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News in English 2017

Päihdepolitiikka, tiedotusvälineet, lainsäädäntö
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Politiikka ja media
Tämä alue on tarkoitettu kannabis- ja päihdepolitiikasta keskusteluun.

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:46

Marijuana Politics Emerge as 2020 Flash Point

The debate over legalization is about to receive a full airing on the presidential campaign trail.

Marijuana legalization just moved from the fringes of the last presidential campaign to center stage in 2020.

Between a sweeping new package of legislation introduced last week by one of the top Democratic presidential prospects and, on the other end of the spectrum, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vigorous opposition to recreational use of marijuana, the debate over legalization of cannabis is about to receive a full airing on the presidential campaign trail.

While Bernie Sanders also supported medicinal use of marijuana and the decriminalization of recreational marijuana, drug policy stayed on the outskirts of the 2016 presidential debate, and growing action at the state level was barely acknowledged.

Tom Angell, chairman of Marijuana Majority, a bipartisan nonprofit advocacy group, said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s introduction of “the farthest-reaching bill ever proposed” will have a catalytic effect on the politics of legalized marijuana and the myriad criminal justice issues related to it.

“Booker is getting a ton of fantastic press about this,’’ he said. “And other candidates will notice that and will want to say, 'I agree — and I want to introduce a bill of my own.'”

Booker’s rollout of the Marijuana Justice Act — introduced to a wide audience via Facebook Live — was more than just a call for legalizing marijuana at the federal level. The measure also addresses withholding federal funds for the construction of jails and prisons from states whose pot laws are shown to disproportionately incarcerate minorities; expunging federal convictions for cannabis use; and mandating sentencing hearings for prisoners now serving time for pot offenses.

“You see these marijuana arrests happening so much in our country, targeting certain communities — poor communities, minority communities — targeting people with an illness,” Booker, the former mayor of Newark, said.

With Republicans in control of the House and Senate, the ambitious legislation is viewed as unlikely to pass. But its attachment to a top prospective 2020 candidate — and the growing action on marijuana legalization at the state level — all but guarantees presidential contenders will need a fully formed position.

Several possible Democratic presidential candidates — including Booker and New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — have already signed on to a separate bipartisan medical marijuana bill. In Massachusetts, where voters approved a ballot measure last year legalizing recreational marijuana, Sen. Elizabeth Warren has addressed the issues of creating legal and secure banking for the cannabis industry.

On the Republican side, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has called for a repeal on the pot prohibition — making him popular with young libertarians — and won some conservative backing with his strong stand for states’ rights on the issue.

That’s the same stance that was endorsed repeatedly by President Donald Trump, who also enthusiastically backed medical marijuana legalization on the campaign trail — though many cannabis advocates now worry about Sessions’ hard-line opposition.

Booker’s effort has earned kudos from some on the forefront of the legal cannabis industry, like Jim Patterson, CEO of California-based Eaze, which calls itself the nation’s fastest-growing cannabis technology firm — one that boasts 20-minute home delivery services to medical marijuana patients in markets like San Francisco.

“We admire his bravery,’’ Patterson said. “He is taking a powerful stand, and we need more politicians who are willing to be bold.”

“We welcome Sen. Booker’s call to action,’’ said John Malanca, co-founder of the California-based United Patients Group, a national organization that specializes in promoting cannabis education for patients, doctors and adult users.

Malanca — who was recently invited to Capitol Hill by the recently formed, bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus, to advocate for safety and quality issues — said the senator’s move may now spark “great opportunity for both parties to work together on something that has a groundswell of support.’’

Yet it’s also likely to force a fulsome debate over the marijuana issue in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. Already, in the two governors races on the ballot in 2017 — New Jersey and Virginia — the Democratic nominees have staked out clear positions in favor of decriminalization.

Polls clearly show that “legal access to cannabis is the future,’’ says Malanca. “If you are against medical cannabis access, or against cannabis legalization, you're already in the minority.”

A recent CBS News poll tracked 61 percent support for legal cannabis — a 5-percentage-point bump up from last year and the highest percentage ever recorded in the poll. And nearly three-quarters of Americans now support a states rights approach — that states should be allowed to make the decision on legal pot sales — and oppose government moves to crack down in states that have legalized cannabis, the poll showed.

After California officially became the largest legal cannabis market in the world last November with approval of Proposition 64, Nevada — a key Western swing state — followed last month to become the fifth state to legalize recreational use of the drug. States are hungrily eyeing tax revenues from the cannabis market, where revenues topped $5.8 billion in 2016 and are expected to reach at least $7 billion by 2020, experts say.

Willie Brown, the former California House speaker and San Francisco mayor who successfully carried one of the nation’s first cannabis-related reform bills to decriminalize the drug in 1973, says the political climate has shifted markedly from the days when “we couldn’t talk legalization — hell no.”

But he said Booker wasn’t the first Democrat to understand how deeply the issue of legal recreational cannabis resonated, especially with millennial voters.

“Gavin Newsom was the first,’’ he said, saying that the California Democratic lieutenant governor stepped out in front and backed legalization of recreational pot in the nation’s most populous state nearly two years ago.

Newsom’s strong endorsement and campaigning helped pass Proposition 64 — and set the stage for him to take the front-runner spot in the 2018 governor’s race, Brown noted.

In recent days, Newsom’s rival Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, has edged toward a more liberal stance, saying at a public forum that “cannabis is going to be the new alcohol business.” State Treasurer John Chiang, another California gubernatorial candidate, has been holding statewide hearings on cannabis banking issues.

Even California Sen. Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor who has taken a more cautious stance on the issue, is on board for marijuana decriminalization. Harris, a first-term senator who is frequently mentioned as a prospective presidential candidate in 2020, told a progressive group last month: “While I don’t believe in legalizing all drugs ... we need to do the smart thing, the right thing, and finally decriminalize marijuana.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/15 ... lash-point

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:47

The DEA Wants To Study The Medical Benefits Of Cannabis, But The DOJ Is Stonewalling Them

Although CNN reported that a study found little evidence that marijuana helps treat chronic pain and PTSD, we beg to differ…

Two studies published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that there was little scientific evidence to support either the effectiveness or safety of medical marijuana.

If Marijuana is Dangerous, Opioids are Nuclear

If the researchers believe medical marijuana is not safe, we would love to know what they think about opiates since they kill more people in one day than marijuana has ever killed (no one has died from overdosing on marijuana).

No one has ever died from smoking marijuana but every year more than half a million people die from alcohol and tobacco.

The authors of the study said, “We found low to moderate-strength evidence that cannabis use is associated with an increased risk for psychotic symptoms, psychosis, mania, and -- in active users -- short-term cognitive dysfunction.”

Justice Department is Holding Back Key Marijuana Research

Although a lot of the information provided by these research groups said that there needs to be more research conducted in order to have conclusive evidence, the Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made that very difficult.

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that the DOJ effectively blocked the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from acting on more than two dozen requests to grow marijuana for research purposes.

In 2016, the DEA began to accept applications to cultivate marijuana for research and as of this month, the agency has 25 proposals to consider; but DEA officials, however advised that they need approval from the DOJ to move forward and the DOJ has not been willing to provide it.

Numbers Don’t Lie…Politicians Do

Research data from a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association provides evidence that shows that in 2014, states with legal medical cannabis programs had an opioid overdose rate that was 25% lower than the national average.

Cannabis can treat countless debilitating diseases and improve the daily life of millions of people around the world. Despite all the fake news being reported from the White House pertaining to medical cannabis, the facts don’t lie.

Canadian Firm Helps Support the Need for Cannabis Research

From Israel to Canada, the amount of research and evidence in support of cannabis as a medicine continues to increase.

Canadian-based Canabo Medical (CMM.V: TSX Venture) (CAMDF: OTCQB) is a company leading this initiative. The company has been collecting data on how cannabis interacts with or lessens the need for pharmaceutical treatments. Canabo owns and operates CMClinics, Canada’s largest referral-only clinics for medical cannabis.

In April, Canabo Medical Executive Chairman Neil Smith presented the results from its benzodiazepine study which focused on more than 1,500 patients who started medical cannabinoids while on benzodiazepines. The study found that 40% of patients eliminated the use of benzodiazepines within 90 days. This number increased to 45% within a year of cannabis treatment.

Canabo is currently tracking over 3,500 patients who are taking opioids for a large variety of pain and other disorders. Canabo expects to publish peer-reviewed papers on the opioid-cannabinoid relationship later this year.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/17 ... lling-them

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:49

Canada can be a leader in medical cannabis trade

There are millions of people worldwide with chronic diseases and other medical conditions whose lives could be improved with better access to medical cannabis. Meanwhile, for the past decade and a half, Canada has built the most sophisticated medical cannabis framework in the world. These circumstances present an exceptional opportunity for trade leadership on the international stage.

Last year, the amount spent on cannabis worldwide — including medical cannabis — was $150 billion. By comparison, Canada’s crude oil exports totalled $49.8 billion in 2016. The federal government must proactively make medical cannabis exports part of its innovation agenda. With the right approach, the industry has the potential to be a significant contributor to Canada’s biotechnology and life sciences sectors.

We should leverage the success of Canada’s domestic medical cannabis model to address the gap in access to quality products worldwide. Thanks to the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and their predecessor regulations, Canada already has a growing network of experienced, responsible licensed producers committed to meeting and exceeding Health Canada’s high safety and security standards from seed to sale. More than 167,000 Canadians have come to rely on the quality of domestically produced products to ease the symptoms of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, cancer, and chronic pain — an increase of 123 percent since April 2016.

