears to be safe for stroke survivors based on researchers’ findings. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Genova, Italy: The daily consumption of a proprietary oromucosal spray containing equal ratios of plant-derived THC and CBD (nabiximols aka Sativex) is not associated with cardiovascular complications in stroke survivors, according to clinical data published in the journal Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine.

A team of Italian researchers assessed the safety of nabiximols in a cohort of 34 spasticity patients that had previously suffered from strokes.

Investigators reported: “No cardiovascular treatment-emergent adverse drug effects emerged during nabiximols treatment, namely no significant fluctuation of blood pressure and heart rate, nor ischemic or hemorrhagic events occurred. During nabiximols treatment, self-assessed blood pressure and heart rate did not change compared to the baseline condition. No patients showed significant acceleration or decrease in heart rate or change in rhythm and none required an additional ECG or cardiological evaluation during the study.”

They concluded, “These data support the cardiovascular safety of nabiximols.”

Analyses of nationally representative samples of recreational marijuana consumers have reported inconsistent results regarding the relationship between cannabis and adverse cardiovascular events. A 2021 study of 57,000 US adults concluded, “After controlling for several confounding variables, we found that there was a decrease in the prevalence of cardiovascular events with marijuana use (Odds Ratio: 0.74).” By contrast, a 2020 review of nearly 134,000 US adults reported, “Frequent marijuana smoking is associated with significantly higher odds of stroke and myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease, with a possible role in premature cardiovascular disease.”

More recently, the results of a literature review of 67 studies published in The American Journal of Medicine concluded, “[M]arijuana itself does not appear to be independently associated with excessive cardiovascular risk factors.” Authors did caution, however, that “it can be associated with other unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol use and tobacco smoking that can be detrimental” to cardiovascular health.

Similarly, a separate review published last year of 46 randomized clinical trials involving 2,800 patients concluded that consumption of either purified or synthetic cannabinoids, including THC, is not associated with any increased risk of serious cardiovascular events.

Full text of the study, “Nabiximols effect on blood pressure and heart rate in post-stroke patients of a randomized controlled study,” appears in the journal Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine.

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Are Changes Coming To Cannabis Enforcement In Britain?

Written by Johnny Green on December 26, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Earlier this year the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a commission to explore London’s cannabis enforcement policies, which is something that he campaigned on as a candidate. Throughout 2022 Mayor Khan seemed to be promoting a policy that is essentially cannabis decriminalization.

Cannabis decriminalization is obviously not as good as outright legalization yet is clearly superior than arresting people caught with a personal amount of cannabis. Khan’s expressed desire to change London’s cannabis enforcement policies was condemned by other officials, including Steve Reed, the Labour’s Party’s shadow justice secretary.

As we previously reported, Reed made the ridiculous claim that cannabis decriminalization would “turn London into a drug supermarket.” It appears that Reed’s reefer madness talking points are not gaining as much traction in some circles as presumably hoped, with reports that the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are proposing a less-harsh approach to cannabis penalties. Per Daily Mail:

First time users of cocaine and cannabis will be offered education or treatment programmes rather than being prosecuted under new plans being drawn up by police bosses.

Officers would agree to take no further action against those caught in possession of illegal drugs, including class A and B, for the first time under new proposals being drawn up by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing.

The offender would therefore avoid a criminal record, however, they would be prosecuted if they failed to take part in education or treatment programmes or were caught with drugs again.

According to reporting out of Britain, fourteen police forces already use this enforcement approach, including law enforcement agencies in Durham, Thames Valley, and West Midlands. It’s not an optimal approach, however, it’s a step in the right direction.

No one should be forced into rehab or counseling simply because they were caught with cannabis. Cannabis possession, or even confirmed use, is not automatically problematic be default. If a consumer wishes to go to rehab for cannabis, so be it, but it should be a personal decision and not something that is imposed by the government.