Science – Page 35 – International Cannabis Business Conference

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Multiple National Cannabis Missions At International Cannabis Business Conference In Berlin

Written by Marguerite Arnold on July 26, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

Multiple economic missions had booths at the conference last week – the beginning of an international trend

While the scale of the event rivaled any corporate conference – as did the exhibit booths – one thing stood out clearly this year at the Berlin International Cannabis Business Conference last week: The arrival of cannabis missions from international locales.

Last year, both Zimbabwe and New Zealand sent economic trade envoys to the conference. This year, both New Zealand and Thailand had their own booths, promoting their country’s cannabis exports.

It is, clearly, the beginning of a wave. The International Cannabis Business Conference has, since its beginning in 2017 been the most international, high-level business conference in the world. From now on, governments will be taking notice.

It is obviously now a relatively fast-changing world. One where the governments of three European countries (Malta, Germany, and Luxembourg) met last week to begin a series of high-level meetings on changing cannabis regulation across the region.

Unprecedented Market Access

One of the most important reasons for foreign producers to work with their governments to send trade mission presence to the International Cannabis Business Conference conference is that the access created by the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin is unprecedented, globally. Attended by all the major producers across Europe and in Germany, along with representatives of what are now believed to be the 187 distributors across Deutschland, the conference is an unparalleled opportunity to gain market access to the cannabis market in the world’s fourth-largest economy.

From the moment you hit the conference floor, it is very clear you have just entered a cannabis zone of unique scope and size.

Not Just Germany

Beyond individual companies and trade delegations, the conference is also packed with buyers and sellers of every kind. This ranges from brokers to resellers to pan European distributors to investors.

If you are looking to buy (or sell) any kind of wholesale cannabis product across the EU, this is the place to be.

There is no major segment of the cannabis world that is excluded

What Does the Future Hold?

The International Cannabis Business Conference in just a few short years has established itself as the premiere gathering place for the global industry. This will only continue to build. Look for a bigger conference, more attendees, official delegations and of course, increasingly senior politicians and deal makers.

Within two years, this is going to be the ground zero of a recreational market. The sky may not be the limit, but it will surely go even more stratospheric!

CBD Use Associated With Reduced Tobacco Intake

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

A question has perplexed cannabis advocates since the dawn of cannabis prohibition – why is tobacco legal and cannabis illegal given how much more harmful tobacco is compared to cannabis?

Worldwide, tobacco use is responsible for killing over 7 million people every year. However, cannabinoids alone have never killed anyone in humanity’s entire recorded history.

This is not to villanize people that consume tobacco. Many tobacco users are victims of deceptive marketing practices and historically loose tobacco industry regulations. It’s also a personal choice as long as second-hand smoke exposure is mitigated.

With that being said, given how many people die annually from tobacco use and that the same cannot be said about cannabis, the findings of a new study demonstrating that CBD may be able to help reduce tobacco intake is a great thing. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Paris, France: Vaporizing a liquid formulation of CBD is associated with reduced cannabis/tobacco intake, according to data published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

A team of French investigators assessed the impact of vaporized CBD on daily cannabis consumption patterns in a cohort of 20 daily consumers. Nearly all of the subjects in the study smoked cannabis mixed with tobacco in joints. Prior studies have previously demonstrated that CBD administration mitigates smoker’s desire for tobacco cigarettes.

Of the nine patients who completed the 12-week trial, six of them reduced their daily consumption of cannabis/tobacco joints by 50 percent.

Authors concluded: “This research provides evidence in favor of the use of CBD in CUD [patients with cannabis use disorder] … and illustrates the interest of proposing an addictological intervention targeting at the same time tobacco and cannabis dependence in users who are co-consumers. … A double-blind, randomized, multi-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial is still needed to assess the efficacy of inhaled CBD in CUD.”

CBD consumption has previously been associated with reductions in alcohol intake as well as reductions in cue-induced cravings and anxiety in subjects with a history of heroin use.

Full text of the study, “Efficacy of inhaled cannabidiol in cannabis use disorder: the pilot study Cannavap,” appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Cannabis A “Common Treatment” For Chronic Pain Survey Finds

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

Chronic pain is arguably the most common health condition found around the world, with an estimated one out of every 5 adults suffering from chronic pain (1.5 billion people).