Tilray serves tens of thousands of patients domestically. We also receive orders from governments, researchers, hospitals and pharmaceutical distributors around the world seeking pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products. In December 2016, Tilray became the first medical cannabis producer in North America to have a certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance published in the European Union’s GMP database. GMP certification is the most rigorous standard that manufacturers of medical products must meet in their production processes and enables our company to expand our international distribution. In 2016, Tilray became the first company to legally export medical cannabis products from North America to Australia and the European Union. Earlier this year, we made our first export to Latin America.

Under the current terms of the ACMPR — which are designed to prioritize domestic production and supply — the ability of licensed producers to meet global demand is still limited. Producers need fewer hurdles and more certainty so we can serve patients in need in nascent markets. Canada’s medical cannabis framework must be updated to better facilitate the ability of licensed producers to supply products to these markets for medical treatment, research and clinical trials. The federal government should work expeditiously to encourage, not curtail, their efforts in this field.

In February 2017, when the European Parliament voted to approve the Canada-European Union trade agreement (CETA), Canada gained access to the world’s second-largest market: over 500 million consumers in 28 countries generating $20 trillion annually in economic activity. Germany, with a population of 80 million, is a party to that agreement. In 2017, Germany legalized medical cannabis, with full coverage for any patient authorized by a physician. Yet the country is years away from a domestic supply chain and is looking to Canadian producers to fill that void. The same is true in Croatia, Ireland, Mexico and the many other countries that have medical cannabis coverage but lack a network of domestic producers and the safe, secure supply Canadians have come to depend on.

When Sir Frederick Banting discovered insulin nearly a century ago, Canadians did not turn inward, unwilling to share a medical breakthrough with patients in other countries and continents. Rather, through partnership with successive governments, strategic investments and a commitment to the open exchange of knowledge, health practitioners, researchers and industry set an agenda for quality patient care that has led to better health outcomes for millions of people with diabetes around the world. The same could now be true of medical cannabis.

To effectively seize this opportunity, the federal government should take the following three steps:

Mandate Health Canada to address existing limitations under the ACMPR, including production and expansion limitations, so that licensed producers with export capabilities can more readily provide products to growing international markets
Convene an expert roundtable of licensed producers, researchers and market analysts to develop a global export strategy specific to medical cannabis and to Canada as a leading biotech exporter of safe, high-quality medical cannabis products
Begin including representatives of the medical cannabis industry on future trade missions, particularly in areas such as the European Union, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region
Prime Minister Trudeau has been clear that his government’s mandate is to build an innovation agenda that will create jobs and drive long-term economic growth. Supplying safe, high-quality medical cannabis products to international markets will do both. This sector of the economy employs thousands of Canadians in a diverse range of well-paying jobs, from horticulturalists to researchers to growers; these businesses have the potential to revitalize communities, bring in additional tax revenue for governments and sow the seeds of innovation in the Canadian economy.

The global public perception of cannabis is rapidly changing. The federal government has boldly kept pace with this change with its plan to legalize adult-use cannabis. This forward-looking approach should apply to medical cannabis, too. Canada has a chance to lead the world — it’s time to seize it.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/17 ... abis-trade

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:51

CAN-NABIS Iced Tea and Energy Drinks Laced with Cannabis Extracts Have Gone on Open Sale in Convenience Stores in Ireland

C + Swiss Hemp Iced Tea contains syrup made from the fibre of a hemp plant and Chillo contains cannabis extract.

DRINKS laced with cannabis extracts have gone on open sale in Ireland.

But their distinctive leaf logos have been slammed for ‘glamourising’ cannabis — especially among youngsters.

The Irish Sun purchased two drinks in a Dublin SPAR shop which both have the plants’ leaf as the main image on the product.

C + Swiss Hemp Iced Tea contains syrup made from the fibre of a cannabis plant and not illegal in Ireland.

And energy drink Chillo, contains cannabis seeds, also legal.

But Fianna Fail’s Jack Chambers – a campaigner for curbs on recreational drugs — believes that selling these drinks sends out all the wrong messages.

He said: “We’re putting very graphic images on cigarette packages to try to deter people from smoking.

“But to think that there’s a cannabis symbol on an energy drink is bizarre in the extreme. For kids especially, we shouldn’t be normalising the cannabis symbol.

“No product in Ireland should seek to normalise the cannabis symbol.”

Last night SPAR Ireland said they did not believe the sale of the drinks was widespread.

A can of Chillo, one of the cannabis drinks on sale in Ireland

They told us: “SPAR Ireland neither listed these products or their supplier.

“We have advised all of our independent retail partners against their sale.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... -open-sale

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:52

Cannabis use may protect people from stroke

A new study claims that smoking weed or cannabis can reduce the risk of stroke in a person.

Medical strains of the drug are already prescribed across more than half of US to treat chronic pain, anxiety and epilepsy.

The new study, conducted by the University of Texas at Dallas has found that the drug can improve oxygen and blood flow to the brain, reducing the risk of clots that cause brain attacks.

According to the researchers regular cannabis users have the most efficient brain blood flow of all, suggesting that the risk of stroke is lowest in them.

The study builds on previous researchers on marijuana but while they concluded that cannabis slows down memory function, the research, led by Dr Francesca Filbey states that the drug has a positive effect.

Speaking to Daily Mail the lead author said that the study seeks to understand the possible neurophysiologic mechanisms that may drive cognitive changes.

The property in marijuana called THC is already known to relax blood vessels and alter blood flow to the brain. The new study focussed on how prolonged THC exposure might affect the brain’s blood flow.

They did this by analyzing the differences in regional brain blood oxygenation and metabolism in chronic cannabis users.

Filbey and her team concluded that cannabis users show higher global oxygen extraction fraction and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen compared to non users.

They also saw that blood flow in the putamen, an area of brain associated with reward, learning and habits was more in use than in non users.

Increased blood flow in the putamen may either reflect the capacity of THC to dilate blood vessels or the development of additional circulatory pathways.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/17 ... ple-stroke

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:53

California Finds 'Pot of Gold' in Pairing Wine with Weed

On a warm summer evening at a vineyard in Sonoma, California, a group of well-heeled guests gathered at a local Sonoma vineyard sipping rose, feasting on food... and smoking cannabis.

The event was hosted by marijuana entrepreneurs looking to build bridges with longtime winemakers.

"I think that as we see it become more socially acceptable, you will see more and more people open to giving it a try," said Sam Edwards, president of the Sonoma Cannabis Company.

Nearby, vintner Dennis De La Montanya is mingling with guests. The sixth-generation winemaker says he doesn't "indulge" in marijuana, but is curious about the financial opportunities that go along with the crop.

"I think I would be foolish I didn't look at those opportunities," he said, noting that "this event looks very similar to one of my tasting events. And I see the same types of people here, same type of vibe."

As California prepares to hand out licenses to marijuana businesses on Jan. 1, many are eyeing Northern California's winemaking regions as a pot of gold.

One acre of cannabis grown in Northern California can be worth more than $1 million, but real estate broker John Bergman said an acre of planted wine grapes in Sonoma County is valued no more than $200,000.

The opportunists include Michael Steinmetz, a marijuana entrepreneur who bought an 80-acre property in Mendocino County, California, that once belonged to Fetzer, one of the state's biggest wine producers.

Steinmetz is the CEO of Flow Kana, which he envisions as a "marijuana destination." The business will process the marijuana that local farmers grow, helping them scale up. Ultimately, Steinmetz hopes to expand the campus to include research facilities and a wellness retreat.

Steinmetz says the location of the sprawling campus was ideal to take advantage of the wine region's labor pool and customer base.

"I'm really kind of grateful for the wine industry that existed before and it allowed us to step into the shoes of these giants," said Steinmetz.

One of Steinmetz's clients, cannabis farmer Cyril Guthridge, noted the region's climate and soil condition make it ideal to grow high-quality bud.

"We live in a very rare Mediterranean market and Mediterranean climates lend really well to growing cannabis," said Steinmetz.

Yet among winemakers, there is some nervousness about the influx of cannabis entrepreneurs. Many are worried that the marijuana industry will poach their labor and their customers.

Devika Maskey, a winemaker turned marijuana entrepreneur, mentioned some vintners are worried that "instead of the mom having a glass of wine before bed, maybe she'll have a hit of cannabis before bed, so they're worried that people are going to choose cannabis over wine."

As a sign of the heightened interest of winemakers in the cannabis industry, Sonoma County recently hosted its first-ever "Wine and Weed Symposium," to help winemakers better understand the cannabis industry. It was a sold-out event.

But some skeptics say winemakers need not worry about a stampede of marijuana growers taking over their land and their way of life. Lynda Hopkins, Fifth District County Supervisor in Sonoma County, says pot prices will likely drop with the increase in supply. She also says tight regulations may make the crop prohibitive for some prospective entrepreneurs.

"Cannabis will be the most highly regulated agricultural commodity in the state of California, period, said Hopkins.

With the looming threat of the cannabis industry disrupting life in California's wine country, some longtime winemakers like DeLaMontanya are still hopeful that wine and weed will pair well as business allies.

