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55% Of Australians Want To Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol According To New Poll

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Archives, Policy.

Back in 2012, I was part of a network of activists pushing for legal cannabis at the state level here in the United States. We were able to get adult-use cannabis legalization on the ballot in three states that year – Colorado, Washington, and Oregon (Oregon is where I live).

The activists in Colorado had the best political messaging out of the three efforts, heavily relying on the ‘regulate cannabis like alcohol’ talking point. It proved to be a tremendously successful way to frame legalization with voters. Much better than the ‘regulate cannabis like tomatoes’ talking point that many activists (not me) were promoting here in Oregon as part of what would prove to be a losing effort for us on Election Day in 2012.

Alcohol is common in society, and unlike tomatoes it induces intoxication. Yet, people are able to consume it responsibly and governments are able to regulate it. Given that alcohol is exponentially more harmful than cannabis, the ‘regulate cannabis like alcohol’ message resonated with a wide voter base because it was a logical approach to implementing sensible public policy.

It’s a concept that has since expanded well beyond the borders of the State of Colorado, and it’s still something that resonates with voters, as proven by a recent poll conducted in Australia. Below is more information about the poll via an excerpt from Cannabiz:

The online survey of 1,086 adults aged 18-plus, conducted by polling company Essential Research from March 30 to April 2, found 50% of respondents support making cannabis use legal, double the number recorded in the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

And a majority — 55% — favour regulating and taxing cannabis sales like alcohol or tobacco.

Meanwhile, 58% want medicinal cannabis made more affordable and accessible by allowing people with prescriptions to grow their own, and 62% support scrapping current drug-driving laws.

All of the poll’s results are insightful. However, the 50% level of support for ‘making cannabis legal’ compared to the 55% level of support for ‘regulating and taxing cannabis sales like alcohol’ really stood out to me. It demonstrates how many more people will support reform when there is a regulated industry component being proposed, and that it would be based on a similar regulatory structure as alcohol.

In years past, the concept of regulating cannabis like alcohol was just a theory. Now that a number of jurisdictions have implemented the practice, including Canada at a national level, places like Australia can see it working in real-time.

Legalization works. Regulation works. Hopefully lawmakers in Australia see these poll results and work to get their country on the right side of history sooner rather than later.

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Researchers In Korea Make Surprising Discovery Involving Cannabis Stems

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Archives, Science.

The cannabis plant is arguably the most useful plant on earth. Cannabis enthusiasts throughout human history have used it for countless purposes, including medicine and sacrament.

It’s also no secret that the cannabis plant has been used by humans for personal enjoyment as well. When cannabis buds are smoked, vaporized, and/or infused into consumables it can yield euphoric effects.

Cannabis plants are comprised of dozens of cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabinoids are the subject of numerous studies, including studies focused on cannabis’ ability to battle inflammation.

But what about the stems of the cannabis plant? Are they useful for battling inflammation in any meaningful way? Researchers in Korea set out to answer that question via a recent study, the results of which were made public earlier this month.

A team of researchers from the Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-industry, the Biomaterials Research Institute, and Andong National University in Korea examined shelled seeds, roots, and stems from cannabis plants. The researchers looked at non-cannabinoid phytochemicals in those parts of the cannabis plant to see if they possessed any anti-inflammation properties.

“Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Cannabis extracts from plant parts of shelled seeds, roots, and stems containing no or trace amounts of cannabinoids.” the researchers stated.

“Among water and ethanol extracts from three plant parts, Cannabis stem ethanol extract (CSE) had the most potent free radical scavenging activities and suppressive effects on the production of nitric oxide from macrophages. In further studies using macrophages, CSE effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylations, and cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species.” the researchers concluded.

“Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses of CSE showed several active compounds that might be associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Collectively, these findings indicate that CSE counteracts LPS-induced acute inflammation and apoptosis, suggesting pharmaceutical applications for the stem part of C. sativa.” the researchers went on to state.

These findings are significant given the fact that so much medical cannabis product creation is focused on the buds of the cannabis plant. For many producers, the stems are just a useless byproduct nuisance that often gets discarded. In the future, it’s possible that the stems could prove to be just as valuable from a profit and wellness standpoint as the cannabis buds themselves.

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Religious Cannabis Use Provisions Are Creating Confusion In Trinidad And Tobago

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Archives, Policy.

Trinidad and Tobago is a dual-island Caribbean nation that is home to roughly 1.4 million people, some of which use cannabis for religious purposes. The most well-known religious group in the nation that uses cannabis for sacramental purposes is the Rastafarians.

The Caribbean nation is currently working to ramp up its medical cannabis industry, with a bill working its way through the House of Representatives. The provisions specific to religious use seem to be causing quite a bit of confusion.

There are five cannabis licences that people who use cannabis for religious purposes can apply for:

  • a cultivator licence
  • dispensary
  • import licence
  • export licence
  • transport licence

The licenses can only be obtained after the organization they are a part of is registered per the Non-Profit Organisations Act, and the organization attests that its members use cannabis for religious purposes. However, getting a license apparently creates additional issues under the provisions of the proposed measure in the House, as described by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally earlier this month. Per Newsday:

He said while only a specific amount of marijuana for sacramental or religious purposes would be available, it did not address how religious leaders would be expected to get it as the sale of marijuana was prohibited under the bill.

“When we look at Clause 47, we are told that there must be no commercial benefit, no sale, supply or any transaction involving cannabis for sale, profit, monetary gain or compensation. But not even water which falls from the sky is free, so how then are we expecting the religious groups to procure, store, maintain and dispense cannabis, completely devoid of any cash flow, to facilitate a basic access to cannabis for religious use?

“Anyone who contravenes the section, that is to say engages in handling cannabis for money not necessarily for profit because it can be for mere reimbursement of monies used in acquisition, can be liable to stiff penalties.”

Members of Trinidad and Tobago’s Rastafarian community are pointing out that if getting a license doesn’t allow them to possess more cannabis, then why go through the trouble of obtaining a license?

Cannabis was decriminalized in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019, and people can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis and cultivate up to 4 plants on their own property.