It’s a condition that is often coupled with one or more other health conditions and is often the first symptom that a patient goes to their doctor for review, and unfortunately, find out that they are experiencing other health conditions that are causing the chronic pain.

Chronic pain is defined by John Hopkins Medical Center as, “longstanding pain that persists beyond the usual recovery period or occurs along with a chronic health condition, such as arthritis.”

A growing body of scientific evidence is finding that the cannabis plant can effectively treat chronic pain in a manner that is much safer compared to pharmaceutical painkillers. A new survey out of Canada echoes previous findings. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Quebec, Canada: Nearly one-third of patients living with chronic pain conditions acknowledge using cannabis for pain management, according to data published in the Canadian Journal of Pain.

Canadian investigators assessed cannabis use trends in a cohort of 1,935 chronic pain patients residing in Quebec. (Cannabis products are legal for both medical purposes and for adult use in Canada.)

Just over 30 percent of patients in the sample said that they used cannabis explicitly for purposes of pain management.

Authors identified greater cannabis prevalence among younger patients, but they reported no significant differences between men and women with respect to how likely they were to consume the substance.

“Cannabis is thus a common treatment reported in people living with CP [chronic pain],” they concluded. “Our study re-emphasizes the importance of rapidly generating evidence on the safety and effectiveness of cannabis, in addition to age-tailored education and awareness efforts among people living with CP.”

Among patients in US states where medical cannabis access is permitted, over 60 percent are qualified to use it to treat pain.

Full text of the study, “Prevalence of cannabis use for pain management in Quebec: A post-legalization estimate among generations living with chronic pain,” appears in the Canadian Journal of Pain. Additional information on cannabis and pain management is available from NORML.

Cannabis Effective At Mitigating Musculoskeletal Pain According To Survey

Written by Frank Schuler on July 18, 2022. Posted in Science.

Musculoskeletal health conditions are a major problem around the globe. In fact, it’s the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with the World Health Organization estimating that as many as 1.71 billion people suffer from a musculoskeletal condition to some degree.

Virtually every musculoskeletal condition involves pain, with lower back pain being particularly common among patients. Pain can come in many forms when someone suffers from a musculoskeletal condition, ranging from mild annoying pain all the way to completely debilitating pain.

Thankfully, a growing number of studies are finding that cannabis is an effective form of pain management, including a recent study conducted in Puerto Rico. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain disorders report obtaining significant relief following their use of medical cannabis products, according to data published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

A team of Puerto Rican investigators surveyed 184 patients with chronic pain conditions regarding their use of medical cannabis. (Lawmakers legalized patient access to certain cannabis preparations in 2015.)

Respondents suffering specifically from musculoskeletal conditions reported an average reduction of 4.47 points on the Numeric Rating Scale following cannabis administration. Eighty-nine percent of survey participants said that cannabis was “more effective” than opioids for pain management – a finding that is consistent with other studies.

Authors concluded: “This study showed that the use of medical cannabis among patients with musculoskeletal conditions effectively reduced pain levels based on their NRS reported scores. In addition, most patients using medical cannabis considered that this drug represents a better option than narcotics (e.g., opioids) for adequate pain management. Additional studies on medical cannabis should evaluate whether the experience and perspective presented through this study could translate into satisfactory and consistent clinical outcomes.”

Survey data from 2020 estimated that one in five Canadian patients battling musculoskeletal disorders used cannabis to ease their pain. Among pain patients enrolled in medical cannabis access programs, most subjects report decreasing or even eliminating their use of opiates.

Full text of the study, “Patient experience and perspective on medical cannabis as an alternative for musculoskeletal pain management,” appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML.

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Alzheimer’s Case Report From Brazil Finds “Encouraging” Results For Cannabis Extracts Treatment

Written by Frank Schuler on July 18, 2022. Posted in Science.

It is estimated that as many as 50 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. It is also estimated that every 3 seconds someone is diagnosed with the condition.

Alzheimer’s disease involves the degeneration of the brain resulting in disruptions in memory, cognition, personality, and other everyday mental functions. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the disease.

To make matters worse, diagnosis rates of the disease are expected to increase significantly in the coming decades if effective treatments are not discovered/developed. Absent any breakthroughs, it’s estimated that the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s could more than triple by 2050.