"I think there's an opportunity for both industries to flourish in this community," said De La Montanya.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... -wine-weed

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:56

New Hampshire Is Suing Big Pharma While Making Strides Towards Recreational Cannabis

New Hampshire may not be getting the recognition it deserves from the cannabis community. Last month the granite state decriminalized personal amounts of marijuana. The decision to pursue decriminalization came after multiple attempts from the public and the state senate to pass a recreational cannabis bill, that bill did pass in the house but then governor Maggie Hassan threatened to veto the bill, ultimately killing it. The state does have a limited medical marijuana program, it was recently expanded to include PTSD conditions for veterans to receive cannabis treatment.

That puts New Hampshire somewhere in the C+ range for cannabis supporters. Some medical patients can get the help they need. Recreational users don’t have to worry about arrest and imprisonment. And consider that almost 70% of constituents’ support marijuana and the state legislators are often very supportive of marijuana efforts (except former governor Maggie Hassan.)

This month the Live Free or Die state took a surprising step in drug policy reform by suing Purdue Pharma. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office alleges that the drug manufacturer has pursued a deceptive marketing campaign of OxyContin. In October, the deputy administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration called the state “ground zero” for the crisis.

In a civil complaint, New Hampshire’s Attorney General’s office alleges that Purdue Pharma has intentional downplayed the drug’s risk of addiction, exaggerated its uses and effectiveness, did not report suspicious prescribers, and even claimed that it was not possible to develop an addiction to the drug.

And the Attorney General is just getting warmed up. The office has been investigating half a dozen drug companies and their marketing practices for two years. Meanwhile, the state’s opioid problem has grown. 500 people died of overdoses in 2016 – nearly a ten-fold increase since 2000.

“To defeat the epidemic, we must stop creating new users, and part of that is making sure these highly addictive and dangerous drugs are marketed truthfully and without deception and in such a way as not to minimize addiction risks or overstate benefits to patients,” Deputy Attorney General Ann Rice said about the lawsuit.

A spokesman for Cranbury, New Jersey-based Purdue Pharma said that though it shares New Hampshire’s concerns about the opioid crisis and is committed to finding solutions, the company vigorously denies the allegations made by New Hampshire.

“OxyContin accounts for less than 2% of the opioid analgesic prescription market nationally, but we are an industry leader in the development of abuse-deterrent technology, advocating for the use of prescription drug monitoring programs and supporting access to Naloxone — all important components for combating the opioid crisis,” said Robert Josephson of Purdue.

Purdue and three of its executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges for deceptive conduct in 2007, but the New Hampshire lawsuit alleges that it has continued the same practices. While the company has touted its coordination with law enforcement, in New Hampshire it provided a list of suspicious providers only when asked specifically by the state’s board of medicine, the lawsuit states. When Purdue finally did deliver a list the names all came from the board’s investigations or media reports, not from Purdue’s sales data or information about its marketing visits.

According to the lawsuit, Purdue had four to six sales representatives who saw six or seven prescribers a day in New Hampshire from 2013 to 2015. One prescriber told prosecutors the message she received was that opioids were “safe, safe, safe, safe.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/15 ... creational

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 22:57

Canada: No Pot Smoking in Cars? Tough Rules Urged for Legalization of Marijuana

When it becomes legal next July, recreational marijuana should be sold with more restrictions than that other weed – tobacco – sold in plain packaging, says the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Ontario branch.

The group will release a position paper Monday calling on the province to ban pot smoking in cars with a “zero tolerance” policy, cap the amount of THC in cannabis products and use all tax revenues from them to boost addiction and mental health services.

Staff selling marijuana products in stores should have special training akin to the Smart Serve program for bartenders in what the CMHA dubs a first-of-its-kind “Cannabis Card.”

“We have an opportunity to start fresh with this,” Camille Quenneville, chief executive officer of CMHA’s Ontario branch told the Star before the wide-ranging, 18-page submission was made public.

The provincial government will spend the coming months settling on an age of majority for recreational marijuana, deciding on a retail network of stores where it will be sold, developing a public education campaign and dealing with a host of regulatory issues.

Ontario has established a Legalization of Cannabis Secretariat to co-ordinate the effort on behalf of all government ministries. Medical marijuana is already legal.

Premier Kathleen Wynne has strongly hinted the age of majority for cannabis will be set at 19, the same as for alcohol — a position the mental health association supports.

But Quenneville urged the province to set strict advertising and marketing restrictions, as with tobacco, to “minimize the profile and attractiveness” of cannabis, while going one step further with plain packaging to downplay brand identities.

“We think that makes sense.”

Cigarettes are now kept behind closed doors in stores with brand logos visible on their packaging, but alongside explicit warnings about the health dangers of smoking.

The association’s push for pot tax revenues to improve addiction and mental health services is based on concerns that “there’s a link between heavy use and anxiety and depression and psychosis,” particularly if there’s a personal or family history or cannabis use begins in the mid-teens, said Quenneville.

“There’s not nearly enough mental health services for the population,” she added, also calling for more extensive research on causal relationships between cannabis and mental health problems.

Mental health and addictions now account for 7 per cent of the provincial health-care budget and CAMH is pushing for an increase to 9 per cent, as recommended by the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

“The one piece we struggle with is young people who are at higher risk for mental health,” Quenneville said, which makes a strong public education campaign critical to reach “emerging adults” in their teens and early twenties.

‎Efforts to make people aware of the dangers of cannabis are needed to combat any mindset that “if it’s legally available and it’s sold, how bad can it be?” she added.

Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins said last month that he wants to government to get out months in advance of legalization with a strong public education and awareness campaign, especially given medical concerns that cannabis can be harmful to people under 25 because their brains are still developing.

Quenneville agreed, saying “we need to get at it. A year from now (to the expected legalization date ‎next July 1) is not a long time.”

On the concept of a “Cannabis Card,” Quenneville said it’s a logical step to certify that people selling recreational marijuana products have training on their attributes, risks and effects to better deal with customers.

“We don’t think it’s out of scope for marijuana, which can be more harmful. You have to have a level of knowledge.”

‎The proliferation of marijuana dispensaries also needs to be “cleaned up,” said Quenneville, whose association is urging the government to cut back the number of outlets where cannabis will be sold, to regulate hours of opening more tightly and to consider a non-profit retail model once legal sales begin next summer.

In the meantime, Ontario should be pushing the federal government to decriminalize, as soon as possible, the personal possession of 30 grams or less of cannabis, the CMHA recommends in the policy paper.

Youth offenses on cannabis possession should also be decriminalized and existing penalties replaced with fine, community service or mandatory education or addiction programs.

“A lot of young people are being charged with possession,” said Uppala Chandrasekera, director of public policy for the mental health association.

For drivers and their passengers, strict enforcement of a ban on cannabis consumption of any kind in automobiles will be key to curbing impaired driving, the association added.

“A zero-tolerance policy would include both the driver of the motorized vehicle, as well as any passengers in the car. It is important that a clear message be sent to the public.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... -marijuana

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ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:00

Philippines: Marijuana as Medicine

While President Rodrigo Duterte maintains a violent, hardline approach to ridding the Philippines of illegal drugs, a groundbreaking bill is said to be gaining support in the House of Representatives to legalize medical marijuana in the country.

The contrast is so glaring, it’s hard to ignore: While the war on drugs has led to thousands of deaths, House Bill No. 180, or the proposed Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act, would improve, if not prolong, the lives of people who ingest marijuana as medicine.

The bill is being reviewed by a technical working group, said Isabela Rep. Rodito T. Albano III, its principal author.

Albano is pushing for the bill’s approval despite opposition from what he calls “uninformed” quarters.

In the Philippines, marijuana is at the top of the list of dangerous drugs under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Medical need

But in that same law is a provision, in Section 2, Paragraph 2, second sentence, that does not entirely prohibit the use of dangerous drugs:

“The government shall, however, aim to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that people with legitimate medical needs are not prevented from being treated with adequate amounts of appropriate medications, which include the use of dangerous drugs.”

When the Inquirer asked Albano if he had set a time frame for the bill’s passage, Albano said: “That’s what I’ll discuss with the Speaker (Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez).”

Albano said he filed the bill in 2014 “to let patients have access to medical cannabis.”

The medical conditions of those patients range from autism to epilepsy to cancer.

There are no official statistics, but private groups estimate the number of Filipinos with autism at more than 1 million and epilepsy, more than 500,000.

A study by the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Human Genetics, National Institutes of Health showed that 189 in 100,000 Filipinos are afflicted with cancer, while four Filipinos die of cancer every hour.

Efficacy

Although Filipino doctors are divided on legalizing medical cannabis, a growing number of them are convinced of its efficacy in, for instance, pain management.

“There is already compelling scientific evidence for the use of medical cannabis,” the department head of a top hospital in Metro Manila, who requested not to be named, told the Inquirer.

He said cannabis had been proven to prevent nausea, ease pain and stimulate the appetite, especially among chemotherapy patients.

“My son has global retardation with autistic features,” the doctor said. “He does not talk but understands most things that the family tells him. He has seizures, too. Medical cannabis helps him calm down.”

The doctor said he was prepared to work slowly for the legalization of marijuana.

“We can start with research, where patients can gain access to it. There are patients who need it. We cannot turn our eyes in the other direction. There is a need for it,” he said.

He added: “Its uses in other conditions are equivocal. That is what medical science should work on, to find more evidence and show its benefits.”

Evidence

The primary evidence is contained in the scientific papers written by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli chemist who, in his research on cannabis in 1964, discovered that among its numerous chemical compounds, only one is active: delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the drug’s psychoactive effects (the “high” that is felt when marijuana is smoked).

Another compound, cannabidiol (CBD), acts on many of the same receptors as THC, but without the psychoactive side effects.

CBD is the main ingredient in cannabis oil.

In the paper, Mechoulam says THC can be used as “an antivomiting and antinausea drug for cancer chemotherapy, and as an appetite-enhancing agent.”

He says THC is being tested to help patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, and that “recent work with cannabidiol in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis may lead to clinical investigations. A synthetic cannabinoid, HU-211 (Dexanabinol), is in advanced clinical stages of investigation as a neuroprotectant in head trauma.”

In 1988, scientists Allyn Howlett and William Devane of St. Louis University Medical School in Missouri made what Mechoulam called “an important discovery about cannabis:” the human brain contains a receptor for THC, which they named CB1 (cannabinoid receptor No. 1)

CB1 has been identified for its compatibility, or its ability to interact with certain parts of the human brain called the endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system helps regulate sleep, appetite, digestion, hunger, mood, motor control, immune function, reproduction and fertility, pleasure and reward, pain, memory and temperature regulation.

The discovery confirmed what recreational users believe, based on their own experience, that marijuana induces a natural, or safe, interaction with the human body—which itself has elements of cannabis.

Cannabis oil

Medical cannabis comes in various forms, including vapor, capsules, lozenges, dermal patches and oil.

In the Philippines, cannabis oil is made by private sources to help cancer patients.

A few years ago, an American residing in the Philippines was diagnosed with a “high-grade AA” brain tumor.

In 2013, he underwent open brain surgery, then went through 42 days of radiation, which was followed by six months of chemotherapy in 2014.

After a short period of remission, the American, who requested anonymity, said the tumor came back in mid-2015, which required another round of radiation and chemotherapy.

In late 2016, the tumor returned for a third time. That was when he decided to try cannabis oil and go on a vegetarian diet.

“I take the oil three times a day in very small dosages,” he said. “I still battle cancer, but I feel healthy and strong and I’m able to live a normal life and go to work daily.”

He added: “I look forward to the day when medical cannabis will receive the credit it deserves and becomes available for all people suffering from cancer.”

‘Cancer-free’

A female doctor, who also requested anonymity, decided to administer cannabis oil to a brother-in-law who was suffering from mouth cancer.

Another doctor, who facilitated the supply of cannabis oil to his colleague’s brother-in-law, told the Inquirer that the patient was declared “cancer-free in two weeks, with no need for chemo.”

But the most astounding case the Inquirer has learned about was that of an 8-year-old boy afflicted last year with stage 4 brain cancer. His father, who also requested anonymity, recounted his son’s dramatic journey.

When tests confirmed that the boy had multiple tumors in the brain, doctors recommended five days of radiation for six weeks, and chemotherapy once a week for 10 months.

The father said three weeks of radiation therapy made his son “sluggish, weak, moody, have a hard time sleeping, lose his appetite as well as his concentration.”

When friends told him about cannabis oil, he researched the subject and was willing to give it a try. He met a doctor who helped him get the oil and advised him on administering it to his son.

He, however, did not inform his son’s doctors that he would be trying out cannabis oil on the kid.

Starting with a dose of one drop, thrice a day, of 1 ml cannabis oil through rectal suppository, the boy was observed to “sleep soundly, had energy to play and his mood swings lessened.”

On the advice of his cannabis oil source, the father gradually increased his son’s dosage while continuing radiation.

Two months later, the boy was taken off radiation, but went on taking the oil till the dosage reached five drops, thrice a day.

The attending neurosurgeon requested an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) procedure before the boy started his chemotherapy. The MRI results showed “all four tumors in the brain shrank significantly up to the point that one of the tumors disappeared.”

When the boy started undergoing chemotherapy, his father continued giving him cannabis oil for five months.

A second MRI yielded results that the father described as “mind-boggling to the point of disbelief: All tumors are now gone except for one that is suspected as a ‘scar tissue’ and is yet to be ruled out in the next MRI. I asked the doctor if we are on track with my son’s progress, and his answer was, ‘No, we are way ahead. I have never seen such a case respond so fast to this medical protocol. We’ve been praying for a miracle. I believe this is a miracle.”

On June 12, attending doctors declared the boy “in remission, no maintenance meds needed, patient in very good condition, is steadily gaining weight and his energy is back. Patient is still taking the oil five drops, thrice daily, orally but stopped the suppository.”

Skeptics may dismiss such testimonies as merely anecdotal evidence. Yet marijuana—from which cannabis oil is made—has, for thousands of years, been regarded as medicine, until the US government outlawed its cultivation and use, and the Philippines adopted that law.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/15 ... a-medicine

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:10

Huge Marijuana Fight Explodes in Hawaii

Hawaii's first medical marijuana dispensary is lashing out at the Department of Health after causing delays in supplying cannabis.

Hawaii’s first medical cannabis dispensary is already having to suspend sales just five days after it began selling marijuana, and the operators aren’t happy, lashing out at the government in a scathing statement. The reason for the suspension is because of lab delays, an unforeseen issue that the Hawaii State Labs Division ran into that resulted in the company selling out its first batch of certified weed on Saturday and having nothing anything to replace it with, and the dispensary slammed the government in a statement.

It’s an illustration of the numerous random obstacles states are running into when weed is legalized. Fortunately, it’s not looking to be a big problem for the dispensary yet, with sales expected to resume on Aug. 16. But for a dispensary hoping to allow general sales for walk-in customers on Monday, Aug. 14, it was an irritating development, and they are worried this is just the start of problems.

Maui Grown Therapies expressed irritation at the Department of Health in a statement, ripping the government for forcing them to only sell flowers for the time being and added that it was unclear when the situation would improve.

Hawaii has joined a number of other states in the U.S. in legalizing marijuana, and the push for legalization nationwide continues to gain steam even as it remains illegal at the federal level. Many states have even passed laws to make the recreational sale of marijuana legal.

The full statement from Maui Grown Therapies follows below.

Hawaiʻi’s first medical cannabis dispensary awaits action by the Hawaiʻi State Labs Division to help unclog a backlog of products so Maui patients can have access to quality assured medicinal cannabis products.

The company anticipated its most recent batch of flowers to clear lab certification by today, but that has not happened. Due to high demand, the company sold out its first batch of certified flowers on Saturday. To prevent patients from fruitless trips to its dispensary, the company will close on Monday and Tuesday, August 14 & 15, and reopen on Wednesday, August 16 at noon. Due to uncertain product availability, the company will extend its sales by appointment policy until further notice.

“It’s unfortunate that an administrative hindrance of this magnitude prevents patients from getting the help they need,” said Christopher Cole, Director of Product Management for Maui Grown Therapies. “We had planned to open with a full range of derivative products such as concentrates, oils, capsules and topical products, but at the eleventh hour we discovered that the State Labs Division had failed to certify a lab to conduct testing of manufactured products.”

Since opening last week Hawaiʻi dispensaries could sell only flowers— resulting in depleted flower stocks on Maui and disappointed patients. “We could serve thousands of patients with the amount of manufactured product we currently have available for final compliance testing,” said Cole. “Even though we were approved by the Department of Health on May 24th to manufacture cannabis products, the restrictions placed on the only licensed lab have prevented us from offering these products to our patients – and it is entirely unclear to us when this will change.”

Maui Grown Therapies co-founder and oncologist Gregory Park, MD is disappointed by the administrative bottleneck from a health perspective. “It’s ironic that our vehemently anti-smoking Department of Health is forcing cannabis patients to smoke to get relief,” he commented.

To better manage sales traffic to match product availability, Maui Grown Therapies will extend its “sales by appointment” policy until further notice. Patients may make a sales appointment through the company’s website. Dispensary operating hours have been adjusted to Mon-Sat, noon to 6 pm until further notice. As required by law, Maui Grown Therapies will be closed for Admissions Day on Friday, August 18.

Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia on the legalization situation of cannabis in Hawaii.

Cannabis in Hawaii is illegal for recreational use. Possession is permitted only for medical use and otherwise remains a criminal infraction.

A popular Hawaiian language term for cannabis is pakalolo (crazy tobacco),[1] and the term appears in the Hawaiian newspaper Ka Nonanona as early as 1842.[2] Hawaii is famous for its cannabis, with many strains developed locally

In 2015, the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program of Hawaii was created to require those who qualify for medical marijuana to register before using marijuana for medical purposes.(health.hawaii.gov) To register, you must have a licensed physician certifying that the patient’s health condition can be benefited from medical marijuana. The patient will then receive a 329 Registration Card issued by the Department of Health.The goal of the Department of Health for issuing the 329 Registration Card is to issue it in a timely manner so that patients can continue or start to use medical marijuana legally.[4]

In July 2015, The Act 241 was passed. It states that the Hawaii Department of Health will administer the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program by 2016 and dispensaries can begin to dispense medical and manufactured marijuana products as early as July 2016 assuming that the Department of Health grants approval to these dispensaries.[5]

To address legal acquisition of cannabis, in 2016 Senate Bill 321 established a dispensary system, allowing eight dispensaries in the state, designated by island.[6]

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... des-hawaii

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:12

Police Remind Visitors Medical Marijuana Is Illegal in Wyoming

If you have visitors coming for the eclipse who might use medical marijuana, you might want to remind them it’s not legal in Wyoming.