Fortunately, cannabis may be able to help. Researchers in Brazil recently published a case report involving a patient and microdosing low-THC cannabis extracts. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil: Cannabis microdosing is associated with cognitive and behavioral improvements in a patient with mnemonic and non-mnemonic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) symptoms, according to a case report published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.

An international team of investigators affiliated with The Federal University for Latin American Integration in Brazil and with John Hopkins University in Baltimore reported on the experimental treatment of THC-rich extracts in a 75-year-old male patient with mild-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The patient had been diagnosed with AD two-years prior to his use of cannabis.

Extracts used in the trial contained an 8-to-1 ratio of THC to CBD. The patient receiving the intervention used the extracts daily for 22 months. The subject’s daily dosage never exceeded 1 mg of THC per day.

Investigators reported that the patient exhibited “rapid” and “robust” symptom amelioration following his use of low doses of THC-rich extracts. Specifically, they reported, “[C]ognitive and memory enhancement lasted for more than one year following the start of treatment and remained stable while we progressively evaluate/follow up with the patient, for more than one year after the official report ended.” Authors also reported improvements in the subject’s quality of life and in behavioral issues, including a reduction in mood swings and aggressiveness. Follow up evaluations identified no evidence of cannabis-related toxicity or significant side effects.

They concluded: “Our results are unprecedented and very encouraging. … In summary, data presented in this case report suggest that cannabinoid microdosing is a potential therapeutic for AD, with no significant side effects, although placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm and extend these data.”

Prior studies and case reports assessing the use of THC in Alzheimer’s disease patients have similarly reported improvements in AD symptoms, such as reduced agitation and improved sleep, following cannabinoid dosing.

Full text of the study, “Cannabinoid extract in microdoses ameliorates mnemonic and non-mnemonic Alzheimer’s disease symptoms: A case report,” appears in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. Additional information on cannabis and Alzheimer’s disease is available from NORML.

Researchers In Norway Explore Cannabis Treatments And Parkinson’s Disease

Written by Frank Schuler on July 11, 2022. Posted in Science.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition that attacks the nervous system and involves the patient experiencing tremors, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movements. The condition seems to mainly affect middle-aged and elderly people.

Scientific research has found that Parkinson’s disease can be caused by both genetic and environmental conditions, although there is still a great deal about the condition that is unknown.

It is estimated that as many as 10 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease worldwide, with men being 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with the condition compared to women.

Researchers in Norway recently examined cannabis as a form of treatment for Parkinson’s disease, and the results provide hope. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release:

Bergen, Norway: Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often report symptomatic benefits from the use of cannabis, according to survey data published in the journal Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

Norwegian investigators surveyed cannabis use patterns and related attitudes among PD patients. Consistent with prior surveys, they reported that a significant minority of PD patients consume cannabis for symptom relief. Respondents were most likely to report improvements in motor function, sleep, and pain as a result of their marijuana use.

Observational trial data has determined that cannabis inhalation is associated with improvements in tremor, rigidity, pain, sleep, and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) in patients with PD. Placebo-controlled trial data has also determined that acute CBD administration (300mg) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in experimentally-induced anxiety and tremor in PD patients.

Full text of the study, “Cannabis use in Parkinson’s disease: A nationwide online survey,” appears inActa Neurologica Scandinavica. Additional information on cannabis and PD is available from NORML.

Researchers In Brazil Find That CBD Is Ineffective For Restless Legs Syndrome

Written by Johnny Green on July 11, 2022. Posted in Science.

Restless leg syndrome may not sound like a serious condition, however, it can have a very negative impact on someone’s life that suffers from the condition. I know this firsthand, as I suffer from the condition.

The condition is characterized by ‘an unpleasant tickling or twitching sensation in the leg muscles when sitting or lying down, relieved only by moving the legs.’

It is estimated that as many as 10% of the global adult human population suffers from restless leg syndrome. It doesn’t seem to be known what ultimately causes the condition, although there are theories that it may be tied to fluctuating dopamine levels.

Whatever the cause, I can say from my own experience that restless leg syndrome is not only extremely annoying, it makes it nearly impossible to sleep at night. People that suffer from restless leg syndrome often also suffer from related insomnia.

Various treatments exist for restless leg syndrome, although there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ treatment. What works for one person may not work for the next.

One form of treatment that I have followed closely is the use of CBD. I have had it recommended to me countless times, just to try it and not see any improvement. I wasn’t sure if it was just me, or if CBD was simply not an effective treatment.