The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police raised the issue in an eclipse-related press release last week.

“Even if you have a card from another state, it is still illegal to possess marijuana in Wyoming,” Natrona County Sheriff Gus Holbrook said in the release. “If you are caught with any controlled substance you will be charged with a misdemeanor or felony drug offense.”

There’s precedent for people bringing medical marijuana into a state while on vacation, only to get in trouble after they arrive.

At my previous reporting job in the Virgin Islands, a tourist from California who used medical marijuana to treat severe anxiety was arrested when police found it in her possession.

She spent the night in jail, faced a large fine and her vacation was completely ruined.

On a lighter note ... animal-loving Casperites who are proud of their furry or feathered companions should mark their calendar for Pet Fest at Washington Park on Aug. 26.

The event, which is organized by the Casper Recreation Division and the Community Recreation Foundation, is free. Prizes will be awarded to the pets with the best costumes and tricks, and vendors will be selling pet-related products.

Don’t forget to bring along a leash or carrier, as animals are not allowed to be loose.

If you go, look for me and my three foster kittens. As the kittens were previously feral, they will not be winning any Miss Congeniality awards, but they are quite cute. I’ve named them after the dragons on Game of Thrones, so if anyone has any mini-dragon costumes lying around, let me know.

Gov. Matt Mead will be in Casper this week and he’ll be answering questions from Star-Tribune reporters. I’m currently preparing my questions, but I’d like our readers to have some input, too. If readers have any particular concerns they would like the governor to address, please send them to my email for consideration.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... al-wyoming

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:14

Cleansing With Cannabis: 4 Ways to Treat Tension With THC

We’ve all heard of cannabis cleanses that aim to flush THC from the body by using a variety of herbs and vitamins. But what if it’s possible to use cannabis as a key ingredient in overall wellbeing? From lessening your stress to loosening body tension, cannabis can be a welcome addition to a plethora of health regiments and self-care routines.

Nurture your body and mind by cleansing yourself of everyday pressures with a little help from THC. The result will be a happier, relaxed version of yourself—and you deserve to feel your best.

Mindful Meditation

Cannabis is a wonderful aid to meditation as it has a natural way of calming the mind. Even the act of smoking mimics the practice of breathing meditation: deep breaths in, and long, slow exhales out. Think of it as a refreshing soak for the brain.


Begin your cleanse by incorporating meditation into your evening routine. Smoke or vape a relaxing strain such as a calming indica (we love Lavender), sit in a quiet place, and indulge in 20 minutes of meditation. After a few days, you will find heaviness and anxiety lifting from your mind, leaving clarity in its wake.

Cannabis-Infused Bath

There are several cannabis bath products that offer an infused, relaxing soak made to soothe tension, ease the body and mind, and leave you ready for a deep night’s sleep.


Grab a CBD or THC-infused cannabis bath bomb paired with a cannabis Epsom salt soak, then add both to hot water before sinking into your mixture of oils, salts, and cannabinoids.

This combination will not get you high, but it will grant you a truly nourishing and deeply calming experience to prompt full relaxation. You’ll wake up feeling calm and cleansed of any daily tension you’ve been holding in.

Juicing With Cannabis

If you like to start your day with a glass full of healthy juice packed with fruits and vegetables, adding cannabis to your blend can be an extra way to incorporate medicinal benefits into your morning routine.

Go for a healthy green smoothie recipe and avoid smoothies heavy in fruit as these tend to be high in sugar with little fiber. Opt for vegetables and consider pairing them with a single fruit or beets for sweetness.


When adding your cannabis, you can use the plant’s buds or fan leaves depending on how strong you’d like the blend to be. Mix in raw cannabis for its myriad health benefits and give it a try before adjusting to taste and dosing preferences.

For a delicious combination, try apple, parsley, celery, spinach, lemon, and cannabis fan leaves.

Cannabis-Infused Massage

Massages are a fantastic way to cleanse tension from our bodies and stress from our minds. After all, touch is exceedingly important to our emotional and mental wellbeing, and even plays a significant role in our cognitive development as infants.

Such effects are only enhanced by the addition of cannabis-infused massageoil or lotion. Although it will not get you stoned, infused lotions can calm inflammation, penetrate tough muscles, and soothe the senses.

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with massage studios offering cannabis-enhanced massages, such as Denver, Colorado, all it will take is booking an appointment on your next day off. Otherwise, pick up a nice lotion or oil during your weekly dispensary visit, or make your own.

Whether using them with a loved one or treating yourself to some TLC, anyone with access to these products can enjoy a nice cleansing cannabis massage.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/17 ... ension-thc

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:18

Ohio: Local Medical Marijuana Companies Struggling to Find Banks

More than two months after applications for cultivator licenses were due to the state, many medical marijuana businesses are struggling to find banking institutions that will hold their money.

Passed in June 2016, House Bill 523 legalized medical marijuana in the state of Ohio, although it's still illegal at the federal level.

But Attorney David Patton, who represents several start-up medical marijuana business, told News 5 that even state-chartered banks are rejecting his clients.

“It makes absolutely no sense to me,” Patton said. “I think these financial institutions are being unreasonably and ridiculously risk averse.”

At least for the time being, Patton said his clients are stuck dealing with cash. He argues that it’s a huge safety risk.

“All of these medical marijuana enterprises are going to become targets for theft," he said. "Because the bad guys are going to know there’s lots of cash in these businesses."

These issues come several weeks after a non-profit medical marijuana advocacy group had its bank account shut down by PNC.

“It kind of blindsided us when we weren’t able to use our bank accounts,” said Brian Adams, Former Executive Director of the Cleveland Branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Adams said his chapter was informed that their account would be closed and they would be issued a check for the full amount held in the account.

“We didn’t understand. We’re a non-profit 501C4, so we don’t engage in profiting off of or selling cannabis,” Adams said, explaining that they had held the bank account for several years with no issues.

"PNC does not comment on customer accounts," a spokesperson said in a statement issued shortly after the accounts were closed. “As a federally regulated financial institution, PNC complies with all applicable federal regulations."

After several more rejections, the chapter was eventually able to open a new account with a branch of Wells Fargo.

Both Patton and Adams said they hope the banks will begin to embrace medical marijuana businesses before the industry becomes operational next year.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/16 ... find-banks

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:21

The VA Can’t Provide Cannabis to Veterans With PTSD, so This Group Gives It Out for Free

Once a month, staff members at the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance(SCVA) fill more than 100 brown paper bags with high-quality medical cannabis and pass them out for free at a local community center. For the military veterans who receive it—many of whom struggle with PTSD—the medical cannabis acts as a lifeline to health.

The SCVA, which operates out of an old office in a Santa Cruz neighborhood, has been serving local men and women since 2011, when the organization was founded by military veterans Aaron Newsom and Jason Sweatt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcg1__UeG6o

After six years of service, though, SCVA’s mission now faces challenges due to an ironic new development: the legalization of cannabis in California. New regulations due to take effect in early 2018 don’t allow the SCVA to continue operating as they do today.

“We’ve tried to create this environment of peace through cultivation and cannabis with a purpose.”
Aaron Newsom, SCVA Co-Founder
“With the new law, if we’re not at the end of the chain of custody, we are not allowed to give away anything for free,” Newsom told me during a recent interview in his office in Santa Cruz. “We have to get a storefront where we can retail our product and determine whether we sell it for $50 or $1.00–or provide it in a volunteer-return basis.”

Newsom, 35, is clean-cut and bright-eyed. He served in the marine corps before co-founding the SCVA. Sweatt, 41, is a 10-year Army vet and director of the SCVA. He offered a quieter hello behind black-framed glasses.

As we spoke earlier this summer, workers were busy carrying out construction projects needed to turn the space into a retail cannabis store. California’s Prop 64, which will soon regulate what was once a loose, laissez faire medical cannabis market, requires that the SCVA obtain state licensing and operate a storefront in order to continue carrying out its mission.

That mission includes growing their own medicine.

In the SCVA’s garden, hundreds of cannabis plants are cultivated by a staff of volunteers and a few paid staff.

Rows upon rows of cannabis plants vegetated in silent darkness, lit only by a dim green light. Fans hummed quietly, creating a pleasant breeze in the branches. The grow rooms feel peaceful, surrounding curious visitors among the slow growth of life.

“We’ve tried to create this environment of peace through cultivation and cannabis with a purpose,” Newsom said. “It’s horticultural therapy.”

Another room was brightly lit and populated with flowering plants that filled the room with their sweet, fragrant aromas. Kosher Kush, White Fire OG, and a Tangie hybrid were among the stock that sat glittering with trichomes. Though Jason and Aaron started the garden years ago as a twosome, a few other veterans now help tend the plants.

“A lot of these guys were over there [in war] kicking in doors and taking lives,” Newsom explained. “They’re able to come back to slow growth and cultivating life, and then [they’re able] to bring back life in [other] patients.”

When we returned to the office, SCVA staff members had begun packing freshly cured cannabis into brown bags for their veteran brothers and sisters. Music danced in the air, dogs flopped on the floor, and between busy hands, cannabis was shared. Aaron excitedly and emphatically rallied everyone between puffs, and in that moment where it seemed everyone was smiling in unison, it was hard to imagine what each of them had been through.

For many of those who live with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is no cure–only temporary relief. It’s a condition that lives in the basement of your mind. Now and then, a trigger kicks in the door leading down to the dark, ushering in fear and anxiety. The dormant trauma, living and breathing below the surface, snaps awake by flashbacks, nightmares, or subtle reminders in daily life. Like a scab on the psyche, it gets torn open again and again.

Therapy and mood-stabilizing drugs have helped many patients strip the “disorder” aspect of their PTSD so that it’s possible to live without the constant looming shadow of memory. But for others, conventional treatments don’t work.

Some patients with this type of chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD have found that cannabis helps bridle PTSD symptoms. It calms an overactive mind, slowing it down to a sustainable pace where peace can be found. Cannabis can also reduce a patient’s reliance on heavier pharmaceuticals, medications with side effects that can devastate a person’s quality of life.

Members of the SCVA tuning in to announcements before cannabis is given out.

Later that day, an SCVA staff member showed me some footage he’d taken during his own combat tour.

On a laptop screen, I watched as a shaky camera moved through a dusty stone corridor. It followed a group of soldiers, guns in hand. The sound of footfalls and muffled movement carried on for just seconds before a blast overwhelmed the senses, blackening sight and deafening ears. When the dust cleared, a soldier was on the ground, surrounded by shouts. A medic leaned over the wounded soldier, repeating words of reassurance.

The soldier who’d captured the footage of the detonated IED (improvised explosive device) was standing behind me, alongside other SCVA staff members. They stood watching with fixed eyes and folded arms, eyebrows folded slightly inward.

Knowing that PTSD manifests differently for everyone, I asked Newsom, Sweatt, and other members of the SCVA what the condition looked like for them.

For Sweatt, the many convoys he did in Iraq left him unable to drive for two years. “I experienced a lot of heightened alert, my head was on a swivel,” he admitted. “When I drove, I was really hypervigilant, looking around, constantly checking my surroundings.”

Sweatt had difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. He moved to California and lived in a van for six months. The re-entry difficulty and social isolation seemed to be common among many of the veterans I spoke to.

“I saw patients whose lives were destroyed by the ravages of drugs and alcohol, but never anyone who was sick from cannabis.”
Dr. Jordan Tishler, Former VA physician
“We’ve got homeless veterans, and many who [struggle to gain] employment and education,” Newsom said. “Returning to civilian life, everyone is out on their own.”

Due to the Schedule I status of cannabis, VA doctors are legally unable to recommend it to veterans. Instead, they are left to prescribe a cocktail of antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, opioids, and sleeping medications.

“The VA tends to group us into two categories,” Newsom explained. “You’re either the PTSD depressed category and you get these three sets of pills, or you’re the angry type and you get these three sets of pills. It’s like a conveyer belt.”

These pharmaceuticals can sometimes create more problems than they correct. Most of the veterans I spoke to noted that cannabis helped them reduce their reliance on opioids, benzos, and other prescription pharmaceuticals. But there’s a catch. The pharmaceutical costs are covered by the VA. Cannabis is not.

And yet it seems to work. I heard a lot of comments like these from veterans working with SCVA:

“Cannabis helps me stay in the present.”
“It helps tone down the hypervigilance.”
“It helps me sleep.”
“It helps me stay calm.”
Lucy, a soft-spoken marine veteran and SCVA member, sat and talked with me for a while. “A lot of therapists who don’t understand veterans, they’re quick to prescribe the same pills I was trying to get away from,” she lamented. With cannabis, however, Lucy found relief.

“I thought it might mellow me out,” she smiled. “It worked.”

To find out why cannabis could be helpful to a mind plagued by trauma, I contacted Dr. Jordan Tishler in Boston.

A Harvard medical graduate who worked for 15 years as a VA physician, Tishler went on to establish a private practice, Inhale MD, so he could advise patients on medical cannabis.

“Time and time again I saw patients whose lives were destroyed by the ravages of drugs and alcohol,” he told me in a recent phone interview. “It occurred to me that I had seen all these harmed individuals, but never anyone who was sick from cannabis.”

Tishler saw firsthand the therapeutic potential of cannabis for the treatment of both pain and PTSD, so he dove into the research to learn more. He came up with a theory about how cannabis helps calm the mind of a PTSD patient.

“THC and CBD tend to work as a retrograde postsynaptic shut-off valve,” he said. “Their job is to decrease the level of stimulation in systems that tend to be excitatory. These are important systems in our brain that can get revved up and overly triggered [by PTSD or anxiety]. Cannabis tends to dampen those systems.”

Another theory, first posited by neurologist Ethan Russo, proposes that conditions like PTSD can result in a deficiency of endogenous molecules (called “endocannabinoids”) that serve to balance the signals Tisher described. The molecules in cannabis, like THC and CBD, function like these endocannabinoids and can help to restore that balance of signals. And that, in theory, is why PTSD and anxiety patients feel calmer under the effects of cannabis.

For his PTSD patients, Tishler generally recommends a small dose of cannabis at night just before going to bed, noting, “The anti-anxiety effect will last that next day even though the intoxication has worn off.”

For people with PTSD, sleepless nights often open the door to other symptoms and setbacks. Addressing insomnia and nightmares is a common first step. But it’s important, Tishler cautioned, to consider starting at a low dose.

“Cannabis is a complex actor,” he acknowledged. “It can be very good for anxiety at low dose and very bad for anxiety at high dose.”

Most doctors aren’t as well-equipped as Tishler to explain the benefits and risks of medical cannabis. Some haven’t educated themselves on cannabis. Others are hampered by ties to the federal government.

As a result, many patients are using medical cannabis with no professional guidance whatsoever. Others have no safe access to it, period. The continued absence of compassionate cannabis laws across the nation is astounding to doctors and patients who have experienced an improved quality of life firsthand.

Back in Santa Cruz, upwards of 100 military veterans poured into a local community hall for the monthly SCVA meeting. Old metal folding chairs screeched against the wood floors as veterans took their seats and caught up with old friends.

At the front of the room, the SCVA staff prepared to pass out brown paper bags full of cannabis grown by their small team. A staff member tossed out silicone accessories for cannabis concentrates, cracking jokes amid booming laughter.

After a few short announcements, the veterans signed in, as if at a dispensary, and accepted the brown bags with smiles and handshakes. Many stuck around long after the meeting ended to catch up with other members. The sense of connection between them contrasted sharply with the isolation and social withdrawal many of them experienced after returning from service.

“We’re not therapists, and we’re not doctors,” Aaron Newsom demurred. “We just understand each other. That in itself is a healing tool.”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/16 ... t-out-free

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:25

Ready or Not, Maryland Marijuana Firms Face Big Deadline

Maryland’s beleaguered medical marijuana industry faces a critical deadline Monday, when companies the state has selected to grow the plant are required to be operational. Those that are not ready risk losing their lucrative licenses.

Already, marijuana regulators are under pressure from powerful state lawmakers to leave companies that can’t meet the deadline behind.

“The whole purpose of this whole entire thing is that we have enough growers out there to provide medicine for patients,” said Sen. Thomas V. Mac Middleton, the Southern Maryland Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.

Monday is the finish line of a 365-day race for the 15 companies picked last August to grow marijuana.

Only one is operational.

Based on interviews with companies, lobbyists, officials and industry experts, it appears that only about half of the remaining firms will be ready in time.

Middleton and Sen. Joan Carter Conway, the Baltimore Democrat who chairs the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, urged marijuana regulators this month urging them to “take every reasonable measure to ensure” companies are ready on time, and to “promptly” replace those that are not with new companies.

The frenzy to get final inspections and approval is so harried that Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission Executive Director Patrick Jameson said Friday he was unable to say how many firms might need an extension.

Jameson said his inspectors would be in the field doing final checks up until the deadline arrives — and beyond it.

One of those inspectors was scheduled to visit Jake Van Wingerden’s SunMed Growers in Cecil County on Monday to look over Van Wingerden’s just-completed greenhouse at the same regulators meet to award his competitors final licenses.

Wingerden said his company asked for final inspection more than a week ago, but the schedule of inspectors was too tight to fit them in before Monday. He said he still has to paint, put in grass and dress up the flowerbeds.

The last year has “definitely been a roller coaster,” Van Wingerden.

“We were elated that we were [selected], and then it felt like the arrows started coming our way,” he said. “It feels like we've been fighting for our survival.”

The future of the industry has been uncertain as both the General Assembly and the courts have taken a close look at whether it should move forward.

As recently as Friday, a judge was weighing whether to shut down final licensing as he considered whether the process by which the commission picked winners was unconstitutional.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams on Friday denied an emergency request to put licensing on hold, but warned lawyers for the state and for growers that the court has authority to invalidate any licenses if it determined they were awarded improperly.

The case was one of two brought by firms that did not win licenses and now are challenging the selection process in courts. Leading advocates for medical marijuana have called for a whole new process — and a whole new commission that would be more accountable.

“I don't think that commission should be able to make any more decisions,” said Del. Cheryl Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who chairs the influential Legislative Black Caucus.

She said commissioners should not issue any more licenses.

Lawyers representing about half the growers said their clients have invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” in trying to get up and running.

Curio Wellness CEO Michael Bronfein raised $30 million to build a futuristic indoor growing operation in Lutherville-Timonium. Bronfein said his company passed inspection 11 weeks ago, is fully staffed and has been waiting for the commission’s final approval since June.