Researchers in Brazil recently examined CBD and restless leg syndrome and found that it is an ineffective form of treatment. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Manaus, Brazil: The administration of oral doses of CBD is ineffective at reducing the severity of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), according to clinical tr ial data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Brazilian researchers compared the use of CBD versus a placebo over a 14-week period. Patients in the CBD arm of the trial received up to 300mgs of cannabidiol.

Patients who were administered CBD demonstrated no improvements compared to those receiving placebo.

“CBD showed no reduction in the severity of RLS manifestations in patients with PD and RBD,” authors concluded.

By contrast, a series of case reports published in 2020 and in 2017 reported that cannabis inhalation is associated with perceived efficacy in patients with refractory restless legs syndrome.

Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol for restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease in Parkinson’s disease patients with REM sleep behavior disorder: A post hoc exploratory analysis of a phase 2/3 clinical trial,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

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Study Finds Most Likely Reasons For Canadian Medical Cannabis Use

Written by Frank Schuler on July 4, 2022. Posted in Science.

People use cannabis for a variety of reasons, including and especially wellness purposes. Whereas cannabis prohibition is a relatively new policy phenomenon, the use of cannabis for medical purposes by humans goes back many centuries.

The cannabis plant is arguably the most versatile plant on earth, possessing the ability to effectively treat a number of ailments, as proven by a growing body of research and a seemingly never-ending list of personal testimonials.

A team of researchers in Canada recently surveyed medical cannabis patients to try to determine the most common reasons for medical cannabis use. Below is more information about the researchers’ findings via a news release from NORML:

Quebec City, Canada: Canadians who consume cannabis for purposes of self-medication most frequently report doing so to address pain, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and depression, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

Canadian researchers surveyed 489 subjects who purchased cannabis products at adult-use retailers, but who acknowledged doing so to self-medicate. Consistent with prior data, respondents were most likely to report consuming cannabis products to mitigate anxiety (70 percent), improve sleep (56 percent), alleviate pain (53 percent), and address feelings of depression (37 percent). Subjects were also likely to acknowledge using cannabis to alleviate muscle spasticity, migraine, nausea, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Survey respondents typically reported using cannabis flower and selecting products dominant in THC. However, those respondents that exclusively defined their cannabis use as medical-only expressed a preference for CBD-dominant products.

In contrast with other surveys, most respondents acknowledged reporting their cannabis use to their health care professionals.

The results of another recent survey, published in the journal Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice, similarly determined that patients certified to use medical cannabis in the US most commonly do so to treat symptoms of pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression. The results of yet another recent survey, conducted by Harris Polling, also found that consumers most often report consuming cannabis to reduce stress, improve sleep, and mitigate anxiety.

Separate survey data compiled in April reported that 21 percent of US Medicare recipients acknowledge consuming cannabis for therapeutic purposes, typically to address symptoms associated with chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Full text of the study, “A description of self-medication with cannabis among adults with legal access to cannabis in Quebec, Canada,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information on the use of cannabis for chronic pain is available from NORML.

Pakistan’s Ministry Of Science And Technology Is Forming Cannabis Authority

Written by Frank Schuler on June 29, 2022. Posted in Policy, Science.

Industrial hemp is legal in Pakistan, with the country harvesting its first legal hemp crop late last year. Unfortunately, all other forms of cannabis are still prohibited in the conservative country.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology wants to change that. Despite Pakistan never allowing cannabis consumption in the modern era, the Ministry is ramping up a push to reform the country’s cannabis laws to permit some type of use. Per Pro Pakistani:

The Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) said that Pakistan can generate $8 billion in revenue within four years by implementing a policy on cannabis.

He stated this during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology under the chairmanship of Senator Shafiq Tarin.

The committee discussed that the government could earn $2 billion in revenue in a matter of months by developing a policy on cannabis use.

Based on the experiences of other nations, the projections and timelines being floated in Pakistan are likely a bit too ambitious. It will take time to successfully transition Pakistan from complete prohibition to a thriving industry capable of yielding billions in public revenue.

However, the fact that Pakistan is pursuing cannabis reform in any fashion is a good thing. Just as prohibition has failed everywhere else on earth, it’s a failed public policy in Pakistan as well.