“I sent my whole company bowling on Monday,” Bronfein said. “There’s nothing left to do.”

The commission considered granting Curio a final license on July 5, but tabled the matter for reasons members would not describe publicly and Bronfein said regulators had never been raised before.

The next day, Gov. Larry Hogan put nine new commissioners on the 16-member panel. He reappointed one person.The remaining six members have unexpired terms.

Hogan also named a new chairman, Brian Lopez. Monday’s meeting to give out final licenses is to be the first time the newly constituted committee meets publicly.

Maryland legalized medical marijuana in 2103, but the launch of the industry has been beset by delays and controversy.

Just one of the 15 firms picked last year has been permitted to start growing. Gail Rand, chief financial officer of ForwardGro in Anne Arundel County, said Friday that plants are growing but the company does not have a date when it expects marijuana to be available for sale to dispensaries.

George P. Merling is trying to open a dispensary in Cumberland. He said licensing more firms to grow marijuana is crucial.

“No one has any product,” he said.

Van Wingerden, who is president of the Maryland Wholesale Medical Cannabis Trade Association, said some of the organization’s members requested final inspection a month ago, but received it only last week.

Five growing companies told The Baltimore Sun they’ve been inspected and are ready for final approval when the cannabis commission meets Monday afternoon. Some, including Curio in Baltimore County, Holistic in Prince George’s County and Harvest of Maryland in Washington County, said they are ready to start growing Monday afternoon. Green Leaf Medical and HMS Health, both in Frederick County, say they can have plants growing soon. Other companies declined to comment. Still others did not respond.

Officials at MaryMed said their Dorchester facility is ready to be inspected, even though the cannabis commission has denied their license over he conduct of former executives in other states. That denial is on administrative appeal.

Middleton, whose committee oversees medical marijuana regulation, said he hopes regulators will cut a break to firms “within striking distance” of being ready. But he said lawmakers will watch closely to make sure the commission moves on quickly if companies are not.

The cannabis commission invited applicants last week to explain why they needed more time, in case regulators decide to grant extensions.

Jameson said he did not expect the commission to tell firms that did not meet the deadline Monday that they have lost out on the industry on Monday, nor to make an announcement that the commission was moving on just yet.

Companies that are next in line to launch a growing operation have been waiting for Monday’s deadline for a year.

Maryland Cultivation and Processing, led by CEO Edward Weidenfeld, ranked No. 16 last year.

Asked whether his company was watching the Monday deadline, he replied: “Do bears live in the woods?”

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... g-deadline

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:28

Medical Cannabis Giants Eye UK for next 'Green Rush' Ahead of the Industry's First Conference in London

In October the UK will host what is believed to be its first medical cannabis conference, an international jamboree of weed-based therapies in London.

It may seem like an eccentric choice, given cannabis is illegal in Britain. But Saul Kane, the Israeli entrepreneur behind the event, is confident the country is on the cusp of decriminalising marijuana and ushering in a “green rush” of investment. It is a phenomenon that has already gripped his homeland, creating a multibillion-dollar industry and around 500 companies. It is also one of the fastest-growing industries in the US, where medical marijuana is legal in some states.

Internationally the industry is worth around $20bn (£15.5bn) and is forecast to reach $100bn by 2020. The UK is a long way behind.

“If the UK doesn’t have a regulated cannabis industry in two years I’ll retire,” Kane says confidently.

Cannabis therapies are not without controversy and there is conflicting evidence on their benefits, however. Anti-drugs campaigners also point to research showing that sustained use can lead to mental health problems and side effects including hypertension.

Supporters of the marijuana therapies say that they can help manage pain and also treat a wide variety of conditions, from epilepsy to Parkinson’s Disease. At a time when US drug companies face a flood of lawsuits from people claiming they have been harmed by opioid-based painkillers, medical marijuana is back on the agenda as a potentially safer alternative.

Will the UK join the party?

The law remains an obstacle, but could soon change. The Home Office highlighted a blog by its junior minister Sarah Newton on drugs policy in April, the notes to which state the Government’s view is that cannabis should be subject to “the same regulatory framework” as other potential medicines, subject to approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

It adds: “The MHRA is open to considering marketing approval applications for medicinal cannabis products.” So the Home Office might not stand in the way of medical cannabis products as part of its battle with recreational use.

The MHRA might have objections though. All medicines must meet its standards for effectiveness and safety.

So far only a very small number of cannabis-based drug treatments are approved for use in the UK. Sativex, a peppermint-flavoured mouth spray derived from cannabis produced by GW Pharmaceuticals, is an approved treatment to ease loss of muscle control in people with multiple sclerosis, but it is costly and rarely prescribed.

More therapies are on their way. Last autumn, the MHRA determined that products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative of cannabis, can be prescribed. It was a breakthrough for medical cannabis. It does not contain the psychoactive part of cannabis, called THC, that gives people a high.

In April a CBD product was prescribed for the first time for 11-year-old Billy Caldwell in Northern Ireland for treating his severe epilepsy, which at its worst was causing 100 life-threatening fits a day. His mother Charlotte described the prescription as “a huge step forward”.

Despite the constraints faced by medical cannabis in the UK, Kane estimates the CBD industry here is worth £200m already and boasts around 20-30 companies. He says he has “been working with the regulator to get better policy”.

At the London conference, in a former brewery in the east of the city, he expects a mix of international companies and investors to mingle. In the US – where more than 20 states permit cannabis for medical purposes – the investment market is big business. It even boasts investors specialising just in cannabis companies, such as Privateer Holdings, which invests in businesses with the family of the late Bob Marley.

Kane says Europe has some catching up to do, but adds: “It’s a significant industry that can’t be ignored any more.”

GW Pharmaceuticals is one of the firms that would stand to benefit should medical cannabis products take off in the UK. The firm behind Sativex was listed on London’s junior market Aim until last autumn, but in an indication that this is not a hotbed for cannabis companies, it switched to Nasdaq in the US. At the time its chief executive, Justin Gover, said this was due to its investor base being “dominated by US investors”. Gover stresses “we are resolutely a British company”, however. All of GW’s cannabis plants are grown here, with most harvested by British Sugar in the country’s biggest glasshouse in Norfolk. Mick Cooper, an analyst at pharmaceuticals consultant Trinity Delta, is sceptical the UK is on the cusp of a green rush.

“They would have the same challenges as any drug developer – i.e. they would have to demonstrate safety, efficacy in a specific indication and consistency of product,” he says.

“It is worth emphasising the manufacturing issue, as the levels of THC and other chemicals produced by a cannabis plant will vary depending on conditions. It might be very difficult to produce a medicinal cannabis that is sufficiently consistent to meet the demands of the MHRA.”

Cannabis could make its breakthrough via a different route. Political pressure has been building over the past year to legalise cannabis altogether.

Last September an inquiry led by a cross-party group of MPs and peers concluded that cannabis should be made legal for medicinal uses.

Two months later another group of MPs – including Conservatives Peter Lilley and Michael Fabricant, the Liberal Democrats’ Nick Clegg, Labour’s Paul Flynn and the co-leader of the Green party Caroline Lucas – called for an end to the “embarrassment” of the UK’s drugs policy.

They were prompted by a report by the Adam Smith Institute and VolteFace magazine that argued the Government’s “dark ages” approach to drugs had not stopped people using and manufacturing them. The Liberal Democrats later put cannabis decriminalisation in their manifesto.

The Conservatives have traditionally taken a hard line on drugs policy. As home secretary, Theresa May was resistant to any softening of drugs law.

The Adam Smith Institute argues the party cannot continue to ignore calls to legalise cannabis. “The main harms of criminalisation come from putting it into the black market, and in the knock-on effect on the criminal justice system,” says Daniel Pryor, education manager at the institute.

“In the medium term we see [decriminalisation] as a possibility. If the Conservatives want to reconnect with young voters it would be a very good way of demonstrating they’re in tune with their concerns.”

The political atmosphere around marijuana is crucial too for the investors hoping to back a medical revolution. As the US and Israel forge ahead, supporters of the industry say Britain risks failing to stake its claim on a new frontier.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... conference

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:29

5 Benefits of Cannabis Tea for Chronic Illnesses

Medical marijuana is gaining popularity as a complementary medicine to help with many symptoms associated with chronic illnesses. While many people are curious about how marijuana (or cannabis) may help improve their symptoms, they are also reluctant to smoke the substance. However, there are ways that medical marijuana can be administered, including in tea form.

According to thealternativedaily.com, here are five ways that cannabis tea can help relieve some of the symptoms people with chronic diseases live with.

Relieves pain
Marijuana has been associated with pain relief for centuries. Researchers have found the cannabinoids in marijuana dampen pain signals by binding to the pain receptors in the central nervous system (CNS).

In contrast to opiates such as morphine or codeine, cannabis is not addictive and poses no withdrawal symptoms to patients. Cannabis-infused tea is delivered to the whole of the body through the digestive system so the effects are longer lasting and more efficient than smoking.

Reduces inflammation
Medical marijuana has been found to reduce inflammation associated with many autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus. It also helps to temper the body’s immune system making it less likely to attack itself.

Protects the brain
Studies of cannabis’s effect on the brain have found that the drug has a neuroprotective effect and appears to slow down or even block the beta-amyloid protein build-ups associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Promotes digestive health
Many chronic illnesses present symptoms which affect the gastrointestinal system. Cannabis has been found to improve digestion and relieve symptoms such as cramping, stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, constipation and acid reflux.

Mood enhancer
While smoking cannabis may produce mind-altering effects that most people are weary of, drinking cannabis tea can help with stabilizing mood and helping to relieve emotional symptoms associated with chronic illness such as depression and anxiety.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... -illnesses

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:32

Can Topical Cannabis Heal Wounds?

Topical cannabis is perhaps one of the most underrated uses of the herb. Topical cannabis refers to balms, lotions, creams, oils, and salves that are applied directly to the skin. But, can topical cannabis really heal wounds? Recently, case study research suggests that topical cannabis may be valuable in treating malignant wounds, which are not only painful but can infect surrounding areas. Here’s why the herb may be beneficial for treating skin abrasions.

Can topical cannabis heal wounds?

Cannabis stands apart from other medicinal herbs in more ways than one. Not only is the plant psychoactive, but it is capable of producing over 100 unique chemical compounds called cannabinoids.

While only a handful of these cannabinoids have been studied, preliminary research suggests that many of them are pharmacologically active and hold therapeutic value.

Like any other plant, cannabis can also produce at least 200 different terpenes. Terpenes are aroma molecules that give the herb its signature scent. Different cannabis cultivars produce different terpenes in response to environmental conditions, giving each individual plant a unique bouquet of aromas.

Research suggests that terpene concentrations as slight as 0.05 percent can have active medical effects. While cannabinoids are large molecules and are less able to permeate unbroken skin, the terpenes abundant in cannabis certainly can. It’s the combination of these beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes that make cannabis such a valuable wound healing tool.

4 reasons why cannabis is beneficial for wounds

Just to play it safe, it’s important to mention that applying any sort of product to an open wound can be risky. Anecdotally, medical cannabis patients have reported success withfull extract cannabis oils on wounds caused by skin cancer and other maladies. Full extract cannabis oil is also called Rick Simpson Oil (RSO).

Full extract cannabis oils are often made using ethanol or grain alcohol as solvents. These solvents strip beneficial oils off of plant material, creating a concentrated essential oil of the cannabis plant. It is not recommended to use oils that contain harmful solvents or questionable additives on broken skin.

If using a lotion or a balm, it is recommended to opt for products that contain skin-safe carrier oils like organic coconut oil or almond oil. As a bonus, coconut oil contains lauric acid, which is a natural anti-microbial. Otherwise, it is important to be mindful when using any sort of topical product on broken skin. It is always recommended to speak to a medical professional before self-treating.

Without further ado, here are four reasons why cannabis may be beneficial for healing wounds:

1. Malignant wounds

A case report published in January of 2017 in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management suggests that topical cannabis may aid in the treatment of malignant wounds. According to the case report, topical cannabis is a centuries’ old remedy for malignant wounds.

Indeed, contemporary medical cannabis consumers like Rick Simpson have made headlines around the globe after successfully self-treating skin cancer lesions with cannabis oil.

Now, this case report offers an official account of cannabis as a wound-healing agent. In the study, a 44-year-old man had a cancerous wound on his cheek. He had been diagnosed with squamous cell cancer three years prior and had undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Despite these conventional treatments, his cancer continued to eat through the side of his cheek.

The patient initially sought out medical cannabis for pain relief. His doctors obliged and recommended vaporized cannabis that contained a mixture of both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

THC is the primary psychoactive in the cannabis plant, while CBD is a non-psychotropic cannabis compound. The vaporized cannabis was successful in reducing pain and easing the man’s symptoms. He was able to reduce the usage of his pharmaceutical pain medications by 25 percent within one month.

After success with vaporized cannabis, he began to use a topical cannabis product directly on his wound. The product contained cannabis-infused sunflower oil that contained 5.24 percent THC and 8.02 percent CBD. He applied the oil directly to the wound and inside his cheek. He also swished the oil around in his mouth.

He used the oil four times daily and reported feeling pain relief within 10 to 15 minutes. The relief lasted for two hours and the wound healed by five percent within four weeks.

Unfortunately, however, the man had to discontinue cannabis treatment after being admitted to the hospital as his overall condition worsened. He has since passed away.

2. Cannabis as antibiotic

Research published in 2008 suggests that cannabinoids like THC and CBD are potent antibiotics. So potent, in fact, that they have successfully killed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the laboratory. MRSA is an antibiotic resistant bacteria that contributes to extremely painful open wounds.

Since MRSA is resistant to common antibiotics, it can be extremely difficult to treat once the infection takes hold. Preclinical research suggests that a few psychotropic cannabinoids, including cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabigerol (CBG), successfully killed MRSA bacteria.

3. Burns

Cannabis has been used as a topical treatment for burns and cuts since ancient times. Yet, it’s not only cannabinoids that may be helpful for burn treatment. Some cannabis cultivars contain high levels of linalool. Linalool is a terpene that provides a floral lavender aroma.

Research suggests that linalool may be very useful for burns. Linalool has both cooling and pain-fighting properties, making it a particularly useful compound for burns.

For the greatest relief, opt for medical cannabis oils that have had their terpene content analyzed. Choose products that contain as high of a percentage of linalool as possible. Linalool is also highly concentrated in lavender oil. Mixing lavender oil and cannabis oil may be useful in this particular instance.

4. Pimples and pustules

Pimples and acne may not be “wounds” exactly, but there is some early evidence that CBD may be useful in treating acne abrasions. Early research suggests that CBD has sebostatic and anti-inflammatory properties on human pimples. This means that the cannabinoid reduces the amount of sebum, which is the oil created by glands in the skin.

Coupled with the anti-bacterial properties of CBD, the cannabinoid seems to be a useful tool in the treatment of skin abrasions.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/14 ... eal-wounds

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:36

There’s No Known Cure For Arthritis, But Marijuana Works Wonders

Here’s some good news: Medical marijuana is helping people with arthritis improve their quality of life.

Most of us know someone — an aunt, uncle or grandmother — suffering from arthritis. It is one of the most common health ailments in the world, with more than 50 million people affected in the U.S. alone.

The term “arthritis” is actually a category that includes over 100 conditions and diseases affecting joints and surrounding tissue. Symptoms of pain, stiffness and swelling aching joints are common. Arthritis can seem inescapable and changes people’s quality of life. There is no known cure.

Despite anecdotal evidence about efficacy of marijuana for arthritis, physicians simply don’t know enough about it to engage their patients about it as a treatment option. In one study, 70 percent of physicians said they would not know how to discuss possible interactions with other meds or suggest dose.

That is a great shame since cannabis has a better safety profile than the NSAIDS, steroids and opiates that are often employed to reduce arthritis discomfort but come with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, weakening of bones and addiction. Even if patients were able to use cannabis as a complementary therapy, they could very potentially cut back on the use of harder, more dangerous meds.

It’s no surprise that cannabis could offer arthritis sufferers relief. After all, cannabis is known to be as much as 20 times more effective than aspirin at reducing inflammation and can be an effective sleep aid. Some research certainly supports those decisions.

An Israeli study found that 90 percent of medical marijuana patients stayed on their medicine regimen and most reported reduced pain and function. Researchers at the University of Nottingham noted that targeting cannabinoid receptors with medical marijuana products may help bring pain relief to knee joint pain associated with osteoarthritis.

The first Health Canada approved cannabis clinical trial studying arthritis began in 2016. The CAPRI Trial (Cannabinoid Profile Investigation of Vaporized Cannabis in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee) will compare the effects of different ratios of THC and CBD as well as the short term safety of vaporized cannabis. Results have not yet been published.

Similar to other ailments, a gap exists between physician knowledge base about cannabis and patient interest. Some patients and physicians will wait until there is irrefutable evidence before trying cannabis as an alternative therapy. Others will not wait for more information and seek to improve their quality of life with cannabis now

What we do know is that as more states come online with regulated medical marijuana, more patients will have an alternative to consider, and having options is good news.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/15 ... ks-wonders

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Re: News in English 2017

ViestiKirjoittaja savuseppo » 17.8.2017 23:38

The DEA Wants to Study the Effects of Marijuana, But the Department of Justice Won't Let Them

The Washington Post reports that the Department of Justice has denied several requests from the DEA to study marijuana. Last year, the DEA accepted applications to grow marijuana for research, but the DOJ will not sign-off on them to move forward with the program. According to a spokesman, the DEA "has always been in favor of enhanced research for controlled substances such as marijuana."

This is just another disagreement between the DEA and the Trump administration. Last month, acting DEA administrator Chuck Rosenberg wrote that the president had "condoned police misconduct" but saying cops didn't need to protect a suspect's head when putting them into police vehicles. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the DOJ have also pushed the DEA to move aggressively against the gang MS-13 despite the DEA's insistence that the gang is of minor importance in America's drug trade and their resources would be better focused on Mexican cartels and other threats.

While the DEA may be interested in studying marijuana and its effects, it's still not an ally to the legalization movement. Rosenberg refused to lower restrictions on cannabis use and maintained its classification as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. But apparently compared to the Jeff Sessions' Department of Justice, they actually look progressive.

Rosenberg is also an Obama administration appointment, so it may not be incredibly surprising that the Trump White House is putting up roadblocks to his programs.

http://420intel.com/articles/2017/08/16 ... t-let-them


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